12-1-11

FYI: Blue text is a link… click on any blue text for more information!

Today’s “Geez”

1891 - James Naismith creates the game of basketball

1878 - 1st White House telephone installed

1909 - 1st Christmas Club payment made, to Carlisle Trust Co, Pa

1929 - Game of Bingo invented by Edwin S Lowe

1955 - Rosa Parks (black) arrested for refusing to move to the back of bus 

1957 - Sam Cooke and Buddy Holly and Crickets debut on Ed Sullivan Show

1959 - 12 nations sign treaty for scientific peaceful use of Antarctica

1965 - South Africa govt says children of white fathers are white

1969 - US gov’t holds its 1st draft lottery since WW II [I remember it well—at Williams dorm, UofCO—mine was 299]

1973 - Jack Nicklaus becomes 1st golfer to earn $2M in a year

1982 - Michael Jackson releases "Thriller"

♪♪ Happy Birthday To:♪♪                       

 

Free Rambling Thoughts   

Over the next four days we are supposed to get snow---somewhere around a foot. Winter will be officially here. Actually it already snowed here, but I missed it while I was in Ethiopia…so it will officially be here for me. I guess I’m ready.

We got together for our weekly lunch today. Cheryl brought some nice pics of her son, his wife and the kids. They had a nice Thanksgiving in California. Mary didn’t have pics but had great stories of her grandkids birthday party where she was a fortune teller. Her son goes all out for the twins. Mary actually had two Thanksgiving dinners and a birthday party over the weekend. They had dinner with Mary’s son and then dinner with Mike’s parents. Busy weekend for sure.

I had a short IM chat with our guide from Ethiopia this morning…he was waiting for his Japanese group of five to arrive for dinner. He says things are good, and really enjoyed our group. Nice.

NPR Sunday Puzzle…(answers at the end of post)

Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which the first word starts with T-O and the second word starts with P. For example, given, "a person who is responsible for organizing a series of live concerts," the answer would be "tour promoter."

1.     A classic scene in Animal house:

2.     Charmin  or Cottenelle:

3.     Native American carving with many faces:

4.     High stakes casino game on TV:

5.     A line of destruction after a storm:

6.     It’s leaves are dried and made for cigarettes:

7.     Front tip of an ice skate:

8.     Singer with the Heartbreakers:

9.     Husband of 2008 Republican VP candidate:

10.  Basic ingredient of pizza:

11.  Stud in a punk rockers mouth:

12.  Popular hybrid car:

13.  Schroeder’s musical instrument in Peanuts:

14.  Chocolate candy on a stick:

Wuzzles…What concept or phrase do these suggest?

   

Rules of Thumb   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

• If you're designing a chair and want to know how well your design will stand the test of time, imagine 30 of them lined up in a Laundromat.

Hmmmmm          

• Amount bin Laden paid to replace each cricket ball hit into his compound, according to a local boy: $0.59

Somewhat Useless Information   

• The name hamster derives from the German Hamster, which itself comes from earlier Old High German hamustro. Possibly related to Old Russian chomestru, which is either a blend of the root of Russian khomiak "hamster" and a Baltic word (cf. Lithuanian staras "hamster") or of Persian origin (cf. Av hamaestar "oppressor").
• Hamsters have poor eyesight; they are nearsighted and colorblind. "To compensate for their poor sight when in unfamiliar territory, hamsters have scent glands on their flanks (and abdomens in Chinese and dwarf hamsters). A hamster rubs these areas of his body against various objects, and leaves a trail of smells the hamster can follow to return to his home den.
• Hamsters are primarily considered crepuscular because they live underground during most of the day, only leaving their burrows about an hour before sundown and then returning when it gets dark. At one point they were considered nocturnal because they may get up during the night.
• Although hamsters do not hibernate per se, they do "close down" a number of systems, such as breathing and heartbeat rate, for short periods of time. These periods of torpor, which is "a state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility" can last up to seven to ten days.
• Although the Golden Hamster was first described scientifically in 1839, it was not until 1930 that researchers were able to successfully breed and domesticate hamsters. Pet Golden Hamsters are descended from hamsters first found and captured in Syria by zoologist Israel Aharoni.
• The best-known species of hamster is the Golden or Syrian Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), which is the type of hamster most commonly kept as a pet. It is also sometimes called a "fancy" hamster. There are also several variations, including long-haired varieties that grow hair several centimeters long and often require special care.

Yeah, It Really Happened                 

NORCROSS, Ga. - Police in Georgia said they were searching for a burglary suspect who allegedly left himself logged into Facebook on his victim's computer. Gwinnett County police allege Trevor Jones, 34, left his car running in the driveway of a home he burglarized near Norcross Nov. 15, and homeowner Stephanie White returned while he was still inside and took his keys and wallet, which contained his identification, from the vehicle, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Tuesday. White drove to the end of the street and saw Jones flee with items from her home, police said. Investigators allege Jones broke into a second home in the neighborhood later in the day and left himself logged into Facebook on the victim's computer. White's digital camera was discovered in the second victim's home, police said. Jones, who was on parole for a previous burglary charge, was being sought on charges of burglary, criminal trespassing and parole violation.

Guffaw…or at least smile     

A man goes to see his doctor. The doctor asks what is wrong and the man says, "Doctor, I think I'm a moth."

To this the doctor responds, "You think you're a moth? Well I don't think you need a doctor. Sounds like what you need is a therapist."

"Yeah I know," replies the patient. "I was on my way to see a therapist, but I came in here because I saw your light was on."

Searchin’ “You Tube” I found        

Rosa Parks Interview: 1956

Daybook Information        

…Happening This Month:

• Awareness Month of Awareness Months Month
• Bingo's Birthday Month
• Colorectal Cancer Education and Awareness Month 
• National Drunk & Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month 
• National Write A Business Plan Month 
• National Tie Month   
• Operation Santa Paws 
• Quince and Watermelon Month   
• Rising Star Month 
• Root Vegetables and Exotic Fruits Month   
• Safe Toys and Gifts Month 
• Spiritual Literacy Month 
• Tomato and Winter Squash Month  
• Universal Human Rights Month 
• World Aids Month 
• Worldwide Food Service Safety Month

 …Happening This Week: 1-7 

• Cookie Cutter Week 
• Tolerance Week  
• Recipe Greetings for The Holidays Week

Today Is                                                                       

• Bifocals at the Monitor Liberation Day 
• Civil Air Patrol Day
• Day With(out) Art Artists demonstrate against AIDS in 1989
• Eat a Red Apple Day
• National Pie Day
• Rosa Parks Day
• Special Kids Day
• World Aids Day
• UN International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

~*~

• Laos:National Day
• United Arab Emirates: National Day 

Today’s Events                                                             

Arts

1835 - Hans Christian Andersen published his 1st book of fairy tales

1887 - Sherlock Holmes 1st appears in print: "Study in Scarlet"

1903 - "The Great Train Robbery," the 1st Western film, released

Athletes

1956 - Frank Robinson (NL) & Luis Aparicio (AL) voted Rookie of the Year

1967 - Wilt Chamberlain set NBA record of 22 free throws misses

1990 - NY Knicks Patrick Ewing scores 50 points beating Charlotte 113-96

1997 - GS Warrior guard Latrell Sprewell, attacks his coach P J Carlesimo

Business

1831 - Erie Canal closes for entire month due to cold weather

1913 - 1st drive-up gasoline station opens (Pitts)

1913 - Continuous moving assembly line introduced by Ford (car every 2:38)

1951 - Golden Gate Bridge closes due to high winds

1998 - Exxon announces a $73.7 billion USD deal to buy Mobil, thus creating Exxon-Mobil, the world's largest company

Education

1750 - 1st American school to offer manual training courses opens, MD

Indigenous People

1805 - To renegotiate the Flint River Treaty of November 3, 1804, the United States invites 6 Creek Chiefs to Washington to meet with Secretary of War Henry Dearborn. They agree to pay the Creek $206,000 [2010US$: 2,867,823.73] for their two million acres instead of $200,000. But, the payments will be made over ten years, instead of in cash. The Creek also agree to allowing a road through their lands.

1831 - Peter Pitchlynn, and 400 other CHOCTAWs, board the steamer Brandywine in Memphis today. The steamer will transport them up to the Arkansas Post on the White River.

Politics [International]

1640 - Portugal regains independence after 60 years of Spanish rule

1918 - Iceland becomes independent state under Danish crown

1990 - British & French workers meet in English Channel's tunnel (Chunnel)

Politics [US]

1641 - Mass becomes 1st colony to give statutory recognition to slavery

1824 - House of Reps begins to end election deadlock between JQ Adams, Jackson, WH Crawford & H Clay: Adams eventually declared president

1921 - US Post Office establishes philatelic agency

1941 - US Civil Air Patrol (CAP) organizes

1978 - Pres Carter more than doubles national park system size

Religion

1742 - Empress Elisabeth orders expulsion of all Jews from Russia

1917 - Boys Town founded by Father Edward Flanagan west of Omaha Neb

Science

1783 - Charles & M N Roberts ascend 2,000' in hydrogen balloon

1936 - Bell Labs tests coaxial cable for TV use

1959 - 1st color photograph of Earth from outer space

1981 - The AIDS virus is officially recognized

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

Artists: [Authors, Composers]

1905 - Charles Finney, US, author (Circus of Dr Lao)

Athletes

Mike Flores, NFL defensive end (Washington Redskins) is 45

Greg McMichael, pitcher (Atlanta Braves) is 45

Steve Walsh, NFL quarterback (Chic Bears) is 45

Entertainers [Actors, Singers…]

Woody Allen, director, actor is 76

1929 - David Doyle, actor (John Bosley-Charlie's Angels)

1913 - Mary Martin, actress (Peter Pan) Larry Hagman's mom

Bette Midler, singer, actor is 66

Billy Paul, singer (Me & Mrs Jones) is 77

1940 - Richard Pryor, comedian/actor (Lady Sings the Blues, Stir Crazy)

1933 - Lou Rawls, American singer (Dean Martin's Golddigers, Natural Man)

1929 - Dick Shawn, actor (Producers, Maid to Order, Angel)

Sarah Silverman, comedian is 41

Charlene Tilton, actor (Dallas) is  53

Lee Buck Trevino, PGA golfer (US Open 1968, 71) is 72

Treat Williams, actor (Flashpoint, Hair) is 60

Entrepreneurs & Educators

1912 - Minoru Yamasaki, architect (World Trade Center, NY)

Political Figures

1976 - Matthew Shepard, American hate crime victim (d. 1998)

Scientists & Theologians

1899 - Robert Welch, founder of John Birch Society

Today’s Obits                                                            

2008 - Paul Benedict, American actor dies at 70

1521 - Leo X, [Giovanni de' Medici], Italian Pope (1513-21), dies of malaria at 45

1973 - David Ben-Gurion, founding father of Israel, dies in Tel Aviv at 87

1939 - Max Fiedler, composer, dies at 79

Answers                                                                                                                                            

NPR Sunday Puzzle

1.     A classic scene in Animal house: Toga party

2.     Charmin or Cottenelle: toilet paper

3.     Native American carving with many faces: Totem Pole

4.     High stakes casino game on TV: tournament poker

5.     A line of destruction after a storm: tornado path

6.     It’s leaves are dried and made for cigarettes: Tobacco plant

7.     Front tip of an ice skate: toe pick

8.     Singer with the Heart Breakers: Tom Petty

9.     Husband of 2008 Republican VP candidate: Tod Palin

10.  Basic ingredient of pizza: Tomato paste

11.  Stud in a punk rockers mouth: tongue piercing

12.  Popular hybrid car: Toyota Prius

13.  Schroeder’s musical instrument in Peanuts: Toy piano

14.  Chocolate candy on a stick: Tootsie Pop

Wuzzle

Footloose and fancy free

Threesomes

Time and a half

Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site has mistakes and sadly once out the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.

§     AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW     §