This is Week 46 of 2010►Day 318 with 47 days left.
Flagstaff Weather: H—52°; L—13°; RH—31%; —clear sky and wind—3 mph
QUOTE FOR THE DAY—E. B. White
People are, if anything, more touchy about being thought silly than they are about being thought unjust.
FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
Aung San Suu Kyi has been released from her house arrest. She is 65, a Nobel Peace Prize recipeint, and has been compared to Nelson Mandela in her work for human rights. Some years ago, while under arrest, the government had allowed her freedom if she would simply shut up and leave Burma to be with her dying husband. She refused the offer. She has been in and out of prison and house arrest for the past 20+ years because she has a message and she won’t be silenced. The local word for the country of Burma has always been Myanmar in the native language, but was called Burma by the British during their occupation. It has always been a Buddhist country and the current regime took over in 1989. It is unknown how long she will be allowed to be free as she has no plans to stop her dialogue for democracy. Now that the sham elections are complete it is doubtful that the people of Myanmar (Burma) will have democracy in the near future. Burma was never on my bucket list until I was on the Pandaw cruise. Listening to the purser talk about the beauty of his homeland, his love for his Burma, and the sadness in his voice over then current conditions did put Burma on my list. I would only go when I knew that my money would be for the Burmese people and not the government. Of course, right now, the gates are closed while the people behind the gates suffer in poverty while the government officials live in luxury that put the British rulers of the past to shame.
I was shocked when I turned on the news tonight. The top three stories in Phoenix: Neo-Nazis and protesters clash, police use tear gas to break it up; Sarah Palin fundraising event tonight; Gilbert’s 87,000 sq ft Mormon temple has groundbreaking. The Neo-Nazis have regular demonstrations to the Federal Building, since the passing of 1070 and there are always counter protests. Today the police used tear gas to break up the counter demonstration that was preventing the crazies from finishing their march. Violence is never the answer and the crazies do have a right to march. The news reports that there were only minor injuries. I don’t know which is worse: the idea that there are enough Neo-Nazis in Phoenix to have regular protest marches or the use of tear gas to break up the counter demonstrators. Neither is good for Phoenix or Arizona. Somehow I find it disconcerting that ol Sarah can have a fund raising event in our state expect to raise big bucks. She is promoting her latest book and her new reality show on her view of Alaska. Somehow her far right views and the Neo-Nazi march seem an odd coincidence. Finally, many residents of Gilbert, a suburb of Phoenix, have been trying to stop the building of the temple on 21 acres, with its huge spire in their farming community. While this never made national news, the new temple will be seen for miles as the ‘church’ got a waiver for their 185’ spire. Many members of this church have donated big bucks for the passing of 1070 and a return to a much more conservative America. Breaking news just announced that AZ has approved the use of medical marijuana in a close ballot count that took many days to complete. Hmmm.
HOLY MACKEREL: 1832»1st streetcar (horse-drawn) (John Mason) debuts in NYC; fare 12c($2.55 in 2010) rode on 4th Avenue between Prince & 14th Sts
JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Final Jeopardy Answers)
HOLIDAYS The third Monday of January starting in 1986
THE CALENDAR Calendar date with which the 20th century began
LANGUAGE It is the 2nd most spoken language in the world
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT Since 1970, the only cabinet department not headed by a secretary
THE OLYMPICS Of the 5 continents symbolized by Olympic rings, only one never to hold Games
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Veterans Day History
»Although World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the actual fighting between the Allies and Germany, had ended seven months earlier with the armistice, which went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918.
»Armistice Day, as November 11 became known, officially became a holiday in the United States in 1926, and a national holiday 12 years later. On June 1, 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans.
»In 1968, the national observance of Veterans Day was changed to the fourth Monday in October, but November 11 was such a date of historic significance to many Americans that Congress returned the commemoration back to its traditional date in 1978.
»Official, national ceremonies for Veterans Day center around the Tomb of the Unknowns. To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor guard, the 3d U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps day and night vigil.
»At 11 a.m. on November 11, a combined color guard representing all military services executes "Present Arms" at the tomb. The nation's tribute to its war dead is symbolized by the laying of a presidential wreath and the playing of "Taps."
»On Memorial Day (which honors U.S. service people who died in action) in 1958, two more unidentified American war dead, one from World War II and the other from the Korean War, were buried next the unknown soldier of World War I.
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
SANDUSKY, OH - An Ohio school board voted to fire a high school teacher accused of napping during class and discussing adult magazines with a freshman class. The Perkins Schools Board of Education voted Wednesday to fire Perkins High School teacher Carol Smith, 71, after a hearing officer found her conduct "totally unprofessional, inappropriate, unsafe, outrageous, flagrant and persistent and threatened the safety, security and welfare of the students," the Sandusky (Ohio) Register reported. Smith, who was suspended without pay in April after she was accused of discussing "Playboy" and "Playgirl" magazines in a freshman history class, was found by the investigation to have frequently arrived late and slept during classes.
The investigation found Smith's discussion of the magazines during a discussion about yellow journalism was not grounds for dismissal. However, officials said sleeping during class and arriving late left the students unsupervised and created safety concerns. The Register said Smith declined to comment.
A LITTLE LAUGH
A professor stood before his class of twenty senior organic biology students, about to hand out the final exam.
"I want to say that it's been a pleasure teaching you this semester. I know you've all worked extremely hard and many of you are off to medical school after summer. So that no one gets their GPA messed up because they might have been celebrating a bit too much this week, anyone who would like to opt out of the final exam today will receive a 'B' for the test."
There was much rejoicing in the class as students got up, walked to the front of the class, and took the professor up on his offer. As the last taker left the room, the professor looked out over the handful of remaining students and asked,
"Anyone else? This is your last chance."
One final student rose up and opted out of the final.
The professor closed the door and took attendance of those students remaining. "I'm glad to see you believe in yourselves," he said. "You all get 'A's."
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’--Monet's Art
GREY MATTER PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
¤ Weekly Observances ¤
14-20: American Education Week,
Geography Awareness Week,
National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week,
National Global Entrepreneurship Week
19-25:National Farm-City Week
21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week
¤ Today’s Observances ¤
Operation Room Nurse Day
Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day
National American Teddy Bear Day
Spirit of NSA (National Speakers Association) Day
World Diabetes Day
Cayman Islands: Remembrance Day
Colombia: Day of the Colombian Woman
English commonwealth : Prince Charles' Birthday (1948)
India: Children's Day, celebrated on the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Jordan: King's Birthday (1935)
¤ Top 10 songs of 1955 ¤
Click on Song Title to see and hear the original
¤ Today’s Births ¤
╬ THE ARTS
Wendy (Walter) Carlos, 71, composer (Switched on Bach)
Aaron Copland, Academy Award-winning composer—in 1900
Johnny Desmond (Giovanni Alfredo de Simone), singer: Yellow Rose of Texas—in 1920
Claude Monet, French impressionist (Water Lilies)—in 1840
Adam Gottlob Oehlenschlager, Danish poet (National Poet 1849)—in 1779
Joseph “Run” Simmons, 46, rapper (Run DMC)
Yanni, 56, New Age composer, born Yanni Chrysomalis
♦♦Actors♦♦
Dick Powell, actor (42nd Street, Christmas in July)—in 1904
Rosemary DeCamp , actress (Love That Bob, That Girl)—in 1910 Prescott AZ
Veronica Lake, actress (Duffy's Tavern, I Married a Witch)—in 1919
McLean Stevenson, actor (M*A*S*H, Hello Larry)—in 1929
Brian Keith (Robert Keith Richey, Jr.), actor—in 1921
╬ ATHLETICS
Willie (Guillermo Villanueva) Hernandez, 54, baseball: pitcher: Cubs, Phillies [World Series: 1983], Tigers [World Series: 1984/all-star: 1984-1986/Cy Young Award: 1984/Baseball Writers’ Award: 1984
Curt Schilling, 44, baseball (Orioles, Astros, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Red Sox)
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
William Steig, American children's book author Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble –in 1907
╬ POLITICS
Prince Charles, 62, Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne
Mamie Doud Eisenhower 1st lady—in 1896
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 88, former Secretary-General of the UN in Cairo
Jawaharlal Nehru, 1st Indian PM (1947-64)—in 1889
Condoleezza Rice, 56, former US Secretary of State, former US National Security Adviser
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
Henri Dutrochet, discovered & named process of osmosis—in 1776
Robert Fulton, built 1st commercial steamboat –in 1765
Sir Charles Lyell, Scottish geologist (Principles of Geology)—in 1797
¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤
Tony Richardson, British director (Tom Jones), AIDs @ 63 in 1991
Saki (Hector Hugh Munro), British writer, shot by German sniper in WWI@ 46 in 1916
Robert Trout, American journalist @ 92 in 2000
Booker T Washington, educator/organizer, nervous exhaustion and arteriosclerosis @ 59 in 1915
¤ Today’s Events ¤
╬ THE ARTS
1851»"Moby Dick," by Herman Melville, published
╬ ATHLETICS
1964»Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings set a National Hockey League record as he scored his 627th career goal
1966»Boxing’s largest indoor crowd assembled in the Houston Astrodome to see Cassius Clay defeat Cleveland Williams -- by a TKO.
1981»Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant tied the record of Amos Alonzo Stagg for most football wins.
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1732»1st US professional librarian, Louis Timothee, hired in Philadelphia
╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
603»Maya King K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I (Ruler 1) ascends to the throne in Piedras Negras, Mexico.
1851»Lieutenant Colonel J.J. Abercrombie and members of the Fifth Infantry begin the construction of Fort Phantom Hill, north of Abilene, Texas. The fort is often visited by the local Comanches, Lipan-Apaches, Kiowas and Kickapoos.
╬ POLITICS (US)
1881»Charles J Guiteau went on trial for President Garfield's assassination
1935»FDR proclaims the Philippine Islands a free commonwealth
╬ POLITICS (International)
1792»Capt George Vancouver is 1st Englishman to enter San Francisco Bay
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1666»Samuel Pepys reports on 1st blood transfusion (between dogs)
1910»1st airplane flight from deck of a ship, Norfolk, Va
1959»Kilauea's most spectacular eruption (in Hawaii)
GREY MATTER ANSWERS
↔ JEOPARDY
HOLIDAYS The third Monday of January starting in 1986
What is Martin Luther King Day?
THE CALENDAR Calendar date with which the 20th century began
What is January 1, 1901?
LANGUAGE It is the 2nd most spoken language in the world
What is English?
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT Since 1970, the only cabinet department not headed by a secretary
What is the Attorney General?
THE OLYMPICS Of the 5 continents symbolized by Olympic rings, only one never to hold Games
What is Africa?
↔ PICTURE
An old adjustable wrench
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