Feb 26

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Today’s  Historical  Highlights

1834 - 1st US interstate crime compact (NY-NJ) ratified

1848 - Marx & Engels publish "Communist Manifesto"

1919 - Acadia National Park forms (as Lafayette N P), Maine

1929 - Pres Calvin Coolidge establishes Grand Teton National Park

1930 - 1st red & green traffic lights installed (Manhattan NYC)

1979 - Last total eclipse of Sun in 20th century for continental US

♪Happy Birthday To: ♪                     

  Returns tomorrow

Free Rambling Thoughts   

Posting is early today, as tonight our discussion group meets. We will be discussing the implications of the cartels on the entire US-Mexico-Central America diplomacy. It should be an interesting discussion. Flag was pretty windy today, and today it was a much cooler wind. Not necessary to be out and about, so I stayed home and did some cleaning.  Oh, and a lot of reading for the discussion group. Not a bad day at all.

Game   Center   (answers at the end of post)

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

Every answer is the name of a famous person. The person's last name is a plural noun that is part of a category. The clues are the person's first name and the category of the last name. The player gives the full name of the person. For example, if the clues are "Britney" and "weapons," the answer is "Britney Spears," because spears are weapons.

1.      Joyce relatives:

2.      Jonathan seasons:

3.      Joan waterways:

4.      Mel waterways:

5.      Beverly window parts:

6.      Jeremy golf clubs:

7.      Tiger gold clubs:

8.      Naomi electric units:

9.      Alicia piano parts:

10.   Bert city areas:

11.   George injuries:

12.   Stevie injuries:

13.   Jeff engineering projects:

14.   Phil metals:

15.   Hugh football terms:

Wuzzles  What concept or phrase do these suggest?

Lifestyle  Substance     

Planet Earth—Orkney Islands

Returns tomorrow

Found on You Tube         

Returns tomorrow

Harper’s Index         

Estimated percentage change in the abuse of anti-anxiety drugs in the US since 9/11: +176

Joke-of-the-day

USEFUL WORK PHRASES1. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view. 2. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist. 3. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce. 4. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental. 5. I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't care. 6. I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.7. What am I? Flypaper for freaks!? 8. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant. 9. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth. 10. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you. 11. It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off. 12. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial. 13. No, my powers can only be used for good. 14. How about never? Is never good for you? 15. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to worship me. 16. You sound reasonable. Time to up my medication. 17. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter. 18. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message .
19. I don't work here. I'm a consultant. 20. Who me? I just wander from room to room. 21. My toys! My toys! I can't do this job without my toys! 22. It might look like I'm doing nothing, but at the cellular level I'm really quite busy. 23. At least I have a positive attitude about my destructive habits. 24. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers. 25. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public. 26. Someday, we'll look back on this, laugh nervously, and change the subject.

Rules of Thumb   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

Cute names for restaurants suggest that the owners aren't serious about food.

Somewhat Useless Information    

Originally introduced in 1929 by Frank and Ethel Mars, the Snickers bar was named after their family horse.  The original Snickers bars were sold for a nickel and consisted primarily of chocolate, peanuts and caramel.

The Butterfinger candy bar was invented by the Curtiss Candy Company of Chicago in 1923. 

Heath bars were included in U.S. soldiers' rations during World War II because they had been found to have a very long shelf life. 

The Kit Kat bar was originally introduced in the UK as "Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp" in 1935. Two years later, it was renamed "KitKat." 

Yeah, It Really Happened                
MADISON, Wis. - Police in Madison, Wis., said they arrested a man who claimed to have been sent by Denny's corporate offices and made himself a meal in the kitchen. Police said James Summers, 52, of Madison entered the restaurant around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and told workers he had been sent by the corporate office and was immediately taking over the position of general manager, WISC-TV, Madison, reported Thursday. Workers said Summers began making himself a cheeseburger and fries in the restaurant's kitchen while the current manager phoned her supervisors. The manager called 911 when she confirmed Summers had not been sent by the company and he was arrested while walking near the Denny's. Summers told police the incident must have been the result of a paperwork mix-up, but officers said they confirmed he had not been sent by Denny's officials. Police said Summers was also carrying a stun gun and did not have a permit. He was arrested on charges of fraud, possession of an electric weapon, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Calendar Information        

…Happening This Week:

26-3/3

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

National Secondhand Wardrobe Week

Telecommuter Appreciation Week

Peace Corps Week

Today Is                                                                      

Academy Awards Night

Daytona 500

For Pete's Sake Day

Levi Strauss Day

National Personal Chef's Day

National Pistachio Day

Open That Bottle Night

Anniversary - Grand Canyon National Park 1919

Kuwait: Liberation Day

Today’s Other Events                                                             

1600’s

1616 - Spanish Inquisition delivers injunction to Galileo

1800’s

1860 - The Wiyots lived on the upper California coast between the Little River and the Bear River. An annual ceremony lasting over a week is held in the village of Tutulwat on an island in the river in what is now Eureka, California. By Wiyot tradition, everyone is welcome at the ceremony, including whites. Tonight after the ceremonies are finished, a group of men from Eureka sneak into the village and attack the participants. Several other nearby villages are also attacked. An estimated eighty to 100 Indians are killed in the sneak attack. An annual vigil is now held on a nearby island to commemorate the event.

1885 - Congress of Berlin, gives Congo to Belgium & Nigeria to England

1891 - 1st buffalo purchased for Golden Gate Park

1893 - 2 Clydesdale horses set record by pulling 48 tons on a sledge

1900’s

1914 - HMHS Britannic, sister to the Titanic, is launched at Harland & Wolff, Belfast

1916 - Mutual signs Charlie Chaplin to a film contract

1938 - 1st passenger ship equipped with radar

1941 - Vichy-France makes religious education in school mandatory

1952 - PM Winston Churchill announces Britain has its own atomic bomb

1962 - US Supreme court disallows race separation on public transportation

1971 - Secretary-General U Thant signs United Nations proclamation of the vernal equinox as Earth Day

1983 - Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album goes to #1 & stays #1 for 37 weeks

1984 - Rev Jesse Jackson acknowledges that he called NYC, "Hymietown"

1998 - Oprah Winfrey beats Texas cattlemen in beef trial

2000’s

2001 - The Taliban destroy two giant Buddha statues in Bamyan, Afghanistan

2004 - The United States lifts a ban on travel to Libya, ending travel restrictions to the nation that had lasted for 23 years

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

In their 80’s

Tom Kennedy, quiz host (You Don't Say, Name That Tune) is 85

Antione "Fats" Domino, rhythm & blues pianist (Blueberry Hill) is 84

In their 60’s

Mitch Ryder, rocker (& Detroit Wheels-Devil With the Blue Dress) is 67

In their 40’s

Mark Dacascos, actor, martial artist is 48

Remembered for being born on this day

Johnny Cash, Kingsland Ark, country singer (I Hear the Train Coming) in 1932

William F "Buffalo Bill" Cody, killed 4000 buffaloes in 1846

Herbert Henry Dow, pioneer in US chemical industry (Dow Chemical) in 1866Jackie Gleason, actor, comedian in 1916

William Frawley,  actor (Fred Mertz-I Love Lucy, Bub-My 3 Sons) in 1887

Victor Hugo, France, author (Hunchback of Notre Dame, Les Miserables) in 1802

Betty Hutton, Battle Creek Mich, actress (Greatest Show on Earth) in 1921

Tony Randall, [Leonard Rosenberg], actor (Felix-Odd Couple) in 1920

Levi Strauss, German-born clothing designer in 1829

Today’s Obits                                                           

Lou Costello, actor (Abbott & Costello), dies at 52 in 1959

David Doyle, actor (Charlie's Angels), dies at 67 in 1997

Richard J Gatling, US inventor (Gatling Gun), dies at 84 in 1903

Answers                                                                                                                                            

Brain Game

Yesterday’s answer: Gorged, I hide grog.

 Today

NPR Sunday Puzzle

1.      Joyce relatives:

a.      Brothers

2.      Jonathan seasons:

a.      Winters

3.      Joan waterways:

a.      Rivers

4.      Mel waterways:

a.      Brooks

5.      Beverly window parts:

a.      Sills

6.      Jeremy golf clubs:

a.      Irons

7.      Tiger gold clubs:

a.      Woods

8.      Naomi electric units:

a.      Watts

9.      Alicia piano parts:

a.      Keys

10.   Bert city areas:

a.      Parks

11.   George injuries:

a.      Burns

12.   Stevie injuries:

a.      Nicks

13.   Jeff engineering projects:

a.      Bridges

14.   Phil metals:

a.      Silvers

15.   Hugh football terms:

a.      Downs

Wuzzle

• Heavens above
• Just between you and me
• Bending over backwards for you

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  ☺