1 Dec

 

December 2022

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 49 Day 335 \ Ave. Sky Cover 20% \ Visibility 10 miles Flagstaff Today 44° \16° 
Wind 6mph \ Gusts12smph  Air Quality: Fair\Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 415mi \ Nearest Lightning 1081mi
Dec Averages for Flagstaff: 43° \ 17° `

Today’s Quote

Monthly Observations

Dec. in Navajo: Nilch’itsoh, Great Winds
Aids Awareness Month Link
Bingo's Birthday Month
Buckwheat Month Link
Car Donation Month  Link
Give The Gift of Sight Month

Weekly Observations

Cookie Cutter Week: 1-7 Link

Daily Observations

Antartica Day
Basketball Day
Bifocals at the Monitor Liberation Day
Civil Air Patrol Day
Clark Kent's Birthday (Superman) Link 
Data Innovation Day-2 Link
Day With(out) Art Day
Eat a Red Apple Day
National Christmas Lights Day
Playboy Day
Rosa Parks Day
World Aids Day Link

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

A chilly day.

I started out early for a blood draw, then stopped to get a much-needed pedicure. I talked to Mary who is still in Phx. Her son has a blood issue and was in ICU for 5 days. He is healing. Mike’s 95-year-old mother got the flu and can’t walk so Mike is helping her. She is also getting better every day.

While in Mexico, the mosquitos decided they needed a Thanksgiving feast, and they picked me. Healing well now that I am home.

If you don’t live in AZ, you may not know we have a Cochise County…yeah, named after the Native American leader. It is a stronghold for conservative Republicans. Two towns you may know are Bisbee and Sierra Vista. Their Board of Supervisors decided to vote against certifying the 2022 Midterms. This has divided out state even more. The duly elected Democratic Governor-Elect is filing a lawsuit. If she wins the case, she is asking to not count the Cochise County state office elections to be stricken from the final vote count. That would mean that Dems would also win the Sec. of State and AG positions. AZ will not know the outcome for about a week.

I’m happy so see that the USA men’s soccer team will be in the next round after a win over Iran. Not happy to hear what might happen to the losing team when they return to Iran.

Favorite Memes

Little known Native American History

Warrior women, brilliant inventions, hoaxes, and your favorite snack food. If you didn't hear about these things when you studied Native American history in school, you missed out. Native American culture is not nearly as monolithic as your teacher might have had you believe.

There were female warriors. In the movies, male Native American warriors rode off to battle while their female counterparts remained behind to cook, sew, and take care of the camp. In real life, this wasn't always the case. Many warrior Native American women fought alongside men. The most famous of these was probably Buffalo Calf Road Woman, a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe who fought in the Battle of the Rosebud and the Battle of Little Bighorn. In fact, according to the elders of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, it was she who dealt Custer his final deadly blow. Buffalo Calf Road Woman is just one of many incredible women you didn't read about in history class.  

Slang Origins

1922: Know your onions

Meaning: to have experience or be knowledgeable about something

Many believe that this phrase is meant to refer to English lexicographer C.T. Onions, who worked on the Oxford English Dictionary. However, it is uniquely American, first appearing in Harper’s Bazaar in 1922, and likely has nothing to do with Onions at all. Instead, it falls in a similar category as “bee’s knees:” one of a number of popular nonsense phrases that all involved food and having knowledge about a subject.

Historical Events

As of December 2, 1824, no candidate won a majority of the US electoral vote, becoming the only election to require an election in the House of Representatives under the provisions of the 12th Amendment. On February 9, 1825, the House chose John Quincy Adams as president, although Andrew Jackson won more actual votes.

1891 – James Naismith, a gym teacher, invented Basketball.

1914 - the Ford Motor Company introduced the first moving assembly line.

1941 – The Civil Air Patrol was founded in NYC.

Birthdays Today

@88 – Marie Tussaud, founder of Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum (d. 1850)
@88 – Rex Stout, American author (d. 1975)
83 – Lee Trevino, American golfer
“Golf isn’t just my business, it’s my hobby.”– Lee Trevino
77 – John Densmore, American drummer, The Doors
77 – Bette Midler, American singer, actress
@76 – Mary Martin, American actress, and singer (d. 1990; cancer)
“Neverland is the way I would like real life to be… timeless, free, mischievous, filled with gaiety, tenderness, and magic.”– Mary Martin
@72 – Lou Rawls, American singer-songwriter (d. 2006; multiple cancers)
71 – Treat Williams, American actor
70 – Rick Scott, American politician
@65 – Richard Pryor, American comedian (d. 2005)
“I just don’t want to die alone, that’s all. That’s not too much to ask for, is it It would be nice to have someone care about me, for who I am, not about my wallet.”– Richard Pryor
@63 – Dick Shawn, American actor (d. 1987; heart attack on stage)
52 – Sarah Silverman, Comedian
@44 – Pablo Escobar, Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist (d. 1993; shot during escape)
34 – Zoë Kravitz, American actress

 

30 Nov

30 November 2022

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 49 Day 334 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 10 miles Flagstaff Today 42° \22° 
Wind 8mph \ Gusts 13mph  Air Quality: Fair \Very Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 132mi \ Nearest Lightning 800mi
Nov Averages for Flagstaff: 53° \ 23° (3 days of moisture)

Today’s Quote

 

Daily Observations

Blue Beanie Day
Cities for Life Day 
Computer Security Day
Day of Remembrance of All Victims of Chemical Warfare
National Mason Jar Day 
National Meth Awareness Day
National Mousse Day
National Personal Space Day
National Stay At Home Because You’re Well Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

I had a great Thanksgiving with my brother and his wife and her father and stepmom. We had a Thanksgiving dinner for 45 friends and family. My brother and his wife have lots of Ex-Pats as friends living in the area. A local Mayan family came in and cooked Turkey and ‘meat pies’ wrapped in banana leaves underground. The ‘meat pies’ were like 12” round tamales. Everybody brought side dishes, so we had plenty of food. While there, we went to my first cenote…underground river with cave and warm water. The Mayans knew about these underground rivers and considered them sacred. ‘Spectacular’ doesn’t even come close to describing the experience. We all swam in the cenote about 2 hours. It was a great 10 days with warm (90°) days and nice nights (75°).

I flew home from Merida to Mexico City to LA to Phx. All went well until leaving LAX. The minor 10-minute mechanical issue turned into almost 2 hours. That meant I missed my shuttle and had to wait until 10:30 for the next one. I got up at the hacienda at 3:45am and walked into my house at 1:45am. I went to bed and slept in until 7:30 this morning.

Been running around getting my mail, some scripts, and stopping at the bank to make my brother my beneficiary. It is amazing how complicated it is to set up a beneficiary. My mom was on the list…even though I had taken her off when she passed in 2008. Somehow it never happened. It’s all good now. I’ve had the accounts since 1980 and the lady helping me had never seen ‘typewriter’ forms before.

Favorite Memes

Little known Native American History

If you managed to get through school without hearing about Maria Tallchief, you missed out on hearing about a pioneering woman who changed the world. Tallchief, whose father was a member of the Osage Nation, dreamed of being a ballet dancer from the time she was a little girl. At 17, she moved to New York City to pursue a career as a ballerina but racism stood in her way. She was advised many times to change her last name so her Native American heritage wouldn't be readily apparent, but Tallchief refused. Her hard work, talent, and unwavering persistence paid off. Maria Tallchief eventually broke barriers as the first American to dance with the Paris Opera Ballet and the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. She became the prima ballerina at the New York City Ballet and was regarded as one of the greatest dancers in the world. 

Slang Origins

1921: Bee’s knees

Meaning: a highly admired, excellent person or thing

Calling someone “the bee’s knees” might seem like nonsense, but that’s the point. “Bee’s knees” is just one of many 1920s nonsense catchphrases. Others included “elephant’s adenoids,” “caterpillar's kimono,” “tiger’s spots,” and “the cat’s pajamas.” The only thing these strange sayings had in common was the comparison between a good thing and a part of an animal that didn’t exist.

Historical Events

1803 – In New Orleans, Spanish representatives officially transferred the Louisiana Territory to France. Just a few weeks later, France transferred the same land to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase
1872 – The first-ever international football match takes place at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow, between Scotland and England. Four thousand people watched the scoreless game.
1982 – Michael Jackson’s sixth solo studio album, Thriller, was released worldwide.
1998 – Exxon and Mobil signed a $73.7 billion agreement to merge, thus creating ExxonMobil, the world’s largest company at that time.

Birthdays Today

@95 – Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., American actor (d. 2014)
@90 – Winston Churchill, English colonel, journalist, and politician, UK PM (Nobel Prize laureate, d. 1965)
“It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations. Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations is an admirable work, and I studied it intently. The quotations when engraved upon the memory give you good thoughts. They also make you anxious to read the authors and look for more.”– Winston Churchill
@90 – G. Gordon Liddy, American lawyer, radio host (d. 2021)
@89 – Robert Guillaume, American actor, singer (d. 2017)
86 – Woody Allen, actor, director
85 – Ridley Scott, English director, and producer (Alien, Blade Runner)
@84 – Virginia Mayo, American actress (d. 2005)
@82 – Dick Clark, American TV host, and producer (founded Dick Clark Productions, d. 2012)
“I don’t set trends. I just find out what they are and exploit them.” “Music is the soundtrack of your life.”– Dick Clark
@77 – Jonathan Swift, Irish satirist, and essayist (d. 1745)
“When a great genius appears in the world the dunces are all in confederacy against him.”
– Jonathan Swift
@76 – Richard Crenna, American actor, director, and producer (d. 2003; cancer)
@74 – Mark Twain, American novelist, humorist, and critic (d. 1910)
“A sound heart is a safer guide than an ill-trained conscience.”– Mark Twain
70 – Mandy Patinkin, American actor, and singer
67 – Billy Idol, English Singer/Songwriter (White Wedding, Mony Mony)
70 – Mandy Patinkin, American actor
60 – Bo Jackson, American football, baseball player
57 – Ben Stiller, actor
@52 – Abbie Hoffman, activist, author (founded the Youth International Party, d. 1989; OD)
“You measure a democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.”– Abbie Hoffman
@48 – Allan Sherman, actor, comedian, singer, producer, screenwriter (d. 1973; lung disease)
@45 – John McCrae, Canadian physician, soldier, poet In Flanders Fields, (d. 1918; pneumonia)
45 – Steve Aoki, American DJ, producer (founded Dim Mak Records)
44 – Clay Aiken, American singer (American Idol)
40 – Elisha Cuthbert, Canadian actress
37 – Kaley Cuoco, American actress (Big Bang Theory)
37 – Chrissy Teigen, American model

 

17 Nov

 

18 November 2022

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 47 Day 322 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 10 miles Flagstaff Today 45° \10° 
Wind 5mph \ Gusts 10mph  Air Quality: Fair \ Moderate Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 124mi \ Nearest Lightning 1321mi
Nov Averages for Flagstaff: 53° \ 23° (3 days of moisture)

 

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week: 12-18 Link  
International Fraud Awareness Week: 12-18  
International Fraud Awareness Week: 12-18  Link   
National Cider Week: 12-19 
National Cider Week: 12-19 Link 
National Split Pea Soup Week: 12-18
National Split Pea Soup Week: 12-18 Link
National Nurse Practioner's Week: 12-18 Link  Link
Perioperative Nurse Week: 12-18 Link
Roc Your Moc Week: 12-18 Link  
World Kindness Week: 12-18  
World Kindness Week: 12-18  Link    
International Restorative Justice Week: 13-19 
International Restorative Justice Week: 13-19 Link 
National Global Entrepreneurship Week: 13-19  
National Global Entrepreneurship Week: 13-19  Link
American Education Week: 13-17 Link 
National Farm-City Week: 17-23  
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week: 17-23
National Farm-City Week: 17-23  
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week: 17-23

Daily Observations

Apple Cider Day
European Antibiotic Awareness Day Link
Family Volunteer Day
Married To A Scorpio Support Day
Mickey Mouse Day
National Apple Cider Day Link
National Adoption Day  Link
National Princess Day  Link
National Survivors of Suicide Day Link
Occult Day
Push-button Phone Day
William Tell Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

A cold night, a chilly day.

I’m busy getting ready for my Thanksgiving in Mexico. I leave on Saturday at 5:30am on the shuttle. I’ll be busy most of tomorrow doing last minute stuff so this will be my last posting until I return from Mexico. I’ll post again in the 29^th or 30^th.

It looks like Ukraine accidently shot those missiles into Poland. Accident or not, Ukraine needs to compensate Poland for the loss of property and loss of life. The idea that Russia is responsible because they started the war doesn’t fly with me.

Nancy Pelosi is ending her leadership role with this session; she will not run again for a leadership position. She has done a good job during her long tenure as the first female Speaker. After the attack on her husband, she deserves to enjoy time with her family. She will continue as a Representative. What’s next for the House…lots of changes for sure. Hopefully a new Democrat leader will be able to carry on her legacy.

Favorite Memes Honoring the NBA Phoenix Suns & the 22 Native Tribes in AZ

Little known Native American History

Popcorn has long been associated with the movies, or in recent years, the microwave, but although many of us may have wondered why popcorn pops, few of us have asked where popcorn actually came from. The indigenous people of the Americas first domesticated the strain of maize which produces popcorn thousands of years ago. In fact, popcorn artifacts dating back to 6.700 years ago were discovered in Peru. So the next time you grab a handful of your favorite snack, remember it's not just Orville Redenbacher you should be thanking. 

Interesting comparison

The average household is worth $118,000. Amazon founder Jeff Besos is worth about $172 billion. That’s like comparing…

   Ë The size of a white blood cell to the size of a finback whale.

   Ë The height of a piece of Toblerone chocolate to the height of Mount Everest.

   Ë The length of a single adult stride to the distance from NY to KY.

   Ë The volume of a quite library to the roar of a (private) taking off.

Historical Events

1307 – William Tell shot an apple off his son’s head with an arrow.
1626 – St. Peter’s Basilica was consecrated. Replaced the earlier Basilica, which was consecrated on this same date in 326 AD.
1865 – Mark Twain’s short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County was published in the New York Saturday Press.
1872 – The first US patent (#133,188) for an adding machine capable of printing totals and subtotals, called a “calculating machine,” was issued to E.D. Barbour of Boston, Massachusetts.
1872 – American suffragette Susan B Anthony was arrested after voting on the 5th of November in Rochester New York. She was found guilty and never paid the $100 fine.
1878 – Soprano Marie Selika Williams became the first Black artist to perform at the White House, Washington DC.
1883 – ‘Standard Time’ in the United States went into effect at noon for the first time. Prior to this, towns across the US set their own times by observing the position of the sun.
1902 – Brooklyn toymaker Morris Michtom named the teddy bear he invented after US President Teddy Roosevelt. He founded the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company in 1907.
1928 – Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse’s first wide appearance in NY in Steamboat Willie. It seems that every time this is brought up, someone points out that Walt Disney did the original voice, and he did! Happy Birthday, Mickey Mouse!
1963 – The first push-button telephones went into service.
1978 – Over 900 members of Jim Jones’ cult suicided, and several US representatives were killed in Jonestown, Guyana.
1993 – South Africa adopted its modern constitution.
1993 – The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was approved by the US House.
1999 – 12 people were killed and 27 injured at Texas A&M University when a massive bonfire under construction collapsed.
2013 – Wii U released, Video Game Console
2001 – GameCube released, Video Game Console
2011 – Minecraft (video game) was released

Birthdays Today

@92 – Imogene Coca, American actress, comedian, and singer (d. 2001)
83 – Brenda Vaccaro, American actress
@82 – George Gallup, American statistician and academic (d. 1984)
82 – Margaret Atwood, Canadian writer
“It’s a feature of our age that if you write a work of fiction, everyone assumes that the people and events in it are disguised biography, but if you write your biography, it’s equally assumed you’re lying your head off.”– Margaret Atwood
80 – Linda Evans, American actress
@77 – Asa Gray, American botanist and academic (d. 1888)
@74 – Alan Shepard, American admiral, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1998; leukemia)
69 – Katy Sagal, American actress
@66 – Johnny Mercer, Singer-Songwriter, co-founded Capitol Records, (d. 1976; brain tumor)
@63 – Louis Daguerre, French physicist, and photographer, developed the daguerreotype a father of photography, (d. 1851; heart attack)
62 – Elizabeth Perkins, American actress
61 – Steven Moffat, Scottish screenwriter, and producer (Doctor Who)
54 – Owen Wilson, American actor, producer, comedian, and screenwriter
52 – Mike Epps, American comedian, actor, and producer
52 – Megyn Kelly, American lawyer, and journalist
“I was brought up in an environment to believe that my opinion was important, that I had something to say, and that it was no less powerful because I was young, a girl, at the time really unattractive, definitely not the smartest kid in the class.”– Megyn Kelly
48 – Chloë Sevigny, American actress, and fashion designer