30 Dec

 

30 December 2022

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 53 Day 364 \ Ave. Sky Cover 80% \ Visibility 10 miles Flagstaff Today 45° \20° 
Wind 6mph \ Gusts 12mph  Air Quality: Fair \Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 131mi \ Nearest Lightning 954mi
Dec Averages for Flagstaff: 43° \ 17° `
Overcast with occasional sun breaking through

Today’s Quote

 

Weekly Observations

Christmas Bird Count Week: 14-1/5 Link 
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over: 15 - 1/1/23  
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over: 15 - 1/1/23  Link 
It's About Time Week: 25-31
Kwanzaa: 26-1/1

Daily Observations

Bacon Day Link  Link
Falling Needles Family Fest Day
Festival of Enormous Changes @ The Last Minute
National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
No Interruptions Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Our mountain town is between storms. Clouds remain. It is not too cold so that is a positive.

I bought some groceries this morning…just in case. No real snow drops until early New Year’s Day, but here, we never know. The last storm was very wet as I discovered when I cleared off my vehicle yesterday.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to us as Pelé, passed at 82 this morning. He was well known around the world. He will be missed.

I talked to Cheryl this morning. She is back from spending 5 weeks with her son and his family. She was very upbeat and is even talking about possibly doing knee replacement since she is tried of the pain and difficulty walking. Good for her.  

Favorite Memes Winter Wonderland cont.

Facts…

Most people already know that Mount Everest, with a peak that sits 29,035 feet above sea level, soars above any other mountain on the planet. However, if we’re talking about mountains that exist below sea level, then Hawaii’s Mauna Kea blows Mount Everest out of the water, so to speak. At 32,696 feet from base to summit, Mauna Kea is approximately 3,661 feet taller than Everest. The reason Mauna Kea doesn’t receive more recognition for its size? Most of the mountain exists underwater, with only 13,796 feet rising above sea level.

A geyser is a hot spring that erupts water and steam, due to pressure that is created underground. Formed as a water-filled tube that connects the atmosphere to the Earth’s crust, a geyser erupts when magma heats the water, forcing it upward towards the Earth’s surface. Although a geyser is not the same as a volcano, they are somewhat related, as a geyser manifests the same sort of activity, with eruptions fueled by magma. However, unlike a volcano, it is easier to predict when a geyser will blow, as it produces notable seismic activity prior to an eruption. As a result, some researchers study geysers to help them understand more information about volcanoes. There are also certain geysers that blow in a timely manner, like the aptly named Old Faithful — a Yellowstone National Park attraction that erupts roughly 20 times a day.

If you’re curious as to the geographical distinction between Key West in Southern Florida and Ambergris Cay in Turks and Caicos, here’s the short answer: There is no difference. The geographical terms cay and key are a little bit like “tomato, to-mah-to” — the use of the term depends on where you are. Both are derived from the Spanish word cayo, which translates to “key,” and they’re used interchangeably to describe a low-lying island, sandbar, or coral reef. As a tropical destination with over 60 islands and keys, the British Virgin Islands is also home to a “Key Cay,” making it the only place in the world where both terms are used to describe a single place.

Measuring 4,130 miles in length, the Nile River in Africa is often considered to be the longest river in the world, while the Amazon River in South America comes in at a close second. Although past data has shown that the Amazon River is anywhere between 3,980 and 4,000 miles in length, a 2007 expedition claimed the length of the Amazon to be an astonishing 4,225 miles. However, since this measurement has not been internationally recognized, the debate over the longest river in the world continues. As a result, many recognize the Nile as the longest river, but give Amazon the title of the largest river by volume. 

Slang Origins

1950: Blockbuster

Meaning: expensive to make but commercially successful (especially movies)

In an age in which box-office breaking movies are coming out every year—if not every weekend—it’s hard to imagine a “blockbuster” being anything but the newest Marvel flick. The term was originally used to describe a bomb that had destroyed a city block. Later, advertisers used this association when marketing their action-packed war movies before it became something that could apply to any movie.

Mysteries…

FATE OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

In 587 B.C., a Babylonian army, under King Nebuchadnezzar II, conquered Jerusalem, sacking the city and destroying the First Temple, a building used by the Jewish people to worship God. The First Temple contained the Ark of the Covenant, which carried tablets recording the 10 Commandments.

The fate of the Ark is unclear. Ancient sources indicate that the ark was either carried back to Babylon or hidden before the city was captured. It's also possible that the ark was destroyed during the city's sacking. In any event, the ark's location is unknown. Since the disappearance, a number of stories and legends about the ark's fate have been told. One story suggests the ark eventually made its way to Ethiopia, where it is kept today. Another story says the ark was divinely hidden and will not appear until a messiah arrives.

Historical Events

1903 – A fire at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, Illinois killed at least 605 people.
1916 – Russian mystic and advisor to the Tsar Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was murdered by a group led by Prince Felix Yusupov. His frozen, partially-trussed body was found in a Moscow river three days later.

Birthdays Today

85 – Paul Stookey, American singer-songwriter
@82 – Joseph Bologna, American actor (d. 2017)
@80 – Jack Riley, American actor (d. 2016)
80 – Michael Nesmith, American singer-songwriter, Monkee
80 – Fred Ward, American character actor
@79 – Bo Diddley [Ellas Otha Bates], singer-songwriter guitarist (d. 2008)
@77 – Bert Parks, American actor and beauty pageant host (d. 1992; lung caner)
76 – Patti Smith, American singer-songwriter and poet
@70 – Rudyard Kipling, Indian-English author (d. 1936; perforated ulcer)
@73 – Simon Guggenheim, American businessman (d. 1941)
@72 – Skeeter Davis, American singer-songwriter (d. 2004; lung cancer)
@55 – Del Shannon, American singer-songwriter(d. 1990; suicide)
69 – Meredith Vieira, American journalist
@66 – Davy Jones, English singer-songwriter and actor, Monkee (d. 2012)
63 – Tracey Ullman, English-American actress
61 – Sean Hannity, American radio and television host
49 – Jason Behr, American actor
47 – Tiger Woods, golfer
38 – LeBron James, basketball star
30 – Carson Wentz, American football player