Apr 14


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♪Happy Birthday To: ♪ 

Today’s  Historical  Highlights
1611 - Word "telescope" is 1st used (Prince Federico Cesi)
1614 - John Rolfe marries Pocahontas
1799 - Napoleon called for establishing Jerusalem for Jews
1828 - 1st edition of Noah Webster's dictionary published
1841 - Edgar Allen Poe's "Murders in the Rue Morgue," published
1853 - Harriet Tubman began her Underground Railroad, helping slaves escape
1865 - President Abraham Lincoln is shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater
1906 - Pres Theodore Roosevelt denounces "muckrakers" in US press
1939 - John Steinbeck novel "The Grapes of Wrath" published
1983 - Pres Reagan signs $165 billion Social Security rescue
1992 - Court throws out Apple's lawsuit against Microsoft
2003 - The Human Genome Project is completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99%.
2010 - Icelandic Volcano Eyjafjallajökull begins erupting from the top crater in the centre of the glacier
 
Free Rambling Thoughts   
Windy and cloudysure looks like snowweatherman now sez 3”-7” in the next few daysI’m setran some errands this morningcan hold up for a week if necessary. Probably a good thing, so I can get some spring cleaning done. Crazy weathertomorrow will be a high of 34, and by Wed. we’ll be back in the mid 60’s—temperature, not decade.

Expecting a relaxing weekend. Sure hope it works out that way.

Game   Center   (answers at the end of post)
Brain Game—A close up picture of what?

NPR Sunday Puzzle
You are given the names of people whom you had probably never heard of before 2008, but who sprang to national or international prominence during the past 12 months. Who are they?
1.     Samuel Joseph Wertzberger:
2.     Michael Phelps:
3.     Rob Blagojevich:
4.     David Patterson:
5.     Dmitry Medvedev:
6.     Bernard Madoff:
7.     Usain Bolt:
8.     Rob Pattinson:
9.     Kazuo Kawasaki:
10.  Muntadhar al-Zaidi:

Riddle of the day
Mary was working in a chemistry lab with a mixture of chemicals that was 90% water and weighed 20 pounds. After returning to the lab from a weekend break, she calculated the mixture was now 50% water. How much does the mixture now weigh? For purposes of this puzzle, assume the non-water part of the mixture was not affected by evaporation.
CLUE: More than 10 Pounds

Anagram: unscramblenumbers represent the number of letters in each answer word

Lifestyle  Substance     
Harper’s Index         
Rank of non-denominational Christianity among the fastest growing in America during the past two decades: 2
Found on You Tube 
         Saturn-The Planet
Planet Earth—

Joke-of-the-day
The teacher wrote on the blackboard, “I ain’t had no fun all summer.”
 “Now Paul,” she said. “What shall I do to correct this?”
 “Get a boy friend.” Paul replied.
Rules of Thumb   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
At high speed, nothing stays in the same place for long. Aim your car at the spot where you see an accident start. Chances are the accident will have moved by the time you get there.
Yeah, It Really Happened
There are lots of weird laws on the books in America. Here are the craziest that technically could still get you thrown in the slammer:
In Alabama, it is illegal to wear a fake mustache that causes laughter in church.
In Lexington, Ky., you are not allowed to carry ice cream in your back pocket. The reason? Back in the old days, horse thieves were considered the scum of the Earth, but they were clever. They would put ice cream bars in their back pockets in order to lure a horse away from its owner. Then, if the thief got caught, he could just claim that the horse followed him home, and he didn't actually steal it
An extremely outdated law in Pennsylvania was originally enacted as a safety precaution. When people were first starting to use automobiles, they had to share the road with livestock. Therefore, if traveling at night, they were required to shoot the flares and wait 10 minutes to ensure all cattle and horses had cleared the road. Even more amusing, the rule also states that if a team of horses approach your vehicle you must pull off the road and cover it up. If the horses are still startled, you must "quickly and completely disassemble his motorized vehicle and hide such under the nearest brush or shrubbery." Somehow, this silly law is still on the books.
In Gary, Ind., you are not allowed to enter a theater or public vehicle within four hours of eating garlic.
You cannot have sex with a porcupine in Florida.
In Miami, it is illegal for a man to wear any kind of strapless gown.
It is illegal to kiss a woman in Logan County, Colo. if she's sleeping.             

Somewhat Useless Information   
San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is painted a specific shade known as International Orange. The bridge's designers felt that the orange hue blended best with the warm colors of the land in the area and the cool colors of the sky and sea.
On May 30, 1883, with mobs of people still crowding the promenade of the newly opened Brooklyn Bridge, a woman tripped while walking and screamed. Others interpreted her scream to mean that the bridge was collapsing, and the ensuing stampede resulted in 12 deaths and scores of injuries.
The single busiest land border crossing in North America is the Ambassador Bridge, which links Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario. When the bridge first opened, it became a fad for couples to exchange their wedding vows in the middle of it, until it was pointed out that the area was technically a "no-man's land," neither America nor Canada, and the marriage might not be valid.
Shortly after the Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened in 1940, it earned the nickname "Galloping Gertie," due to the way it undulated in the wind. On November 7 of that year, owners of a nearby camera shop got word that the bridge was in trouble due to high winds and captured footage of the bridge as it twisted, buckled, and ultimately collapsed.
The London Bridge was built in 1831, but due to increased traffic, it was falling down by 1962. On a whim, the local government put the bridge up for sale. To their surprise, they found a buyer. Robert McCulloch, the founder of Lake Havasu, Arizona, paid nearly $2.5 million and had the bridge moved to Arizona brick by brick. It still stands in Lake Havasu.
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is home to more covered bridges than any other area of the U.S. The protective covers over the bridges keep them free of snow and rain so that the horse-powered carriages of the Amish can safely cross, no matter what the weather.

Calendar Information        
…Happening This Week:
7-15
National Robotics Week
Passover Week
Bat Appreciation Week
National Library Week
National Networking Week
Orthodox Holy Week
Pan American Week
Consider Christianity Week
10-16  
Health Information Privacy and Security Week
National Animal Control Appreciation Week
14-15
Just Pray No! Worldwide Weekend of Prayer and Fasting
14-22
National Park Week
Coin Week
Fibroid Awareness Week
National Environmental Education Week
National Karaoke Week
National Volunteer Week
National Pet ID Week
National Paperboard Packaging Week

Today Is                                                                      
Baby Massage Day
Children with Alopecia Day
Dictionary Day
International Moment of Laughter Day
National Pecan Day
Pan American Day

Today’s Other Events                                                             
1500’s
1528 - Panfilo de Narvaez, with 4 or 5 ships, and approximately 400-500 men, including Cabeza de Vaca, sight land, on the western coast of Florida. This will be the first significant exploration of Florida.
1600’s
1699 - Khalsa: Birth of Khalsa, the brotherhood of the Sikh religion, in Northern India in accordance with the Nanakshahi calendar
1700’s
1775 - 1st abolitionist society in US organizes in Philadelphia
1800’s
1818 - US Medical Corp forms
1863 - William Bullock patents continuous-roll printing press
1865 - US Secret Service created to fight counterfeiting
1894 - 1st public showing of Edison's kinetoscope (moving pictures)
1900’s
1903 - Dr Harry Plotz discovers vaccine against typhoid (NYC)
1910 - President Taft begins tradition of throwing out ball on opening day
1922 - Republic rebels occupies 4 government courts in Dublin
1927 - The first Volvo car premieres in Gothenburg, Sweden.
1931 - Spain becomes republic with overthrow of King Alfonso XIII
1944 - 1st Jews transported from Athens arrive at Auschwitz
1948 - A flash of light is observed in crater Plato on Moon
1959 - (Robert) Taft Memorial Bell Tower dedicated in Wash DC
1961 - US element 103 (Lawrencium) discovered
1967 - In the Vietnam War, US planes bombed Haiphong for 1st time
1971 - President Nixon ends blockade against People's Republic of China
1986 - Desmond Tutu elected Anglican archbishop of Capetown
1994 - Branch Davidian cult leader David Koresh promises to surrender after completion of his Seven Seals manuscript
2000’s
2000 - Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich files a lawsuit against P2P sharing phenomenon Napster. This law-suit eventually leads the movement against file-sharing programs
2002 - Tiger Woods becomes the third golfer to win The Masters in two consecutive years
2003 - U.S. troops in Baghdad capture Abu Abbas, leader of the Palestinian group that killed an American on the hijacked cruise liner the Achille Lauro in 1985

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 90’s
John Paul Stevens, Supreme Court Justice is 92
>< 
In their 70’s
Julie Christie, actress (Dr Zhivago) is 71
Loretta Lynn, Butcher's Hollow Ky, singer (Coal Miner's Daughter) is 77
Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds, Charlie hustle (most hits in majors) is 71
Frank Serpico, American policeman is 76
>< 
In their 50’s
Robert Carlyle, Glasgow, Scotland, British actor (Trainspotting, The Full Monty) is 51
>< 
In their 30’s
Adrien Brody, actor (The Pianist) is 39
>< 
Remembered for being born on this day
Christian Huygens, Holland, astronomer (discovered Saturn's rings) in 1629
Junius S Morgan, US, merchant/philanthropist (Metro Museum of Art) in 1813
Rod Steiger, West Hampton NY, actor (Illustrated Man, Pawnbroker)  in 1925
Anne Mansfield Sullivan, US, educated Helen Keller in 1866
Arnold Toynbee, England, historian (Study of History) in 1889

Today’s Obits                                                           
Rachel L Carson, US biologist/author (Silent spring), dies of heart attack at 56 in 1964
Georg Friedrich Handel, organist/composer (Watermusic), dies at 74 in 1759
Don Ho (何大), Chinese/American musician (Tiny bubbles!) dies of heart failure at 76 in 2007
Burl Ives, folk singer/actor (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) ('Big Rock Candy Mountain'), dies at 85 in 1995
William Whitehead, English writer dies at 70 in 1785

Answers                                                                                                                                            
Brain Game: Close Up Picture

Riddle of the day
12 Pounds

NPR Sunday Puzzle
1.     Samuel Joseph Wertzberger:
a.       Joe the Plumber
2.     Michael Phelps:
a.      Olympic swimmer
3.     Rob Blagojevich:
a.      Gov of IL
4.     David Patterson:
a.      Gov of NY; blind
5.     Dmitry Medvedev:
a.       President of Russia
6.     Bernard Madoff:
a.      Financial Ponzi Scheme
7.     Usain Bolt:
a.      Jamaican 100-200 m gold medalist
8.     Rob Pattinson:
a.      Vampire in Twilight movies
9.     Kazuo Kawasaki:
a.      Designed Sara Palin’s glasses
10.  Muntadhar al-Zaidi:
a.      threw shoe at Bush
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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 Is All for Now 

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Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
I retired in '06--at the ripe old age of 57. I enjoy blogging, photography, traveling, and living life to it's fullest.