Feb 19, 2013

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Flagstaff Almanac:  Week: 08/ Day: 50   

Today: H   47°…L 18° Averages: H  45° L 20° Records: H   65°(1977)…L -11°(1942)

Wind: ave:   12mph; Gusts:  20mph  Ave. humidity:  46%

Quote of the Day:

Today’s Historical Highlights:

1/3 of papal domain ceded to France—1797

1st practical US coal-burning locomotive makes 1st trial run, PA—1831

1st prize inserted into a Cracker Jack box—1913

1st US Teachers strike (Florida) —1968

30,000 US Marines land on Iwo Jima—1945

Bil Keane's "Family Circus" cartoon strip debuts—1960

Documents regarding the Delaware "Walking Purchase" treaty are discovered—1725

Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" album released—1977

Peruvian stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in the recorded history of South America—1600

Thomas Alva Edison patents gramophone (phonograph) —1878

Virginia Governor Patrick Henry is upset by the actions of several white "frontiersmen" against the Indians. They have killed Shawnee Chief Cornstalk, and four other Shawnees, who have lived in peace with their neighbors. Today Governor Henry writes a letter to Colonel William Fleming. Suggesting that perhaps the murderers are British agents trying to instigate a fight with the Indians to divert troops away from the Revolutionary War.—1778

♪  ♪   Happy Birthday To: ♪. ♪   

How many can you identify?…answers in Today’s Birthdays

Free Rambling Thoughts:   

I went to visit one of my Great Decisions people this morning, to pick up this year’s book of articles. Since I will be co-hosting the next discussion this Saturday, I decided I better read the articles and figure out a presentation. We had a nice discussion about my trip to Uganda. Then I mentioned that I might be going to Cuba in 2014 and remembered he had lived there during the revolution. Since I have two possible trips to choose from, he will look over each itinerary and make his suggestions. Then the discussion moved to Burma. Turns out one of our group is just returning from a student recruitment trip over there…that should be a great discussion. Amazed again at what a small world we live in.  

Our weather was very nice today, and it was nice to be able to spend some time outside. It may well be short-lived since a storm is a brewin’ and may drop 10+” of the white stuff tomorrow night through Wednesday…with another storm right on its heels. Really am getting ready for spring. I am loaded down with comfort food, just in case these storms come to be.

 

I’m a FB friend with my US Rep. so I can see what is going on. She is in AZ for the next 9 days on what she is calling a ‘Congressional district work session’. My goodness, she has only been in DC since January and is now back to tell us what she did. She is not alone, and only one Representative, but I really wish they would all stay in DC, tell us by email, or video what they are doing about the mess we are in. Sadly she is touting the bills she has sponsored or cosponsored that will help the district. So far none of them are dealing with the fiscal mess, the sequester, or the conformation of any of Obama’s cabinet. So much for the 113^th. Same ole’, same ole’.

Game  Center: (answers at the end of post)

Brain Teasers

My first is a number, my second another,  And each, I assure you, will rhyme with the other.  My first you will find is one-fifth of my second,  And truly my whole, a long period reckoned.  Yet my first and my second (nay, think not I cozen),  When added together, will make but two dozen. 
How many am I?

Lifestyle  Substance:     

Found on You Tube with some relevance to today:

• The Mamas & The Papas - Monday Monday

• Grandpa Jones - The Banjo Am The Instrument For Me

Ok, then?

Read This Carefully!!

New Sick Policy Requires Two Day Notice

Picture of the Day: Native American Art

Harper’s Index:         

• Percentage change in the theft of Apple products in NYC since January: +40

• Chances that a crime committed in NYC ub 2012 was one of these thefts: 1 in 7

Unusual Fact of the Day:

The “french” in french fries actually describes the way the spuds are sliced, not their country of origin.

Joke-of-the-day:

A lawyer phoned the governor’s mansion shortly after midnight. “I need to talk to the governor, it’s an emergency!” exclaimed the lawyer.

After some cajoling, the governor’s assistant agreed to wake him up. “So, what is it that’s so important that it can’t wait until morning?” grumbled the governor.

“Judge Pierson just died, and I want to take his place,” beg the attorney.

“Well, it’s OK with me if it’s OK with the mortuary,” replied the governor.  

Rules of Thumb:   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

PRODUCING CHAMPAGNE

The amount of champagne a winery sells in three years is the amount it should have in its cellars to be properly stocked.    

Yeah, It Really Happened

Former San Diego mayor Maureen O'Connor skimmed $2 million from a charity in order to help fund her one billion dollar gambling addiction. Now ol' Maureen earned her initial fortune the old fashioned way; she married the multi-millionaire founder of Jack in the Box Burgers, who just happened to be 30 years her senior.

When her sugar-daddy went to that golden burger joint in the sky Maureen started gambling away his fortune. It wasn't all bad luck. At one point Maureen was reportedly up hundreds of millions of dollars, but apparently it wasn't enough. When she eventually gambled it all away she resorted to embezzling $2 million from her late husband's charitable foundation in an effort to win it back.

It wasn't successful.

Incredibly her lawyers have successfully used the old 'a brain tumor impaired my reasoning' defense (that's not a joke) in order to defer her prosecution for two years so she can raise the money to pay the charity back.  

Somewhat Useless Information   

• The federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February is not officially called Presidents' Day. Instead, it is Washington's Birthday. There was an attempt in 1968 to officially name it Presidents' Day. However, this suggestion died in committee. Many states, however, choose to call their own celebration on this day "Presidents' Day."

• Even though many states celebrate Abraham Lincoln's birthday concurrently with Washington's birthday, it is not a federally designated holiday.

Calendar Information        

Happening This Week:

13-19
World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week

14-21
National Condom Week
National Nestbox Week
NCCDP Alzheimer's & Dementia Staff Education Week

15-24
National Date (fruit) Week
National Entrepreneurship Week
National FFA Week
Brotherhood / Sisterhood Week
Build A Better Trade Show Image Week
National Engineers Week
National Justice for Animals Week

Today Is                                                                      

Chocolate Mint Day

Iwo Jima Day (Landing) 

Single Tasking Day

Japanese Internment: 1942; gave the War Department the authority to prescribe military zones within American territory, and then exclude “any and all persons” deemed to be threats.

Today’s Events through History  

1st brother combo to win Gold & Silver in same event at Olympics 

     (Phil & Steve Mahre-Slalom) —1984

2nd Winter Olympic games close at St Moritz, Switzerland—1928

Dan Sickles is acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity 

      1st time this defense is successfully used—1859

Nazi raid Amsterdam & round up 429 young Jews for deportation—1941

Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal is awarded an honorary knighthood in 

     recognition of a "lifetime of service to humanity." —2004

Tornadoes in Miss, Ala, NC, SC, Tenn, Ky & In kill 800 people—1884

US hockey team destroys their rooms at Olympic village in Japan—1998

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

In their 70’s

Lou Christie [Lugee Sacco], singer-songwriter (Lightning Striking Again) is 70

Smokey Robinson, R&B and soul singer-songwriter (The Miracles-Tears of a Clown) is 72

In their 50’s

Jeff Daniels, actor is 58

Seal (Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel), English vocalist/songwriter (Killer, Crazy, Kiss by a Rose) is 50

In their 40’s

Justine Bateman , actress (Mallory-Family Ties, Satisfaction)  is 47

Benicio Del Toro, actor (Licence to Kill, Usual Suspects) is 46

Remembered for being born today

Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish mathematician and astronomer (1473-1543)

"Mama" Cass Elliot, actress (Mamas & Papas-Monday Monday) (1941-1974)

Evert Gorter, founder of Dutch medical child care (1881-1954)

Lee Marvin, NYC, actor (Paint Your Wagon, Cat Ballou) (1924-1987)

Merle Oberon, Calcutta India, actress (Assignment Foreign Legion) (1911-1979)

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           

Grandpa Jones (Louis Marshall Jones ), country comic/banjo wizard (Hee Haw)—1998—at 84

Steve Kordek, American pinball machine designer—2012—at 100

Deng Xiaoping, head (Chinese Communist Party)—1997—at 92

Answer: Brain Teasers

Four Score.

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  §