Wednesday

♣ 3 March 2010--Week 9 of 2010: 62 days this year…305 remain ♣

» Two Quotes to think about…Today «

"It is Fortune, not wisdom that rules man`s life."

~Cicero

“Equal laws protecting equal rights...the best guarantee of loyalty and love of country.” ~James Madison, (1751-1836); 4th U.S. President

» Free Ramblings «

I had MY final 2010 birthday lunch today. Still many more lunches are in store, but each time I will be celebrating someone else getting another year older. I am so lucky to have such good friends. Martha always finds unique and personal gifts. Today was no exception. I arrived at the chosen place, parked my vehicle and started to walk in. Martha was there bag piping away. Due to problems with delivery around Christmas, I had already been told I was getting my Christmas present at my birthday. So to start off, she played a Christmas tune, followed by Happy Birthday on the pipes. So cool. Then we went inside, minus the pipes and had a great lunch. Many may remember I had just returned from South Africa for Christmas 2009. She had gotten me three cute Christmas decorations…a hippo, an elephant, and a giraffe. They are just cute and will be on my tree for years to come.

Before I went to lunch, I did get my vehicle washed. I just couldn’t stand having a brown ride with a white chemical covering most of the lower half. Much better when it is clean.

I’ve been coming to Flagstaff for almost 40 years, and living here for almost four. One of the ‘big’ stories or controversies has been the train horns. Flag was a lumber town for many years and the train was the cheapest and easiest way to move all that lumber. It was also a great way to go east to Chicago or west to LA. The train tracks split downtown in half. Route 66, America’s highway, still runs right next to the tracks from the East side of town to the West side of town. Motel row, built in the heyday of 66 only has 66 between them and the train tracks. Over the years, there have been only a few motels in town that could truthfully advertise no train noise. Well, after years of battling, bitching, fighting, and a couple of lawsuits, the train whistles were silenced on March 1. One would think that this would help everyone living in Flagstaff. Tourist will no longer be awakened numerous times during the night to the train noise. Drivers on 66 will no longer be startled by the train whistle as the many trains approach one of the crossings. No longer will casual conversations in downtown, turn into shouting matches as the whistles blow. One would think this is a good thing. But alas, no. Many people have already written on Facebook, and on the online newspaper, that Flagstaff will sadly never be the same. These naysayers are lamenting their happy memories of hearing the train whistles, their excitement as kids of hearing the train whistle and running to the tracks to watch the train. For whatever reason, the days of getting excited about a train passing through our little town have long since been abandoned. In all the times I have heard and then seen the train, I can’t remember even one little kid, running toward the tracks with a big smile, a fishing pole in one hand and a piece of straw in their mouth. Flagstaff, thankfully, will never be the same. An additional benefit to the end of train whistles is that the three barking dogs that live behind me are now only barking when an ambulance or police car siren goes down 66. Inside my townhouse, I almost never heard the train, but those dogs always alerted me, if I was in one of the back rooms.

We had a nice day—high of 46° and a low of 23°, with almost no wind. There were a few gusts around 25mph, but they didn’t happen very often and the rest of the time it was very calm. I have to enjoy these days, as yet another storm on the horizon, promising us a good 4-6” of freshly fallen snow over the weekend. What did that darn ol’ ground hog say last month?

»Random Fact: «

In 1980, a Las Vegas hospital suspended workers for betting on when patients would die!

»Side Show Stories—«

A 1975 raid on the Royal Bank of Scotland in Rothesay degenerated into farce when, on the way in, the three would-be raiders got stuck in the bank's revolving doors and had to be helped free by the staff. Undeterred, they returned a few minutes later and announced that it was a robbery. The staff thought it was a practical joke and refused to pay up. While one of the men vaulted the counter and twisted his ankle on landing, the other two made their escape, only to get trapped in the revolving doors again.

§ 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 unpopular poker play (HINT: C - - - -)

2 board game (HINT: - A - - -)

3 the previous generation (HINT: - - D - -)

4 fix (HINT: - - - N -)

5 late (HINT: - - - - Y)

§ 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•

1-5: Newspaper in Education Week

1-7: National Cheerleading Week

     • National Ghostwriters Week

     • National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week

     • National Procrastination Week

     • Return The Borrowed Books Week

     • Universal Human Beings Week

     • Yo-Yo and Skill Toys Week

• 3 March Observances—US/UN/World •

Day of Prayer

I Want You To Be Happy Day

National Anthem Day (since 1931)

Peach Blossom Day

What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs? Day

Florida : Admission Day (1845)

Hawaii : Japanese Girl's Day

•3 March Observances—by country •

Australia: Labour Day

Bulgaria : Liberation from Ottoman Rule Day (1878)

Grenada : Partial Independence Day (1967)

Japan : Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival)

Malawi (Africa) : Martyrs' Day for those who died in the fight for Independence from UK

Morocco : National Day (1961)

Sudan : Unity Day (since 2009 when North and South united)

§ Number One Songs in…

1950...Dear Hearts and Gentle People - Bing Crosby

1958...Tequila - The Champs

1966...These Boots are Made for Walkin’ - Nancy Sinatra

1974...Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks

1982...Centerfold - The J. Geils Band

• Holy Mackerel: 1931…"Star Spangled Banner" officially becomes US national anthem

• Born on this day •

    …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Ira Glass, 51, radio host (“This American Life”)

Allen Ginsberg, 1921, beat generation poet

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Jessica Biel, 28, actress (The Illusionist, “7th Heaven”)

Lew De Witt, 1938, singer (Statler Brothers-Flowers on the Wall)

James Doohan, 1920, actor: Montgomery “Scottie” Scott—Star Trek

David Faustino, 36, actor (“Married … With Children”)

Don Gibson, 1928, singer/writer (I can't Stop Loving You, Oh Lonesome Me)

Jean Harlow [Harlean Carpentier], 1911, Kansas 30s' sex goddess

Mike Pender, 1942 (Liverpool), vocalist/guitarist (Searchers-Needles & Pins)

     …Athletes

Jacqueline (Jackie) Joyner-Kersee, 48, Olympic gold medal heptathlete

Herschel Walker, 48, former football player

     …Business, Education

--

     …Politics

(Caroline) Lee Radziwill, 77, sister of the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

     …Science/Religion

Alexander Graham Bell, 1847, (Edinburgh Scotland) inventor (telephone)

George W Hill, 1838, US astronomer (Moon orbit)

George M Pullman, 1831, inventor (railway sleeping car)

•Today’s Obits •

Robert Hooke, 1703, scientific genius @ 68

Lou Costello, 1959, comedian (Abbott & Costello), heart attack @ 52

Alice Pearce, 1966, comedienne (Gladys Kravitz-Bewitched), cancer @ 52

William Frawley, 1966, actor (Fred Mertz-I Love Lucy), @ 89

Danny Kaye, 1987, comedian (Danny Kaye Show), @ 74

Arthur Murray, 1991, dance instructor, pneumonia @ 95

Albert Sabin, 1993, physician (oral polio vaccine), @ 86

Carlos Montoya, 1993, flamenco guitarist, @ 89

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1873 – Censorship: The U.S. Congress enacts the Comstock Law, making it illegal to send any "obscene, lewd, or lascivious" books through the mail.

1875 – Georges Bizet's opera Carmen receives its première at the Opéra Comique of Paris.

     …Athletics

2009 – The Sri Lankan cricket team is attacked by terrorists while on their way to the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore for a Test match against Pakistan.

     …Business, Education

1634 - 1st tavern in Boston opens (Samuel Cole)

1885 - American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) incorporates

1887 - Anne Sullivan begins teaching 6 year old blind-deaf Helen Keller

1900 – US Steel Corporation organizes

1923 – Time magazine publishes 1st issue

     …Politics

1284 – The Statute of Rhuddlan incorporates the Principality of Wales into England.

1791 – 1st Internal Revenue Act (taxing distilled spirits & carriages)

1812–  US Congress passes 1st foreign aid bill (aids Venezuela earthquake vicitims)

1813 – Office of Surgeon General of the US army is established

1837 – Congress increases Supreme Court membership from 7 to 9

1863 – 1st US wartime military conscription bill enacted

1871 – Congress changes Indian tribes status from independent to dependent

1871 – Congress establishes the civil service system

1901 – Congress creates National Bureau of Standards, in Department of Commerce

1933 – Mount Rushmore dedicated

2002 – After about 200 years Switzerland became no longer “Neutral”. They became officially a part of the UN upon voters’ approval.

     …Science/Religion

1924 – The 1400-year-old Islamic caliphate is abolished when Caliph Abdul Mejid II of the Ottoman Empire is deposed. The last remnant of the old regime gives way to the reformedTurkey of Kemal Atatürk.

1938 – Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia.

§ANSWERS to puzzle §

C H E A T

H A L M A

E L D E R

A M E N D

T A R D Y

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