Nov 1

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Nov. 1, 2019 Week: 44  Day:

86004:   H 47° \ L 12° \ Average Sky Cover: 5%

Nearest active fire:  119mi.  Nearest lightning:  1128mi

Wind:   9mph\Gusts:  13mph  Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 73°[1916]   Record Low: 11°[1943]

Nov. Averages: 53°\23° (3 days with moisture)

Today’s Quote

“When one door closes,another opens;

but we often look so long and so regretfully

upon the closed doorthat we do not see

the one which has opened for us.”

~ Alexander Graham Bell

Random Tidbits

Pumpkins are fruits. More specifically, they are a winter squash in the family Cucurbitacae, which includes cucumbers and melons.

Over 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkin are produced each year in the United States. The top pumpkin-producing states are Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. Pumpkins are also grown on every continent except Antarctic

Halloween is the number two holiday in terms of commercial success. It's no surprise that Christmas is number one. Over four billion dollars is spent annually during the Halloween season. The majority of that money is spent on costumes, candy, parties, and decorations

Halloween was actually a Celtic holiday. It was originally called Samhain meaning "end of summer". In ancient Celtic Ireland, October 31st marked the official end of summer.

Observances This Month

Adopt A Senior Pet Month Link Link
Adopt A Turkey Month Link
American Diabetes Month
American Indian Heritage Month Link 
Aviation History Month
Banana Pudding Lovers Month
Children's Grief Awareness Month  Link
Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month  Link
Diabetic Eye Disease Month
Epilepsy Awareness Month Link
Eye Donation Month

Observances This Week

10/25-11/11

World Origami Days

10/27-11/2

Give Wildlife a Brake! Week  Link
Kids Care Week

1-7

Drowsy Driving Prevention Week Link   
Give Wildlife A Brake! Week Link 
National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week Link   
National Fig Week
Polar Bear Week

World Communication Week

Observances for Today

All Saint's Day

Author's Day Link
Autistic Speaking Day  Link
Calzone Day Link
Dios Los Muertos , a two day celebration

Extra Mile Day
Forgiveness & Happiness Day
Give Up Your Shoulds Day Link
Hockey Mask Day
International Day of Prayer for The Persecuted Church  Link  
National Bison Day

National Brush Day  Link
National Calzone Day  Link
National Deep Fried Clams Day Link 
National Family Caregiver Day
National Family Literacy Day
National Go Cook For Your Pets Day
National Pâté Day

National Sports Fan Day
Plan Your Epitaph Day
Prime Meridian Day
World Vegan Day Link
Zero Tasking Day

My Rambling Thoughts

Our retirement group had a good lunch at Golden Dragon, a local Chinese place. The owner came from Taiwan a few decades ago. Good meal and good conversation.

I’m sure this could happen anywhere, but it really happened in Arizona:  a one-ton boulder, a local landmark, was stolen from the National Forest, near Prescott. No one seems to know how, only that it is gone.

It was very brisk this morning…12° when I got up around 6am. It has warmed up, the breeze keeps it very chilly. Had to wear a sweater and a windbreaker to lunch.

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of this page

Which two of these rows can be reversed so the total of each row, across and down, equals 10?

A. 5 4 1

B. 6 1 3

C. 3 5 2

Historical Events

1512 - Michelangelo's paintings on ceiling of Sistine Chapel in Vatican, Italy were first exhibited. He started the work in 1508.

1570 - The All Saints' Flood devastated the Dutch coast.

1604 - William Shakespeare's tragedy The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice was first presented.

1611 - Shakespeare's romantic comedy The Tempest was first presented

1755 (Earthquake & Tsunami) Lisbon, Portugal - an estimated 10,000-100,000 people were killed

1775 (Earthquake) Kashan, Iran -estimated 40,000 killed

1776 - Mission San Jaun Capistrano was established

1834 - First published reference to poker (as a Mississippi riverboat game) Originally 20 cards were used, and the 52-card deck appeared before 1850.

1848 - In Boston, the first Medical School for Women (The Female Education Society) was founded.

1867 - Harper's Bazaar issue #1 was published. It was America's first fashion-oriented magazine.

1879 - Thomas Edison signed the patent application for his electric lamp (approved on January 27 1880 Patent #223,898).

1884 - Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) was adopted universally at a meeting of the International Meridian Conference in Washington, DC.

1896 - Zulu groom and bride (a bare-breasted woman) appeared in National Geographic Magazine. The magazine began publication in October of 1888.

1924 - First US NHL franchise, Boston Bruins was founded. The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs were the first to form and addition of the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers made the Original Six teams.

1945 - First issue of Ebony magazine published by John H Johnson. The first magazine he started was 'The Negro Digest' (later called Black World) in 1942.

1951 - Jet magazine founded by John H Johnson. In 1996, President Bill Clinton bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Johnson.

1952 - Operation Ivy - The United States successfully detonated the first large hydrogen bomb, codenamed "Mike" ["M" for megaton], in the Eniwetok atoll, located in the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific Ocean.

Howl amd Other Peoms by Allen Ginsbberg was published (considered pornographic at the time)

1959 - The Hockey Mask was created nu player Jacques Plante

1960 - While campaigning for President of the United States, John F. Kennedy announced his idea of the Peace Corps.

1967 - Cool Hand Luke starring Paul Newman, George Kennedy, and Strother Martin, was released. "What we've got here is failure to communicate."

1968 - The Motion Picture Association of America's film rating system was officially introduced, originating with the ratings G, M, R, and X.

1977 - Chiron, the farthest known asteroid was discovered by Charles Kowal. Chiron is named after the wisest of the Centaurs of Greek mythology.

1979 - Federal (US) government made a $1.5 billion loan guarantee for Chrysler. The government basically 'cosigned' a loan to keep the company in business.

1981 - First Class US Mail raised from 18 cents to 20 cents. Prior to the use of stamps, postage was paid for by the receiver, not the sender.

1993 - The European Union was established.

1996- The original cartoon series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles aired its final episode. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird invented the TMNT in 1984 in comic book form.

2012 - Google's Gmail became the world's most popular email (Electronic mail) service. Microsoft's Hotmail was the leader before that. Although Yahoo actually has the most registered users, it is/was not used as much as the others.

Birthdays Today

@70 – Marcia Wallace, American actress and comedian

(died in 2013; sepsis)

62 – Lyle Lovett, American Musician

59 – Tim Cook, American Businessman, current CEO of Apple

56-– Rick Allen, English rock drummer (Def Leppard)

55 – Sophie B. Hawkins, American Singer/Songwriter guitarist

47 – Toni Collette, Australian actress

47 – Jenny McCarthy, American actress and model

@28 – Stephen Crane, American Author (died in 1900; stroke)

@17 – 11th Dalai Lama Khedrup Gyatso (died in 1856)

Puzzle answer:

Rows B and C, becoming:

A. 5 4 1

B. 3 1 6

C. 2 5 3

Halloween

FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!

Oct. 31, 2019 Week: 44  Day: 304

86004:   H 32° \ L 12° \ Average Sky Cover: 5%

Nearest active fire:  119mi.  Nearest lightning:  1090mi

Wind:   16mph\Gusts:  29mph  Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 70°[1999]   Record Low: 7°[1935]

Oct. Averages: 63°\32° (4 days with moisture)

Today’s Quote

There is nothing weak about kindness & compassion.

There is nothing weak about looking out for others.

There is nothing weak about being honorable.

You are not a sucker to have integrity

and to treat others with respect.”

~ Barack Obama

Random Tidbits

Halloween Candy

The numbers are in. A large-scale market study has revealed the most popular Halloween candies.

Surprisingly, caramel corn balls did not even make it onto the list. But if you are stopping for Halloween supplies tonight, you might want to consider some selections from the top ten...

10. Hershey Bars

9. Skittles

8. Sour Patch Kids

7. Butterfinger

6. Nerds

5. M&M's

4. Kit Kats

3. Twix

2. Snickers

1. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Sour Patch Kids? Seriously? What is happening to today's youth? One of my favorites; Payday, came in 47. And the perennial Halloween candy; candy corn? Number 67.

Observances This Week

23-31

Red Ribbon Week 

24-31

Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week

25-11/11

World Origami Days

25-31

International Magic Week

27-11/2

Give Wildlife a Brake! Week 

Kids Care Week

Observances for Today

Beggars' Night
Books For Treats Day
Carve a Pumpkin Day

Day of the Seven Billion Link
Girl Scout Founder's Day Link
Halloween or All Hallows Eve
Increase Your Psychic Powers Day

Magic Day
National Caramel Apple Day  Link
National Doorbell Day Link
National Knock-Knock Jokes Day
National Magic Day
National UNICEF Day
Samhain Link
World Cities Day
World Savings Day Link

My Rambling Thoughts

Have a Happy Halloween.

I woke up to what I thought it was cold…17°. Then I checked the internet machine and I was basking in warmth, compared to Denver. Hope everyone up there is staying warm.

Good news from the Blood Dr. All blood counts he looks at in the normal range. Going for a scan next week to be sure all the lymph nodes are also normal. Very good news.

As the horrific fires continue in California, I read an article yesterday that the Navajo Hotshots are out there too. The Navajo Hotshots have helped at wildfires for decades.  Glad to see they are still active. Hotshots have a very dangerous job as they are on the ground at all major fires out west. The Navajo Hotshot team is recognized nationally as one of the best.

NPR had a good summary of the fires and the problems. One major issue is when the utility companies turn off electricity so that their powerlines don’t start more fires. Almost 1 million have been without electricity since Saturday. Most critical are the many who use electricity for medical machines at home, like dialysis, oxygen, and CPAP machines. Then there are the businesses that need electricity to be open like grocery stores, gas stations, etc. Many businesses have generators, but can’t get fuel now. Tons of food are spoiling. Some can’t get gas so they can’t evacuate. The bottom line seems to be that many electric company providers have not taken care of their infrastructure deciding not to spend money on modern upgrades to keep their profit margin high. What a mess.

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of this page

As a whole, I am both safe and secure.

Behead me, I become a place of meeting.

Behead me again, I am the partner of ready.

Restore me, I become the domain of beasts.

Historical Events

683 - During the Second Islamic Civil War and the Siege of Mecca, the Kaaba caught fire and burned down.

1517 - Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

1913 - Dedication of the Lincoln Highway, from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. It was the first automobile highway going across United States.

1926 - Magician Harry Houdini died of gangrene and peritonitis that developed after his appendix ruptured (after an unexpected punch to the stomach a few days earlier).

1941 - Mount Rushmore is completed, featuring the sculpted head of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

1964 - #1 Hit: The Supremes - Baby Love

1968 - "October Surprise" - Just before the US elections, US President Lyndon B. Johnson announced that he had ordered a complete cessation of "all air, naval, and artillery bombardment of North Vietnam" effective November 1.

1969 - Wal-mart incorporated in Arkansas.

1984 Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by her bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh at her home in New Delhi.

Rajiv Gandhi takes office as India's 6th Prime Minister succeeding his mother Indira Gandhi

1992 Roman Catholic church reinstates Galileo Galilei after 359 years

1998 - WKOW in Madison, Wisconsin became one of the first high-definition broadcasts in digital television.

2011 - Date that there were 7 billion people living on Earth.

2017 John Kelly, White House Chief of Staff comments in TV interview that “the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War", draws criticism

2018 Worlds biggest statue, the Statue of Unity is unveiled of Indian independence leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at 182 meters in Gujarat state

Birthdays Today

Michael Collins, astronaut (Apollo 11) (89)

Dan Rather, newscaster (88)

Dale Evans

[Lucille Wood Smith], actress, singer

(d. 2001 @88)

Vanilla Ice

[Robert Matthew Van Winkle], rapper (52)

John Candy, Canadian actor

(d. 1994 @43; heart attack)

Willow Smith, singer (19)

Puzzle answer:

Stable. A table is a place of meeting.

Able and ready is a common phrase, and

a stable is where beasts reside (beasts of burden, not beasts like the one in Beauty and the Beast who lived in a glorious castle but the west wing was forbidden to enter until Belle…I’ve said too much!).