30 March 2010~~Week 14 of 2010: 89 days this year…276 remain
‡ Scottish Proverbs
A misty morning may become a clear day.
From saving comes having.
‡ Free Ramblings
Our non-elected Governor is upset with our elected Attorney General. The long serving Attorney General has told her that a lawsuit against the Health Care bill will be a waste of Arizona money. Even though our state is broke, the governor called another special session today to bypass the AG and have the state add its name to the lawsuit of other states. These legislators only make $24K for their regular work with a daily stipend. Any special sessions are paid separately. This is their 8th special session since the governor took office. These people don’t work for free. Yeah, I know, it’s a full moon and strange things always happen.
I understand that the 2010 census is very important. I have never had a problem with being counted. In the 2000 census the Navajo Nation really pushed the importance of the filling out the form. I did that, and then had an actual census taker come to my house with a whole bunch of questions, like how many bathrooms I had and how many vehicles I had. That survey took almost an hour. The one question on every census form is “What is your race?” It has been there since the first census in 1790. This decade I am becoming aware of how difficult this question is for many to answer. Our nation has always been a salad bowl. Most Federal Funding is based on some kind of ‘race’ in some form or another. Our country has been obsessed with it since our beginnings. I heard an NPR story about a guy who has a Puerto Rican mother and an Iranian father. He doesn’t know how to answer, and on the 2000 census he was told to answer ‘white’ because Iranians are considered ‘white’ somewhere. Race is defined in the dictionary as “a group of persons related by common descent or heredity”. With the number of bi- or multi-racial persons living here, it seems that the census bureau should find a better way to ask the question, so they get good answers. They will use this data to tell us what part of the population is in each race in each city, town, county, state, etc. If one has a grandparent who is a full-blooded Native American, you are considered American Indian. In many parts of the US, if you have an African American in your heritage, you are considered that race. It is certainly time for our nation to develop a successful way to determine one’s ethnic background or to change the laws that provide funding to various groups based on the census criteria. And why is a person with a British mother and an Irish father simply counted as ‘white’? Strange pigeon-holing here?
We had another lunch today, at a new Greek Restaurant. Great food. (I had a huge Gyro and a salad on the side and it cost only $5. Can’t beat that. Great conversation. Cheryl’s trip to find her family history was semi-successful. She got back into the early 1700’s but her relative never put his parent’s names on any documents. So her next move is to do the DNA thing. She will be using her uncle’s (father’s brother) DNA since male DNA can provide more information on the paternal side of her family. Martha did this a couple of years ago and learned a lot. I am still amazed at the number of locals eat lunch at restaurants. We usually arrive at our chosen destination about 11:30 and have no problem getting a good table or booth. When we leave about 1:00, the restaurant usually has people waiting to be seated. For so many years, the only time I went out for lunch was when I was at a conference, and I always figured that the large crowds were because of the conference. Turns out, many people eat out lunch every day. I am glad this occurs, as Flagstaff has a number of nice lunch spots and they need the business.
We had a nice day today…high was 65° and it was fairly clear. The weatherman is preparing us for lots of wind and snow soon. The wind gusts will be above 50mph, the expected snow level and expected depth are still unknown. Our altitude varies so much in this area we are always aware of snow level…the altitude where it will snow. Within five miles the depths of snow can vary quite a bit—one high area can get 12” and a lower area nearby can get only a trace.
‡ A Quick Smile
Maury ran a small commercial real estate company. One day, back in the eighties, he sold his interest in one of his projects for 3 million dollars.
The only problem was that the guy who bought him out was a big shot in his very small hometown in Pennsylvania, and he wanted Maury to use the local bank branch.
So Maury goes in to the bank and tells the teller he'd like to open a few accounts. The teller goes through the list of gifts you can get for your initial deposit. $300 gets you a toaster, $600 for a television, etc. The teller then asks him how much he would like to deposit. Without saying a word, Maury hands her the cashier's check.
The teller turns bright red, and runs to get her manager. The manager escorts him into her office, where they sit down.
"Sir, welcome to our town. We're thrilled to have you as a customer. What can I get you?"
To which Maury replied, "I'll take 10,000 toasters."
‡ Random Fact
~In 1953, it took 27 hours to create one Marshmallow Peep. Today, it takes six minutes.
~The first Peeps were squeezed one at a time out of a pastry tube and the eyes were painted on by hand. Now, machines create 3,500 Peeps' eyes per minute.
~Just Born's Bethlehem, Pa., factory makes more than 1 billion Peeps a year -- that's 4 million Peeps a day.
‡ Puzzle
In each of these puzzles, a proverb is written with exactly one letter of each word replaced with another. Can you figure out what the original proverb is?
1 If as dot oven mill she far lazy sines.
2 Won't try omer spiller mink.
3 Ale than flitters in cot goad.
‡ Side Show Stories
MALMO, Sweden - The warden of a Swedish jail said a prisoner received an official warning for using flatulence to express his discontent about his situation. Anders Eriksson, warden of the Kirseberg prison in Malmo, said guards filed numerous complaints against the 21-year-old prisoner, whose name was not reported, alleging "a series of concerted attacks" in the form of constant wind-breaking, Britain's The Daily Telegraph reported. "I have worked within the prisons and probation service since 1986 and I have never experienced a situation where behavior of this sort has led to punishment," Eriksson said in an interview with Sweden's Metro newspaper. Authorities said the prisoner offered an explanation for his behavior. "I had an upset stomach while I was playing cards but did not want to fart there. So I went over to the guards instead," he was quoted as saying. The prisoner was issued an official warning and could face punishment for any future attacks of intentional flatulence, Eriksson said.
‡ 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•
28-4/3
Root Canal Awareness Week
• 30 March Observances—US/UN/World •
I Am In Control Day
Doctors Day
Grass Is Always Browner On The Other Side Of The Fence Day
Pencil Day: 1st patented
•30 March Observances—by country •
Palestine: Land Day: since 1976 when Palestinians united to not accept Israel land plan
Trinidad and Tobago: Spiritual Baptist/Shouter Liberation Day: since 1951 which allowed them to practice their religion, had been banned since 1917. Very similar practices to American Shakers
‡Number One Songs in…
1945 ►Accentuate the Positive - Johnny Mercer
1953 ►Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes - Perry Como
1961 ►Dedicated to the One I Love - The Shirelles
1969 ►Time of the Season - The Zombies
1974 ►Sunshine on My Shoulders—John Denver
1977 ►Dancing Queen - Abba
1985 ►We are the World - USA for Africa
•What Happened on this Day •
In The Arts
1778 ►Playwright Voltaire crowned with laurel wreath
1923 ►The Audubon Ballroom in New York City was the scene of the first dance marathon.
1964 ►Jeopardy, developed by Merv Griffin, premiered.
1966 ►Barbra Streisand stars on "Color Me Barbra" special on CBS
In Athletics
1889 ►John T Reid opens 1st US golf course (Yonkers NY)
In Business or Education
1909 ►The Queensboro Bridge also known as the 59th Street Bridge, linking the New York boroughs of Manhattan and Queens, opened.
1998 ►The German car maker BMW buys Rolls-Royce cars for $570 million
In Politics
1802: The Indian Trade and Intercourse Act, determining commerce between Natives and Non-natives passed
1822 ►Congress combined East & West Florida into Florida Territory
1867 ►US purchases Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000 (2¢ an acre-Seward's Folly)
1948 ►Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin ordered all road and rail access to Berlin, Germany blocked.
1981 ►President Reagan shot & wounded by John W Hinckley Jr
In Science/Religion
1842 ►Ether was used as an anaesthetic for 1st time by Dr Crawford Long
1932 ►Amelia Earhart is 1st woman to fly solo cross the Atlantic
1950 ►Phototransistor invention announced, Murray Hill NJ
• Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1987 ►Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers sold for $39.85 million
• Born on this day •
Artists and Composers
Francisco Jose de Goya, 1746, Fuendetodos Spain, painter/etcher
Vincent van Gogh, 1853, Zundert Netherlands, artist
Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV
John Astin, 80, actor (“The Addams Family”; stage: The Three Penny Opera), director
Warren Beatty, 72, actor (Bonnie and Clyde), director (Reds, Dick Tracy), producer
Tracy Chapman, 46, singer (“Fast Car”)
Eric Clapton, 65, singer, songwriter, guitarist, Ripley, England
Robbie Coltrane (Anthony Robert McMillan), 60, actor Rutherglen, Scotland, (GoldenEye, the Harry Potter films)
Celine Dion, 42, singer, Charlemagne, QC, Canada
Jason Dohring, 28, actor (“Veronica Mars,” Black Cadillac)
Richard Dysart, 81, actor (“LA Law”)
M.C. Hammer (Stanley Kirk Burrell) , 47, rapper
Norah Jones, 31, singer
Frankie Laine [Frank Paul LoVecchio], 1913, singer
Peter Marshall (Pierre La Cock), 83, television host, actor
Ray McAnally, 1926, Buncrana County Donegal Ireland, actor (My Left Foot)
Paul Reiser, 53, actor (Diner, “Mad About You”)
Athletes
Lomas Brown, 47, NFL tackle (Lions, Cardinals)
Jerry Lucas, 70, Basketball Hall of Famer
Secreteriat, 1970, race horse, triple crown (1973)
Business, Education Leaders
Sir John Hawkins, 1719, England, wrote 1st history of music
Political Leaders
McGeorge Bundy, 1919, president of the Ford Foundation; Special Assistant for National Security Affairs under U.S. Presidents Kennedy and Johnson
Scientists /Religious Leaders
Sergey Ilyushin, 1894, Russian aerospace engineer (d. 1977)
Eddie Jordan, 1948, Former owner/ designer of Jordan Grand Prix
•Today’s Obits •
James F Cagney, 1986, actor (Public Enemy, Angels With Dirty Faces, Yankee Doodle Dandy), @ 86
George (Beau) Brummell Dandy, 1840, fashion guru, stroke @ 61
Mahatma Gandhi, 1948, assassinated in New Delhi @ 79
Betsy Perk [Christina E], 1906, journalist/writer/feminist, @ 73
HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, 2002, @ 101
Dewitt Wallace, 1981, US founder (Reader's Digest), @ 91
‡ ANSWERS to puzzle
1 If as dot oven mill she far lazy sines: It is not over till the fat lady sings.
2 Won't try omer spiller mink: Don't cry over spilled milk.
3 Ale than flitters in cot goad: All that glitters is not gold.
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