Thursday

18 February 2010--Week 7 of 2010: 49 days this year…316 remain

» Quote Times Two «

"Many a family tree needs trimming."~Kin Hubbard

“Those who can adapt to change are those who will continue to grow.” ~Justin Ramalho

» Free Ramblings «

This is my first Olympics at home since I retired. (I was in Scotland during the China Summer Olympics) I had no idea how many hours of Olympics were on TV. I am getting very little done as every time I turn on the TV, there are more Olympics. These athletes spend hours every day for years to prepare for the Olympics, the least I can do is watch them show off their ability. I did watch some curling today. Not sure what I saw. It has its own language, and must take a long time to figure out. Strategy is the key. The announcer made it sound more like a chess match than anything. But it was fun to watch.

Three storms are headed our way—first one to have 1-4”, the second storm will have less, then the third one will be here but too early to tell how much. Gotta love winter in a mountain town. It was hard to believe as we reached 50° today.

»* Winter Olympics* «

The Vancouver Olympics open on Feb 12.

German luge master Georg Hackl is the only athlete to medal in the same event in five straight games. (1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, and 2002)

»Side Show Stories—«

WATERVILLE, Ohio - An Ohio strip club said it raised nearly $1,000 during a "Lap dances for Haiti" charity event. Bosses at Marilyn's on Monroe, which does not actually allow lap dances, said all the money from the club's $10 cover charge Sunday would go to Hope, or ISOH/IMPACT, a charity based in Waterville, Ohio, that is participating in Haitian earthquake relief efforts, the Toledo Blade reported. General Manager Kenny Soprano said local businesses wanted to give back to the community. "We'd been racking our brains for about a month or so, thinking about what we could do," he said. "You don't hear much about strip clubs giving back to the community." Some wonder if the money was all in singles?

»Random Fact: «

Licensed New York taxi drivers collectively speak 60 languages

» 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 four X four sections.

1 heap (HINT: B - - -)

2 little picture (HINT: - c - -)

3 bright, short-lived star (HINT: - - v -)

4 annoying insect (HINT: - - - T)

» Calendar Information «

☼ February’s Month Long Observances ☼

Birthstone: Amethyst …Flower: Violet and Primrose

Adopt A Rescued Rabbit Month^AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month^American Heart Month^Bake for Family Fun Month^Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month^Grapefruit Month^International Boost Self-Esteem Month^International Expect Success Month^Jobs in Golf Month^Library Lovers Month^Marijuana Awareness Month^National African American History Month^National Bird Feeding Month^National Black History Month^National Care About Your Indoor Air Month^National Cherry Month^National Condom Month^National Children's Dental Health Month^National Laugh-Friendly Month^National Mend A Broken Heart Month^National Parent Leadership Month^National Pet Dental Health Month^National Senior Independence Month^National Time Management Month^Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month^Pull Your Sofa Off The Wall Month^Relationship Wellness Month^Responsible Pet Owner's Month^Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month^Spiritual Teachers Month^Spunky Old Broads Month^ Sweet Potato Month^Wise Health Care Consumer Month^ Youth Leadership Month^

☼ Observance Weeks in February ☼

Alzheimers and Dementia Awareness Week: 14-21

Love a Mench Week: 14-21

National Condom Week: 14-21

National Engineers Week: 14-20

National Pancake Week: 14-20

International Friendship Week: 17-23

☼ 17 February Observances—US/UN/World ☼

National Battery Day

Introduce A Girl to Engineering Day

Pluto Day (Planet is Discovered by Clyde Tombaugh)

☼17 February Observances—by country ☼

Gambia : Independence Day (from UK: 1965)

Iceland : National Bun Day (cream puffs)

Israel : Mother's Day

Nepál : Constitutional Day (1951)

☼ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1930…Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh located a new planet while in the observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona

☼ Born on this day ☼

     » The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Helen Gurley Brown, 88, author (Sex and the Single Girl), publisher (Cosmopolitan)

Toni Morrison, 79, Nobel Prize–winning novelist (Beloved, Jazz, Tar Baby, Sula)

Boris L Pasternak, in 1890, Russian poet/writer (Dr Zhivago)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Bill Cullen, in 1920, TV game show host (over 20 different games)

Matt Dillon, 46, actor (Crash, There’s Something About Mary, Drugstore Cowboy)

Barbara Hale, 88, actress (Della Street-Perry Mason)

George Kennedy, 83, actor (Oscar for Cool Hand Luke)

Jillian Michaels, 36, personal trainer, television personality (“The Biggest Loser”)

Juice Newton (Judy Cohen), 58, singer

Kim Novak, 77, actress (Vertigo, Of Human Bondage)

Yoko Ono, 77, artist, musician

Jack Palance [Walter Palanuik], in 1920, actor (City Slickers)

Molly Ringwald, 42, actress (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink)
Cybill Shepherd, 60, actress (The Last Picture Show, “Moonlighting,” “Cybill”)

John Travolta, 55, actor (Pulp Fiction, Urban Cowboy, Saturday Night Fever, “Welcome Back, Kotter”)

Vanna White, 53, television personality (“Wheel of Fortune”)

     »Athletes

--

     »Business, Education, Politics

Mary I Tudor [Bloody Mary], in 1516, 1st reigning queen of Great Britain

George Peabody, in 1795 , merchant/philanthropist

Louis Comfort Tiffany, in 1848, glassmaker (stained glass windows)

     »Science/Religion

Ramakrishna, in 1836, Hindu saint (preached unity of all religions)

☼Today’s Obits ☼

Harry Caray, in 1998, sportscaster (Chicago Cubs), @ 77

Andy Devine [Jeremiah Schwartz], born in Flagstaff, raised in Kingman, AZ, in 1977, actor (Jingles on Wild Bill Hickock), leukemia @ 71

[Ralph] Dale Earnhardt, in 2001, NASCAR driver/"The Intimidator", crash during Daytona 500 @ 49

Martin Luther, in 1546, biblical scholar/religious reformer, stroke @ 62

Robert Merrill, in 1998, songwriter (Funny Girl), suicide @ 76

Mary Stuart, IN 1587, Queen of Scots (1560-87), beheaded @ 44

Frances Willard, in 1898, founder (Woman's Christian Temperance), influenza @ 58

☼What happened on this day? ☼

     » The Arts

1678…John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress" is published

1735…The first opera performed in America, known as either Flora or Hob in the Well, was presented in Charleston, SC

1885…Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" published

     »Athletics

1932…Sonja Henie wins her 6th straight World Women's figure skating title

1960…The VIIIth Winter Olympic Games were opened in Squaw Valley, California

1994…Dan Jansen skates world record 1000 meter (1:12.43)

     »Business, Education, Politics

1745…Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops occupy Inverness Scotland

1841…1st continuous filibuster in US Senate began, lasting until March 11

1867…The Sac and Fox sign a treaty (15 stat.495). They sell much of what remains of their reservation.

1908…1st US postage stamps in coils issued

1951…Nepál becomes a constitutional monarchy

     »Science/Religion

1688…Quakers conduct 1st formal protest of slavery in Germantown PA

1979…Snow falls in the Sahara Desert

» Number One Songs in…

1945…Don’t Fence Me In - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters

1953…Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes - Perry Como

1961…Calendar Girl - Neil Seda

1969…Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone

1977…Torn Between Two Lovers - Mary MacGregor

» ANSWERS to puzzle «

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