Flagstaff Weather:
All the really valuable things you own are things you can't photograph.
FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
Another chilly day here in Flag. It was 11° when I got up. I did run some errands today. Over the weekend I ran across an Advent Calendar. In my youth my brother and I always had one. Back in the day, you opened each door or window of a religious Christmas scene and found a small picture of something Christmas-y. Some were more religious than others. The funny part was my mom never knew what would be behind the door or window either. I recall lots of good memories and one that wasn’t so cool for little kids—it was bible verses for each day. Not that it wasn’t nice to read Bible verses; but we wanted pictures. Well times have certainly changed in the past 50 years. The ones I found are now neither religious nor healthy. The only pictures are Santa doing something. Then, when you open each window you get a piece of candy. The packaging still calls it an Advent calendar. I bought two and mailed one to my brother and his wife today. It won’t get there until the 3rd—as I wasn’t going to pay $26 for overnight mail. Since they are now in Miami Beach, I’m sure they will enjoy the Santa in the snow scene. I also got one for myself. So beginning on the 1st I will be opening a door or window each day until Christmas, and probably eating the candy.
I did learn a little more about the WikiLeaks thing today. It turns out to be a long and complicated maze. The military arrested a Marine soon after the first leaks were announced. He is one of 600,000 Americans who had access to all these files. Since 9-11 there has been a greater sharing of information within the Intelligence community. This was to help the various agencies work from the same information. It occurred when the Dept. of Homeland Security was established, placing many different agencies under one head. This 22 year old Marine had access and wanted the American citizens to see what was really going on within the Intelligence community. This kid had moved up one whole rank since joining the Marines. He used a flash drive to do this, while lip-synching to Lady Gaga, in case cameras were watching him. He was being paid a whopping $1642/month for his service. I am certainly not happy that these classified documents have been made public. I also get that sometimes, while working for the government, one reads things that are embarrassing to an official, to an agency, to a bureau. I get that he was trying to do a good thing—remember Daniel Ellsberg and his release of information about Viet Nam. In the current techno age, it is much easier to release information. The WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, is a 38 year old Australian who wants to open up governments. He has released documents from many governments and we are just hearing about it because now he is releasing our secrets. He has to live ‘on the run’ since he started releasing many documents back in the early 1990’s. I get his goal. The world would be a better place if governments didn’t keep secrets. The argument is that other governments won’t play fair. We will probably never know, because everyone has bought into that argument. The more I read about the goals, the less angry I am. Maybe his leaks will change some of the government to government dealings in our world. That would be a good thing. Only time will tell if these leaks bring about change.
HOLY MACKEREL: 1988 Soviets stop jamming Radio Liberty; 1st time in 38 years
∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(SuperJeopardy Answers) from 1990 LITERATURE
He spent 5 years as a slave in north Africa before he began work on the first modern Spanish novel
Dublin Theatre formed from the Irish Literary Theatre founded by W.B. Yeats & Lady Gregory
Milan Kundera, a Czech, lived in France when he published “The Unbearable Lightness of” this
In some versions of the story, he was unable to look at the Holy Grail after his adulterous affair
The 3 sections that comprise Dante's “Divine Comedy”
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—
The Macy’s parade was first televised in New York in 1945, and that same year the Macy's parade began using the route that is still followed today.
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Floats must travel through the Lincoln Tunnel to get to Manhattan for the parade. A 24 foot wide, 40 foot high float has to fold up to an 8 foot wide and 12 1/2 food high float in order to get through.
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There was a helium shortage in 1958 that forced the balloons to be filled with air and hung from cranes instead of the traditional floating and bobbing.
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
EVANS CITY, PA. — Emergency crews in Butler County were called to rescue the driver of a pickup truck that ended up stuck 30 feet off the ground in a tree.
Channel 4 Action News' Amber Nicotra reported police said Erin Dawn Bowser, 33, was driving westbound on Route 68 in Evans City.
Police said Bowser hit a car, a guardrail and a pole before bouncing over the rail and becoming stuck in a tree over Connoquenessing Creek.
"She was completely alert and as calm as can be for her situation. She was fine, she was talking clearly. She did an excellent job of not panicking when we were going off the ground," said rescue worker Ken Wagner.
Rescue crews used ropes and ladders to reach Bowser, who removed from the vehicle in a rescue basket and taken to Butler Hospital with minor injuries.
The rescue effort closed Route 68 for several hours Monday morning. The road reopened to traffic around 11:30 a.m.
Nicotra reported that Bowser, is facing several citations in connection with the wreck, including driving too fast for road conditions. Nicotra reported that police said Bowser told them the road was icy.
A LITTLE LAUGH
I was nervous the night my husband and I brought our three young sons to An upscale restaurant for the first time. My husband ordered a bottle Of wine with the meal. When the waitress brought it, our children became quiet as she began the ritual uncorking.
She poured a small Amount for me to taste, and then our six-year-old piped up, "Mom usually drinks a lot more than that!"
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
∞ UP CLOSE PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
CALENDAR INFORMATION
♦ Weekly Observances ♦
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♦ Today’s Observances ♦
Stay At Home Because You're Well Day
Cities for Life Day: Since 1786 to end the death penalty in countries
Computer Security Day
National Meth Awareness Day
Saint Andrew's Day: Patron Saint of Scotland: born: Latha Naomh Anndra
Barbados : Independence Day (1966 from UK)
Benin : National Day
Iran : Qadir Khom Festival: Muslim Holiday
Philippines : Andres Bonifacio Day/Heroes' Day (1863) [leader of 1896 revolt against Spain
Scotland: National Day
Yemen PDR : Independence Day (1967)
♫ One Hit Wonders—1965 ♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear the original
♦Today’s Births♦
ARTS
Richard Wagstaff Dick Clark, 81, longtime host of “American Bandstand,” entertainer, producer
1835 Samuel Clemens [Mark Twain], author (Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn)
Billy Idol, 55, singer, songwriter, born William Michael Albert Broad
David Mamet, 63, dramatist (American Buffalo, Glengary Glen Ross, Oleanna, Things Change)
1924 Allan Sherman parody singer/songwriter (Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah)
Noel Paul Stookey, 73, singer, songwriter (Peter, Paul and Mary)
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1926 Richard Crenna, actor (Rambo, Summer Rental, Sand Pebbles)
Robert Guillaume, 83, actor (“Soap,” “Benson”)
1920 Virginia Mayo, actress (Out of the Blue, White Heat)
Sandra Oh, 40, actress (Under the Tuscan Sun, Sideways, “Grey’s Anatomy”), born Nepean, ON, Canada
Mandy Patinkin, 58, actor (Tony for Evita; Sunday in the Park with George, “Chicago Hope”)
Ben Stiller, 45, actor, director
Efrem Zimbalist Jr, 87, actor (77 Sunset Strip, FBI, Scruples)
ATHLETICS
Vincent Edward “Bo” Jackson, 48, former baseball player, former football player
1931 Bill Walsh, Pro Football Hall of Famer: Bengals, Chargers; football coach: Stanford, 49ers: Super Bowl XVI, XIX, XXIII
Paul Westphal, 60, NBA guard (Celtics, Suns)
BUSINESS & EDUCATION
Joan Ganz Cooney, 81, founder of the Children’s Television Workshop and creator of “Sesame Street,”
G. Gordon Liddy, 80, convicted Watergate coconspirator, radio talk show host
POLITICS
1924 Shirley Chisholm (D-Rep-NY), 1st black congresswoman/presidential candidate
1874 Sir Winston Churchill (C) British PM (1940-45, 1951-55, Nobel 1953)
1936 Abbie Hoffman, 1960s cultural revolutionary [Yippie]; one of the Chicago Eight; author: Revolution for the Hell of It, Steal this Book;
SCIENCE & RELIGION
1915 Henry Taube chemist (Nobel 1983)
♦Today’s Obituaries♦
Cleopatra, Egyptian queen, suicide @ 39 in 30BCE
Norman Cousins, editor (Saturday Review), heart failure @ 75 in 1990
Herbert B. Khaury Tiny Tim, singer with the falsetto warble and ukulele ("Tiptoe Through the Tulips" ), heart failure @ 64 in 1996
Marcello Malpighi, father of microscopic anatomy, apoplexy @ 66 in 1694
Herbert Manfred Zeppo Marx, comedic actor, cancer @ 78 in 1979
♦Today’s Events♦
ARTS
2004 Longtime Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings of Salt Lake City, Utah finally loses, leaving him withUS$2,520,700, television's biggest game show winnings.
ATHLETICS
1948 Baseball's Negro National League disbands
1956 Archie Moore was defeated by Floyd Patterson.
BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1886 1st commercially successful AC electric power plant opens, Buffalo
1998 Exxon and Mobil sign a $73.7 billion USD agreement to merge, thus creating Exxon-Mobil, the world's largest company.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1769 Gaspar de Portolá has led an expedition to explore parts of the central California coastline. While near San Jose Creek, a group of local Indians provides them with some food.
1836 The United States signs a treaty (7 stat. 527) with the Wahpaakootah, Susseton,and Upper Medawakanton tribes of Sioux Indians.
POLITICS (US)
1804 Impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase begins
POLITICS (International)
1782 Britain signs agreement recognizing US independence
1803 Spain cedes her claims to Louisiana Territory to France
1947 Day after UN decree for Israel, Jewish settlements attacked
SCIENCE & RELIGION
1954 In Sylacauga, Alabama, United States, the Hodges Meteorite crashes through a roof and hits a woman taking an afternoon nap in the only documented case of a human being hit by a rock from space.
ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
He spent 5 years as a slave in North Africa before he began work on the first modern Spanish novel
Who was Cervantes?
Dublin Theatre formed from the Irish Literary Theatre founded by W.B. Yeats & Lady Gregory
What is The Abbey?
Milan Kundera, a Czech, lived in France when he published “The Unbearable Lightness of” this
What is Being?
In some versions of the story, he was unable to look at the Holy Grail after his adulterous affair
Who was Lancelot?
The 3 sections that comprise Dante's “Divine Comedy”
What are The Inferno, Il Purgatorio, Il Paradiso
∞ PICTURE
A straw hat
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