Feb 8

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Feb. 8, 2020 Week: 1  Day: 39

86004:   H 55° \ L 22° \ Average Sky Cover: 15%

Nearest lightning:  2615mi.; Nearest active fire:  342mi. 

Wind:   8mph\Gusts:  11mph  Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 65°[1996]   Record Low: -17°[1933]

Jan. Averages: 47°\19° (5 days with moisture)

Today’s LOVE Quote

Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too;

this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently

and sees distinctly what it loves.

Blaise Pascal

Random Tidbits

The Japanese avoid the number four (shi) because it sounds the same as the word for death. Tall buildings do not have a fourth floor. Tea and sake sets are sold with five cups. Three or five is the desirable number of guests in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. As a rule, odd numbers are preferred over even numbers in Japan.

The imperial family of Japan descends from an unbroken lineage of nearly 2,000 years. No other royal family in history has held its position for so long. The first Japanese emperor, Jimmu Tenno, ruled about the time of Christ.

Observations this Month

Pet Dental Health Month

Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month

Pull Your Sofa Off The Wall Month

Relationship Wellness Month

Responsible Pet Owner's Month 

Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month

Spay/Neuter Awareness Month

Spunky Old Broads Month

 Sweet Potato Month

Wise Health Care Consumer Month

Worldwide Renaissance of the Heart Month

Youth Leadership Month

Observations This Week

Publicity for Profit Week: 2-8
African Heritage & Health Week: 2-8
Dump Your Significant Jerk Week: 2-8
Burn Awareness Week: 2-8 Link
Children's Authors & Illustrators Week: 2-8
Children's Mental Health Week: 3-9 Link
Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week: 7-14 Link
Have A Heart for A Chained Dog Week: 7-14  Link
National Marriage Week: 7-14  Link  Link
Risk Awareness Week: 7-14
Solo Diners Eat Out Weekend: 7-12
Love Makes the World Go Round; But, Laughter Keeps Us From Getting Dizzy Week: 8-14

Observations for Today

Boy Scout Anniversary Day Link
Kite Flying Day

Laugh and Get Rich Day
National Molasses Bar Day

National Periodic Table Day

National Potato Lover’s Day

Opera Day

My Rambling Thoughts

Friday is turning into a nice day. Can’t believe I’m thinking that 55° is warm, but I did some shopping with only a light jacket. First day in a long time that I didn’t need a heavy jacket and have to drive about a mile before my heater was warm in the vehicle.

My dad always told us that a tank of gas below of half had to be topped off. Of course, in those days, someone else stood in the cold to fill the tank. My gas gauge came on yesterday with 15miles left to drive. I did fill up but should have waited until today as it is much warmer.

Cruises are great adventures. Feeling empathy for those on the ship in Hong Kong due to Corona Virus. A few days ago, they were quarantined for 14 days. Then a new case was found and the 14-day quarantine clock started over. It is conceivable that on the 13^th day of the quarantine, someone could get sick and the 14-day clock starts again. Life on a large ship can be great, and they usually have daily excursions to local places. These people are on the ship, anchored in a harbor, with everyone wearing masks, and while I’m sure fresh food is being brought aboard, the daily and evening entertainment will be exactly the same, day after day. And the poor crew who have few answers having to deal with thousands of passengers. And I’m sure the casino is closed as it is in port, sort of.

During Trump’s victory speech after the impeachment vote, NPR has to put the speech on a delay due to his profanity…a first for such an event.

I have a hard time with Rush Limbaugh’s Medal of Freedom. He certainly has a loud presence for the ultra-conservative people. He is a recovering drug addict. He told his listeners that he only smoked cigars because they were safe. Now he has stage 4 lung cancer. He, like Trump, spend a lot of time disrespecting and degrading those who don’t agree with the conservative rhetoric. The President decided not to do the usual honor ceremony in the White House, but on National TV during the State of the Union. All of Trump’s guests were great stories and were well received by those in attendance and for most in the TV audience. From my point of view, the Medal of Freedom was made more political than it had been before. I know it has always been political, like when Joe Biden got it from Obama. Giving the Medal during the SOTU, was a great upbeat moment, but was a poor mix of two very distinct events.

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of the page

Why is it against the law for a man living in North Carolina to be buried in South Carolina?

Historical Events

1587 - Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded.

1692 - A doctor in Salem Village claimed three teenaged girls were possessed by Satan, which then lead to the chaotic Salem Witch Trials.

1693 - The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia was granted a charter by King William III and Queen Mary II.

1855 - The Devil's Footprints mysteriously appeared around the Exe Estuary in East Devon and South Devon, England. After a heavy snowfall, trails of two-legged hoof-like marks appeared overnight in the snow covering a total distance of many miles.

1865 - Delaware voters rejected the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and vote to continue the practice of slavery, although in practice, it did not exist. (Delaware finally ratifies the amendment on February 12, 1901.)

1898 - The first envelope folding and gumming machine patent (#598,716) was issued to John Ames Sherman of Worcester, Mass.

1910 - The Boy Scouts of America were founded.

1915 - The Birth of a Nation, D.W. Griffith's controversial film, premiered. It was originally titled The Clansman.

1924 - The first state execution in the United States by gas chamber took place in Nevada.

1936 - The first National Football League (NFL) draft was held. The Philadelphia Eagles chose Jay Berwanger, the first to be selected.

1946 - The first portion of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, the first serious challenge to the popularity of the Authorized King James Version, was published.

1950 - The Stasi, the secret police of East Germany, was established.

1952 - Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom.

1960 - # 1 Hit: Mark Dinning - Teen Angel

1960 - Ground-breaking for the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The initial stars were Joanne Woodward, Olive Borden, Ronald Colman, Louise Fazenda, Preston Foster, Burt Lancaster, Edward Sedgwick, and Ernest Torrence.

1969 - Pieces of the large Allende meteorite were recovered in Chihuahua, Mexico. They were estimated to be over 4.6 billion years old.

1969 - The last issue of the "Saturday Evening Post" was published. It was revived in 1971 as a quarterly publication and eventually 6 times a year.

1975 - # 1 Hit: Ohio Players - Fire

1992 - # 1 Hit: Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy

1998 - The first female hockey game in Olympic history took place. Finland defeated Sweden 6-0.

2013 100, 000 people march to demand justice for the atrocities of the Bangladesh Liberation War in Dhaka

2013 A massive blizzard begins in the US and Canada that resulted in 15 deaths, 5,300 cancelled flights, and loss of power for 900,000 people

2019 Amazon founder Jeff Bezos accuses The National Enquirer and its owner, American Media Inc, of blackmail over private messages detailing an extramarital affair

Birthdays Today

88-John Williams, composer, movie scores

78-Nick Nolte, actor, producer, author

Jules Verne, French writer, playwright (d. 1905;@77)

62-Dan Seals, musician (Seals & Croft)

59-Vince Neal, Metal singer (Motley Crue)

46-Seth Green, actor, voice actor

Gary Coleman, actor (d. 2010@42; kidney disease/fall)

James Dean, actor (d. 1955@24; auto accident during cross country race)

Puzzle Answer:

Burying people alive is illegal.