Monday 3-15

♣ 15 March 2010--Week 11 of 2010: 74 days this year…291 remain ♣

♣ Two Quotes to think about…Today ♣

"He walks as if balancing the family tree on his nose."

~Raymond Moley

"The bed is a bundle of paradoxes: we go to it with reluctance, yet we quit it with regret; we make up our minds every night to leave it early, but we make up our bodies every morning to keep it late."

~Charles Caleb Colton.

♣ Free Ramblings ♣

I have never been a big follower of archeology. I have always been much more interested in the peoples of today. I realize that those that came before us helped shape what and who we are today. I live the study of those ancients to others. Oddly, I do enjoy the folklore of today’s people. Today, I did become interested, at least for a while, in archeology. In Tasmania today’s people are trying to build a highway. The highway crosses an aboriginal site and understandably there are protests. The latest plan of appeasement is to build the highway and have a bridge cross over the aboriginal site. Turns out that some of the artifacts found at this site show that man was making tools there at least 40,000 years ago—the oldest artifacts found this far south. This opened up a whole new train of thought for me. I recalled that in school I learned that Australia was used as a penal colony and that most of the current inhabitants of Australia are related to these criminals. I never remember studying about the aboriginals that were there when the convicts arrived. Now we are learning that the aboriginals were fairly advanced. I have so much to learn. Anyway, the bridge across the aboriginal site reminded me of the Flagstaff issue of our ski lodge. A bridge across the aboriginal site will change forever what happened there. The placing of man-made snow on the sacred peaks will also change forever what happened there. I will continue to follow the highway and bridge issue and will now try to learn more about the aboriginal people who were in that part of the world so long ago. I think I am most curious to find what the aboriginals of today in Tasmania have to say about this land. Will they be like the Natives in the US who are knowledgeable of their ancestor’s beliefs and stories and follow many of them today or will they be like the Egyptians who don’t seem to be aware of any connection to the ancient culture that flourished on their land so long ago.

March Madness is just around the corner. The brackets have been set, the teams are getting ready. The next three weeks will have many great basketball games. This year, no team from AZ or CO made the bracket. While this takes a little excitement out of the tourney, I will still be watching. I wonder how far one of the Cinderella teams will go this year. As the tourney progresses I will find a team or two to get behind. Right now, I need to just enjoy some great basketball.

The wind was really blowing most of the night and much of the day. I was awakened several times during the night by the gusts—my guess is that they were probably about 45-50mph. I expected to wake to a blanket of snow, as predicted. Alas, the wind just blew and dried everything out. We made it to about 45°, and while the wind wasn’t blowing, it was nice outside. There isn’t any snow fall predicted in the near future, so we will see if we can have a nice weather week during the kid’s spring break.

♣Random Fact: ♣

BMW originally made airplane engines.

♣Side Show Stories—♣

LONDON - A British TV host drove 210 miles from London to Manchester, England, in a coffee-powered car as part of a major science fair. Jem Stansfield, one of the hosts of science-themed TV show "Bang Goes the Theory," arrived in Manchester Thursday for this weekend's Big Bang Science Fair at Manchester Central, the BBC reported. Stansfield said before his journey that he was planning to stop at several schools on the road from London to his destination.

"It's important for kids to understand that power is not something that is simply there at the flick of a switch," he said. "With the energy challenge facing the world, the more we encourage children to think about alternative fuels, where energy is stored and how it can be released, the better!" The host said his journey would use enough coffee for 10,000 espressos, and required hourly stops for filter cleanings.

♣ 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 5 X 5 sections.

1 enclosure, plural (HINT: S - - - -)

2 volatile liquid (HINT: - T - - -)

3 communications device (HINT: - - O - -)

4 wood projection (HINT: - - - O -)

5 ring (HINT: - - - - A)

♣ Calendar Information ♣

• March’s Month Long Observances •

BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)

National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month

• Observance Weeks in March•

6-21 •Iditarod Race

14-20•Campfire USA Birthday Week

        •National Poison Prevention Week

        •National Agriculture Week

        •National Animal Poison Prevention Week

14-21•National Toad Hollow Week

15-19•Wildlife Week

15-21•Act Happy Week

        •American Chocolate Week

        •International Brain Awareness Week

        •Wellderly Week: To recognize Senior Citizens who don’t act their age

• 14 March Observances—US/UN/World •

Buzzard Day: Since 1957, in Hinkley, OH to welcome Turkey Vultures back for the summer

Everything You Think Is Wrong Day

Brutus Day: To remind all that back stabbers are still around

Ides of March: Julius Caesar murdered, warning from seer told it would happen this day

International Day Against Police Brutality: since 1997

Maine : Admission Day (1820)

Napping Day (Monday after daylight savings times)

Tennessee : Andrew Jackson's Birthday (1767)
True Confessions Day: A day to tell all, all. (Remember it’s also Brutus Day)

World Consumer Rights Day: since 1983, this year to remember “Our Money, Our Rights”

•14 March Observances—by country •

Belarus: Constitution Day since 1994

Honduras : Thanksgiving Day

Hungary : National Day 1848 revolution

India, Mauritius, Nepál : Holi (Festival of Colors) for Hindi, Sikhs

Iran : Armed Forces Day/Labor Day

Liberia : JJ Roberts’ Birthday (1809): first president of Liberia, from Norfolk, VA

♣ Number One Songs in…

1946•Let It Snow - Vaughn Monroe

1954•Make Love to Me! - Jo Stafford

1962•Don’t Break the Heart that Loves You - Connie Francis

1970•Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel

1978•Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys - Waylon & Willie

• Holy Mackerel: 1916•President Woodrow Wilson sent thousands of American soldiers into Mexico today hoping to capture Pancho Villa, the Mexican revolutionary

• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Lady Augusta Gregory, 1852, Irish playwright/poet/Yates mistress

Lionel Pigot Johnson, 1867, (England) poet/critic (Ireland & Other Poems)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Roy Clark, 77, country singer

Fabio (Lanzoni), 49, model

Harry James, 1916, trumpeter

Judd Hirsch, 75, actor (Emmy for “Taxi”; “Numb3rs,” Ordinary People)

Eva Longoria, 35, actress (“Desperate Housewives”)

Mike Love, 69, singer, musician (The Beach Boys)

Park Overall, 53, actress (“Empty Nest,” Mississippi Burning)

Joe E Ross, 1905, comedian (Gunther Toody-Car 54)

Sly (Sylvester Stewart) Stone, 66, singer, musician

     …Athletes

Cornell Brown, 35, linebacker (Ravens)

     …Business, Education

--

…Politics

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 77, Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court

Hadrian, 0076, Roman Emperor (builder of Hadrian's Wall)

Andrew Jackson, 1767, 7th U.S. President

     …Science/Religion

Liberty Hyde Bailey, 1858, US botanist (Plant breeding)

Alan Bean, 78, former astronaut

Jimmy Lee Swaggart, 76, evangelist

•Today’s Obits •

Aristotle S Onassis, 1975, Greek shipping magnate, @ myasthenia gravis 69

Tom Harmon, 1990, NFL tail back (Heisman Trophy), @ 70

Gail Davis (Annie Oakley on TV), 1997, @ 72

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1994•8th Soul Train Music Awards: Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston win

     …Athletics

1912•Pitcher Cy Young retires from baseball with 511 wins

1988•NFL's St Louis Cardinals officially move to Phoenix

     …Business, Education.

1892•1st escalator patented by inventor Jesse W Reno

     …Politics

1812•1st Russian settlement in California

1867•Michigan becomes 1st state to tax property to support a university

1907•Finland is 1st European country to give women the right to vote

1913•U.S. President Woodrow Wilson held the first open presidential news conference just 11 days after his inauguration

1934•US Information Service opens

1957•3rd nation to explode a nuclear bomb (Britain)

1961•South Africa withdraws from British Commonwealth

1966•Racial riots erupt in the Watts section of Los Angeles

1989•Department of Veterans Affairs officially established as a Cabinet position

     …Science/Religion

1937•1st state contraceptive clinic opens (Raleigh NC)

1960•Key Largo Coral Reef Preserve established (1st underwater park)

♣ANSWERS to puzzle ♣

SEPTA

ETHER

PHONE

TENON

ARENA

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