Apr 18

 

 

 

Apr 18, 2021   Week: 17    Day: 108       

Visibility: 10 miles	Ave. Sky Cover: 80%
Local: H 52°\ L 28° feels like 45	Nearest Lightning: 1080mi.
Wind:  11mph/ Gusts:  17mph	Moderate Risk of Fire:  Active fire:  623mi
Record: 90°[1976]  Record: 21°[1948]	Apr. Averages: 60°/27° (3 days w/moisture)

 

Today’s Quote

The hardest thing to understand in the world is the income tax.

~Albert Einstein

Random Tidbits

60% of taxpayers must hire a professional to get through their own return.

Taxes eat up nearly 40% of the average family’s income; that’s more than for food, clothing and shelter combined.

Previous to 1862, the government only collected sales tax on certain items such as alcohol and tobacco. President Lincoln created the IRS and enacted a 3 percent income tax on those who made between $600 and $10,000 to assist in covering Civil War costs. This would be repealed 10 years later.

Humor

During a job interview at the 99 Cents store, my son was asked, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

My son’s reply: “At the Dollar Store.” He got the job.

Real Cities

Eek, Alaska: Eek is derived from an Eskimo word meaning "two eyes"

True Things

With the latest driver making the jump, bridge workers were left having to fix two traffic arms. The driver’s windshield was also damaged, WESH 2 reported.

"It’s absolutely against the law, that’s why the rails are there," Florida Safety Council spokesperson Bonnie Frank said. "You’re not just risking yourself, you’re risking all those people that are also on that bridge."

Investigators are trying to track down the driver by searching for the license plate.

Weekly Observations

 

National Student Employment Week     Link	12-18
Ramadan	Thru 5/11
Global Youth Service Days	16-18
National Dance Week Link	16-25
International Wildlife Film Week Link	17- 5/15
National Park Week Link	17-25
Consumer Awareness Week Police Officers Who Gave Their Lives In The Line of Duty Week	18-23
Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week Link  Chemists Celebrate Earth Week Cleaning For A Reason Week National Coin Week Medical Laboratory Professionals Week  Link Numismatic Week ( National Coin Week   Link  National Crime Victims Rights Week Link National Infertility Awareness Week  Link National Paperboard Packaging Week National Pet ID Week   Link  Link National Princess Week     Link National Volunteer Week Sky Awareness Week    Spring Astronomy Week    Administrative Professionals Week	18-24

 

Today’s Observations

Adult Autism Day
Animal Crackers Day: Stauffer’s Biscuit Company was the first company to produce animal crackers in 1871 in York, Pennsylvania. Other local bakeries soon came together under the National Biscuit Company, or “Nabisco Brands.”  In 1902, Nabisco’s animal crackers officially became known as “Barnum’s Animals” and used the circus theme of the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Later in 1902, the box was designed for the Christmas season with the innovative idea of attaching a string to hang from the Christmas tree. The Pop Culture Animal Crackers are a deliciously crunchy snack perfect for munching on at home, in the office, or even out on the go.

International Day for Monuments and Sites Link
International Juggler's Day - also applies to multi-tasking office workers

National Animal Crackers Day Link
National Columnists' Day Link   
National Lineman Appreciation Day Link
Newspaper Columnists Day

Pet Owners Independence Day Link  Link
Pinata Day  Link
World Amateur Radio Day Link

 

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

It was nice and sunny when I got up, but by 9:30 it was overcast and windy. I put on a light jacket for a short walk. Got about 200 yards from my front door and it started to rain. I gave up and came home. It was a light rain, so I didn’t get soaked. Then about 30 minutes later the rain turned to snow. Nothing is sticking, and hopefully won’t.

I watched part of Prince Phillip’s funeral this morning. Very nice. It was strange to see inside and outside of the place without crowds. I remember how hard it was for my mom when my dad passed after 53+ years of marriage. I can’t imagine what the Queen is dealing with.

Almost everyone has heard about ‘The Talk’ that minority parents give their children and repeat many times. It is basically how to act when pulled over by law enforcement: Keep your hands visible, be polite, don’t argue, follow the cops directions, etc. Some are suggesting that Cops should get a similar talk about how to act around people of color. Hmmm

The Biden Administration seems to act when there is a backlash to their policy. This is a return to what administrations have usually done. The other day, after promising to fix immigration during the campaign, Biden issued new policy regarding immigrants but didn’t increase the total number. This upset many. The next day he said he would increase quotas next month. WOW, he listens and acts quickly. Refreshing.

It was 60 years ago the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion took place in Cuba. I was fortunate enough during the Obama administration to stand in the water at the Bay of Pigs and view the memorial. I was shocked by the number of Cuban Heroes who were honored…most of them were less than 17 years old. Many were around 14 years old. I was 12 when it happened. Until I visited, I had no idea they were that young. It was very eye-opening about war.

I didn’t know there were 1127 people killed by police in 2020 or that of that number 121 were killed after a traffic violation. This doesn’t sound like Public Safety. I need to do some research to find out what is going on.

 

Daily Puzzle

Answer: bottom of the page

What tastes better than it smells?

 

Historical Events

1506 – The cornerstone of the current St. Peter’s Basilica was laid.

1738 – Real Academia de la Historia (“Royal Academy of History”) was founded in Madrid, Spain.

1775 – Paul Revere’s Ride took place. He probably said “The Regulars are coming out” rather subtly since there were British Troops everywhere.

1846 – The first US Patent (#4,464) for a telegraph ticker that would print letters of the alphabet was issued to R.E. House of New York City.

1902 – Quetzaltenango, the second largest city of Guatemala, was destroyed by an earthquake.

1906 (Earthquake) At 5:13 AM, an earthquake estimated at close to 8.0 on the Richter scale strikes San Francisco, California.

1909 – Joan of Arc was beatified by the Catholic Church, the first step towards sainthood. Pope Benedict XV canonized Joan on May 16, 1920.

1923 – Yankee Stadium, ‘The House that Ruth Built’, opened.

1924 – Simon & Schuster published the first crossword puzzle book.

1925 – The first Woman’s World’s Fair in the US was officially opened in Chicago, Illinois, by First Lady Mrs. Calvin Coolidge.

1930 – BBC reported there was no news, and then played out with piano music.

1983 – The Disney Channel began as a cable channel

1983 – A suicide bomber destroyed the United States embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 63 people.

1989 – In the People’s Republic of China (PRC), student protests grew until the Chinese government eventually suppressed them in June, during what came to be known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

2012 – Dick Clark, host of American Bandstand and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve died.

2014 – 16 people were killed in an avalanche on Mount Everest.

2020 Canada's worst modern mass shooting as a gunman kills 18 people, including a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, across Nova Scotia

 

Birthdays Today

@94 – Barbara Hale, American actress [Della Street] (d. 2017)

@80 – Clarence Darrow, American lawyer (d. 1938)

75 – Hayley Mills, English actress

74 – James Woods, actor

60 – Jane Leeves, English actress [Fraser]

58 – Conan O’Brien, American actor, screenwriter, talk show host

45 – Melissa Joan Hart, American actress

42 – Kourtney Kardashian, American model, businesswoman

Puzzle Answer

A tongue