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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
Lots of people are talking about yesterday’s game and its commercials. I’m glad ‘my’ team one, even though I only followed them after they won the division. It was a good game and the it wasn’t over until the final few minutes. I’m an old-er guy and this year I found most of the commercials just silly. I also enjoy Christine Aguilera’s music and the Black Eyed Peas music. The VW ‘bug’ commercial was creative, since we never saw the actual vehicle. The Darth Vader VW commercial with the little kid was one of the best—and made even better when we learn that he was born with a heart defect that led to several surgeries in his infancy. The Go-Daddy one with Joan Rivers’ head on a 20 something body was stupid. Every year, Go-Daddy does these outrageous innuendo commercials and to be honest, I still don’t know what Go Daddy does except make Super Bowl commercials. I miss the creative Clydesdale/Budweiser commercials of the 80’s. The babies for E*Trade were cute, but I think the very creative idea may have outlived its pizzazz. I always look forward to hearing the National Anthem before any game or event. I have never been a singer—not even in the shower—but I do mouth the words. Since the NFL has former players read the Declaration of Independence just before the Super Bowl as a show of patriotism since 9-11, I have a thought. Put the words on the jumbo screen while the anthem is being sung. Michael Bolton blew it and now Christine blew it. I was mouthing the words when she screwed up both times and lost some of my concentration on patriotism when I heard her mistakes. She may have been nervous; she may have been overwhelmed; whatever it was, as a big entertainer she should have planned much better. The half-time show had such great potential, but somehow Fox didn’t spring for the best sound system. That was discouraging, since the ‘show’ was about the music this year. The costume’s light show was very impressive. It’s too bad the TV audience couldn’t enjoy the music. The game itself was one that kept everyone watching. It started off like a Packer’s runaway. Then the Steelers came back, then the Packers stepped up and that back and forth continued. Overall, it was a great way to spend Super Bowl Sunday.
Our local news has finally returned. We haven’t had a local news cast since Final’s week back in December. It is nice to finally have them back on the air. The student’s stories are always informative and bring in new perspectives to what is happening around town. The weatherman says a cold front is headed our way and our high temps will be dropping about 20°. There may be a little snow, but not enough to accumulate. At least now I can watch a local broadcast and not have to listen to the Phx stations complain about their frigid 40’s.
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DID YOU KNOW THAT…
○ A broom is the quickest way to clean snow from a car. You can cut the handle down on the broom and store it in the trunk.
○ Ink formulations, fabrics, and hairspray ingredients have changed today. To get rid of the ballpoint ink from clothing you launder, place the garment on a towel stain-side down. Lightly dampen a cloth with rubbing alcohol and gently dab (do not rub) the stain.
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION…
○ In 2006 about 4,935 people were killed riding motorcycles of different kinds. Most motorcycle accidents involve a short trip associated with shopping, errands, friends, entertainment or recreation, and the accident is likely to happen in a very short time close to the trip origin.
○ Boating accidents claim an average 700 lives each year.
PUZZLE: Who Wants To Be a Millionaire […answers at bottom…]
1. A person who is eating greedily is said to be what?
foxily feasting pigging out doggy dining cookie monstering
2. A giggle, guffaw or a titter are all types of what?
laughter animal groups Australian birds desserts
3. In what type of puzzle do you write words into numbered squares and read the words across or down?
wordsearch crossword cryptogram jumble
4. The Declaration of Independence proclaimed that all men are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights...among them 'are life, liberty, and the pursuit of ___________.'
elegance happiness modern psychiatry shopping
5. Norman Whittfeld and Barrett Strong sing about getting information through rumor or gossip in their classic Motown song, 'I Heard It Through The ___________.'
stethoscope grapevine glass held to the wall garden gate
6. Approximately how many languages are spoken throughout the world?
5,000 12,000 10,000 1,000
7. Thom Yorke, Phil Selway, Ed O'Brien, Colin and Johnny Greenwood are all members of what band?
Radiohead 'N Sync Jackson Five Backstreet Boys
8. Whose autobiography was titled, 'Personal History'?
Diane Sawyer Barbara Walters Katharine Graham Eudora Welty
9. What politician said, 'What a waste it is to lose one's mind, or not to have a mind. How true that is.'? George W. Bush Dan Quayle Pat Paulsen Strom Thurmond
10. What does a labeorphilist collect?
beer bottles butterflies stamps autographs
11. What does 'quotidian' mean?
occuring every day musical medley allotment to copy the words of another
12. Which of the following is not one of the definitions of the word 'husbandry?'
control and management of domestic animals production of plants and animals
careful use of resources in conservation quest of finding a husband
13. When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents 'danger', and the other represents what?
safety protection thin ice opportunity
14. Where was the deadliest volcanic eruption ever, occurring in 1815, killing 92,000 people? Krakatoa, West Indonesia Tambora, Indonesia Mt. Vesuvius, Italy Arenal, Costa Rica
15. News anchorwoman Leslie Mouton lost her hair as a result of radiation treatments. She has become well-known for being the first bald woman to deliver the news. What station is she with?
KREM-TV in Spokane, WA KVII in Amarillo, TX
KSAT-TV in San Antonio, TX WKRN-TV in Nashville, TN
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM…TOWSON, Md.
— Police say a suspicious toilet bearing a cell phone and a radio or TV transmitter were left outside a local government building in Towson, but authorities say it proved harmless and didn't contain an explosive device.
A Baltimore County police spokesman, Lt. Robert McCullough, said they have a lead to a possible suspect after the toilet was discovered Monday morning on a sidewalk outside the offices of the county executive and county council.
McCullough says the toilet was decorated with images and notes, but he didn't elaborate on the content of the notes. He says the toilet and materials were arranged in a way that raised suspicion.
McCullough says a hazardous device team, a bomb sniffing dog and crime lab personnel were summoned to investigate.
A LITTLE LAUGH…
While auditing one of our departments, an assistant asked me what I was doing. "Listing your assets," I told her.
"Oh," she said. "Well, I have a good sense of humor and I make great lasagna."
TOP 10 HISTORICAL FINDS… 2. The Behistun Rock
Discovered by Englishman Robert Sherley in 1598 while on a diplomatic mission to Persia, the Behistun Rock is a multilingual inscription authored by Darius the Great. The inscription begins with Darius’ autobiography and goes on to describe several events following the deaths of Cyrus the Great and Cambyses II. Much like the Rosetta Stone, the Behistun Rock includes the same passage in three cuneiform script languages: Old Persian, Elamite and Babylonian. The text was translated in stages by Georg Friedrich Grotefend (Old Persian), Sir Henry Rawlinson, Edward Hincks, Julius Oppert, William Henry Fox Talbot and Edwin Norris.
Importance: Not only does the inscription give us a look into the mind of Darius the Great, but it was also instrumental in opening up the cuneiform script. Archeologists gained a greater understanding of civilizations like Mesopotamia, Sumeria, Akkadia, Persia and Assyria by being able to decipher cuneiform.
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…¤
3-9 ► Boy Scout Anniversary Week
6-12 ► Dump Your Significant Jerk Week ♥ Freelance Writers Appreciation Week ♥ International Coaching Week ♥ Jell-O Week
7-11 ► International Networking Week ♥ Just Say No to PowerPoint Week ♥ National Green Week ♥ National School Counseling Week
7-14 ► Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week ♥ Publicity for Profit Week ♥ Risk Awareness Week ♥ Love Makes the World Go Round; But, Laughter Keeps Us From Getting Dizzy Week ♥ World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week
8-10 ► World AG Expo
¤…TODAY IS…¤
Boy Scout Anniversary Day
Extraterrestrial Culture Day
Kite Flying Day
Laugh and Get Rich Day
Japan: Needle Mass (Ha-ri-ku-yo: women gather their old and broken needles and take them to their temples to offer a prayer of thanks for their hard work. Girls pray to Awashima Myozin (their protecting deity) that their needlework, symbolic of love and marriage, will be good. Girls hope that participation in the Needle Mass will lead to a happy marriage.)
Iraq: Ramadan Revolution
Norway: Narvik Sun Pageant Day (honor of the ancient Pagan Sun goddess Sunna.)
Slovenia: Culture Day ()
Today’s Births
○ AUTHORS/COMPOSERS
John Grisham, 56, author (The Firm, The Client)
1828 Jules Verne French pioneer of sci-fi (From the Earth to the Moon)
○ ATHLETES
Alonzo Mourning, 41, former basketball (Hornets, Heat, Nets)
John Williams, 79, pianist, conductor (formerly with Boston Pops), composer (scores for Jaws, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List)
○ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
Ted Koppel, 71, journalist
1819 John Ruskin writer/critic/artist/Gothic Revivalist (Prerafaelite)
○ ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
1968 Gary Coleman actor: Diff’rent Strokes, Webster
1931 James Dean stage/film actor (Giant, Rebel Without a Cause)
Seth Green, 37, actor (“Family Guy,” “Greg the Bunny,” Austin Powers)
Robert Klein, 69, comedian, actor
1925 Jack Lemmon actor (Days of Wine & Roses, Missing)
1926 Audrey Meadows Emmy Award-winning actress: The Jackie Gleason Show [1955]; The Honeymooners
Nick Nolte, 70, actor (Affliction, Prince of Tides, “Rich Man, Poor Man”)
1886 Charlie Ruggles actor (The Ruggles, Aesop-Bullwinkle Show)
Mary Steenburgen, 58, actress
1920 Lana Turner actress (Survivors, Falcon Crest)
○ POLITICIANS
1820 William Tecumseh Sherman Major General (Union Army), dies in 1891 (War is hell)
○ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1906 Chester F Carlson inventor (xerography)
Today’s Obituaries…
1956 Connie Mack baseball manager (Philadelphia A's, 1901-50), @ 93
1985 Marvin Miller actor (Michael Anthony of "The Millionaire") heart attack @ 71
1725 Peter I "the Great" Romanov czar of Russia (1682-1725), uremia @ 52
1990 Del Shannon Coopersville MI, rock vocalist (Runaway), shoots self @ 55
1587 Mary Stuart Queen of Scots (1560-87), beheaded @ 44
Today’s Events…
○ ARTS
1895 Tchaikovsky/Petipa's "Swan Lake" premieres in Petersburg
1926 Walt Disney Studios is formed
1929 KOY-AM in Phoenix AZ begins radio transmissions
1967 Peter (Asher) & Gordon (Waller) discontinue their singing partnership
○ ATHLETICS
1887 The Aurora Ski Club of Red Wing, MN became the first ski club in the United States.
1948 5th Winter Olympics games close at St Moritz, Switzerland
1984 The Winter Olympics opened in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina)
1992 The XVIth Winter Olympic Games opened in Albertville, France
○ BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1693 William & Mary College is 2nd college chartered in US
1898 John Ames Sherman patents 1st envelope folding & gumming machine (Massachusetts)
1969 The last issue of the Saturday Evening Post was published, ending a magazine tradition that began in 1821.
○ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1837 During the 2nd Seminole War today there will be a battle between Seminole and American forces on the bank of Lake Monroe, near modern day Sanford, Florida. The Americans will be led by Colonel Alexander Fanning. Over 600 Seminoles, led by Chiefs Philip and Wildcat, will participate in the fighting, which begins with a Seminole attack before dawn. Both sides will lose a considerable number of men. The deciding factor in the battle will be the arrival of a steam ship with a cannon. Fort Monroe was built on the site of the battle.
○ POLITICS (US)
1837 1st Vice President chosen by the Senate, Richard Johnson (Van Buren administration)
1861 Confederate States of America organizes in Montgomery AL
1887 Dawes Act passed (Indians living apart from tribe granted citizenship)
1918 "Stars & Stripes", weekly US armed forces newspaper, 1st published as weekly
○ POLITICS (International)
1952 Elizabeth II is proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom.
1955 The Government of Sindh abolished Jagirdari system in the province. One million acres (4000 km²) of land thus acquired is to be distributed among the landless peasants.
○ SCIENCE & RELIGION
1928 Scottish inventor J Blaird demonstrates color-TV
1969 Meteorite weighing over 1 ton falls in Chihuahua, México
1984 1st time 8 people in space
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ANSWERS
Millionaire ANSWERS…
1. A person who is eating greedily is said to be what? pigging out
2. A giggle, guffaw or a titter are all types of what? laughter
3. In what type of puzzle do you write words into numbered squares and read the words across or down? crossword
4. The Declaration of Independence proclaimed that all men are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights...among them 'are life, liberty, and the pursuit of ___________.' happiness
5. Norman Whittfeld and Barrett Strong sing about getting information through rumor or gossip in their classic Motown song, 'I Heard It Through The ___________.' grapevine
6. Approximately how many languages are spoken throughout the world? 5,000
7. Thom Yorke, Phil Selway, Ed O'Brien, Colin and Johnny Greenwood are all members of what band? Radiohead
8. Whose autobiography was titled, 'Personal History'? Katharine Graham
9. What politician said, 'What a waste it is to lose one's mind, or not to have a mind. How true that is.'? Dan Quayle
10. What does a labeorphilist collect? beer bottles
11. What does 'quotidian' mean? occuring every day
12. Which of the following is not one of the definitions of the word 'husbandry?' quest of finding a husband
13. When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents 'danger', and the other represents what? opportunity
14. Where was the deadliest volcanic eruption ever, occurring in 1815, killing 92,000 people? Tambora, Indonesia
15. News anchorwoman Leslie Mouton lost her hair as a result of radiation treatments. She has become well-known for being the first bald woman to deliver the news. What station is she with?
KSAT-TV in San Antonio, TX
Close up Picture…
Razor
« AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW »
