FYI: Blue text is a link…be sure and click on it for
more information!
TODAY’s “Geez”
.
- 1767 - Boundary between MD & PA, Mason Dixon line, agreed upon
- 1922 - British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) forms
- 1968 - Circus Circus opens in Las Vegas
- 1969 - Federal gov't bans use of cyclamates artificial sweeteners
Free Rambling Thoughts
.
I think it is time for a
new law: No Congressperson Left Behind. Each person representing part of
America will be tested twice a year. The test will check their knowledge of
American History, the US Constitution, Math, Writing, and Reading. Each state
will then receive the results of their delegation’s scores. The tests will be
administered in the House and Senate Chambers with only those taking the tests
and a few proctors will be present. All tests, except the writing portion, will
be multiple choice. The test will be written by the testing companies that
already exist. The tests will be machine graded, except for the writing test.
The writing test will be graded on a 1-5 scale by a team of writers from various
universities. There will be three separate versions of the tests: High School
Grad, 4 year college degree, and degree above Bachelor’s. Writing scores will
be based on the amount of education a congressperson has. Any necessary make up
tests will be given on the Monday following the original test. No
Congressperson is exempt from any test. The test will be given in separate
sittings each morning during the first week of February and the last week of
September. Results will be available within four weeks of the test. Any
congressperson receiving a score low score will be automatically placed in
tutoring classes that will be held during regular legislative sessions which may
mean individuals will not be able to participate in introducing bills, hearing
or participating in any floor debates, and in some cases voting on bills. All
tutoring costs will be deducted from the Congressperson’s salary. Anytime a
Congressperson is interviewed on TV, a bottom of the screen banner will provide
all viewers with their test scores. All official printed material coming from a
congressperson’s office will include the scores. Audio interviews will have to
include their scores either before or after the interview. Any congressperson scoring low on three
consecutive tests or five tests during their tenure will be ineligible to run
for office in the next four elections. And finally, any bill that passes in
either chamber of the congress will include the Yeah/Nay votes as part of the
law, and will list the voter’s scores.
It was another great
fall day here in Flag. I ran some errands, got some stuff for my trip and got
busy putting stuff out for packing.
Trivia Quiz…(answers at the end of post)
.
1.
The Suidae family is made up of what animals?
2.
A markhor is what type of animal?
3.
What type of insect has the best eyesight?
4.
What form was the Egyptian god Sobek?
5.
A cow's stomach has how many chambers?
6.
How many humps does an African camel have?
7.
Who are the queen bee's closest servants in a beehive?
8.
What is the animal with the Latin name "syncerus caffer"?
9.
A Quagga is an extinct animal that was a distant cousin to which animal
that exists today?
10.
What does a carpophagus animal feed on?
11.
Which animal has rectangular pupils?
12.
What kind of animal mates only once for 12 hours and can sleep for three
years?
13.
Do mosquitoes have teeth?
14.
A typical mayfly lives for how many days?
Wuzzles…What concept or phrase do these suggest? .
Hmmmmm .
- World population: 1 billion reached in 1804
- 2 billion mark in 1927
- 3 billion in 1959
- 4 billion in 1974
- 5 billion in 1987
- 6 billion in 1998
- 7 billion any day now in 2011
Somewhat Useless Information .
- The name pumpkin originated from "pepon" – the Greek word for "large melon."
- In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
- Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
- Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them and made mats.
- The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.
- Pumpkins are fruit and they contain potassium and Vitamin A. Pumpkins are 90 percent water.
Yeah, It Really Happened .
Fresh from beating human
contestants on television’s “Jeopardy,” IBM’s Watson supercomputer system has
been hired by health insurer WellPoint Inc. to help diagnose medical problems
and authorize treatments for its 34.2 million members. (Associated Press)
Guffaw…or at least smile .
The old man approached a
young stranger in the post office and asked, "Sir, would you address this
postcard for me?"
The man gladly did so,
and then offered to write a short note for the old fellow.
Finally the stranger
asked, "Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"
The old man thought a
moment and said, "Yes, at the end could you add, Please excuse the sloppy
handwriting."
Searchin’ “You Tube” I found
.
Daybook Information
.
…Happening This Week:
16-22
Getting The World To Beat A Path To Your Door Week /
Kids Care Week / National Save For Retirement Week / Teen Read Week / National
Chemistry Week / YWCA Week without Violence / National Character Counts Week / National
Food Bank Week / National Forest Products Week / National Lead Poisoning
Prevention Week / Freedom From Bullies Week / Freedom of Speech Week /Medical
Assistants Recognition Week / National School Bus Safety Week
TODAY IS
.
- No Beard Day
- National Chocolate Cupcake Day
- Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity (to remind of aborted babies)
- World Menopause Day
~*~
- Azerbaijan: Independence Day (1991 from USSR)
- Canada Persons Day (1929-women became ‘persons’ in law)
- US: Alaska: Alaska Day (Transfer from Russia to US--1867)
Today’s Events
.
ARTS
1904 - Gustav
Mahler's 5th symphony premieres in Cologne
ATHLETICS
1873 - Columbia
Princeton Rutgers & Yale set rules for collegiate football
1924 - Notre Dame
beats Army 13-7, NY Hearld Tribune dubs them (4 Horsemen)
1960 - Casey
Stengel retired by NY Yankees (won 10 pennants in 12 years)
1968 - Bob
Beamon of USA sets long jump record (29 ft. 2½ in.) in Mexico City Olympics:
current record 1991-29 ft. 4in in Tokyo)
1974 - Chicago Bull
Nate Thurmond becomes 1st in NBA to complete a quadruple double-22 pts, 14
rebounds, 13 assists & 12 blocks
BUSINESS
1878 - Edison makes
electricity available for household usage
1892 - 1st
commercial long-distance phone line opens (Chicago-NY)
EDUCATION
--
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1540 - de Soto arrives
at the Mobile Indian village of Mabila, in present day Clark County, Alabama.
When in the village, Tascaluca disappears into a building. The Mobile Indians,
under Chief Tuscaloosa (Tascaluca), attack de Soto's invading army. In the
bloody conflict, as many as 3,000 Indians will be killed by the armored
Spaniards. Approximately 20 Spaniards would be killed, and 150 wounded,
including de Soto, according to their chroniclers.
1683 - Representatives
of Pennsylvanians will purchase several sections of land from the Delaware
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
1977 - W German
commandos liberate Boeing 737, 86 hostages at Mogadishu
2007 - After 8
years in exile, Benazir Bhutto returns to her homeland Pakistan. The same
night, suicide attackers blow themselves up near Bhutto's convoy, killing over
100 in the cheering crowd, including 20 police officers. Bhutto escaped
uninjured
RELIGION
1009 - The
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely
destroyed by the Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who hacks the Church's
foundations down to bedrock
SCIENCE
1356 - Basel
earthquake, the most significant historic seismological event north of the
Alps, destroyed the town of Basel, Switzerland
US POLITICS
1898 - American
flag raised in Puerto Rico
Today’s Birthdays
.
ARTISTS:
(AUTHORS, COMPOSERS,…)
1906 - James
Brooks, US mural painter (Acquisition of Long Island)
1961 - Wynton
Marsalis, jazz trumpeter (Grammy 1983) is
52
1595 - Edward
Winslow, Plymouth Colony founder
ATHLETES
- Mike Ditka,
coach/tight-end (Bears, Cowboys, NFL rookie year 1961) is 72
ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS…)
1933 - Peter Boyle,
actor (Joe, Candidate, Everybody Loves Raymond)
- Erin Moran, actress
(Happy Days, Joanie Loves Chachi) is 52
- Zac Efron TV
actor will be 24
- Jean-Claude Van
Damme, Belgium actor (Kickboxer, No Retreat) is 51or 53
ENTREPRENEURS & EDUCATORS
--
POLITICIAL FIGURES
1921 - Jesse
Helms, (Sen-North Carolina)
1939 - Lee
Harvey Oswald, assassin (JFK)
1919 - Pierre
Elliott Trudeau, (L) 15th Canadian PM
SCIENTISTS & THEOLOGISTS
--
Today’s Obits
.
1931 - Thomas
Alva Edison, inventor, dies at 84
1973 - Walt Kelly,
US comic strip artist (Pogo), dies of diabetes at 60
1893 - Lucy
[Blackwell-]Stone, US abolitionist/feminist, dies of stomach cancer at 75
1982 - Bess
Truman, 1st lady (1945-53), dies at 97
1541 - Margaret
Tudor, Queen of Scotland dies of severe stroke at 52
ANSWERS
Trivia Quiz
1.
The
Suidae family is made up of what animals?
a.
Pigs
2.
A
markhor is what type of animal?
a.
Wild
goat
3.
What
type of insect has the best eyesight?
a.
Dragonfly
4.
What
form was the Egyptian god Sobek?
a.
Crocodile
5.
A
cow's stomach has how many chambers?
a.
4
6.
How
many humps does an African camel have?
a.
One
7.
Who
are the queen bee's closest servants in a beehive?
a.
Drones
8.
What
is the animal with the Latin name "syncerus caffer"?
a.
Cape
Buffalo
9.
A
Quagga is an extinct animal that was a distant cousin to which animal that
exists today?
a.
Zebra
10. What does a carpophagus animal feed
on?
a.
Fruit
11. Which animal has rectangular pupils?
a.
Goat
12. What kind of animal mates only once
for 12 hours and can sleep for three years?
a.
Snail
13. Do mosquitoes have teeth?
a.
yes
14. A typical mayfly lives for how many
days?
a.
One
Wuzzle
A light mist
Engagement ring
Not by a long shot
Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel
free to agree or disagree.
All ‘data’ info is from the internet
sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned
that every site has mistakes and sadly once out the information is out there,
many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events
occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be
totally accurate.
§ AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW §
