4/23/13

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Flagstaff Almanac:  Week: 17/ Day: 113   Today: H 71°…L 33°

Wind: ave:   11mph; Gusts:  30mph  Ave. humidity:  36%

*Averages: H  60° L 30° Records: H 78°(2012)…L 11°(1963)

Quote of the Day

Today’s Historical Highlights

1st know occurrence of word "hillbillie" (NY Journal)…1900

38,000 London Marathon entrants have their home and email contacts published 

     in a data protection breach…2012

AIDS-virus identified (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)…1984

KTAR (now KPNX) TV channel 12 in Phoenix, AZ (NBC) begins broadcasting…1953

McDonald's opens its 1st fast-food restaurant in China…1992

♪  ♪   Happy Birthday To: ♪. ♪   

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

Free Rambling Thoughts   

Another great spring day…keep um coming.

 

Today is Navajo Sovereignty Day…a day off for many on the Rez. A friend was getting his car worked on so stopped by for a day of visiting. Good lunch at the local Chinese place. Great way to start a week.

 

Still amazed at the Boston situation…so many questions, so few answers…yet. It does look like they will be getting at least some from the one bomber still alive. So much, in fact too much speculation regarding how he will be tried…really?. He is an American citizen, no confusion for me.

 

We were talking about how things have changed in the US since our youth. Never heard of IEDs, WMDs, security checks, security nametags on the job back then.  But then we didn’t have all the technology back then either. Kids at TCBS have access to iPads, laptops, and teachers have access to some kind of smart board that puts textbooks on the big screen, access to internet stuff for kids to see, and so much more. Sounded very impressive.

 

RIP Richie Havens…turns out the classic Freedom (below) was fully improvised at Woodstock when he was told that the next few acts had not arrived and it was his job to keep the crowd entertained. Amazing.

Game  Center (answers at the end of post)

Brain Teasers

You'll put me in your mouth almost every day, And when you reach me you decide, which way?

*****

Hint

I'm sure most of you will use me today,
Or find me in the road, I'd say.

Lifestyle  Substance:     

Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

• Richie Havens, Freedom, (Woodstock)

• William Wordsworth

Origins of Phrases

Brownie points

Meaning

A notional mark of achievement, or kudos for performing some creditable act.

Origin

The term 'brownie points' is often spelled with a capital 'B' when assumed to be in relation to the Brownies (junior Girl Scouts) is known since the late 1940s. The first citation of it in print that I can find is listed in J. E. Lighter's Historical Dictionary of American Slang, which gives the source as MSU Folklore GF2.1, 1944-53:

"Army jargon 29: Blew his stack. Brownie points."

The 'MSU' is, presumably, Michigan State University. 'Folklore GF2.1' I can't decipher.

The earliest citation I can find which defines what is meant by the term comes from the March 15th 1951 edition of The Los Angeles Times. This published an article by Marvin Miles titled Brownie Points--a New Measure of a Husband. The term must have been unfamiliar to Los Angeles residents then as Miles goes to some length to empasize the newness of the phrase and to explain what it meant. He was also good enough to include an illustrative cartoon:

I first heard about them [brownie points] when the chap standing next to me in the elevator pulled a letter from his pocket, looked at it in dismay and muttered "More lost brownie points."

Figuring him for an eccentric, I forgot about them until that evening when one of the boys looked soulfully into the foam brimming his glass and said solemnly:

"I should have been home two hours ago ... I'll never catch up on my brownie points."

Brownie points! What esoteric cult was this that immersed men in pixie mathematics?

"You don't know about brownie points? It's a way of figuring where you stand with the little woman - favor or disfavor. Started way back in the days of the leprechauns, I suppose, long before there were any doghouses."

Well, that's the meaning and the approximate date of the phrase. The question is, what are brownies and how did the phrase originate?

Here's where uncertainty creeps in. Beyond the fact that the source is certainly America, no one is sure what the derivation of the phrase is and, as always in such circumstances, many are willing to make educated guesses. I'll go through the more commonly suggested derivations.

'Brownie points' is said to derive from:

- The system of merits and demerits that was introduced into the work practices of the Fall Brook Railroad in New York State by Superintendent G. R. Brown from 1886 onward. The system was well-used and widely known on the US and Canadian railroads in the 19th century. Despite that, and despite it being well-documented in, for example, K. J. Norman Browne's book The Brown and Other Systems of Railway Discipline, published in 1923 by the London Railway Gazette, 1923. The term 'brownie points' isn't recorded in relation to this system. Also, if this is the origin, why 'brownie' - wouldn't the expression be 'Brown points'? There is tell of the demerits being called 'brownie points' in 1942, although I can't find that reference. Again, this doesn't argue strongly for Superintendent Brown as the instigator, as 'brownie points' are merits not demerits.

- The Brownies. This was the name given to the seven to eleven age range of members of the Girl Guides (Girl Scouts in the USA). The name was coined by Lord Baden-Powell who took it from a 1870 story by Juliana Horatia Ewing, in which children were given the option of becoming 'helpful Brownies'. In Scots folklore 'brownies' were benevolent imps that performed household work while the family slept. This helpfulness was encouraged in the Girl Guides, who displayed the merits they had earned in badges which were sewn on to their uniforms.

- The Curtis Publishing Company. This US publisher produced the Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal and Country Gentleman which were delivered to subscribers by local boys. The delivery boys received green and brown vouchers, called 'greenies' and 'brownies' (equal to five greenies). The vouchers could be saved and later used to buy items from the company's catalogue. 'Brownie points', or even 'greenie points' would have been an obvious name for the tally of vouchers. No one appears to have used at the time though.

- The Eastman Kodak company's Brownie Camera Club. This children's club began in 1900 with the intention of teaching youngsters how to take photographs using the Brownie box camera. Children could submit photographs into competitions and win cash prizes. There isn't any record of a points system associated with the club and this supposed derivation lacks any firm evidence to support it.

- Wartime US food rationing. Ration points in various colors were required to buy food. Meat was designated by red or brown points; for example, this advertisement in The Daily Times-News, September, 1943:

"Grade A Lambs Legs - 6 red or brown points per lb. 37cents"

- American military slang. This origin is supposed to allude to the practice of 'brown nosing', otherwise known as ' arse-licking'.

While some people are unwilling to look beyond the first explanation the derivation that seems favored with the best circumstantial evidence is the Girl Guides story. This is the only one that meets to actual meaning of the expression, which has a definite undertone of being 'good-goody' and somewhat infantile. The term 'Brownie' was used as US student slang from 1944 and is recorded as such in an 1944 edition of American Speech,which defines the word as:

"A person who is always asking and answering questions in class to impress the instructor. Also a person who stays after class to try to insinuate himself into the teacher’s good graces".

The Girl Guides origin is also the only derivation that could logically lead to 'brownie' as opposed to 'brown'.

The actual origin of this slang expression is now very difficult to determine. There must have been a single person who first used it and it must have been in relation to something - most likely one of the above list. It is sure to be the case that when someone heard the phrase they imagined an origin that fitted their current knowledge - that's what most people do. The Miles article mentioned above supposed the expression to relate to pixies - based on the Scottish imp folk tale.

J. E. Lighter points out the probability of the military slang meaning being a stimulus to the wider use of the phrase. People who used it in the US military had little reason to consider the origin - they just used the phrase with the meaning they had picked up from context. The real or imagined derivation of a phrase can alter its meaning to some extent, as people would restrict their use of it to contexts that suited their version of the origin; for example, the expression might be used in different situations if the speaker thought it to be derived from junior Girl Scouts than from the vulgar US military usage. If incorrect assumptions obscure the meaning then we have a more difficult task in tracking down the true origin.

Ok, then?

Harper’s Index    

Factor by which US cases of West Nile Virus have increased since the virus was first detected in 1999: 51

Ruminations:

I really want to shower at the end of the day, but I don’t want the work that comes with it…like standing for 10 minutes.

Picture of the Day: Signs of Spring

Unusual Fact of the Day

Spitting in public was socially acceptable in China for five millennia, but due to fears over the spread of SARS in 2003, it has become punishable by fine (and even possible eviction) in several major cities.

Joke-of-the-day

A young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when he noticed an old lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her and continued on. Finally he went to the checkout line, but she got in front of him.

“Pardon me," she said, "I'm sorry if my staring at you has made you feel uncomfortable. It's just that you look just like my son, who just died recently."

"I'm very sorry," replied the young man, "is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes," she said, "As I'm leaving, can you say 'Good bye, Mother'? It would make me feel so much better." "Sure," answered the young man.

As the old woman was leaving, he called out, "Goodbye, Mother!" As he stepped up to the checkout counter, he saw that his total was $127.50.

"How can that be?" He asked, "I only purchased a few things!"

Your mother said that you would pay for her," said the clerk.

Rules of Thumb:   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

Returns tomorrow   

Yeah, It Really Happened

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Off-duty officer Detective Sgt. Scott Biumi, 48, of the DeKalb County Police Department had apparently had enough. Leaping out of his car he approached the vehicle at the head of the line, a pickup truck being driven by a local, 18 year-old high school senior, and reaching through the open window stuck his gun in the kid's face.

"And we were waiting on them to cook the food," said the teenager, "and the cop -- I didn't know at first that he was a cop -- pulled up behind us and waited two or three minutes.... And he got out and started yelling at us, 'Stop holding up the drive-thru line.' He walked back over to his car, got back in, and I said, 'Sorry for the inconvenience, Sir.' And he goes, 'Who has the loud mouth?' And I was, like, 'I said that.' He's like, 'Well, you never know who you're messing with. And there's some crazy people out there.' And that's when he pulled the gun on me, and kept on yelling at me for about thirty more seconds. And then walked off."

Then the man got back into his car and drove away.

The teen and his two friends who were also in the truck got the tag number and description of the man's car.

Forsyth County Sheriff's deputies arrested Biumi and booked him in the Forsyth County jail. He was released the next day on a $22,000 bond.

The DeKalb County Police Chief has since placed Biumi on administrative leave with pay while the case is investigated.

Administrative leave WITH PAY! Pull a gun on a kid and get a paid vacation. How do I get that job? There are plenty of kids I would love to pull a gun on and I could use a paid vacation.

Somewhat Useless Information   

• Earth Day first began on April 22, 1970, when 20 million people across the United States participated in rallies celebrating nature and decrying activities that put it at risk.

• Sen. Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat from Wisconsin, came up with the idea for Earth Day in 1969. Inspired by the anti-Vietnam War "teach-ins" that took place at college campuses all over the nation, Nelson envisioned a large-scale environmental demonstration that would catch the attention of the federal government.

• Earth Day had an immediate impact. By the end of the year, the United States saw some of its first major political efforts to protect the environment, including the founding of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

• The first Earth Day also changed public attitudes. According to the EPA, "Public opinion polls indicate that a permanent change in national priorities followed Earth Day 1970. When polled in May 1971, 25 percent of the U.S. public declared protecting the environment to be an important goal, a 2,500 percent increase over 1969."

• Among people who oppose environmental action, a rumor has spread that April 22 was chosen because it's the birthday of Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Soviet Union. In reality, the date was chosen in 1970 simply because it fell on a Wednesday, when organizers believed that many people would be able to get out of work to participate.

• The Earth Day Network works with hundreds of thousands of schools around the globe, helping to integrate environmental themes into the curriculum to ensure that Earth Day has a year-round, lasting impact.

Calendar Information        

Happening This Week:

17-24

International Whistlers Week
Cleaning For A Reason Week
Consumer Awareness Week
Police Officers Who Gave Their Lives In The Line of Duty Week

20-28                         
National Park Week

Money Smart Week
Administrative Professionals Week

Coin Week
Fibroid Awareness Week
National Karaoke Week
National Volunteer Week
National Pet ID Week
National Paperboard Packaging Week
National Playground Safety Week 
Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week

Preservation Week-Libraries
Sky Awareness Week
National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week
Safe Kids Week
Mariachi Week

Today Is                                                                      

International Marconi Day

National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day

National Teach Your Children To Save Day

Movie Theatre Day

Read Me Day

St. George Feast Day

Talk Like Shakespeare Day

World Book & Copyright Day

World Book Night

World Laboratory Animal Day

Today’s Events through History  

1st English order of knighthood founded (Order of Garter)…1348

1st US satellite to reach the moon launched…1962

American Academy of Arts & Letters forms…1904

Canada issues its 1st postage stamps…1851

Connecticut chartered as an English colony…1662

New Coke debuts…1985

Sirhan Sirhan sentenced to death for killing Bobby Kennedy…1969

William Penn will sign a treaty of friendship at Philadelphia with representatives 

     of the SUSQUAHANNA, SHAWNEE, GANAWESE, and the IROQUOIS. 

     All parties will agree to act peaceably with each other. The treaty will be known 

     as the "Articles of Agreement"…1701

WONGUNK Chief Sequin gave settlers the land on which to establish the 

     village on Wetherfield, north from Saybrook, on the Connecticut River. 

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

In their 80’s

Shirley Temple, actress (Heidi)/ambassador (UN) is 85

In their 70’s

 David Birney, actor (Brigette Loves Bernie, St Elsewhere) is 74

Lee Majors, TV actor ($6,000,000 Man, Stunt Man) will be 74

In their 60’s

Valerie Bertinelli, actress (1 Day at a Time, Sydney); Ms Eddie Van Halen is 53

Jan Hooks, comedienne actress (SNL, Designing Women) is 56

George Lopez, actor and comedian is 52

Michael Moore, filmmaker (Fahrenheit 9/11, Bowling for Columbine, Sicko) is 59

In their 30’s

Kal Penn, actor (Dr. Lawrence Kutner-House, The Namesake) and civil servant is 36

Remembered for being born today

James Buchanan, Cove Gap PA, (Fed/Dem), 15th US president [1791-1868]

Sandra Dee, [Zuck], actress (Gidget, Imitation of Life) [1957-2005]

 Roy Orbison, Vernon Tx, rocker (Pretty Woman) [1936-1988]

Bud Wilkinson, college football coach (Oklahoma) [1916-1994]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           

Howard Cosell, sportscaster (Monday Night Football)…Parkinson’s…1995…at 77

Buster Crabbe, 400m US swimmer (Olympics-gold-1932)…heart attack…1983…at 73

Charles G. Dawes, US-30tj VP, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize…1951…at 80

Saint George, Greek officer-Roman army…beheaded…303…at 23ish  

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Spanish writer (Don Quixote)…1616…at 69

Alfred Packer, American Cannibal, namesake of UofC cafeteria…seniity…1907…at 65

Otto Preminger, director (Advise & Consent, Anatomy of Murder)…1986…at 80

James Earl Ray, American assassin…hepatitis C…1998…at 70

William Shakespeare, English poet and playwright…1616…at 52

William Wordsworth, poet…1850…at 80

Boris Yeltsin, first President of the Russian Federation…heart failure…2007…at 76

Answer: Brain Teasers

A fork

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  §