Dec 4

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Dec 4, 2018 Week: 49 \ Day: 338

86004 Today: H 32° \ L 1° \ Average Sky Cover: 5% 

Wind:   -mph\Gusts:  -mph Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 67°[1965]   Record Low: -4°[1955]

Nov Averages: 43°\17°

Today’s Quote

Whenever you do a thing,

act as if all the world were watching.

Thomas Jefferson

Random Tidbits

Lucky Rabbit's Foot: Rabbits feet have been a symbol of good luck since at least 600 BC when Celtic people in England would kill rabbits possessing certain attributes that were seen as beneficial to the bearer of the lucky charm. Some folklorists believe it was started by the pre-Celtic hunter clans who introduced young males to hunting by sending them out to catch a rabbit. On their first successful attempt, one of the rabbit's hind feet would be removed and awarded to the boy in a ceremony that celebrated his journey into manhood.

Throwing Salt Behind Your Shoulder: In olden times, it was frequently said that the devil was always sitting just behind your left shoulder. When you wasted something as valuable as salt, it was important to keep the devil at bay by either blinding him by throwing salt in his eyes or by placating him by giving him an offering of salt.

Observances This Week

           

1-7

Cookie Cutter Week Link
National Hand Washing Awareness Week Link  
Recipe Greetings For The Holidays Week
Computer Science Education Week  Link

2-6
International Coelenterate Biology Week Link
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week Link  

3-24
Andisop (Meterological Fiddling)   Link

3-10
Clerc-Gallaudet Week

Observances for Today

           

National Cookie Day Link
National Dice Day
National Sock Day  Link
Rockerfeller Christmas Tree Lighting
Santas' List Day

Special Kids Day Link
Wear Brown Shoes Day

World Wildlife Conservation Day Link

Today’s Significant Historical Events

1600’s

1674 Father Marquette builds first dwelling in what is now Chicago

1680 Hen in Rome lays an egg imprinted with comet not seen until Dec 16th

1700’s

1791 Britain's Observer, oldest Sunday newspaper in the world, first published

1800’s

1829 Britain outlaws "suttee" in India (widow burning herself to death on her husband's funeral pyre)

1843 Manila paper (made from sails, canvas and rope) patented in Massachusetts

1881 The first edition of the Los Angeles Times is published

1900’s

1908 The world's ten leading maritime nations attend a Naval Conference in London; they agree on rules for blockade, convoys, and seizure of contraband

1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition closes in San Francisco

1918 US President Woodrow Wilson sails for Versailles Peace Conference in France, 1st President to travel outside US while in office

1933 FDR creates Federal Alcohol Control Administration

1942 FDR orders dismantling of Works Progress Administration

1952 Killer fogs begin in London, England; the term "Smog" is coined

1954 The first Burger King is opened in Miami, Florida, USA

1961 Museum of Modern Art hangs Matisse's Le Bateau upside down for 47 days

1961 The female contraceptive 'pill' becomes available on the National Health Service in Britain

1974 Jean-Paul Sartre visits Red Army Faction leader Andreas Baader in prison

1977 Jean-Bédel Bokassa crowns himself Emperor of the Central African Empire in a lavish ceremony costing US$20 million - one third of the nation's budget

1978 Dianne Feinstein is named as San Francisco's 1st female and Jewish mayor

1981 Reagan Executive Order on Intelligence (No 12333) that allows CIA to engage in domestic counter-intelligence

1990 Iraq announces it will release all 3,300 Soviet hostages

1992 Somali Civil War: President George H. W. Bush orders 28,000 US troops to Somalia

2000’s

2017 US Supreme Court allows President Trump's travel ban to come into effect for 6 mostly Muslim countries

2017 US President Trump scales back Utah National Parks - Bears Ears National Monument (85%), Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (50%)

My Rambling Thoughts

Woke up to a very chilly day…it was only 1° outside. By noon it had warmed up to a scorching 32°.

Tried to do some early morning shopping at Wally World, but disappointed that they had no distilled water and no grapefruit juice. I’ll survived but would not have headed out early if I had known. Then a train blocked the crossroad for a good 10 minutes. Mondays!

Happy the Broncos and the Cards won yesterday. Not happy with the NFL front office. In recent years they have blown the ‘kneeling’ controversy, and several times couldn’t deal with player violence towards women. Too bad. For them it seems to be all about money.

Birthdays Today

@-  indicates age at death

80’s

81- Max Baer Jr,

actor (Jethro-Beverly Hillbillies), born in Oakland, California

70’s

@78- Chester Greenwood,

American inventor (invented earmuffs at 15), born in Farmington, Maine (d. 1937)

@75- Pappy Boyington,

American combat pilot (United States Marine Corps fighter ace during World War II), born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (d. 1988) cancer

60’s

69- Jeffery Leon  Bridges,

actor (Stay Hungry, Against All Odds), born in Los Angeles, California

50’s

54-Marisa Tomei,

actress, born in Brooklyn

40’s

49- Jay-Z [Shawn Carter],

American rapper and record producer (Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint), born in Brooklyn, New York City

45- Tyra Banks,

American supermodel and actress (Higher Learning, Fresh Prince of Bel Air), born in Inglewood, California

30’s

@37±- Crazy Horse [Tashunka Witko],

Oglala Sioux chief (Battle of the Little Bighorn), born in Fort Robinson, Nebraska (d. 1877) bayonetted by soldier

Historical Obits Today

@-  indicates age at death

90’s

@91-1679 Thomas Hobbes,

English philosopher (Leviathan)

80’s

@85-2015 Salvatore "Robert" Loggia,

American actor (Jagged Edge, Big, Officer & a Gentleman, Scarface), complications from Alzheimer's disease

70’s

@72-1967 Bert Lahr, [Irving Lahrheim],

American comic and actor (The Wizard of Oz), pneumonia

50’s

@52-1993 Frank V Zappa,

US music/composer (Mothers of Invention), prostate cancer

@51-1902 Charles Dow,

American journalist and economist (co-founded Dow Jones and 1st editor of Wall St Journal)