Saturday

9 days so far this year…356 days remain in 2010
►Provocative Quote
"Someone is speaking well of you."
~unknown
►Free Ramblings
Technology can drive us all crazy. Today I dropped of a prescription at the local pharmacy. I was told “our system is down”, and that meant they couldn’t fill the script right then. Not a big deal, it is my regular blood pressure medicine and the Dr. had just given me a renewal script. Then I find out that the system has been down since yesterday morning. They had no idea when it would be back up, but were hopeful sometime today. The medical community recommends that we keep all our scripts at one pharmacy allowing the pharmacist to double or triple check for interactions. Actually I thought the insurance company did that too. Had I been sick, and needed an antibiotic I would have to go to another pharmacy. It seems impossible, that in this day and age, when a system crashes, the huge pharmacy network should either have a back-up system, or a way for the local pharmacist to fill the prescription. Guess it is easier to just say “the system is down.” It is a new year, so I have to reach my script deductible before it kicks in. That means that for a couple of months, my regular $2.12 script will cost about $25. I don’t understand it, and I just pay it. I do know that if I have a big medical ‘procedure’ and pass some other magical number in the amount I have paid, any scripts I have and any co-pays are free for the remainder of that year. I guess that’s a good plan. Please, somebody fix heath care so I can benefit more while I am fairly healthy.

Now we all know, Sara Palin had a brain fart. Big deal, we all have them every so often. It turns out that Sara knew she was running against the Obama and Biden. Somehow her brain was always slipping into “Mr. O’Biden”, While Joe is Irish, his family has never been known as O’Biden’s. To prevent a blunder at the debate, she enters, shakes hands with Mr. Biden and quips, “can I call you Joe?” He agrees and she only called him Mr. O’Biden once. For some reason, this is news. So watch out for those pesky brain farts.

We had some fairly good weather today. We only got to 38° but there was little breeze, so a light jacket worked just fine. While I did run some errands today, I also did get some light cleaning done—that means I got out the vacuum cleaner, turned it on and pushed it around the carpet. No furniture was moved, no difficult areas, like under the tables were done. Just a quick run. I also fed the birds, again. They seem to be really hungry. I figure the smart birds migrated long ago, and the ones that are left aren’t very smart and need help finding food. Besides, they are enjoyable to watch.
►Quotes from Values.com—LIVE LIFE
“There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life.”
~Federico Fellini: Filmmaker
►Side Show Stories
DUNCHURCH, England - Residents of a British town said pranksters carried on a 40-year tradition of disguising a statue in the village, this time as Homer Simpson. Tony Kember, 66, chairman of the Dunchurch, England, historical society, said the village's 19th century statue of Lord John Scott was disguised as "The Simpsons" patriarch as part of an annual prank tradition that has previously featured the statue dressed as Harry Potter, Spider-Man, Guy Fawkes and Shrek, The Sun reported. "I have lived in the village for over 40 years and people were dressing up the statue before that," Kember said. "Nobody in the village seems to know who the culprits are -- or if they do they are not telling anyone," he said. "People in the village love seeing the statue dressed up, it is always a surprise which character he will be."
►Random Fact
People with the rare condition called "synesthesia" not only taste colors, but see words and feel flavors. Each person is unique in how they perceive the world; some smell colors or taste shapes, while others associate colors with sound, perceiving each note as a different hue. The condition has been linked to less blood flow to those parts of the brain that receive sensory stimulation.
§ Interesting Statistics
*Note: I realize that statistics can be made to say just about anything.
~60% Estimated decline, since 2003, of Christians living in Iraq.
~71% of people in 21 nations surveyed trust that President Obama will “do the right thing” in world affairs.
§ January Month Long Observances
Birthstone: Garnet …Flower: Carnation
Book Blitz Month * Bath Safety Month * Birth Defects Month * California Dried Plum Digestive Month * Celebration of Life Month * Cervical Cancer Screening Month * Financial Wellness Month * High Tech Month * International Creativity Month * International Quality of Life Month * International Wayfinding Month * International Wealth Mentality Month * National Be On-Purpose Month * National Bird Feeding Month * National Clean Up Your Computer Month * National Get Organized Month * National Glaucoma Awareness Month * National Hot Tea Month * National Mail Order Gardening Month * National Mentoring Month * National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month * National Poverty in America Awareness Month * National Radon Action Month * National Skating Month * National Soup Month * National Volunteer Blood Donor Month * Oatmeal Month * Rising Star Month * Self-help Group Awareness Month * Senior Women’s Travel Month * Shape Up US Month * Thyroid Awareness Month
§ Observance Weeks in January
Someday We'll Laugh About This Week: 2-9
Home Office Safety and Security Week: 3-9
Women's Self Empowerment Week: 4-10
Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14
§ 9 January Observances—US/UN/World
Play God Day
Balloon Ascension Day—since 1793 for 1st successful flight in US
Fruitcake Toss Day—Annual event in Manitou Springs, CO
Positively Penguins Day—to learn more about penguins.
Connecticut : Ratification Day (1788)
►9 January Observances—by country
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republic Day since 1992
Manila, Philippines: Black Nazarene feast in the Quiapo district: since 1606 a dark wood statue of Christ on the cross is walked through the streets.
Panama: Martyr Day [Dia de los Martires ]: Commemorates the riots over the Panama Flag flying alongside the American flag in the Canal Zone in 1964. 21 locals and 4 US soldiers died.
Republika Srpska: Republic Day since 1991
► Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1984…“WHERE’S THE BEEF?” Clara Peller was first seen by TV viewers
►Who was born on this day?
     ~ The Arts
Joan Baez in 1941 folk singer/human rights advocate
Jimmy Boyd in 1939 - singer: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Karel Capek in 1890 (Czechoslovakia) writer; coined the word "robot"
Bob Denver in 1935 actor (Dobie Gillis, Gilligan's Island)
Judith Krantz in 1928 author
Fernando Lamas in 1915 (Argentina) actor ("You look marvelous")
Dave Matthews in 1967 singer/musician (Dave Matthews Band)
Jimmy Page in 1944 (England) rock guitarist (Led Zeppelin)
Lizette Woodworth Reese in 1856 US poet (Branch of May, Tears)
Chic Young in 1901 cartoonist (Blondie)
     ~Athletics
Bart Starr in 1934 NFL quarterback/coach (Packers)
     ~Business, Education, Politics
Richard Milhous Nixon in 1913 - 36th U.S. Vice President; 37th U.S. President
Joseph B Strauss in 1870 civil engineer/builder (Golden Gate Bridge)
~Science/Religion
1902 – Saint Josemaría Escrivá, Spanish Catholic priest and founder of Opus Dei
►Who Died on this day?
Caroline Herschel in 1843 "1st lady of astronomy", @ 98
Marco Polo in 1324 Italian explorer, @ 70
Johann Strauss Austrian conductor/Royal ball director, @ 72
►What happened on this day?
1493…1st sight of manatees (by Christopher Columbus)
1811…1st Women's Golf Tournament held
1861…1st hostile act of Civil War; Star of the West fired on, Sumter SC
1903…Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota established
1908…Muir Woods National Monument, California established
1936…Semi-automatic rifles adopted by US army
1937…The first issue of the periodical LOOK went on sale. 1942…US Joint Chiefs of Staff created
1951…The United Nations headquarters officially opened in New York City.
1956…Abigail Van Buren's "Dear Abby" column 1st appears in newspapers
1958…Toyota and Datsun make their first appearances in the United States at the Imported Motor Car Show in Los Angeles, California.
1960…Building of Aswan dam in Egypt, begins
1984…“WHERE’S THE BEEF?” Clara Peller was first seen by TV viewers
1991…Baseball officially bans Pete Rose from being elected to Hall of Fame
2007…Apple introduces the 4.5 inch X 2.4 inch Apple iPhone which epitomizes the next generation of mobile phone devices,
►Rhyme & Reason Puzzle
Answer the following clue in two rhyming words (e.g. an obese feline is a fat cat) If only one number is given, the answer is a word featuring internal rhyme (e.g. voodoo)
1 pseudo- sandwich meat (5,7):
2. retracts ordinances (9,4):
3. exile people from Barcelona (6,7):
4. lead a lion-collective (5,5):
5. monies given to forward the art of monotonous singing (5,4):
^
^
^
^
^
Scroll down for answers
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
ANSWERS
1 pseudo- sandwich meat (5,7): Phony bologna
2. retracts ordinances (9,4): withdraws laws
3. exile people from Barcelona (6,7): Banish Spanish
4. lead a lion-collective (5,5): guide pride
5. monies given to forward the art of monotonous singing (5,4): drone loan