Wednesday

24 February 2010--Week 8 of 2010: 55 days this year…310 remain

» Quote Times Two «

"Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea."

~Henry Fielding : British Playwright and Novelist, 1707-1754

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”

~Sun Tzu: (544BC-496BC); Chinese General

» Free Ramblings «

My first ‘out n about’ day in a week or so. Weather was fantastic. Blue sky, no wind, a little chilly at 35° but very tolerable. Dentist trip took less than 30 minutes with a big hit on my bank account. After three crowns in as many months, I am now set for quite a while. I am still amazed that my insurance doesn’t pay anything on these trips. I thought that poor mouth health leads to many other medical problems and that the insurance company would want to help me stay healthy. I also know from experience with one tooth, that if the tooth does break, it is a lot more time and a whole lot more money to repair that. Oh well, doesn’t do any good to bitch about it. The insurance company doesn’t care and obviously congress can’t get it together.

One poor sport can ruin any athletic event. Of course, the Olympics, with all its athletes has to have at least one. Yep, it’s the Russian Figure Skater who received a silver—over an American Gold. He had been bragging since the Olympics started last week that he was bringing home the Gold. He started his sour grapes tirade just after the scores were posted. Today, on his website he posted a picture of himself with the Vancouver Platinum Medal. Huh…The only reason I mention this, is that Russia’s Putin, sent him a message that he, Putin, thought the skater had given the best performance of all the skaters. Putin has never been an Olympic judge, nor, to my knowledge is he a figure skater.

The 2014 Olympics will be in Sochi, Russia. Sochi is on the coast of the Black Sea and has been a resort since the time of Stalin. Its population is over 350,000. Indoor events will be held there. The outdoor events will be held in Krasnaya Polyana (Beautiful Red Glade) in the nearby Caucasus Mountains. As with many countries, there is a large population of aboriginals-- The Circassians (who call themselves "Adyghe"). Historically they were a warlike group with a very strict caste system. Today, many are Sunni Muslims.

I sure hope this poor sportsmanship / political involvement quiets down and blows over quickly…we don’t need to boycott another Olympics.

»* Winter Olympics* «

The Vancouver Olympics opened on Feb 12.

Biathlon is the only current Olympic Winter Games event in which the United States has never won a medal. In 2010 the US earned its first medals in Nordic Combined--two silvers.

»Side Show Stories—«

CAMBRIDGE, England - Doctors said the case of a British baby who learned to walk unaided at just 6 months is "extremely uncommon." Mary King, 30, and her husband David, 27, of Cambridge, England, said their first child, Xavier, amazed them when he began sitting up on his own at 3 months and only further shocked them when he stood up and started walking distances of up to 6 feet on his own in January, when he was 6 months old, The Daily Telegraph reported. "Xavier is more advanced than most babies his age. It was just amazing when he got up and started putting one leg in front of the other," King said. "The only problem now is that I can't leave him alone so have had to buy a play pen so he doesn't get into any mischief." Dr. Martin Ward Platt, consultant pediatrician at Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, England, said it is rare for babies to start walking so young. "To be quite so precocious with your walking is extremely uncommon, but... it will happen from time to time," he said. "For his parents, having to cope with a much more mobile child much earlier than expected simply brings forward the moment you need eyes in the back of your head."

»Random Fact: «

There is no evidence for what Shakespeare did between 1585 and 1592, the period when he moved to London and began his writing career. Thus, there is no record of how his career began or how quickly he rose to fame.

» Puzzle «

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has four X four sections.

1 crossbow ammunition (HINT: B - - -)

2 do what you're told (HINT: - B - -)

3 jump (HINT: - - A -)

4 category (HINT: - - - E)

» Calendar Information «

☼ February’s Month Long Observances ☼

Birthstone: Amethyst …Flower: Violet and Primrose

Adopt A Rescued Rabbit Month^AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month^American Heart Month^Bake for Family Fun Month^Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month^Grapefruit Month^International Boost Self-Esteem Month^International Expect Success Month^Jobs in Golf Month^Library Lovers Month^Marijuana Awareness Month^National African American History Month^National Bird Feeding Month^National Black History Month^National Care About Your Indoor Air Month^National Cherry Month^National Condom Month^National Children's Dental Health Month^National Laugh-Friendly Month^National Mend A Broken Heart Month^National Parent Leadership Month^National Pet Dental Health Month^National Senior Independence Month^National Time Management Month^Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month^Pull Your Sofa Off The Wall Month^Relationship Wellness Month^Responsible Pet Owner's Month^Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month^Spiritual Teachers Month^Spunky Old Broads Month^ Sweet Potato Month^Wise Health Care Consumer Month^ Youth Leadership Month^

☼ Observance Weeks in February ☼

Build A Better Trade Show Image Week: 21-27

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week: 21-27

Read Me Week: 22-26

Telecommuter Appreciation Week: 24-3/6

☼ 24 February Observances—US/UN/World ☼

National Tortilla Chip Day

Inconvenience Yourself Day

Indiana : Vincennes Day-George Clark's defeat of British (1779)

☼24 February Observances—by country ☼

Cuba : Baire Uprising (1895)

Estonia : National Day (1920 from Russia)

Ghana : Liberation Day (1966)

México : Flag Day (1821)

Romania: Dragobete : Rite of Spring, for lovers, like Valentine’s Day

Thailand: National Artist Day (since 1985)

☼ Holy Mackerel: 1989…Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issues a fatwā (religious edict) and offers a USD $3 million bounty for the death of author Salman Rushdie who had written The Satanic Verses.

☼ Born on this day ☼

     » The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Wilhelm Karl Grimm, in 1786, (Germany), story teller (Grimm's Fairy Tales)

George Harrison, in 1943, Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Famer, former Beatle

Winslow Homer, in 1836, painter

Mark Lane, 83, lawyer, author (Rush to Judgment, Eyewitness Chicago), assassination buff

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Barry Bostwick, 65, actor (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, “Spin City”)

James Farentino, 72, actor (“Dynasty,” “Cool Million,” The Story of a Woman).

Edward James Olmos, 63, actor (Stand and Deliver, “Battlestar Galactica”; Emmy for “Miami Vice”)

Abe Vigoda, 89, actor (“Barney Miller,” “Fish”)

Billy Zane, 44, actor (Titanic, The Phantom)

     »Athletes

Oscar de la Hoya, 37, boxer
Floyd Mayweather, Jr, 33, boxer

     »Business, Education

Steven Jobs, 55, founder of Apple computer company

     »Politics

Catherine I, in 1684, Empress of Russia

Joseph I. Lieberman, 68, US Senator (I, Connecticut)

Chester Nimitz, in 1885, U.S. Navy Admiral

Paula Zahn, 54, television journalist

     »Science/Religion

William Fairbank, in 1917, physicist (superconductivity)

☼Today’s Obits ☼

Tennessee Williams, in 1983, US playwright (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), @ 71

Johnnie Ray, in 1990, singer (Cry), liver failure @ 61

Malcolm Forbes, in 1990, CEO (Forbes Publishing), heart attack @ 70

Dinah Shore, in 1994, singer (Chevrolet), cancer @ 76

Henny Youngman, in 1998, comedian (Take my wife please), @ 92

☼What Happened on this Day ☼

     » The Arts

1998…Elton John knighted

     »Athletics

1924…Johnny Weissmuller wins his first gold medal in 100-meters freestyle in the 1924 Paris Olympics.

2002…XIX winter Olympics closes in Salt Lake City UT/Québec City

     »Business, Education

--

     »Politics

1541…Santiago, Chile founded by Pedro de Valvidia

1730…With both sides running out of ammunition, the French, and the Natchez Indians agree on a peace settlement.

1803…Supreme Court 1st rules a law unconstitutional (Marbury vs Madison)

1835…Siwinowe Kesibwi (Shawnee Sun) is 1st Indian language monthly magazine

1863…Arizona Territory created

1917…Russian revolution breaks out

1924…Mahatma Gandhi released from jail

1942… Voice of America begins broadcasting (in German)

1972…This was the day when President Nixon had visited the Great Wall of China

1974…Pakistan officially recognizes Bangladesh

     »Science/Religion

0303…1st official Roman edict for persecution of Christians issued

1839…Steam shovel patented by William Otis, Philadelphia

1989…150-million-year-old fossil egg (oldest dinosaur embryo) found in Utah

» Number One Songs in…

1951…Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page

1959…Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price

1967…Kind of a Drag - The Buckinghams

1975…Best of My Love - The Eagles

» ANSWERS to puzzle «

B O L T...I checked it out and they are not called arrows, and are called bolts

O B E Y

L E A P

T Y P E