9/20/13

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Almanac: Flagstaff:  Week: 38/ Day: 263   

Today: H 74°…L 42°…Ave. humidity:  59%

Wind: ave:   5mph; Gusts:  24mph  

Average Low: 40°  Record Low: 25° (1971)

Average High: 72° Record High: 84° (1956)

Quote of the Day

Today’s Historical Highlights

1891 - 1st gasoline-powered car debuts in Springfield, Massachusetts

1839 - 1st railroad in Netherland opens (Amsterdam-Haarlem)

1746 - Bonnie Prince Charlie flees to France from Scotland

1881 - Chester A Arthur sworn in as 21st president

1519 - Ferdinand Magellan starts 1st successful circumnavigation of world

1932 - Gandhi begins hunger strike against treatment of untouchables

1988 - Greg Louganis wins Olympic gold medal in springboard diving

1961 - James Meredith refused access as a student in Mississippi

1805:  Lewis and Clark meet with the Nez Perce in Idaho

1664 - Maryland passes 1st anti-amalgamation law stops intermarriage of English 

             women & black men

1976 - Playboy releases Jimmy Carter's interview that he lusts for women

2001 - President George W. Bush declares a "war on terror".

2011 - US ends its "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy

1737 - Walking Purchase ends forcing the cession of 1.2 million acres of 

            Lenape-Delaware tribal land.

♫  Today’s Birthdays: ♫   

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

My Free Rambling Thoughts   

A lifetime ago, on this day, I started working at Shonto Boarding School as a 3^rd grade teacher. That was 42 years ago. It was a very interesting and educational career and I am so glad that I was able to do it. Certainly there were highs and lows during my career, but I met so many great people…students, staff, administrators that the good times outweigh the other times 100 fold. Sadly almost 20 years ago my father ended his 80 years of life. Certainly a sad time, but he was a kind and gentle man who took care of his family and left my mother with enough money that she could live very comfortably for the rest of her life. I learned to never buy anything on time, to always pay my bills, in full, on time, every time. I learned that love and morals were more important than material things.  I learned that I had to work and save for anything I wanted in my life. While these were tough lessons in my teenage years, they have really paid off over the decades that followed.

 

We had our weekly lunch today. Nice place, nice food, and great conversation. We were able to solve a lot of the world’s problems, discuss two good movies, and place a vote for ‘awesome’ on the ship that was finally turned right side up. Cheryl is leaving for CA next Wed so we will meet a little early next week. Mary is headed to Phoenix tomorrow to visit with a visiting brother…and show off her new home.

 

Lots of Roman Catholics and others sure have a lot to think about after the Pope made his latest statement. Sounds a lot like the beliefs I was raised with, before all the politics got involved. So nice to hear some sanity coming from somewhere.

Game  Center (answers at the end of post)

Brain Teasers

When you curtail a word, you remove the last letter and still have a valid word. You will be given clues for the two words, longer word first.
Example: Begin -> Heavenly body
Answer: The words are Start and Star.

1. Fragmented; torn -> Lacking funds 2. Place of shelter; a refuge -> Possess; own 3. Community; village -> Pull behind 4. Paradise -> Throw with effort 5. Grass -> Set of rules imposed by an authority 6. Chess piece -> Clawed animal foot 7. Bedding, tablecloth -> A mark longer than it is wide 8. Baker's number -> Sleep lightly

Lifestyle  Substance:     

Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

• THE IRISH ROVERS Bonnie Prince Charlie
 *11min.

• The Wayward Wind - Gogi Grant

• Jim Croce - Time In A Bottle 1973

• Simon Wiesenthal: Freedom is Not a Gift from Heaven

Hmmmm…Fearsome Phobias

If you have an irrational fear of... Dampness
You're suffering from... Hygrophobia: hygro- Greek: moisture/wet

If you have an irrational fear of... Dancing
You're suffering from... Chorophobia: choro Greek: dance

It is Illegal…

It is Illegal to Wear a Bulletproof Vest While Committing a Murder In New Jersey

Privileges granted to people in the U.S. (and many western nations) for being Christian…

You can go anywhere and assume you will be surrounded by members of your faith.

Ok, then?

Harper’s Index    

Proposed cost of the transatlantic fiber optic cable being laid on the ocean floor this year: $300,000,000

Unusual Fact of the Day

The space between your pointer finger and thumb is called the "purlicue."

Joke-of-the-day

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance. ‘Welcome to heaven,' says St. Peter. 'Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you.

‘No problem, just let me in,' says the man.

‘Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.’

‘Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,' says the senator.

‘I’m sorry, but we have our rules. ‘And with that, St.Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him. Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne. Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly & nice guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator raises...The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

‘Now it's time to visit heaven. ‘So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

‘Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.

The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: 'Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in bags as more trash falls from above. The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

'I don't understand,' stammers the senator. 'Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened? ‘

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, 'Yesterday we were campaigning....Today you voted.'

Rules of Thumb:   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

STAYING WARM ON A COLD NIGHT

Roll up tomorrow's clothes and put them on either side of the foot end of your sleeping bag. It creates an "oven" for your feet, keeping them away from the outside air. Dress in your pre-heated clothes inside the bag before exiting in the morning.    

Yeah, It Really Happened

NEW DELHI - Indian officials have confirmed a November launch date for the country's first mission to Mars, set to launch from a spaceport in the south of the country. "Hectic preparations are on to launch Indian Space Research Organization's ambitious Mars Orbiter Mission in November," U.R. Rao of the Governing Council of Physical Research Laboratory said.

The Mangalyaan Mars probe will lift off from the Indian Space Research Organization's launch site at Sriharikota, China's Xinhua news agency reported Sunday. "The Mars Orbiter Mission will be sent through powerful PSLV-XL launch vehicle," Rao said. A successful launch would make India the sixth to initiate a mission to Mars after the United States, Russia, Europe, China and Japan. "The unmanned mission, which will explore the existence of life and the possibility of sustaining life on Mars, will travel 299 days in space before reaching the Red Planet in September 2014," Rao said.  

• Somewhat Useless Information   

• The YKK on your zipper stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikigaisha, a Japanese zipper manufacturer

• A blue whale's heart is so big that a small child can swim through its veins.

• The combination of an exclamation point and a question mark is called an "interrobang."

• When you yawn and stretch at the time, you are "pandiculating."

• The dot over a "j" or an "i" is called a "tittle."

• The metal part on a pencil is called a "ferrule."

Calendar Information        

Happening This Week:

 15th-21st

Balance Awareness Week
Build A Better Image Week
Dating and Life Coach Recognition Week
National Clean Hands Week
National Farm & Ranch Safety and Health Week
National Indoor Plant Week

National Love Your Files Week

National Rehabilitation Awareness Week
National Singles Week
Pollution Prevention Week
Prostate Cancer Awareness Week

17th-23^rd

Constitution Week

Today Is                                                                      

·        National Punch Day

·        UN Opening of General Assembly

Today’s Events through History  

1954 - 1st FORTRAN computer program run

1848 - American Association for the Advancement of Science is created.

1877 - Chase National Bank opens in NYC (later merges into Chase Manhattan)

1596 - Diego de Montemayor founded the city of Monterrey in New Spain.

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

Gogi Grant, [Audrey Brown], rock vocalist is 88

Anne Meara, comedian/actress (Stiller & Meara, Archie's Place) is 84

Sophia Loren, Rome, actress (Desire Under the Elms, Black Orchid) is 79

Kristen Johnston, actress (Sally Solomon-Third Rock From the Sun) is 46

Gunnar Nelson, rock vocalist (Nelsons-Love & Affection) is 45

Matthew Nelson, rock vocalist (Nelsons-Love & Affection) is 45

Remembered for being born today

Fernando Rey, [Arambillet], La Coruna Spain, actor (Matter of Time) [1917-1994]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           

Richard Dix, actor (Tombstone, Ghost Ship, 13th Hour)…heart attack…1949…@56

William F Albright, US archaeologist…1971…at 80

Jim Croce, vocalist (Time in a Bottle)…plane crash…1973…@30

Roy Kinnear, actor (Casanova, Pirates, Scrooge, Help!)…heart attack…1988…@54

Simon Wiesenthal, Austrian-Polish Nazi hunter…2005…@96

Brain Teasers

1. Broken -> Broke 2. Haven -> Have 3. Town -> Tow 4. Heaven -> Heave 5. Lawn -> Law 6. Pawn -> Paw 7. Linen -> Line 8. Dozen -> Doze

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  §