Jan 24, 2012

FYI: Click on any blue text for a link to more information!

Today’s  Historical  Highlights

1848 - James Marshall finds gold in Sutter's Mill in Coloma, CA 1899 - Rubber heel patented by Humphrey O'Sullivan

1908 - Gen Baden-Powell starts Boy-Scouts

1923 - Aztec Ruins National Monument, NM established

1955 -Ira Hayes, American World War II hero dies of exposure and alcohol poisoning at 32 1975 - Larry Fine, actor (3 Stooges), dies at 72

1984 - Apple Computer Inc unveils its Macintosh personal computer

2010- Pernell Roberts, American actor & singer, last surviving star of Bonanza dies at 82  

♫Happy Birthday To: ♫                     

 

Free Rambling Thoughts   

A cloudy day with light snow, then a lot of wind…again. Not a day to spend much time outside.

I took my phone in…got the hard reset…still not working right…back tomorrow. Technology can be such a pain…glad I’m retired and don’t need to worry about getting it fixed while on a lunch hour or after work. Grrrrrrrr.

I sent Greg the latest T-shirt design and a new one for the front…he likes them both.  Just a few more tweaks and all is set.

Haven’t decided if I will watch the Republican debate tonight…Newt has made such a huge gain, I may watch to see what happens. In my opinion, if Newt is the candidate, the President has nothing to worry about in November.

Game   Center   (answers at the end of post)

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

Every answer is the name of a U.S. national park. You are given an anagram of the name and asked to identify the park. For example, given "search," the answer would be "arches," as in Arches National Park in Utah.

1.     Nailed:

2.     Ace girl:

3.     Moist eye:

4.     Strong hips: [2 words]

5.     Career talk: [2 words]

6.     Save ledger:

7.     Rare munition: [2 words]

Wuzzles  What concept or phrase do these suggest?

Lifestyle  Substance     

AZ Centennial is in 21 days:  Did you know?…

Legend has it that the barrel cactus is a good source of water in the desert. Well, you can try it, but you won't like it. The pulp can be crushed to create a liquid, but the juice would peel the hide off a Gila Monster.

It is illegal to hunt camels in the State of Arizona.

Found on You Tube         

Johnny Cash The Ballad of Ira Hayes

Harper’s Index         

Portion of the Indian Ocean that is underexplored by scientists because of pirates: 1/4

Joke-of-the-day

On the first day of college, the Dean addressed the students: "The female dormitory is out-of-bounds for all male students, and the male dormitory to the female students. Anybody caught breaking this rule will be fined $20 the first time. The second time you will be fined $60. A third time will cost you a fine of $180. Are there any questions?"

A male student inquired, "How much for a season pass?"

Planet Earth

Rules of Thumb   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

A mouse can squeeze through a space little bigger than the width of a pencil, or widen it by chewing. If you want to patch such holes, leave the patch smooth or the mouse will be able to pry it out.

Somewhat Useless Information   

• According to a study by the American Journal of Public Health, adults who watch three hours of TV a day are more likely to be obese than those who keep it under an hour.
• Soft drinks represent the largest single source of added sugars in the American diet. The average American will drink 54 gallons of soft drink a year.

Yeah, It Really Happened                 

VANERSBORG, Sweden - A Swedish man who completed a two-month prison sentence walked out of prison without pants or shoes after he was denied money to buy new clothes. The man, referred to only as Percy in media reports, told officials at the Brinkeberg prison in Vanersborg he had outgrown the pants he was wearing when he was arrested for unlawful driving, The Local reported Thursday.
The prison service said in denying Percy money for new clothes that he had $118 among the personal items he reclaimed upon his release and was therefore able to purchase his own pants and shoes. Percy said he was unable to send for extra clothes in time for his release because he only learned a few days before he was to be released that his request for the prison to buy him clothes had been rejected. He said the prison offers pants and shoes for sale to released prisoners, but purchasing the items would have left him without enough money for food. The former prisoner said he was able to find a ride to Trollhattan while wearing only his shirt, underwear and socks. He said he was able to find pants and shoes for a more reasonable price than those offered by the prison.

Calendar Information        

…Happening This Week:

20-30

Sundance Film Festival

21-27

World Leprosy WeekNational Activity Professionals WeekKid Film FestivalNational Nurse Anesthetists WeekClean Out Your Inbox WeekNational Handwriting Analysis WeekNational Medical Group Practice WeekNational Nuclear Science WeekNo Name Calling WeekNational Take Back Your Time Week

Today Is                                                                      

Belly Laugh Day
Beer Can Day [1935]
Eskimo Pie Patent Day [1922]
National Compliment Day
Talk Like A Grizzled Prospector Day

Today’s Other Events                                                             

Before 1000CE

41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula), known for his eccentricity and cruel despotism, is assassinated by his disgruntled Praetorian Guards

1500’s

1556 - Heavy earthquake strikes Shaaxi China, kills 830,000
1568 - In Netherlands, Duke of Alva declares William of Orange an outlaw

1600’s

1656 - 1st Jewish doctor in US, Jacob Lumbrozo, arrives in Maryland

1700’s

1722 - Czar Peter the Great begins civil system

1800's

1806 -  Cherokee Chief Doublehead, and 16 others, sign a land cession treaty in Washington. They give up lands on the north side of the Tennessee River and near Chickasaw lands for a little over $10,000 and a cotton gin and a gristmill.1839 - Charles Darwin elected member of Royal Society
1847 - 1,500 New Mexican Indians & Mexicans defeated by US Col Price
1857 - The University of Calcutta is formally founded as the first full-fledged university in south Asia

1900’s

1925 - Moving picture of a solar eclipse taken from dirigible over Long Is
1935 - 1st canned beer, "Krueger Cream Ale," is sold by Kruger Brewing Co
1939 - 30,000 killed by earthquake in Concepcion Chile 1943 - Hitler orders nazi troops at Stalingrad to fight to death
1945 - Scottish 52nd Lowland division occupies Heinsberg
1950 - Jackie Robinson signs highest contract ($35,000) in Dodger history
1960 - Algeria uprises against French president De Gaulle
1962 - Jackie Robinson is 1st Black elected to Baseball Hall of Fame1969 - Queen Juliana appointed honorary citizen of Addis Ababa
1982 - Superbowl XVI: SF 49ers beat Cin Bengals, 26-21 MVP: Joe Montana

2000’s

2003 - The United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation
2011 - At least 35 died and 180 injured in a bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo airport

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

In their 60’s

Yakov Smirnoff, Russian comedian (It's a wonderful country) is 61

In their 70’s

Neil Diamond, singer/actor (Jazz Singer) is 71

Doug Kershaw, plays electric fiddle is 76

Ray Stevens, singer (Ahab the Arab, Streak) is 73

In their 90’s

Jerry Maren, actor (munchkin -Wizard of Oz, Mayor McCheese) is 92

Remembered for being born on this day

John Belushi, comedian/actor (SNL, Blues Brothers) in 1949

Ernest Borgnine, Hamden Ct, actor (Ice Station Zebra, McHale’s Navy, Marty) in 1917

Mark Goodson, TV game-show proudcer (Goodson-Toddman) in 1913

Oral Roberts, American Televangelist, founder Oral Roberts College in 1918

Sharon Tate, actress (Valley of the Dolls) in 1943

Edith Wharton[-Jones], US, novelist (Ethan Frome, House of Mirth) in 1862

Today’s Obits                                                           

Ted Bundy, serial killer of up to 100 women, executed in Florida at 42 in 1989

Caligula, [G C Germanicus], Roman emperor (37-41), assassinated at 28 in 41

Winston Churchill, PM of Britain (C) (1940-45, 51-55), dies at 90 in 1965

Martin R Delany, politician & black nationalist, dies at 72 in 1885

George Gobel, comedian, dies of a heart attack at 71 in 1991

L[aFayette] Ron[ald] Hubbard, author (Death Quest), dies at 74 in 1986

Gordon MacRae, singer (Oklahoma, Carousel), dies of jaw cancer at 64 in 1986

Thurgood Marshall, 1st black supreme court justice (1967-91), dies 84 in 1993

J Carrol Naish, actor (Charlie Chan-Adv of Charlie Chan), dies at 73 in 1973

Bill W., American co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous dies at 76 in 1981

Answers                                                                                                                                            

Brain Game

• Love Story
• Cleopatra
• Dr. Zhivago

NPR Sunday Puzzle

1.     Nailed: Denali

2.     Ace girl: Glacier

3.     Moist eye: Yosemite

4.     Strong hips: Hot Springs

5.     Career talk: Crater Lake

6.     Save ledger: Everglades

7.     Rare munition: Mount Rainer

Wuzzle

• One fine day
• Look both ways before crossing
• Downright nasty

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 Is All for Now  ☺