January 20, 2010--Week 3 of 2010: 20 days this year…345 remain
►Provocative Quote .
"Home to a young boy is merely a filling station."
“Home is a place teenagers stay while the car is repaired.”
~unknown
►Free Ramblings .
Trijicon is a company I had never heard of until yesterday. Now it is big news. They are the Michigan company that has a huge contract with the Dept. of Defense to provide guns, binoculars, and other military paraphernalia to our troops fighting around the world. It turns out that back in 2003 and continuing now, the serial numbers on their products contain a reference to a variety of bible quotations. It has taken seven years to figure this out, but now everyone knows and the company ain’t apologizing. In fact they claim that their founder, who died several years ago, started the practice and they are just carrying on his legacy. One gun sight has a serial number: AC00CQGN32JN8:12. JN8:12 refers to John 8:12, that reads, "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." All references appear to be from the New Testament.
Many in the military are rightly not amused. However, they are not sure there is anything illegal about this. Some Soldier Rights groups are outraged. Illegal or not, what kind of message is, and has been, this sending to our allies and our enemies. Many have said that the wars we are involved in are against Islam. This certainly gives the enemy some propaganda. Hello, not all our soldiers are Christians, and not all those who are Christian see this as a Holy War. Does this company think that by putting religious messages on their weapons somehow makes the war justified? Do they think that if the enemy gets some of these weapons that they will read the serial number and convert? Do they believe that the weapon will only function correctly when in the hands of a Christian? Do they think that the weapon will operate correctly in the hands of an American soldier who is not Christian? This whole thing is outrageous.
Our weatherman was a little off. The first storm brought only about 4” of snow where I live. It was sunny almost all day. The second storm is coming in now. It dropped to 28° last night and only warmed up to 38° today. There were some hefty winds (30mph) at various times today. Just waitin’ to see what tomorrow will bring.
►Quotes from Values.com—TEACHING BY EXAMPLE .
“Personal example carries more weight than preaching.”
~Chinese Proverb
►Side Show Stories—Darwin Awards 2010 .
The Darwin Awards commemorate those who improve our gene pool... by removing themselves from it.
( San Jose Mercury News): An unidentified man, using a shotgun like a club to break a former girlfriend’s windshield, accidentally shot himself to death when the gun discharged, blowing a hole in his gut.
►Random Fact .
The watermelon seed-spitting world record is about 70 feet.
§ Interesting Statistics
*Note: I realize that statistics can be made to say just about anything.
~ In the first decade of this century it is estimated that Arizona’s population grew by 30.3%, Coconino County grew by 17.6% [11th of 15 counties], and Flagstaff grew by 23.9% [43rd of 90 cities]
§ January Month Long Observances
Birthstone: Garnet …Flower: Carnation
Book Blitz Month * Bath Safety Month * Birth Defects Month * California Dried Plum Digestive Month * Celebration of Life Month * Cervical Cancer Screening Month * Financial Wellness Month * High Tech Month * International Creativity Month * International Quality of Life Month * International Wayfinding Month * International Wealth Mentality Month * National Be On-Purpose Month * National Bird Feeding Month * National Clean Up Your Computer Month * National Get Organized Month * National Glaucoma Awareness Month * National Hot Tea Month * National Mail Order Gardening Month * National Mentoring Month * National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month * National Poverty in America Awareness Month * National Radon Action Month * National Skating Month * National Soup Month * National Volunteer Blood Donor Month * Oatmeal Month * Rising Star Month * Self-help Group Awareness Month * Senior Women’s Travel Month * Shape Up US Month * Thyroid Awareness Month
§ Observance Weeks in January
National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week: 18-23
International Printing Week: 17-23
National Handwriting Analysis Week: 17-23
Healthy Weight Week: 17-23
Hunt For Happiness Week: 17-23
National Activity Professional Week: 17-23 to recognize all those gym people.
No Name Calling Week: 20-24
§ 20 January Observances—US/UN/World
Inauguration Day: every four years in US
National Buttercrunch Day: enjoy ice cream, toffee, or some other butter crunch recipe
Camcorder Day
National Disc Jockey Day
§20 January Observances—by country
Astrology: First day of sun sign Aquarius.
Bulgaria : Grandmother's Day/Babin Den
Mali : National Army Day
§ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1949…J Edgar Hoover gives Shirley Temple a tear gas fountain pen--she was 20 at the time.
§Who was born on this day? .
~ The Arts
George Burns [Nathan Birnbaum] in 1896-comedian, actor
Finlay Currie in 1878 (Scotland) - actor (Quo Vadis, Ivanhoe, Avengers)
Federico Fellini in 1920- director
Harold L Gray in 1894 - creator (Little Orphan Annie)
DeForest Kelley in 1920-Actor: Star Trek
Arte Johnson (81), comedian, actor
Lorenzo Lamas (52) -actor
Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter in 1889 - blues: 12 string guitarist
David Lynch (64): avant-garde filmmaker, Twin Peaks
Bill Maher (54): pundit and talk-show host
Dorothy Provine (73) -actor
Rainn Wilson (44) – actor
~Athletics
Nick Anderson (42) - NBA guard/forward (Magic)
~Business, Education, Politics
Joe Doherty (55) (Ireland) - IRA activist
Ivana Trump (61) – Donald’s wife
~Science/Religion
Joy Adamson in 1910 - naturalist/author (Born Free)
Edwin E "Buzz" Aldrin Jr (80) - USAF/astronaut
Andre-Marie Ampere in 1775 - discovered electromagnetism
§Who Died on this day?
Richard D Blackmore in 1900 English novelist (Lorna Doone), @ 74
John Burman in 1779 Dutch botanist/director (botanical gardens), @ 71
Alan Freed in 1965 Payoloa DJ (Big Beat), cirrhosis @ 42
Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 India's pacifist, assassinated @ 79
Audrey Hepburn in 1993 - actress (Breakfast at Tiffany's), cancer in @ 63
David Kalakahua in 1891 emperor of Hawaii, natural causes @ 55
John Linnell in 1882 British painter/miniaturist/engraver, @ 90
Barbara Stanwyck [Ruby Stevens] in 1990 actress (Big Valley), @ 82
Carl Switzer in 1959 actor (Alfalfa-Our Gang), shot @ 31
Peter John [Johnny] Weissmuller in 1984 actor (Tarzan), stroke @ 79
§What happened on this day? .
1265…1st English Parliament called into session by Earl of Leicester
1356…Scottish king Edward Baliol resigns
1778…1st American military court martial trial begins, Cambridge MA
1785…Samuel Ellis advertises to sell Oyster Island (Ellis Island), no takers
1809…1st US geology book published by William Maclure
1885…The roller coaster was patented by La Marcus Thompson of Coney Island, NY
1887…US Senate approves the naval base lease of Pearl Harbor
1920…Prohibition takes effect stopping the sale and consumption of alcohol
1929…1st feature talking motion picture taken outdoors, "In Old Arizona"
1945…FDR sworn-in for an unprecedented 4th term as President
1961…Robert Frost recites "The Gift Outright" at JFK's inauguration
1981…52 Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days freed just after Reagan’s swearing in
1986…Chunnel announced (railroad tunnel under English Channel)
1987…Terry Waite a special envoy of the archbishop of Canterbury while attempting to win freedom for Western hostages is kidnapped by Shiite Muslims held in Lebanon. He was and released 4 years later.
1988…Arizona committee opens hearing on impeachment of Governor Evan Mecham
1997…Comet Hale-Bopp crosses Mars' orbit
► Puzzle .
What do these words have in common?
example: apple, banana, orange, kiwi
answer: all are fruits
1 Dermatoglyphics, misconjugatedly, uncopyrightable
2 anticipant, entertainment, ingesting, restores underground.
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ANSWERS
1 Dermatoglyphics, misconjugatedly, and uncopyrightable, each fifteen letters long, are the longest English words in which no letter appears more than once.
2 Only a few words (not counting three letter words) start with the same three letters they end with. They include anticipant, entertainment, ingesting, restores underground.
