12-20-14

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Almanac: Week: 51 \ Day: 354 
December Averages: 44°\17°
86004 Today: H 44°\L 22°
Ave. humidity: 72%     Average Sky Cover: 45%
Wind ave:   1mph\Gusts:  12mph
Ave. High: 43° Record High:  61° (1917)
Ave. Low: 16° Record Low:  -12° (1924)

Holiday Observances Today:
Cathode-Ray Tube Day
Games Day
International Human Solidarity Day
Mudd Day-Dr. who helped John Wilkes Booth with his injuries
National Sangria Day
World Day of Prayer and Action for Children

Observances This Week:
14-20
Gluten-free Baking Week
14-28
Halcyon Days
15-31
Christmas Bird Count Week 
16-24

Posadas
17-24
Chanukah
Saturnalia

• • • • • • •
Quote of the Day



Historical Highlights for Today
1192 - Richard the Lionhearted captured in Vienna
1606 - Virginia Company settlers leave London to establish Jamestown, Virginia
1688 - Prince William of Orange's troops arrive in London
1745 - Bonnie Prince Charlie's army reaches the river Esk
1790 - 1st successful US cotton mill to spin yarn (Pawtucket, RI)
1803 - French flag lowered in New Orleans to mark formal transfer of Louisiana Purchase from France to US for $27M
1812 - "Grimm's Fairy Tales" by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm is published
1820 - Missouri imposes a $1 bachelor tax on unmarried men between 21 & 50
1860 - South Carolina secedes from the Union (US Civil War)
1880 - NY's Broadway lit by electricity, becomes known as "Great White Way"
1892 - Pneumatic automobile tire patented, Syracuse, NY
1919 - US House of Representatives restricts immigration
1919 - Canadian National Railways established (N America's longest, 50,000 KM)
1920 - Bob Hope becomes an American citizen
1922 - 14 republics form Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics (USSR)
1957
 - Elvis Presley given draft notice to join US Army for National Service

1963 - Berlin Wall opens for 1st time to West Berliners
1967 - "The Graduate" starring Dustin Hoffman& Anne Bancroft premieres
1985 - Sportscaster Howard Cosell retires from television sports after 20 years
2005 - The first same sex civil partnerships in Scotland are celebrated
2007 - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II becomes the oldest ever monarch of the UK
• • • • • • •
  Birthdays Today:
How many can you identify? Answers below in Birthday’s Today


My Rambling Thoughts
Interesting day. Snow stopped and fairly clear sky much of the day. Made my (hopefully) last Christmas Shopping trip. Picked up Christmas bags and birthday bags for my trip to Merida. Also found a microfiber sheet set for $10. At least that is what the sign said, but the magic cash register rang them up at $39.95. I caught it and after waiting for someone to go check the price, I was right and got them for $10…good deal. I have been using T-shirt sheet sets for years, but a couple of months ago I found another microfiber sheet set on sale. Tried them and liked them. Must say they are much nicer after a couple of washes.
As a student of culture awareness, I am having a problem with Sony and with N. Korea. On the Sony side, making a parody about the killing of a politician is not cool. As many times, parody is culturally sensitive, and what is funny in one culture is not necessarily funny in another. On the N. Korea side, I get that they are upset and why they wanted retribution as the parody plot was not funny to them. Hacking and then releasing emails and other business stuff did that. Then, they threatened the movie going public and the studio with violence…not cool. So Sony pulled the movie from distribution. It appears that Sony has lost this cyberwar. I wonder if the American people also lost by not being able to see the movie? I don’t think the movie would have been an award worthy movie. Until all the controversy, it looked like a movie along the lines of Dumb and Dumber. That said, when Americans are told they can’t see something, the get upset and if the movie is released somehow, it will be a blockbuster…which it probably wouldn’t have been without the controversy. Time will tell.
Back to culture awareness. During my time on the Navajo Rez, I had a hard time understanding their humor. After a time, it really was funny, once I understood it. I heard many Navajo jokes that had been translated into English, for my benefit. Many times the joke, told in Navajo, would have all the Navajos laughing loudly. When translated, many times they were greeted with silence until there was an explanation. Here is a common one: Grandma comes running into the Hogan yelling hurry, hurry, grandpa got run over out on the road. Everyone rushes to the road and starts laughing, including grandma. I know, silence in English. Explanation: Grandpa and horny toad are the same word in Navajo. Now at least is brings a smile to Non-Navajo speakers.
• • • • • • •
Brain Teasers
(answers at the end of post)
Can you decipher this?

DDDDDDDDDD
DDDWESTDDD
DDDDDDDDDD

           
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today




OK Then…


• • • • • • •
Paraphernalia 4 the Brain:     
December Holiday Facts
* Christmas Carol video in Native Languages

*Christmas-Christian
¤ There are approximately 21,000 Christmas tree farms in the United States. In 2008, nearly 45 million Christmas trees were planted, adding to the existing 400 million trees.
¤ The first person to decorate a Christmas tree was reportedly the Protestant reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546). According to legend, he was so moved by the beauty of the stars shining between the branches of a fir tree, he brought home an evergreen tree and decorated it with candles to share the image with his children.

*Hanukkah-Jewish
Gambling is considered almost a sin. However, a gambling game called as "dreidel" is a popular Hanukkah tradition. People play this game with a square spinning top. However, the game is not played for hefty sum, but for pennies or chocolate coins.

Flagstaff, AZ History…
100 YEARS AGO
As a result of miscalculating the steering of his motorcycle, C. D. Young of the Alfalfa Mill sustained a broken leg and was badly bruised in the crash with an auto driven by Daniel Camp of Maine. The victim was thrown from his machine and fell on the hood of the auto.
           
Flagstaff’s Iconic 50…
More than just raucous college bars (although you'll find those, too), Flagstaff's known for its several craft breweries and cozy pubs. One thing you'll notice fairly quickly upon arrival, if you didn't know it already, is that Flagstaff loves its beer and cocktails. After a day of hiking, skiing or snowboarding, there's nothing better than a cold, locally crafted beer shared with friends. Find the best places to go out and have a few drinks in downtown Flagstaff. Including Hops On Birch, Wanderlust Brewing, San Felipes Cantina, The Green Room, Altitudes Bar and Grill, Cuvee 928
Harper’s Index…
¤ Estimated amount of taxes and fees that Colorado has collected from the marijuana industry since legalization: $34,800,000
¤ That Texas has allocated for a 3 month deployment of National Guard officers to the border: $38,000,000             

Rules of Thumb…
SETTING COLUMN WIDTH
Avoid columns of type more than 65 characters long. Longer lines cause readers to read the same line twice.    

Unusual Fact of the Day…
It is never mentioned that there were specifically "three" wise men in the Bible. The number could have been anything, even numbering in the hundreds.
• • • • • • •
Joke-of-the-day
- EVER WONDER
-Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?
- Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?
- Why don't you ever see the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery"?
- Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?
- Why is it that doctors call what they do "practice"?
- Why is it that to stop Windows 98, you have to click on "Start"?
- Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?
- Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
- Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?
- Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?
- When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it?
- Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
- Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
- You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?
- Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
- Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
- If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
- If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

           
Yep, It Really Happened
A Roswell, Georgia pastor spoke out after a man who was found naked allegedly set his church on fire.
Police arrested Juan Ramirez, 24, after they found him naked near the church. Police said Ramirez admitted to setting the church on fire.
According to the incident report, authorities responded after they were told a man was wandering around naked.
Authorities found the man, identified as Ramirez, and said he told them he was trying to get in touch with Indian gods.
Ramirez says he is Jesus Christ, but Father Phillip Scott thinks he's far from it.
"It was 36 degrees by the thermometer on my car and he was arrested totally nude ... I don't know about it being crazy. Let's just put it this way, there's something wrong," Scott said.
Scott said Ramirez ignited four fires on the property. The father has lived on the property for more than 35 years. Part of the church building burned, but Scott said they have insurance, and people came from all over to help clean.           

Somewhat Useless Information
¤ Gustave Eiffel designed his monument to the French Revolution in 1887 as a grand entranceway to the 1889 International Exposition in Paris. Today, the tower attracts more than six million visitors per year.
¤ Eiffel and his crew of 300 workers assembled the tower's 18,000 pieces of iron in two years, two months and five days. They came in under budget and on time for the start of the fair.
¤ Every seven years, at least 25 workers use approximately 60 tons of paint to rustproof the tower. 
¤ On a clear day, a person at the top of the Eiffel Tower can see about 42 miles in every direction. 
¤ On the four sides of the tower, the names of 72 famous French scientists and engineers are engraved to honor their national contributions.
¤ Heat from the sun can cause the tower to expand up to 3/4 of an inch. During the cold winter months, the tower shrinks approximately six inches.
• • • • • • •

Today’s Events through History
1969 - Peter, Paul & Mary's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" reaches #1
1978
 - H R Haldeman, Nixon's White House chief of staff released from jail

1987 - Nancy Lopez/Miller Barber wins LPGA Mazda Golf Championship
2012 - Apple is denied a patent for mobile pinch-to-zoom gestures by the US patent authorities
• • • • • • •
Birthday’s Today
Kim Young-sam, President of South Korea is 87
Agatha N "Kim" Weston, US gospel/singer (It Takes Two) is 75
Uri Geller, Tel Aviv, Israel, psychic (bends forks) is 68
Dick Wolf, television series creator (Miami Vice, Law & Order) is 68
Jonah Hill, actor, filmmaker, comedian is 31

Remembered for being born today
Charles Edward Stuart, [Bonnie Prince Charlie] [1720-1788@67]
Samuel Mudd, doctor, gave medical aid to JW Booth [1833-1883@49]
Harvey Firestone, Industrialist, tires, [1868-1938@69]
Irene [Marie] Dunne, actress (I Remember Mama) [1898-1990@91]
• • • • • • •
Historical Obits Today
Foster Brooks, American actor and comedian, 2001, @91 
Dean Rusk, US Sect of State (1961-69), 1994, @85
Arthur Rubinstein, pianist (My Young Years), 1982, @95
Vincent Ciccone, inventor (Blow-Pops candy), 1997, @81
Steve Landesberg, American actor and comedian, cancer, 2010, @74
Richard J Daley, (Mayor-D-Chicago), heart attack, 1976, @74
John Steinbeck, author (Grapes of Wrath, 2 Nobels), heart failure, 1968, @66
Carl Sagan, scientist (Contact), pneumonia, 1996, @62
Moss Hart, dramatist (You can't take it with you), heart attack, 1961, @57
James Hilton, English author (Lost Horizon), liver cancer, 1954, @54
Max Robinson, 1st African American network TV anchor, AIDS, 1988, @49
Bobby Darin, singer (Mack the Knife), heart failure, 1973, @37
Sacagawea, Shoshone interpreter for Lewis & Clark, 1864?, @24 [Tribes disagree]
• • • • • • •

Brain Teasers Answers
West Indies
(West in D's)

• • • • • • •
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 contains mistakes and sadly once 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.