Jan 28, 2012

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

Today’s  Historical  Highlights

1099 - 1st Crusaders begins siege of Hosn-el-Akrad Syria

1754 - Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word serendipity

1887 - In a snowstorm at Fort Keogh, Montana, the world's largest snowflakes are reported, being 15 inches (38 cm) wide and 8 inches (20 cm) thick

1915 - US Pres Wilson refuses to prohibit immigration of illiterates

1932 - Japan occupies Shanghai

1935 - Iceland becomes 1st country to legalize abortion

2011 - Hundreds of thousands of protesters fill the Egyptian's streets against the Mubarak regime in demonstrations referred to as the "Friday of Anger"

♫Happy Birthday To: ♫                     

Free Rambling Thoughts   

Another good day in Flag. I was out and about this morning, got lots done, and enjoyed seeing the Peaks. On top of that, we should have a nice weekend, weather wise.

Getting ready for our Discussion group tomorrow night. We are discussing the Oceans. Should be a lively discussion. I have to admit I am fairly ignorant on the subject, but others will enlighten me, I’m sure.

Game   Center   (answers at the end of post)

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

You are given categories and must name items within those categories that begin with the letters G, A, M, U and T. For example, given the category "girls' names," possible answers would be Gloria, Amelia, Martha, Ursula and Theresa.

1.     Presidential first names: George, Andrew, Martin, Ulysses, Thomas

2.     Countries in Africa: Gabon, Algeria (Angola), Mali, Uganda, Tanzania,  

3.     Blood relatives: grandfather, aunt, mother, uncle, twin (third cousin)

4.     Musical instruments: guitar, accordion, mandolin, ukulele, tuba

5.     Things to pack in a suitcase: gloves, aspirin, mouthwash, underwear, t-shirt

Wuzzles  What concept or phrase do these suggest?

Lifestyle  Substance     

AZ Centennial is in 18 days:  Did you know?…

• The Hopi Indians of Arizona are noted for growing their multicolored corn.
• Barry Goldwater, a famous public official, senator, and presidential candidate was born in Phoenix.
• In 1939 architect Frank Lloyd Wright's studio, Taliesin West, was built near Phoenix.

Found on You Tube         

Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin West

Harper’s Index         

Percentage of America’s college students who attend a for-profit schools: 1/10

Joke-of-the-day

While living in Denver the weatherman said, expect 10 to 12 inches of snow tonight so park on the right side of the road so we can plow the left side. Willie’s wife ran out and parked on the right side. The next week the forecast called for another 10 to 12 inches of snow, but this time he said park on the left side. So Willie’s wife ran out and parked the car on the left side of the road. The following week he said 16 inches of snow expected park, the lights went out and all our power was lost. Willie’s wife said, my goodness, now I don’t know where to park the car. “Why don’t you just leave it in the garage!” Willie said.

Planet Earth

Rules of Thumb   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

Aircraft carriers get six inches to the gallon.

Somewhat Useless Information   

• The rubber band was patented in England on March 17, 1845 by Stephen Perry and his corporation, the Messers Perry and Co, Rubber Manufacturers of London.
• While other rubber products may use synthetic rubber, most rubber bands are primarily manufactured using natural rubber because of its superior elasticity. Natural rubber originates from the sap of the rubber tree. Natural rubber is made from latex which is acquired by tapping into the bark layers of the rubber tree.

Yeah, It Really Happened                 

New York City-- A glaring misspelling on a street sign outside a Manhattan high school has been fixed.
The painted pavement on Stanton Street outside Marta Valle High School had read "SHCOOL X-NG."Utility workers used heavy machinery to ground up the wrongly placed "H'' and "C'' in the sign on Tuesday.   
The correction was made a day after the New York Post reported the spelling error.   
The words were created with industrial "textured tape'' that permanently sticks to the asphalt.   
Con Ed told the Post that the error occurred when a contractor ripped up the street for utility work and replaced the existing markings.   
It said the mistake outside the East Village building that houses three schools had been there since July 2010.Initially, neighbors told the Post it had been placed there over the summer.  

Calendar Information        

…Happening This Week:

20-30

Sundance Film Festival

Today Is                                                                      

Clash Day
Data Privacy Day
Fun at Work DayNational Kazoo Day National
Rattle Snake Round-Up Day
Seed Swap Day
Thank A Plugin Developer Day

Today’s Other Events                                                             

1000’s

1077 - German king Henry IV petitions Pope Gregory VII for forgiveness; Gregory VII pardons him

1500’s

1521 - The Diet of Worms begins, lasting until May 25

1700’s

1724 - The Russian Academy of Sciences was founded in St. Petersburg by Peter the Great

1800’s

1807 - London's Pall Mall is 1st street lit by gaslight

1813 - Pride and Prejudice is first published in the United Kingdom

1851 - Northwestern University (Chicago) chartered

1878 - 1st telephone exchange (New Haven, CT) George W Coy hired as 1st full-time telephone operator

1878 - Yale Daily News published, 1st college daily newspaper

1900’s

1918 - Trotsky becomes leader of Reds

1932 - 1st US state unemployment insurance act enacted (Wisconsin)

1934 - 1st US ski tow (rope) begins operation (Woodstock Vermont)

1949 - UN Security council convicts Dutch aggression in Indonesia

1953 - J Fred Muggs (the chimp) joins NBC's "Today Show"

1958 - Dodger catcher Roy Campanella is paralyzed in an automobile wreck

1958 - The Lego company patented their design of Lego bricks, still compatible with bricks produced today.

1961 - Republic of Rwanda proclaimed

1973 - "Barnaby Jones" premieres on CBS TV

1978 -  "Fantasy Island" starring Ricardo Montalban premieres on ABC TV

1985 - Charity single "We Are the World" is recorded by supergroup USA for Africa

1986 - Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members

1990 - Superbowl XXIV: SF 49ers beat Denver Broncos, 55-10 MVP: Joe Montana

1996 - Superbowl XXX: Dallas Cowboys beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-17 MVP: Larry Brown 

2000’s

2010 - Five murderers of President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh are hanged.

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

In their 30’s

Nick Carter, singer (Backstreet Boys) is 32

Elijah Wood, actor is 31

In their 40’s

Sarah McLachlan, folk singer (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy) is 44

In their 60’s

Barbi Benton, [Klein], Playboy model (Hee Haw, Sugar Time!) is 62

Susan Howard, actress (Donna-Dallas, Petrocelli) is 68

In their 70’s

Alan Alda, actor, director is 76

In their 80’s

Acker Bilk, clarinetist ( Stranger on the Shore) is 83

Remembered for being born on this day

Saint Thomas Aquinas in 1225

John Barclay, Scottish satirist/poet (Euphormio's Satyricon) in 1582

John Baskerville, English printer (typeface inventor) in 1706

Lionel KP "Buster" Crabb, British diver (WW II-George Medal) in 1909 [not the actor]

Jackson Pollock, Cody Wyoming, expressionist painter (Lavender Mist) in 1912

Robert Stroud, American convict, the Birdman of Alcatraz in 1890

Today’s Obits                                                           

Crew of Space Shuttle Challenger: Christa McAuliffe, astronaut [37], Ellison S Onizuka, Mjr USAF [40], Francis R Scobee, USAF [46], Judith Arlene Resnik [36], Michael J Smith, Cmdr USN [40], Ronald E McNair. Physicist  [35],  Greg Jarvis, payload specialist [41] in 1986

John Banner, actor (Schultz-Hogan's Heroes), dies on 63rd birthday of hemorrhage in 1973

Charlemagne, German emperor/Roman Emperor (800-814), dies of pleurisy at 71 in 814

Jimmy Durante, NYC, comedian (Jimmy Durante Show), dies at 86 in 1980

Henry VIII, King of England (1509-47), dies of obesity at 55 in 1547

Peter I "the Great" Romanov, czar of Russia, dies of uremia at 52 in 1725

William Butler Yeats, Irish poet (Nobel), dies in France at 73 in 1939

Answers                                                                                                                                            

Brain Game

NPR Sunday Puzzle

Other correct answers are acceptable

1.     Presidential first names: George, Andrew, Martin, Ulysses, Thomas

2.     Countries in Africa: Gabon, Algeria (Angola), Mali, Uganda, Tanzania,  

3.     Blood relatives: grandfather, aunt, mother, uncle, twin (third cousin)

4.     Musical instruments: guitar, accordion, mandolin, ukulele, tuba

5.     Things to pack in a suitcase: gloves, aspirin, mouthwash, underwear, t-shirt

Wuzzle

• Sleepless night
• Tiptoe through the tulips
• A little bit behind schedule

 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  ☺