Tuesday 3-23

♣ 23 March 2010~~Week 12 of 2010: 82 days this year…283 remain ♣

♣ Two Quotes to think about…Today ♣

“People shop for a bathing suit with more care than they do a husband or wife. The rules are the same. Look for something you'll feel comfortable wearing. Allow for room to grow.”

~ Erma Bombeck

“Hekima ni moto hupatikana kwa jirani.” (Swahili) [“Wisdom is like fire. People take it from others.” ~ Proverb

♣ Free Ramblings ♣

I didn’t l listen to a lot of news today. When I did turn it on, there were the Republicans spewing venom about last night’s vote. It took a year plus to pass, and it still isn’t over. So sad for them, so sad for the country.

It looks like the next big political issue will be Immigration. We’ve been there so many times. No one has been able to develop a clear cut plan to deal with the issue. YES WE CAN will have yet another uphill climb and here’s hoping it pulls our country together. Since every congressional member (except Sen. Daniel Akaka:D-HI) has distant relatives that were immigrants, arguments will be interesting. Interestingly Akaka is a Native Hawaiian and Chinese. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) is Neisi (2nd generation Japanese-American). There are currently no Native American Tribal members in Congress. Our entire governmental system has been built by immigrants. The issue of today’s immigration will certainly forget that. The real issue is of illegal’s, from my point of view, is simply economic fear. The fear is that these illegal’s economic contribution is not appropriate. I hope that the final product is a path to citizenship to those who have decided to become citizens. Those who don’t want citizenship, they can leave. This debate will be a long and difficult. That alone does not mean we shouldn’t have it. I hope that the crazies keep the debate civil.

We had a great day in Flagstaff. My deck made it to 65° and there was a beautiful blue sky most of the day. It is so hard not to want to get outside and plant, plant, plant. I know that there will be at least one more snow storm before summer. So, while I want to plant, I will hold off, and just enjoy Mother Nature as she welcomes spring.

Spring break is over, the local news is back. Life is good.

♣Random Fact: ♣

If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die. I thought it would rupture your eardrum…hmmm

♣Side Show Stories—♣

In November, Jim Bartek, 49, of Maple Heights, Ohio, announced he was ending his streak of 524 consecutive days in which he listened to the album "Nostradamus" by the heavy-metal group Judas Priest. [Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

♣ A quick smile ♣

A gnome is in the garden busily destroying some bushes when a house cat appears. "What are you?" asks the cat.

"A gnome," comes the reply. "I steal food from humans, I kill their plants, I make annoying music at night to drive them crazy, and I love mischief. And what, may I ask, are you?"

The cat replies, "Um, I'm a gnome."

♣ Puzzle ♣

Each of these phrases is the anagram of a recent celebrity. Rearrange the letters to identify the celeb.

1 Nerd Amid Late TV

2 I'm Only a Drone

3 Nobly Garlic

4 Merry Wardrobe

*Note: new puzzle tomorrow

♣ 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•

16-22

•National Inhalant and Poisons Awareness Week

19-27

National Bubble (blowers) Week

21-27

•Consider Christianity Week •Passion Week •Week of Solidarity with People's Struggling Against Racism & Discrimination

22-28

World Folk Tales & Fables Week

• 23 March Observances—US/UN/World •

National Organize Your Home Office Day

National Chip and Dip Day

World Meteorological Day

American Diabetes Association Alert Day

•23 March Observances—by country •

Bolivia : Memorial Day

Hungary, Poland – Day of Hungarian-Polish Friendship: since 1500;s.

Laos : Armed Forces Day

Pakistan : Republic Day (1956) becomes Islamic Republic of Pakistan: 6th largest population in world & first Islamic country

♣ Number One Songs in…

1946►Day by Day - Frank Sinatra

1954►Make Love to Me! - Jo Stafford

1962►Don’t Break the Heart that Loves You - Connie Francis

1970►Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel

1978►Stayin’ Alive - Bee Gees

1986►These Dreams - Heart

• Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1743 ►It was the first London performance of Handel’s Messiah, and King King George II was in the audience. In the middle of the Hallelujah Chorus, the King rose to his feet in appreciation of the great piece! The entire audience followed suit out of respect for the King. And so began the custom of standing during the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus.

• Born on this day •

…The Arts

Artists and Composers

Sir Muirhead Bone, 1876, (Glasgow Scotland), etcher/engraver of architecture

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Marty Allen, 1922, comedian (Allen & Rossi), "Hello Dere"

Louie Anderson, 57, comedian, actor (“Life with Louie”)

Joan Crawford (Lucille Fay LeSueur), 1904, Academy Award-winning actress

Perez Hilton (Mario Lavandeira), 32, gossip columnist, blogger

Chaka Khan (Yvette Marie Stevens), 57, singer

Patricia Richardson, 1952, actress (Jill-Home Improvement)

…Athletes
Dr. Roger Bannister, 81, (Middlesex, England) distance runner, broke the four-minute-mile record in 1954

Jason Kidd, 37, basketball player

Moses Eugene Malone, 56, Hall of Fame basketball player

…Business, Education

Fannie Farmer, 1857, actress (namesake of a candy company)

…Politics

Schuyler Colfax, 1823, 17th Vice President (1869-73)

…Science/Religion

Erich Fromm, 1900, psychoanalyst

Werner von Braun, 1912, (Germany), rocket expert

•Today’s Obits •

Dr Barney Clark, 1983, 1st artificial heart recipient , dies after 112 days at 62

Peter Lorre, 1964, actor (character villan), stroke @ 59

•What Happened on this Day •

…The Arts

1973 ►Concentration, the longest-running game show in television history, starring Hugh Downs, left the air after 15 years

…Athletics

1910 1st race at Los Angeles Motordrome (1st US auto speedway)

1994 Wayne Gretzky sets NHL record with 802 goals scored

…Business, Education.

1868 ►University of California founded (Oakland CA)
1912 ►Dixie Cup invented
1922 ►1st airplane lands at the US Capitol in Washington DC
1925 ►Tennessee becomes 1st state to outlaw teaching theory of evolution

…Politics

1708 ►English pretender to the throne James III lands at Firth of Forth

1775 ►Patrick Henry proclaims "Give me liberty or give me death"

1889 ►President Harrison opens Oklahoma for white colonization

1929 ►1st telephone installed in White House

1942 ►US move native-born of Japanese ancestry into detention centers

1983 ►US President Ronald Reagan introduces "Star Wars"-plan (SDI)

…Science/Religion

1794 ►Josiah G. Pierson patented a rivet machine.
1806 ►Lewis & Clark reach Pacific coast

♣ANSWERS to puzzle ♣

1 David Letterman: Nerd Amid Late TV

2 Leonard Nimoy: I'm Only a Drone

3 Billy Corgan: Nobly Garlic

4 Drew Barrymore: Merry Wardrobe

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