TODAY’s “Geez”: 1892 - Sierra Club forms by John Muir in SF, for conservation of nature
1934 - Near Callander, Ontario, the Dionne quintuplets are born to Olivia and Elzire Dionne
Free Rambling Thoughts…
Memorial Day weekend is beginning. I ran some errands and did not enjoy the heavy traffic. I opened the paper and found that it will be windy today and worse on Saturday, and still worse on Sunday. Most of the weekend will be Red Flag days. Then I got on that there internet thing and found that after 54 years, there will be no horse races in Flag over the Independence Day weekend. I took Martha to pick up her truck, and that went well. A few hours later she posted that her cell phone had died. After a little techy work she found that the battery had gotten wet with possibly coffee. It is an early model Nokia and has probably really really died.
More on the horse races…each year it is a three or four day event, depending on when the 4th falls. I have gone every year since 1971 when I came to AZ. I never spend a lot of money, but do make some bets. I have watched the admission go from $1 to $8 over the years and I still go. Some days I leave a few dollars ahead, some days not. Their website states that last year the event brought in about $1mllion to the hotels, restaurants, and local businesses. In these tough economic times it would seem that someone would step up to help the city or the county (who has always sponsored the races) with the seed money needed. Tourists need something to keep them near Flagstaff during their visit. I’m sure many of the visitors are horse owners, trainers, and state wide bettors who enjoy walking around downtown—and spending money before and after the races. Parks and Rec have already announced they will refund the box seat tickets already purchased. That sounds pretty final. Sad to see a tradition stop.
Trivia Quiz…(answers at the end of psot)
What was the number of the British Armored Division known as The Desert Rats?
Which US general along with Schwarzkopf was leader in the Gulf War?
How long did the Arab-Israeli War of 1967 last?
Who, during the Vietnam War, was known as Hanoi Jane?
Which breakaway Russian republic had Grozny as its capital?
Where did Nazi leader Rudolf Hess crash land in 1941?
Which county's "Spring" was halted by the arrival of Soviet tanks in 1968?
Where was the Bay of Pigs whose invasion sparked a world crisis in the 60s?
Where did the Enola Gay drop a devastating bomb in WWII?
In which county is Passschendaele, scene of battle in WWI?
The Taliban are a guerrilla group in which country?
Whose forces were defeated at the Battle of Midway in 1942?
Zoom-ed in Picture…Can you Identify what this is? (Answer at end of post)
Hmmmmm…
++ Price of a cup of Ice Cream at the Ice Pack, an Iranian-owned dessert franchise, in Baghdad: $2.50
++ Price for a hamburger at the Freedom Restaurant in the Green Zone: $3
The First Time…
1917 --- 1st female Yeoman (F) in the US Navy… Loretta Walsh
1917 --- 1st Pulitzer Winners
Biography: Laura E. Richards, H. Elliott, and Florence Hall
History: Jean Jules Jusserand
Reporting: Herbert B. Swope
1921 ---1st female Pulitzer Winners
Fiction: Edith Wharton for "The Age of Innocence."
1923 ---1st female Pulitzer Winners
Poetry: Edna St. Vincent Millay for "The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver."
1983 ---1st female Pulitzer Winners
Music: Ellen Taafe Zwilich
Somewhat Useless Information…
++Queen Victoria is the longest serving British monarch ever at 63 years, seven months. Her reign ended upon her death in 1901.
++The monarch married Prince Albert of Germany on February 10, 1940. He was her first cousin and was one of the only socially acceptable suitors in the world. She could not marry anyone of even a slightly lower social status.
++Victoria and Albert had nine children. Most of them married into Europe's royal family. She is still known as the Grandmother of Europe.
++Victoria was the only daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent, fourth son of George III. Her father died almost immediately after her birth thus she became heir to the throne because the three uncles who were ahead of her in succession - George IV, Frederick Duke of York, and William IV - had no legitimate children who survived.
++Queen Victoria was the first monarch to travel by train. The progress in transportation allowed she and Prince Albert to travel extensively throughout the Empire. Her first train trip was in 1842.
++The current monarch, Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Phillip are both great-great grandchildren of Queen Victoria.
Yeah, It Really Happened…
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — An Indiana couple discovered a receipt that may have blown 525 miles from Joplin, Mo., to their porch — the longest recorded journey of debris from a tornado.
Tia Fritz contacted Ernest Agee, a Purdue University professor of earth and atmospheric sciences and tornado expert, when she and her husband discovered a receipt dated May 13 from Joplin Tire on the porch of their Royal Center, Indiana, home on Wednesday (May 25). Royal Center is in north central Indiana about 45 miles from Lafayette.
"This paper traveled more than twice as far as the longest distance recorded for debris from a storm," said Agee, who now has the receipt. "The previous record was a cancelled check that traveled 210 miles after the 1915 tornado in Great Bend, Kansas.
The distance paper travels is directly proportional to the intensity of the tornado. This paper's journey is a testament to the strength of the EF5 tornado that struck Joplin and what that city went through."
In order to reach Indiana, the receipt, which was folded into one-quarter of its original size, would have to have been sucked into the tornado and then carried by the jet stream for 12.5 hours, according to Agee's estimates using wind speeds and the distance traveled. It is not known exactly how long the receipt was on the porch before it was discovered.
The devastating tornado destroyed nearly one-third of Joplin and killed more than 132 people in the city of more than 50,000. The tornado is considered the deadliest to hit the United States in 65 years.
Guffaw…or at least smile…
A woman decided to have her portrait painted. She told the artist, "Paint me with diamond rings, a diamond necklace, emerald bracelets, a ruby broach, and gold Rolex."
"But you are not wearing any of those things," he replied.
"I know," she said. "It's in case I should die before my husband. I'm sure he will remarry right away, and I want his new wife to go crazy looking for the jewelry."
Searchin’ “You Tube” I found…
Daybook Information
…Happening This Week:
21-28
Cover the Uninsured Week * National Safe Boating Week
23-30
National Backyard Games Week * Week of Solidarity With The People of Non-Self-Governing Territories * Old-Time Player Piano Week * Black Single Parents Week
«TODAY IS
Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day (ARMAD)
International Jazz Day
Julia Pierpont Day: established by the state of West Virginia, Marion County and the city of Fairmont to honor Julia Pierpont, the wife of Fairmont's Francis H. Pierpont, the Governor of Restored Virginia (1861-68) and "The Father of West Virginia." Pierpont Community & Technical College was named in honor of Francis H. Pierpont
National Hamburger Day
Sierra Club Day Slugs
Return from Capistrano Day
Azerbaijan: Day of the Republic
Ethiopia: National Day
Today’s Events:
… IN ARTS
1929 - 1st all color talking picture "On With the Show" exhibited (NYC)
… IN ATHLETICS
1742 - 1st indoor swimming pool opens (Goodman's Fields, London)
1946 - 1st night game at Yankee stadium (Senators 2, Yanks 1)
1951 - After going 0-for-12, Willie Mays connects for his 1st major league home run
1962 - Wide World of Sports with Chris Schenkel premieres on CBS radio
1978 - Al Unser became 5th to win Indianapolis 500, 3 times
… IN BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1818 - 1st steam-vessel to sail Great Lakes launched
1930 - The Chrysler Building in New York City officially opens.
1937 - Golden Gate Bridge in SF opens to vehicular traffic
1970 - The formerly united Free University of Brussels officially splits into two separate entities, the French-speaking Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel
1987 - 60th Natl Spelling Bee: Stephanie Petit wins spelling staphylococci
1992 - 65th National Spelling Bee: Amanda Goad wins spelling lyceum
… FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1830 - Congress authorizes Indian removal from all states to western prairie
… IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
1952 - The women of Greece are given the right to vote.
1961 - Amnesty Intl founded (Nobel Peace Prize 1977)
1991 - Ethiopian rebels seize Addis Ababa
… IN SCIENCE & RELIGION
585 BC - A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce.
1664 - 1st Baptist Church organizes (Boston)
1959 - Monkeys Able & Baker zoom 300 mi (500 km) into space on Jupiter missile, became 1st animals retrieved from a space mission
1963 - Cyclone hits Chittagong, Bangladesh; about 1 million houses destroyed and Estimated 22,000 die in another cyclone in Bay of Bengal (India)
… IN US POLITICS
1754 - George Washington defeats French & Indians at Ft Duquesne (Pitts)
1774 - 1st Continental Congress convenes (Virginia)
1851 - Sojourner Truth attends Women's Rights Convention
1923 - US unemployment has nearly ended
1972 - White House "plumbers" break into Democratic Natl HQ at Watergate
… ARTISTS: AUTHORS: COMPOSERS…
1779 - Thomas Moore, Irish poet
…ATHLETES
1888 - James Francis Thorpe (Wa-Tho-Huk, translated to Bright Path), decathelete (Olympic-gold-1912)
Jerry West, NBA superstar (LA Lakers, Olympic-gold-1960) turns 73
…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS…)
1945-Gary Stewart, country singer (She's Actin' Single)
1910 - T-Bone Walker, blues guitarist (Funky Town, Well Done)
… ENTREPRENEUR & EDUCATORS
Carroll Baker, Penn, actress (Andy Warhol's Bad, Babydoll, Harlow) turns 80
John Fogerty, rock vocals (Creedence Clearwater Revival) turns 66
1915 - Joseph Greenberg, American linguist
…POLITICIANS
Rudy Giuliani, (Mayor NYC) turns 67
…SCIENTISTS / THEOLOGISTS
--
Today’s Obits:
2010 - Gary Coleman, American actor dies after a fall at 42
1996 - Sidney Greenbaum, grammarian, dies of heart attack at 66
1998 - Phil Hartman, Canadian actor, comedian murdered at 50
1971 - Audie Murphy, actor (Whispering Smiths), dies in private plane crash at 46
1843 - Noah Webster, lexicographer (Webster's Dictionary), dies at 84
ANSWERS:
Trivia Quiz
What was the number of the British Armored Division known as The Desert Rats?
7th
Which US general along with Schwarzkopf was leader in the Gulf War?
Powell
How long did the Arab-Israeli War of 1967 last?
Six days
Who, during the Vietnam War, was known as Hanoi Jane?
Jane Fonda
Which breakaway Russian republic had Grozny as its capital?
Chechnya
Where did Nazi leader Rudolf Hess crash land in 1941?
Scotland
Which county's "Spring" was halted by the arrival of Soviet tanks in 1968?
Czechoslovakia
Where was the Bay of Pigs whose invasion sparked a world crisis in the 60s?
Cuba
Where did the Enola Gay drop a devastating bomb in WWII?
Hiroshima
In which county is Passschendaele, scene of battle in WWI?
Belgium
The Taliban are a guerrilla group in which country?
Afghanistan
Whose forces were defeated at the Battle of Midway in 1942?
Japan
Close Up Picture
Auto Repair Manual
…AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW
