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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
I spent much of the mid day running errands. Hit WalMart, Sam’s, and Home Depot. I found just about everything I was looking for, and some things I wasn’t looking for. The hardest part of the trip was getting the stuff into the house over the ice in the parking lot.
I guess it is time to hold on…the Republican’s sound ready to undo much of Obama’s legislation and do not want to raise the debt limit. From what I understand, not raising the debt limit will place the US in default on its debts to other countries. If the other countries act like the banks in our country, that means they will demand immediate payment in full. I’m sure that most of their banter is little more than hype. The other thing that sounds odd is that every new Representative that was interviewed on major news channels says that we have to cut spending. I agree. However, when asked a follow up as to what spending needs to be cut, not one person was able to say what they would vote to cut. I think everyone knows that we have to cut spending since we are not bringing in that much money. Somebody has to say what should be cut. Here’s hoping someone steps up with a good plan.
Gov Brewer also took office today. As expected she promised to balance our budget during her term. She says she will lay out her plan later. Typical politician. She has been in office for two years, has cut just about everything and we don’t have a balanced budget. The ‘fix-it fairy’ hasn’t visited Jan yet, and from what I understand, doesn’t have a visit planned anytime soon.
Slowly Flag is warming up. Some snow actually melted today—not a lot, but some is better than none. Hopefully it will melt before the next storm comes in later in the week. I must say that there is at least one strip mall owner who has no concept of weather in Flagstaff. Last year two stores had to close for almost a year because the flat roof caved in during our snowstorm. They are open again, still with a flat roof that the owner says is much stronger. Of course that is what he said when one of the roofs collapsed three years ago. In the same strip mall the pipes at Michael’s froze and burst at the entrance so it closed the store for a few days. Some customers and employees got very wet in the cold weather. Several homes and stores also had burst pipes as it was in the negative teens for several nights. Gotta love Flg in the winter.
As I start a new year of this blog some things I should point out. I cut and paste most of the information below. I have always been a believer in remembering history—and I find it interesting to see when people were born, died, and when historical events took place. I have always been a teacher and think Jeopardy and other puzzles help keep the ol grey matter working. The jokes and trivia usually make me smile which is also good for health. I have been a music lover since my youth and enjoy having tunes get in my head again. The odd news section reminds me that not everything in this world has to be serious—although some of the weird news can be down right scary. The Quote of the Day is the ESL teacher still alive and well in me. While I have some regular readers I also use this as a journal of my life. I started the Calendar thing when I was a supervisor and included it in my daily announcements so that teachers, who hardly have time to research that kind of stuff, would be able to share some of it with their class. Each day the teachers had a quick teaching moment of something that happened on that day. No one ever used it all, but most teachers used at least one item each day—something that struck them for a teachable moment. I still enjoy doing it. I have all the cut and paste part down to about 45 minutes each day. The journal part takes about 30 minutes. The layout changes each month, just like my old bulletin boards...LOL. Hope you enjoy.
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∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super-Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 NURSERY RHYMES
…answers at bottom…
→Gardener described as “quite contrary”
→Weapon the farmer's wife wielded in her attack on 3 blind mice
→While you “ring-a-ring o'roses”, you've got a pocketful of these flowers
→In “rock-a-bye baby” this is when “the cradle will rock”
→A compendium of nursery rhyme character quotes would include this one under Horner, Little Jack
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM— BEEBE, AR
Preliminary autopsies on 17 of the up to 5,000 blackbirds that fell on this town indicate they died of blunt trauma to their organs, the state's top veterinarian told NBC News on Monday.
Their stomachs were empty, which rules out poison, Dr. George Badley said, and they died in midair, not on impact with the ground. That evidence, and the fact that the red-winged blackbirds fly in close flocks, suggests they suffered some massive midair collision, he added. That lends weight to theories that they were startled by something.
Earlier Monday, the estimated number of dead birds was raised to between 4,000 and 5,000, up sharply from the initial estimate of 1,000.
Keith Stephens, a spokesman for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, provided the new numbers.
Residents of the small town of Beebe awoke Saturday to find thousands of dead blackbirds littering a 1.5-square-mile area. The birds inexplicably dropped dead, landing on homes, cars and lawns.
Violent weather rumbled over much of the state Friday, including a tornado that killed three people in Cincinnati, Ark. Lightning could have killed the birds directly or startled them to the point that they became confused. Hail also has been known to knock birds from the sky.
The director of Cornell University's ornithology lab in Ithaca, N.Y., said the most likely suspect is violent weather. It's probable that thousands of birds were asleep, roosting in a single tree, when a "washing machine-type thunderstorm" sucked them up into the air, disoriented them, and even fatally soaked and chilled them.
"Bad weather can occasionally catch flocks off guard, blow them off a roost, and they get hurled up suddenly into this thundercloud," lab director John Fitzpatrick said.
"Every dog and cat in the neighborhood that night was able to get a fresh snack that night," Rowe said.
Mike Robertson, the mayor in Beebe, said the last dead bird was removed about 11 a.m. Sunday in the town about 40 miles northeast of Little Rock. A dozen workers hired by the city to do the cleanup wore environmental-protection suits for the task. Robertson said the workers wore the suits as a matter of routine and not out of fear that the birds might be contaminated.
"It started at 7 a.m., picking up birds on the street, in the yards, been run over. It's just a mess," Beebe Street Department supervisor Milton McCullar told WISC-TV.
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—New Years
→In 1942 and 1943, the glowing Ball was temporarily retired due to the wartime "dimout" of lights in New York City. The crowds who still gathered in Times Square in those years greeted the New Year with a minute of silence followed by chimes ringing out from sound trucks parked at the base of the Times Tower.
→The actual notion of a ball "dropping" to signal the passage of time dates back long before New Year's Eve was ever celebrated in Times Square. The first "time-ball" was installed atop England's Royal Observatory at Greenwich in 1833. This ball would drop at one o'clock every afternoon, allowing the captains of nearby ships to precisely set their chronometers (a vital navigational instrument).
→For 2011, Waterford Crystal has designed 288 new “Let There Be Love” crystal triangles featuring a romantic pattern that blends a modern cascade of hearts with diamond cutting. The triangles are emblazoned with last year's "Let There Be Courage" design of a ribbon medal defining the triumph of courage over adversity; and 1,152 triangles sparkle with the "Let There Be Joy" design of an angel with arms uplifted welcoming the New Year.
A LITTLE LAUGH
Pauly walks into a bar and says "Bartender, one round for everyone, on me!" The bartender says, "Well, Pauly, seems you're in a really good mood tonight, eh?"
Pauly says, "Oh, you can bet on it! I just got hired by the city to go around and remove all the money from parking meters. I start on Monday!"
The bartender congratulates the man and proceeds to pour the round.
Monday evening arrives. Pauly comes back into the bar and says "Bartender, TWO rounds for everyone, on me!"
The bartender says, "Well now! If you're so happy just over having this new job, I can just imagine how happy you'll be when you get your paycheck!"
Pauly looks at the bartender with a confused look on his face, pulls out quite a handful of quarters from his pocket, and says "You mean they'll PAY me on top of it?"
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS—Unusual Skill
→The record for the fastest lunge mile is 27 min 4 sec and was set by Geoffrey Gray (USA) at the Santa Barbara City College track in Santa Barbara, California, USA, on 16 August 2008.
→Jackie Bibby (USA), aka The Texas Snake Man, sat in a bathtub with 87 snakes on 5 November 2007 in Dublin, Texas, USA for 45 minutes as part of GWR Day.
→The most live rattlesnakes held in the mouth by their tails without any assistance is 10 by Jackie Bibby (USA) for 10 seconds as part of Guinness World Records day on 9 November 2006 in New York City, USA.
→The record for the greatest distance on a static cycle in one hour was is 65.48 km (40.69 miles) and was achieved by Holden Comeau (USA) from the New York Sports Clubs/Cadence Cycling Team, during Saints & Spinners - The 24-Hour Spin Party and Benefit at Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY, USA, on 18 January 2008.
→The longest time to hold your breath underwater is 18 min 32.59 sec and was achieved by Karoline Mariechen Meyer (Brazil) at the Racer Academy swimming pool, Florianopolis, Brazil, on 10 July 2009.
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
I remember teachers asking us to predict what life would be like in 2000. We had flying cars, space vacations, no homework, and other things. Well it turns out way back in 1931 some visionaries were asked what life would be like in 2011.
♫ T O P T V T H E M E S O N G S OF ALL TIME♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear
Sure, Law and Order has its own theme, but the true embodiment of law and order will always be Joe Friday. Often referred to as the "Dragnet March," the theme music to this cop show about the most straight arrow cop imaginable had a triumphant tone to it that let you know that no matter what, Friday was gonna get the bad guy. -
TV shows like The Addams Family just aren't made anymore, and themes like this aren't, either. The show is about a morbid family of monsters, and the theme is just as quirky and eclectic as the characters. "They're creepy and they're spooky… altogether ooky." This one earns points not only for making up the word "ooky," but using it in a sentence, too.
If this song doesn't make you want to sport an enormous blond 'fro, nothing will. Beginning with the lyrics, "Believe it or not, I'm walking on air," it is the perfect theme for a show about a regular guy who blunders his way into becoming a reluctant superhero. "Who could it be? Believe it or not, it's just me."
Simple and jazzy, this instrumental tune immediately sets the tone for a unique and entertaining comedy. From the opening high flute notes to the flourish at the end, the theme stays refreshingly original and memorable, even now, 28 years after its debut
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DAYBOOK INFORMATION
‡…THIS WEEK…‡
Celebration of Life Week: Diet Resolution Week: Silent Record Week: 1-7
National Lose Weight/Feel Great Week: 1-8
Someday We'll Laugh About This Week: 2-8
New Year's Resolutions Week: 3-9
‡…TODAY IS…‡
Trivia Day
Humiliation Day
Dimpled Chad Day
World Hypnotism Day
Western Christianity: The eleventh day of Christmas. (Eleven pipers piping represent the eleven faithful Apostles: Matthew 10:2-4: Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot. Mathias was not an original Apostle, but replaced Judas Iscariot)
Angola: Day of the Fallen against the Colonial Repression Myanmar/Burma: Independence Day (1948 from UK)
Nigeria: Ogoni Day (Movement for the Survival of the Indigenous Ogoni People: about 500K living today)
Sri Lanka: Tamil Thai Pongal Day: Pongal is a dish of sweet concoction of rice, moong dal, jaggery and milk. This festival is celebrated by one and all as it is non-relevance to any particular religious faith-- the expression of jubilation over life's renewal.
US: Utah : Admission Day (1896: 45th State)
Zaïre: Martyrs' Day
‡…Today’s Births…‡
• AUTHORS
1878 Alfred Edgar Coppard English writer (Black Dogs & Other Stories)
1785 Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm German librarian (fairy tale collector)
• ATHLETES
Garrison Hearst, 40, football: Univ. of Georgia RB, Cardinals, Bengals, 49ers
1935 Floyd Patterson heavyweight boxing champion [1956-1959]
Donald Francis (Don) Shula, 80, Hall of Fame football coach
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1809 Louis Braille French developer (reading system for blind)
1813 Sir Isaac Pitman inventor (shorthand)
• ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
Dyan Cannon, 73, actress (Heaven Can Wait, Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice)
Dave Foley, 48, actor (“NewsRadio”)
1838 General Tom Thumb (Charles Stratton) entertainer: world’s most famous little person
1914 Jane Wyman actress, 1st Mrs Ron Reagan, (Magnificent Obsession)
• POLITICIANS
1896 Everett McKinley Dirkson (Senator-IL)
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1797 Wilhelm Beer German amateur astronomer (constructed 1st Moon map)
‡…Today’s Obituaries…‡
1752 Gabriel Cramer Swiss mathematician (paradox of Cramer), overwork & fall @ 47
1965 T S Eliot poet (Washed Country), emphysema @ 76
1997 Harry B Helmsley owner (Empire State Building), @ 87
1821 Elizabeth Ann Seton 1st native-born American saint. TB @ 46
1877 Cornelius Vanderbilt US robber baron, @ 82
‡…Today’s Events…‡
• ARTS
1984 "Night Court" starring Harry Anderson premieres
• ATHLETICS
1920 1st Black baseball league, National Negro Baseball League, organizes
1991 Fu Mingxia, a 12-year-old from China, became the youngest world champion in the history of any aquatic event. Mingxia won the women’s 10-metre platform title at the World Swimming Championships in Perth, Australia.
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1754 Columbia University founded, as Kings College (New York City NY)
1962 1st automated (unmanned) subway train (New York City NY)
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1818 After the fighting in Fowltown, on the Flint River in Georgia opposite Ft. Scott on 11/21/1817, most of the Creeks have abandoned the village. Today, forces under Andrew Jackson occupy the village. They will methodically destroy it to keep the "Red Stick" Creeks from returning.
1874 Eskiminzin of the Aravaipa Apache, survivor of Camp Grant massacre and arrested as a "military precaution", escapes from San Carlos with many of his band. He will return in 4 months because most of his people are sick and hungry.
• POLITICS (US)
1725 Benjamin Franklin arrives in London
1893 US President Harrison grants amnesty to Mormon polygamy
1896 Following Mormon abandonment of polygamy, Utah admitted as 45th state
1904 Supreme Court rules Puerto Ricans cannot be denied admission to US
1944 Ralph Bunche appointed 1st Negro official in US State Department
1965 LBJ's "Great Society" State of the Union Address
1971 Congressional Black Caucus organizes
1995 Newt Gingrich (R) becomes speaker of the House
1999 Minnesota inaugurated pro wrestler Jesse Ventura as its 38th governor. The only Reform Party candidate to ever win statewide office
• POLITICS (International)
1493 Columbus left new world on return from 1st voyage
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1570 Spanish viceroy Alva banishes Zutphen City's only physician, Joost Sweiter, "because he is a Jew"
1884 Last sighting of an eastern cougar (Ontario)
1885 Dr. William Grant of Davenport, IA performed the first successful appendectomy
1975 Ice thickness measured at 4776 m (15669 ' and 3.49 "), Wilkes Land, Antarctica
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ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
→Gardener described as “quite contrary”
Who was Mary Mary?
→Weapon the farmer's wife wielded in her attack on 3 blind mice
What is a carving knife?
→While you “ring-a-ring o'roses”, you've got a pocketful of these flowers
What are posies?
→In “rock-a-bye baby” this is when “the cradle will rock”
What is ‘when the wind blows’?
→A compendium of nursery rhyme character quotes would include this one under Horner, Little Jack
What is ‘What a good boy I am’?
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW
