9 Jan

 

9 January 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 2 Day 9 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 17 miles Flagstaff Today 53° \21°  Wind 5mph \ Gusts 8mph 
Air Quality: FAIR \Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 320mi \ Nearest Lightning 1197mi
Jan Averages for Flagstaff: 44° \ 16° \5 Days of moisture
Sunshine

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

6-9
Elvis' Birthday Celebration Week
6-Feb 21
Carnival Season
7-14
National Personal Trainer Awareness Week
8-14
Home Office Safety and Security Week  
National Mocktail Week

Daily Observations

Aviation in America Day
Balloon Ascension Day Link
International Choreographers Day
Law Enforcement Appreciation Day  Link  Link
National Apricot Day
National Cassoulet Day
National Clean Off Your Desk Day
National Nerd Word Day
National Static Electricity Day Link
No Pants Subway Ride Day Link
Panama's Martyr Day Link
Phi Beta Sigma Day
Play God Day Link 
Plough Monday 
Plough Monday Link
Poetry at Work Day
Static Electricity Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

A nice winter day. No complaints.

Later this afternoon the Broncos play the Chargers and the Cards play the 49er’s. Neither team had a decent season, but I’m still following both.

I’m wondering how the new Congress will establish the rules for this session of Congress. For the sanity of our country, I certainly hope it doesn’t take 15 roll call votes to decide on the rules.

After some late night TV, today I have decided it is officially a lazy day.  

Waterfalls around the world

Facts…

The Great Barrier Reef isn’t just home to coral — it’s made of it. Approximately three-quarters of the world’s coral species can be found here. There are two main types, hard coral and soft coral. It is the hard or stony corals (scleractinians) that are responsible for creating the reef itself. Made up of tiny polyps, each stony coral measures around one-tenth of an inch, but they band together to form colonies that consist of millions of individual polyps. The coral secretes calcium carbonate, which grows over the limestone remains of previous colonies. This slow and steady growth — less than two inches per year if conditions are ideal — eventually formed the structure of the Great Barrier Reef. The coral is precious, which is why visitors should never be tempted to break off a piece as a souvenir, no matter how small and insignificant it might seem.   

Aside from the coral itself, the Great Barrier Reef is home to more than 1,500 species of fish. Perhaps the most curious is a scorpion fish called the Rhinopias agriloba. Occasionally found in the northern part of the reef, it appears to walk along the seafloor balancing on its fins. Approximately 4,000 species of mollusks and about 240 species of birds also live in the reef’s ecosystem. On top of this extraordinary roll call, you’ll find migrating whales, dolphins, dugongs, sea turtles, crustaceans, sponges, anemones, and other marine life, making the reef the most biodiverse UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world. Humans, too, are intrinsically linked to the reef: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have forged a strong connection with the reef during their 60,000-year history, as evidenced by shell deposits, fish traps, and marine totems.

Snorkelers and divers at the Great Barrier Reef should familiarize themselves with some of its more dangerous inhabitants. The reef is home to 14 species of sea snakes, and some are more poisonous than any found on land. The venomous blue-ringed octopus should also be avoided. The octopus tucks itself into shells and won’t attack unless provoked, but a bite is usually fatal. Some types of jellyfish are another potential hazard. Species like the Carukia barnesi are known to cause Irukandji syndrome, which can result in severe lower back pain and muscle cramps. Meanwhile, the crown-of-thorns starfish can devastate the coral itself. It feeds on the coral, stripping a thin layer of tissue off its skeleton and irreparably damaging the fragile polyps.

One of the most breathtaking sights visitors can witness along the Great Barrier Reef is mass coral spawning. This annual event takes place once a year after a full moon and when the water reaches a particular temperature. Corals are hermaphrodites, meaning they’re neither male nor female, but both. Spawning occurs as they release eggs and sperm into the water at the same time, increasing the chance of fertilization. For up to a weeklong period, the water takes on the appearance of a subterranean blizzard each night, though the “snow” is red, orange, and yellow in addition to white. The fertilized eggs rise to the surface and float around for a while before sinking to the ocean floor. There, they start to bud and the coral begins to develop. 

Slang Origins

1959: Ring-a-ding

Meaning: wildly exciting; razzle-dazzle

This slang term was popularized by the Frank Sinatra song (and album), “Ring-A-Ding-Ding,” which describes the feeling of falling in love. The association of this term with women isn’t Sinatra’s invention, however. Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang notes that this was a term for a beautiful woman used during this time.

Historical Events

1768 – Philip Astley opened the world’s first modern circus, with the center ring.
1839 – The French Academy of Sciences announced the Daguerreotype photography process.
1861 – The American Civil War began when the steamer, Star of the West, was fired upon by the Confederates as it attempted to enter Charleston Harbor.

Birthdays Today

@91 – Judith Krantz, American novelist (d. 2019)
@88 – Carrie Lane Chapman, American Suffragette (d. 1947)
@85 – Bart Starr, American football player (d. 2019)
If you work harder than somebody else, chances are you’ll beat him though he has more talent than you.– Bart Starr
82 – Joan Baez, American singer-songwriter
You can’t decide how you’re going to die. Or when. What you can decide is how you’re going to live now.– Joan Baez
@81 – Richard Nixon, 37th President (d. 1994)
I would have made a good Pope.– Richard M. Nixon
@78 – Simone de Beauvoir, French author, philosopher (d. 1986; pneumonia)
I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept infinity. I want this adventure that is the context of my life to go on without end.– Simone de Beauvoir
@72 – Chic Young, American cartoonist, Blondie comic strip (d. 1973; embolism)
@72 – Susannah York, English actress (d. 2011; cancer)
@70 – Bob Denver, American actor (d. 2005; pneumonia)
Nah, the Smithsonian doesn’t ask for anything back from Gilligan, … They haven’t dropped that low yet.– Bob Denver
79 – Jimmy Page, English guitarist
72 – Crystal Gayle, American singer-songwriter
68 – J.K. Simmons, American actor
@64 – Lee Van Cleef, American actor (d. 1989; heart attack)
56 – Dave Matthews, South African-American singer-songwriter
50 – Sean Paul, Jamaican rapper
45 – AJ McLean, American singer, Backstreet Boys
41 – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton)
34 – Nina Dobrev, Bulgarian-Canadian actress