TODAY’s HOLY MACKEREL: 1857 1st perforated US postage stamps delivered to the government
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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
Looks like more snow is headed our way. The clouds came in this afternoon. The Phx TV stations are already reporting snow in Flag, but they aren’t here and I’m not seeing any snow yet.
President Obama did something very strange today. He told DOJ not to prosecute cases involving DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) that states that in America, marriage is the union of a man and a woman. It has been around since the Clinton Administration. First, I’m not sure that because Obama thinks the law is unconstitutional is enough for him to direct Federal prosecutors not to prosecute. Then I am confused by the separation of powers in our government. I would think the courts would make that determination through prosecuted cases and/or the legislature would have to repeal the law. As someone on the liberal side of politics, I don’t like this. When he told us that the government would not be prosecuting marijuana laws at the Federal level, [Historically the ban of marijuana was pushed by the liquor lobby, as it was seen by them as a detriment to their bottom line. While marijuana possession remains a Federal crime, the drug cartels thrive and many people die to get it to the US]. So, I thought that was good to stop the prosecution. [I’m not, nor have I ever been married. I don’t see how two men or two women in love will destroy the institution of marriage. The churches may have a problem with those marriages, but how is a same sex marriage going to ruin the institution?] Back to today’s announcement: Does this mean that any president can enter office and decide that any law is unconstitutional and tell the DOJ not to prosecute? I hope not, especially in this time of such political diversity. Our laws take a long time to make it into actual law. Then we have a system of courts to challenge the law. Some on the left believe that this is just pushing the DOMA issue through the courts and that is fine. I will be reading more. Already I have learned that other Presidents have done the same thing to get things moving. More later.
I stayed up way to late last night watching a couple of good movies. Whenever I stay up after 1am, I am tired the entire next day and make it a lazy day. I didn’t have a lot to do today, but don’t like being tired all day. A nap only makes it worse. Guess I will never learn to just record the movie and watch it the next day. I will be busy tomorrow so should get back into my routine.
My brother called and asked if I had used my itunes card he gave me for Christmas. I told him no, that I was going to use it just before leaving for Ethiopia or Hadrian’s Wall. He said he was mailing me a new card. Seems that when he was shopping, picked up a card for me and one for him. He wasn’t using a cart, so he stuck them in his pocket. He finished shopping and laid down other things he had been carrying, but forgot about the itunes cards. He paid and left the store. It may or may not be shoplifting, since the cards are useless until they are scanned and activated. He had just tried to use his card and found that it didn’t work. That’s when he remembered the events of that day back in December. Hmm. If someone gave me a gift card and it didn’t work, I would never dream that it was a ‘stolen’ card. I would figure it was a clerical mess up, and hold no ill feelings from the giver. I would probably call them—if it was a large amount and let them know it didn’t work and let them deal with it. Maybe my gift shopping just got easier…jus kidding.
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DID YOU KNOW THAT…
If you have crayon marks on your walls get a damp cloth and dip it into some baking soda. Rub the cloth on the crayon marks, be sure to put some elbow grease into it.
Mustard makes an excellent soak for tired, overworked feet. Combine one tablespoon mustard in a pan of warm to hot water.Stir the water well to completely dissolve the mustard. Soak your feet for approximately twenty minutes.
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION…
Animated character Homer Simpson’s e-mail address — chunkylover53@aol.com — was revealed in the Simpsons' episode The Dad Who Knew Too Little. Back in 2003, a Simpsons’ writer used to reply to messages in-character until the address became unmanageable due to sheer volume of mail.
The term spam pre-dates e-mail as we know it, and has been traced back to online role playing chat rooms from the ’80s called MUDs. Generally, the term refers to any type of abusive online behavior.
The first e-mail from space was sent in 1991. The crew of STS-43 Atlantis used Apple’s early AppleLink software on a Macintosh Portable to transmit the following: “Hello Earth! Greetings from the STS-43 Crew. This is the first AppleLink from space. Having a GREAT time, wish you were here...send cryo and RCS! Hasta la vista, baby...we’ll be back!”
PUZZLE: Trivia Quiz […answers at bottom…]
1. Approximately only one third of the world's population uses what regularly?
2. What is absinthe traditionally flavored with?
3. In heraldry, what shape is a pile?
4. Which character has been played by the most actors?
5. What to a French or Spanish man is an OVNI?
6. What are the links: Vespasian, Titus, Domitian and Nerva?
7. What does a palimped have?
8. Whose horse was called 'Traveller'?
9. Alphonso D'Abruzzo became famous using what stage name?
10. What was Clint Eastwood's first film as a director?
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM… SAO PAULO
— Firefighters say they have removed a 5-foot-long alligator who was hiding behind a couch after floodwaters washed it into a home in northern Brazil.
Capt. Luiz Claudio Farias of the Parauapebas city fire department says that when the floodwaters receded on Tuesday, a woman saw her 3-year-old son petting something behind the couch. It was an alligator.
He says "she snatched the boy away and called" firefighters.
Farias said Wednesday the alligator was apparently well fed. "If he was hungry he could have seriously hurt or even killed the boy."
The alligator was taken to an environmentally protected area near the city and released into a river.
A LITTLE LAUGH…
A young mother was standing outside a mall holding her six-month-old baby and her sister's three-month-old baby.
Two women approached the mother. "Are they twins?" one asked.
"No, they're three months apart."
"My! You sure had them close together."
Top 10 In The World—most births
CLOSEUP PICTURE…
Can you identify this close up picture
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’… Voice of America Turns 65
♫ 60’s Rock ♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear
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DAYBOOK INFORMATION
¤…THIS WEEK…¤
20-27 ► National Future Farmers of America Week ♥ National Engineers Week National Entrepreneurship Week ♥ Build A Better Trade Show Image Week ♥ National Eating Disorders Awareness Week ♥ Read Me Week ♥ Learning Disabilities Week ♥ Texas Cowboy Poetry Week
¤…TODAY IS…¤
Gregorian Calendar Day
Introduce A Girl to Engineering Day
National Chili Day
National Personal Chef's Day
National Tortilla Chip Day
Estonia: Independence Day, celebrates the independence from Russian Empire in 1918; the Soviet period is considered illegal annexation.
Ghana: Liberation Day (1966)
Mexico: Flag Day
Thailand:National Artist Day
US: Indiana: Vincennes Day-George Clark's defeat of British (1779)
Today’s Births...
○ AUTHORS/COMPOSERS/ARTIST
1786 Wilhelm Karl Grimm German story teller (Grimm's Fairy Tales)
1943 George Harrison Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Famer, former Beatle
1836 Winslow Homer US, painter
Mark Lane, 84, lawyer, author (Rush to Judgment, Eyewitness Chicago), JFK assassination buff 1852 George A Moore Irish painter/novelist (Esther Waters)
○ ATHLETES
1928 Bubba (John Melvin) Phillips baseball: Tigers, White Sox [World Series: 1959], Indians 1874 Honus (John Peter) Wagner ‘The Flying Dutchman’: Baseball Hall of Famer: Louisville Colonels [hit . 344: 1897]; Pittsburgh Pirates [World Series: 1903, 1909]
Floyd Mayweather, Jr, 34, boxer
○ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
Steven Jobs, 56, founder of Apple computer company
○ ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
Barry Bostwick, 66, actor (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, “Spin City”)
James Farentino, 73, actor (“Dynasty,” “Cool Million,” The Story of a Woman)
Steven Hill, 89, actor (“Law & Order”)
1890 Marjorie Main (Mary Tomlinson) actress: Ma of Ma and Pa Kettle
Edward James Olmos, 64, actor (Stand and Deliver
Abe Vigoda, 90, actor (“Barney Miller,” “Fish”)
Paula Zahn, 55, television journalist
Billy Zane, 45, actor (Titanic, The Phantom)
○ POLITICIANS
Joseph I. Lieberman, 69, US Senator
1885 Admiral Chester Nimitz US Admiral (commanded Pacific fleet in WWII)
○ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1304 Ibn Battuta, Arabian explorer
1943 Hristo Prodanov, Bulgarian mountaineer
1898 Kurt Tank, German aeronautical engineer and test pilot
Today’s Obits…
1825 Thomas Bowdler self-appointed Shakespearean censor @ 70
1990 Malcolm Forbes CEO (Forbes Publishing), heart attack @ 70
1815 Robert Fulton steamboat pioneer, exposure @ 49
1991 George Gobel Chicago IL, comedian (George Gobel Show), after surgery @ 71
1990 Johnnie Ray singer (Cry), liver failure @ 61
1994 Dinah Shore singer (Chevrolet), cancer @ 76
1983 Tennessee (Thomas Lanier) Williams US playwright (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), choking @ 71
1998 Henny Youngman comedian (Take my wife please), @ 92
Today’s Events…
○ ARTS
1868 1st US parade with floats (Mardi Gras-Mobile AL)
1998 Elton John knighted
○ ATHLETICS
1924 Johnny Weissmuller, swims 100 meter record (57:2/5 seconds)
1980 USA Olympics hockey team beats Finland (4-2) & wins gold medal
1998 NHL resumes season since Feb 8th to accommodate the Olympics
2002 XIX winter Olympics closes in Salt Lake City UT/Québec City
○ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1581 Pope Gregory approves the results of his calendar reform commission
1835 Siwinowe Kesibwi (Shawnee Sun) is 1st Indian language monthly magazine in US
1938 Du Pont begins commercial production of nylon toothbrush bristles
1839 Mr. William S. Otis of Philadelphia, PA picked up a patent for the steam shovel.
○ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1730 With both sides running out of ammunition, the French, and the Natchez Indians agree on a peace settlement.
○ POLITICS (International)
1541 Santiago, Chile founded by Pedro de Valvidia
1924 Mahatma Gandhi released from jail
1942 Voice of America begins broadcasting (in German)
1946 Juan Peron elected President of Argentina
1971 Algeria nationalizes French oil companies
○ POLITICS (US)
1863 Arizona Territory created
1868 House of Representatives vote 126 to 47, to impeach President Andrew Johnson
○ SCIENCE & RELIGION
0303 1st official Roman edict for persecution of Christians issued
1510 Pope Julius II excommunicates the republic of Venice
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ANSWERS
Quiz ANSWERS…
1. Approximately only one third of the world's population uses what regularly? Fork
2. What is absinthe traditionally flavored with? Wormwood
3. In heraldry, what shape is a pile? Inverted Pyramid
4. Which character has been played by the most actors? Sherlock Holmes
5. What to a French or Spanish man is an OVNI?
UFO [Objet Volant Non-Identifié:Objeto Volador No Identificado ]
6. What are the links: Vespasian, Titus, Domitian and Nerva? Rulers of the Roman Empire
7. What does a palimped have? Webbed Feet
8. Whose horse was called 'Traveller'? Robert E. Lee
9. Alphonso D'Abruzzo became famous using what stage name? Alan Alda
10. What was Clint Eastwood's first film as a director? Play Misty for Me
Close Up Picture…
Bike Path Marker
« AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW »
