26 Jan

 

26 January 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 4 Day 26 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 16 miles Flagstaff Today 36° \4°  Wind 9mph \ Gusts 18mph 
Air Quality: Fair\Very Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 347mi \ Nearest Lightning 1618mi
Jan Averages for Flagstaff: 44° \ 16° \5 Days of moisture
Sunshine

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

18-25
Week of Christian Unity
National Soccer Coaches of America Week
19-29
Sundance Film Festival
22-28
Clean Out Your Inbox Week
Data Privacy Week Link
National CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists) Week
National Handwriting Analysis Week
National School Choice Week Link 
Snowcare for Troops Week
Snowcare for Troops Week
23-28
National Medical Group Practice Week
23-25
Westminster Dog Show
24-27
International Hoof-Care Week Link 
25-27
National Mentoring Summit Link
26-29
Angouleme International Comics Festival  Link

Daily Observations

Clashing Clothes Day
Dental Drill Appreciation Day
International Customs Day
Lotus 1-2-3 Day
National Green Juice Day Link
National Peanut Brittle Day  Link
Peanut Brittle Day
Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement
Spouses’ Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Another sunny day. Snow is slowly melting as temps are just a little above freezing. I ran some errands this morning. I was shocked to see the lack of clear sidewalks on some of the secondary streets. Many residents and businesses have not cleared sidewalks for pedestrians. There were local people walking in the street since the sidewalks were not cleared and the high berms were also narrowing the driving area a lot. Then I went by the high school. It was about 11am and students were out, heading for the various stores near the school for snacks and/or lunch. At the main intersection students had to climb a three foot berm of ice to get to the marked crossing. While waiting at the light, I saw at least 30 students climb the berm to get to the street. Our town has ordinances that require sidewalks to be clear 24 hours after a snowfall. Obviously, it is not fully enforced.

This morning I read a post about the Williams school district, about 25 miles from Flag. The school is on a 2-hour delay and buses are running routes 2-hours late. Not unusual. The next part was genius. The school opens at 7am and parents with transportation are able to drop their students off at the school while heading to work.  Very good idea.

The Big 5 of Africa…lions, leopards, elephants, African buffalo, & rhinoceroses

Arizona is a great state…

·        Out of all the states in the U.S., Arizona has the largest percentage of its land designated as Indian lands.

·        The Five C's of Arizona's economy are: Cattle, Copper, Citrus, Cotton, and Climate.

·        More copper is mined in Arizona than all the other states combined, and the Morenci Mine is the largest copper producer in all North America.

·        Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, two of the most prominent movie stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, were married on March 18, 1939, in Kingman, Arizona.

·        Covering 18,608 sq. miles, Coconino County is the second largest county by land area in the 48 contiguous United States. (San Bernardino County in California is the largest)

Facts…

Alaska’s coastline is longer than all other states’ combined.

Alaska is big — in more ways than one. Not only is it the largest U.S. state by a wide margin, but it’s also home to the 10 highest mountain peaks in the U.S., hosts far more volcanoes than any other state, and has more coastline than all the other states combined. Of the United States estimated 12,479 miles of coastline, Alaska accounts for some 6,640 miles all on its own, at least based on one account by the Congressional Research Service. (Coastlines can be notoriously difficult to measure, and counts do vary.)

Alaska’s coastline borders three seas — the Beaufort, Bering, and Chukchi — along with the Pacific and Arctic oceans, and it rests in some of the most extreme climates in the world. The coasts themselves have been formed over millions of years by fault tectonics, volcanism, glaciation, fluvial processes, and sea level changes. Most of these beaches aren’t usually very balmy: The southeast section of Alaska’s coast is filled with rocky coasts and sheltered fjords, while in the north, sediment from rivers draining from the Brooks Range and the Canadian Rockies forms deltas. Although these rivers are often frozen, wind pushes sea ice along the shore during the coldest months. So if you’re looking for a place to swim, maybe stick to Key West. 

Slang Origins

1975: Baked

Meaning: under the influence of drugs, especially marijuana

Though the hippie movement's widespread embrace of drug culture had largely faded by the mid-70s, there remained a strong drug culture in some groups. LSD and marijuana were in steady supply, and their use was perpetuated by stories of rock stars who used them. Nixon—and Reagan in the decade after him—would start the War on Drugs, which increased enforcement and punishment of drug offenses, and is still in place today.

Mysterious sites…

Carnac Stones (France)

The Carnac Stones are a group of more than 3,000 megalithic standing stones in the French village of Carnac, Brittany. These stones date back to the Neolithic period and were probably erected between 3300 and 4500 BCE. They are one of the world’s largest collections of menhirs — upright stones arranged by humans. There is no real evidence to confirm their purpose, but that hasn’t stopped researchers from hazarding guesses. Some theorize they were used as calendars and observatories by farmers and priests. According to Christian mythology, the stones are pagan soldiers who were petrified by Pope Cornelius. Local folklore, meanwhile, says that the stones stand in straight lines because they were once part of a Roman army. The story goes on to say that the Arthurian wizard Merlin turned the Romans to stone.

Historical Events

1905 – The world’s largest diamond, the Cullinan, weighing 3,106.75 carats (1.369842266 pounds), was found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.
1915 – An act of the U.S. Congress established the Rocky Mountain National Park.
1911 – Glenn Curtiss flew the first successful American seaplane off the battleship USS Pennsylvania.
1983 – Computer program Lotus 1-2-3 debuted
1992 – Boris Yeltsin announces that the collapsing USSR would stop targeting United States cities with nuclear weapons.

Birthdays Today

@94 – Anne Jeffreys, American actress and singer (d. 2017)

@91 – Philip José Farmer, American writer (d. 2009)

I do believe that man is a rope between animal and superman. But the superman I’m thinking of isn’t Nietzsche’s. The real superhuman, man or woman, is the person who’s rid himself of all prejudices, neuroses, and psychoses, who realizes his full potential as a human being, who acts naturally on the basis of gentleness, compassion, and love, who thinks for himself and refuses to follow the herd. That’s the genuine dyed-in-the-wool superman.– Philip José Farmer

89 – Bob Uecker, American baseball player, sportscaster and actor

The biggest thrill a ballplayer can have is when your son takes after you. That happened when my Bobby was in his championship Little League game. He really showed me something. Struck out three times. Made an error that lost the game. Parents were throwing things at our car and swearing at us as we drove off. Gosh, I was proud.”– Bob Uecker

@84 – Douglas MacArthur, American general (d. 1964)

I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a means of settling international disputes… But once war is forced upon us, there is no other alternative than to apply every available means to bring it to a swift end.– Douglas MacArthur

@82 – Maria von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (d. 1987)

@83 – Paul Newman, actor, race car driver, businessman, co-founded Newman’s Own (d. 2008)

If you don’t have enemies, you don’t have character.– Paul Newman

65 – Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian, talk show host

@65 – Eddie Van Halen, rock guitarist (d. 2020; stroke)

62 – Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian, talk show host

57 – Kevin McCarthy, politician

42 – Colin O’Donoghue, Irish actor

@34 – Bessie Coleman, American pilot (d. 1926; plane crash)

I made my mind up to try. I tried and was successful.– Bessie Coleman