8 Dec

 

8 December 2022

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 50 Day 342 \ Ave. Sky Cover 95% \ Visibility 10 miles Flagstaff Today 34° \22° 
Wind 3mph \ Gusts 8mph  Air Quality: Fair \Very Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 386mi \ Nearest Lightning 223mi
Dec Averages for Flagstaff: 43° \ 17° `
Snowing on and off

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

Clerc-Gallaudet Week: 3-10
National Hand Washing Awareness Week: 4-10 Link  
Recipe Greetings For The Holidays Week: 4-10 
Andisop (Meterological Fiddling): 5-24   Link
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week: 5-9 Link 
Computer Science Education Week: 5-11 Link

Daily Observations

Feast of the Immaculate Conception
AFL-CIO Day
Bodhi Day  Link [Traditional] 
National Brownie Day
National Day of Lard
National Christmas Tree Day
Pretend To Be A Time Traveler Day
Toilet Paper Appreciation Day  Link  (Note: December 8, 1857 was when it was first sold in the US by Joseph C. Gayetty. The other observance is on August 26 when Scott first sold toilet paper on a roll on August 26, 1871 fourteen years later as Toilet Paper Day.)

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

The promised snow has arrived. So far none is sticking. I went out to get a much-needed haircut before any snow fell. As I was driving, there was a light rain, just enough to use the intermittent wipers on the slowest speed.

Georgia results are in. Warnock kept his seat. Walker gave a very good speech to concede. There is hope for our country.

A few months ago I had a minor bladder issue. Due to my age, I was referred to a urologist. I saw him but he only scheduled an appointment to look at the bladder and a CT scan. The scan showed nothing unusual. The real look was scheduled for next week. Today I got a call that the Dr. would not be available for my appointment, and I needed to reschedule. Their earliest opening was Valentines Day. Not happy about it, but my latest urine, last week, was just fine, according to the lab that analyzed it.

Favorite Memes

Little known Native American History

The origin of hockey part 2

It may be tempting to keep a cool artifact you find on federal or tribal land, but it might be against the law. The Native Graves Protection and Repatriation Act recognizes that certain items belong to "lineal descendants, Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations." This protection applies to "human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony." These Native American artifacts have found their way into a museum—where they belong.

If you're a sports fan, chances are you've heard of Jim Thorpe. Thorpe was a member of the Sac and Fox nation and while you might know him for making Olympic history as the first Native American to win a gold medal (he actually won two, for the pentathlon and decathlon), you might be surprised to learn he also played professional football, baseball, and basketball. In college, he also played lacrosse and won a ballroom dancing championship. It's no wonder many consider Jim Thorpe to be the greatest athlete of all time. 

Slang Origins

1929: Nerts

Meaning: nonsense

Much like “horsefeathers” before it, “nerts” was something you shouted when something just wasn’t going right. It was used in place of “nuts,” presumably to avoid shocking or offending anyone nearby.

Historical Events

1886 – The American Federation of Labor was founded

1952 – On the CBS show I Love Lucy, a pregnancy was acknowledged in a TV show for the first time, with the announcement that ‘Me and my husband are about to have a blessed event.’

1980 – John Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman outside of his home in New York City.

1991 – The Soviet Union dissolved.

2013 – Metallica performed a show in Antarctica, making them the first band to perform on all seven continents.

Birthdays Today

@85 – William C. Durant, founder of General Motors and Chevrolet (d. 1947)
@83 – Maximilian Schell, Austrian-Swiss actor (d. 2014)
83 – Jerry Butler, American singer-songwriter
@72 – David Carradine, American actor (d. 2009; suicide)
@70 – Diego Rivera, Mexican painter, educator (d. 1957)
@69 – Gregg Allman, American singer-songwriter, guitarist (d. 2017, liver cancer)
69 – Kim Basinger, American actress
@66 – James Thurber, American humorist, and cartoonist (d. 1961; pneumonia)
“The wit makes fun of other persons; the satirist makes fun of the world; the humorist makes fun of himself, but in so doing, he identifies himself with people — that is, people everywhere, not for the purpose of taking them apart, but simply revealing their true nature. “ “All human beings should try to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why.” “Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.”– James Thurber
@64 – Lee J. Cobb, American actor (d. 1976; heart attack)
@64 – Sammy Davis, Jr., actor, singer, and dancer (d. 1990; throat cancer)
“You always have two choices: your commitment versus your fear.”– Sammy Davis, Jr.
61 – Ann Coulter, American author
@60 – Eli Whitney, engineer, inventor- Cotton Gin (d. 1825; prostate cancer)
“Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized.”– Eli Whitney58 – Teri Hatcher, American actress
56 – Sinéad O’Connor, Irish singer-songwriter
@44 – Mary, Queen of Scots (d. 1587; executed)@43 – E.C. Segar, American cartoonist, creator of Popeye (d. 1938; liver disease)
40 – Nicki Minaj, Trinidadian-American rapper and actress
29 – AnnaSophia Robb, American actress
@27 – Jim Morrison, American singer-songwriter, #27club (d. 1971)
“A hero is someone who rebels or seems to rebel against the facts of existence and seems to conquer them. Obviously, that can only work at moments. It can’t be a lasting thing. That’s not saying that people shouldn’t keep trying to rebel against the facts of existence. Someday, who knows, we might conquer death, disease, and war.”– Jim Morrison