Sep 11, 2012


FYI: Click on any blue text for a link to more information!

Flagstaff Almanac…  
Week: 37 / Day: Today: High   72°Low 55°
Records: High   87°(1990,’45,’45)Low 28°(1912)
Averages: High  75°…Low 44°
Wind: average:   3.7mph;  Gusts:  20mph
Today’s average humidity:  57% Some light afternoon rain

Quote of the Day…

Today’s  Historical  Highlights…
2001 - Terrorists hijack two passenger planes crashing them into New York's World 
            Trade Towers causing the collapse of both & death of 2,752 people; Terrorists
            hijack a passenger plane and crash it into the Pentagon causing the death of 
           125 people; Attempt by passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 to 
           retake control of their hijacked plane from terrorists causes plane to crash in 
           Pennsylvania field killing all 64 people onboard
1998 - Independent counsel Kenneth Starr sends a report to the U.S. Congress 
            accusing President Bill Clinton of 11 possible impeachable offenses
1997 - After a nationwide referendum, Scotland votes to establish a devolved 
            parliament, within the United Kingdom
1970 - The Ford Pinto is introduced
1950 - "Beetle Bailey" comic strip debuts
1910 - 1st commercially successful electric bus line opens (Hollywood)
1906 - Mahatma Gandhi coins the term "Satyagraha" to characterize the Non-Violence 
            movement in South Africa
1857 - Mountain Meadows Massacre, Mormons dressed as Indians murder 120 
            colonists in Utah
1850 - "Swedish Nightingale" Jenny Lind gives 1st US concert
1847 - 1st singing of Stephen Fosters "Susanna" (in Pittsburgh)
1773 - Benjamin Franklin writes "There never was a good war or bad peace"

   Happy Birthday To: ♪.. 
How many can you identify?…answers in Today’s Birthdays

Free Rambling Thoughts…   
The day in American History that changed the world we live in. It was unexpected, suicide bombers attaching NYC and Washington DC. We all remember where we were. It was such a shock that the very core of America changed. Our youth doesn’t know life before 9/11. They think TSA, terrorists, and fear have always been part of life in America. I grew up during the Cold War with the ‘duck and cover’ strategy, fear, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Wall, bomb shelters and those various sirens. The tag line ‘We will never forget’ is true. But we also have to rebuild and give the future generations a better world.

The Chicago Teacher’s strike is opening some old wounds in our country. How are teachers paid and how are teachers evaluated? Twenty states are trying to use student test scores as a part of the teacher evaluation. For non-educators it seems to make sense…if the students didn’t learn; the teacher didn’t teach. What educators know is that there are so many factors in a child’s learning. In my career, I found that students who learned a lot had parents who were involved in the process and taught their kids that education was important. The family supported the school and the teacher. The students took the testing cycle seriously. Sadly, this was not the case with many families. Students who arrive at school with worries about their family situation will not do well in school. Sometimes these situations work themselves out quickly, other times it is ‘normal’ for a family to be in turmoil. Change is difficult in any bureaucracy. It is unfortunate that children’s education has to become the loser in this conflict.  I also believe that while the concept of teacher evaluation based on test scores is not new it is much more fearful in these economic times. It always comes back to $$$.

Game  Center: (answers at the end of post)
What is the rhyming answer?
Answer the following clue in two rhyming words (e.g. an obese feline is a fat cat) If only one number is given, the answer is a word featuring internal rhyme (e.g. voodoo)
green head, pointy ears with antennae and uses very long words (5, 14)
Rebus…
Can you figure out what this means?

Lifestyle  Substance…     
Do you remember this?

Read This Headline Carefully!!
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Do you know what this word means?
What is this not so common name of a common object?
The Oche (Pronounced okee)  
Whitewater Fun…

First Version/Hit Version…:

What you will hear is the song done under the original title “Mbube” with the famous style of singing that was actually named for this song that was recorded in 1939 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Starting with Pete Seeger, the song was repeatedly covered and redone. The value of the royalties alone were around $15 million. The song wasn’t copyrighted because back then (unlike today) you had to actively copyright your work – but it wasn’t public domain either and to make things worse, Gallo Records was not interested in protecting Linda’s interests. Pete Campbell – in reality an alias for a team of producers associated with Pete Seeger and the Weavers but not Seeger himself who always supported Linda’s rights – was in the business of claiming the copyright for older songs as his own. He did the same with the now renamed “Wimoweh” and the publishers made a mint while Linda made a pittance (even counting the 10 shillings he sold the song for to Gallo), dying broke in 1962. However under British law, all of the ownership rights went back to Linda’s estate in 1987 – in time to cash in (after a lawsuit of course) on its use in The Lion King.
Harper’s Index…         
Number of insect fragments allowed by the FDA in a standard jar of peanut butter: 153
Unusal Fact of the Day…
The Orange River in southern Africa isn't named for the fruit or the color; it's named for the Dutch royal family who sent explorers to "discover" the area.
Found on You Tube… 

Joke-of-the-day…
Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Officer asked a young Engineer fresh out of MIT, "And what starting salary were you looking for?" The Engineer replies, "In the region of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package." The interviewer enquires, "Well, what would you say to a package of 5-weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every 2 years say, a red Corvette?" The Engineer sits up straight and says, "Wow! Are you kidding?" And the interviewer replies, "Yeah, but you started it."  
Rules of Thumb…   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
MAKING A MOVIE--Movie credits and subtitles should appear on the screen long enough to be read three times.    
Yeah, It Really Happened…
Associated Press-- Referendum-happy Swiss voters held a referendum to decide whether there should be a referendum to limit referendums. Switzerland holds half a dozen national referendums a year and many more local ones. The proposal, which would’ve required a national vote whether to endorse or reject every important international agreement the government signs, was rejected by 75.2 percent of the voters. One anti-referendum poster declared, “Too much democracy kills democracy.” 
Somewhat Useless Information…   
  • Yamaha eventually became known as one of the more popular Japanese motorcycle brands, but the company has been doing what it does best - producing pianos - for more than 120 years.
  • The hinged cover that protects a piano's keyboard is called a fallboard.
  • While many of those who play piano in motion pictures are faking, that's not always the case. Notable exceptions of pianists who performed "for real" include Holly Hunter in The Piano, Richard Gere in Pretty Women, and Dudley Moore in Arthur.
  • Except for a few variations in color, the basic design of the piano keyboard has remained the same since 1450. 
  • The piano on which John Lennon composed the classic "Imagine" was sold at auction in 2000 and was purchased by singer George Michael. It was sent on a symbolic "peace tour" of the United States in 2007.
  • The toy piano was invented in Philadelphia in 1872 by German immigrant Albert Schoenhut. It was meant to provide educational entertainment for children but has since been used as an instrument in many serious compositions.

Calendar Information…        
Happening This Week:
9-13:Dating and Life Coach Recognition Week / National Assisted Living Week / National Historically Black Colleges & Universities Week / Suicide Prevention Week / Line Dance Week  
Today Is…                                                                      
9/11:
Anniversary - World Trade Center/Pentagon Attacks  [2001]
National Day of Service and Remembrance
Patriot Day
Remember Freedom Day

No News Is Good News Day
Libraries Remember Day
National Hug Your Hound Day
~Ethiopia: New Year's Day


Today’s Events Through History…  
2000’s
2005 - The State of Israel completes its unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip
1900’s
1996 - Union Pacific Railroad purchases Southern Pacific Railroad
1971 - The Egyptian Constitution becomes official
1966 - Rolling Stones perform on Ed Sullivan Show
1954 - 1st Miss America TV broadcast 1961 - Foundation of the World Wildlife Fund
1952 - West German Chancellor Adenauer signs a reparation pact for Jews
1946 - 1st mobile long-distance car-to-car telephone conversation
1941 - World War II: The U.S. Navy is ordered to attack German U-boats
1936 - FDR dedicates Boulder Dam, now known as Hoover Dam 
1800’s
1897 - After months of pursuit, generals of Menelik II of Ethiopia capture Gaki 
           Sherocho, the last king of Kaffa, bringing an end to that ancient kingdom
1855 - A treaty is signed between the United States and the Mohuache Band of Utah 
            Indians.
1700’s
1792 - The Hope Diamond is stolen along with other crown jewels when six men 
            break into the house used to store the jewels
1600’s
1649 - Oliver Cromwell seizes Drogheda Ireland, most inhabitants massacred
1500’s
1541 - Santiago, Chile, is destroyed by indigenous warriors, lead by Michimalonko

1200’s
1226 - The Roman Catholic practice of public adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 
            outside of Mass spreads from monasteries to parishes

Before 1000CE
693: As part of a series of attacks on neighboring cities in Guatemala, Maya warriors
        from Naranjo attack Tuub'al.

Today’s Birthdays…                                                           
In their 40’s
Bashar al-Assad, President of Syria is 47
Harry Connick Jr, New Orleans Louisiana, singer (We Are in Love) is 45
In their 50’s
Kristy McNichol, actress (Buddy-Family, Barbara-Empty Nest) will be 50
 In their 60’s
Lola Falana, singer (Liberation of LB Jones) will be 69
Mickey Hart, drummer (Grateful Dead) is 69
Marty Liquori, US, runner (AAU 3 mile-1979 (13:14.7)) is 63
In their 70’s
Brian De Palma, film director (Body Double, Dressed to Kill) will be 72
In their 80’s
 Cathryn Damon, Seattle Wash, actress (Mary-Soap, She's Having a Baby) is 82
Remembered for being born today
Paul "Bear" Bryant, US football coach (Alabama Crimson Tide) b.1913
O Henry, [William Sydney Porter], short story writer b.1862
David Herbert Lawrence (DH), Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, writer 
       (Lady Chatterly’s Lover) b.1885
Tom Landry, NFL player (NY Giants)/coach (Dallas Cowboys) b.1924
James Thomson, songwriter (Rule Britannia) b.1700

Today’s Historical Obits…                                                           
Francis James Child, American ballad collector—1896—at 71
Max Fleischer, American animator (Betty Boop, Popeye)—1972—at 89
Lorne Greene, actor (Bonanza, Battlestar Galactica)—pneumonia—1987-- at 72
Percy Helton, actor (Homer-Beverly Hillbillies)—1971--at 77
Kim Hunter, American actress-- heart attack—2002—at 79
Nikita Khrushchev, Cold War leader of Soviet Union--heart attack—1971--at 77
John Ritter, American actor (3’s Company)-- congenital heart defect—2003—at 54 
Jessica Tandy, actress (Driving Miss Daisy)—cancer—1994-- at 85
Peter Tosh, reggae singer--shot –1987-- at 42
Johnny Unitas, American football player-- heart attack—2002—at 69
William Cornelius Van Horne, Canadian railway executive—1915—at 72

Answers…                                                                                                                                            
Do you know what this word means?
The line (2.37 meters from the board) you must stand behind to throw your arrows in a game of darts.
What is the answer?
Alien sesquipedalian
Rebus
Sit down and shut up
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.