Mar 1 2013

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Flagstaff Almanac:  Week: 09/ Day: 60    

Today: H   48°…L 25° Averages: H  47° L 21° Records: H   65°(1999)…L -16°(1962)

Wind: ave:   6mph; Gusts:  25mph  Ave. humidity:  35%

Quote of the Day

Today’s Historical Highlights

12th Academy Awards - "Gone with the Wind," ►1940

1st US edition of Sherlock Holmes (Study in Scarlet) published►1890

4 Puerto Ricans open fire in US house of reps injuring 5 reps►1954

Charles Lindbergh Jr (20 months), kidnapped in NJ; found dead May 12►1932

Color television transmissions begin in Australia►1975

Deadline for all whites to be out of CHEROKEE lands deadline►1831 

E. Remington and Sons in Ilion, New York begins production 

     of the first practical typewriter►1873

End of US commercial whale hunting►1970 Joseph Stalin suffers a 

     stroke and collapses. He dies four days later►1953

K-Mart opens►1962

President Kennedy establishes the Peace Corp►1961

The Hoover Dam is completed►1936

US extends territorial waters to 200 miles►1977

Watergate grand jury indicts 7 presidential aides►1974

Yellowstone becomes world's 1st national park►1872

♪  ♪   Happy Birthday To: ♪. ♪   

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

Free Rambling Thoughts   

A great birthday luncheon at our Mexican restaurant hangout. And I was able to share a free deep fried cinnamon ice cream with everyone. Very nice. Cheryl is doing very well, Mary too. Cheryl is so pleased to be back home in her own home with her dogs. Mary is awaiting her keys to the new house…sometime next week. I got a bottle of chocolate wine and a really cool Audubon birdhouse…made in the USA. My birds will love it…and if I’m lucky will make a home for some young ones. 

While checking up on my computer this morning, I watched the Pope make his final trip from the Vatican. It was historical…only the second Pope in history to have God tell him it was time to retire. He really did look frail for a man of his age. The priest from our Episcopal church retired and moved to a monastery to pray the rest of his life. He did stay in contact with my parents and was very happy. Watching all the various Catholic hierarchy discuss the upcoming conclave is educational. In the US that talk is about celibacy, women in positions of power, homosexuality of priests and nuns, and the crisis that appears to be worldwide.  While there have been some interviews with non-American on the news, I really wonder how big a role it will play in the conclave. Certainly this is a story worth following.

I saw a very disturbing post on FB yesterday…did some research…and discovered it was true. The post was saying that recent horrific school shooting in CT was not the US’s worst school shooting. Turns out that back in the late 1800’s the US Army went to Wounded Knee and killed 190 women and children who were attending a school. I must say I knew about Wounded Knee and have visited the memorial several times. It is a very difficult place to visit, knowing that a massacre occurred there. I sadly had not realized that it was involving children who were attending school. And I certainly had not seen it as a school massacre. I am sometimes so poorly educated.

Game  Center (answers at the end of post)

Brain Teasers

How is failure represented in the rebus below?
Options:

A) Success B) Victory C) Triumph D) Accomplishment

Lifestyle  Substance:     

Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

• Cardiff St David's Day Parade 2010

• THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS Harry Belafonte
 

Ok, then?

Picture of the Day: Deserts of the world

Harper’s Index         

• Average SAT score (out of 2400) of students from household incomes below $200,000: 1322

• From households with an income above $200,000: 1722

Unusual Fact of the Day

The "Q" in Q-tips stands for quality. They were originally called Baby Gays.

Ancient Things

Language and Identity in the Roman Empire

Joke-of-the-day

“How did school go today? a mother asked her little boy.
“Fine”, the little fellow replied. “We had a new teacher and she wanted to know if I had any brothers and I told her I was an only child”.
What did she say?” his mother asked.
“The teacher said, “Thank goodness”  

Rules of Thumb:   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

GETTING SOME SLEEP

Each hour of sleep before midnight is equal to two hours of sleep after midnight.    

Yeah, It Really Happened

STOCKPORT, England - British firefighters said they were called to a woman's home to free her hand from the glove compartment of her car. Stuart Hall, crew manager of the Stockport, England, fire crew, said firefighters were called to the 49-year-old woman's home when her hand became stuck in the glove box while she was attempting to retrieve something, The Mirror reported Monday.

"She wasn't able to move her hand -- either to push it in or pull it out," Hall said. "There was a man there with her and he tried for a long time to no avail so they had no other option but to call us."

The firefighters freed the woman by first removing her wristwatch., the newspaper said. "As soon as the watch came off it was fine; they were a little embarrassed as we were a last resort," Hall said. "But if someone is stuck they are stuck, they can't stay there all night. We don't train for something exactly like this but we will always be able get people free somehow." The woman suffered slight bruising and soreness in her wrist, Hall said.  

• Somewhat Useless Information   

• Each Oscar statuette stands on a film reel, which has five spokes representing the original branches of the Academy: actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers. 

• The Academy has awarded nearly 3,000 Oscar statuettes since 1929, but they all have different number emblazoned on them. 

• Original Academy member Cedric Gibbons designed the statuette. He had director, screenwriter and actor Emilio Fernandez pose nude to inspire the Oscar design. Artist G+6/eorge Stanley sculpted Oscar. 

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave out the first statuette in 1929. Back then, it was only referred to as the Academy Award of Merit. Now, it primarily goes by its nickname: Oscar. The Academy officially adopted the nickname in 1939. 

• R. S. Owens and Company manufactures the statuettes in Chicago. The Academy says it takes three to four weeks to create 50 Oscars.

• Original statuettes were gold-plated solid bronze, but now gold-plated Britannia metal has replaced the bronze.

Calendar Information        

Happening This Month:

Adopt A Rescued Guinea Pig Month  American Red Cross Month or Red Cross Month  
Bell Peppers and Broccoli Month  Berries and Cherries Month Brain Injury Awareness Month Child Life Month Colic Awareness Month Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Credit Education Month Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Month  Deaf History Month
Employee Spirit Month Exotic Winter Fruit & Leeks and Green Onions Month  Expanding Girls' Horizons in Science & Engineering Month Holy Humor Month Honor Society Awareness Month  Humorists Are Artists Month International Expect Success Month  International Ideas Month International Listening Awareness Month International Mirth Month International Women's Month Irish-American Heritage Month Malignant Hypertension Awareness & Training Month Music In Our Schools Month  National Athletic Training Month   National Caffeine Awareness Month National Cheerleading Safety Month  National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month National Color Therapy Month  National Craft Month  National Ethics Awareness Month National Eye Donor Month National Frozen Food Month National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month National Kidney Month National Kite Month  National March Into Literacy Month National Nutrition Month National On-Hold Month National Peanut Month National Social Work Month  National Umbrella Month National Women's History Month Optimism Month Play The Recorder Month Poison Prevention Awareness Month Red Cross Month Save Your Vision Month Sing With Your Child Month Small Press Month   Spiritual Wellness Month Supply Management Month  Women's History Month Workplace Eye Wellness Month Youth Art Month

Happening This Week:

1-7

National Cheerleading Week:
National Ghostwriters Week
National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week
Universal Human Beings Week

Today Is                                                                      

Asiatic Fleet Memorial Day

Dress in Blue Day

Employee Appreciation Day

National Horse Protection Day

National Peanut Lovers Day

Peace Corps Day

Pig Day

Plan a Solo Vacation Day

Refired, Not Retired Day

World Compliment Day

World Day of Prayer

~US: Nebraska: Admission Day (37^th in 1867)

US: Ohio: Admission Day (17^th in 1803)

~Bosnia/Herzegovina: Independence Day (1992 from Yugoslavia)

~Wales: St. David's Day (patron saint of Wales)

Today’s Events through History  

1st permanent automobile license plates issued (Ct) ►1937

1st US census authorized►1790

3 passenger trains buried at Steven's Pass in Cascade Range. 118 die. 

     Worst snow slide in US history►1910

Charles I of England mandates every county in England (not just seaport towns) 

     pay ship tax by this date►1628

Charlie Chaplin's coffin was stolen from a Swiss cemetery►1978

Chiang Kai-shek resumed the presidency of National China on Formosa►1950

Continental Congress adopts Articles of Confederation►1781

Euro zone unemployment reaches historical high of 10.7%►2012

FDR announces success of Yalta Conference►1945

Federal income tax takes effect (16th amendment) ►1913

Joe Louis retires as heavyweight boxing champ►1949

Michigan becomes 1st English-speaking jurisdiction to abolish the death 

     penalty (except for treason against the state) ►1847

New toll-free 888 area code introduced►1996

President Tyler signs a resolution annexing the Republic of Texas►1845

Roman emperor Maximianus introduces tetrarchy►293

U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda begins in eastern Afghanistan►2002

US Embassy in Kuwait officially reopens►1991

Wayne Gretzky passes Gordie Howe with his record 1,050th NHL assist►1988

White government of Rhodesia declares independence from Britain►1970

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

In their 80’s

Harry Belafonte, Harlem NYC, calypso singer (Buck & the Preacher) is 86

In their 60’s

Roger Daltrey, English rocker/actor/producer (The Who-Tommy) is 69

Alan Thicke, Ontario, actor/host (Thicke of the Night, Growing Pains) is 66

In their 50’s

Catherine Bach, actress (Daisey Duke-Dukes of Hazzard is 59

Timothy Daly, stage, screen and voice actor  is 57

Ron Howard, Oklahoma, actor/director (American Graffiti, Happy Days) is 59

In their 40’s

Chris Webber, NBA forward (Washington Bullets/Wizards) is 40

In their 30’s

Mark-Paul Gosselaar, actor (Zack-Saved by the Bell) is 39

Under 30

Justin Bieber, Canadian pop musician is 19

Remembered for being born today

Harry Caray, American sportscaster [1914-1998]

Glenn Miller, bandleader (Glenn Miller Orchestra-In the Mood) [1904-1944]

David Niven, London UK, actor (Casino Royale, The Pink Panther) [1910-1983]

Dinah Shore, Winchester Tenn, singer (See the USA in a Chevrolet) [1916-1984]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           

Jackie Coogan, actor (Uncle Fester-Addams Family)► cardiac arrest►1984►at 69

Saint David, Patron Saint of Wales►589—at 89

Answer: Brain Teasers

Failure is not a choice

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  §