14 Jan

 

January 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 2 Day 14 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 19 miles Flagstaff Today 48° \18°  Wind 3mph \ Gusts 7mph 
Air Quality: Fair \Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 280mi \ Nearest Lightning 1918mi
Jan Averages for Flagstaff: 44° \ 16° \5 Days of moisture
Sunshine

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

14-22
International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week

Daily Observations

Bald Eagle Appreciation Days
Caesarean Section Day
Eagle Day
International Kite Day
National Dress Up Your Pet Day
National Gluten-Free Day
National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
National Vision Board Day
Organize Your Home Day Link
Ratification Day
World Logic Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Yesterday was very busy. I had lunch with our retirement group. Great food and great conversation. Then I had my quarterly phlebotomy. It went well...after some paperwork issues. The actual procedure only took 15 minutes, but waiting for the ultrasound person and the paperwork issues, I had to wait almost an hour.  

The weather guy says that there will be 2 big storms here in the very near future. The first comes in Saturday evening and may drop about a foot of snow. Then the second one comes in Sunday afternoon and may drop another 6-10”. I got my groceries today and will pick up a few other things tomorrow. Gas tank is full, I’m retired, so I can just enjoy the storm inside my nice warm townhouse. I know the weather bureau usually overestimates the amount of snow, but better safe than sorry.

Arizona may get open primaries to allow all registered to vote in primary elections regardless of party. The proponents say this will prevent radical candidates from getting the party nod for an office. That is exactly what happened here. The Republicans were the losers in most statewide elections last year. Many believe that this is because many of the Republican candidates were  MAGA people that the state didn’t want running our state. If primary voting is open, I am seriously considering registering as an Independent.

I’ve been retired for so many years that I just realized that I have to look at my watch to see what day of the week it is. Not a bad thing, just different for me.

Waterfalls around the world

Facts…

Humans are the only known animal that cries from emotion.

Most animals with eyes produce tears, but only one releases them in moments of sorrow and joy: humans. Creatures throughout the animal kingdom also feel emotion, but humans are the biological anomaly for being able to stream tears down our faces during times of emotional upheaval or relief — and scientists remain perplexed about exactly why.

Unusual theories have cropped up over time: Aristotle believed the act of crying was simply to help clear our minds from suppressed feelings. Some have believed tears help cleanse the body of toxins. In the 1600s, it was common to think that our feelings heated the heart, which produced water vapor to cool itself that escaped through our eyes. Danish scientist Niels Stensen’s 1662 discovery of the lacrimal gland — located at the outer corner of each eye, and the origin point of our emotional tears — helped disprove that theory, though Stensen believed tears only moisturized our eyes. Even famed British naturalist Charles Darwin considered emotional tears to have no real benefit, though today’s scientists have a competing idea, believing that crying may provide a social cue to other humans that we need help; after all, babies cry an astounding amount and need round-the-clock attention. 

Slang Origins

1964: Bogart

Meaning: to take an unfair amount of something instead of sharing; to bully or force

Humphrey Bogart became one of the biggest actors of the 1940s, after starring in “The Maltese Falcon” (1941) and “Casablanca” (1942). Though he passed away in 1957, his movies enjoyed a critical and cultural renaissance during the 1960s. Slang immortalized his career by associating his name with the type of character he was best known for playing: a tough guy with a cigarette between his lips.

Historical Events

539 – Spain annexes Cuba.
1907 – An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica killed more than 1,000 people.
1952 – NBC’s Today Show premiered, hosted by Dave Garroway.
1954 – The Hudson Motor Car Company merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation forming the American Motors Corporation.
1967 – The Human Be-In began in San Francisco, at California’s Golden Gate Park, launching the Summer of Love.

Birthdays Today

@100 – Hal Roach, American director, and producer (d. 1992)
Dolphins : Animals that are so intelligent that, within a few weeks of captivity, they can train a man to stand on the edge of their pool and throw them food three times a day.– Hal Roach
@92 – Andy Rooney, American journalist, critic, and television personality (d. 2011)
@90 – Albert Schweitzer, physician, philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
Not one of us knows what effect his life produces, and what he gives to others; that is hidden from us and must remain so, though we are often allowed to see some little fraction of it, so that we may not lose courage.– Albert Schweitzer
85 – Jack Jones, American singer, actor
82 – Faye Dunaway, American actress
80 – Holland Taylor, TV actor
@77 – Mark Goodson, created Family Feud and The Price Is Right (d. 1992; cancer)
@75 – Julian Bond, American academic and politician (d. 2015; vascular disease)
The humanity of all Americans is diminished when any group is denied rights granted to others.”– Julian Bond
75 – Carl Weathers, American football player and actor
@60 – Benedict Arnold, American-British general (d. 1801; dropsy)
59 – Shepard Smith, American television journalist
55 – LL Cool J (James Todd Smith), American rapper and actor
Dreams don’t have deadlines. I’m thinking of doing bigger and better things and having more fun with it.– LL Cool J
54 – Dave Grohl, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and drummer
Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that’s the most important thing for people to do. It’s not about being perfect, it’s not about sounding absolutely correct, it’s not about what goes on in a computer. It’s about what goes on in here [your heart] and what goes on in here [your head].– Dave Grohl
@53 – Marcus Antony, Roman general, politician (d. 30 BCE; suicide)
Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.– Mark Antony
33 – Grant Gustin, American actor

 

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Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
I retired in '06--at the ripe old age of 57. I enjoy blogging, photography, traveling, and living life to it's fullest.