Sunday

January 31, 2010--Week 5 of 2010: 31 days this year…334 remain

» Quote Times Two «                      .

"There`s so much to say but your eyes keep interrupting me." ~unknown, but probably some lounge lizard

A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.” ~Forest E. Witcraft; Teacher, Scholar

» Free Ramblings «                        .

They are still clearing the snow away from our parking area. This time it was a cute little orange front loader. He did a pretty good job. The piles they make are not melting, but at least they are out of the way. No major ice fell from the roof today. The neighborhood kids are enjoying the snow and the piles. Sledding was the fun of the day. The piles are high enough to make a semi-decent slide into the commons area. We made it to 40° with no wind, so a nice day. Last night only dropped to 27°.

I watched a couple of movies this afternoon, after cleaning a little around the upstairs. At some point I have to deal with taxes, but not today.

»Side Show Stories—Darwin Awards 2010 «            .

The Darwin Awards commemorate those who improve our gene pool... by removing themselves from it.

Another runner up…

An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

»Random Fact«                                                  .

A quarter of the bones in your body are in your feet..

» Interesting Statistics – Tax Time«                       .

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

During the first World War, tax rates were pushed up to 77 percent. They stayed there until the late 1920s. The same thing happened after World War II. Wartime tax rates were as high as 94 percent, and incredibly the top rate stayed above 90 percent for 20 years after the way.

» Puzzle «                                                        .

A list of words is given. To solve the puzzle, think of a single word that goes with each to form a compound word or word pair that functions as a compound word. For example, if the given words are volley, field, and bearing, the the answer would be ball, because the word ball can be added to each of the other words to form volleyball, ball field, and ball bearing. Answers are at the end of blog.

1. weight, fly, sand

2. above, floor, walk

3. watch, house, gone

» Calendar Information «                                   .  

☼ 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 ☼

Sundance Film Festival: 21-31

☼ 31 January Observances—US/UN/World ☼

Inspire Your Heart with the Arts Day

National Popcorn Day

National Child Labor Day

National Seed Swap Day

World Leprosy Day: to clear up myths and give basic knowledge about it

☼31 January Observances—by country ☼

Lerwick, Shetland Islands : Up-Helly-Aa/Norse fire festival

Nauru : Independence Day (from Australia, 1968)

Surrey England : Dicing for Maid's Money Day

☼ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1905…1st auto to exceed 100 mph (161 kph), A G MacDonald, Daytona Beach
☼ Born on this day ☼

     » The Arts

Tallulah Bankhead, in 1902, actress

Eddie Cantor (Iskowitz), in 1892, ‘banjo eyes’: actor, singer

Carol Channing, 87, actress (stage: Hello, Dolly!; Thoroughly Modern Millie)

Phil Collins, 59, singer/drummer (Genesis-Against All Odds)

Minnie Driver, 39, actress (Gross Pointe Blank, Good Will Hunting)

James Franciscus, in 1934, actor (Mr Novak, Longstreet, Hunter)

Zane Grey (Pearl Grey), 1872, dentist; author: The Spirit of the Border, The Last of the Plainsmen, Riders of the Purple Sage

Mario Lanza, in 1921, actor/singer

Kelly Lynch, 51, actress (Drugstore Cowboy), born Minneapolis, MN, Jan 31, 1959.

Norman Mailer, in 1923, New York City NY mayoral candidate/novelist: His platform for Mayor was to have NYC become the 51st state.

Stuart Margolin, 70, actor, director, writer (“The Rockford Files,” )

Garry Moore (Thomas Garrison Morfit), in 1915, Emmy Award-winning entertainer

John Henry O'Hara in 1905, novelist (Butterfield 8, Pal Joey)

Suzanne Pleshette, in 1937, actress (The Birds, Emily-Bob Newhart Show)

Antony Winkler Prins in 1817, Dutch writer (Groiler Encyclopaedia)

Franz Schubert, in 1797, composer: Unfinished Symphony

Justin Timberlake, 29, singer, actor (Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan)

     »Athletics

Ernest (Ernie) Banks, 79, Hall of Fame baseball player

Brett "the Hitman" Hart, 53, WWF champion mad a comeback a couple of weeks ago.

Jackie (Jack Roosevelt) Robinson, in 1919, Baseball Hall of Famer

(Lynn) Nolan Ryan, 63, Hall of Fame baseball player(Mets, Angels, Astros)

     »Business, Education, Politics

Queen Beatrix, 72, Queen of the Netherlands

R W Bonham, in 1906, founder (International Braille Chess Association)

Stewart L Udall, in 1920-St Johns AZ, US Secretary of Interior

James G Watt, 72, US Secretary of Interior (1981-83)

     »Science/Religion

Sri Daya Mata, 1914, Hindu religious figure

☼Today’s Obits ☼

Edwin H Armstrong in 1954, US radio inventor (FM), suicide @ 63

Guy Fawkes in 1606, convicted in the "Gunpowder Plot", executed @ 35

Samuel Goldwyn in 1974, Polish/English/US film magnate (MGM), @ 91

Bir Bikram Shah Deva Mahendra in 1972, king of Nepal (1955-72), unknown causes @ 51

Eddie Slovik in 1945, 1st US soldier executed for desertion since Civil War @ 25

[Bonnie Prince] Charles E Stuart in 1788, English pretender, @ 67

☼What happened on this day? ☼

     » The Arts

1929…Leon Trotsky expelled from Russia to Turkey

1936…The Green Hornet’s first broadcast, was introduced by its famous theme song, The Flight of the Bumble Bee

     »Athletics

1974…McDonald's founder Ray Kroc buys San Diego Padres

1988…Super Bowl XXII Washington Redskins beat Denver Broncos, 42-10 in San Diego

1999…Super Bowl XXXIII Denver Broncos beat Atlanta Falcons in Miami

     »Business, Education, Politics

1627…Spanish government goes bankrupt

1842…John Tyler's daughter Elizabeth marries in the White House

1865…Congress passes 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in America (121-24)

1870…The first acts are taken to establish the White Mountain-San Carlos-Camp Apache Reserve in western Arizona territory

1985…South African President PW Botha offers to free Mandela if he denounces violence

1990…1st McDonald's in Russia opens in Moscow, world's biggest McDonald's-over 30,000 the first day

     »Science/Religion

1646…Jesuits "predict" a lunar eclipse for the HURONs of Ossossane. This accurate prediction, made with the use of an almanac, will lead to many religious conversions.

1961…Ham is 1st primate in space (158 miles) aboard Mercury/Redstone 2

» Number One Songs in…

1951…Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page

1959…Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - The Platters

1967…I’m a Believer - The Monkees

1975…Please Mr. Postman - Carpenters

1991…Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) - C & C Music Factory

» ANSWERS to puzzle «

1. PAPER: paperweight, flypaper, sandpaper

2. BOARD: above board, floorboard, boardwalk

3. DOG: watch dog, dog house, dog gone