Flagstaff Weather:
TODAY’S QUOTE—Booker T. Washington
Success is not to be measured by the position someone has reached in life, but the obstacles he has overcome while trying to succeed
FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
I yield. It was very cold last night and didn’t warm up much during the day. Our weather guy says this is only the beginning of cold. My brother texted that they had just landed in Miami this afternoon to a pleasant 80°. I’m not sure I would enjoy a Thanksgiving at 80° but I know that Flags cold weather is not what I want either. So hard to please an old-er guy.
I ran some errands and ran into another retired teacher from my early days. Joanne was teaching Social Studies at Shonto when I got there. She divorced her husband after some inappropriate affair with a co-worker. She came to Tuba and taught at GreyHills and the boarding school. She is very happy, doing some subbing here in Flag and working seasonally for H&R Block. She was also a top Amway person in Tuba. When I met them, they were from West Virginia and kinda fit the hillbilly image—growing up poor, going to college and moving away. Nothing against any hillbilly out there, but they certainly had different goals than I had. Anyway, she was saying how she hates the recent snow and is thinking of moving to Tucson, to be near her daughter. I mentioned how much I liked the winter here in Flag—just not 12 feet of snow. She said that she had grown up in cold weather in Virginia and was ready for warmer winters. Hmmm. I didn’t question her about her home as we were only two people who worked in the same building and I never really ‘hung out’ with her crowd, nor did she hang out with my crowd.
While running the errands I was able to get all the stuff I needed for Thanksgiving—and without the crowds. So tomorrow will be a day of pie making and cranberry sauce with cinnamon. I also broke down this afternoon and finally moved my living room furniture. It accomplishes two things: a different look to greet me each day and I will now have a place to put the Christmas tree in about a week. The movement also allows me a great view of my electric fireplace when I turn it on. It gives off great heat and is nice to watch on a cold winter day or night. It is also semi-portable so I can move it around. I bought it a couple of years ago and it has served me well. I had looked around for a whole year to find one that I liked to look at and that I could afford. The one I got was usually $350 but I got it on Black Friday for get this--$90. Not a bad deal.
One of the guides I had in South Africa is selling his photos with a Christmas sale. He is a great photographer and I plan on getting a few for gifts. I emailed him to find out how to pay and how to get them to the US. I’m hoping I can just get the file and make my own print, but that may not be possible as he doesn’t want them being copied for free. The only problem I see with getting his prints is that they are using metric sizes and they don’t seem to be the same as our sizes. That may not be a problem, since he is using international standard sizes and the sizes he printed may just be close approximations of the US system. We’ll figure out something I’m sure.
I am certainly getting the Holiday mood. The snow has helped. The cold weather has helped. All the talk about sales has helped. It is a great time of year.
HOLY MACKEREL: 1947 The first Postmaster General of the United States, to be promoted from the rank and file, was named. J.M. Donaldson had moved through the post office beginning as a letter carrier in 1908.
JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(SuperJeopardy Answers) from 1990 REFERENCE BOOKS
According to the World Almanac, his "Baby and Child Care" is the all-time best selling paperback book
Published in 1985, the 2nd edition of this dictionary costs $2500
U.S. historian Allan Nevins is known for his multi-volume works on this war
Her "Boston Cooking-School Cookbook", first published in 1896, is still sold today
"The History of the Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire" ends in 1453 with the fall of this city
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Flirting Part 2
In the Victorian era, fans were the ultimate playful props that could communicate all sorts of messages. A fan placed near the heart meant “You have won my love.” A half-opened fan pressed to the lips was an invitation, saying, “You may kiss me.” Hiding the eyes behind an open fan meant “I love you,” while opening and closing the fan several times was a chastisement, implying, “You are cruel.”
***
According to the Social Issues Research Centre, the most common mistake people make when flirting is maintaining too much eye contact.
***
Flirting is universal. A woman in New York City and one in rural Cambodia may not have much in common, but when it comes to attracting a little attention, they both employ the very same move: smiling, arching their eyebrows, then averting their gaze and giggling.
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
NEW YORK — Police in New York City say thieves held up the owners of a pizzeria and then fled with a bag full of dough — the kind that crusts are made of.
Police say Salvatore LaRosa was charged with robbery after surrendering to police.
According to court papers, LaRosa and an accomplice followed the owners of Brothers Pizzeria on Staten Island. After donning masks, the papers say, they pointed guns and demanded the men turn over a bag they believed held the day's proceeds.
But instead, the bag was full of pizza dough.
LaRosa was released on $1 million bail on Monday. His attorney, James Froccaro, declined to comment.
A LITTLE LAUGH
Since my purchases came to $19.06, I handed the cashier a twenty.
"Do you have six cents?" she asked.
"Sorry," I said after fishing around my pockets, "I have no cents."
"Finally," she muttered, "a man who can admit it."
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
UP CLOSE PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
Returns tomorrow
CALENDAR INFORMATION
♦ Weekly Observances ♦
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 ♦
Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day
D.B. Cooper Day 1971
Evolution Day
Tie One On Day
Use Even If Seal Is Broken Day
Turkey: Teacher's Day or Öğretmenler Günü
Zaire : New Regime Anniversary 1964
♫ One Hit Wonders—1950’s ♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear the original
♦Today’s Births♦
╥ THE ARTS
1849 Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of children's book (My Secret Garden)
1868 Scott Joplin, entertainer/composer (The Entertainer)
1632 Benedict de "Baruch" Spinoza, rationalist philosopher
1713 Laurence Sterne, Irish novelist/satirist (Tristram Shandy)
1864 Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, French painter (At the Moulin Rouge)
1917 Howard Duff, actor (Flamingo Road, Knots Landing)
1911 Kirby Grant, actor (Sky King)
Katherine Heigl, 32, actress (“Grey’s Anatomy,” 27 Dresses, Knocked Up)
Stanley Livingston, 60, actor (“My Three Sons”)
╥ ATHLETICS
Oscar Palmer Robertson, 72, Hall of Fame basketball player (Bucks)
╥ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1925 William F Buckley Jr right-wing curmudgeon (Firing Line)
1888 Dale Carnegie author (How to Win Friends & Influence People)
1853 Bat Masterson, gambler, saloon keeper, lawman, journalist
╥ POLITICS
1877 Alben Barkley, 35th Vice President of the U.S. [1949-1953]
Marlin Fitzwater, 68, press secretary (George Bush)
1921 John V. Lindsay, politician: two-term mayor of New York City [1966-1973]
1784 Zachary Taylor (Whig) 12th President (Mar 5,1849-July 9,1850)
╥ SCIENCE & RELIGION
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♦Today’s Obituaries♦
Dr Lyman Bryson, educator (UN Casebook), @ 71 in 1959
James J Kilroy, tank inspector (Kilroy was here), @ 60 in 1962
John Knox, Scottish preacher @ 62 in 1572
Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK's assassinator shot dead by Jack Ruby, @ 24 in 1963
George Raft, actor, @ 85 in 1980
♦Today’s Events♦
╥ THE ARTS
1947 John Steinbeck's novel "The Pearl" published
╥ ATHLETICS
1906 The Canton Bulldogs-Massillon Tigers Betting Scandal, the first major scandal in professional American football.
╥ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1871 National Rifle Association organized (NYC)
1874 Joseph F Glidden patents barbed wire
1903 Clyde Coleman of NYC patents automobile electric starter
1998 America Online, the largest Internet access service, announced plans to acquire Netscape Communications in a deal valued at $4.2 billion.
╥ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1713 Father Junipero Serra is born. During his lifetime he establishes many of the missions in California.
1812 As a young boy, Spemicalawba (called Captain Logan or High Horn), is captured by General James Logan. General Logan raises him until he is returned to the Shawneeduring a prisoner exchange. Tecumseh's nephew, he tries to temper Tecumseh's feelings toward the Europeans. Spemicalawba scouts for the Americans during the war of 1812. He is killed on this date during a scouting expedition. Buried with military honors, Logansport, Indiana is named after him.
╥ POLITICS (US)
1896 1st US absentee voting law enacted by Vermont
1947 Un-American Activities Committee finds "Hollywood 10" in contempt because of their refusal to reveal whether they were communists
1963 1st live murder on TV-Jack Ruby shoots Lee Harvey Oswald
╥ POLITICS (International)
1906 The Canton Bulldogs-Massillon Tigers Betting Scandal, the first major scandal in professional American football.
1949 Britain nationalizes its steel & iron industry
╥ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1639 1st observation of transit of Venus occurred (only 2, record event)
1642 Abel Janzoon Tasman discovers Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania)
1703 1st Lutheran pastor ordained in America, Justus Falckner at Philadelphia
1759 Destructive eruption of Vesuvius
1859 Charles Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species"
1966 400 die of respiratory failure & heart attack in killer NYC smog
1991 US 75th manned space mission "STS 44" Atlantis 10 launched
ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
According to the World Almanac, his "Baby and Child Care" is the all-time best selling paperback book
Who is Dr. Benjamin Spock?
Published in 1985, the 2nd edition of this dictionary costs $2500
What is the Oxford English Dictionary?
U.S. historian Allan Nevins is known for his multi-volume works on this war
What is the American Civil War?
Her "Boston Cooking-School Cookbook", first published in 1896, is still sold today
Who is Fannie Farmer?
"The History of the Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire" ends in 1453 with the fall of this city
What is Constantinople?
∞ PICTURE
Returns tomorrow
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