FYI: Click on any blue text for a
link to more information!
♪Happy Birthday To: ♪
Today’s Historical
Highlights
1748 - Ruins of
Pompeii found
1863 - 1st
wartime conscription law in US goes into effect
1881 - Anti-Jewish
riots in Jerusalem
1889 - 1st
dishwashing machine marketed (Chicago)
1925 - Hebrew
University, Jerusalem dedicated
1938 - Baseball
Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, NY
1946 - Weight
Watchers forms
1954 - Earthquake/tsunami
ravage Aleutians, 200 killed
1963 - NYC's
newspapers resume publishing after a 114 day strike
1966 - China premier
Tsjoe en-Lai starts "Cultural revolution"
1967 - The United
States Department of Transportation begins operation
1976 - Stephen
Wozniak & Steven Jobs founded Apple Computer
2004 - Google
introduces its Gmail product to the public. The launch is met with skepticism dues
to the launch date
Free Rambling
Thoughts
April first…April Fool’s Day…wonder what’s in store this year in new
jokes?
In 1996, Taco Bell ran an
add that they had purchased and renamed the Liberty Bell the Taco Liberty Bell.
In 1951 the BBC ran a
video that the mild winter had produced a bumper spaghetti crop in Switzerland.
In 1970 - John & Yoko
release hoax they are having dual sex change operations
In 1977, the British
newspaper The Guardian published a special seven-page supplement devoted to San
Serriffe, a small republic said to consist of several semi-colon-shaped islands
located in the Indian Ocean. A series of articles affectionately described the
geography and culture of this obscure nation. Its two main islands were named
Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse. Its capital was Bodoni, and its leader was
General Pica.
In 1993 a German radio
station announced that runners in parks had to run less than 6mph so as not to
distract the squirrels during their mating season.
In 1994 a Washington DC
political magazine reported on a bill that had just passed that prohibited any
drunken people from using the internet.
In 1995 a Copenhagen
newspaper reported that a new law required all dogs be painted white so they
could be more easily seen at night.
In 1998 Burger King introduced
the left-handed Whopper, where all ingredients had been rotated 180° to help
left handers.
In 1998 a radio station
announced that Alabama had a new law that rounded pi from 3.14…to 3 to make math easier.
In 2002: The British
supermarket chain Tesco published an advertisement in The Sun announcing the
successful development of a genetically modified 'whistling carrot.' The ad
explained that the carrots had been specially engineered to grow with tapered
air holes in their side. When fully cooked, these air holes caused the
vegetable to whistle.
In 2008, the BBC announced
that camera crews filming near the Antarctic for its natural history series
Miracles of Evolution had captured footage of Adélie penguins taking to the
air. It even offered a video clip of these flying penguins, which became one of
the most viewed videos on the internet. Presenter Terry Jones explained that,
instead of huddling together to endure the Antarctic winter, these penguins
took to the air and flew thousands of miles to the rainforests of South America
where they "spend the winter basking in the tropical sun."
Happy April Fool’s Day
Hope everyone enjoys the
new puzzles…it is time for a change
up.
Game Center
(answers at the end of post)
Brain Game—A
close up picture of what?
NPR Sunday Puzzle
Each clue is three words.
For each set, think of a fourth word that can follow each clue to complete a
compound word or familiar two-word phrase. For example, given "cat,"
"cattle" and "telephone," the answer would be
"call," as in "catcall," "cattle call" and
"telephone call." Hint: Each answer ends in two L's, like
"call."
1.
Sleeping, pain, chill:
2.
Cow, bar, dumb:
3.
Tennis, cannon, screw:
4.
Bomb, egg, tortoise:
5.
Duck, play, buffalo:
6.
Baby, rag, china:
7.
Ant, boot, capital:
8.
Ink, stair, oil:
9.
Bank, drum, jelly:
10.
Water, wind, free:
11.
Fire, Dentist’s, power:
12.
Fire, stone, white:
13.
Pepper, paper, tread:
14.
Jail, fuel, brain:
Riddle of the day
The priest in my hometown
told us that on a particular day he would walk on water for 30 minutes. The
lake was not dry and we all observed the priest actually walking on water. How?
Anagram:
unscramble—numbers represent the number of letters in
each answer word
Lifestyle Substance
Harper’s
Index
Portion of income growth since the end of the recession that has gone to corporate profits: 9/10
Found on You
Tube
Betty Botter: A song version of the old classic tongue twister
Tongue Twister Song: Please Pre-freeze the PeaSally Sells Sea Shells: Can YOU keep up??? a tongue twister song
"Hawaiian Cowboy", the ultimate tongue twister/yodel song
Trabalenguas, my favorite Spanish tongue twister
French Tongue Twisters
Planet Earth—
Joke-of-the-day
Three old ladies are
sitting in a diner, chatting about various things. One lady says, "You
know, I'm getting really forgetful. This morning, I was standing at the top of
the stairs, and I couldn't remember whether I had just come up or was about to
go down."
The second lady says,
"You think that's bad? The other day, I was sitting on the edge of my bed,
and I couldn't remember whether I was going to bed or had just waken up!"
The third lady smiles
smugly. "Well, my memory's just as good as it's always been, knock on
wood." She raps the table. With a startled look on her face, she asks,
"Who's there?!"
Rules of
Thumb
Easy shortcuts to make
an ‘educated’ guess
If you need to get gas
while driving on an interstate, look for exits with at least two gas stations.
The competition will mean a lower price per gallon.
Yeah, It Really
Happened
BOULDER, Colo. - A
Colorado couple say they have big dreams for the tiny house they've built as an
example of sustainability and simple living. The interior of the house is about
125 square feet, which is 90 percent smaller than their current home in Boulder,
Colo., Christopher Smith and Merete Mueller said. The new house has many
features based in sustainability, including reclaimed windows, beetle-kill
lumber, solar power and a composting toilet filled with peat moss and sawdust,
KMGH-TV, Denver, reported Wednesday.
"When we set out it
was to show that a normal person, who never built anything before, can take on
a project like this and finish it," Smith said. The construction was
filmed for a documentary called "Tiny" that explores "the ways
we find ourselves at home," the couple's Web site said. Smith and Mueller
said the project was originally going to function as a second home, but they
are now considering making it their full-time residence.
"The more that I've
been working on it with Merete, and the more we visit other people's tiny
houses, it's starting to feel more and more like a home, and I can definitely
picture myself living in it full-time," Smith said.
Somewhat Useless
Information
ARRIAN was a native of
Nicomedia in Bithynia. In his youth he studied under Epictetus, who had then
been banished from Rome, and was teaching at Nicopolis. Epictetus wrote
nothing; it is to Arrian that we owe the record of his conversations, and his
manual of conduct.
MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO was
born at Arpinum, in Central Italy, where his family occupied a leading
position. Cicero's true fame rests on his philosophical writings. He was one of
the principal channels through which Greek thought and culture diffused itself
in the Roman world.
Calendar Information
…Observances This
Month:
Atlanta Food & Wine
Month…ASPCA Month…Alcohol Awareness Month…Amateur Radio Month…Autism Awareness
Month
Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage
Month
Cancer Control Month…Car Care
Month…Celebrate Diversity Month…Child Abuse Prevention Month…(International)
Cesarean Awareness Month…Confederate History Month…Couple Appreciation
Month…Cranberries and Gooseberries Month
Defeat Diabetes Month
Emotional Overeating Awareness Month
Fair Housing Month…Financial Literacy Month…Fresh Florida Tomatoes Month…Frog Month
Global Child Nutrition Month…Grange Month…Grilled Cheese Month
Holy Humor Month…Home Improvement Time…Honor Society Awareness Month
Informed Women Month…International Customer Loyalty Month…International Guitar Month…International Twit Award Month…IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) Month
Emotional Overeating Awareness Month
Fair Housing Month…Financial Literacy Month…Fresh Florida Tomatoes Month…Frog Month
Global Child Nutrition Month…Grange Month…Grilled Cheese Month
Holy Humor Month…Home Improvement Time…Honor Society Awareness Month
Informed Women Month…International Customer Loyalty Month…International Guitar Month…International Twit Award Month…IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) Month
Jazz Appreciation Month
Keep America Beautiful
Month of the Young Child…Math Awareness Month…Month of the Military Child
Keep America Beautiful
Month of the Young Child…Math Awareness Month…Month of the Military Child
National African American
Women's Fitness Month…National Autism Awareness Month…National Child Abuse
Prevention Month…National Card and Letter Writing Month…National Decorating
Month…National DNA & Genomics & Stem Cell Education & Awareness
Month…National Donate Life Month…National Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Month…National Garden Month…National Humor Month…National Kite Month…National
Knuckles Down Month…National Landscape Architecture Month…National Multiple
Birth Awareness Month…National Occupational Therapy Month…National Parkinson's
Awareness Month…National Pecan Month…National Pet Month…National Poetry
Month…National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month…Nationally Sexually Transmitted
Diseases (STDs) Month…National Sexual Assault Awareness Month…National Youth
Sports Safety Month
Pharmacists War on Diabetes
Month…Pet First Aid Awareness Month…Physical Wellness Month…Prevent Lyme in
Dogs Month…Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month
Rosacea Awareness Month
School Library Media Month…Soy Foods Month…Straw Hat Month…Stress Awareness Month
Testicular Cancer Awareness Month…Tomatillo and Asian Pear Month
Women's Eye Health & Safety Month…Workplace Conflict Awareness Month…World Habitat Awareness Month
Rosacea Awareness Month
School Library Media Month…Soy Foods Month…Straw Hat Month…Stress Awareness Month
Testicular Cancer Awareness Month…Tomatillo and Asian Pear Month
Women's Eye Health & Safety Month…Workplace Conflict Awareness Month…World Habitat Awareness Month
…Happening This
Week:
1-7
The
APAWS Pooper Scooper Week
Golden Rule Week
Golden Rule Week
Holy
Week
International Pooper-Scooper Week
Laugh at Work Week
National Blue Ribbon Week
National Public Health Week
National Week of the Ocean
National Window Safety Week
Medication Safety Week
International Pooper-Scooper Week
Laugh at Work Week
National Blue Ribbon Week
National Public Health Week
National Week of the Ocean
National Window Safety Week
Medication Safety Week
Today Is
April
Fools or All Fools Day
Atheist
Day
Boomer
Bonus Days a day for everyone over 50. Boomers don't like to celebrate birthdays,
so today is a non-threatening celebration.
International
Tatting Day
International
Tongue Twister Day
Afrikaans: Wat was was
voor was was was?
Amharic: Be bug bate,
bug geba.
Basque: Akerrak
adarrak okerrak ditu.Okerrak adarrak akerrak ditu.
Danish: Bispens
gipsgebis
English: How many boards
could the Mongols hoard if the Mongol hordes got bored?
French: Un chasseur
sachant chasser sait chasser sans son chien de chasse.
Irish: Tá ceann tuÃ
ar trà thigh atá thÃos le taobh na toinne.
Scottish: It's a braw
bricht moonlicht nicht the nicht.
Scottish/Gaelic: Cha robh laogh ruadh riamh luath, is cha robh laogh luath riamh
reamhar.
Spanish: Tres tristes
tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal en tres tristes trastos.
En tres tristes trastos tragaban trigo tres tristes tigres.
En tres tristes trastos tragaban trigo tres tristes tigres.
Vietnamese: Bà Ba béo bán bánh bò, bán bòn bon, bán bong bóng, bên
Welsh: Llongyfarchiadau
llanciau Llanelli.
Library
Snap Shot Day
National
Fun Day
Poetry
& The Creative Mind Day
Reading
is Funny Day
Sorry
Charlie Day
St.
Stupid Day an annual parade that takes place in San
Francisco on April 1st. The somewhat anarchistic parade was founded by Ed
Holmes (aka Bishop Joey of the First Church of the Last Laugh)
in the late 1970s.
One
Cent Day
><
Bulgaria:
Saint Lazarus Day (Lazarus is a symbol of health and longevity.)
Iran:
Islamic Republic Day (1979 the plebiscite approving the proposed constitution, establishing the
Islamic Republic)
Palm Sunday for Christians
Palm Sunday for Christians
Today’s Other Events
1500’s
1536 - After being
shipwrecked in Galveston, Texas, Cabeza de Vaca and a few men march across the
continent to California. They will be the first "white men" to visit
many Indian tribes. Cabeza de Vaca will reach "civilization" again at
San Miguel in New Galicia.
1578 - William
Harvey of England discovers blood circulation
<>
1700’s
1724 - Jonathan
Swift publishes Drapier's letters
1800’s
1850 - SF County
government established
1853 - Cincinnati
became 1st US city to pay fire fighters a regular salary
1867 - Singapore,
Penang & Malakka become British crown colonies
1891 - The Wrigley
Company is founded in Chicago, Illinois
1900’s
1924 - The Royal
Canadian Air Force is formed
1927 - 1st
automatic record changer introduced by His Master's Voice
1931 - Earthquake
devastate Managua Nicaragua, kills 2,000
1942 - Mexico
changes from 3 time zones to 2
1945 - US forces
invade Okinawa during WW II
1946 - 400,000
US mine workers strike
1952 - Big Bang
theory proposed in Physical Review by Alpher, Bethe & Gamow
1960 - 1st weather
satellite launched (TIROS 1)
1966 - 1st world
festival of black art (Dakar Senegal)
1981 - Daylight
saving time is introduced in the USSR
1982 - US formally
transfers Canal Zone to Panama
1991 - Supreme Court
rules jurors can't be barred from serving due to race
2000’s
2001 - Same-sex
marriage becomes legal in the Netherlands, which is the first country to allow
it
2002 - The
Netherlands legalizes euthanasia, becoming the first nation in the world to do
so
2011 - After
protests against the burning of the Quran turned violent, a mob attacked a
United Nations compound in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan and killed thirteen
people, including eight foreign workers
Today’s Birthdays
In their 90’s
1919 - Joseph
Murray, American surgeon, Nobel laureate-1st successful kidney
transplant is 93
In their 80’s
Jane Powell (Suzanne
Lorraine Burce), singer/actress (7 Brides for 7 Brothers) is 83
Debbie Reynolds,
actress (Singin' in the Rain) is 80
In their 70’s
><
In their 30’s
Rachel Maddow, American
radio personality and political analyst is 39
Under 30 years old
Matt Lanter, American
actor and model is 29
Remembered for being
born on this day
Wallace Beery, KC MO,
actor (Alias a Gentleman, Dinner at 8) in 1886
Otto Von Bismarck,
Germany, chancellor (1866-90) in 1815
Leonard Bloomfield, US
linguist in 1887
Sophonisba Breckenridge,
scholar/teacher/social activist in 1866
Lon Chaney, man of 1000
faces, actor (High Noon, Phantom of Opera) in 1883
Sophie Germain, French
mathematician in 1776
Today’s Obits
Martha Graham, US,
choreographer (Appalachian Spring), dies at 96 in 1991
Helena Rubinstein,
Polish-born American cosmetics manufacturer dies at 94 in 1965
Carrie Snodgress, American
actress dies of liver failure at 58 in 2004
Answers
Brain Game: Close
Up Picture
Riddle of the day
It was winter and the lake
was frozen.
NPR Sunday Puzzle
1.
Sleeping, pain, chill:
a.
pill
2.
Cow, bar, dumb:
a.
bell
3.
Tennis, cannon, screw:
a.
ball
4.
Bomb, egg, tortoise:
a.
shell
5.
Duck, play, buffalo:
a.
bill
6.
Baby, rag, china:
a.
doll
7.
Ant, boot, capital:
a.
hill
8.
Ink, stair, oil:
a.
well
9.
Bank, drum, jelly:
a.
roll
10.
Water, wind, free:
a.
fall
11.
Fire, Dentist’s, power:
a.
drill
12.
Fire, stone, white: wall
13.
Pepper, paper, tread:
a.
mill
14.
Jail, fuel, brain:
a.
cell
Anagrams
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 ☺
