Wednesday

02 shopping days remain until Christmas
357 days so far this year…8 days remain in 2009
►Provocative Quote
"There is always someone worse off than yourself."
~Unknown
►Free Ramblings
Have a great Holiday Season. I’m packed and ready to go. Only problem is the snow. But I know I will make it. I’ll be back on the 28th or 29th with more stuff to read.

I saw Invictus today. I’m quite sure I was certainly more moved than many, since I have just returned from there. Mandela is a very powerful human being. What he accomplished in his homeland is unbelievable. The movie, through the metaphor of Rugby, unites a nation. His work is far from done, but he made movement that will be remembered for centruries. Here is the poem, written in 1857 by English Poet Wm Ernest Henley:
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.


In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.


It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Tax update. I got to my appointment early, and the tax guy was there. We called CO tax office. He worked his way through the most complicated and slow speaking menu I have ever heard. Finally found the one we needed. Then the recorded voice talked about how state budget cuts had cut the tax office by 75% and wait time would be long. They also said that there would be just dead air. Guess the budget cut even cut out the music. We heard the plea to use the internet for your questions or continue to hold. It took about 15 minutes to get Dave—a real human—to pick up the phone. He had trouble typing in my account, but after three tries, he got it. Then he said that the office is understaffed due to budget cuts and that they are three to four months behind in working on problems like mine. He checked and they did have our letter, but only for 07 and not for 06 or 08. It was one friggin’ letter for all three. He said the that while the office was short staffed, the computer kept on sending out letters with, I guess, no human help. He gave us a 60 day extension before my account was turned over to collections. He said that might not be enough time, but that was all he could do. If I hadn’t heard from them in 60 days I should call back and get another extension. Failure to call, and wait to talk to a human would mean the account would go directly to collections. He also doubted that my case would be resolved in that timeframe since they are short staffed. Sure am glad I am retired and have the time to play the Bureaucratic Games.

Weather? In a Mountain Community? At Christmas time? I-40W closed about 4:30, stranding many headed home to Parks and Williams. Of course there will be snow. Of course travelers will have a difficult time. Of course friends will be called upon for help. Why should 2009 draw to a close with anything else? Last night was not that cold. I think the low was about 25° but my web source says it was 29°. Today was chilly—only made it to 34°. About 10am it was snowing with large flakes while the sun was trying really hard to break through the cloud cover. It snowed on and off most of the rest of the day. It started coming down fairly hard about 4pm. By 6pm we had a good 6” of snow. It continues to come down on and off. Sure hope the plane can make it out tomorrow morning.
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± Quotes from Values.com—HOPE
“The flower that follows the sun does so even in cloudy days.”
~Robert Leighton Preacher, Bishop, Academic
± Unusual Snow Facts…
-The largest piece of ice to fall to earth was an ice block 6 meters (20 ft) across that fell in Scotland on 13 August 1849.
-The largest snowflakes in the world fell across Fort Keogh in Montana (USA) on 28 January 1887. Guinness Record: 15” in diameter.
-Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the only permanent snowcap within sight of the equator.
-A single snowstorm can drop 40 million tons of snow, carrying the energy equivalent to 120 atom bombs.
-The most measured snow produced in a single snowstorm is 4.8 meters (15.75ft) at Mt Shasta Ski Bowl, California (USA) between 13 and 19 February 1959.
± Random Fact
A 41-gun salute is the traditional salute to a royal birth in Great Britain.
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§ December Month Long Observances
Birthstone: Blue Topaz…Flower of the Month: Narcissus
Colorectal Cancer Education and Awareness Month + Hi Neighbor Month + National Write A Business Plan Month + National Tie Month + Rising Star Month + Safe Toys and Gifts Month + Spiritual Literacy Month + Stress Free Family Holiday Month + Universal Human Rights Month + Read A New Book Month+ World Aids Month
§ Observance Weeks in December
Saturnalia: Roman Festival of Tomfoolery (Dec 17th-23rd)
Halcyon Days (Dec 14th-28th)
§ 21 December Observances
Festivus—yeah the Seinfeld Holiday from TV
Roots Day: Celebrate Genealogy (Not associated with the TV movie or book)
-Egypt : Victory Day (Suez Crisis—1956 Fr & Br troops withdraw)
-Japan – The Emperor's Birthday – Birthday of Akihito, the current Emperor of Japan (b. 1933)
-Sweden – Birthday of Queen Silvia, an official flag day (b.1943)
-Oaxaca, Mexico – Noche de Rabanos ( Night of the Radishes) where Nativity is represented through artwork with radishes.
-HumanLight : for Secular humanism (American) – observed—“Vision of a Good Future”
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§ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1938…Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West costume catches fire in filming of "Wizard of Oz"; she is severely burned and off the film for over one month
-And in 1944…A six foot Greek statue from 510 B.C. was found in good condition by a farmer who was plowing. It was hidden from German soldiers by putting it in an Athens museum.
§ Births On This Day
     ~ The Arts
Bob Barker in 1923 TV host (Price is Right)
Ronald Bushy in 1945 rocker (Iron Butterfly-In A Gadda Da Vida)
José Greco in 1918 (Italy) flamenco dancer
Tim Hardin in 1941 singer (If I Were a Carpenter)
Floyd Kalber in 1924 newscaster: NBC-TV News
Susan Lucci in 1949 actress (All My Children)
Harriet Monroe in 1860 poet/editor of Poetry magazine
Samuel Smiles in 1812 Scottish author
     ~Athletics
Paul Hornung in 1935 football: Packers (the Golden Boy)
     ~Business, Education, Politics
Sir Richard Arkwright in 1732 inventor (spinning frame)
Jean-François Champollion in 1790 deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics
Zindzi Mandela in 1960 daughter of Nelson & Winnie Mandela
     ~Science/Religion
Joseph Smith Jr in 1805 founder of Mormonism
§ In Remembrance
Benito Lynch Irish/Argentine writer (Palo Verde), @ 66 in 1951
Charlie Ruggles actor (Ruggles, Aesop-Bullwinkle Show), @ 84 in 1970
James Vance & Raymond Belknap commit suicide, sparking their families to sue rock group Judas Priest for subliminal messages—case dismissed in 1985
Jack Webb actor (Joe Friday-Dragnet), heart attack @ 62 in 1982
§ Historical Events On This Day
1751…France sets plan to tax clergymen
1776…Thomas Paine writes "These are the times that try men's souls"
1779…Benedict Arnold court-martialed for improper conduct
1823…"Visit from St Nicholas" by C Moore published in Troy (New York) Sentinel
1852…1st Chinese theater in US, Celestial John, opens in San Francisco
1867…1st self-made millionairess (Sarah Breedlove-hair straightener)
1888…Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh cuts off his left ear
1912…1st "Keystone Kops" film premiers
1912…Aswan Dam I in Nile begins operation
1920…Ireland divided into 2 parts, each with its own parliament
1922…BBC Radio began daily newscasts
1946…University of Tennessee refuses to play Duquesne University, because they may use a black player in their basketball game
1947…Bell Labs demonstrates the world’s first Transistor Radio
1961…Fidel Castro announces Cuba will release 1,113 prisoners from failed 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion for $62 million worth of food & medical supplies
1968…82 members of US intelligence ship 'Pueblo' released by North Korea
1987…Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, serving a life sentence for attempted assassination of President Gerald R Ford escapes from Alderson Prison
1997 … Carlos the Jackal, aka Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, was convicted in France of the murder of two French agents and a Lebanese informant in 1975
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§ Rhyme & Reason
Answer the following clue in two rhyming words (e.g. an obese feline is a fat cat) If only one number is given, the answer is a word featuring internal rhyme (e.g. voodoo)
1. primitive nutrition (5,4):
2. any which way (6-7):
3. flagging automobile tooter (4,4):
4. followers of “Servant of the Bones” author (5,4):
5. small stain (4,5):
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ANSWERS
1. primitive nutrition (5,4): crude food
2. any which way (6-7): helter-skelter
3. flagging automobile tooter (4,4): worn horn
4. followers of “Servant of the Bones” author (5,4): Anne’s fans (Anne Rice)
5. small stain (4,5): mere smear