12/19/13


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:
Week: 51 / Day: 353   
Today: L 25°…H 51°… Ave. humidity: 55%
Wind: ave:   10mph; Gusts:  15mph  
Average Low: 16° Record Low:  -14° (1924)
Average High: 43° Record High:  62° (1958)

Quote of the Day



Today’s Historical Highlights
1st autogiro (predecessor of helicopter) flight in US…1928
1st city ordinance requiring white & black residential areas (Baltimore)…1910
1st NHL game played on artificial ice (Toronto)…1917
1st state appropriation of money for road building, Kentucky…1795
8th largest snowfall in NYC history (15.3")…1948
American Meteorological Society found…1919
Apollo 17 (last of Apollo Moon landing series) returns to Earth…1972
Benjamin Franklin under the name Richard Saunders begins publication of "Poor Richard's Almanack"…1732
British Broadcasting Corp begins transmitting overseas…1932
Gari Kasparov becomes world chess champ…1987
Georgia passes 1st US state birth registration law in US…1823
Lakotah people proclaim independence and withdraw all their treaties with the United States…2007 
Nelson A Rockefeller sworn-in as 41st VP…1974
Thomas Paine published his 1st "American Crisis" essay, in which he wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls"…1776
Tibet's Dalai Lama flees Chinese invasion…1950
UK signs agreement with China to return Hong Kong to China in 1997…1984
US House forwards articles I and III of impeachment against Clinton to the Senate…1998
US recognizes independence of Hawaii…1842
Williamsburg suspension bridge opens between Brooklyn & Manhattan…1903

♫  Today’s Birthdays: ♫   
How many can you identify? Answers in Today’s Birthdays
 
My Free Rambling Thoughts   
I had a very nice lunch with Martha this afternoon. She enjoyed the Irish Christmas decoration and the Scottish Walker snacks. I always receive unique gifts…this year a Mandela calendar; Whiskey pancake syrup, and Cookie Butter (a gingerbread tasting spread). Hmmm. Always a good time with my long time friend.
 
Getting a little nervous about the weather for the trip…a ‘small storm’ is already heading in, bringing a grey overcast sky that looks rather dismal. I don’t leave until 4:30a on Friday, but at this time of year, any snow is always a little daunting. Tomorrow I have an eye appointment to get a new script for glasses and hopefully, new glasses before I leave. It will also be packing day…which for a short one week trip will not be that difficult. Our little mountain town has really jumped on the digital bandwagon. Can’t call a pharmacist without playing the press one game. Today I found out our little local paper has done the same thing. I used to call and tell a nice lady that I wanted my paper put on vacation stop and give her the dates and the that I would donate my papers to their program that delivers such papers to nursing homes and hospitals This took about 2 minutes. The new digital system took over 5 minutes and I never got to talk to a human. I had to put in the month, press pound, put in the day to stop, press pound, and then the year and press pound. Then the same process for the start-up date, then another prompt to donate the papers. The year…really…like customers call to stop their papers a year in advance. On top of that the year had to be a four digit code. So I guess some customers call a century ahead to stop their papers. “Please stop my paper from 12/20/2013 until 12/28/2113 while I take a vacation.”
 
Yesterday I got a Christmas card from a childhood neighbor. I had sent her an e-card and she sent me this beautiful card and letter. I decided I should call her since I hadn’t talked to her since my mom passed years ago. She is close to 80 and doing quite well. She and my mom remained close friends over 60 years. We talked for about 45 minutes and I must say, it was really nice…it was like we talked every week or so. Guess it brightened both of our days.

Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
When you curtail a word, you remove the last letter and still have a valid word. You will be given clues for the two words, longer word first.
Example: Begin -> Heavenly body     Answer: The words are Start and Star.
1. Pebbles, rock fragments -> Tomb; serious 2. Prearranged fight with weapons -> Payable on demand; owed 3. Experience emotion; touch -> Fixed charge 4. Implement used for a job -> Also; excessively 5. Standard of perfection -> Mental concept; thought 6. Speech pattern with long vowels -> To sketch 7. Artist's tripod -> Freedom from hardship 8. Pale tint of colour -> Glue; a soft malleable mixture

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

Very Strange Laws…Virginia
  • Children are not to go trick-or-treating on Halloween.
  • Citizens must honk their horn while passing other cars.
  • If one is not married, it is illegal for him to have sexual relations.
  • It is illegal to tickle women.
  • No animal may be hunted for on Sunday with the exception of raccoons, which may be hunted until 2:00 AM.
  • Not only is it illegal to have sex with the lights on, one may not have sex in any position other than missionary.
  • Police radar detectors are illegal.
  • There is a state law prohibiting “corrupt practices of bribery by any person other than candidates.
  • You may not engage in business on Sundays, with the exception of almost every industry.
  • Culpeper: No one may wash a mule on the sidewalk.
  • Frederick: Any person who owns a pool risks a $2500 fine for not closing the gate to the pool when they get done swimming in it.\
    • A special license is required for persons wishing to sell such items as tableware and coins.
  • Norfolk:
    • Spitting on a sea gull is not tolerated.\ A man may face 60 days in jail for patting a woman’s derriere.
  • Prince William County: No person may keep a skunk as a pet.\
    • It is illegal to cuss about another.\ It is illegal to park a car on railroad tracks.
  • Richmond: It is illegal to flip a coin in a restaurant to see who pays for a coffee.
  • Stafford County: It is legal for a man to beat his wife on the courthousesteps so long as it is before 8:00 pm.
  • Virginia Beach: If you are drunk and not driving your car, and the person who is driving the car is drunk as well, you may both receive DUI’s.\
    • It is also unlawful to drive by the same place within 30 minutes on Atlantic Avenue.
  • Waynesboro: It is illegal for a woman to drive a car up Main Street unless her husband is walking in front of the car waving a red flag.

OK Then…
 
Harper’s Index 
  • Robot population of the United States: 8,000
  • Of Japan: 16,500

Unusual Fact of the Day
Gatorade's inventor later created an alcoholic variation, Hop ’n Gator— essentially, lemon lime Gatorade mixed with beer.
Joke-of-the-day
Merv was in a terrible accident at work. He fell through a floor tile and ripped off both of his ears. Since he was permanently disfigured, he settled with the company for a rather large sum of money and went on his way. One day, Merv decided to invest his money in a small, but growing telecom business called Plexus Communications. After weeks of negotiations, he bought the company outright. But, after signing on the dotted line, he realized that he knew nothing about running such a business and quickly set out to hire someone who could do that for him.
The next day he had set up three interviews. The first guy was great. He knew everything he needed to and was very interesting. At the end of the interview, Merv asked him, "Do you notice anything different about me?" And the gentleman answered, "Why yes, I couldn't help but notice you have no ears." Merv got very angry and threw him out.
The second interview was with a woman, and she was even better than the first guy. He asked her the same question, "Do you notice anything different about me?" and she replied: "Well, you have no ears." Merv again was upset and tossed her out.
The third and last interview was the best of all three. It was with a very young man who was fresh out of college. He was smart. He was handsome. And he seemed to be a better businessman than the first two put together. Merv was anxious, but went ahead and asked the young man the same question: "Do you notice anything different about me?" And to his surprise, the young man answered: "Yes. You wear contact lenses."
Merv was shocked, and said, "What an incredibly observant young man. How in the world did you know that?"
The young man fell off his chair laughing hysterically and replied, "Well, it's pretty hard to wear glasses with no ears!"  
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
LEARNING A LANGUAGE
The more languages you know, the easier it is for you to learn a new one.    
Yeah, It Really Happened
NEW YORK - New York police confirmed officers were alerted to a weekend brawl in which eight to 10 Santas duked it out on a snowy city sidewalk. Police said a caller about 8:20 p.m. Saturday reported a street fight involving several men in Santa Claus costumes during SantaCon, an international bar crawl that took place in hundreds of cities, CNN reported Monday. The not-so-jolly old elves had left by the time officers arrived and there were no assault complaints linked to the incident, which was partially caught on video, police Sgt. Lee Jones said. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Friday officials had no plan to attempt to stop SantaCon despite problems with drunken rowdiness in previous years. "It's what makes New York New York," he said. "There has been some rowdy activity by a small handful of people." SantaCon NYC organizers said online they were working to make future events more jolly. "SantaCon has had growing pains," the organizers wrote on the event's website. "With a little elbow-grease from the elves, a little patience from the community, and just a pinch of holiday magic, SantaCon can spread joy."  
Somewhat Useless Information   
  • The first U.S. gold rush was in North Carolina in 1803. It started when a boy found a 17-pound nugget on his father's farm. It supplied all the gold for the nation's mints until 1829.
  • The word garnet comes from the Latin word for pomegranate. (Garnets were thought to resemble pomegranate seeds.)
  • From 330 B.C. to A.D. 1237, most of the world's emeralds came from Cleopatra's mine in Egypt.
  • The name "turquoise" comes from the fact that it was first brought to Europe from the Mediterranean by Levantine traders, also known as Turks.
  • Ancient Greeks named amber from the word electron, because rubbing amber gives off static electricity.
  • Legend says that one day Cupid cut Venus's fingernails while she was sleeping and left the clippings scattered on the ground. So that no part of Venus would ever disappear, the Fates turned them into stone. The stone: onyx, Greek for "fingernail."

Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
14-28:  Halcyon Days
14-1/5 Christmas Bird Count Week 
15-21: Gluten-free Baking Week
16-24: Posadas
17-23: Saturnalia

Today Is                                                                      
·        Look for an Evergreen Day
·        National Re-gifting Day
·        Oatmeal Muffin Day
·        UN Day For South-South Cooperation

Today’s Events through History  
Robinson Crusoe leaves his island after 28 years (as per Daniel Defoe)…1686

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
Jimmy Dickens, country singer (Grand Ole Opry) is 92
Cicely Tyson, Harlem, actress (Roots, Miss Jane Pittman) is 80
Tim Reid, actor and comedian (Venus Flytrap-WKRP, Frank's Place) is 69
Kevin McHale, NBA forward/coach is 56
Jennifer Beals, actress (Flashdance, Bride) is 50
Alyssa Jane Milano, Brooklyn, actress (Charmed) is 41
Jake Plummer, quarterback (Arizona Cardinals) is 39
Jake Gyllenhaal, actor (Donnie Darko, Jarhead) is 33

Remembered for being born today
William Parry, England, Arctic explorer [1790-1855]
Henry Clay Frick, Penn, built world's largest coke & steel operation [1849-1919]
Oliver [Hazard Perry] La Farge, NYC, anthropologist/novelist [1901-1963]
Ralph Richardson, actor (Anna Karenina, Dr Zhivago) [1902-1983]
Phil Ochs, anti-war folk singer (Joe Hill, War is Over) [1940-1976]
Leonid I Brezhnev, Ukraine, 1st Secretary of USSR [1906-1982]
David Susskind, NYC, TV host (Open End, David Susskind Show) [1920-1987]
Gary Morton, second husband of Lucille Ball [1924-1999]
Robert Urich, actor (SWAT, Spenser for Hire, Vega$) [1946-2002]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
Desmond Llewelyn, Welsh actor (Q-James Bond)…1999…@85
Norman Thomas, founder (ACLU)/Socialist Party…1968…@84
Hope Lange, actress (Ghost & Mrs Muir)…infection…2003…@70
James McGill, Scottish-Canadian businessman and philanthropist…1813…@69 
Alvis Alzheimer, German neurologist (Alzheimer Disease)…rheumatic fever…1915…@51
Emily Jane Bronte, English novelist…illness…1848…@30

Brain Teasers
1. Gravel -> Grave 2. Duel -> Due 3. Feel -> Fee 4. Tool -> Too 5. Ideal -> Idea 6. Drawl -> Draw 7. Easel -> Ease 8. Pastel -> Paste
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:

12/18/13


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:
Week: 51 / Day: 352   
Today: L 17°…H 49°… Ave. humidity: 48%
Wind: ave:   6mph; Gusts:  11mph  
Average Low: 16° Record Low:  -14° (1908)
Average High: 43° Record High:  65° (1901)

Quote of the Day
 
Today’s Historical Highlights
"A Star is Born", with Barbra Streisand, premieres…1976
"To Tell the Truth" debuts on CBS-TV…1956
"Wonder Woman" debuts on ABC…1976
1st celestial photograph (of Moon) made in US, John Draper, NYC…1839
1st giant panda, Su-Lin, imported into US arrives in SF…1936
1st US newspaper to appear on Sunday (Baltimore Monitor)…1796
Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" airs for 1st time on CBS…1966
For 2nd cons year, AP names Wilma Rudolph female athlete of year…1961
IRA's Sean McKenna becomes critically ill, ends hunger strike…1980
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet "Nutcracker Suite" premieres…1892
Richard Wetherill and his brother in-law discover the ancient Indian ruins of Mesa Verde…1888
Thomas Fleet publishes "Mother Goose's Melodies For Children"…1719

♫  Today’s Birthdays: ♫   
How many can you identify? Answers in Today’s Birthdays
 
My Free Rambling Thoughts   
What a nice weather day in Flagstaff…went to lunch and only needed my sweater…no jacket required.
 
Our favorite bistro here in Flag came through with flying colors for lunch. Mary liked her candle and candies, Cheryl liked her earrings and fancy tea bags. I got an amaryllis, as did Mary, I will grow mine when I return from Chicago and a nice knit shirt. Cheryl got a nice light shirt/jacket. Mary took her granddaughter and family to see the Nutcracker ballet. Mary’s niece was the Snow Queen. Her granddaughter has been doing ballet for a couple of years and really enjoyed the performance. They even got a tour backstage after the performance. Quite an experience for a 3rd grader. Cheryl heads out soon for California, then after Christmas, she and 7 relatives head back to Williams for a visit. That will be quite a strain on Cheryl, but all will work out somehow.  
Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
What expression is represented here?
Brrr....shake, shake....brrrrr; me Maple, oak, blackwood, acacia, birch and mountain-ash.

Lifestyle  Substance:     
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today
  • Very Strange Laws…Pennsylvania
  • A special cleaning ordinance bans housewives from hiding dirt and dust under a rug in a dwelling.
  • A person is not eligible to become Governor if he/she has participated in a duel.
  • All liquor stores must be run by the state.
  • Any motorist driving along a country road at night must stop every mile and send up a rocket signal, wait 10 minutes for the road to be cleared of livestock, and continue.
  • Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover his car with a blanket or canvas that blends with the countryside, and let the horses pass.
  • Dynamite is not to be used to catch fish.
  • Fireworks stores may not sell fireworks to Pennsylvania residents.
  • It is contrary to Pennsylvania law to discharge a gun, cannon, revolver or other explosive weapon at a wedding.
  • It is illegal to have over 16 women live in a house together because that constitutes a brothel.
  • It is illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outdoors.
  • Ministers are forbidden from performing marriages when either the bride or groom is drunk.
  • Motorized vehicles are not to be sold on Sundays.
  • No more than two packages of beer at a time may be purchased, unless you are buying from an official “beer distributor”.
  • Though you do not need a fishing license to fish on your own land, but a hunting license is required to hunt on your own land.
  • You may not catch a fish by any body part except the mouth.
  • You may not catch a fish with your hands.
  • You may not sing in the bathtub.
  • Allentown--
    There is a ban on men becoming aroused in public.
  • Bensalem--
    Persons convicted of felonies may not operate Bingo games.
  • Connellsville--
    One’s pants may be worn no lower than five inches below the waist.
  • Danville--
    All fire hydrants must be checked one hour before all fires.
  • Millville--
    One may not shoot any dog that is found wandering the streets.
  • Morrisville--
    It is required that a woman have a permit to wear cosmetics.
  • Newtown--
    Every outlet or switch (which can be purchased for 59 cents) that is installed requires an electrical inspection fee of 1 dollar and 33 cents.
  • Pittsburgh--
    It is still illegal to bring a donkey or a mule onto a trolley car.
  • Tarentum--
    Horses are not to be tied to parking meters.

OK Then…
 
Harper’s Index 
  • Number of heads of government in the United States since 1964: 5
  • In the Soviet Union: 4
  • In Switzerland: 20

Unusual Fact of the Day
Former Today Show weatherman Willard Scott got an early career boost by portraying Ronald McDonald in commercials.
Joke-of-the-day
A rich millionaire throws a massive party for his 50th birthday. During this party, he grabs the microphone and announces to his guests that down in the garden of his mansion he has a swimming pool with two great white sharks in it.
"I will give anything of mine to the man who swims across that pool."
So the party continues with no events in the pool until SUDDENLY, there is a great splash and all the guests of the party run to the pool to see what has happened.
In the pool a man is swimming as hard as he can and fins come out of the water and jaws are snapping and this guy just keeps on going. The sharks are gaining on him and this guy reaches the end and gets out of the pool, tired and soaked. The millionaire grabs the microphone and says, "I am a man of my word. Anything of mine I will give: my Ferraris, my house, absolutely anything, for you are the bravest man I have ever seen. So sir what will it be?" The guy grabs the microphone and says, "Why don't we start with the name of the jerk who pushed me in!"  
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
PICKING A WINNER AT THE HARNESS TRACK
It's usually safe to bet on a horse that has just been assigned a leading full-time driver. The trainer probably believes the horse is ready to win.    
Yeah, It Really Happened
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Mineralogical discoveries in the moon's largest impact crater could yield clues to the evolution of our companion's crust and mantle, U.S. researchers say. The evidence is data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper that flew aboard India's Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter showing a diverse mineralogy in the subsurface of the giant South Pole Aitken basin, scientists at Brown University reported Monday. The differing signatures detected in the crater -- at 1,500 miles wide the largest impact basin on the moon and perhaps the largest in the solar system -- could be of minerals dredged up at the time of the giant impact 4 billion years ago, they said. While the distinct minerals could have formed as the molten surface rock from the impact cooled, recent research at Brown and elsewhere suggests it's also possible the mineral differences reflect differences in rock types that were there before the giant impact. If the diversity reflects pre-existing material, the impact basin could hold important clues about the composition of the moon's lower crust and mantle, the Brown researchers said. "If you do the impact scaling from models, [the SPA impact] should have excavated into the mantle," Brown graduate student and study leader Dan Moriarty said. "We think the upper mantle is rich in a mineral called olivine, but we don't see much olivine in the basin. That's one of the big mysteries about the South Pole Aitken basin. So one of the things we're trying to figure out is how deep did the impact really excavate. If it melted and excavated any material from the mantle, why aren't we seeing it?" If the impact did excavate mantle material, and it doesn't contain olivine, that would have substantial implications for models of how the moon was formed, he said.  
Somewhat Useless Information   
  • Americans on average eat 18 acres of pizza every day.
  • Humans have 46 chromosomes, peas have 14 and crayfish have 200.
  • Some ribbon worms will eat themselves if they cant find any food!
  • The world’s oldest piece of chewing gum is over 9000 years old!
  • About 3000 years ago, most Egyptians died by the time they were 30!
  • Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, every time you breathe!
  • Slugs have 4 noses!
  • Lightning strikes about 6,000 times per minute on this planet!

Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
14-28:  Halcyon Days
14-1/5 Christmas Bird Count Week 
15-21: Gluten-free Baking Week
16-24: Posadas
17-23: Saturnalia

Today Is                                                                      
·        Answer The Telephone Like Buddy The Elf Day
·        Bake Cookies Day
·        International Migrants Day
~~~~~
·        Niger: Republic Day (1st Republic of Niger, semi-independent under France, 1959)

Today’s Events through History  
1st national Thanksgiving Day, commemorating Burgoyne's surrender…1777
California Governor Gray Davis announces that the state would face a record budget 
     deficit of $35 billion, roughly double the figure reported during his reelection campaign 
     one month earlier…2002
Kublai Khan renames his empire "Yuan" officially marking the start of the Yuan 
    Dynasty of China…1271
New Jersey becomes 3rd state to ratify constitution…1787

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
Ramsey Clark, US attorney General (1967-69) is 86
Roger Smith, actor (77 Sunset Strip) is 81
Steven Spielberg, director (ET, Close Encounters, Jaws) is 67
Ray Liotta, actor (Sacha-Casablanca, Goodfellas) is 59
Brad Pitt, actor (12 Monkeys, Fight Club) is 50
Kiefer Sutherland, actor (Young Guns, Stand by Me, Lost Boys) is 47
Casper Van Dien, actor (Starship Troopers) is 45
Katie Holmes, actress (Dawson's Creek, Batman Begins) is 35
Christina Aguilera, singer (Genie in a Bottle, What a Girl Wants) is 33

Remembered for being born today
Charles Wesley, co-founder (Methodist movement) [1707-1788]
Saki, [Hector Hugo Munro], Burma, author (Reginald, When William Came) [1870-1916]
J. J. Thomson, Manchester, English physicist discovered electron (Nobel 1906) [1856-1940]
Joseph Stalin [Josef], Premier of the Soviet Union  [1878-1953]
Ty Cobb, baseball player, batted .367, stole 892 bases (Det Tigers) [1886-1961]
Betty Grable, great legs/actress (Gay Divorcee) [1916-1973]
Abe Burrows, Brooklyn, Broadway composer (Guys & Dolls 1951 TONY) [1910-1985]
Willy Brandt, [Herbert Frahm], German chancellor (Nobel 1971) [1913-1992]
Ossie Davis, actor/playwright (Hot Stuff, Man Called Adam) [1917-2005]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
Mark Felt, Deep Throat, whistle blower Watergate Scandal…2008…@95
Richard Owen, English zoologist (Dinosaurus)…1892…@88
Mother Clara Hale, cared for NYC AIDS babies (Hale House)…1992…@87
Cyril Ritchard, actor (Cpt Hook-Peter Pan)…1977…@80
Mark Goodson, TV game show producer (Goodson-Toddman)…cancer…1992…@77
John T "Legs" Diamond, US gangster…murdered…1931…@34
Chris Farley, comedian (SNL, Tommy Boy)…OD…1997…@33

Brain Teasers
Shiver me timbers Brrr....shake, shake....brrrrr: shiver (Shivering)
me Maple, oak, blackwood, acacia, birch and mountain-ash: timbers (a group of trees).
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.