4-6-14

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Flagstaff Almanac: Day: 096   / Week: 15  

Today: L 22°…H 46°… Ave. humidity: 49% Light afternoon snow

     Wind: ave:   7mph; Gusts:  22mph  

     Average Low: 26° Record Low:  4° (1922)

    Average High: 56° Record High:  75° (1989)

Quote of the Day

 

Today’s Historical Highlights

1320 - The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath.

1808 - John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company

1841 - Cornerstone laid for 2nd Mormon temple, Nauvoo, Illinois

1869 - 1st plastic, Celluloid, patented

1886 - City of Vancouver BC incorporated

1889 - George Eastman places Kodak Camera on sale for 1st time

1893 - Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City dedicated

1906 - 1st animated cartoon copyrighted

1925 - 1st film shown on an airplane (British Air)

1954 - TV Dinner was 1st put on sale by Swanson & Sons

1957 - NYC ends trolley car service

1973 - Roberto Clemente Day, Pirates retire his #

1980 - Post It Notes, introduced

1984 - 1st time 11 people in space

1994 - The Rwandan Genocide begins 

♫  Today’s Birthdays: ♫   

How many can you identify? Answers in Today’s Birthdays

 

My Free Rambling Thoughts   

A lesson from my Cuba Trip. One of their revolutionary heroes is Che Guevara. He was a leader of the revolution, a close friend of Fidel, a physician who died at 39 in Bolivia after being captured. The lesson is that one country’s hero is another country’s terrorist. It is too bad that the American government has never learned this lesson. Posters, murals, t-shirts, billboards and refrigerator magnets of Che were everywhere. I am pretty sure that many of today’s terrorists from the US point of view are seen as heroes in the countries we have attacked. At the Bay of Pigs museum, there were pictures of the young soldiers/martyrs who had died to keep Castro in power. Many were martyred in their late teens. It was actually very eerie to be standing in the martyr room, since I was taught that the other side were the heroes of that disaster.

 

While our tour guide had a cell phone, it was interesting that we saw only a few regular people with cell phones, but we did see many pay phones throughout the country. Many of the African countries I have visited were totally cell phone, with no more pay phones. We had wi-fi available at both motels for about $10/hr but as a few of our group soon found out the connections were much slower than the old dial ups we used back in the early days. Our tour operator could not Skype with his family in Boston because the connection was too slow. He also said it took forever to get to his emails and even longer to send a reply. This is my first trip where I didn’t use wi-fi which showed me that I could survive without my iPad for the 10 day trip.

 

So CNN is reporting that one of the search vessels has detected a ping in the middle of the ocean. Now they are saying it may not be the Black Box. Turns out that the Black Box does not have its own single bandwidth…that is crazy. The Black Box uses 37.5mghz, as do many sonar devices used by fisherman and also could be dolphins who communicate at the same bandwidth. I’m no expert on mghz, but I do know that we had a Christian Radio station that boosted its assigned signal a few years ago and bled into our NPR station. It would seem to me that someone would have done some more checking and made sure that the Black Box ping was a signal that couldn’t be made by any other devise or animal. On the same disappearance there are some interesting conspiracy theories evolving, because so much of the information that has been given out has been changed so many times. The flight path still isn’t know for sure, the final words from the plane has changed, the search area has changed so many times along the possible arc. Still no debris has been found. Is the fact that the information being given out changing every day a way to make sure nothing is found, or is it to distract from the idea that the plane was actually landed somewhere and the passengers and crew are being held in some secret camp? Then again, finding an intact plane is like looking for one grain of rice in an Olympic sized swimming pool.

Game  Center (answers at the end of post)x

Brain Teasers

The Jones family of Ohio is entertaining their cousin Henry, who is visiting from Belgium.

After staying for several days, Henry is getting ready to leave, when he presents the Jones with a gift.

It is a lamp that Henry claims is a very valuable antique that has been in his family for 70 years. It has small Bohemian figures that dance around the base when the lamp is turned on. Henry plugs it in to show the family how it works.

After Henry leaves, the father looks at his family, and says, "While it may be a pretty lamp, and it was nice of Henry to give it to us, it is not a Belgian antique."

Why is the father so sure?

Lifestyle  Substance:     

Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

• Billy Dee Williams Explains

• Gustave Moreau Art

• Isaac Asimov on Changes in Science Fiction after 1949

• Merle Haggard - Today I Started Loving You Again

• Previn, Rozsa & Williams

Books that Changed the World

Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler

Some books change the world for the better. Others change it for the worst. During his 1924 imprisonment in Landsberg Prison, Adolf Hitler wrote a political manifesto that would end up being the blueprint for a devastating global war, a horrible ethnic genocide, and a complete reorganization of the European continent.

What’s most alarming about Mein Kampf isn’t its style (the book itself is difficult to read and barely edited) but its reaction. Despite knowing that Hitler was a serious threat to global stability, Western political leaders ignored his terrifying goals until they had already been put into action.

Breakthroughs that Changed the World

Vaccination, 1796

The British doctor Edward Jenner used the cowpox virus to protect against smallpox in 1796, but it wasn’t until Louis Pasteur developed a rabies vaccine in 1885 that medicine—and government—began to accept the idea that making someone sick could prevent further sickness.

***NEW*** Questions to Ponder

The world is full of unexplained events and discoveries. People are, naturally, intrigued by unknown occurrences and controversial subjects. The current rise in technological advancement and DNA testing has raised questions in the field of archeology and world history. In many cases, these discoveries have been documented, but information surrounding the artifacts or historical event is hidden behind a wall of mystery. This article will be examining ten historical, theoretical and scientific questions that will make you think. The answers to most of these questions are supported by some scientific research, theory and historical documentation, while others are largely rhetorical. This list is longer than the usual but, as you will see, it really benefits from the extra information.

Louis Keesberg

The question: What did Louis Keseberg do?

On April 14, 1846, a group of pioneers known as the Donner Party began their voyage to relocate from the U.S. state of Illinois to California. The trip covered 2,500 miles (4,023 kilometers) over the Great Plains, two mountain ranges and the deserts of the Great Basin. The voyage took between four and six months, but the Donner Party was slowed because they decided to follow a new route called Hastings Cutoff. The group was told that Hastings Cutoff was a shortcut, but, in fact, it was a longer and more treacherous path. Ultimately, 87 people made the journey through the cutoff, which crossed Utah’s Wasatch Mountains and the Great Salt Lake Desert. In all, 37 of the pioneers were members of the Reed and Donner families, while German emigrants Louis and Philippine Keseberg were also traveling with the group.During the voyage, many of the pioneers documented their daily activities. Louis Keseberg was frequently mentioned in these journals. The connotation surrounding his activates was almost always negative. Louis Keseberg was routinely confronted for abusing his wife and children. Keseberg’s behavior was suspicious to the other travelers and he was regularly accused of theft, malingering and murder. In fact, the Donner Party journals are full of animosity, violent events and war. After intense snow storms struck the Donner Party, it soon became evident that the group was not going to make it over the mountains before winter. To fend off the cold, all of the families built shelters in the area surrounding Truckee Lake and Alder Creek. By December 13, there was 8 feet (2.4 m) of snow. By the middle of January, most of the group’s food was gone and all that remained was dead human bodies. To stay alive, certain members of the Donner Party began to eat each other. Human bodies were labeled with the names of the deceased and the area became a “Cannibal Camp.” On February 18, a seven-man rescue party scaled Frémont Pass and reached the Donner camps, which by this time were completely buried in snow. “The first two members of the relief party to enter the camp saw Trudeau carrying a human leg. When they made their presence known, he threw it into a hole with other dismembered bodies.” Twenty-three people were chosen and taken by the rescuers, but the pioneers were weak and some died on the long voyage to California. Dozens of people remained at the Truckee Lake and Alder Creek camp sites. One of these individuals was Louis Keseberg. Little is known about what Keseberg did during this time, but claims have been made that he became a predator. The final rescue party didn’t reach the camp until April 21, 1847. When they arrived, Louis Keseberg was the only survivor. He was surrounded by dismembered bodies, gallons of blood, and had a fresh pot of human flesh over the fire. The men also found George Donner’s pistols, jewelry and $250 in gold in Keseberg’s cabin. The rescue group threatened to lynch Louis Keseberg, but he was ultimately taken to California. Upon return, Keseberg sued Ned Coffeemeyer for slander and for allegedly spreading stories about his deeds at the Donner camps. Keseberg won his case, but was awarded only $1 in damages. This was evidently all the judicial system felt his reputation was worth. During his lifetime, Louis Keseberg saw over ten of his children die in a number of different ways.

OK Then…

Harper’s Index 

• Number of US fast-food workers receiving federal and state aid: 942,000

• Minimum amount spent annually on aid to these workers and their families: $7,000,000,000

Unusual Fact of the Day

Bill Cosby won three consecutive Emmy awards in 1966, 1967 and 1968 as Best Drama Actor for his role in I, Spy.

Joke-of-the-day

Q: What does every woman call an intelligent, attractive, caring, loving and sensitive man?

A: A dream.  

Rules of Thumb:   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP

An hour's nap in the middle of the day equals three hours of sleep at night.    

Yeah, It Really Happened

A fresh face on the political scene in Ukraine is hoping the country will be open to embracing the power of the dark side. Darth Vader of Star Wars fame has announced he is running for the presidency of Ukraine as a candidate for the Ukrainian Internet Party. "I alone can make an empire out of a republic, to restore former glory, to return lost territories and pride for this country," Vader said in a statement released by the UIP. The party, founded by Dmitry Golubov, is looking to eliminate the use of paper and create a "government by Internet." The party was officially registered in 2010. "After winning intra-party primaries by a landslide, comrade Vader will be our party's candidate," Golubov said. According to the UIP, Vader won three percent of the votes in 2012 parliamentary elections. The Voice of Russia said Vader is a candidate "whose force should definitely not be underestimated." Ukraine's presidential election will be held on May 25. (UPI)

Somewhat Useless Information   

• The Bering Strait links the icy Arctic Ocean with the Bering Sea and separates the continents of Asia and North America at their closest point (Cape Dezhnev and Alaska) and is approximately 65° 40′ north, slightly south of the polar circle. Although the Strait’s narrowest point is about 53 miles (85 km) wide, there are two islands in its center, Little Diomede (U.S.) and Big Diomede (Russia), which bring the distance of these two nations only 2.5 (4 km) miles apart at their closest point.

• The world’ s smallest deers are called ‘Pudus’ and are two endangered subspecies of South American deer from the genus ‘Pudu’. The word ‘Pudu’ derives  from Mapudungun, the language of the indigenous Mapuche people of southern Chile. These two species are a) the northern Pudu from Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and b) the southern Pudu from southern Chile and southwestern Argentina. Pudus are from 32 to 44 cm tall and up to 85 cm long.

• Scooby-Doo, the American animated cartoon franchise, was created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears in 1969. The first real name of Scooby Doo, the dog  who solves  mysteries involving supposedly supernatural creatures through a series of antics and missteps, was ‘Scoobert’.

Calendar Information        

Happening This Week:
1-7

The APAWS Pooper Scooper  Week
Golden Rule Week
Laugh at Work Week
Medication Safety Week
Testicular Cancer Awareness Week

3-6

Mule Days
4-10

Hate Week
5-12

Money Smart Week
Bat Appreciation Week

Consider Christianity Week

Explore Your Career Options
National Animal Control Appreciation Week
National Blue Ribbon Week
National Public Health Week
National Volunteer Week
National Window Safety Week
Week of The Young Child

6-7

Just Pray No! Worldwide Weekend of Prayer and Fasting

Today Is                                                                      

·        Army Day

·        New Beers Eve

·        Drowsy Driver Awareness Day

·        Hostess Twinkie Day 1930

·        International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

·        National Day of Hope

·        National Student Athlete Day

·        Paraprofessional Appreciation Day

·        "Sorry Charlie" Day

·        Tartan Day

·        The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Day

·        Teflon Day 1938

******

·        Chakri Day (Thailand- Commemorates the establishment of the Chakri Dynasty and the founding of Bangkok by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke in 1782)

Today’s Events through History  

1789 - 1st US Congress begins regular sessions, Federal Hall, NYC

1883 - Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of Speckled Band" (BG)

1950 - John F Dulles becomes advisor to US Sect of State Acheson

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

James Watson, American chemist (co-discovered structure of DNA) is 86

Andre Previn, conductor (London Symphony)/pianist is 85

Billy Dee Williams, Harlem, actor (Chiefs, Empire Strikes Back) is 77

Merle Haggard, country singer (Death Valley Days) is 77

Roy Thinnes, actor (Invaders, Falcon Crest, Gen Hospital) is 76

John Ratzenberger, actor (Cliff Clavin-Cheers) is 67

Marilu Henner, actress (Taxi), producer is 62

Paul Rudd, actor (Clueless, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) is 45

Zach Braff, actor (Dr. John Dorian-Scrubs) is 39

Remembered for being born today

1671-1741 - Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, French playwright/poet (Sacred Odes & Songs)

1826-1898 - Gustave Moreau, French painter

1892-1981 - Lowell Thomas, newscaster (High Adventure)

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           

Greer Garson, actress (Goodbye Mr Chips), 1996, @92

Igor Stravinsky, Russian composer (Le Sacre du Printemps), 1971, @88

Isaac Asimov, Sci-Fi author (I Robot), kidney failure, 1992, @72

Tammy Wynette, American country singer, blood clot, 1998, @55

Thomas Kinkade, American artist, OD, 2012, @54

Sam Sheppard, American accused murderer, liver failure, 1970, @46

Richard I, the Lion-hearted, King of England, accidently shot with arrow, 1199. @41

Brain Teasers

An antique lamp from Belgium would not have a plug that would fit into a standard outlet in North America. The father noted that the plug was a sealed plug not a replacement one and therefore was the original installation.

He obviously bought it at a local store.

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  §