Wednesday 3-17 St. Patrick's Day

♣ 17 March 2010~~Week 11 of 2010: 76 days this year…289 remain ♣

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

♣ Two Quotes to think about…Today ♣

"The Irish seem to have more fire about them than the Scots."

- Actor Sean Connery

"Though the pen is mightier than the sword, the sword speaks louder and stronger at any given moment."

- Leonard Wibberley, Irish author of comic novel "The Mouse That Roared"

Bonus Quotes for all my Irish friends and relatives…

"I had that stubborn streak, the Irish in me I guess."

- Gregory Peck"

"The immigrant's heart marches to the beat of two quite different drums, one from the old homeland and the other from the new. The immigrant has to bridge these two worlds, living comfortably in the new and bringing the best of his or her ancient identity and heritage to bear on life in an adopted homeland."

- Irish President McAleese

"Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity."

- Sean O'Casey

♣ Free Ramblings ♣

I had a great lunch with two former colleagues today. They are on spring break from Tuba. Good to see them both. John is retiring at the end of the school year. Maree is going to stick it out a few years, she says. I shared a couple of travel stories, and caught them up on Mary’s and Cheryl’s travels. After we had talked quite a while, Maree said she might do just one more year. They have three daughters and a slew of grandkids, and both enjoying being around the grandkids. I kept reminding Maree that when she does get ready to retire, the grandkids will be waiting. I also called her “Betty” a couple of times, on purpose. Betty was a teacher at Tuba who entered Tuba in 1985, saying she would retire in a few years. She finally did in 2008. Betty had to be well into her 70’s when she finally forgot to sign her contract within the time limit, and thus was forced to retire. Both John and Maree got the joke. John is excited about retirement. Maree needs to realize that there is a great life waiting after retirement. One of their daughters will graduate a year from now as a nurse, one is still in college and the other one is happy.

The Texas School Board is making headlines as they debate social studies books content. A conservative group on the board is trying to give American History a more ‘conservative and truthful’ view of our history. Few non-educators realize that when a state as large as Texas tells book publishers the events to emphasize and the events to not emphasize the book publishers listen. Smaller states buy the same textbooks used in Texas. Smaller states just don’t buy enough books. So as Texas sets their standards, other states wait to see what is done there to write their standards. So what happens in Texas is important to most other states. California wields the same power. So, these guys have some interesting ideas: equal time for Abe Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, cutting out all references to recent 3rd party movement (Nader, Perot), teaching that Title IX (equal sports for male and females) and affirmative action had “unintended consequences”, Thomas Jefferson won’t get much mention as a Founding Father and in his place will be information of St. Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, and Robert Blackstone, and a heavy emphasis on the Founding Fathers strict had adherence to strict Christian beliefs. This is Texas, the classrooms that still hear the term Civil War and War of Northern Aggression used to talk about the same war. Over in DC, there is talk about changing NCLB—No Child Left Behind--when it comes up for refunding. The current administration is talking about a National Curriculum. This will allow, according to them, all students will be taught and tested over the same material. This idea has been around for decades. Our Founding Fathers wanted the business of education kept at the local level. The local boards would determine curriculum, staff, buildings, length of day and year. Since the Feds go into education back in the late 1950’s, they have wielded more and more control over the schools. The one area they haven’t invaded is the curriculum. They still allow each state to set standards, develop tests, and measure student progress. While I am not happy about the Texas mess, I am not sure that the Feds, in all their wisdom, need to be setting National Curriculum. Education needs to be Obama’s next big push.

We had another great day of blue sky, warm temps (52°), lots of melting snow, and only a slight breeze. Can this really be Spring? I’m certainly ready.

Happy St. Patrick’s day to all.

♣Random Fact: ♣

Tourists visiting Iceland should know that tipping at a restaurant is considered an insult!

♣Side Show Stories—♣

Stockholm, Sweeden: Fredrick Federley, a member of the Swedish Parliament, said he has always campaigned as someone who does not take gifts from those he is responsible for regulating, but he was called out by the newspaper Aftonbladet in February for having accepted a free travel holiday from an airline. Federley denied that "he" accepted the trip. He reminded reporters that he is a notorious, flamboyant cross-dresser, and thus that it was his alter-ego "Ursula" who received the free holiday.

♣New Puzzle ♣

Each of these phrases is the anagram of a celebrity's name. Rearrange the letters to identify the celeb.

1 I Am a Kind Shark

2 Enjoy Harm

3 Skull and Cobra

4 He's Grown Large 'n' Crazed

♣ 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 •Nat’l Agriculture Week •Nat’l 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

16-22

•National Inhalant and Poisons Awareness Week

• 16 March Observances—US/UN/World •

Submarine Day

• for the underwater vessel, not the sandwich. In 332 BC Aristotle first described it after talking to sailors of Alexander the Great.

Campfire Girls Day

• Founded on March 17, 1910, in Thetford, Vermont, by Luther Gulick M.D. and his wife Charlotte Vedder Gulick The organization changed its name in 1975 to Camp Fire Boys and Girls when membership eligibility was expanded to include boys. In 2001, the current name, Camp Fire USA, was adopted.

St. Patrick's (Feast) Day

• (Latin: Sanctus Patricius, Irish: Naomh Pádraig): Patron Saint of Ireland. Brought Christianity to Ireland…the story of the snakes may be a metaphor of converting many Druids—and their serpent symbolism--to Christianity. The shamrock, or three-leaf clover, was used by St. Patrick as a symbol of the trinity.
• Many US parades are held to celebrate the holiday. The longest-running of these are: Boston, Massachusetts, since 1737, New York City, since 1762, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since 1771, Morristown, New Jersey, since 1780, New Orleans, Louisiana, since 1809, Buffalo, New York, since 1811, Savannah, Georgia, since 1813, Carbondale, Pennsylvania, since 1833, New Haven, Connecticut, since 1842, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, since 1843, Chicago, Illinois, since 1843, Saint Paul, Minnesota, since 1851, San Francisco, California, since 1852, Scranton, Pennsylvania, since 1862, Cleveland, Ohio, since 1867, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, since 1869, Kansas City, Missouri, since 1873, Butte, Montana, since 1882, Rolla, Missouri, since 1909
• Seattle and other cities paint the traffic stripe of their parade routes green. Chicago dyes its river green, Indianapolis also dyes its main canal green, Savannah dyes its downtown city fountains green. Missouri University of Science and Technology - St Pat's Board Alumni paint 12 city blocks kelly green with mops before the annual parade. In Jamestown, New York, the Chadakoin River (a small tributary that connects Conewango Creek with its source at Chautauqua Lake) is dyed green each year.
• In the Northeastern United States, peas are traditionally planted on Saint Patrick's Day.

Suffolk County, Massachusetts: Evacuation Day

• Holiday since 1876. In 1776 when British withdrew from Boston to Nova Scotia…1st victory of George Washington in Revolutionary War. State workers may lose holiday status in 2010 due to budget cuts. St. Patrick’s Day parades have been held annually in Boston since 1876

•16 March Observances—by country •

World : World Maritime Day—UN

Ireland, Newfoundland, Labrador, Montserrat, others : St Patrick's Day

♣ Number One Songs in…

1948•I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover - The Art Moonie Orchestra

1956•Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom) - Perry Como

1964•I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles

1972• Heart of Gold - Neil Young

1980•Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen

1988•Too Gone Too Long - Randy Travis

• Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1845•Rubber band patented by Stephen Perry of London
• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Moncure Daniel Conway, 1832, clergyman/author/abolitionist (Life of Thomas Paine)

Paul Eliot Green, 1894, Pulitzer prize-winning playwright of symphonic drama: In Abraham’s Bosom [1926]

Alfred Newman, 1900, composer (Love is a Many Splendored Thing)

Rudolf Nureyev (Rudolf Hametovich Nureyev), 1938, Russian ballet dancer

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Nat ‘King’ Cole (Nathaniel Adams Coles), 1919, jazz pianist, bandleader

Danny DeVito, 66, actor (Louie-Taxi)

Patrick Duffy, 61, actor (“Step by Step,” “Dallas”)

Shemp Howard [Samuel Horwitz], 1895, comedian/actor (3 Stooges)

Paul Kantner, 69, rock guitarist (Jefferson Airplane, Starship-White Rabbit)

Rob Lowe, 46, actor (“Brothers & Sisters,” “The West Wing”)

Gene Pitney, 1941, rock singer/ composer (Town without Pity, Liberty Valance)
Kurt Russell, 59, actor (Backdraft, Elvis)

John Sebastian, 66, singer (Loving Spoonful)

Gary Sinise, 55, stage and screen actor (Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, “CSI: New York”)

Gloria Swanson, 1899, actress

     …Athletes

Daniel Ray (Danny) Ainge, 51, basketball coach (Suns), former basketball & baseball player

Mia Hamm, 38, Selma AL, soccer forward (Olympics-96)

Bobby (Robert Tyre) Jones, 1902, World Golf and PGA Hall of Famer

      …Business, Education

Jim Bridger, 1804, frontiersman, trapper: 1st Caucasian to see the Great Salt Lake

      …Politics

Roger Brooke Taney, 1777, 5th Chief Justice (Dred Scott decision)

      …Science/Religion

Thomas Chalmers, 1780, 1st moderator (Free Church of Scotland)

•Today’s Obits •

St Patrick, 461, patron St of Ireland, @ 74 (according to Catholic Church)

Suzanna Salter, 1961, 1st US female mayor (Argonia, Kansas, )/temperance leader, @ 101

Kenneth Jameson, 1996, art educationalist, @ 83

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1941•National Gallery of Art, Washington DC opens

     …Athletics

--

     …Business, Education.

1845•Bristol man, Henry Jones, patents self-raising flour

1931: Nevada Senate voted to legalize all forms of gambling in the state providing the impetus for the growth of Las Vegas.

1949•The first car with a Porsche badge is shown at International Automobile Show in Geneva

     …Politics

1521•Ferdinand Magellan discovers the Philippines

1836•Texas abolishes slavery

1854•1st park land purchased by a US city, Worcester MA

1868•Postage stamp canceling machine patent issued

1905•Eleanor Roosevelt marries FDR in New York

1906•President Theodore Roosevelt coined the word ‘muckrake’

1959•Dalai Lama flees Tibet for India

1969•Golda Meir, a Milwaukee high school teacher, becomes first female Prime Minister of Israel

1995•Sinn-Fein leader Gerry Adams visits White House

     …Science/Religion

0432•St Patrick, a bishop, is carried off to Ireland as a slave

1921•Dr Marie Stopes opens Britain's 1st birth control clinic (London)

1987•IBM releases PC-DOS version 3.3

♣ANSWERS to puzzle ♣

1 Kim Kardashian: I Am a Kind Shark

2 John Mayer: Enjoy Harm

3 Sandra Bullock: Skull and Cobra

4 Arnold Schwarzenegger: He's Grown Large n Crazed

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