This is Week 46 of 2010►Day 324 with 41 days left.
Flagstaff Weather: H—57°; L—23°; RH—29%; —clear sky and wind—21 mph w/ gusts @ 35mph
QUOTE FOR THE DAY—Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nature magically suits a man to his fortunes, by making them the fruit of his character
FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
A good Friday—except for the wind. Our local weatherman sent all his ‘fans’ an email to prepare for the upcoming snow storm. Nice to live in a small town. I realize it is a ‘mass’ email, but he only works on air 4 days a week and today was his day off.
Cheryl sent an email that she arrived back in Williams late this morning. She is now med free and that must be quite a good feeling. I too know how good it is to get home after a stay in the hospital.
AZ has been in the national news in a good way. A homeless man in Tempe found $3500 in cash and returned it to the owner. People from around the nation have been sending him money. He got his bike fixed and now wants to get his teeth fixed. How cool is that?
Then of course we were in the news for our governor’s healthcare plan. She has stopped many transplants because the cost is too high and the survival rate (about 45%) is too low. We now have a real Death Panel—not because of Obamacare, but because of Brewercare, here in AZ. She says that tough decisions have to be made in healthcare. The patients now have to come up with their own money to pay for transplants—a heart is $1million, a liver is $2ooK. That is in CASH. I fully realize that our state is in financial trouble, but watching the denied patients on TV is heartbreaking. The two people tonight are considered ‘high risk’ and neither can get any health insurance. First, that part of Obama care hasn’t kicked in yet. Second, both patients can’t wait and neither is eligible for Medicaid. Many in our state have begged Brewer to call a special session to fix this mess. She is famous for her special sessions in the past. In this case, she says no special session. It can easily be brought up in the regular January session. So, the 96+ people in AZ who were approved for transplants and are now denied, just have to ‘hang on’ and hope for the best. It should be noted that to even get on a transplant list, the medical community and the health insurance community already determine if a patient should be eligible for a transplant. Sadly, they deny some due to the chances of survival. What our Governor is doing is ignoring the medical profession decision. One man was actually being prepped for surgery when word came that he would have to pay for the operation. We in AZ elected her, and now we have to live with her decisions. Since AZ also voted to opt out of Obamacare in the recent election, this is only the beginning. I hope I never have to be in such a precarious health situation and if I am, I will find out if my Federal insurance, which slides through AZ Blue Cross, will be part of this mess.
OMG—the ‘pat-down’ airline thing made the news again. One group is suggesting that all males go commando and wear a kilt before being patted down. A flight attendant and cancer survivor was told she had to remove her prosthesis during the pat down. A young child started yelling ‘stranger danger’ during a pat down—that is what they are taught in school if someone touches them inappropriately. I also learned today that the TSA is still randomly pulling out passengers who have done the porno scan for the pat down. They have always randomly pulled people out for the pat down, and continue to do it. I am beginning to believe that Thanksgiving weekend will be the breaking point for this overly intrusive search.
My travel partner has been sending me e-cards for a couple of years that are really innovative and beautiful. I decided today to join in. It only costs about $20 for a 2 year membership and you can send as many cards as you like. Since it is a pay thing, the recipients don’t get a bunch of pop-ups. For about a year I used a free e-card service, but found that my recipients were getting anywhere from 8-20 pop-ups with each card and they told me they were just deleting the email to avoid the hassle. For a little while I made my own e-cards, but I am not that creative and even a simple one takes time to make. So now, for the next couple of years, my friends will be getting e-cards from jacquielawson.com. I hope they enjoy them.
I did make some cranberry sauce today. I followed the directions on the package and added a little bit of cinnamon at the very end. Tastes really fine.
HOLY MACKEREL: 1992»Fire erupted at Windsor Castle, The queen and Prince Andrew pitched in to help save priceless artworks and other valuables housed in the fortress. The fire burned for 15 hours damaging or destroying nine principal rooms and over a hundred other rooms. It took a million and a half gallons of water to put out the blaze. The next five years would be spent restoring the Castle to its former glory.
JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(SuperJeopardy Answers) from 1990—First Ladies
$100-Shortly after their wedding Ike told her, "My country comes first and always will. You come second."
$200-Barbara Bush & Raisa Gorbachev spoke at the 1990 commencement at this college
$300-The cologne worn by this wife of our 4th president is still being marketed
$400-"Murder in the Rose Garden" is the 7th in a series of mystery novels featuring her as a sleuth
$500- Julia Gardiner, the 1st to marry a president while in office, married this Virginian in 1844
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—
»Planet Earth is the only planet whose name has not been derived from the Roman or Greek mythology.
»The Earth is not actually round in shape; in fact it is geoid. This simply means that the rounded shape has a slight bulge towards the equator.
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
From Discovery-A personal aircraft that requires minimal training and no pilot's license is about ready for production.
"We're trying to make the world's easiest-to-fly aircraft," Richard Lauder, chief executive of New Zealand-based Martin Aircraft Company tells Discovery News. "Our goal is to create a Segway for the sky, where the principles of flying would be very simple."
It certainly looked that way in the movies and TV shows of the 1960s and 1970s, when everyone from James Bond to Gilligan strapped on a jetpack for a thrilling change of scene.
"I think there's been an interest in this type of flying vehicle ever since man started to fly," said Dick Knapinski communications director for the Experimental Aircraft Association, a non-profit organization. "Going back to Buck Rogers in the '30s, '40s and '50s, it was assumed that within 50 years these things would have become commonplace. It hasn't gone quite as quickly. I think there's a lot more engineering in it than one might perceive."
The key problem has been what is called the "weight-to-thrust" ratio, which basically boils down to the conundrum that the heavier you are or the longer you want to stay in the air, the more power you need, which in turn means you have to carry more weight. The highly publicized Bell Rocket Belt, which was developed in the 1950s, could only fly for 30 seconds, for example.
Martin Aircraft set out to build a flying machine that would fall within U.S. aviation regulations for ultralights, defined as aircraft weighing 254 pounds or less, designed for one person, holding no more than five gallons of fuel and capable of moving at a top speed of 55 knots (63 miles per hour).
The company also is developing a heftier jetpack intended for military, emergency rescue services and other government uses, as well as a remotely piloted, unmanned version, Lauder said.
The recreational-use jetpack is expected to sell for about $100,000.
"I certainly don't think it's going to be a George Jetson-sort-of-situation here, where there's one on every block, especially when the price starts out at $100,000," Knapinski tells Discovery News. "But I think you'll see a small section of people who would like to have one of those. I would do it in a second."
Lauder, who has tested out the jetpack twice, said when you're on the ground and preparing for takeoff, there's a lot of vibration and noise.
"It shakes a lot, but when you get off the ground it gets calm. You get picked up from behind, like the hand of God, and it's very calming," he said.
A LITTLE LAUGH
My musician son decided to play guitar at his own wedding reception. That day, tuning his strings was taking longer than usual. "It's a little harder to do with a ring on," he apologized to the waiting guests.
That's when a man called out, "Everything's harder with a ring on!"
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
GREY MATTER PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
¤ Weekly Observances ¤
14-20: American Education Week, Geography Awareness Week, National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week, National Global Entrepreneurship Week
19-25:National Farm-City Week
21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week
¤ Today’s Observances ¤
Absurdity Day
African Industrialization Day
Children's Day
Name Your PC Day
National Adoption Day
National Family Volunteer Day
National Survivors of Suicide Day
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Rights of the Child Day
Argentina: Day of National Sovereignty
Brazil: Zumbi Day: to honor Zumbi dos Palmares, a political leader of the 1600’s
Mexico: Revolution Day (1910)
United Kingdom: Wedding day of Queen Elizabeth II, official flag day.
¤ 11-20 Top Country songs of 20th Century ¤
Click on Song Title to see and hear the original
11. 1951… Hey Good Lookin'… Hank Williams Sr.
12. 1975… Rhinestone Cowboy… Glen Campbell
14. 1980… Lady… Kenny Rogers
15. 1956… Don't Be Cruel… Elvis Presley
16. 1987… Forever & Ever Amen… Randy Travis
19. 1992… Boot Scootin' Boogie… Brooks & Dunn
20. 1982… Always On My Mind… Willie Nelson
¤ Today’s Births ¤
╬ THE ARTS
(Howard) Duane Allman, musician: lead guitar: group: Allman Brothers Band—in 1946
Dick Clark, 81, TV host (American Bandstand)
Nadine Gordimer, 87, Nobel Laureate, author (The Pickup, July’s People)
Chester Gould, cartoonist (gave Dick Tracy a job)—in 1900
Norman Greenbaum, 65, folk singer (Spirit in the Sky)
Dick Smothers, 71, comedian, folksinger
♦♦Actors♦♦
Fran Allison, actress (Kukla, Fran & Ollie)—in 1907
Alistair Cooke, actor (Masterpiece Theatre)—in 1908
Kaye Ballard, 84, actress/comedienne (Kaye-Mothers-in-Law)
(Juliette) Judy Canova, comedienne, actress: The Howdy Doody Show, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Oklahoma Annie—in 1913
Richard Dawson, 78, actor, game show host (“Hogan’s Heroes”; Emmy for “Family Feud”)
Bo Derek, 54, actress (10, Bolero, Tarzan, A Change of Seasons), born Cathleen Collins
Veronica Hamel, 67, actress (“Hill Street Blues”)
Estelle Parsons, 83, stage and screen actress (Miss Margarida’s Way, Bonnie and Clyde)
╬ ATHLETICS
Carlos Boozer, 29, basketball (Cavaliers, Bulls, Jazz)
Rick (Robert James) Monday, 65, baseball: Athletics, Athletics [all-star: 1968], Cubs, Dodgers [World Series: 1977, 1978, 1981/all-star: 1978]; broadcaster
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
Emilio Pucci, fashion designer (Neiman-Marcus Award-1954)—in 1914
╬ POLITICS
Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr, 68, 47th Vice President of the US, former US Senator (Delaware)
Robert C. Byrd, US Senator (West Virginia), in 1917
Robert FrancisKennedy, Brookline MA (D-Sen-NY) AG; assassinated—in 1925
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
Robert A Bruce, MD, pioneer (exercise cardiology)—in 1916
Karl von Frisch, zoologist/bee expert (Nobel 1973)—in 1886
Edwin Hubble, astronomer (discoverer of galaxies, red shift)—in 1889
¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤
Generalissimo Francisco Franco, Spain's dictator, @ 82 in 1975
Bill Scott, cartoon voice (Mr Peabody, Bullwinkle), heart attack @ 65 in 1985
Allan Sherman, songwriter ("Camp Granada"), emphysema @ 49 in 1973
Leo Tolstoy Russian author (Anna Karenina), @ 82 in 1910
¤ Today’s Events ¤
╬ THE ARTS
1947»"Meet the Press" makes network TV debut on NBC
1966»Cabaret opened on Broadway for the first of 1,165 stellar performances. Joel Gray starred
╬ ATHLETICS
1866»The rotary-crank bicycle was patented by Pierre Lallement in Paris, France. The bike, incidentally, was known as the bone shaker.
1969»Pele scores his 1,000th soccer goal
1977»Walter Payton (Bears) rushes for NFL-record 275 yards
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1866»Howard University founded (Wash, DC)
1888»William Bundy patents the timecard clock
1931»Commercial teletype service begins
╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1969»"Indians of all tribes" are declared on Alcatraz Island.
╬ POLITICS (US)
1789»New Jersey becomes 1st state to ratify Bill of Rights
1914»US State Department starts requiring photographs for passports
1919»1st municipally owned airport in US opens in Tucson, Az
╬ POLITICS (International)
1637»Peter Minuit & 1st Swedish immigrants to Delaware sail from Sweden
1780»Britain declares war on Holland
1959»UN adopts the declaration of children's rights
1986»UN's WHO announces 1st global effort to combat AIDS
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1984»The SETI [Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence]Institute is founded to explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe. We believe we are conducting the most profound search in human history - to know our beginnings and our place among the stars.
1998»The first module of the International Space Station, Zarya, is launched.
GREY MATTER ANSWERS
↔ JEOPARDY
$100-Shortly after their wedding Ike told her, "My country comes first and always will. You come second."
Who was Mamie Eisenhower?
$200-Barbara Bush & Raisa Gorbachev spoke at the 1990 commencement at this college
What is Wellesley College?
$300-The cologne worn by this wife of our 4th president is still being marketed
Who is Dolley Madison? (Some say she wore ‘White Rose’ others say a heavy lilac scent)
$400-"Murder in the Rose Garden" is the 7th in a series of mystery novels featuring her as a sleuth
Who is Eleanor Roosevelt?
$500- Julia Gardiner, the 1st to marry a president while in office, married this Virginian in 1844
Who is John Tyler?
↔ PICTURE
Lincoln's face on a U.S. $5 bill
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If you like ecards, you can also check out the artistic, animated ecards from ojolie.com.
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