7 Mar

 

7 March 2023
Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 10 Day 66 \ Ave. Sky Cover 10% \ Visibility 18 miles Flagstaff Today 52° \24°  Wind 7mph \ Gusts 15mph 
Air Quality: Fair \ Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 251mi \ Nearest Lightning 2134mi
Mar. Averages for Flagstaff: 51° \ 23° \6 Days of moisture
Sunshine

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

  22-4/8
  Lent
  1-7
  Hearing Awareness Week Link
LGBT Health Awareness Week Link
National Cheerleading Week
National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week
National Ghostwriters Week
National Invest in a Veteran Week  Link
National Pet Sitters Week Link
Return The Borrowed Books Week
Universal Human Beings Week: Link
Will Eisner Week Link
World Hearing Awareness Week 

Daily Observations

Alexander Graham Bell Day
Cereal Day
Crown Roast of Pork Day
National “Be Heard” Day
National Cereal Day  Link
National Flapjacks Day  Link
Organize Your Home Office Day
Peace Corps Day Link 
Unique Names Day 
Unique Names Day Link 

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

It continues to warm up and melt our piles of snow.

This morning I had an eye appointment for my annual ‘field of vision’ test. It has been an annual test since I turned 65. It takes about 20 minutes and is the most boring test I have ever taken.

My new vehicle only has 2800 miles, but the magic computer says it is time to change the oil. I called and got an appointment for 1:00 today. I have been using Jiffy Lube for decades, but am having the dealer do this one…because I got a coupon for a free oil change. While I like the dealership, I hate sitting in the waiting room. The nearest stores are about ¼ mile away and it is too chilly and windy to take that walk.

Sunday’s 60 Minutes was very informative:  As artificial intelligence keeps improving, there are some frightening things that need to be studied.  Right now, AI produces a lot of non-truth conclusions with inaccurate ‘facts’, it is almost impossible to identify AI so be wary. Another story was on David Byrne, of ‘Talking Heads’. He is a very interesting character.

Recently, I have been thinking about college debt and Biden’s forgiveness program. I know several people who had student loans to get an education in bogus colleges. I believe those should be forgiven, and the people behind those bogus schools should have to pay. I also understand that college tuition costs have risen to a point that loans are the only way to get an education. The entire student loan process needs to be fixed. For many students, the constantly increasing loan rates are unacceptable. I know several people who graduated decades ago and are still paying off interest and haven’t even started paying off the actual debt. Forgive the interest and pay off the principle. Have student loans at a very low fixed rate that can’t increase.

Enjoy…

Facts…

Anyone who owns a smart device is likely well aware of its Bluetooth capabilities, but both the word “Bluetooth” and its logo have meanings that predate modern technology by centuries. “Bluetooth” was first used in 10th-century Denmark, a kingdom ruled by King Harald Gormsson, who was nicknamed Harald Bluetooth. Though there’s still debate as to the origins of this moniker, many scholars believe it reflects the fact that one of Harald’s teeth was rotten and blueish.

In 1996, employees from Intel, Ericsson, and Nokia met to discuss the implementation of the technology that would become Bluetooth. Intel’s Jim Kardach initially suggested the name “Bluetooth” as a placeholder, as the companies hoped to unite the PC and cellular industries in a method similar to the way that the king had united the tribes of Denmark. The name stuck, and the Bluetooth symbol was designed to represent Harald’s initials in the Younger Futhark runic alphabet: Hagall (ᚼ) with Bjarkan (ᛒ). 

A Look back in time…Baby Boomers life

#9 No Environmental Regulations

Environmental regulations were not yet in place, and many companies and individuals would freely pollute the air, water, and soil without consequences. Many boomers and Gen – Xers grew up with hazardous smog in the cities and chemicals in their toys, homes, food, and water.

While the EPA has banned several toxic chemicals and materials since the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, there's still a long way to go in safeguarding our planet's climate.

Beauty in our 50 states…

 

42. North Dakota

For some reason—maybe some combination of fracking, the Coen brothers, and January—the words "North Dakota" have become synonymous with "frozen wasteland." Which isn't completely inaccurate when discussing some parts of this state, but lest we forget that it's also home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a breathtaking mix of prairies, mesas, and mountain views dotted with buffalo. And kind of like the younger child constantly being compared to their older sibling, North Dakota doesn't get proper credit when compared to its beautiful sister state to the south.

Historical Events

1850 – American Senator Daniel Webster gave his Seventh of March speech endorsing the Compromise of 1850.
1869 – The Suez Canal opened for limited shipping.
1876 – Alexander Graham Bell received his patent for (#174,465) the telephone.

Birthdays Today

@87 – Willard Scott, American television personality (d. 2021)
“It was a big story and yesterday’s soup. Who cares?”– Willard Scott
85 – Janet Guthrie, American professional race car driver
81 – Michael Eisner, American businessman
@79 – John Herschel, English mathematician, astronomer (d. 1871)
@79 – Luther Burbank, American botanist, author (d. 1926; heart attack)
71 – Lynn Swann, American football player
“If a player demonstrated that he is the best, and a team decides, even so, we don’t want to pay him, as in any other business, he should be able to play elsewhere.”– Lynn Swann
67 – Bryan Cranston, American actor
@62 – Maurice Ravel, French pianist, composer, conductor (d. 1937; head injury)
59 – Wanda Sykes, American comedian and actress
“If you feel like there’s something out there that you’re supposed to be doing if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it.”– Wanda Sykes
53 – Rachel Weisz, English-American actress
49 – Jenna Fischer, American actress
“Growing up, I was a very shy, wallflower type. I was not a nerd, but not popular. I was just invisible, like that person you probably didn’t know you were in school with.”– Jenna Fischer
43 – Laura Prepon, American actress