Sunday

Week 3 of 2010: 17 days so far this year…348 days remain

►Provocative Quote                        .

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

often accepted misquote of FDR

“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

~1st Inaugural Address--1933

►Free Ramblings                         .

Not a good day for Arizona sports. The Cards left their game plan at the airport in Phx as huge crowds sent them off a few days ago, hoping for a repeat appearance in the Super Bowl. They looked very good, with a touchdown in New Orleans, on the FIRST play. Too bad football has four quarters. After watching most of that horrible game, I turned to the Suns. Another mistake. Suns lost big time. Maybe the Suns and the Cards just traded game plans. Oh well, Cards have next year—again. Suns are not out yet, but rapidly heading for it.

Our discussion group last night centered on Peacemaking. Some very interesting ideas were exchanged. On my trip to Scotland, I heard about NGO’s [Non-Government Organizations]. I guess all my work within the government kept me isolated from them. Since then I saw some great NGO’s in Egypt, South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia. After reading several articles and a good discussion I have a new appreciation for many of the NGO’s I had seen. While we all know that some NGO’s have the potential to be corrupt, the overwhelming majority of NGO’s are working well at the grass roots level to provide people with what they need. This is not the same thing as what a government tells them they want. Giving the people what they say they need is a great way to get support from locals. So much better than arriving with guns or politicians with their own agendas.

The weather service has made me a little nervous. First, on Friday, they said we would have ‘continuous snow starting Monday and not ending till Thursday. They also said only about 6” of snow would accumulate. Now, a short three days later, they are saying there are three storms headed our way--back to back. The first two will drop about 24” on parts of Flagstaff. The last one is still in question, but could drop another 24”. They are already telling travelers to find alternate routes all of next week. The only ‘alternate route’ means just skipping Flagstaff and for most travelers, it means somehow skipping Northern Arizona all together. Great for a tourist town. What the Hell? I think I’ll just sit back and wait and see. For those who travel to or from Flagstaff for work every day, here really aren’t any ‘alternate routes.’ For me to get to any store in Flagstaff, there is only one way to do it. If these storms really materialize, it ain’t gonna be pretty.

With all these football games, it sure felt like Sunday. Then when my favorite Sunday night shows weren’t on, I looked at my watch and surprise…it was Saturday. Retirement brain farts don’t happen often, but when they do, they can really mess up plans.

►Quotes from Values.com—TEACHING BY EXAMPLE .

“If only people would realize that moral principles are like measles...They have to be caught. And only the people who've got them can pass on the contagion.”

~Aldous Huxley - Novelist

►Side Show Stories Unusual items—true? Can’t verify, but funny anyway.

"Looking over the job listings on The Home Depot website, I noticed one with a highly peculiar job description: 'On rare occasions there may be a need to move or lift light articles. Examples include executive assistant, bank loan officer and accounting clerk.'"

***

"My dad's a writer. His favorite expression is 'The pen's mightier than the sword,' which I believed for a long time. Until I moved into the city, and I got into a fight with this guy. He cut me up real bad, and I drew a mustache on his face...and then I wrote him a nasty letter." --Kevin Brennan

***

"Right on the alarm clock is the snooze button, which is basically a built-in cheating option. I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, but finally I just taped it down." --Arj Barker

►Random Fact                              .

The average Facebook users spend more than 55 minutes a day on the site. They use the Like button nine times a month and write 25 comments each month.

§ Interesting Statistics

*Note: I realize that statistics can be made to say just about anything.

~7-Eleven was the first retailer to offer fresh-brewed coffee in to-go cups, introducing it in their Northeast stores in 1964. Today the chain sells more than 1 million cups of fresh brewed coffee from those rather small glass coffee pots.

§ January Month Long Observances

Birthstone: Garnet …Flower: Carnation

Book Blitz Month * Bath Safety Month * Birth Defects Month * California Dried Plum Digestive Month * Celebration of Life Month * Cervical Cancer Screening Month * Financial Wellness Month * High Tech Month * International Creativity Month * International Quality of Life Month * International Wayfinding Month * International Wealth Mentality Month * National Be On-Purpose Month * National Bird Feeding Month * National Clean Up Your Computer Month * National Get Organized Month * National Glaucoma Awareness Month * National Hot Tea Month * National Mail Order Gardening Month * National Mentoring Month * National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month * National Poverty in America Awareness Month * National Radon Action Month * National Skating Month * National Soup Month * National Volunteer Blood Donor Month * Oatmeal Month * Rising Star Month * Self-help Group Awareness Month * Senior Women’s Travel Month * Shape Up US Month * Thyroid Awareness Month

§ Observance Weeks in January

Cuckoo Dancing Week: 11-17 [honoring Laurel and Hardy]

International Printing Week: 17-23

National Handwriting Analysis Week: 17-23

Healthy Weight Week: 17-23

Hunt For Happiness Week: 17-23

National Activity Professional Week: 17-23 to recognize all those gym people.

§ 17 January Observances—US/UN/World

Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral Day

Bald Eagle Appreciation Day

Customer Service Day

Hot Heads Chili Days

Kid Inventors' Day

Judgment Day

World Religion Day

§17 January Observances—by country

Poland : Liberation Day –from Nazi’s in 1945

§ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1949…The first Volkswagen Beetle (The Peoples Car) arrived from Germany, designed by Ferdinand Porsche at the request of Adolf Hitler.

§Who was born on this day?

     ~ The Arts

Noah Beery in 1884 - US actor (Circus Boy, Rockford Files)

Anne Brontë in 1820 - the less famous sister of Charlotte and Emily

Charles Brockden Brown in 1771 father of American novel (Wieland)

Jim Carrey (48) - actor

Steve Earle (55) –country singer

Steve Harvey (54) - actor

Rock Hudson in 1925 - actor

James Earl Jones (79) - actor: Star Wars [Darth Vader], voice: “This... is CNN”

Andy Kaufman in 1949 - comedian/actor (Latka Gravas-Taxi)

Eartha Kitt in 1927 - actor

Shari Lewis in 1934 - ventriloquist/puppeteer

Maury Povich (71) - talk show host

Kid Rock (39) – singer, actor

Mack Sennett in 1880 - movie creator (Keystone Kops)

Moira Shearer in 1926 in Dunfermline Scotland, ballerina (Red Shoes)

Nevil Shute in 1899 -author, On the Beach

Betty White (88) - actor

     ~Athletics

Muhammad Ali [Cassius Clay (68) – boxing champion

Derrick Mason (36) wide receiver (Tennessee Oilers)

Jacques "Jake the Snake" Plante in 1929 - NHL goaltender

     ~Business, Education, Politics

Al Capone in 1899 in Italy - gangster (Chicago bootlegging)

Robert F Kennedy Jr (56)- attorney (Natural Resources Defense Council)

Michelle Obama (46) – 1st lady

Vidal Sassoon (82) - hair stylist/CEO

     ~Science/Religion

Benjamin Franklin in 1706 - kite flyer/statesman/wit/inventor

James Hall in 1761 in Scotland - geologist

§Who Died on this day?

Chang & Eng Bunker in 1874 Chinese/Thai Siamese twins, @ 62

Rutherford B Hayes in 1893 19th US President, @ 70

Thomas Crapper in 1910 inventor (flush toilet), @ 74

Patrice Lumumba in 1961 African revolutionary, murdered @ 36

Gary Gilmore in 1977 executed, 1st US execution since 1967, @ 37

Barbara Charline Jordan in 1996 politician, pneumonia @59

Clyde William Tombaugh in 1997 discoverer (Pluto), @ 90

§What happened on this day?1718…Avalanche destroys every building in Leukerbad, Switzerland

1773…Captain James Cook becomes 1st to cross Antarctic Circle (66º 33' S)

1775…9 old women burnt as witches for causing bad harvests, Kalisk, Poland

1795…The Duddingston Curling Society, the oldest club of its kind, was organized in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1861…Flush toilet (with separate water tank and a pull chain) patented by Mr Thomas Crapper

1871…1st cable car patented, by Andrew S Hallidie

1905…Punchboards patented by Charles Brewer & C G Scannell

1926…George Burns marries Gracie Allen

1929…Popeye makes 1st appearance, in comic strip "Thimble Theatre"

1950…The Great Brinks Robbery ( Boston ) 11 thieves, steal more than $2 million from the Brinks Armored Car depot

1957…9-county commission recommends creation of BART

1983…Nigeria expels 2 million illegal aliens, mostly Ghanaians

1987…President Reagan signs secret order permitting covert sale of arms to Iran

1991…Operation Desert Storm begins

1995…Los Angeles Rams announce that they are moving to St Louis

►Rhyme & Reason Puzzle                .

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. distant sun (3,4):

2. slough off the surly pessimist (4,5):

3. a vernal affair (6,5):

4. exclusive dominion (4,7):

5. proclaims concerns (8,5):

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ANSWERS

1. distant sun (3,4): Far star

2. slough off the surly pessimist (4,5): dump grump

3. a vernal affair (6,5): spring fling

4. exclusive dominion (4,7): sole control

5. proclaims concerns (8,5): declare cares