Jun 19

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Jun. 19, 2019 Week: 25 \ Day: 170

86004:   H 77° \ L 42° \ Average Sky Cover: 25% 

Nearest wildfire:  11mi. Nearest lightning:  105mi

Wind:   2mph\Gusts:  4mph

Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 92°[1936]   Record Low: 25°[1979]

Jun Averages: 78°\42° (1 day with rain)

Today’s Quote

We shall not cease from exploration,

and the end of all our exploring will be

to arrive where we started

and know the place for the first time.

T. S. Eliot

Random Tidbits

Typically, 12 people are appointed to sit on a jury for felony trials, twelve men have walked on the moon and Alcoholics Anonymous has 12 steps, 12 traditions, and 12 concepts for world service.

The number 12 is highly symbolic in the Bible. It is mentioned 189 times.

- The Tree of Life inside the City of Heaven yields 12 different kinds of fruit.

- The City of Heaven is described as having three gates in each corner, making 12 in all.

- The first recorded words of Jesus occurred when he was 12 years old.

- Jesus had 12 apostles, which represented the 12 tribes of Israel.

Observances This Week

National Nursing Assistants Week: 13-19  Link

National Hermit Week: 13-20

Animal Rights Awareness Week: 16-22 Link   Link
National Craft Spirits Week: 16-22 Link 
National Play Catch Week: 16-22 
Old Time Fiddlers Week: 16-22 
Universal Father's Week: 16-22

Bartender of The Year Week: 17-20  Link

National Week of Making: 17-23  Link
Meet A Mate Week: 17-23
National Pollinator Week: 17-23  Link

Observances for Today

Free BSD Day Link
Garfield the Cat Day
International Day For The Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
Juneteenth
National Kissing Day

National Martini Day

National Watch Day Link
World Sickle Cell Day Link
World Sauntering Day

My Rambling Thoughts

Getting more excited about my Focus Travel Club trip on the Trans Siberian RR. Stopped at the bank to pick up some cash for the trip. Times are certainly changing. The only time I go inside the bank is when I am traveling. I asked for new bills. She smiled and said, ‘we only order new bills at holidays’. And forget about the cash drawer, now it is a machine that gives the teller the requested bills. Magically I got new hundreds and fairly new 20’s, 5’s, and ones. As I was checking the bills, she said that if I found a bill that wasn’t good enough, she would try again, but offered no promises. An interesting experience to start the day. Then I headed to Walmart to look for some new socks. I bought this great pair of shoes/sandals. Discovered I need very low dark socks as my baby toe finds it way out of the sandals. Found exactly what I needed. Amazed.

Sounds like 45 will be busy with his million-person deportation move. Maybe he will let others deal with the Middle East issues and hopefully they will prevent a war.

I am still shocked that Mitch decided to let the world know that he doesn’t appreciate Jon Stewart’s Congressional testimony. Really, this guy is so out of touch with America, he is a walking, babbling reason for term limits. Jon gave a great reply.

PUZZLE OF THE DAY

Answer at the bottom of this page

One person went to the store and bought groceries for $13.59 total. He paid with a $100 bill, took his change, and left the store. There was something special about this transaction. What is it?

Today’s Significant Historical Events

1200’s

1269 King Louis IX of France decrees all Jews must wear a yellow badge in public or be fined 10 livres of silver

1300’s

1306 The Earl of Pembroke's army defeats Robert Bruce's Scottish army at the Battle of Methven

1600’s

1610 Samuel de Champlain and his French army defeat the Mohawk people at the Battle of Sorel in New France, present-day Sorel-Tracy, Quebec

1800’s

1829 Sir Robert Peel introduces the Metropolitan Police Act 1829 into Parliament to establish a unified police force for London

1861 Anaheim Post Office established

1900’s

1910 Father's Day celebrated for 1st time (Spokane, Washington)

1912 Tennessee University opened as Tennessee A & L State College

1913 Natives Land Act, Act No 27, passed in South Africa: confines Africans to hopelessly overcrowded reserves and deprives them of rights to purchase land outside the native reserves

1917 The British Royal Family, which has had strong German ties since George I, renounces its German names and titles and adopts the name of Windsor

1926 DeFord Bailey is 1st African American to perform on Nashville's "Grand Ole Opry"

1934 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created

1961 Kuwait declares independence from UK

1961 US Supreme Court struck down a provision in Maryland's constitution requiring state office holders to believe in God

1963 Valentina Tereshkova 1st woman in space returns to Earth

1964 Civil Rights Act of 1964 passes 73-27

1978 Garfield, created by Jim Davis, 1st appears as a comic strip

1987 Supreme Court rules school teaching evolution need not teach creation

1991 Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar surrenders to police

1999 At about 4:30 pm, Stephen King is hit by a car on the shoulder of Route 5, in Lovell, Maine. He would suffer numerous injuries, including a collapsed right lung, multiple fractures of his right leg, scalp laceration and a broken hip

2000’s

2017 First full genetic study of cats published in "Nature Ecology and Evolution", reveals domesticated 9,000 years ago, descended from one species (African wildcat)

2018 Canada's Senate votes to legalize recreational marijuana use, first major economy to do so

Birthdays Today

0’s

1566 James Stuart,

(d. 1625: @58: gout/dysentery)

King James VI of Scotland (1567-1625) and James I of England and Ireland (1603-25),

born in Edinburgh, Scotland

1623 Blaise Pascal,

(d. 1662: @39: TB?/stomach cancer?)

French mathematician, physicist and Christian philosopher (Pascal's Law, Pascal's Wager),

born in Clermont-Ferrand, France

1896 Wallis Simpson

[Duchess of Windsor],

(d. 1986: @89)

American divorcee whom British King Edward VIII abdicated his throne to marry,

born in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania

1897 Moe Howard

[Moses Horowitz],

(d. 1975: @77: lung cancer)

American actor and comedian (The 3 Stooges),

born in Brooklyn, New York

1902 Guy Lombardo,

(d. 1977: @75: heart attack)

London Ontario Canada, orchestra leader (Auld Lang Syne)

1903 Lou Gehrig,

(d. 1941: @37: ALS)

baseball, 6 world series champion, 2 MVP

1914 Lester Raymond Flatt,

 (d. 1979: @64: heart failure)

American bluegrass guitarist

(Flatt & Scruggs - Ballad of Jed Clampett; Foggy Mountain Breakdown),

born in Duncan's Chapel, Tennessee

1916 Pat Buttram,

(d. 1994: @78: renal failure)

actor (Mr Haney-Green Acres)

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70’s

77- Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane,

rocker (Spanky & Our Gang-Lazy Day)

74- Aung San Suu Kyi,

Burmese politician, leader of the National League for Democracy and human rights activist (1991 Nobel Peace Prize),

born in Rangoon, British Burma

71- Phylicia Rashad,

American actress and singer (The Cosby Show, One Life to Live),

born in Houston, Texas

60’s

65- Kathleen Turner,

American actress (Accidental Tourist, Jewel of Nile),

born in Springfield, Missouri

50’s

57- Paula Abdul,

American singer-songwriter, choreographer (Straight Up) and

TV personality (American Idol),

born in San Fernando, California

55- Boris Johnson,

British Conservative politician,

(Foreign Secretary, 2016-present; Mayor of London 2008-2016),

born in NYC, New York

50- Lara Spencer,

American TV personality

40’s

48- Poppy Montgomery,

Australian actress (Without a Trace),

born in Sydney, New South Wales

Historical Obits Today

80’s

@81-1993 William Golding,

English author (Lord of the Flies, Nobel Prize for Literature 1983)

70’s

@79-1966 Ed Wynn

[Isaiah Edwin Leopold],

American comedian (Ed Wynn Show),

dies of throat cancer

@77-1937 J. M. [James Matthew] Barrie,

Scottish novelist and playwright (Peter Pan),

dies from pneumonia

60’s

@67-1975 Sam Giancana,

American gangster,

dies of multiple gunshot wounds

@64-1867 Maximilian I of the Mexican Empire

executed by firing squad in Querétaro, Querétaro

@63-1997 Bobby Helms

[Robert Lee Helms],

American country music singer (Jingle Bell Rock),

dies of emphysema

50’s

@51-2013 James Gandolfini,

American actor (The Sopranos),

dies from a heart attack

30’s

@37-1953 Ethel Rosenberg,

1st US civilian executed (in 5 tries) at Sing Sing, NY, for espionage

@35-1953 Julius Rosenberg,

1st US civilian executed at Sing Sing, NY for espionage

Puzzle answer:

The person paid with a $100 bill. The cashier returned him a $50 bill, a $20 bill, a $10 bill, a $5 bill, a $1 bill, a quarter, a dime, a nickel, and a cent. The transaction consisted of exactly one of each (frequently used) denominations.

Jun 18

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Jun. 18, 2019 Week: 25 \ Day: 169

86004:   H 75° \ L 40° \ Average Sky Cover: 20% 

Nearest wildfire:  11mi. Nearest lightning:  91mi

Wind:   4mph\Gusts:  15mph

Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 92°[1940]   Record Low: 24°[1995]

Jun Averages: 78°\42° (1 day with rain)

Today’s Quote

Man - a being in search of meaning.

Plato

Random Tidbits

The ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras taught the number 12 had divine, mystical meanings, and he might have been right, because we are practically drowning in examples of use of the number 12.

The United States of America is divided into 12 Federal Reserve Districts (Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, and San Francisco).

Observances This Week

National Nursing Assistants Week: 13-19  Link

National Hermit Week: 13-20

Animal Rights Awareness Week: 16-22 Link   Link
National Craft Spirits Week: 16-22 Link 
National Play Catch Week: 16-22 
Old Time Fiddlers Week: 16-22 
Universal Father's Week: 16-22

Bartender of The Year Week: 17-20  Link

National Week of Making: 17-23  Link
Meet A Mate Week: 17-23
National Pollinator Week: 17-23  Link

Observances for Today

Autistic Pride Day  Link
Clark Kent's Birthday (Superman)   Link
Go Fishing Day

International Panic Day

International Picnic Day

International Sushi Day_

National Cheesemakers Day

National Splurge Day (Since 1994)
Sustainable Gasteronomy Day

My Rambling Thoughts

I got a Facetime call from my brother yesterday. He is in Oregon, meeting with his step-brothers and step-sisters for a reunion. One more brother was recently found. My brother and his wife are having a great time and invited me to the next reunion. Cool. They are all very cool and I am friends with most of them on FB. I asked when the next reunion was, and one of the brothers said…’well soon, not more than 25 years from now’. We all laughed, and I said I’d be there. The first search took about 25 years, and my brother was found about 5 years ago.

I’ve had a high white blood cell count for about a year. I was set up for 2 treatments to fix it. Lucky for me the first treatment last month did an exceptional job. I was scheduled to have the second treatment today, but after seeing the doc he said there was no problem is delaying the 2^nd treatment until I return from Siberia. While the treatment was not that hard, I was sluggish for about 2 weeks. I’ve been dreading having the 2^nd one so close to the trip. He agreed and said to enjoy the trip. I’m a very happy camper. 

The doc is from Eastern Europe and has traveled Russia quite a bit. Here’s his story: Do you know why Moscow’s cockroaches don’t light up? If they did, Moscow would be brighter than Las Vegas. Hmmm. He also said to expect lots of mosquito around that area.

This morning I needed to put my newspaper on vacation hold. I tired with their answering system, wouldn’t let me be on vacation more than 2 weeks. Hmmm. Tried the website, same thing. I finally called and had to wait 20 minutes to talk to a human. Finally got it done, complained about not being able to do it on line. I must stop the paper a day early because they are famous for not honoring the request, and I don’t want to arrive home again with lots of papers on my doorstep.

Not now, please! Iran and US are escalating. Chill out while we are traveling. Thanks. As for Hong Kong issue, I’ll deal with that one.

PUZZLE OF THE DAY

Answer at the bottom of this page

I give you a pen and paper and ask you to write the numbers from 1 to 100 in succession so that there are no three numbers such that twice the second one is equal to the sum of the first and the third one. The three numbers do not need to be successive in the sequence.

You have 5 minutes, what do you do?

Remark: The sequence 3, 1, 2, 5, 4 works, but the sequence 1, 4, 2, 5, 3 does not because of the numbers 1, 2, and 3.

Today’s Significant Historical Events

1200’s

1264 The Parliament of Ireland meets at Castledermot in County Kildare, the first definitively known meeting of this Irish legislature

1500’s

1541 Irish parliament selects Henry VIII of England as King of Ireland

1600’s

1682 William Penn founds Philadelphia, US

1700’s

1767 Samuel Wallis, an English sea captain, sights Tahiti, considered the first European to reach the island

1800’s

1812 War of 1812 begins as US declares war against Britain

1815 Battle of Waterloo; Napoleon and France defeated by British forces under Wellington and Prussian troops under Blucher

1873 Susan B. Anthony fined $100 for voting for US President

1879 W. H. Richardson, an African-American inventor, patents the children's carriage (Patent no. 405599)

1892 Macadamia nuts 1st planted in Hawaii

1900’s

1909 Nannie Burroughs forms national training School for Women

1928 American aviator Amelia Earhart becomes the 1st woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean landing at Burry Port, Wales

1940 Winston Churchill's "this was their finest hour" speech urging perseverance during Battle of Britain delivered to British House of Commons

1945 William Joyce (Lord Haw-Haw) charged with treason

1959 1st telecast transmitted from England to US

1981 Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart retires (replaced by Sandra Day O'Connor, 1st woman on US Supreme Court)

1981 The AIDS epidemic is formally recognized by medical professionals in San Francisco, California

1983 7th Shuttle Mission-Challenger 2 launches Sally Ride as 1st US woman in space

1996 Ted Kaczynski, suspected of being the Unabomber, is indicted on ten criminal counts

2000’s

2013 Russia passes a law banning foreign same-sex couples from adopting children

2015 Pope Francis blames human selfishness for global warming in his encyclical, named "Laudato Si (Be Praised), On the Care of Our Common Home"

2018 President Trump orders US military to set up sixth branch of the military - a space force

Birthdays Today

1857 Henry Clay Folger, American CEO of Standard Oil and founder of the Folger Shakespeare Library, born in New York City (d. 1930: 72: prostate surgeries)

1886 George Mallory, English mountain climber ("because it is there"), born in Mobberley, England (d. 1924: @37: while climbing Everest)

1905 Kay Kyser, American bandleader and radio personality (Kay Kyser's Kollege), born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina (d. 1985: @80)

1908 Bud Collyer, American TV emcee (Beat the Clock, To Tell the Truth), born in NYC, (d. 1969@ @61: blood disorder)

1910 E G Marshall [Everett Eugene Grunz], American actor (12 Angry Men, The Defenders), born in Owatonna Minnesota (d. 1998: @84)

1917 Richard Boone, American actor (The Richard Boone Show, Have Gun Will Travel), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1981: @63: throat cancer)

70’s

77- Paul McCartney, English musician and member of The Beatles, born in Liverpool, England

60’s

67- Carol Kane, actress (Dog Day Afternoon, Simka-Taxi), born in Cleveland, Ohio

40’s

43- Blake Shelton, American Country Singer (Doin' What She Likes), born in Ada, Oklahoma

Historical Obits Today

80’s

@85-2014 Johnny Mann, American music director (Johnny Mann Stand Up & Cheer)

70’s

@71-2000 Nancy Marchand, American actress (The Sopranos, Beacon Hill, Margaret-Lou Grant), dies of lung cancer

60’s

@68-1936 Maxim Gorky, [Alexei M Peshkov], Russian writer (Mother), (Gorky Park named for him)

@66-1673 Jeanne Mance, French Canadian settler and founder of the first hospital in North America

50’s

@55-1928 Roald Amundsen, Norwegian polar explorer who led the 1st expedition to the South Pole, dies in a plane crash while flying on a rescue mission in the Arctic

Puzzle answer:

Start with the following sequences:

1  →  1, 2  →  2, 4, 1, 3  →  4, 8, 2, 6, 3, 7, 1, 5  →  8, 16, 4, 12, 6, 14, 2, 10, 7, 15, 3, 11, 5, 13, 1, 9

and keep iterating until you get a sequence with all numbers from 1 to 128. On each step you take the previous sequence, multiply all elements by 2, and then add the same result but with all elements decreased by 1. This will ensure that the first half contains only even numbers and the second half contains only odd numbers. Since the sum of an odd and an even number is not divisible by 2, if some sequence violates the property, then the previous sequence would have violated it as well.

Once you construct a sequence with 128 numbers, simply remove the numbers from 101 to 128 and you are done. To speed up the process, you can reduce the sequence 8, 16, 4, 12, 6, 14, 2, 10, 7, 15, 3, 11, 5, 13, 1, 9 to 8, 4, 12, 6, 2, 10, 7, 3, 11, 5, 13, 1, 9 and then continue the process.