Mar 21

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Mar. 21, 2020 Week: 12 Day: 81

86004: H 49° \ L 26° \ Average Sky Cover: 20%

Nearest lightning: 883mi.; Nearest active fire: 662mi.

Wind: 3mph\Gusts: 6mph Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 70°[2004] Record Low: 5°[1948]

Mar. Averages: 53°\19° (6 days with moisture)

Today’s Quote

"Do not resent growing old. Many are denied the privilege."

Random Tidbits

The word "influenza" comes from the Italian influentia because people used to believe that the influence of the planets, stars, and moon caused the flu - for only such universal influence could explain such sudden and widespread sickness.

Observations This Week

Orthodox Lent: 2-4/10American Chocolate Week: 15-21  Link
National Animal Poison Prevention Week: 15-21 Link Link
National Inhalant and Poisons Awareness Week: 15-21 Link Link
World Folktales & Fables Week: 15-21
Act Happy Week: 16-22
National Fix A Leak Week: 16-22 Link
International Brain Awareness Week: 16-22  Link
International Teach Music Week: 16-22
Shakespeare Week: 16-22  (Link)
Wellderly Week: 16-22 International Dark Sky Week: 19-26  Link
American Crossword Puzzle Days: 20-22  Link
National Cherry Blossom Festival: 20-4/12 Link  
Internat'l Week of Solidarity with People's Struggling Against Racism & Discrimination: 21-27

Observations for Today

Corn Dog Day 
Credit Card Reduction Day

Common Courtesy Day

Memory Day
National Common Courtesy DayNational Crunchy Taco Day

National Day of Action On Syringe Exchange  Link
National Fragrance Day   
National Healthy Fats Day
National Renewable Energy Day
National Single Parent Day 

Play The Recorder Day
Save The Panther Day
Twitter Day  (Social Media Application)Walk In The Sand Day
WE Day  Link 
World Down Syndrome Day  Link
World Poetry Day  Link    Link
World Puppetry Day  Link
Worldwide Quilting Day

My Rambling Thoughts

I headed to Sam's and my grocery store today. Sam's was very crowded, no empty carts were available and the crew was trying to clear the cart holders in the parking lot. Still no TP and very few paper towels and napkins, Baby Wipes are limited to one package. Got what I needed, and headed to Fry's for some groceries. No rice, no bread, lots of empty shelves. Got juice and fresh produce and fruits. Meat dept was very low. Thank goodness I have a freezer.

I worked at a grocery store through my college years. I believe there is more to these shortages than we are being told. When a delivery truck doesn't arrive on time, shelves get empty fairly quickly. When the truck finally arrives, shelves are full again. Most large grocery stores get two or more deliveries per week. So if the trucks aren't delivering toilet paper, why not? Paper products take up a huge amount of space for what you get, in trucks, and on shelves. Are truckers just filling up with stuff that makes them more money per square foot of room in their truck? I just don't get it. Sure some people are hoarding, but by now every store has limits on purchases, and the shelves are still empty. I wish the media would do some digging on the empty shelves.

Shouldn't have to go to any store for at least a week. Friends are all in self-quarantine. Daily walks really help.

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of the page

What words are pronounced differently by merely capitalizing the first letter?

Historical Events

1617 - Pocahontas (Rebecca Rolfe) died of either small pox or pneumonia while in England with her husband, John Rolfe.

1788 - The Great New Orleans Fire destroyed 80% of the city.

1859 - The first Zoological Society was incorporated in Philadelphia. PA, today simply called 'The Philadelphia Zoo.'

1871 - Otto von Bismarck was appointed Chancellor of the German Empire.

1925 - Butler Act became state law in Tennessee that prohibited "The teaching of the Evolution Theory in all the Universities, Normals and all other public schools of Tennessee, which are supported in whole or in part by the public school funds of the State, and to provide penalties for the violations thereof that it shall be unlawful to teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals." It was repealed on May 17, 1967.

1942 - A report was submitted suggesting the name "plutonium" for artificial element 94 since it followed neptunium and uranium (elements 93 and 92).

1952 - Hosted by Alan Freed, first major rock-and-roll show, the Moondog Coronation Ball, was held in Cleveland, Ohio.

1953 - #1 Hit: Patti Page - The Doggie In The Window

1963 - Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay closed and transferred its remaining prisoners.

1965 - Martin Luther King Jr., and 3200 civil rights demonstrators began a historic march from Selma, Alabama to the state capitol at Montgomery.

1980 - "Who shot J.R.?" On the season finale of Dallas, J. R. Ewing was shot by an unseen assailant. The following season we found out that it was Kristin Shepard, J.R.'s mistress

1980 - President Jimmy Carter announced that the United States would boycott the Olympic Games scheduled to take place in Moscow that summer.

1989 - Sports Illustrated reported allegations tying baseball player Pete Rose to baseball gambling.

2006 - Twitter was founded.

2006 Immigrant workers constructing the Burj Dubayy in Dubai, The United Arab Emirates and a new terminal of Dubai International Airport join together and riot, causing $1M in damage.

2007 - The Apple TV (1st generation) was released.

2013 The European Space Agency reveals new data that indicates that the universe is 13.82 billion years old

2018 Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg admits they "made mistakes" after data on 50 million users is harvested by Cambridge Analytica

2019 New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces a ban on military-style semiautomatic weapons, 6 days after the Christchurch terrorist attack

2019 US President Donald Trump says US should recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights on Twitter

Birthdays Today

@65-Johann Sebastian Bach, composer (d. 1750)

61-Gary Oldman, actor

58-Mathew Broderick, actor

57-Rosie O'Donnell, comedian, activist

50-Method Man [Clifford Smith Jr], rapper, record producer

Puzzle Answer:

There are several, and there could be more:

1. job, Job
2. herb, Herb
3. polish, Polish
4. begin, Begin (Israel politician)
5. nice, Nice (French town)
6. reading, Reading (the place)