IMHO--In My Humble Opinion

Jan 28, 2012

2012-01-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

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

Today’s Historical Highlights

1099 - 1st Crusaders beginssiege of Hosn-el-Akrad Syria

1754 - Horace Walpole, in aletter to Horace Mann, coins the word serendipity

1887 - In a snowstorm at Fort Keogh, Montana, the world'slargest snowflakes are reported, being 15 inches (38 cm) wide and 8 inches (20cm) thick

1915 - US Pres Wilson refuses to prohibitimmigration of illiterates

1932 - Japan occupies Shanghai

1935 - Iceland becomes 1stcountry to legalize abortion

2011 - Hundreds of thousandsof protesters fill the Egyptian's streets against the Mubarak regime indemonstrations referred to as the "Friday of Anger"

♫Happy Birthday To:♫

Free RamblingThoughts

Another good day inFlag. I was out and about this morning, got lots done, and enjoyed seeing thePeaks. On top of that, we should have a nice weekend, weather wise.

Getting ready for ourDiscussion group tomorrow night. We are discussing the Oceans. Should be alively discussion. I have to admit I am fairly ignorant on the subject, butothers will enlighten me, I’m sure.

Game Center (answers at the end of post)

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

Youare given categories and must name items within those categories that beginwith the letters G, A, M, U and T. For example, given the category "girls'names," possible answers would be Gloria, Amelia, Martha, Ursula andTheresa.

1. Presidentialfirst names: George, Andrew, Martin, Ulysses, Thomas

2. Countriesin Africa: Gabon, Algeria (Angola), Mali, Uganda, Tanzania,

3. Bloodrelatives: grandfather, aunt, mother, uncle, twin (third cousin)

4. Musicalinstruments: guitar, accordion, mandolin, ukulele, tuba

5. Thingsto pack in a suitcase: gloves, aspirin, mouthwash, underwear, t-shirt

Wuzzles What concept or phrase do these suggest?

Lifestyle Substance

AZ Centennial is in 18 days: Didyou know?…

The Hopi Indians ofArizona are noted for growing their multicolored corn.
Barry Goldwater, afamous public official, senator, and presidential candidate was born inPhoenix.
In 1939 architect FrankLloyd Wright's studio, Taliesin West, was built near Phoenix.

Found on You Tube

Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin West

Harper’s Index

Percentage of America’scollege students who attend a for-profit schools: 1/10

Joke-of-the-day

While living in Denverthe weatherman said, expect 10 to 12 inches of snow tonight so park on theright side of the road so we can plow the left side. Willie’s wife ran out andparked on the right side. The next week the forecast called for another 10 to 12inches of snow, but this time he said park on the left side. So Willie’s wiferan out and parked the car on the left side of the road. The following week hesaid 16 inches of snow expected park, the lights went out and all our power waslost. Willie’s wife said, my goodness, now I don’t know where to park the car.“Why don’t you just leave it in the garage!” Willie said.

Planet Earth

Rules of Thumb

Easy shortcuts to makean ‘educated’ guess

Aircraft carriers getsix inches to the gallon.

Somewhat Useless Information

The rubber band waspatented in England on March 17, 1845 by Stephen Perry and his corporation, theMessers Perry and Co, Rubber Manufacturers of London.
While other rubberproducts may use synthetic rubber, most rubber bands are primarily manufacturedusing natural rubber because of its superior elasticity. Natural rubberoriginates from the sap of the rubber tree. Natural rubber is made from latexwhich is acquired by tapping into the bark layers of the rubber tree.

Yeah, It Really Happened

New York City-- A glaring misspelling on a street signoutside a Manhattan high school has been fixed.
The painted pavement onStanton Street outside Marta Valle High School had read "SHCOOLX-NG."Utility workers usedheavy machinery to ground up the wrongly placed "H'' and "C'' in thesign on Tuesday.
The correction was madea day after the New York Post reported the spelling error.
The words were createdwith industrial "textured tape'' that permanently sticks to theasphalt.
Con Ed told the Postthat the error occurred when a contractor ripped up the street for utility workand replaced the existing markings.
It said the mistakeoutside the East Village building that houses three schools had been theresince July 2010.Initially, neighborstold the Post it had been placed there over the summer.

Calendar Information

…Happening This Week:

20-30

Sundance Film Festival

Today Is

Clash Day
Data Privacy Day
Fun at Work DayNational Kazoo Day National
Rattle Snake Round-Up Day
Seed Swap Day
Thank A Plugin Developer Day

Today’s Other Events

1000’s

1077 - German king Henry IVpetitions Pope Gregory VII for forgiveness; Gregory VII pardons him

1500’s

1521 - The Diet of Wormsbegins, lasting until May 25

1700’s

1724 - The Russian Academyof Sciences was founded in St. Petersburg by Peter the Great

1800’s

1807 - London's Pall Mall is1st street lit by gaslight

1813 - Pride and Prejudiceis first published in the United Kingdom

1851 - NorthwesternUniversity (Chicago) chartered

1878 - 1st telephoneexchange (New Haven, CT) George W Coy hired as 1st full-time telephone operator

1878 - Yale Daily News published, 1st college dailynewspaper

1900’s

1918 - Trotsky becomes leader of Reds

1932 - 1st US stateunemployment insurance act enacted (Wisconsin)

1934 - 1st US ski tow (rope)begins operation (Woodstock Vermont)

1949 - UN Security council convicts Dutchaggression in Indonesia

1953 - J Fred Muggs (thechimp) joins NBC's "Today Show"

1958 - Dodger catcher Roy Campanella is paralyzedin an automobile wreck

1958 - The Lego company patented their design ofLego bricks, still compatible with bricks produced today.

1961 - Republic of Rwandaproclaimed

1973 - "Barnaby Jones" premieres on CBS TV

1978 - "Fantasy Island" starring Ricardo Montalban premiereson ABC TV

1985 - Charity single "We Are the World" is recorded by supergroup USA forAfrica

1986 - Space Shuttle Challenger brokeapart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crewmembers

1990 - Superbowl XXIV: SF 49ers beat DenverBroncos, 55-10 MVP: Joe Montana

1996 - Superbowl XXX: Dallas Cowboys beatPittsburgh Steelers, 27-17 MVP: Larry Brown

2000’s

2010 - Five murderers ofPresident Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh are hanged.

Today’s Birthdays

In their 30’s

Nick Carter, singer (Backstreet Boys)is 32

Elijah Wood, actor is 31

In their 40’s

Sarah McLachlan, folk singer (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy) is 44

In their 60’s

Barbi Benton, [Klein], Playboy model(Hee Haw, Sugar Time!) is 62

Susan Howard, actress (Donna-Dallas,Petrocelli) is 68

In their 70’s

Alan Alda, actor, director is 76

In their 80’s

Acker Bilk, clarinetist ( Stranger on the Shore) is 83

Remembered for being born on this day

Saint Thomas Aquinas in1225

John Barclay, Scottish satirist/poet(Euphormio's Satyricon) in 1582

John Baskerville, English printer(typeface inventor) in 1706

Lionel KP "Buster" Crabb,British diver (WW II-George Medal) in 1909 [not the actor]

Jackson Pollock, Cody Wyoming,expressionist painter (Lavender Mist) in 1912

Robert Stroud, American convict, theBirdman of Alcatraz in 1890

Today’s Obits

Crew of Space ShuttleChallenger: ChristaMcAuliffe, astronaut [37], Ellison S Onizuka, Mjr USAF [40], Francis R Scobee, USAF[46], Judith Arlene Resnik [36], Michael J Smith, Cmdr USN [40], RonaldE McNair. Physicist [35], Greg Jarvis, payload specialist [41] in 1986

John Banner, actor (Schultz-Hogan'sHeroes), dies on 63rd birthday of hemorrhage in 1973

Charlemagne, German emperor/RomanEmperor (800-814), dies of pleurisy at 71 in 814

Jimmy Durante, NYC, comedian (JimmyDurante Show), dies at 86 in 1980

Henry VIII, King of England (1509-47),dies of obesity at 55 in 1547

Peter I "the Great" Romanov,czar of Russia, dies of uremia at 52 in 1725

William Butler Yeats, Irish poet(Nobel), dies in France at 73 in 1939

Answers

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

Jan 27, 2012

2012-01-26T20:30:00.001-07:00

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

Today’s Historical Highlights

1825 - U.S. Congressapproves Indian Territory (in what is present-day Oklahoma), clearing the wayfor forced relocation of the Eastern Indians on the "Trail of Tears."

1924 - Lenin placed in Mausoleum in Red Square

1948 - 1st locomotive tocarry 1,000,000 pounds (450,000 kg) operates

1961 - "Sing Along with Mitch" [Miller] premieres on NBC TV

♫Happy Birthday To:♫

Free RamblingThoughts

A really good lunch…butnot at the hamburger joint…The place was a little too loud for the ladiestaste. I’ll try it later. We went to a nearby restaurant, Busters, and had agreat lunch, along with good conversation, and some of the best service I’vehad in a long time. The Soup of the Day was ‘mushroom and barley’ which soundeda little odd, but it was actually very good. It was in a beef broth with lotsof mushrooms, some fresh veggies, and barley….Yummmmmmy.

It was a nice day to beout and about. We could actually stand outside, in the sun, without a jacketwhile we waited for one in our party to arrive. I did have on a long sleeveshirt, but it was very nice. I made a couple of stops after lunch, and again,nice to walk across the various parking lots without freezing. The high cloudsmade one of the best sunsets in a long time….bright orange clouds with a lightblue background. Flag is a great place to live.

Game Center (answers at the end of post)

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

Everyanswer is a familiar, two-word phrase with the initials I-D. For example:"A fake gem for a ring." The answer is "Imitation Diamond."

1. July4th:

2. Theoryas alternative to evolution:

3. Causeof anemia:

4. Water,oil, vinegar, spices for salad:

5. Cocaine,heroin:

6. Classicsong ‘to fight the unbearable sorrow’:

7. Plasticgirl you have to blow up:

8. Lawyer’splead to avoid death penalty:

9. Personwho chooses fabric, accessories for a room:

10. It is approximately 180° longitude:

11. Something dug to carry water to crops:

12. Things listed on IRS forms to lowertaxes:

Wuzzles What concept or phrase do these suggest?

Lifestyle Substance

AZ Centennial is in 19 days: Didyou know?…

The battleship USSArizona was named in honor of the state. It was commissioned in 1913 andlaunched in 1915 from the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
World War II broughtmany military personnel to train at Luke and Thunderbird fields in Glendale.
Rising to a height of12,643 feet, Mount Humphreys north of Flagstaff is the state's highest mountain
Arizona, among all thestates, has the largest percentage of its land set aside and designated asIndian lands

Found on You Tube

75 mph wind on Mt. Humphreys
Top of Mt. Humphreys

Harper’s Index

Percentage of US collegegrades that are ‘A’: 43

Joke-of-the-day

A man placed someflowers on the grave of his departed mother and started back for his car,parked on the cemetery road. His attention was diverted to a man kneeling at agrave.The man seemed to bepraying with profound intensity, and kept repeating, "Why did you die? Whydid you die?"The first man approachedhim and said, "Sir, I don't want to interfere with your private grief, butthis demonstration of hurt and pain is more than I've ever seen before. Forwhom do you mourn so deeply? Your Child? A parent? Who, may I ask, lies in thatgrave?"The mourner answered,"My wife's first husband! ... Why did you die? Why did you die?"

Planet Earth

Rules of Thumb

Easy shortcuts to makean ‘educated’ guess

A spark needs 25,000volts for every inch of air it has to jump.

Somewhat Useless Information

Bamboo is thefastest-growing woody plant on the Earth, growing as fast as 47.6 inches in a24-hour period.
Many bamboos only flowerat intervals as long as 60 or 120 years, and the flowering occurssimultaneously with all plants in the population. Subsequently, the plantsproduce flowers, which then produce seeds, and then die off. A new croprequires ten years to grow to full maturity.
Some of the world's topinventors found uses for bamboo. Thomas Edison tried over 100 varieties ofbamboo for the filament in his first electric bulb, and the only one thatworked was the Kyoto bamboo. Also, the needle in Alexander Graham Bell's firstphonograph was made of bamboo.
Research in China'sQinling Mountains showed giant pandas can consume, on average, 40 pounds offresh bamboo leaves per day.
The shakuhachi, aJapanese end-blown flute, was traditionally made from bamboo. It means"1.8 feet," referring to its size, and was used in classic Japanesemusic often associated with Zen Buddhism or meditation.
Because the bamboo ismade up of more water than normal trees, it releases 35% more oxygen thantrees.

Yeah, It Really Happened
PARIS - A Frenchpresidential hopeful said he witnessed allied troops landing in Normandy butthe event happened 17 years before he was born. The problem with the accountHerve Morin delivered to supporters in Nice was that the invasion took place in1944 and he wasn't born until 1961, France 24 reported Tuesday."You, some amongyou with gray hair, witnessed the storming of the Provence beach," Morintold supporters. "I saw the landing of the allied troops inNormandy." Morin's blooper made him the talk of the micro-blogging siteTwitter.
Comments used thehashtag #MorinMcFly in a reference to the time traveling Marty McFly played byMichael J Fox in the "Back To The Future" movies, The Local reported."Herve Morin will be seeing President Abraham Lincoln today for a workingmeeting" joked one tweeter. Morin registers only 1 percent in opinionpolls and some members of his own New Centre party want him to quit thepresidential race and back President Nicholas Sarkozy, the report said.

Calendar Information

…Happening This Week:

20-30

Sundance Film Festival

21-27

World Leprosy WeekNational Activity Professionals WeekKid Film FestivalNational Nurse Anesthetists WeekClean Out Your Inbox WeekNational Handwriting Analysis WeekNational Medical Group Practice WeekNational Nuclear Science WeekNo Name Calling WeekNational Take Back Your Time Week

Today Is

Auschwitz Liberation Day
Fun at Work Day
Holocaust Memorial Day [1945 liberated by Russia]
International Day of Commemoration in Memoryof the Victims of the Holocaust
Mozart DayNational Pre-school Fitness Day
Punch the Clock Day
Thomas Crapper Day
Viet Nam Peace Day

Today’s Other Events

1300’s

1302 - Dante becomes aFlorentine political exile

1500’s

1556 - Willem of Orangebecomes knight of Guilder Flies

1600’s

1662 - 1st American limekiln begins operation (Providence RI)

1700’s

1710 - Czar Peter the Greatsets 1st Russian state budget

1785 - 1st US stateuniversity chartered, Athens Georgia

1800’s

1823 - Pres Monroe appoints1st US ambassadors to South America

1870 - After accepting 15th amendment, VA isreadmitted to Union

1880 - Thomas Edison patentselectric incandescent lamp

1888 - National GeographicSociety organizes (Wash DC)

1900’s

1915 - US Marines occupyHaiti

1918 - "Tarzan of the Apes,"1st Tarzan film,premieres at Broadway Theater

1926 - US Senate agrees to join World Court

1944 - Leningrad liberatedfrom Germany in 880 days with 600,000 killed

1945 - Nazi occupiers forbidfood transport to West (The Netherlands)

1948 - 1st tape recorder sold

1964 - Margaret Chase Smith (Sen-R-Maine) tries forRepublican Pres bid

1967 - Apollo 1 fire kills astronauts Grissom, White& Chaffee

1970 - Movie rating systemmodifies "M" rating to "PG"

1976 - "Laverne & Shirley" spinoff from "Happy Days" premieres on ABC TV

1983 - World's longestsubaqueous tunnel (53.90 km) opens,Honshu-Hokkaid

1984 - Michael Jackson is burned during filming forPepsi commercial

1989 - Kevin Johnson (Phoenix) begins NBA freethrow streak of 57 games

1991 - Superbowl XXV: NY Giants beat Buffalo Bills,20-19 MVP: Ottis Anderson

1992 - Pres candidate Bill Clinton (D) &Genifer Flowers accuse each other of lying over her assertion they had a12-year affair

Today’s Birthdays

In their 40’s

Bridget Fonda, actor is 48

In their 50’s

Keith Olbermann, American newspresenter is 53

Mimi Rogers, actor is 56

Richard Young, singer (KentuckyHeadhunters-Davy Crockett ) is 57 [ Theme I grew up with]

Remembered for beingborn on this day

Abbas I, "the Great," shahof Persia (1587-1629) in 1556

Lewis Carroll, [Charles LutwidgeDodgson], auth (Alice in Wonderland) in 1832

Soong Ching-ling, Chinese wife of SunYat-sen in 1893

Troy Donahue, actor (Surfside Six,Cockfighter, Hawaiian Eye) in 1936

Samuel Gompers, Dutch/US 1st president(American Federation of Labor) in 1850

William Randolph Hearst Jr, newspaperpublisher (Hearst Publishing) in 1908

Skitch Henderson, Birmingham England,orchestra leader (Tonight Show) in 1918

Jerome Kern, Broadway composer(Showboat, Roberta) in 1885

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austria,musical prodigy/composer (Figaro) in 1756

Joe Perry, AAFC/NFL Hall of Famefullback (SF 49ers, Balt Colts) in 1927

Donna Reed, actor (From Here to Eternity,Wonderful Life) in 1921

Art Rooney, NFL team owner (PittsburghSteelers) in 1901

Sabu, [Dastagir], India, actor(Elephant Boy, Drum) in 1924

David Seville, [Ross Bagdasarian],Fresno California, (Alvin & Chipmunks) in 1919

Today’s Obits

Ali, the final Sunni Rashidun andfirst Shia Imam in 661

John James Audubon, conservationist (Audubon Society), dies at 65 in 1851

Mahalia Jackson, gospel singer (He Got the Whole World), dies of diabetes and heart failure at60 in 1972

L Ron Hubbard, novelist/founder(Church of Scientology), dies at 74 in 1986

Jack Paar, American television showhost dies at 86 in 2004

Tige Andrews, American actor dies at87 in 2007

John Updike, American Novelist dies at77in 2009

J. D. Salinger, American novelist diesat 91 in 2010

Answers

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

1. July4th: Independence Day

2. Theoryas alternative to evolution: intelligent design

3. Causeof anemia: iron deficiency

4. Water,oil, vinegar, spices for salad: Italian dressing

5. Cocaine,heroin: illegal drugs

6. Classicsong ‘to fight the unbearable sorrow’: Impossible Dream

7. Plasticgirl you have to blow up: inflatable doll

8. Lawyer’splead to avoid death penalty: insanity defense

9. Personwho chooses fabric, accessories for a room: interior designer

10. It is approximately 180° longitude:International Dateline

11. Something dug to carry water to crops:irrigation ditch

12. Things listed on IRS forms to lowertaxes: itemized deductions

Wuzzle

Upside down cake

Long underwear

White elephant

Disclaimer: All opinionsare mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

☺ And That Is All for Now ☺

Jan 26, 2012

2012-01-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

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

Today’s Historical Highlights

1838 - Tennessee becomes 1ststate to prohibit alcohol

1875 - Electric dental drillis patented by George F Green

1913 - Jim Thorperelinquishes his 1912 Olympic medals for being a pro

1954 - Ground breakingbegins on Disneyland

1957 - India annexes Kashmir

1980 - Mary Decker became 1st woman to run a milein under 4½ minutes

Abner Doubleday, Uniongeneral-major/inventor (baseball) born in 1819; dies on 74th birthdayin 1893

♫Happy Birthday To:♫

Free RamblingThoughts

A good day…startedgathering my income tax stuff, to see what I am still waiting for. Complicatedbut no way to avoid it.

My brother sent me alink to some of the photos from the Hacienda Weekend. These are ones that Lauratook with her iPhone…the professional ones won’t be ready for a couple ofweeks. So cool. What a great weekend. Here are two cool pics.

I also spent some timewith a couple of CD’s I got from fellow travelers on our Ethiopian trip. Verycool indeed. It’s always amazing to me how each photographer sees our tripthrough different eyes. Makes the trip more memorable.

Our retirement group ismeeting tomorrow at a new hamburger joint here in town…supposed to be some ofthe best burgers on the planet. Guess I’ll find out tomorrow.

Game Center (answers at the end of post)

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

Youare given two words and must provide a third word that can go in between them.The answer will follow the first word and precede the second to complete twofamiliar two-word phrases. In addition, the answer must fall in between the twowords alphabetically. For example, given "last" and"lines," the answer would be "laugh" as in "lastlaugh" and "laugh lines."

1. Beer,button:

2. Chemistry,clown:

3. Calling,catalogue:

4. Bad,brother:

5. Shelf,suit:

6. Cabin,cut:

7. Safe,symbol:

8. Banana,box:

9. Bed,bunny:

Wuzzles What concept or phrase do these suggest?

Lifestyle Substance

AZ Centennial is in 20 days: Didyou know?…

The state'sprecipitation varies. At Flagstaff the annual average is 18.31 inches; Phoenixaverages 7.64 inches; and Yuma's annual average is 3.27 inches.
The Arizona ridge-nosedrattlesnake is perhaps the most beautiful of all eleven species of rattlesnakesfound in Arizona.
The colors blue and goldare the official state colors.
Located in FountainHills is a fountain believed to be the tallest in the world.

Found on You Tube

Halley's Comet

Harper’s Index

Chance that a personwill remember something if he thinks he can look it up later: 1 in 5

Joke-of-the-day

The drunken defendantappears yet again before the tired judge, who says, "You have beenconstantly appearing before me for the past twenty years."

Replied the drunk:"Can I help it if you can't get promoted?"

Planet Earth

Rules of Thumb

Easy shortcuts to makean ‘educated’ guess

If you are giving aparty and you live in the suburbs, invite two times the number of people youwant to attend. If you live within range of public transportation, invite oneand a half times the number of people you want. If you are in the heart of the city,invite one and a quarter times the number of people you want.

Somewhat Useless Information

Ballet emerged in thelate 15th century Renaissance court culture of Italy, as a dance interpretationof fencing. It was eventually further developed in the French court from thetime of Louis XIV in the 17th century.
The word"tutu" may be a corruption of "cucu," French baby talk for"cul-cul" meaning roughly "botty-wotty" (for bottom).Alternatively, it may derive from tulle, the material from which tutus areoften made.
For its first 100 years,ballet was performed exclusively by male courtiers as an amateur entertainment.
The largest ballet classinvolved 989 participants in an event organized by Andrew Warth in Canal WalkShopping Centre, Cape Town, South Africa, on August 24, 2008.
A fouette is like apirouette where the dancer flicks their leg around to spin. New Yorker LeighZimmerman twirled a new world record by completing 38 complete spins at thePineapple Dance Studios in London.
Anna Pavlova, therenowned prima ballerina, died of pneumonia three weeks before her 50thbirthday. Following an old ballet tradition, on the day she was to have nextperformed, the show went on as scheduled, with a single spotlight circling anempty stage where she would have been. The Pavlova dessert was named after her.

Yeah, It Really Happened

VANCOUVER, BritishColumbia - The world's most expensive hot dog has debuted in Vancouver, Canada,costing $100 for the foot-long dog infused with cognac along with lobster andKobe beef. The founder of dougieDog Hot Dogs, dougie luv, said in a release hisbrainchild uses 100-year-old Louis XIII cognac that costs more than $2,000 abottle. He named the creation the Dragon Dog in honor of the Chinese New Year,which this year celebrates the year of the dragon. The dog is nestled inJapanese Kobe beef from hand-massaged cows that is seared in olive and truffleoils, lobster shreds and a picante sauce whose ingredients Mr. luv wouldn'tdisclose. He said he intends to contact the Guinness Book of Records to unseatthe previous most-expensive hot dog at New York's Serendipity restaurant, whichsells for $69. The release said the new hot dog would be a regular menu itemand not a limited offer.

Calendar Information

…Happening This Week:

20-30

Sundance Film Festival

21-27

World Leprosy WeekNational Activity Professionals WeekKid Film FestivalNational Nurse Anesthetists WeekClean Out Your Inbox WeekNational Handwriting Analysis WeekNational Medical Group Practice WeekNational Nuclear Science WeekNo Name Calling WeekNational Take Back Your Time Week

Today Is

Lotus 123 Day (1983 spreadsheet program goes on sale]

National Peanut Brittle Day

Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement [a day to connect with others through the heart, it stresses the importance of sharing a kind word with fellow man. Although the name conjures thought of childhood storybooks and amusement park rides, Toad Hollow Day of Encourangement is actually rooted in 1800s era school house located in Kalamazoo, Michigan]

Australia Day [arrival of first fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788]
India: Republic Day [1830, Declaration of Independence]
US: Michigan: Admission Day [1837, 26th state]

Today’s Other Events

Before 1000CE

66 - 5th recorded perihelionpassage of Halley's Comet

1500’s

1531 - Lisbon hit byEarthquake; about 30,000 die

1700’s

1784 - Ben Franklinexpresses unhappiness over eagle as America's symbol

1800’s

1802 - Congress passes anact calling for a US Capitol library

1808 - Rum Rebellion, theonly successful (albeit short-lived) armed takeover of the government inAustralia.

1861 - Louisiana becomes 6thstate to secede

1863 - American Civil War: Massachusetts Governorreceives permission from Secretary of War to raise a militia organization formen of African descent

1900’s

1907 - 1st federal corruptelection practices law passed

1910 - Heavy rains causefloods in Paris

1915 - Rocky MountainNational Park, CO established

1918 - Pres Hoover calls for"wheatless" & "meatless" days for war effort

1926 - Television 1stdemonstrated (J L Baird, London)

1948 - Executive Order 9981,end segregation in US Armed Forces signed

1956 - 7th Winter Olympic games open in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy

1965 - South Vietnam miltcoup under General Nguyen Khanh

1971 - Charles Mansonconvicted of murder

1977 - Soviet figure skatersSergei Shakrai & Marine Tcherkasova are 1st to perform a quadruple twist lift , Helsinki

1979 - "Dukes of Hazzard" premieres on CBS

1986 - Superbowl XX: Chicago Bears beat NEPatriots, 46-10 MVP: Richard Dent

1989 - US computer security expert warns ofcatastrophic virus

1992 - Americans with Disabilities Act went intoeffect

1992 - Superbowl XXVI: Wash Red Skins beat BuffaloBills, 37-24 MVP: Mark Rypien

1997 - Superbowl XXXI: Green Bay Packers beat NEPatriots, 35-21 MVP: Desmond Howard

1998 - Intel launches 333 MHz Pentium II chip

1998 - Pres Clinton says "I want to say one thing to the American people I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky"

2000’s

2005 - Condoleezza Rice issworn in as U.S. Secretary of State, becoming the first African American womanto hold the post

2006 - Western Uniondiscontinues use of its telegram service

Today’s Birthdays

Under 30 years old

Suleman octuplets [Noah AngelSolomon , MaliyahAngel Solomon , IsaiahAngel Solomon ,Nariyah Angel Solomon ,Jonah Angel Solomon ,Josiah Angel Solomon ,Jeremiah Angel Solomon ,and Makai Angel Solomon ]are3 years old

In their 50’s

Ellen DeGeneres, actor and TV hostis 54

Wayne Gretzky, Brantford Ont, NHLgreat scorer (Oiler, King, Rangers) is 51

Eddie Van Halen, Nijmegan Neth, rockguitarist (Van Halen-Jump, 1984) is 55

In their 70’s

Bob Uecker, catcher/actor (MrBelvedere) is 77

Remembered for beingborn on this day

Alexander Carlyle, Scottish churchleader in 1722

Juan Pablo Duarte, Dominican foundingfather in 1813

Benjamin Robert Haydon, Plymouth,painter (Waiting for The Times) in 1786

Eartha Kitt, singer/actress(Catwoman-Batman) in 1928

Douglas MacArthur, general (WW II)in 1880

Paul Newman, Cleve, racer/popcornmogul/actor (Hud, Hombre, Hustler) in 1925

George Shiras Jr., U.S. Supreme Courtjustice in 1832

Gene Siskel, movie critic (Siskel& Ebert) in 1946

Today’s Obits

Paul "Bear" Bryant, collegefootball coach (Alabama), dies of heart attack at 69 in 1983

José Ferrer, Puerto Ricanactor/director (Cyrano de Bergerac), dies at 80 in 1992

Victor Fleming, director (Wizard ofOz, Gone With Wind), dies of heart attack at 65 in 1949

Edward Jenner, discoverer(vaccination), dies at 75 in 1824

Charles "Lucky" Luciano, NYCMafia gangster, dies of heart attack at 65 in 1962

Georg Mohr, Danish mathematician diesat 57 in 1697

Nicholaus Otto, auto pioneer (internalcombustion engine) dies at 58 in 1891

Edward G Robinson, [Goldenberg], actor(Little Caesar), dies at 79 in 1973

Nelson Rockefeller, former VP &(4X Gov-R-NY), dies of heart attack at 70 in 1979

William K Wrigley, owner (Wrigley Gum,Chicago Cubs), dies of heart disease at 71 in 1932

Answers

Brain Game

Animals on the left are WILD, animals on the right are DOMESTICATED

NPR Sunday Puzzle

1. Beer,button: belly

2. Chemistry,clown: class

3. Calling,catalogue: card

4. Bad,brother: blood

5. Shelf,suit: space

6. Cabin,cut: crew

7. Safe,symbol: sex

8. Banana,box: bread

9. Bed,bunny: bugs

Wuzzle

An A in history
Tidal waves
Paradox

Disclaimer: All opinionsare mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

☺ And That Is All for Now ☺

Jan 25, 2012

2012-01-24T20:46:00.001-07:00

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

Today’s Historical Highlights

1554 - Founding of São Paulo city, Brazil

1755 - Moscow Universityestablished

1851 - Sojourner Truthaddresses 1st Black Women's Rights Convention (Akron)

1877 - Congress determinespresidential election between Hayes-Tilden

1924 - 1st Winter Olympic gamesopen in Chamonix, France

1955 - Columbia U scientists develop an atomicclock accurate to within one second in 300 years

1981 - 52 Americans heldhostage by Iran for 444 days arrived back in US

1998 - Superbowl XXXII: Denver Broncos beat GreenBay Packers 31-24 MVP:Terrell Davis

♫Happy Birthday To:♫

Free RamblingThoughts

A windy day, but I wasout and about running errands. I did get my phone fixed…finally. It took about30 minutes and we changed some settings. Not sure, but my Google calendar had ayahoo sign in because I’ve had the calendar longer than there was g-mail. Whilethe calendar has been attached to the g-mail address since I got my Androidphone, something somewhere changed that caused a conflict with the yahoo signin. Now the Google calendar is attached to a g-mail address and everyone ishappy. Crazy. We did a lot of signing in and out of the Google account from atablet with a keyboard. Must say…tablets are the future. I really liked it…itwas fast, easy to use, and easy to read. Hmmm. I’ll wait a little while longerbefore I get a tablet…iPad still has the most features and the Android one Iwas using may be pushed out by iPad. Hard to tell at this point. If I get an iPad, then my next phone will bean iPhone. Don’t need to guess if I’m thinking in Microsoft or in Apple.

I pay my taxes. Beingsingle puts me in a higher tax bracket…I’m at about 33%. The tax code needsreform. How could a wealthy politician pay at 15%? It’s not about the amount ofmoney either of us pay…it’s about the percentage of our income that runs thiscountry. I have used H & R Block forever. I do have a very complicatedtaxing with my ‘alternative’ investments. I get that. I don’t mind paying for agood job. Last year, my H&R bill was almost the same at my refund from theFeds. That upset me. I don’t think the very wealthy should be paying a higherpercentage than I do, just the same percentage. The middle class isdisappearing…some are moving into the upper class; most are moving into thelower class. Some of my investments gave me a tax break, because I was doingalternative energy…something that should be good for the country. The Feds evensaid it was good. Even in those days my tax rate was at about 25%. I have neverbeen at a 15% tax rate…never. Since I started working as a grocery clerk whilein school, I have been paying much more than 15%. It is OK, as long as othersare paying the same rate.

Game Center (answers at the end of post)

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

Everyanswer is a familiar phrase or title in the form of "____ of ____,"where the word before "of" starts with the letter R. You are giventhe word that follows "of" and must come up with the phrase. Forexample, given "Saturn," the answer would be "rings."

1. Hope:

2. Passage:

3. Gibraltar:

4. Applause:

5. Law:

6. Fortune:

7. Terror:

8. Fire:

9. Noreturn:

10. The mill:

11. The road:

12. The Jedi:

13. The ancient mariner:

14. The lost ark:

15. Order [two words, both beginning withR]:

Wuzzles What concept or phrase do these suggest?

Lifestyle Substance

AZ Centennial is in 23 days: Didyou know?…

A saguaro cactus will take between 50 and 100years to grow an arm. The saguaro cactus flower is the official state flower ofArizona.
An ordinance prohibitsthe wearing of suspenders in Nogales, Arizona.

Found on You Tube

Robert Burns – Documentary

Harper’s Index

Percentage ofnon-interest federal spending that is dedicated to programs for the elderly:1/3

Joke-of-the-day

1. A day withoutsunshine is like night.

2. On the other hand,you have different fingers.

3. 42.7 percent of allstatistics are made up on the spot.

4. 99 percent of lawyersgive the rest a bad name.

5. Remember, half thepeople you know are below average.

6. He who laughs last;thinks slowest.

7. Depression is merelyanger without enthusiasm.

8. The early bird mayget the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.

9. Support bacteria.They're the only culture most people have.

10. A clear conscienceis usually the sign of a bad memory.

11. Change isinevitable, except from vending machines.

12. If you think nobodycares, try missing a couple of payments.

13. How many of youbelieve in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.

14. OK, so what's thespeed of dark?

15. When everything iscoming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

16. Hard work pays offin the future. Laziness pays off now.

17. How much deeperwould the ocean be without sponges?

18. Eagles may soar, butweasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

19. What happens if youget scared half to death, twice?

20. Why do psychics haveto ask you your name?

21. Inside every olderperson is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?'

22. Just remember -- ifthe world didn't suck, we would all fall off.

23. Light travels fasterthan sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

24. Life isn't like abox of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, mightburn your butt tomorrow.

Planet Earth

Rules of Thumb

Easy shortcuts to makean ‘educated’ guess

If you play centerfield,wear a billed cap and keep your head level. Go in on any ball that is hit sothat it never disappears over the top of the bill; go out on any ball thatdisappears over the bill. If the ball is hit high and shallow, you will have timeto recover.

Somewhat Useless Information

The enormous number ofthe figures in the Parthenon, probably exceeding 500, of which 50 werecolossal, and the size and complexity of the Athene, which was of gold, ivory,wood, and precious stones, standing 40 feet in height, make it impossible thatthese vast works could have been executed by the hand of a single artist.
While studying at theAcademy of Ancient Art in the Medici Palace, Michelangelo not only developedhis genius as a sculptor, but also excited the wrath of his rival, Torregiano,who struck him with a mallet, crushing the nose on his face and disfiguring himfor life.
Lysippus of Sicyon, inthe Peloponnese, was a contemporary of Alexander the Great, who made him hiscourt sculptor, decreeing that no one should paint his portrait but Apelles,and no one should make his statue but Lysippus. His works were all in bronze, andare said to have amounted to 1,500 in number. They represented Alexander andhis generals in various characters, Hercules in many aspects, and celebratedathletes of the most naturalistic type.

Yeah, It Really Happened

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)— South Korean customs officials say they have arrested eight men over a schemeto allegedly smuggle gold out of the country by hiding it in their rectums.The Korea CustomsService said Monday the men allegedly transformed $260,000 in gold bars intosmall beads and smuggled them in their rectums to Japan two times in 2010 toavoid import taxes.South Korea saysJapanese custom officials caught the men on their second attempt and sent themhome after imposing fines. Later, one of the suspects allegedly orchestrated anunsuccessful bid to smuggle gold bars from Mongolia to Hong Kong using asimilar method.Meanwhile, South Koreanofficials gathered evidence against them at home. They say the suspectsrecently admitted to the smuggling after initial denials.

Calendar Information

…Happening This Week:

20-30

Sundance Film Festival

21-27

World Leprosy WeekNational Activity Professionals WeekKid Film FestivalNational Nurse Anesthetists WeekClean Out Your Inbox WeekNational Handwriting Analysis WeekNational Medical Group Practice WeekNational Nuclear Science WeekNo Name Calling WeekNational Take Back Your Time Week

Today Is

A Room of One's Own Day
Macintosh Computer Day
National Speak Up and Succeed DayOpposite Day
World Leprosy Day

Today’s Other Events

1500’s

1554 - Sir Thomas Wyattgathers an army in Kent, rebels against Queen Mary

1600’s

1692- Just before dawn, the village ofYork, Maine, is attacked by 150 Abnaki warriors, led by ChiefMadockawando. The Abnaki will kill more than 4 dozen settlers, andalmost 8 will be taken as prisoners, and then sold or used as slaves. Thevillage and surrounding farms were burned for miles.

1700’s

1721 - Czar Peter the Greatends Russian-orthodox patriarchy

1775 - Americans drag cannonuphill to fight British (Gun Hill Road, Bronx)

1799 - 1st US patent for aseeding machine, Eliakim Spooner, Vermont

1800’s

1825 - 1st US engineeringcollege opens, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Troy, NY

1856 - Battle of Seattle;skirmish between settlers & Indians

1870 - Soda fountainpatented by Gustavus Dows

1890 - Nellie Bly beats Phileas Fogg's time aroundworld by 8 days (72 days)

1900’s

1905 - Largest diamond,Cullinan (3106 carets), found in South Africa

the largest rough gem-quality diamondever found at 3106.75 carats (621.35 g). It was cut into 105 diamonds includingthe Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, 530.2 carats (106.04 g), and theCullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa, 317.4 carats (63.48 g), both of whichare now part of the British Crown Jewels.

1915 - Transcontinental telephone serviceinaugurated (NY to SF)

1939 - Earthquake hitsChillan Chile, 10,000 killed

1945 - Grand Rapids, Michigan becomes 1st US cityto fluoridate its water

1951 - UN begins counteroffensive in Korea

1955 - US & Panama sign canal treaty

1961 - 1st live, nationallytelevised presidential news conference (JFK)

1961 - Walt Disney's "101 Dalmatians"released

1971 - Military coup in Uganda under Gen Idi AminDada

1979 - Pope John Paul II's 1st overseas trip assupreme pontiff

1981 - Superbowl XV: Oakland Raiders beatPhiladelphia Eagles, 27-10 MVP: Jim Plunkett

1983 - Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie arrested inBolivia

1985 - "We are the World" is recorded

1987 - Superbowl XXI: NY Giants beat DenverBroncos, 39-20 MVP: Phil Simms

1989 - Michael Jordan scores his 10,000th NBA pointin his 5th season

1992 - Dan Jansen skates world record 500m in 36.41"

1992 - Hubble space telescope optics findsNGC3862/3C264

1993 - Puerto Rico adds English as its 2nd officiallanguage

1998 - Spice Girl Victoria Adams (Posh) &soccer David Beckham get engaged

2000’s

2011 - Egyptian Revolution of 2011 begins in Egypt,with a series of street demonstrations

Today’s Birthdays

In their 30’s

Alicia Keys, singer is 31

Christine Lakin, actor is 33

In their 50’s

Dinah Manoff, actor is 54

In their 80’s

Dean Jones, Disney actor is 81

Remembered for beingborn on this day

Corazon Aquino, 11th President of thePhilippines in 1933

Robert Burns, Alloway Scotland, poet(Auld Lang Syne) in 1759

Charles Curtis, 31st US VP (1929-33) in1860

Rusty Draper, American country and popsinger [Mule Skinner Blues ] in 1923

Etta James, [Jamesette Hawkins], USsinger (Roll With Me Henry ) in 1938

Shirley Mason, American psychiatricpatient (Commonly known as "Sybil") in 1923

[William] Somerset Maugham, Paris,British novelist/poet (Of Human Bondage) in 1874

Steve Prefontaine, Coos Bay Oregon, 5K(Olympics-4th-1972 ) in 1951

Today’s Obits

Al Capone, Chicago gangster, dies ofsyphilis at 48 in 1947

Jean Dixon, psychic (Gift ofProphecy), dies of a heart attack at 79 in 1997

Ava Gardner, actress (BarefootContessa), dies of pneumonia at 67 in 1990

Answers

Brain Game

AnteAntsyAnticsAntennaAntidoteAntiquityAnticipateAntagonistsAnthropology

Bonus: resistant

NPR Sunday Puzzle

1. Hope:ray of hope

2. Passage:Rite of passage

3. Gibraltar:rock of Gibraltar

4. Applause:round of applause

5. Law:rule of law

6. Fortune:reversal of fortune

7. Terror:reign of terror

8. Fire:ring of fire

9. Noreturn: river of no return

10. The mill: run of the mill

11. The road: rules of the road

12. The Jedi: Return of the Jedi

13. The sphinx: riddle of the sphinx

14. The ancient mariner: Rhyme of theancient mariner

15. The lost ark: Raiders of the Lost Ark

16. Order [two words, both beginning withR]: Robert’s Rule of Order

Wuzzle

Rub the wrong way
Elbows
Multiple choice

Disclaimer: All opinionsare mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

☺ And That Is All for Now ☺

Jan 24, 2012

2012-01-23T20:21:00.001-07:00

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

Today’s Historical Highlights

1848 - JamesMarshall finds gold in Sutter's Mill in Coloma, CA 1899 - Rubber heelpatented by Humphrey O'Sullivan

1908 - GenBaden-Powell starts Boy-Scouts

1923 - AztecRuins National Monument, NM established

1955 -Ira Hayes,American World War II hero dies of exposure and alcohol poisoning at 32 1975 - LarryFine, actor (3 Stooges), dies at 72

1984 - AppleComputer Inc unveils its Macintosh personal computer

2010- Pernell Roberts,American actor & singer, last surviving star of Bonanza dies at 82

♫Happy Birthday To:♫

Free RamblingThoughts

A cloudy day with lightsnow, then a lot of wind…again. Not a day to spend much time outside.

I took my phone in…gotthe hard reset…still not working right…back tomorrow. Technology can be such apain…glad I’m retired and don’t need to worry about getting it fixed while on alunch hour or after work. Grrrrrrrr.

I sent Greg the latestT-shirt design and a new one for the front…he likes them both. Just a few more tweaks and all is set.

Haven’t decided if Iwill watch the Republican debate tonight…Newt has made such a huge gain, I maywatch to see what happens. In my opinion, if Newt is the candidate, the Presidenthas nothing to worry about in November.

Game Center (answers at the end of post)

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

Everyanswer is the name of a U.S. national park. You are given an anagram of thename and asked to identify the park. For example, given "search," theanswer would be "arches," as in Arches National Park in Utah.

1. Nailed:

2. Acegirl:

3. Moisteye:

4. Stronghips: [2 words]

5. Careertalk: [2 words]

6. Saveledger:

7. Raremunition: [2 words]

Wuzzles What concept or phrase do these suggest?

Lifestyle Substance

AZ Centennial is in 21 days: Didyou know?…

Legend has it that thebarrel cactus is a good source of water in the desert. Well, you can try it,but you won't like it. The pulp can be crushed to create a liquid, but thejuice would peel the hide off a Gila Monster.

It is illegal to huntcamels in the State of Arizona.

Found on You Tube

Johnny Cash The Ballad of Ira Hayes

Harper’s Index

Portion of the IndianOcean that is underexplored by scientists because of pirates: 1/4

Joke-of-the-day

On the first day ofcollege, the Dean addressed the students: "The female dormitory is out-of-boundsfor all male students, and the male dormitory to the female students. Anybodycaught breaking this rule will be fined $20 the first time. The second time youwill be fined $60. A third time will cost you a fine of $180. Are there anyquestions?"

A male student inquired,"How much for a season pass?"

Planet Earth

Rules of Thumb

Easy shortcuts to makean ‘educated’ guess

A mouse can squeezethrough a space little bigger than the width of a pencil, or widen it bychewing. If you want to patch such holes, leave the patch smooth or the mousewill be able to pry it out.

Somewhat Useless Information

According to a study bythe American Journal of Public Health, adults who watch three hours of TV a dayare more likely to be obese than those who keep it under an hour.
Soft drinks representthe largest single source of added sugars in the American diet. The averageAmerican will drink 54 gallons of soft drink a year.

Yeah, It Really Happened

VANERSBORG, Sweden - ASwedish man who completed a two-month prison sentence walked out of prisonwithout pants or shoes after he was denied money to buy new clothes. The man,referred to only as Percy in media reports, told officials at the Brinkeberg prisonin Vanersborg he had outgrown the pants he was wearing when he was arrested forunlawful driving, The Local reported Thursday.
The prison service saidin denying Percy money for new clothes that he had $118 among the personalitems he reclaimed upon his release and was therefore able to purchase his ownpants and shoes. Percy said he was unable to send for extra clothes in time forhis release because he only learned a few days before he was to be releasedthat his request for the prison to buy him clothes had been rejected. He saidthe prison offers pants and shoes for sale to released prisoners, butpurchasing the items would have left him without enough money for food. Theformer prisoner said he was able to find a ride to Trollhattan while wearing onlyhis shirt, underwear and socks. He said he was able to find pants and shoes fora more reasonable price than those offered by the prison.

Calendar Information

…Happening This Week:

20-30

Sundance Film Festival

21-27

World Leprosy WeekNational Activity Professionals WeekKid Film FestivalNational Nurse Anesthetists WeekClean Out Your Inbox WeekNational Handwriting Analysis WeekNational Medical Group Practice WeekNational Nuclear Science WeekNo Name Calling WeekNational Take Back Your Time Week

Today Is

Belly Laugh Day
Beer Can Day [1935]
Eskimo Pie Patent Day [1922]
National Compliment Day
Talk Like A Grizzled Prospector Day

Today’s Other Events

Before 1000CE

41 - GaiusCaesar (Caligula), known for his eccentricity and cruel despotism, isassassinated by his disgruntled Praetorian Guards

1500’s

1556 - Heavyearthquake strikes Shaaxi China, kills 830,000
1568 - InNetherlands, Duke of Alva declares William of Orange an outlaw

1600’s

1656 - 1stJewish doctor in US, Jacob Lumbrozo, arrives in Maryland

1700’s

1722 - CzarPeter the Great begins civil system

1800's

1806 - Cherokee ChiefDoublehead, and 16 others, sign a land cession treaty in Washington. They giveup lands on the north side of the Tennessee River and near Chickasaw landsfor a little over $10,000 and a cotton gin and a gristmill.1839 - CharlesDarwin elected member of Royal Society
1847 - 1,500 NewMexican Indians & Mexicans defeated by US Col Price
1857 - TheUniversity of Calcutta is formally founded as the first full-fledged universityin south Asia

1900’s

1925 - Movingpicture of a solar eclipse taken from dirigible over Long Is
1935 - 1stcanned beer, "Krueger Cream Ale," is sold by Kruger Brewing Co
1939 - 30,000killed by earthquake in Concepcion Chile 1943 - Hitler orders nazitroops at Stalingrad to fight to death
1945 - Scottish52nd Lowland division occupies Heinsberg
1950 - JackieRobinson signs highest contract ($35,000) in Dodger history
1960 - Algeriauprises against French president De Gaulle
1962 - JackieRobinson is 1st Black elected to Baseball Hall of Fame1969 - QueenJuliana appointed honorary citizen of Addis Ababa
1982 - SuperbowlXVI: SF 49ers beat Cin Bengals, 26-21 MVP: Joe Montana

2000’s

2003 - TheUnited States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation
2011 - Atleast 35 died and 180 injured in a bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo airport

Today’s Birthdays

In their 60’s

Yakov Smirnoff, Russian comedian (It's a wonderful country) is 61

In their 70’s

Neil Diamond, singer/actor(Jazz Singer) is 71

Doug Kershaw, playselectric fiddle is 76

Ray Stevens, singer (Ahab the Arab, Streak) is 73

In their 90’s

Jerry Maren, actor (munchkin -Wizard of Oz, Mayor McCheese)is 92

Remembered for beingborn on this day

John Belushi, comedian/actor(SNL, Blues Brothers) in 1949

Ernest Borgnine, HamdenCt, actor (Ice Station Zebra, McHale’s Navy, Marty) in 1917

Mark Goodson, TVgame-show proudcer (Goodson-Toddman) in 1913

Oral Roberts, AmericanTelevangelist, founder Oral Roberts College in 1918

Sharon Tate, actress(Valley of the Dolls) in 1943

Edith Wharton[-Jones],US, novelist (Ethan Frome, House of Mirth) in 1862

Today’s Obits

Ted Bundy, serial killerof up to 100 women, executed in Florida at 42 in 1989

Caligula, [G CGermanicus], Roman emperor (37-41), assassinated at 28 in 41

Winston Churchill, PM of Britain (C) (1940-45, 51-55),dies at 90 in 1965

Martin R Delany,politician & black nationalist, dies at 72 in 1885

George Gobel, comedian,dies of a heart attack at 71 in 1991

L[aFayette] Ron[ald]Hubbard, author (Death Quest), dies at 74 in 1986

Gordon MacRae, singer (Oklahoma, Carousel), dies of jaw cancer at 64 in1986

Thurgood Marshall, 1stblack supreme court justice (1967-91), dies 84 in 1993

J Carrol Naish, actor(Charlie Chan-Adv of Charlie Chan), dies at 73 in 1973

Bill W., Americanco-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous dies at 76 in 1981

Answers

Brain Game

Love Story
Cleopatra
Dr. Zhivago

NPR Sunday Puzzle

1. Nailed:Denali

2. Acegirl: Glacier

3. Moisteye: Yosemite

4. Stronghips: Hot Springs

5. Careertalk: Crater Lake

6. Saveledger: Everglades

7. Raremunition: Mount Rainer

Wuzzle

One fine day
Look both ways beforecrossing
Downright nasty

Disclaimer: All opinionsare mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

☺ And That Is All for Now ☺

Jan 23, 2012

2012-01-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

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

Today’s Historical Highlights

1556 - Most deadlyearthquake kills 830,000 in Shensi Province, China

1812 - 7.8 earthquake shakesNew Madrid, Missouri

1855 - The first bridge overthe Mississippi River opens in what is now Minneapolis

1908 - US &Great-Britain demand end of abuses in Congo

1930 - Clyde Tombaughphotographs planet Pluto

1972 - Entire population of Istanbul under 24 hourhouse arrest

♫Happy Birthday To:♫

Free RamblingThoughts

I did some work on theT-shirt design. Took more time than expected to get rid of some of the greyfrom the copy. Will try to finish ittomorrow.

The wind let up, but itwas still cloudy and dreary with a little snow on and off.

Gabby, the injured USRepresentative from Tucson, has decided to step down now. She has made a miraculousrecovery, but has made the decision to spend her time in rehab. Sad for thecountry, sad for Arizona, and sad for Tucson. It is not unexpected; her YouTube videois very moving.

60 Minutes just ran arepeat of the Great Migration….Amazing…and I will be seeing it inJune of this year. WOW

Game Center (answers at the end of post)

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

Everyanswer is a familiar two-word phrase or name with the initials V.C. Forexample, given "serving of calf's meat," the answer would be"veal chop."

1. Pieceof equipment for housekeeper:

2. Somethinggiven on Feb. 14^th:

3. Asmall bag for women’s cosmetics or toiletries:

4. Womenuse it to clean the skin and remove age spots:

5. World’ssmallest country in size:

6. Processeddairy product made by Kraft:

7. Partof CA between Santa Barbara and LA:

8. Investmentmoney for a new business:

9. Whereto take a sick cat:

10. Part of the throat that allow you tospeak:

11. It can film things for You Tube:

12. Solo works by Bach or Brahms:

13. Sport venue divided by a net that is 7’11 5/8” high:

Wuzzles What concept or phrase do these suggest?

Lifestyle Substance

AZ Centennial is in 22 days: Didyou know?…

In Glendale, Arizonacars may not be driven in reverse.
Arizona Highways has anapproximately 85% circulation rate outside of the state of Arizona.

Found on You Tube

Salvador Dali on "What's My Line?"

Harper’s Index

Number of people killedin Ecuador by bootleg liquor since last summer: 35

Joke-of-the-day

Why did Mickey Mouse goto space? ..................... To visit Pluto

BONUS

A beautiful, sexy, goodlooking lady was sitting next to a guy in a plane......
The lady said to him 'Can you help me remove something from my breast please? ‘The exciting young manreplied, 'Wow! It will be my pleasure....... So what is it?'
"Your Eyes, idiot!"

Planet Earth

Rules of Thumb

Easy shortcuts to makean ‘educated’ guess

Relative testes size isstrongly and positively correlated with a species' degree of polygyny.

Somewhat Useless Information

"Alphabet" isderived from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet: alpha and beta.
There were only 23letters in the Classical Latin alphabet. During medieval times, the letter"I" was used for both "I" and "J," and the letter"V" was used for "U," "V," and "W."Hence the 26 letters in the modern alphabet.
An abjad, also called aconsonantary of consonantal alphabet, is a vowel-less alphabet system whichstill exists in scripts such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Syriac.
The earliest knownalphabet was devised in Ugarit in present-day Syria around 1500 BC.
The Hawaiian alphabetonly contains 12 letters: a, e, i, o, u, h, k, l, m, n, p, and w. Every wordends with a vowel. There are only 162 possible syllables in Hawaiian.
Switching letters iscalled spoonerism. For example, saying jag of Flapan, instead of flag of Japan.

Yeah, It Really Happened

SARASOTA, Fla. - TheFlorida Department of Law Enforcement revealed it paid 15 employees to getdrunk to test the accuracy of the Intoxilyzer 8000 breath test. The FDLErevealed to a panel of judges in Sarasota County in December that it spent $330on alcohol, mixers and Doritos for 15 employees to drink on company time andblow into the Intoxilyzer 8000s to test their accuracy, the Sarasota (Fla.)Herald Tribune reported Thursday.

However, the judgesexpressed skepticism about the accuracy of the study because the blood workfrom the employees was not ready in time for the December hearing. The judgesare considering the future of the use of the machines in Sarasota and Manateecounties. The $8,000 study was performed after investigators found many flawedmachines had stayed in service in the state and breath test results from about100 cases in the two counties were thrown out as a result of the probe. Thejudges are expected to issue a ruling in the coming days.

Calendar Information

…Happening This Week:

20-30

Sundance Film Festival

21-22

Bald Eagle Appreciation Days

21-27

World Leprosy WeekNational Activity Professionals WeekKid Film FestivalNational Nurse Anesthetists WeekClean Out Your Inbox WeekNational Handwriting Analysis WeekNational Medical Group Practice WeekNational Nuclear Science WeekNo Name Calling WeekNational Take Back Your Time Week

Today Is

Chinese New Year: begins at midnight: Year of the Dragon

The Dragonis anything but a formidable foe in Chinese culture. Unlike the demon that getsslain in Western literature, the Dragon is a symbol of good fortune and intensepower in Eastern culture. In Chinese tradition, the Dragon is regarded as adivine beast.Accordingto Sung dynasty manuscripts, the Dragon is described as having the "headof an ox or donkey, eyes of a shrimp, horns of a deer, body of a serpentcovered with fish scales, and a feet of a phoenix," and it usuallyclutches a pearl, meant to symbolize its supernatural powers.

Measure Your Feet Day

National Handwriting Day

National Pie Day

Snowplow Mailbox Hockey Day

Today’s Other Events

Before 1000CE

638 - Start of Islamiccalendar

1500’s

1552 - 2nd version of Bookof Common Prayer becomes mandatory in England

1600’s

1647 - ScottishPresbyterians sell captured Charles I to English parliament

1700’s

1789 - Georgetown, 1st USCatholic college, founded

1793 - Humane Society of Philadelphia (1st aidsociety) organized

1800’s

1845 - Uniform US electionday for president & VP authorized

1849 - Patent granted for an envelope-making machine

1870 - 173 Blackfoot (140women & children) killed in Montana by US Army

1879 - National ArcheryAssociation forms (Crawfordsville IN)

1900’s

1907 - Charles Curtis ofKansas becomes 1st Native American US senator

1933 - 20th amendmentchanges date of presidential inaugurations to 1/20

1941 - Ground breaking forNACA (now NASA) Lewis Research Center

1943 - Duke Ellington plays at Carnegie Hall in NewYork City for the first time

1948 - Huston's "Treasure of Sierra Madre" starring Humphrey Bogart opens

1953 - NFL Dallas Texans become Baltimore Colts(now Indianapolis Colts)

1961 - Supreme Court rulescities & states have right to censor films

1964 - 24th Amendment to theUnited States Constitution ratified, barring poll tax in federal elections

1965 - "King Family Show" (musical variety) premieres on ABC TV

1977 - Miniseries "Roots"premieres on ABC

1983 - "A-Team"with Mr T premieres on NBC

1986 - 1st induction of Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame(Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Domino, Everly Bros, B Holly, J L Lewis& Elvis Presley)

1991 - "Seinfeld"debuts on NBC-TV

1996 - The first version of the Java programminglanguage was released

2000’s

2002 - Reporter Daniel Pearlwas kidnapped in Karachi, Pakistan. He was subsequently murdered.

Today’s Birthdays

In their 30’s

Tito Ortiz, American UFCfighter is 37
Tiffani Thiessen, actoris 38

In their 40’s

Mariska Hargitay, actoris 48Gail O'Grady, actoris 49

In their 60’s

Richard Dean Anderson,actor (MacGyver) is 62
Gil Gerard, actor (BuckRogers in 25th Century) is 69

In their 70’s

Chita Rivera, actress(West Side Story, Sweet Charity) is 79

Remembered for beingborn on this day

John Barclay, Scottishsatirist/Latin poet (Argenis) in 1582

Dan Duryea, actor (Prideof the Yankees) in 1907

Ernie Kovacs, comedian(Ernie Kovacs' Show) in 1919

Takamori Saigo, Samurai,leader of Satsuma rebellion in 1827

Randolph Scott, actor(Last of the Mohicans, Western Union) in 1898

Sir William SamuelStephenson, Canadian soldier, W.W.II codename, Intrepid. Inspiration for JamesBond in 1897

Potter Stewart, 94thSupreme Court justice (1958-81) in1915

Today’s Obits

Johnny Carson, Americantelevision host dies at 80 in 2005

Nell Carter, Americansinger and actress dies of heart disease at 55 in 2003

Albert Collins,guitarist (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies of pneumonia at 57 in 1990

Salvador Dalí, Catalanartist dies at 85 in 1989

Arthur Guinness, Irishbrewer dies at 78 in 1803

E. Howard Hunt, AmericanWatergate figure dies at 89 in 2007

Jack LaLanne, Americanfitness and nutritional expert dies at 97 in 2011

Edvard Munch, Norwegianpainter (The Scream), dies at 80 in 1944

Paul Robeson,athlete/lawyer/singer, dies in Philadelphia at 77 in 1976

Matthew Stewart,Scottish mathematician dies at 68 in 1785

Answers

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

1. Pieceof equipment for housekeeper: vacuum cleaner

2. Somethinggiven on Feb. 14^th: valentine card

3. Asmall bag for women’s cosmetics or toiletries: vanity case

4. Womenuse it to clean the skin and remove age spots: vanishing cream

5. World’ssmallest country in size: Vatican City

6. Processeddairy product made by Kraft: Velveeta Cheese

7. Partof CA between Santa Barbara and LA: Ventura County

8. Investmentmoney for a new business: Venture capital

9. Whereto take a sick cat: Veterinary clinic

10. Part of the throat that allow you tospeak: vocal chords

11. It can film things for You Tube: videocamera

12. Solo works by Bach or Brahms: violin concerto

13. Sport venue divided by a net that is 7’11 5/8” high: volleyball court

Wuzzle

Excellent movies
Fading away
Talks behind your back

Disclaimer: All opinionsare mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

☺ And That Is All for Now ☺