Jan. 11, 2012


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

Today’s  Historical  Highlights
  • 1803 - Monroe & Livingston sail for Paris to buy New Orleans; they buy LA
  • 1849 - Elizabeth Blackwell becomes 1st woman in US to earn medical degree
  • 1935 - Amelia Earhart flies from Honolulu to Oakland Ca (non-stop, of course)
  • 1949 - Snowfall 1st recorded in Los Angeles
  • 1972 - East-Pakistan becomes independent state of Bangladesh
  • 1998 - AFC Championship: Denver Broncos beat Pitt Steelers 24-21

Happy Birthday To:                      
 
Free Rambling Thoughts   
What an amazing weekend in Merida…I’ll have a write up on it in a few days on my other blog site. For now…stupendous. A weekend with the most creative people I have met. I had met a few of them over the years in short exchanges at a coffee shop or mall or short conversations at a party. Now I really know them, after four days at the hacienda and traveling to a Mayan pyramid. A weekend I will never forget and in a very good way!!!

A quick linguist story: On the shuttle from Phx to Flg there were two students coming to our local university for the first time. The first was a Brazilian coming to study mechanical engineering. The second was an Arab from Qatar coming for one year of intensive EFL. I usually have real friendly drivers who keep up informed. The kid we had said nothing unless asked. If asked he answered with one or two words. He obviously was having a ‘quiet day’. Anyway, the kid from Qatar spoke very little survival English. As we stopped for a stretch break, the driver asked him if he knew which stop he wanted to get off at. He said ‘Flagstaff’. I found out he was from Qatar when I used my limited Espanol,  his answer was ‘from Qatar’. My Arabic Hello was understood but that was all I knew. When we got to the first stop at NAU I asked if he had papers. He said yes. Then he showed me a cell phone with the address of a nearby motel. I asked the Brazilian where he was getting off, and he said NAU was meeting him at the train station. Success. I know the lady who works directly with the International Studies program students. When the van stopped, a girl was there to pick up the Brazilian. I went over and asked if she knew Nancy. She did—her boss. I told about the Qatar guy and she said she could handle it. Great. I was not surprised that none of the other students or adults on the bus offered any help. I was surprised the driver was non-helpful. A great ending to the trip.

Game   Center   (answers at the end of post)
Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle
You are given three clues. The answer is a word that can follow each of the clues to complete a familiar two-word phrase. For example, given "batting, grade-point and below," the answer would be "average." In addition, each answer has seven letters.
1.     Shooting, peanut, rogue:
2.     Drivers, liquor, poetic:
3.     Adding, time, pinball:
4.     Electric, horse, wet:
5.     Motion ,mental, class:
6.     Train, filling, radio:
7.     Vacuum, dry, pipe:
8.     Spring, fried, rubber:
9.     Trial, lead, hot air:
10.  English, television water:
11.  Animal, gram, ritz:
12.  Political, computer, rocket:
13.  Straight, trouble, six:

Wuzzles  What concept or phrase do these suggest?

Lifestyle  Substance      
AZ Centennial is in 34 days: Did you know?…
  • When being attacked by a criminal or burglar, you may only protect yourself with the same weapon that the other person possesses.
  • Bisbee, located in Tombstone Canyon, is known as the Queen of the Copper Mines. During its mining history the town was the largest city between Saint Louis and San Francisco.
  • In 1926, the Southern Pacific Railroad connected Arizona with the eastern states.
  • The Castilian and Burgundian flags of Spain, the Mexican flag, the Confederate flag, and the flag of the United States have all flown over the land area that has become Arizona.
  • In Arizona, it is unlawful to refuse a person a glass of water.


Found on You Tube         
Harper’s Index         
  • Portion of debt-ceiling elevations since1960 that have been signed into law by Republican presidents: 2/3

Joke-of-the-day
These bear hunters were sitting around the cabin the night before the hunt bragging about their past hunts.
The cabin boy was listening and went over and said "you guys make it seem pretty hard on capturing a bear".
They all laughed and said "it is hard; do you think you could bag one"?
"I can go out and bag you 2 if you will skin them, and I will bet each of you $100.00.
They agreed and off he went out into the night.
Soon he spotted a big grizzly; he waved his arm and started hollering the big bear started after him and he started running for the shack. When he got close to the shack he started yelling. "Open the door he yelled".
They looked out and saw the bear chasing the boy. Just as he got to the door they opened it and he stepped aside and the bear went in. He slammed the door and locked it and shouted. "OK skin him I'll go and get the other one".

Rules of Thumb   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
  • Warm hands indicate relaxation. Cool hands indicate tension. Place your hands on your neck, which is always warm; if they feel cool, concentrate on relaxing.

Somewhat Useless Information   
  • An average person has about 6 quarts of blood running through their body.
  • If you've got a normal head of hair, you have about 100,000 hairs on it.
  • If your sense of smell isn't working, you can't taste an onion.
  • The first jigsaw puzzle was invented to teach geography. In, 1767, John Spilsbury, a teacher in England and formerly the apprentice to the Royal Geographer, made the first jigsaw.
  • In 1939, Charles Magnant, along with Joe Biviano, Abe Goldman, and Gen von Hallberg were the first to play accordions within the hallowed walls of Carnegie Hall. Their first selection was Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor.
  • According to the National Center for Health Statistics, between 1980 and 2000, the number of twins births increased 74%. Triplet births have increased fivefold.

Yeah, It Really Happened                 
CLARKSVILLE, TN - The owner of a Tennessee home that has been vacant for more than a year said he was shocked to discover a 10-foot-by-12-foot wooden deck had been stolen. Jadranko Beslic, who moved with his family to Atlanta when he retired from the Army more than a year ago, said a friend asked if she could rent the Clarksville home and when she arrived at the house she discovered the wooden deck was missing from the back yard, The (Clarksville) Leaf-Chronicle reported Tuesday.
"That was on Wednesday, and Saturday was the first day I had off and I could go up there and actually look at it," Beslic said. "So we did, and sure enough, the deck was gone. There was nothing there." Beslic said he filed a police report about the theft. "It was really nice. I'm just baffled -- out of all the things to steal, a deck?" he said.

Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
8-14
Universal Letter Writing Week
Home Office Safety and Security Week
National Vocation Awareness Week
10-13
International Consumers Electronics Show
11-17
Cuckoo Dancing Week:
National No-Tillage Week Conference
National Soccer Coaches of America Week
International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week

Today Is                                                                      
Cigarettes Are Hazardous To Your Health Day
National Step in a Puddle
Splash Your Friend Day

Nepal : National Unity Day (Celebration paying homage to King Prithvinarayan Shah (1723–75), founder of the present house of rulers of Nepal and creator of the unified Nepal of today)

Today’s Other Events                                                             
1500’s
1569 - 1st recorded lottery in England is drawn in St Paul's Cathedral

1600’s
1693 - Mt Etna erupts, Sicily
1698 - Four French missionaries have been staying with the Quapaw Indians, on the Mississippi River. They travel downstream, and reach a Tunica Indian village today. Missionary Davion will decide to stay with the Tunica  to preach to them.

1700’s
1759 - 1st American life insurance company incorporated, Philadelphia

1800’s
1813 - 1st pineapples planted in Hawaii 
1861 - Alabama becomes 4th state to secede
1805 - Michigan Territory organizes
1879 - Zulu war against British colonial rule in South Africa begins
1886: The 1st infantry has engaged Apaches in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. For his actions today against "hostiles" under Geronimo and Natchez, First Lt. Marion Maus will be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

1900’s
1913 - 1st sedan-type car (Hudson) goes on display at 13th Auto Show (NYC)
1922 - Insulin 1st used to treat diabetes (Leonard Thompson, 14, of Canada)
1957 - The African Convention is founded in Dakar
1963 - 1st discotheque opens, Whiskey-a-go-go in LA
1966 - "Daktari"  African adventure series premieres on CBS TV
1973 - American League adopts designated hitter rule
1974 - ABC airs final episode of  "Love, American Style"
1976 - Dorothy Hamill wins her 3rd consec nat’l figure skating champions
1991 - Congress empowers Bush to order attack on Iraq


Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 40’s
Marc Acito, American novelist and humorist is 46
Mary Jane Blige, New York, American R&B singer-songwriter is 41

In their 60’s
[Frederick] Dennis Greene, rocker (Sha Na Na-Shannon) is 63
Naomi Judd, [Diana Ellen], KY singer (Judds-Why Not Me) is 66

In their 80’s
Grant Tinker, broadcasting executive (NBC-TV) is 87

Remembered for being born on this day
Domenico Ghirlandajo, Italian renaissance painter: 1449
Alexander Hamilton, Charlestown, Nevis, West Indies, 1st United States Secretary of the Treasury: 1755 
Charles Yelverton O'Connor, Irish-Australian engineer: 1843 
Alice Paul, ERA advocate/founder (National Woman's Party) in 1885

Today’s Obits                                                           
Thomas Hardy, novelist (Maddening Crowd), dies at 87: 1928
Sir Edmund Hillary, New Zealand mountaineer, the 1st person to climb Mt Everest in 1953 at 89: 2008
Carl Karcher, founded the Carl's Jr. hamburger chain dies at 91: 2008
Sheldon Leonard, producer/director (Dick Van Dyke), dies at 89: 1997
Jack Soo, actor (Nick Yemana-Barney Miller), dies of esophageal cancer at 63: 1979

Answers                                                                                                                                            
Brain Game
  • First equation is 32-1= 26+5
  • Second equation is 52=6+48-2


NPR Sunday Puzzle
1.     Shooting, peanut, rogue: gallery
2.     Drivers, liquor, poetic: License
3.     Adding, time, pinball: machine
4.     Electric, horse, wet: blanket
5.     Motion ,mental, class: picture
6.     Train, filling, radio: station
7.     Vacuum, dry, pipe: cleaner
8.     Spring, fried, rubber: chicken
9.     Trial, lead, hot air: balloon
10.  English, television water: channel
11.  Animal, gram, ritz: cracker
12.  Political, computer, rocket: science
13.  Straight, trouble, six: shooter

Wuzzle
  • Backward countries
  • Mid-term exam
  • Sunny-side up


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 

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Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
I retired in '06--at the ripe old age of 57. I enjoy blogging, photography, traveling, and living life to it's fullest.