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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
It looks like snow. The weatherman says snow. We’ll see. It was a lot cooler today and the wind made it feel even worse. It is winter and Flag just had one of its driest Januarys since they kept records. It is pretty amazing to live in a town where one winter breaks the record for snowfall and the next winter is the driest. It is too bad our city leaders don’t understand that we will never, ever be a ski destination. They keep pouring money, time, and effort into making us sound like a ski resort. I just saw a ski town in NY on the news—talking about the snow they have received lately. Two things jumped out. First, they haven’t made artificial snow in weeks and the skiers commented on how artificial snow is never as good as Nature’s snow. Flagstaff seldom has enough snow during ski season to keep the mountain open more than a week or two. Second, like most ski resorts I now, you ski right into the town—Breckenridge, Aspen, Vail, Telluride… That will never happen in Flag. One has to drive to the slopes from Flagstaff on a highway that gets very busy and has long waits during good ski days. Long waits can be up to two hours. After finally getting to the mountain, the road to the ski area is precarious at best. No one will make parking efficient enough to have skiers park at the bottom of the of the mountain and take ‘mass transit’ to the ski area. Our ski area still behaves like a 1950’s ski area and will not recognize the claims of the indigenous people that the land is sacred.
I’ve been watching and listening to American TV this weekend on the Egyptian turmoil. The only station I seem to be getting real information is CNN. When I travel, I have always been able to spend a few minutes each day watching CNN International. The American CNN has been using their CNN International staff for many of their reports. It certainly gives a different slant than listening to US citizens telling us the news of what is going on in Africa. The big development today has been the rather sudden rise of Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel laureate and former UN Commission leader. To me, it is beginning to appear that ElBaradei has been orchestrating this turmoil for the past few months—if not years. His voice is for democracy for the Egyptian people. That certainly is good. He may or may not be friendly to the US. Today, during several interviews, he says that he is flabbergasted that the American political leadership has continued to say that ‘Egypt is a stable allied friend of America.” Now that he has returned to Egypt and has become very vocal and visible at the demonstrations in Cairo he seems to be ready to become Egypt’s leader—at least until real democratic elections can take place. Egypt has not known ‘democracy’ in my lifetime. Since the British occupiers left, Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak have been ‘presidents for life’. That is not a democracy. Many of the citizens of Egypt want a democracy, but sadly don’t understand what that means. Neither did our founding fathers. Hopefully the Egyptian people will work this all out and in the process save the antiquities of centuries ago. I keep remembering that during my visit a few years ago, the Egyptologists and the tour guides did not see any connection between their lives today and the people who built the pyramids. They had great knowledge and respect for that old culture. I hope the youth of Egypt have that same respect.
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DID YOU KNOW THAT…
◘ Olive oil is a great makeup remover...just dilute it with water. Olive oil is gentle and moisturize, and it's cheaper than drugstore makeup remover!
◘ Soften your hands while you clean the house...before slipping on rubber gloves, cover your hands with lotion. Your hands will get moisturized while you clean, and the gloves will be easy to remove.
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION… MLK
◘ In 1963, King delivered his powerful "I Have a Dream" speech to an audience of 200,000 during the March on Washington. The following year, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing segregation in public accommodations and discrimination in education and employment.
◘ Some opponents of the federal holiday said King did not deserve his own holiday—contending that the entire civil rights movement rather than one individual, however instrumental, should be honored.
◘ New Hampshire was the last state to adopt MLK Day as a paid state holiday, replacing its optional Civil Rights Day in 1999.
¤… PUZZLE: Who Wants To Be a Millionaire (…answers at bottom… )
1. What color is milk? Green white blue red
2. When it's pouring rain outside, people sometimes say 'it's raining cats and _____.'
buckets dogs men pennies
3. When you bait a hook and throw it into a stream or a lake, you are most likely trying to catch what? an old tire a fish a cold a mermaid
4. If you can't supply what is best, a common expression says that 'you can't cut the ________.
cake mustard butter pie
5. New York City is also known by what nickname?
The Big Traffic Jam The Big Orange The Big Apple The Big Easy
6. 'BTW' is a commonly seen acronym on computer bulletin boards and in chat rooms. What does 'BTW' stand for?
bite the worm bend the willow by the way buy the world
7. The largest of the Hawaiian Islands is: Molokai Maui Hawaii Oahu
8. Who is the only president who has ever paid off the US national debt?
Andrew Johnson John Quincy Adams John Tyler Andrew Jackson
9. What is pot-au-feu?
gold at the end of the rainbow a clumsy fool homemade cigarettes boiled meat and potatoes
10. What is the capital of Northern Ireland? Dublin Glasgow London Belfast
11. Where is the largest radio (dish-antenna) telescope located?
West Virginia New Mexico Puerto Rico Germany
12. Who invented velcro?
Sally Fox George de Mestral Sybilla Masters Charles Macintosh
13. The book 'Wild Blue' by Stephen Ambrose is an account of B24 pilots over Germany during WWII. Who is featured as the main character of the book?
Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter George McGovern Hubert Humphrey
14. In the movie 'Gone In 60 Seconds' legendary car thief Memphis Raines (Nicolas Cage) must steal fifty cars in order to save his brother's life. What car does he steal last?
Ford Shelby Cobra Maserati 250F Ford Shelby GT 500 Aston-Martin DBR3
15. In genetics, the definition of an allele typically includes what: the reason for
large chromosomes in fruit flies different body types in humans
different colors of flower petals in peas different types of grapes
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM… ALBUQUERQUE
-- Albuquerque police said a supermarket worker accused of handing out a yogurt sample contaminated with semen was arrested on outstanding bench warrants. The Albuquerque Police Department said officers were called Tuesday to the Sunflower Market by a woman who said store employee Anthony Garcia, 31, gave her a free yogurt sample contaminated with "bodily fluid," KRQE-TV, Albuquerque, reported. The woman told police she spit the sample out because it tasted like sperm. Police said they are running tests on the sample. "We found where she basically spit out the possible evidence," Sgt. Trish Hoffman said. "As far back as I can remember this is the first time that we've ever dealt with this." Investigators said Garcia was arrested on two outstanding bench warrants, one of which was for failure to appear for an arraignment on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.
A LITTLE LAUGH…
I returned home from my ninth business trip of the year with a severe bout of jet lag–induced foot-in-mouth disease. As we prepared to go to sleep that night, I wrapped my arms around my better half, gave her a kiss, and announced,
"It's good to be in my own bed, with my own wife!"
*NEW* Top 10 Historical Finds…
A farmer in Xi’an named Yang was drilling for water when he found the Terracotta Army in 1947. The Army was carved by 700,000 forced workers and was buried underground in front of the tomb of Qin Shi Huang so they could protect him in the afterlife. Qin Shi Huang was the first Emperor to unify China and is as much reviled for his tyranny as he is admired as a visionary. Tens of thousands of human and animal statues were created in several pieces and then assembled, each of which is unique. Actual weapons and armor were used in the manufacturing of the warriors but they were stolen shortly after the creation of the tomb. Despite the impressive discoveries in Xi’an, the tomb of the emperor has yet to be found.
Importance: The Terracotta Army is our doorway to understanding how the real Qin Dynasty army functioned. By examining these clay warriors we can determine the formations of the army and what kind of weapons they used as well as their quality. Fine bronze swords, daggers, billhooks, spears, halberds, axes, crossbow triggers and arrowheads were all found in the pits at Xi’an.
¤…CLOSEUP PICTURE 
Can you identify this close up picture
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
♫ Rock Anthems ♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear
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DAYBOOK INFORMATION
¤…THIS WEEK…¤
24-Feb 4 → Clean Out Your Inbox Week
30- Feb 5 → Catholic Schools Week ◘ Meat Week ◘ Intimate Apparel Week
¤…TODAY IS…¤
Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day
Child Labor Day
Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
National Popcorn Day
Lerwick, Shetland Islands Scotland: Up-Helly-Aa/Norse fire festival: marks the end of the Yule Season
Surrey England: Dicing for Maid's Money Day: since 1674 to select 2 maid servants in the town of good character who roll dice. The highest number receives a monetary award.
Nauru: Independence Day (from Australia 1968)
Today’s Births
○ AUTHORS / COMPOSERS
1872 Zane Grey (Pearl Grey) American West novelist (Riders of the Purple Sage, Spirit of the Border)
Steve Karmen, 74, jingle writer (I Love NY, This Bud's for You)
1817 Antony Winkler Prins Dutch writer (Groiler Encyclopaedia)
1797 Franz Peter Schubert Austrian composer (Unfinished Symphony)
○ ATHLETES
Ernest (Ernie) Banks, 80, Hall of Fame baseball (Cubs)
1919 Jackie Robinson 1st black major league baseball player (Dodgers)
(Lynn) Nolan Ryan, 64, Hall of Fame baseball player
○ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
--
○ ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
1903 Tallulah Bankhead actress (Lifeboat, Die Die Darling)
1892 Eddie Cantor (Iskowitz) comedian
Carol Channing, 88, actress (stage: Hello, Dolly!; Thoroughly Modern Millie)
Minnie Driver, 40, actress (Gross Pointe Blank, Good Will Hunting)
1934 James Franciscus actor (Mr Novak, Longstreet, Hunter)
1915 Garry Moore [Thomas Garrison Morfit], TV host (Garry Moore Show, I've Got a Secret)
1937 Suzanne Pleshette actress (The Birds, Emily-Bob Newhart Show)
Justin Timberlake, 30, singer, actor
○ POLITICIANS
Queen Beatrix, 73, Queen of the Netherlands
James G. Watt,74, 43rd United States Secretary of the Interior
1920 Stewart L Udall US Secretary of Interior (1961-69) born in St Johns AZ
○ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1623 François-Xavier de Laval Montmorency, consecrated the first bishop of Québec Canada in 1674
1868 Theodore William Richards chemist (atomic weights, Nobel-1914)
¤…Today’s Obituaries…¤
1606 Guy Fawkes convicted in the "Gunpowder Plot", executed @ 35
1788 Bonnie Prince Charles E Stuart English pretender to the throne, @ 67
1945 Eddie Slovik 1st US soldier executed for desertion since Civil War @ 25
1967 Chief Thundercloud (Victor Daniels) Cherokee (or Muskogee) actor @ 56
¤…Today’s Events…¤
○ ARTS
1936 The Green Hornet was introduced by its famous theme song, The Flight of the Bumble Bee. The radio show was first heard on WXYZ radio in Detroit,
○ ATHLETICS
1974 McDonald's founder Ray Kroc buys San Diego Padres
1988 Super Bowl XXII (at San Diego): Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10
1999 Super Bowl XXXIII Denver Broncos beat Atlanta Falcons in Miami; Super Bowl MVP John Elway, Denver, Quarterback
○ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1851 San Francisco Orphan's Asylum, 1st in California founded
1905 1st auto to exceed 100 mph (161 kph), A G MacDonald, Daytona Beach
1928 Scotch tape 1st marketed by 3-M Company
1990 McDonald’s opened their first restaurant in Russia -- in Moscow
○ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1646 Jesuits "predict" a lunar eclipse for the Hurons of Ossossane. This accurate prediction, made with the use of an almanac, will lead to many religious conversions.
1870 The first acts are taken to establish the White Mountain-San Carlos-Camp Apache Reserve in western Arizona territory, by the Military Division of the Pacific. Major engineer H.M.Robert forwards a map of the proposed reserve to military headquarters in San Francisco for consideration.
○ POLITICS (US)
1865 Congress passes 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in America (121-24)
1940 The very first monthly retirement check was issued by the U.S. Government -- to Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vermont
1950 President Truman reveals that he ordered the Atomic Energy Commission to develop the hydrogen bomb
○ POLITICS (International)
1915 1st (German) poison gas attack, against Russians
1933 Hitler promises parliamentary democracy
○ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1675 Cornelia/Dina Olfaarts found not guilty of witchcraft
1871 Millions of birds fly over western San Francisco, darken the sky
1968 Record high barometric pressure (1083.8 mb, 32"), at Agata, USSR
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ANSWERS
¤…Millionaire ANSWERS…¤
1. What color is milk? white
2. When it's pouring rain outside, people sometimes say 'it's raining cats and _____. dogs
3. When you bait a hook and throw it into a stream or a lake, you are most likely trying to catch what?
a fish
4. If you can't supply what is best, a common expression says that 'you can't cut the ________.' mustard
5. New York City is also known by what nickname? The Big Apple
6. 'BTW' is a commonly seen acronym on computer bulletin boards and in chat rooms. What does 'BTW' stand for? by the way
7. The largest of the Hawaiian Islands is: Hawaii
8. Who is the only president who has ever paid off the US national debt? Andrew Jackson
9. What is pot-au-feu? boiled meat and potatoes
10. What is the capital of Northern Ireland? Belfast
11. Where is the largest radio (dish-antenna) telescope located? Puerto Rico
12. Who invented velcro? George de Mestral
13. The book 'Wild Blue' by Stephen Ambrose is an account of B24 pilots over Germany during WWII. Who is featured as the main character of the book? George McGovern
14. In the movie 'Gone In 60 Seconds' legendary car thief Memphis Raines (Nicolas Cage) must steal fifty cars in order to save his brother's life. What car does he steal last? Ford Shelby GT 500
15. In genetics, the definition of an allele typically includes what:
different colors of flower petals in peas
¤…Close up Picture…¤
Divided Highway Ahead
« AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW »
