Dec 31

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Dec. 31, 2019 Week: 51  Day:365

86004:   H 25° \ L 9° \ Average Sky Cover: 40%

Nearest lightning:  2031mi

Nearest active fire:  277mi.  

Wind:   8mph\Gusts:  10mph  Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: °[]   Record Low: °[]

Dec. Averages: 44°\17° (5 days with moisture)

Today’s Quote

“Listen, or your tongue will make you deaf.”

Native American Proverb

Random Tidbits

Horses that seem wild today (such as Mustangs) are actually feral horses, usually descendants of horses that were imported to America from Spain in the sixteenth century. The only true wild horse is the Asian Wild Horse.

There are nearly 160 distinctive breeds and types of horses around the world, but the Arabian horse is unique in that it is the purest of all of the breeds.

All across the world folks will be celebrating the New Year with various customs and traditions, however one of the most well-known and well-preserved traditions takes place in heart of Times Square in New York City with the dropping of the now 11,875 pound ball adorned with over 2,500 Waterford Crystals and 32,000 LED lights. Over 1 billion tune in to watch the famous ball drop at midnight to ring in the New Year, but when did the tradition of dropping a ball on New Year’s Eve begin?

History tells us that dropping a ball was a way to tell time. Time balls, like the one we see on New Year’s Eve, were invented in the early 1800’s as a way for sailors to keep track of the exact time of day. The trend caught on and many individuals other than sailors began using time balls to set their clocks.

The tradition of dropping the time ball on New Years Eve in New York began back in 1907 when the very first New Year’s Eve Ball was lowered down a flagpole that was situated on top of the building that housed the New York Times newspaper. The original ball weighed about 700 pounds was crafted out of iron and wood and adorned with only about 100 lights.

Funny enough the original plan was to set off fireworks, as the New Year’s Eve Ball was a back-up plan, however the city officials would not issue a permit for the fireworks display and hence the tradition of the New Year’s Eve ball drop was born. Over the years the New Years Eve Ball has undergone some major renovations and it was eventually moved to it’s now permanent home atop the One Times Square building in the city.

Each and ever year the ball begins it’s 141 foot decent down the pole at exactly 11:59pm and once the drop occurs at exactly midnight the New Year has arrived! Other cities in the country have alternatives to dropping at ball at midnight, however the concept still remains the same. In Wisconsin the drop a light adorned metal cheese wedge, in Memphis it’s a guitar, and in New Mexico there is a brightly lit chili pepper just to name a few!

Observations for Today

Hogmanay Link
National Champagne Day
Leap Second Time Adjustment Day
Look On The Bright Side Day Link
Make Up Your Mind Day

National Champagne Day

National Vinegar DayNew Year’s Eve
New Year's Eve Banished Words List
New Year's Dishonor List
No Interruptions Day
Universal Hour of Peace Day

Unlucky Day

World Healing Day  Link  .
World Peace Meditation Day

My Rambling Thoughts

I had a great Mexico break. The hacienda is really coming along. We ate every meal on the portico. We went to several dinners and parties in Merida with my brother’s friends. Great people and great food. Learned a new term: ‘slow food’, we call it ‘Farmer’s Market’. Merida has a huge one of about 5 blocks, with every fresh food you could want…including leeks. The slow food market is only on Saturdays and I’m sure everyone in the Yucatan was there while we were. We were picking up food for the cook for Christmas dinner for 16 at the hacienda. The weather was warm, with a few afternoon clouds.

We went to Uzmal, a fantastic Mayan ruin that is now a World Heritage Site. It is huge and beautiful. Such amazing architecture and history. It is larger than  Chichen Itza, but not as many tourists because it is farther off the beaten path. We were there about 4 hours and there was still more to see.

I must have a look that TSA doesn’t like. I had TSA cleared to Mexico and still got pulled out for ‘random security check’. Then leaving Merida, I got pulled again for a ‘random enhanced security check’. That one worked so well I was the last one to get on the plane.

Arrived in Phx to rain. The shuttle was right on time. The last 50 miles to Flag was a snowstorm, roads were wet, with a little ice. I got home about 6:30 and was in bed by 9:00. Flying really takes it out of me.

The last few days I’ve been unpacking, putting away the Christmas stuff, laundry, grocery shopping, and trying to find my mail. I had a hold on it and went to the PO. Nada. Checked my mailbox, one Christmas card. That was on Saturday. So, I called this morning. They checked and couldn’t find any mail. The supervisor texted the carrier and she said she had it in the truck. I’ll check the box later today. She also said they are having trouble with the on-line system, and that in the future I should register a hold on line and then bring in a hard copy of the request to the PO. Welcome to 1990.

Since my arrival back in Flag it has been a freezer and next week looks like another ice box. Most days have had highs in the high 20’s and lows in the single digits. Tahiti sure sounds good right now!

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of the page

What is the difference between a dollar and a half, and thirty five-cents?

Historical Events

1600 - The British East India Company was chartered. It was the first global mega-corporation.

1759 - Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease at £45 per year and began brewing Guinness Beer.

1796 - Baltimore, Maryland incorporated as a city.

1805 - The 'Calendar of Reason' had been introduced in France on November 24, 1793. It was abandoned, and the Gregorian calendar, which we still use today, replaced it.

1831 - Gramercy Park was presented to New York, New York.

1865 - "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude... shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction" was some of the phrasing in the 13th Amendment, eliminating Slavery in the US.

1870 - The 'Goodrich, Tew & Co' was formed as a partnership by B.F. Goodrich and his brother-in-law, Harvey W. Tew, and others in Akron, Ohio.

1879 - Thomas Edison demonstrated the incandescent light to the public for the first time, in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

1923 - The chimes of Big Ben were broadcast on radio for the first time by the BBC.

1935 - The patent (# 2,026,082) was issued for the game of Monopoly, assigned to Parker Brothers, by Charles Darrow of Pennsylvania.

1938 - The "drunkometer" - the first breath test for car drivers, was invented by Dr Rolla N. Harger of Indiana University School of Medicine.

1955 - General Motors became the first US corporation to make over $1 billion in a single year.

1956 - Bob Barker made his national debut on Truth or Consequences.

1966 - #1 Hit: The Monkees - I'm a Believer

1972 - Roberto Clemente was killed, along with four others when the cargo plane in which he is traveling crashes off the coast of Puerto Rico.

1985 - Singer Rick Nelson was killed in a plane crash in De Kalb, Texas.

1999 - The United States, in accordance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, officially handed over control of the Panama Canal to Panama.

1999 – The first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, resigned from office, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President and eventual successor.

Birthdays Today

@84 - Henri Matisse, French artist (died in 1954)

82- Anthony Hopkins, actor

@77 - Odetta (Holmes), American singer-songwriter and actress

      (died in 2008; heart disease)

76 - Ben Kingsley, English actor

72 - Tim Matheson, American actor

@63 - Donna Summer,

           LaDonna Adrian Gaines,

           American singer

           (died in 2012; lung cancer)

61 - Bebe Neuwirth, American actress and dancer

60 - Val Kilmer, American actor

@53 - John Denver

           Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.,

           American singer-songwriter

           (d. 1997; experimental plane crash)

42 - Donald Trump, Jr., American businessman

24 - Gabby Douglas, American gymnast

Puzzle Answer:

Nothing. A dollar and a half is the same as thirty five-cents (nickels). But not the same as thirty-five cents.