Feb 18

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Feb. 18, 2020 Week: 8  Day: 49

86004:   H 59° \ L 25° \ Average Sky Cover: 60%

Nearest lightning:  2052mi.; Nearest active fire:  517mi.  

Wind:   6mph\Gusts:  12mph  Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 65°[1977]   Record Low: -11°[1942]

Feb. Averages: 47°\19° (5 days with moisture)

Today’s LOVE Quote

I don’t think anyone can DO anything that would make him worthy of love. Love is a gift and cannot be earned. It can only be given.

Gordon Atkinson

Random Tidbits

Fort Knox was constructed in 1937. The original construction cost was $560,000, which would be around $10 million in today's money.

It was built with more than 4,200 cubic yards of concrete and 16,000 cubic feet of granite, with 750 tons of reinforced steel and 670 tons of structural steel.

The main vault door is 21 inches thick and weighs more than 20 tons.

Observations This Week

Date (Fruit) Week: 14-23
National Condom Week: 14-21 Link
National Nestbox Week: 14-21
NCCDP Alzheimer's & Dementia Staff Education Week: 14-21
National Entrepreneurship Week: 15-22 Link
National FFA Week: 15-22 Link 
Build A Better Trade Show Image Week: 16-23 
National Engineers Week: 16-22 
Brotherhood / Sisterhood Week: 16-22 Link
Random Acts of Kindness Week: 16-23 Link

Learning Disabilities Week: 17-20
Through With The Chew: 17-21 Link

Observations for Today

Battery Day (Volta's birthday)
Cow Milked While Flying In An Airplane Day
International Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day Link 
National Drink Wine Day Link
National Hate Florida Day Link
Pluto  Day (Planet is Discovered by Clyde Tombaugh)  
Travel Africa Day 

My Rambling Thoughts

It’s a Federal Holiday…so our family flag is flying high today. It is a nice day, but clouds are moving in. May have to bring the flag in early today.

Satire has always been popular to show disapproval. Sometimes the satire is obvious, other times not so much…even when it is clearly marked ‘SATIRE’. Remember ‘Clockwork Orange’ or ‘A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court’, or ‘Animal Farm’. Christopher Blair, a Maine liberal blogger is learning. Even though it is well marked, stating ‘nothing on this page is true!’, his satirical posts are ending up on several conservative sites posted as factual. He says the number of ‘shares’ increases his revenue, no matter who shares it. Hmmm

Some of those released from the ship are finding that upon landing, they are again placed in quarantined, this time on American soil. Many are claiming they were told they would not be quarantined upon arrival. I’m sure happy that I don’t have to make the decision to get off the ship and fly with 14 positive cases that are showing no symptoms on that plane, or stay on the ship where there are many more testing positive. Neither one is a very good choice.

Remembering Clyde Tombaugh today for his discovery of the planet Pluto, at Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of the page

A pregnant lady named her children: Dominique, Regis, Michelle, Fawn, Sophie and Lara. What will she name her next child? Jessica, Katie, Abby or Tilly?

Historical Events

1856 - The "Know-Nothing Party," convened in Philadelphia to nominate its first presidential candidate. The Know-Nothing movement began in the 1840s, when an increasing rate of immigration led to the formation of a number of groups to combat "foreign" influences in American society.

1861 - Jefferson Davis became the provisional president of the Confederate States of America. He was 'provisional' because he was not elected by the people, but appointed by the Confederate Congress.

1908 - The first US postage stamps in coils were available for the first time in vending machines.

1913 - Pedro Lascuráin becomes President of Mexico for 45 minutes, the shortest term to date of any person as president of any country.

1921 - The Colorado River was not the original name of the river that helped split the Grand Canyon. Before February 18th of this year, it was called the Grand River.

1930 - A cow named Ollie was milked over St. Louis, MO. Her milk was cartoned and parachuted down.

1930 - Ex-planet Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh.

1950 - #1 Hit : Red Foley - Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy

1954 - The first Church of Scientology was established in Los Angeles.

1956 - # 1 Hit : Kay Starr - Rock And Roll Waltz

1978 - The first Ironman Triathlon competition took place on the island of Oahu and was won by Gordon Haller.

2001 - Race car legend Ralph Dale Earnhardt was killed in a crash in the last lap of the Daytona 500 . Richard Petty won the race.

2001 - FBI agent Robert Hanssen was arrested for spying for the Soviet Union. He is ultimately convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

2010 - WikiLeaks published the first of hundreds of thousands of classified documents disclosed by the American soldier now known as Chelsea Manning.

2010 Bibliothèque nationale de France purchases the memoirs of Giacomo Casanova a for €7 million

2014 Ukrainian Revolution of 2014 begins as protesters, riot police and unknown shooters take part in violent events in the capital, Kiev, culminating after five days in the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych

2016 Pope Francis questions US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump's Christianity over his call to build a wall on the Mexican border

2019 16 US states, including California and New York, band together to sue President Donald Trump over his use of emergency powers to build a border wall.

Birthdays Today

@91- George Kennedy, American actor (died in 2016)

@90- Helen Gurley Brown, American journalist and author (died in 2012)

@88- Toni Morrison, American novelist (died in 2019)

87- Yoko Ono, Japanese-American singer-songwriter

@87- Jack Palance, American actor (died in 2006)

@84- Louis Comfort Tiffany, American stained glass artist (died in 1933)

@77- Charles M. Schwab, American businessman, co-founded Bethlehem Steel (died in 1939)

@76- Johnny Hart, American cartoonist, co-created The Wizard of Id (died in 2007; storke)

@70- Bill Cullen, American game show panelist and host (died in 1990; lung cancer)

70- Cybill Shepherd, American actress

68- Juice Newton, American singer-songwriter

66- John Travolta, American actor

63- Vanna White, American model and game show host

@59- John Hughes, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died in 2009; heart attack)

55- Matt Dillon, American actor

@52- Wendell Willkie, American politician (died in 1944; heart attack)

51- Molly Ringwald, American actress

Puzzle Answer:

Tilly. She seems to follow the scale Do, Re, Me, Fa, So, La, and then Ti.