Sep 14

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Sep. 14, 2019 Week: 37  Day: 257

86004:   H 77° \ L 46° \ Average Sky Cover: 5% 

Nearest wildfire:  19mi.  Nearest lightning:  209mi

Wind:   7mph\Gusts:  7mph  Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 88°[2000]   Record Low: 29°[1988]

Sep Averages: 74°\42° (5 days with rain)

Today’s Quote

If you can't convince them, confuse them.

Harry S Truman

Random Tidbits

Did you know that the banana is the most popular fruit in the United States? "The banana is by far the most popular fruit worldwide. We consume about 25 pounds of bananas per person per year," explains Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World.

Bananas were never really heard of until 1880. However, by 1910, they were so popular that cities had a problem disposing of used banana peels. Back then, there was no urban sanitation and people were literally slipping on banana peels and hurting themselves.

Observances This Week

7-15

International Air Ambulance Week Link

8-14

Dating and Life Coach Recognition Week
International Housekeepers Week  Link
National Assisted Living Week  
Suicide Prevention Week
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Link

9-15

Direct Support Professional Recognition Week Link
Line Dance Week

10-19

Palindrome Week 9-10-19…9-19-19

14-17

World Goat Days  Link 

Observances for Today

Banana Day Link   
Farmers' Consumer Awareness Day    Link
Hug Your Hound Day

International Drive Your Studebaker Day
Live Creative Day  Link
International Crab Fest Day

National Cream-Filled Doughnut Day

National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children Link
National Hollerin' Day Link 
National Iguana Awareness Day Link   
National Kreme Filled Donut Day Link  and  Link
National Sober Day Link
Prairie Day  

My Rambling Thoughts

As expected, it has warmed up again today. Fall is always a tad bipolar. Yesterday was a little warmer, but today is more like July.

Our retirement group met yesterday. We had good food, good service, and great conversation. We spent a long time talking about our first few years of teaching, when we were young, naive, and ready to change the world. We had some great ‘learning’ stories. My favorite was from Mary. She was teaching 4^th grade in an inner-city Black school in Virginia. She asked all the kids individually for their home address. After several gave her blank stares, one of the teenagers in her class (they had no Special Ed, so kids stayed in a grade until they could pass or dropped out) said “Aks them where they stayin’”. She did and everyone knew that.

I’m getting old-er and/or lazier. Twice a year I shampoo my carpets. It used to be one day the downstairs, another day the upstairs. This morning I vacuumed the downstairs to prepare. I got everything ready, moved the furniture, and did the living room. I then decided I could do the hall and back room another day. Hopefully that will be tomorrow. If not, Sunday for sure. The upstairs…sometime next week. Never want to do too much in one day.

Our big and scary summer fire finally has a cause. It is believed that an excavator hit a rock, produced a spark that sat in underbrush for several hours before igniting the forest. The excavator was doing necessary thinning work and followed all the guidelines. I’m not a lumberjack, except as an alum of our local University, but it seems to me that better guidelines need to be written. This fire caused several million to put out, several families were evacuated, a few thousand people lived under pre-evacuation for over a week, and many businesses and homes still have sand bags and Jersey barriers around their property. Seems to me someone, other than taxpayers, should have to pay at least some of the costs. Our town is very grateful for all the work that was done by so many to protect our town, our homes, and our property.

I had a nice conversation with Ellie, the leader of Focus Travel Club, this morning. She is busy packing for the upcoming Wales trip. Should be a great trip.

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of this page

A is the brother of B. B is the brother of C. C is the father of D. So how is D related to A?

Highlight the black box to see the hint.

Riddles try to send your train of thought off in scattered directions. Try to stay clear and just follow the logic. Using letters as placeholders for names like “Uncle Bob” or “Aunt Linda” makes straightforward relationships seem difficult.

Historical Events

1752 - Yesterday was September 2nd, in Great Britain and the American Colonies, but with the switchover from the Julian to Gregorian calendar, it became September 14 in all of western civilization.

1814 - Francis Scott Key wrote The Star Spangled Banner which later became the US national anthem.

1868 - Tom Morris, at Prestwick's 8th hole, was credited with Golf's 1st recorded hole-in-one.

1901 - The first bodybuilding contest was held in Royal Albert Hall, London.

1940 - Congress passed the Selective Service Act, providing for the first peacetime draft in United States' history. Unofficially, they were prepping for joining WW II.

1957 - #1: Paul Anka - Diana

1965 - My Mother The Car debuted on NBC. It was the first universally panned "bad" TV show.

1975 - Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (1774-1821) was canonized by Pope Paul VI. The first American saint, she founded the U.S. branch of the Sisters of Charity in 1809.

1974 - #1 Hit: Eric Clapton - I Shot the Sheriff

1977 - A tube top-clad woman named Yolanda Bowsley was called into Contestant's Row on The Price is Right, and while running down her breast popped out of her shirt.

1978 - Mork and Mindy premiered on ABC

1981- Entertainment Tonight debuted.

1984 - Bette Midler & Dan Aykroyd hosted the first VMAs (Video Music Awards) on MTV. Younger visitors may be interested to know that at one time, MTV was a 24-hour music video channel.

1985 - The Golden Girls premiered on NBC

1987 - Cal Ripken's streak of playing MLB Baseball for 8,243 consecutive innings (over 900 games) ended. The record still stands today.

1991 - #1 Hit: Paula Abdul - The Promise of a New Day

1994 - MLB Acting commissioner Bud Selig announced the cancellation of the 1994 baseball season on the 34th day of a strike by players. Some say Baseball still hasn't recovered from this lost season.

2000 - Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (ME) was released.

2013 - #1 Hit: Katy Perry - Roar

Birthdays Today

Clayton Moore, actor [Lone Ranger]

(d. 1999 @85)

Walter Koenig, actor [Chekov…Star Trek] (83)

Sam Neill, actor (Hunt for Red October) (72)

Robert Herjavec, Shark Tank (67)

Tyler Perry,

[Emmitt Perry Jr.] comic, actor (51)

Kimberly Williams, actor [Nashville] (48)

Nas [Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones], rapper (46)

Amy Winehouse, soul singer

(d. 2001 @ 27, OD)

Puzzle answer:

A is D’s aunt.