Mar 22

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Mar. 22, 2020 Week: 13 Day: 82

86004: H 53° \ L 24° \ Average Sky Cover: 20%

Nearest lightning: 675mi.; Nearest active fire: 437mi.

Wind: 4mph\Gusts: 11mph Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 68°[2004] Record Low: -1°[1952]

Mar. Averages: 53°\19° (6 days with moisture)

Today’s Quote

For the test of the heart is trouble

And it always comes with years.

And the smile that is worth the praises of earth

Is the smile that shines through the tears.

Random Tidbits

Thomas Francis and Jonas Salk (who later developed the polio vaccine) developed the first flu vaccine in 1944. These early vaccines often contained impurities that produced fever, headaches, and other side effects.

The flu vaccine in its various forms has been used for over 60 years and over 90 million Americans get a flu shot each year.

Observations This Week

Orthodox Lent: 2-4/10Act Happy Week: 16-22
National Fix A Leak Week: 16-22 Link
International Brain Awareness Week: 16-22  Link
International Teach Music Week: 16-22
Shakespeare Week: 16-22  (Link)
Wellderly Week: 16-22 International Dark Sky Week: 19-26  Link
American Crossword Puzzle Days: 20-22  Link
National Cherry Blossom Festival: 20-4/12 Link  
Internat'l Week of Solidarity with People's Struggling Against Racism & Discrimination: 21-27Health Information Professionals Week: 22-28 Link
International Phace Syndrome Awareness Week: 22-28  National Agriculture Week: 22-28
National Cleaning Week: 22-28 (Last Week)
National Protocol Officer's Week: 22-28 

Observations for Today

As Young As You Feel Day
International Day of The SealInternational Goof Off Day

Mothering Sunday  Link
National Goof-off Day

Talk Like William Shatner Day
Tuskegee Airmen Day
World Day for Water  (aka World Water Day)    LinkWorld Day of Metta

My Rambling Thoughts

Really nice Saturday. Took a nice long walk after it warmed up a bit.

This social distancing thing is getting pretty boring. I get why I am doing it, but it is still getting boring. Daily phone calls and social media are not cutting it for me.

I guess Pence was getting too much positive press and the President didn't like it. So now, he is the first guy to speak at all the CoVid-19 press conferences. He talks, others come forth to temper his comments with a dose of reality. I have worked for a few bosses who have to be in the spotlight. It ain't no fun. Those behind the scene, doing the vast majority of work, have to deal with it. This behavior is not good leadership. And it certainly is now what our country needs right now. Let the physicians talk and we will deal with it.

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of the page

A man left home running. He ran a ways and then turned left, ran the same distance and turned left again, ran the same distance and turned left again. When he got home, there were two masked men. Who were they?

Historical Events

1630 - The Massachusetts Bay Colony outlawed the possession of cards, dice, and gaming tables.

1894 - The first championship series for Lord Stanley's Cup was played in Montreal, Canada. The Montreal HC (Montreal Hockey Club) won the first cup.

1933 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Beer and Wine Revenue Act, putting a federal tax on all alcoholic beverages, although prohibition was still in effect until December, 1933.

1945 - The Arab League was founded in Cairo, Egypt.

1958 - #1 Hit: The Champs - Tequila

1960 - The first laser was patented (#2,929,922) by Arthur Schawlow and Charles Hard Townes under the title 'Masers and Maser Communications System.'

1963 - The Beatles' first album, Please Please Me, was released in the United Kingdom.
1972 - The Equal Rights Amendment was passed by the U.S. Senate and sent to the states for ratification. It never gained the 38 states necessary to become part of the US Constitution.

1978 - Karl Wallenda, aged 73, of The Flying Wallendas, died after falling off a tight-rope between two hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

1980 - #1 Hit: Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall

1997 - Tara Lipinski, age 14 years and 10 months, became the youngest women's World Figure Skating Champion.

2009 Mount Redoubt, a volcano in Alaska began erupting after a prolonged period of unrest

2012 Largest protest in Quebec's history occurs in Montreal with over 200,000 people marching against government tuition hikes and for free access to post-secondary education

2017 Terrorist attack on London's Westminster Bridge and Houses of Parliament kills 4 including a police officer and injures 40

2018 US President Donald Trump imposes $60 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese imports

2019 "Mind-blowing" discovery announced of 518 million year old fossil site in near Danshui river, Hubei province, China, with thousands of unknown fossils well preserved

Birthdays Today

90-Stephen Sondheim, composer, lyrics

89-William Shatner, actor

@87-Marcel Marceau, mime (d. 2007)

84-Roger Whittaker, Keyan-British songwriter, singer

73-James Patterson, author

72-Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer

68-Bob Costas, sportscaster

61-Matthew Modine, actor

44-Reese Witherspoon, movie actor

Puzzle Answer:

The catcher and the umpire

From yesterday: a reader sent some more words that change pronunciation when the first letter is capitalized. WOW!

1. August/august

2. Mobile/mobile
   
3. Tangier/tangier
   
4. Rainier/rainier
   
5. Natal/natal
   
6. Lima/lima
   
7. Moped/moped
   
8. Bologna/bologna