This is Week 44 of 2010►Day 306 with 59 days left.
Flagstaff Weather: H—60°; L—34°; RH—21%; sky—clear and wind— 18 mph with 25mph gusts
QUOTE FOR THE DAY—
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all. William Shakespeare Hamlet, Act 3, scene 1
FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
I started off the week keeping busy. It was starting to get windy this morning, so I was out there, in the wind, taking down my Halloween decorations. It was so easy yesterday to put them up—with no wind. This morning was a little more ‘exciting’. I stood on a chair to hang some of the decorations from my porch roof. In the wind, it was a little precarious. I got it done quickly, and then had to deal with the blue spruce decorations. Again, for those who don’t know, blue spruce have very sharp needles and a lot of them. The wind was blowing the decorations which were held on to branches with small strings. Of course, they had twisted and turned due to the wind, so a pair of gloves was needed to untwist and then remove them. It took about an hour to get everything down and back inside. Then I headed for stores. Growing up in the late 50’s and 60’s I learned early that the ‘day after’ a holiday was the time to buy things for the next year. I found some new decorations at 50% off. I know they will be 75% off in a couple of days, but by then the pickins will be very slim. I did find a few things so am ready for next Halloween. When I got home, I packed up all the decorations and costume into two medium sized plastic containers and put them away. Then I got out my ‘fall’ decorations—or Thanksgiving stuff. I have a couple of wreaths, some fall flowers, and one of those honey-combed paper turkeys. I know it is time to rearrange my living room furniture for the winter, but can’t come up with a plan in my brain that I like. The problem is my TV cable. The living room is long and narrow and the cable comes out of the interior long wall. I want the TV on the short interior wall but have to figure out a way to get the cable over there. I bought one of those office hide a cord floor covers last year, but don’t think it will work really well on the carpet. I have to do something before Christmas decorations come out. Last year I just didn’t like the place I put the tree and the only way to fix it is to move the furniture. I kept hoping the wind would die down so I could take a walk, and finally gave up on it ever stopping, put on a jacket and headed out. It was a short walk, but a walk none the less. So I am ready for a quiet evening and another busy day tomorrow.
The Navajo Nation is holding its presidential and council elections tomorrow. Because of that, our county recorder has said she expects a 60% turnout for tomorrows election, since much of Coconino country is on the rez. That may be true, but… When I was on the rez the tribal elections and the state and national elections were always on the same day. Unless something has changed in the past few years, it means that Navajos have to stand in two different lines and sometimes go to two different polling places to vote in both elections. The Navajo Nation has its own election board and its own voting regulations. While non-Navajos can vote for state and national elections on the Rez, they cannot vote in the Navajo elections. In Tuba, my Navajo neighbors voted at the community center for the state and national election and at the Chapter House for the Navajo Election. These two places were only about 50 yards apart, but required standing in two lines. At the smaller precincts, like Tonalea or Kaibeto, the two elections were in the same building, but still had two lines, two sets of people checking ID, two sets of poll watchers, and two separate ballots. We’ll see on Wednesday how many people actually vote. The Navajo Nation vote will be historical. It is the first time a woman has run for President and it is the first time two New Mexicans are running for the office. Just like other elections, this campaign has been dirty with lots of mudslinging. The Navajos will be entering a new era with this election—their tribal council will now be 24 instead of the historical 88 members. I haven’t ever gotten into tribal politics and always just worked with their elected leaders. The bottom line was always that Navajos elect their leadership. They don’t need non-Navajos interfering, ever.
I am excited to see what tomorrow will bring. I am glad I live in a country where we have elections. I am happy that my one vote counts. I have visited countries that don’t have that ability. Many countries do not allow their citizens to vote of changes in law or changes in their constitution. We have a lot of differing opinions here and many get very boisterous about their opinion. But, in the end, we have the ability to vote and then people follow the vote. They may still be boisterous, but they work within the system to get change.
HOLY MACKEREL: 1929▬Newsreel Theatre opened. The newsreel films were shown at the Embassy Theatre, 1560 Broadway, between 46th and 47th Streets in New York City. This first all-newsreel theatre in the United States also holds the distinction of being the first, and we might add, only movie theater in the U.S. to have had an all-female management and staff (1925)
JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(1984 games)(answers below) TV Detectives
$200- He was Detective Lieutenant Dan August before he was Sharky
$400- He played father-in-law to Betty Jones & now is uncle to Matt Houston
$600- Name of station police work out of in series with this theme Click Here to Listen
$800- Ex-"radio receptionist" now" partner in crime" with Lynda Carter
$1000- Det. whose show was spun off from "Barney Miller", but thrown back due to small ratings
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Supreme Court System
→No jeans or T-shirts allowed...visitors who wish to watch the Supreme Court in action must be "properly attired" or they will not be allowed to enter the courtroom.
→From 1932 to 1970, the sitting President of the United States kept up a "tradition" to have at least one Jewish member of the Supreme Court. Starting with President Herbert Hoover's nomination of Benjamin Cardozo, the trend continued until Richard Nixon broke the streak by nominating Harry Blackmun, a Methodist.
→When arresting a suspect, police are required to read them their "Miranda rights," including the right to "remain silent" and representation by an attorney. Named after Ernesto Miranda, this police procedure came from a landmark Supreme Court decision in the case of "Miranda v. Arizona."
→While Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in office, he introduced the "Judiciary Reorganization Bill" in 1937, which would have allowed the President of the United States to appoint a new justice for every sitting member of the Supreme Court over the age of 70. However, the Senate passed an amended
version of the bill that didn't include Roosevelt's "court packing" provision.
→In 1978, a play called "First Monday in October" debuted on Broadway. A political comedy, the story deals with the nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female Justice of the Supreme Court.
→In addition to her traditional black robe, O'Connor wore a white collar, similar to the one that many female college graduates are required to wear. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second female Supreme Court Justice, kept up that tradition.
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM
THREE FORKS, MT - Authorities in Montana said at least two horse owners have called police to report the theft of hair from their animals. The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said Sandy O'Rourke of Three Forks called Oct. 17 and reported someone had taken the tails off two of her horses and cut part of the mane from a third, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported Thursday. The theft came a month after Bob and Connie Riley of Dillon reported the theft of the hair from their horse's tail, investigators said. The horse owners said their animals were not injured, but they are inconvenienced as they rely on their tails to swat at flies. "It takes about four to five years for the tail to grow back," Bob Riley said.
A LITTLE LAUGH
As a secret shopper for a large department store, my sister made purchases at various chains and then reported back to supervisors on the clerks' performances. After a few weeks, I asked her if she was enjoying her new job.
"I love it!" she replied. "I'm getting paid for doing two of my favorite things in life--shopping and criticizing people."
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
An explanation of Karatsu Kunchi Festival: Click Here to View
GREY MATTER PICTURE
This is a close up of what object?
SOME CALENDAR INFORMATION
¤ Weekly Observances ¤
-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week 27-11/3: World Hearing Aid Awareness Week
1-7: Intimate Apparel Market Week
Give Wildlife A Break Week
National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week
Give Wildlife A Break Week
National Patient Accessibility Week
World Communication Week
7-13: National Nurse Practioner's Week, Pursuit of Happiness Week, National Rad Tech Week , Fraud Awareness Week, Dear Santa Letter Week, National Young Reader's Week, World Kindness Week
14-20: American Education Week, Geography Awareness Week, National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week, National Global Entrepreneurship Week
19-25:National Farm-City Week
21-28: National Bible Week, National Family Week, National Game & Puzzle Week, National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week, Better Conversation Week, Church/State Separation Week
¤ Today’s Observances ¤
National Deviled Egg Day
All Souls Day: Christian: to remember all ‘saved’ souls
Cookie Monster Day
Election Day
Traffic Directors’ Day
Israel: Balfour Declaration Day (1917)
His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.
Karatsu, Saga, Japan: Karatsu Kunchi (festival with lots of floats: see above)
Mauritius:Indian Arrival Day
Mexico/Portugal: Dia de Muertos/Day of the Dead—2nd day of celebration
North & South Dakota: Admission Day (1889)
Venezuela: Memorial Day
¤ Hit Songs on this date ¤
Click on Song Name to View!
1900...Because / Haydn Quartet (Original not available)
1910...Every Little Moment / Harry MacDonough & Lucy Isabelle Marsh (Original not available)
1920...Whispering / Paul Whiteman
1930...Body and Soul /Paul Whiteman
¤ Today’s Births ¤
╬ THE ARTS
k.d. lang, 49, singer, born Kathryn Dawn Lang at Consort, AB, Canada
♦♦Actors♦♦
Burt Lancaster, NYC, actor (From Here to Eternity, Elmer Gantry), born in 1913
Stefanie Powers, 68, actress (“Hart to Hart”)
Ray Walston, actor (My Favorite Martian), born in 1914
╬ ATHLETICS
David Knapp (Dave) Stockton, 69, golfer
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
Patrick Buchanan, 72, political commentator
╬ POLITICS
Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France, let them eat cake, born in 1755
Warren Gamaliel Harding, 29th President (1921-23), born in 1865
James Knox Polk, 11th President (D) (1845-1849), born in 1795
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
George Boole, mathematician (Boolean algebra), born in 1815
Daniel Boone, frontiersman/explorer (US Hall of Fame-1915), born in 1734
Shere Hite, 68, researcher on sexual behavior, author (The Hite Report, Women and Love)
¤ Today’s Obituaries ¤
Edith Bunker character, dies on "All in the Family", in 1980
Jenny Lind (Johanna Maria Lind), Swedish Nightingale, soprano, cancer @ 67 in 1887
George Bernard Shaw, Irish writer, Nobel laureate @ 94 in 1950
James Thurber, humorist (The Male Animal), pneumonia @ 66 in 1961
¤ Today’s Events ¤
╬ THE ARTS
1936▬The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is established
1960▬Penguin Books is found not guilty of obscenity in the Lady Chatterley's Lover case
╬ ATHLETICS
1879▬In a 6-day footrace a Mr Weston loses to a horse, 900 to 885 km
1972▬Construction begins on the Kingdome, Seattle
╬ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1904▬British newspaper, "The Daily Mirror," begins publishing
1920▬KDKA (Pittsburgh) goes on the air as 1st commercial radio station
1959▬Charles Van Doren confesses, TV quiz show-"21," was fixed
╬ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1835▬2nd Seminole War begins in Osceola
1869▬Metis tribe force take over Fort Garry, Canada. This is another step in the rapidly increasing move toward rebellion.
1972▬500 Indians conclude the "Trail of Broken Treaties" march to Washington, D.C.. They seize part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs building until the 8th.
╬ POLITICS (US)
1783▬Gen Washington bids farewell to his army
1917▬1st US soldiers killed in combat in WW I
1983▬President Reagan signs a bill establishing Martin L King day
╬ POLITICS (International)
1930▬Haile Selassie is crowned emperor of Ethiopia.
1942▬Montgomery (Br) defeats Rommel (Ger) in battle of Alamein (WW II)
╬ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1931▬The DuPont Company of Wilmington, DE announced the first synthetic rubber. It was known as DuPrene.
1947▬Howard Hughes' "Spruce Goose" flies for 1st (& last) time
1988▬The Morris worm, the first internet-distributed computer worm to gain significant mainstream media attention, is launched from MIT.
╬ US Presidents elected 11/2
1824▬Popular presidential vote 1st recorded; Jackson beats J.Q. Adams
1880▬James A Garfield (R) elected President
1948▬Truman beats Dewey, confounding pollsters & newspapers
1976▬Former Georgia Gov Jimmy Carter (D) defeats incumbent Gerald R Ford (R) in race for Presidency becoming the first president from the Deep South since 1844
GREY MATTER ANSWERS
↔ JEOPARDY
$200- He was Detective Lieutenant Dan August before he was Sharky:
Who was Burt Reynolds?
$400- He played father-in-law to Betty Jones & now is uncle to Matt Houston:
Who was Buddy Ebsen?
$600- Name of station police work out of in series with this theme:
What is Hill Street Blues Station?
$800- Ex-"radio receptionist" now" partner in crime" with Lynda Carter:
Who was Loni Anderson?
$1000- Det. whose show was spun off from "Barney Miller", but thrown back due to small ratings: What was Fish?
↔ PICTURE
A caster on a chair
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