mar 19

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Mar. 19, 2020 Week: 12 Day: 79

86004: H 46° \ L 28° \ Average Sky Cover: 99%

Nearest lightning: 1314mi.; Nearest active fire: 3992mi.

Wind: 1mph\Gusts: 3mph Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 71°[1907] Record Low: 1°[1963]

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

Today’s Quote

I complained that I had no shoes

Until I met a man who had no feet.

St. Patrick was a gentleman

Who through strategy and stealth

Drove all the snakes from Ireland.

Here's toasting to his health.

But not too many toastings

Random Tidbits

But this is hardly the first time humanity has faced a deadly infection, and not even the most lethal; the Spanish flu pandemic being the most recent modern example

The single deadliest flu pandemic in history was the Spanish flu pandemic during 1918-1919. Occurring in the three waves of increasing lethality, the Spanish flu killed more people in one year than the combined total who died in battle during WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

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
Native American Awareness Week: 16-20  Link
Shakespeare Week: 16-22  (Link)
Wellderly Week: 16-22 International Dark Sky Week: 19-26  Link

Observations for Today

Absolutely Incredible Kid Day

Client's Day 
Data Innovation Day: 

Let's Laugh Day

National Oatmeal Cookie Day

Poultry Day

My Rambling Thoughts

I enjoyed my Irish dinner last night. Even made soda bread.

This Covid-19 thing is really picking up speed. Two cases were reported in the Kayenta / Shonto area of the Navajo Nation. Both patients had been traveling. These are fairly isolated parts of the already isolated rez. The Navajo Casinos are now closed. The Tuba hospital, a large regional hospital has security at the parking lot and if you are not very sick, you are not allowed to even park. No visitors.

And then there are truckers. While they can still get gas, they are having a hard time finding hot meals. You can't just pull a big rig into a drive thru. And with all restaurants closed, it is tough.

When I voted yesterday, I told the lead person I wished that they had postponed the election. She said it was considered, but this may turn out to be the safest time to vote. WOW!

It has been heavy snow, on and off, since before 6am when I checked. Thankfully, it isn't sticking. We sure need the moisture.

I finally got a call from the supervisor at the call center for my local paper. He admitted a bill was never sent out. Apologized for any inconvenience. I explained several recent encounters and told him I had reached my limit. He apologized again and gave me his direct number. At my suggestion, he said he would call the call center, act like a customer, and see if he could talk to a supervisor. I told him I was sorry to drop the local paper, but had reached that point. I have been reading the paper on line for the past few days, and while it is not as good as the paper edition, I do get the news. I do miss the comics.

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of the page

Cannibals in the jungle capture three men. The men are given one chance to escape with their lives.

The men are lined up and bound to stakes such that one man can see the backs of the other two, the middle man can see the back of the front man, and the front man cannot see anybody.

The men are shown five hats, three of which are black and two of which are white. Then the men are blindfolded, and one of the five hats is placed on each man’s head. The remaining two hats are hidden away.

The blindfolds are removed. The men are told that if just one of the men can guess what hat he is wearing, they may all go free. Time passes. Finally, the front man, who cannot see anyone, correctly guesses the color of his hat. What color was it, and how did he guess correctly?

Historical Events

1649 - The House of Commons of England abolished the House of Lords, declaring it 'useless and dangerous to the people of England'.

1842 - French writer Honore de Balzac's play Les Ressources de Quinola opened to an empty house due to a publicity stunt. He had earlier announced that the show had sold out, so nobody actually bought any tickets.

1918 - Congress established time zones and approved daylight saving time.

1931 - The Nevada state legislature voted to legalize gambling

1957 - Graceland was on 13.8 acre estate, and sold for $102,500 to Elvis Presley.

1962 - Bob Dylan released his first album, Bob Dylan.

1979 - C-Span was launched

1983 - First Lady Nancy Reagan made an appearance on an episode of Diff'rent Strokes, beginning her Just Say No anti-drug campaign

1987 - Televangelist Jim Bakker resigned as the host of The PTL Club after involvement in a sex scandal.

1998 - Broadway Show - Cabaret (Musical) opened

2003 Airstrikes by an American and British-led coalition signal the beginning of the invasion of Iraq, without United Nations support and in defiance of world opinion

2012 Wendy's overtakes Burger King to become the second best-selling hamburger chain

2013 NASA's Mars rover Curiosity discovers further evidence of water-bearing minerals

2018 World's last male northern white rhino, 45 year old Sudan, dies in Kenya

2019 "Superbloom" of poppies in Walker Canyon, southern California visible from space, after high rainfall

Birthdays Today

84-Ursula Andress, actor

@80-Wyatt Earp, lawman, gamber (d. 1929)

72-Glenn Close, actor

67-Harvey Weinstein, film producer

65-Bruce Willis, actor

Puzzle Answer:

The back man can see the hats worn by the two men in front of him. So, if both of those hats were white, he would know that the hat he wore was black. However, since he does not answer, he must see at least one black hat ahead of him. After it becomes apparent to the middle man that the back man cannot figure out what he is wearing, he knows that there is at least one black hat worn by himself and the front man. Knowing this, if the middle man saw a white hat in front of him, he would know that his own hat was black, and could answer the question correctly. But, since he does not answer, he must see a black hat on the front man. After it becomes apparent to the front man that neither of the men behind him can answer the question, he realizes the middle man saw a black hat in front of him. So he says, correctly, “My hat is black.”