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Aug.
26, 2019 Week: 35 Day: 238
86004: H 83° \ L 54° \ Average Sky
Cover: 5%
Nearest
wildfire: 27mi. Nearest lightning: 834mi
Wind: 9mph\Gusts:
9mph Visibility: 10 mi
Record
High: 88°[1974] Record Low: 37°[1989]
Aug Averages: 79°\50° (9 day with rain)
Today’s Quote
Art
is not what you see,
but
what you make others see.
Edgar
Degas
Random Tidbits
When the U.S.
debt reached 100% of its GDP in 2011, it joined Japan (229%), Greece (152%),
Jamaica (137%), Lebanon (134%), Italy (120%), Ireland (114%), and Iceland
(103%) as other countries whose public debt exceeds their GDP.
The U.S. debt
ceiling was created in 1917 at a limit of $11.5 billion during WWI to allow
greater simplicity and flexibility during the war by allowing the Treasury to
borrow any amount it needed as long as the amount was below this limit. Prior
to this, Congress had to approve each issuance of debt. To change the debt
ceiling, Congress needs to enact specific legislation and the President must
approve the legislation.
Observances This Week
24-9/1
Chuckwagon Races:
24-9/1
25-31
Be Kind To Humankind Week
World Water Week Link
National Composites Week Link
National Safe at Home Week
World Water Week Link
National Composites Week Link
National Safe at Home Week
Observances for Today
National Toilet Paper
Day Link
National Web Mistress Day Link
My Rambling Thoughts
I had a busy day
yesterday doing the reading for our discussion group. After the readings, I had
to do a little research on the internet machine. Basically the articles talked
about ‘pivotal periods’ of technology in the world: The first was irrigation technology in
Ancient Egypt, then the use of maritime technology that opened trade, and railroad
technology across the world to move the new trade, and computer technology,
which is still in its infancy. The
author looked at the US, Russia, and China in the last pivotal technology.
While much of the technology out there is very exciting; it is also
frightening. We can get information much faster; the information not be
factual. One can learn almost anything from the internet; one person can
write a virus program that will disrupt any country’s power grid. While we all
need to know what the US, Russia, and China are doing with technology, we also
need to know what the geek in his basement is doing. The world needs to know
what is propaganda v what is factual. Everyone must stay aware of what
computers are doing: everything from buying groceries, banking, vehicles,
building highways and bridges, ‘knowing’ your friends and neighbors, and on and
on. In its earliest reveals, computer tech was seen as a time-saver for many.
While we are still in the infancy stage, people are beginning to see that there
are bad actors everywhere out there and some have developed great power we
never expected. The discussion was long and very frightening with some happy
moments. The conclusion of our group was that computer tech is here to stay and
grow and as consumers we have to remain very aware to what is actually
happening. Next month we are discussing Artificial Intelligence.
I finally
reviewed all the excursions for the Tahiti trip. So many choices, but have
decided on 5 that my Roommate Ed is doing. Now we just have to be sure that we
pick the same time for several of the excursions. Moving right along.
Today’s Puzzle
Answer at the bottom of this page
A man was found
on the floor dead with a cassette recorder in one hand and a gun in the other.
When the police arrive at the scene they pressed play on the recorder. It was
the man’s voice. He said, “I have nothing else to live for. I can’t go on,”
followed by the sound of a gunshot. After listening, the police knew that this
was a murder, not a suicide. How?
Historical Events
1498 -
Michelangelo began his work to carve the Pieta, depicting the body of Jesus on
the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion.
1789 - The
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was approved by the
National Constituent Assembly of France.
1791 - John Fitch
was granted a United States patent (# X00028) for the steamboat.
1883 (Volcano
Eruption & Tsunami) Krakatoa began. It was one of the deadliest and most
destructive volcanic events in recorded history, with at over 36,000 deaths
being attributed to the eruption itself and the tsunamis it created. Small
eruptions, mostly of mud, continued into October 1883.
1967 - #1 Hit:
Bobbie Gentry - Ode to
Billie Joe
1968 - Dan Bankhead
became the first African American to pitch in a major-league baseball game.
1972 - #1 Hit:
Looking Glass - Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
1976 - While
camping in Allagash, Maine Jim Weiner, Jack Weiner, Charles Foltz and Charles
Rak claimed to have been abducted by 'four fingered beings' that performed
experiments on them including alien probing.
1978 - #1 Hit:
Frankie Valli - Grease
1978 - Pope John
Paul I was elected.
1995 - #1 Hit:
Seal - Kiss From A Rose
2000 - #1 Hit:
Janet Jackson - Doesn't Really Matter
Birthdays Today
Katherine Johnson,
NASA mathematician (101)
Mother Theresa
[Anjezë Gonxhe
Bojaxhiu]
Albanian
nun and Saint (d. 1997 @87)
Tom Ridge, former
Sec of Homeland Security (74)
Melissa McCarthy,
actor (49)
Thalía
[Ariadna Thalía
Sodi Miranda], Mexican singer (47)
Macaulay Culkin,
actor (39)
Chris Pine, actor
(39)
Puzzle answer:
If the dead man
had killed himself, he wouldn’t have been able to press the reverse button on
the cassette recorder.
