Sep 20

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Sep. 20, 2019 Week: 38  Day: 263

86004:   H 72° \ L 45° \ Average Sky Cover: 5% 

Nearest wildfire:  18mi.  Nearest lightning:  176mi

Wind:   30mph\Gusts:  36mph  Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 83°[2000]   Record Low: 23°[1971]

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

Today’s Quote

Don't go around saying the world owes you a living.

The world owes you nothing.

It was here first.

Mark Twain

Random Tidbits

Horizontal gaming wheels, such as those used in roulette, were invented in England in 1720 for a game called roly-poly. Roly-poly was similar to roulette, except there were no numbers on the wheel. There were alternating white spaces and black spaces, along with a "bar black" space and a "bar white" space. The "bar" spaces were the equivalents of zero and double-zero -- if the ball landed in either space, bets on black or white lost. Roly-poly was banned in England in 1745, but the horizontal wheel traveled well. By 1796, modern roulette was being played in France.

The kings in decks of playing cards represent real leaders and conquerors from history, although not all had the title of king. The deck we use today is based on cards designed in 15th-century France. The king of spades represents the Biblical King David, the king of clubs represents Alexander the Great, the king of hearts represents Charlemagne and the king of diamonds represents Julius Caesar.

Observances This Week

15-21

Balance Awareness Week Link   
Build A Better Image Week 
Child Passenger Safety Week Link  
International Clean Hands Week
Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week Link
National Farm & Ranch Safety and Health Week
National Historically Black Colleges & Universities Week
National Indoor Plant Week 
National Rehabilitation Awareness Week 
National Security Officer Appreciation Week  
National Singles Week 
Pollution Prevention Week Link
Prostate Cancer Awareness Week  

16-22

National Love Your Files Week Link 
National Postdoc Appreciation Week Link

17-23

Constitution Week

18-22

National Guitar Flat-Picking Days Link
Hummingbird Celebration: Link

20-29

National Ballroom Dance Week  Link
Farm Animal Awareness Week  

Observances for Today

Bright Pink Lipstick Day  Link
Clean Up The World Weekend-thru 22 Link 

Constitution Day/Pledge Across America 
International Grenache Day   Link
National Concussion Awareness Day  Link
National Doodle Day  Link
National Fried Rice Day Link
National POW/MIA Recognition Day  Link
National Pepperoni Pizza Day

National Punch Day / Rum Punch Day

National String Cheese Day  Link
National Tradesmen Day 

My Rambling Thoughts

Red Flag Day here with wind expected to reach 45mph late this afternoon. Not a day to be outside for long.

The PBS/Ken Burns Country Music documentary just keeps getting better. I’m a day behind, but watched the Hank Williams part last night. What a story, much of which I didn’t know. Enjoying the new knowledge.

I knew we had ‘detention centers’ for kids near the border. Didn’t know there was one that sits empty. It is run by a private contractor and could hold 1200 kids. The gov’t contract is still being paid monthly to the empty facility for a mere $720,000. WTH? The guy with the contract says that is what it costs each month to keep the place viable, in case it is needed. Sounds fishy to me.

I put some nice photos of the current Scotland trip on the Focus FB page. Thanks to Ann for sending them to me.

Today is my service comp date…that means that in 1971 I started my job at Shonto Boarding School. I was teaching 3^rd grade. It began my 36-year career on the Navajo Reservation. I didn’t have TV the first two years, then my dad showed up and put up a 40’ TV antenna with guy wires so I could see one channel from Flagstaff. I’m still in person friends with a few from Shonto, and a few more on FB. It was a great experience.

Today is also the anniversary of my father’s passing in 1994. He was a great dad and is still missed. He made it to 80 years old and was only hospitalized for about the week before his passing. My brother, mother, and I were there for the last days. The priest from our church, who was close to our family, was there for last rites. Much later he told my mom it was the first time he had given last rites and it was one of the hardest things he ever did. We didn’t realize that until he told my mom. When he retired to a church retirement home, he called my mom and said he set up a prayer for my father that would be said every week in perpetuity. WOW!

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of this page

How can you physically stand behind your father while he is standing behind you?

For this kind of super tricky riddle, you might do best to actually map out the physical relationship in your head—if you can! This riddle works by tricking you into thinking about impossibilities.

This is the last riddle for a while. Next up are more puzzles.

Historical Events

1498 (Earthquake & Tsunami) Nankaido, Japan

1960 - The Flintstones debuted on ABC

1969 - #1 Hit: The Archies - Sugar, Sugar

1973 - An estimated 90 million people watched 'The Battle of the Sexes.' Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in a televised tennis match at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas.

1975 - #1 Hit: David Bowie - Fame

1977 - The Fonz jumped a shark on Happy Days, forever immortalizing the phrase "jumping the shark" as a metaphor for when something has passed its peak.

1979 - Buck Rogers in the 25th Century premiered on NBC

1984 - The Cosby Show premiered on NBC

1984 - Who's The Boss debuted on ABC.

1986 - #1 Hit: Huey Lewis and the News - Stuck with You

1989 - East End Show - Miss Saigon (Musical) opened

1990 - The Flash premiered on CBS

1993 - Vicki Van Meter took off from Maine, landing in San Diego three days later, becoming the youngest female pilot to fly across the U.S.

1998 - The Iron Man Rested - Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. sat out a game, ending his consecutive MLB game playing streak. Cal "Irom Man' Ripken played 2,632 consecutive games over 16 seasons.

1999- Law & Order: SVU debuted on NBC

2006 - Top Gear co-host Richard Hammond was seriously injured after crashing a car at 280 mph

2009 - Barack Obama appeared on five Sunday news/talk shows on the same day: CBS's Face the Nation, ABC's This Week, CNN's State of the Union with John King, NBC/MSNBC's Meet The Press and on Univision.

2013 - The Apple iPhone 4S, iPhone 5C and iPHone 5S were released.

2014 - #1 Hit: Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass

Birthdays Today

Anne Meara, comedian, actress (d. 2015 @85)

Dr. Joyce Brothers, psychologist, TV personality

(d. 2013 @85)

Sophia Loren, actor (85)

George RR Martin, writer (A Song of Ice & Fire) (71)

Jay Ward , creator (Rocky & Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Peabody and Sherman, George of the Jungle)

(d. 1989 @69; renal cancer)

Jon Bernthal, TV actor (The Walking Dead) (43)

Asia Argento, Italalian actor/writer & leader of ‘#Me Too’ (43)

Puzzle answer:

You are standing back-to-back with your father.