Aug 1

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Aug. 1, 2019 Week: 31 \ Day: 213

86004:   H 67° \ L 54° \ Average Sky Cover: 90% 

Nearest wildfire:  4mi. Nearest lightning:  74mi

Wind:   10mph\Gusts:  10mph

Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 92°[1977]   Record Low: 42°[1915]

Aug Averages: 79°\50° (9 day with rain)

Today’s Quote

"I mean, just because you're a musician doesn't mean all your ideas are about music. So every once in a while I get an idea about plumbing, I get an idea about city government, and they come the way they come."

-Jerry Garcia

Random Tidbits

Several ancient cultures viewed the apple as a feminine symbol and found a resemblance between the two halves of a vertically cut apple to the female genital system. Alternatively, an apple cut horizontally resembled a pentagram, which was considered key in revealing knowledge of good and evil.

Ancient Egyptian priests would eat figs at the moment of their consecration ceremonies. The Indians consecrated the fig tree to Vishnu, and the fig free sheltered Romulus and Remus (the traditional founders of Rome) at their birth. The fig is also a fertility symbol and the Arab association with male genitals is so strong that the original word "fig" is considered improper.

Observances This Month

American Adventures Month
American Artists Appreciation Month Link
American Indian Heritage Month Link 
American History Essay Contest (8/1 - 12/15)
Arrr-gust: International Pirate Month  Link
Black Business Month
Boomers Making A Difference Month
Bystander Awareness Month
Children's Eye Health & Safety Month
Child Support Awareness Month Link
Children's Vision & Learning Month

Observances This Week

1-4

Lollapalooza Link 

1-7

International Clown Week Link
National Cleanse Your Skin Week  Link
National Minority Donor Awareness Week
Simplify Your Life Week
World Breastfeeding Week Link

1-9

International Mathematicians Week

Observances for Today

India Pale Ale Beer Day Link 
International Can-It-Forward Day  Link   
Lammas Day (Merry Loafmas)  Link
Lughnasa or Lughnasadh - 1 Link Link
National Mahjong Day  Link
National Minority Donor Awareness Day
National Girlfriends Day

National Mountain Climbing Day

National Raspberry Cream Pie Day

Respect For Parents
Rounds Resounding Day
Spider-Man Day 
Start Up Day Across America Link
US Air Force Day Link
World Lung Cancer Day
World Wide Web Day
World Scout Scarf Day

My Rambling Thoughts

I headed out early this morning for an easy blood draw. Found out that a butterfly needle works really well on my poor little vein.

We had light rain all night with strong wind.  This is the best rain we could get.  A slow steady rain puts out the fire, and much of the water soaks in, so it doesn’t flood. The part of Flag that might flood is huge. There are sandbags 5 high along property lines, other places have cement barrios that have been moved in, other areas have huge trench diggers making a path for the possible water, and many businesses have sandbags at their doors. Mary lives in that area. She said the guys came around with a huge packet of ‘flood prevention and action’. They said that if there is a cloudburst much of the area could get six feet of water with pine trees coming down the path of least resistance. Mary is higher up on a hill, so would probably just have no access to streets below her. She is stocked up on water, food, and said all portable electronics are being charged 24/7. Her biggest fear is losing electricity for an extended period.

I did watch some of the debate last night. Still not ready to support any one candidate, but sure did hear some great ideas. All will take time, but many would make our country stronger for the coming generations.

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of this page

How many times does the long hand of the clock pass the short hand between midnight one day and midnight the following day? As both hands are together at the starting time of midnight this does not count as a pass.

Today’s Highlighted Historical Events

1774 - British scientist Joseph Priestley re-discovered oxygen (the gas), verifying the discovery of it by German-Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele.

1790 - The first U.S. Census, there were 3,929,326 people living here.

1794 - The Whiskey Rebellion Western. Pennsylvania farmers revolted, protesting the excise duty (tax) on stills and spirits distilled in the U.S.

1834 - Slavery was abolished in the British Empire with the Slavery Abolition Act.

1876 - Colorado became the 38th state.

1944 - Anne Frank made the last entry in her diary.

1946 - In Athens, Tennessee, battle-hardened WWII veterans won a shootout with highly corrupt police deputies who were manipulating ballots and illegally holding ex-GIs in the county jail.

1952 - The extinction of the San Benedicto Rock Wren, a previously unendangered species, can be traced almost to the minute on the morning of August 1st, when a volcanic eruption covered their entire island.

August 1, 19** Birthday (fictional) The Joker, DC Comics

1964 - #1 Hit August 1, 1964 - August 14, 1964: The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night

1980 - Cinemax launched

1981 - MTV network debuted on cable television, actually playing music videos 24 hours a day. The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" was the first video shown, followed by Pat Benatar's "You Better Run".

1957 - The United States and Canada formed the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Due to a wrong phone number Sears ad misprint, a child called to check on where Santa was that evening (December 24), and NORAD has been tracking Santa every Christmas Eve, since its inception.

1961- Six Flags Over Texas, he first park of the Six Flags chain opened in Arlington, Texas.

1966 - China's Cultural Revolution began, with purging (killing) the remnants of capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society, and to re-impose Maoist thought as the dominant ideology within the Party. About 1.5 million people were 'purged'.

1980 - Vigdis Finnbogadottir was elected President of Iceland, the world's first democratically elected female head of state.

1981 - #1 Hit August 1, 1981 - August 14, 1981: Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl

1981 - MTV began began as a music video channel. All the trivia people will tell you that the first video was "Video Killed The Radio Star" by the Buggles. "You Better Run" by Pat Benater was next; then "She Won't Dance With Me" by Rod Steward. "You Better You Bet" by The Who was fourth. You can really impress your friends by telling your friends that "Little Suzi's on the Up" by Ph. D. was the 5th video played on the network.

1984 - Lindow Man was found in a bog, at Lindow Moss, Cheshire, in northwest England.

Highlighted Birthdays Today

Francis Scott Key (1779-1843)
Herman Melville (1819 - 1891)
Pancho Villa (1877-1923) 
Tom Wilson (1931-2008)
Dom DeLuise (1936-2009)
Yves Saint-Laurent (1936-2008)
Jerry Garcia (1942-1995) 
Ashley Parker Angel (1981)
Coolio (1963)
Adam Duritz (1964)
Sam Mendes (1965)

Puzzle answer:

21.