Friday

18 February 2010--Week 7 of 2010: 49 days this year…316 remain

» Quote Times Two «

"Man and wife make one fool." ~unknown from an Indian joke website—in India.

“The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself he becomes wise.” ~Alden Nowlan; (1933-1983); Poet

» Free Ramblings «

I’m still enjoying the Olympics and can still sit for too many hours watching the competition. So many athletes performing in front of millions—everything they have done in athletics to be on this stage for such a short amount of time. In my humble opinion the Olympics is reality TV at its very best. We see some great back stories. We get to watch athletes shine. At times we see falters that just can’t be corrected. I watched a little more curling today, and am starting to understand the event a little better. It really takes a team effort and strategy. It also seems to take a whole lot of luck. The other competition that I’m enjoying is snowboarding. I remember when snowboarding first started on American Ski Slopes. Many ski areas banned them from the slopes. They were seen as crazy, mostly high kids who did little more than disrupt skiers. Times change.

The Flagstaff mail- in primary ballots have arrived. Two of the three mayoral candidates are doing a lot of free campaigning on Facebook. Interesting to read. I guess the debate next week will help me decide. The local school district has an override on the ballot. Interesting to have it on the primary ballot and not the final ballot, but this is Flagstaff. While I was traveling the town defeated the override, but due to a loophole in the law, they can have us vote again, less than three months after the defeat. Flag politics is filled with stories of not getting what you want the first time, and just re-voting by finding a loophole. Our lawmakers don’t seem to be able to write laws that aren’t full of loopholes.

Another day of almost 50°. Snow remains on the ground, and the piles are getting smaller, but still very present. At least now, there are only a couple places in town where the piles of snow make it hard to see oncoming traffic while turning.

»* Winter Olympics* «

The Vancouver Olympics open on Feb 12.

Snowboarding: In 1983 on 10% of ski areas allowed any snowboarding. By 1997 less than 2% forbade it. It first appeared in the 1998 Olympics, but the Gold Medal winner almost lost his medal when he tested positive for marijuana. Now Snowboarding has some great competition and the marijuana issue has died out.

»Side Show Stories—«

Peter the Great had his wife's lover executed and his head put into a jar of alcohol. She had to keep it in her bedroom.

***After having a two year affair with Catherine the Great, Gregory Aleksandrovich Potemkin remained a valued advisor to Catherine. He even helped her pick out future lovers.

***

Cleopatra married two of her brothers and was the mistress of both Caesar and Mark Antony.

***

Fernade Olivier lived with Picasso for seven years. They wanted to marry but Olivier couldn't find her estranged husband to divorce him. In the 1940's she found out he had died right after she met Picasso - 40 years earlier.

»Random Fact: «

To fix a button about to fall off, dab a little clear nail polish over the threads holding it on.

» Puzzle «

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has four X four sections.

1 grime (HINT: S - - -)

2 sugar... (HINT: - A - -)

3 centimeter or gallon, for example (HINT: - - I -)

4 measure (HINT: - - - E)

» Calendar Information «

☼ February’s Month Long Observances ☼

Birthstone: Amethyst …Flower: Violet and Primrose

Adopt A Rescued Rabbit Month^AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month^American Heart Month^Bake for Family Fun Month^Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month^Grapefruit Month^International Boost Self-Esteem Month^International Expect Success Month^Jobs in Golf Month^Library Lovers Month^Marijuana Awareness Month^National African American History Month^National Bird Feeding Month^National Black History Month^National Care About Your Indoor Air Month^National Cherry Month^National Condom Month^National Children's Dental Health Month^National Laugh-Friendly Month^National Mend A Broken Heart Month^National Parent Leadership Month^National Pet Dental Health Month^National Senior Independence Month^National Time Management Month^Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month^Pull Your Sofa Off The Wall Month^Relationship Wellness Month^Responsible Pet Owner's Month^Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month^Spiritual Teachers Month^Spunky Old Broads Month^ Sweet Potato Month^Wise Health Care Consumer Month^ Youth Leadership Month^

☼ Observance Weeks in February ☼

Alzheimers and Dementia Awareness Week: 14-21

Love a Mench Week: 14-21

National Condom Week: 14-21

National Engineers Week: 14-20

National Pancake Week: 14-20

International Friendship Week: 17-23

☼ 19 February Observances—US/UN/World ☼

Chocolate Mint Day

International Mother Language Day

Iwo Jima Day (Landing)

☼19 February Observances—by country ☼

Astrology: First day of sun sign Pisces: 12th sign, water sign,

Bulgaria: The hanging of revolutionary leader Vasil Levski (1873)

Ethiopia : Martyr's Day (1930s)

Gabon : Constitution Day (1959)

☼ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1913…1st prize inserted into a Cracker Jack box

☼ Born on this day ☼

     » The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Jonathan Lethem, 46, author (Motherless Brooklyn, Fortress of Solitude)

Carson McCullers (Smith), in 1917, author: The Heart is a Lonely Hunte

William Smokey Robinson Jr, 70, singer, songwriter

Amy Tan, 58, author (The Joy Luck Club), born Oakland, CA, Feb 19, 1952.

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Justine Bateman, 44, actress (“Family Ties,” “Men Behaving Badly”)

Lou Christie (Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco), 67, singer, (Lightning Striking Again)

Jeff Daniels, 55, actor (The Purple Rose of Cairo, Something Wild, Dumb and Dumber)

Benicio Del Toro, 43, actor (Oscar for Traffic)

"Mama" Cass Elliot, in 1943, actress (California Dreamin’, Monday, Monday)

Stan Kenton [Newcomb], 1912, jazz musician/orchestra leader

Lee Marvin, in 1924, actor (Paint Your Wagon)

Seal (Sealhenry Samuel), 47, singer, songwriter

     »Athletes

Eddie (George) Arcaro, in 1916, only jockey to win two Triple Crowns

Roger Goodell, 51, commissioner of the National Football League

Penny Zavichas, in 1938, LPGA golfer

     »Business, Education, Politics

Prince Andrew, in 1960, (Duke of York) British royalty

Rene Firino-Martell, in 1927, cognac manufacturer

Keith Musa[kawukhathi] Zondi, in 1960, South Africa head (Inkatha Youth Brigade)

     »Science/Religion

Nicolaus Copernicus (Mikolaj Kopernick), in 1473, Polish astronomer

Sven Hedin, in 1865, Sweden, scientist/explorer (Tibet)

☼Today’s Obits ☼

Bon Scott, in 1980, (Scotalnd) Australian rock vocalist (AC/DC-Whole Lotta Rosie), alcohol poisoning @ 33

Deng Xiaoping, in 1997, head (Chinese Communist Party), @ 92

Grandpa Jones, in 1998, country comic/banjo wizard (Hee Haw), @ 84

☼What happened on this day? ☼

     » The Arts

1922…Ed Wynn becomes 1st talent to sign as a radio entertainer

1960…Bil Keane's "Family Circus" cartoon strip debuts 1968 1st US Teachers strike (Florida)

     »Athletics

1928 …2nd Winter Olympics games close at St Moritz, Switzerland

1984…1st brother combo to win Gold & Silver in same event at the Olympics (Phil & Steve Mahre-Slalom)

1984 …The XIV Winter Olympic Games ended at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.

     »Business, Education, Politics

1674…Netherlands & England sign Peace of Westminster (NYC becomes English)

1859…Dan Sickles is acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity 1st time this defense is successfully used

1906…W K Kellogg & Charles D Bolin incorporate Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company, Battle Creek MI

1942…FDR orders detention & internment of all west-coast Japanese-Americans (Executive Order 9066)

1945…900 Japanese soldiers reportedly killed by crocodiles in 2 days

1954…The Ford T-Bird appears as a prototype but did not selling until late in 1954 costing $2,900

2008…Fidel Castro who has ruled Cuba since the revolution in 1959 has decided to end his presidency of the country after nearly fifty years..

     »Science/Religion

1856…Tin-type camera patented by Hamilton Smith

1878…Thomas Alva Edison patents the gramophone (phonograph)

» Number One Songs in…

1946…Aren’t You Glad You’re You - Bing Crosby

1954…Oh! My Pa-Pa - Eddie Fisher

1962…Duke of Earl - Gene Chandler

1970…No Time - The Guess Who

1978…Stayin’ Alive - Bee Gees

» ANSWERS to puzzle «

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