11/19/13


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:
Week: 47/ Day: 323   
Today: L 23°…H 54°… Ave. humidity: 76%
Wind: ave:   3mph; Gusts:  11mph  
Average Low: 21° Record Low:  -6° (1985)
Average High: 49° Record High:  69° (1949)

Quote of the Day
 
Today’s Historical Highlights
"Boss" Tweed, convicted of defrauding NYC of $6M, 12 years' imprisonment…1873
1st issue of Time magazine, Japanese Emperor Hirohito on cover…1928
Apollo 12's Conrad & Bean become 3rd & 4th humans on Moon…1969
Carrie Nation attempts to address Senate…1903
CBS TV bans Calvin Klein's jean ad featuring Brooke Shields…1980
Egyptian Pres Anwar Sadat arrives in Israel…1977
Fidel Castro accepts removal of Soviet weapons…1962
Ford cancels Edsel…1959
Jay Treaty and Northwest Territory Treaty states Indians can cross borders…1794
Jay Treaty, 1st US extradition treaty, signed with Great Britain…1794
Kellogg's Pop Tarts pastries created…1965
Lewis & Clark reach Pacific Ocean, 1st European Americans to cross continent…1805
Lincoln delivers his address in Gettysburg; "4 score & 7 years..."…1863
Mayflower reaches Cape Cod & explores the coast…1620
US Supreme Court rules (7-2) baseball is a sport not a business…1953
Warsaw University is established…1816
Women allowed to vote in Spain (helps right wing)…1933

♫  Today’s Birthdays: ♫   
How many can you identify? Answers in Today’s Birthdays
 
My Free Rambling Thoughts   
Nice Monday, for a Monday. Clear sky, not much a breeze. Typical fall weather for ole Flagstaff.
 
What a strange world we live in. The Mayor of Toronto goes on tirade in a council meeting that is stripping him of all his power, and knocks down an older female councilperson. Zimmerman is arrested for threatening his girl friend with a shotgun and refusing to let police into her house. He ends up in jail. Cops in NM do a routine traffic stop and end up shooting at the van full of kids. We have our fair share of  crazies here in Flagstaff, but nothing compared to these three recent incidents that make international news.

Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
I have a common English phrase. I feed this phrase into a computer translation program. This translates it into a foreign language then back into English again. Unfortunately, because computers do not understand idiom and sarcasm, the phrase has been changed. It now reads:
BLIND, INSANITY.
What was the original phrase?

Lifestyle  Substance:     
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

Very Strange Laws…Missouri
  • It is illegal to speed
  • It is illegal to have oral sex.
  • Single men between the ages of twenty-one and fifty must pay an annual tax of one dollar (enacted 1820).
  • Buckner
    • --In this small town of only 4,000, yard waste may be burned any day except Sunday.
  • Columbia--You can not have a antenna exposed outside of your house yet you can have a 25′ satellite dish. Though clotheslines are banned, clothes may be draped over a fence. /One may not drink in a bar between 2:00 and 6:00 AM.
  • Kansas City--Minors are not allowed to purchase cap pistols, however they may buy shotguns freely. /Installation of bathtubs with four legs resembling animal paws is prohibited.
  • Marceline--Minors can buy rolling paper and tobacco but not lighters.
  • Marquette--It is illegal for more than four unrelated persons to occupy the same dwelling (The Brothel Law).
  • Mole--Frightening a baby is in violation of the law.
  • Natchez--It shall be unlawful to provide beer or other intoxicants to elephants.
  • Purdy--Dancing is strictly prohibited.
  • St. Louis--It’s illegal to sit on the curb of any city street and drink beer from a bucket. /A milk man may not run while on duty.
  • University City--Four women may not rent an apartment together. /No person may own a PVC pipe. /No person may have a “yard sale” in their front yard.
  • University City--Houses may not have lights on them that shine into the window of a neighbor’s house. /It is illegal to request for someone to “watch over” your parked car. /One may not honk another’s horn.

OK Then…


Harper’s Index 
  • Rank of ‘Jesus’ and ‘Mohammad’ respectfully, among the Wikipedia articles with the most editorial changes: 8,3
  • Rank of ‘George W. Bush’: 1

Unusual Fact of the Day
The "G" in "G-Spot" stands for Gräfenberg, a German-born doctor who studied female sexual physiology.


Joke-of-the-day
The Antartian reported for her university final examination which consisted of "yes/no" type questions. She took her seat in the examination hall and stared at the question paper for five minutes. 
In a fit of inspiration, she took her purse out, removed a coin and started tossing the coin and marking the answer sheet - Yes for Heads and No for Tails. Within half an hour she was all done, whereas the rest of the class was still sweating it out.
During the last few minutes, she was seen desperately throwing the coin, muttering and sweating. The moderator, alarmed, approached her and asked what was going on.
Her reply was, "I finished the exam in half an hour, but I'm rechecking my answers."  
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
DESIGNING A ROOF
When you are planning a house, make the angle of the roof noticeably more or noticeably less than a right angle; otherwise, the appearance is depressing.    
Yeah, It Really Happened
WALSRODE, Germany - A German retiree whose wallet was stolen six years ago said the thief returned the wallet with extra money added as an apology. Peter Jurgensen, 73, said his wallet was stolen at a supermarket in Walsrode in March 2007 and it contained his credit card, ID, photos of his grandchildren and $471 cash, The Local.de reported Thursday. Jurgensen said he did not realize his wallet was gone until a few hours later and he forgot about the incident after replacing it and its contents. The pensioner told the Bild newspaper he was surprised to be reminded of the stolen wallet recently when it was mailed to his home along with all of its contents and an apology letter. "Greed drove me to taking the wallet," the thief wrote. "I have become a confessed Christian. The holy spirit has called upon me to repair the damage." The thief included an extra $67 with the wallet as a means of apology. "Everything was in the wallet as I left it. I thank the man for his belated honesty," Jurgensen said.  
Somewhat Useless Information   
  • In the Middle Ages, having ants in the house was a sign of good luck.
  • Only pharaohs were allowed to eat mushrooms in ancient Egypt.
  • The Chinese used to scatter firecrackers around the house - as fire alarms.
  • In medieval England jurors weren't fed until they reached a decision.
  • In England in 1558, beards were taxed according to their length.
  • When a cat died in ancient Egypt, its owners shaved off their eyebrows as a sign of mourning.

Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
17-23: American Education Week / National Book Awareness Week

Today Is                                                                      
·        American Made Matters Day
·        Equal Opportunity Day (aka Gettysburg Address Day)
·        Family Volunteer Day
·        Have A Bad Day Day
·        International Men's Day
·        National Day of Play
·        Rocky and Bullwinkle Day debuts 1959
·        World Toilet Day
~~~~
·        Puerto Rico: Discovery Day (1493 by Christopher Columbus)
·        Monaco: National Holiday (the levée of Prince Albert II; 2005)

Today’s Events through History  
200" mirror arrives at Mt Palomar…1947
Chuck Berry released from prison on income tax evasion…1979
Julia Ward Howe committed "Battle Hymn of the Republic" to paper…1961
Patty Hearst is freed on $15 million bail…1976
Samuel Goldwyn and Edgar Selwyn establish Goldwyn Pictures…1916
US General Eisenhower becomes supreme commander of NATO-Europe…1950
US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee begins impeachment 
     hearings against Clinton…1998
US Senate rejects (55-39) Treaty of Versailles & League of Nations…1919

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
Larry King, radio/TV host (Larry King Show, CNN) is 80
Dick Cavett, talk show host (Dick Cavett Show) is 77
Ted Turner, broadcasting mogul/owns (Atlanta Braves)/won America's Cup is 75
Dan Haggerty, actor (Grizzly Adams) is 72
Calvin Klein, Bronx, fashion designer (Calvin Klein Jeans, CK) is 71
Allison Janney, actress (West Wing, Mom) will be 54
Meg Ryan, actress (When Harry Met Sally, As the World Turns) is 52
Jodie Foster, Bronx, actress (Taxi Driver, Accused) is 51

Remembered for being born today
James A Garfield, gen/20th Pres [1831-1881]
Tommy Dorsey, orchestra leader (Stage Show, Mahogany) [1905-1956]
Indira Gandhi, Allahabad India, Indian PM [1917-1984]
Jeane J Kirkpatrick, US ambassador to UN (R) [1926-2006]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
William Seymour Tyler, American educator and historian…1897…@87
Emma Lazarus, US poet ("Give us your tired & poor")…lymphoma…1887…@38
Joe Hill (Joel Emmanuel Hägglund), Labor leader/songwriter…executed/murder…1915…@36
Franz Schubert, Austrian composer (Die schöne Müllerin)…typhoid fever…1828…@31

Brain Teasers
Out of sight, out of mind.
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 has mistakes and sadly once out 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  §
Posted by No comments:

11/18/13


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:
Week: 47/ Day: 322   
Today: L 36°…H 47°… Ave. humidity: 79%
Wind: ave:   5mph; Gusts:  15mph  
Average Low: 21° Record Low:  -13° (1958)
Average High: 50° Record High:  68° (1898)

Quote of the Day
 
Today’s Historical Highlights
1st English printed book "Dictes & Sayengis of the Phylosophers"…1477
1st newspaper Sunday color comic section published (NY World)…1894
918 members of Peoples Temple are murdered/commit suicide; Jim Jones; 
     Jonestown Guyana …1978
American suffragette Susan B Anthony arrested after voting…1871
Antarctica discovered by US Navy Capt Nathaniel B Palmer…1820
Apollo Theater (Academy, Bryant) opens at 221 W 42nd St NYC…1920
Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops occupy Carlisle…1745
Brooklyn toymaker Morris Michton names teddy bear after Teddy Roosevelt…1902
Great Ballcourt at Chichen Itza is dedicated by the Maya…864
J. Edgar Hoover describes Martin Luther King as "most notorious liar"…1964
Mark Twain publishes "Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"…1865
Mickey Mouse appears in NY in "Steamboat Willie"…1928
Old St. Peter's Basilica is consecrated. Stood 4th - 16th century…326
St. Peter's Basilica is consecrated. Replaced an earlier basilica…1626

♫  Today’s Birthdays: ♫   
How many can you identify? Answers in Today’s Birthdays
 
My Free Rambling Thoughts   
A little chilly but still nice. So thankful I’m not in the Midwest. From what I’ve heard, all my in-law relatives in that area are OK. Shaken up a little, but OK.
 
A lazy day after a long night of movies on TV. Nice quiet Sunday is great.

Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
You have no skill at magic tricks, yet you make a bet with your friend for $25. You tell him to pick a card, take a look at it, and put it back in the deck. You then shuffle the deck as many times as your friend wishes. You will then hand back your friend's chosen card. Even though you possess no magic skill whatsoever, and you have no idea what your friend picked, you can still win this bet. How?
Lifestyle  Substance:     
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

Very Strange Laws…Kentucky
  • Throwing eggs at a public speaker could result in up to one year in prison. (Repealed, 1975)
  • One may not dye a duckling blue and offer it for sale unless more than six are for sale at once.
  • It is illegal to fish with a bow and arrow in Kentucky.
  • Fort Thomas
    • --Dogs may not molest cars.
  • Owensboro
    • --One may not receive anal sex. /A woman may not buy a hat without her husband’s permission.


OK Then…
 
Harper’s Index 
Ratio of bicycles to people in Amsterdam: 1:1
Unusual Fact of the Day
You won't find pincers at the Egremont Crab Fair held in Cumbria, England. That's because this autumn event actually celebrates apples.


Joke-of-the-day
Two bachelors, Larry and Frank were out to dinner. The conversation drifted from office, sports to politics and then to cooking. “I got a cook book once” said Larry. “But I couldn’t do anything with it.”
“Too much fancy stuff in it, huh?” asked Frank.
“You said it, Larry replied, nodding. “Every one of those recipes began the same way: “Take a clean plate…”  
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
MAKING CONCRETE
It takes one person the better part of a day to mix and pour two cubic yards of concrete.    
Yeah, It Really Happened
LEWISTON, Maine - A 33-year-old man is accused of nearly biting the nose off another man at a bar in Lewiston, Maine, police said. Todd Lyons pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of aggravated assault in the 2011 incident that occurred on the dance floor of Pub 33, the Lewiston-Auburn (Maine) Sun Journal reported. Lyons, formerly of Mechanic Falls, Maine, was arrested recently on a warrant by police in Pascagoula, Miss., where he was found working at a local carnival. Police allege Lyons walked up to Ryan Zinninger of Greene, Maine, in November 2011 while Zinninger was on the dance floor. Lyons allegedly walked up to Zinninger, "leaned into him and bit him on the face," police said. Zinninger was rushed to a hospital, where doctors were able to reattach his nose with 12 stitches, police said. Witnesses told police the two had been arguing, but a bartender working that night said it appeared to have been a random act, the newspaper said. Lyons is being held in lieu of $10,000 cash bail.  
Somewhat Useless Information about the Empire State Building  
Architect: Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates
Excavation: Began on January 22, 1930
Construction: Commenced March 17, 1930. Framework  rose at a rate of 4 ½ stories per week.
Cornerstone: Original laid by Alfred E. Smith on September 17, 1930. The 50th Anniversary addition laid May, 1981.
Total Time: One year and 45 days including Sundays and holidays. (Ahead of schedule).
Man-Hours: 7,000,000
Cost: $40,948,900 (including land)
Building Alone: $24,718,000 (the onset of the Depression halved the anticipated cost of the building.)
Area of Site: 79,288 square feet (7,240 meters) or about two acres. East to west, 424 feet (129 meters), north to south, 187 feet (56.9 meters.)
Foundation: 55 feet (16.7 meters) below ground
Total Height: 1,454 feet (1,453 feet, 8 9/16th inches) or 443.2 meters to top of lightning rod.
  • To 86th Floor Observatory: 1,050 feet (320 meters)
  • To 102nd Floor Tower: 1,224 feet (373 meters)
  • 102nd Floor to Tip: 230 feet
Height of Antenna: 204 feet
Floors: 102
Steps: 1,860 from street level to 102nd floor
Volume: 37 million cubic feet
Weight: 365,000 tons
Windows: 6,500
Street Level Access: Five entrances on 33rd Street, Fifth Avenue and 34th Street.
Elevators: 73, including six freight elevators, operating at speeds from 600 to 1,400 feet per minute. The total enclosed in several miles of elevator shaft. (It is possible to ride from lobby to 80th floor in 45

Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
17-23: American Education Week / National Book Awareness Week

Today Is                                                                      
·        Married To A Scorpio Support Day
·        Mickey Mouse Day
·        Push-button Phone Day
~~~~
·        Latvia: Independence Day (1918 from Russian Empire)
·        Oman National Day (1650 Independence from Potugal)

Today’s Events through History  
1st Unitarian minister in US ordained, Boston…1878
Congressional committee reports on Iran-Contra affair…1987
Copyright office issues its 10 millionth registration…1960
Vasco da Gama reached the Cape of Good Hope…1497

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
Brenda Vaccaro, Brooklyn, actress (Cactus Flower, Sara, Paper Dolls) is 73
Linda Evans, actor (Dynasty, Big Valley, Beach Blanket Bingo) is 71
Sinbad, [David Adkins], Benton Harbor MI, actor (1st Kid, Vibe) is 57
Owen Wilson, actor (Meet the Parents, Zoolander) is 45

Remembered for being born today
William S Gilbert, London, dramatist, librettist (Gilbert & Sullivan) [1836-1911]
James E Sullivan, founder (Amateur Athletic Union) [1862-1914]
Dorothy Dix, pseudonym of US journalist Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer [1861-1951]
Johnny Mercer, lyricist (Moon River, Old Black Magic) [1909-1976]
George Gallup, public opinion pollster (Gallup Poll) [1904-1984]
Jean Paul Lemieux, Quebec painter [1904-1990]
Alan B Shepard Jr, Rear Adm USN/astro (Merc 3, Ap 14) [1923-1998]
Imogene Coca, comedienne (Your Show of Shows, Grindl) [1908-2001]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
Harold J. Stone, actor…2005…@92
Joseph P Kennedy, JFK/RFK/TMK father…1969…@81
Cab[ell] Calloway, US band leader/actor (Missourians)…1996…@86
Niels Bohr, Danish physicist (atom, Nobel 1922)…heart failure…1962…@77
James Coburn, actor (Our Man Flint)…heart attack…2002…@74
Chester A Arthur, 21st US President…stroke…1886…@56
Marcel Proust, French author (Recherche du Temps Perdu)… pneumonia…1922…@51
Jim Jones, US pastor, leader of Jonestown Cult…suicide…1978…@47

Brain Teasers
You hand back the deck…thus handing back the chosen card.
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 has mistakes and sadly once out 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.