1 Jan

 

 


Flagstaff Today 50°: 32°  Week 1 Day 1

Air Quality: Fair Sunshine

Wind 5 mph Gusts 12 mph Breezy

Active Fire: 247 miles away Risk of Fire: Moderate

Nearest lightning: 1727 miles away

Jan Averages: Temps: 44°\18° Moisture: 4 Days 

Monthly Observations

January in Navajo: Yas Niłtʼees melting or cooking the snow
Adopt A Rescued Bird Month Link
Bath Safety Month

Be Kind to Food Servers Month
Birth Defects Month 
Link
Black Diamond Month 
Link

Book Blitz Month
California Dried Plum Digestive Month 
Link
Carnival Season: Jan. 6- March 4
Celebration of Life Month
Cervical Health Awareness Month 
Link
Children Impacted By Parent's Cancer Month

Weekly Observations

Diet Resolution Week: 1-7 
Silent Record Week: 1-7

14-1/5/25

Christmas Bird Count Week Link 
25—1/2/25

Chanukah
25-31

It's About Time Week
26-1/1/25

Kwanzaa

Daily Observations

Apple Gifting Day
Commitment Day
Copyright Law Day
Ellis Island Day
Euro Day
First Foot Day 
Link
Global Family Day
 Link
National Bloody Mary Day

Mummer's Parade

New Years Day
New Year's Dishonor List Day 
Polar Bear Plunge or Swim Day 
Link (Cony Island NY & Vancouver, BC)
Public Domain Day 
 Link
Rose Bowl Game
Tournament of Roses Parade Day
World Day of Peace 
Link
Z Day

Today’s Quote                                                               

 


Today’s Meme

 




Thoughts for the day

Hoping for some moisture as Flag begins 2025. We had a very dry December.

There are enough clothes in the world to clothe the last 6 generations. That’s everyone alive since your great-great-great grandparents to all the people alive today.

The Hogmanay, the New Year’s Eve celebration in Edinburgh had to be cancelled this year due to stormy weather. Sad.

The local Pinecone Drop in downtown Flagstaff has been around for 25 years. I’ve seen it several times since living here. It is usually very cold, and parking is a real hassle, but a fun experience all around.

This morning, I did my last blood draw of 2024. Easy one.

Inventions…

Sarah Boone - Ironing Board

Sarah Boone, a former slave, patented an improved ironing board in 1892 that made ironing sleeves and women’s garments much easier. Her design featured a narrow, curved board that could fit a sleeve and was padded on both sides. The board could be folded up for storage, making it perfect for home use. Boone’s innovation became the foundation for modern ironing boards, though she received little recognition during her lifetime.

Random Thoughts…

Micheal Collins, one of the Apollo 11 astronauts, became the loneliest human ever when he solitarily orbited the dark side of the moon, and lost all radio contact with Earth and his fellow astronauts for 48 minutes.

Hangovers cost an estimated $220 billion loss in productivity per year.

An ore (like a gold or silver ore) is only called an ore if it’s economically feasible to mine the mineral.

Almost all cattle are descended from only 80 aurochs tamed in northern Mesopotamia about 10,000 years ago.

The seven sins according to Gandhi: “Wealth without work. Pleasure without conscience. Knowledge without character. Commerce without morality. Science without humanity. Religion without sacrifice. Politics without principle.”

Quirky town names…

Booger Hole, West Virginia

This unsettling name comes from local folklore about ghosts, or “boogers,” haunting the area. While it sounds spooky, the town remains a charming slice of Appalachian history.

Historic Events

On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that slaves in rebel states shall be “forever free.”

On this date:

In 1660, Englishman Samuel Pepys (peeps) began keeping his famous diary.

In 1892, the Ellis Island Immigrant Station in New York formally opened.

In 1953, country singer Hank Williams Sr., 29, was discovered dead in the back seat of his car during a stop in Oak Hill, West Virginia, while he was being driven to a concert date in Canton, Ohio.

In 1954, NBC broadcast the first coast-to-coast color TV program as it presented live coverage of the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.

In 1959, Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries overthrew Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista, who fled to the Dominican Republic.

In 1975, a jury in Washington found Nixon administration officials John N. Mitchell, H.R. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman and Robert C. Mardian guilty of charges related to the Watergate cover-up (Mardian’s conviction for conspiracy was later overturned on appeal).

In 1979, the United States and China held celebrations in Washington and Beijing to mark the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In 1984, the breakup of AT&T took place as the telecommunications giant was divested of its 22 Bell System companies under terms of an antitrust agreement.

In 1992, Boutros Boutros-Ghali succeeded Javier Perez de Cuellar (hah-vee-EHR’ PEHR’-ehs day KWAY’-yahr) as secretary-general of the United Nations.

In 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two new countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

In 2005, desperate, homeless villagers on the tsunami-ravaged island of Sumatra mobbed American helicopters carrying aid as the U.S. military launched its largest operation in the region since the Vietnam War. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress, died near Daytona Beach, Florida, at age 80.

In 2014, the nation’s first legal recreational pot shops opened in Colorado at 8 a.m. Mountain time.

Birthdays

Morris Chestnut, 56

TV Actor

Ben Wang, 25

TV Actor

 

@91 – J. D. Salinger, American soldier and author (d. 2010)


@90 – Xavier Cugat, Spanish-American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1990)


@84 – Betsy Ross, American seamstress, credited with designing the Flag of the United States (d. 1836)

 

@83 – Dana Andrews, American actor (d. 1992)

 

@83 – Paul Revere, American silversmith and engraver (d. 1818)

@77 – J. Edgar Hoover, American civil servant, first director of the FBI (d. 1972; heart attack)


@71 – Rocky Graziano, American boxer and actor (d. 1990; heart failure)

…The End for today…

               

31 Dec

 

 


Flagstaff Today 55°: 24°  Week 1 Day 366

Air Quality: Fair Sunshine

Wind 2 mph Gusts 5 mph

Active Fire: 320 miles away Risk of Fire: Moderate

Nearest lightning: 1871 miles away

Dec Averages: Temps: 45°\18° Moisture: 5 Days 

Weekly Observations

14-1/5/25

Christmas Bird Count Week Link 
25—1/2/25

Chanukah

25-31

It's About Time Week
26-1/1/25

Kwanzaa

Daily Observations

Make Up Your Mind Day
National Champagne Day
New Year’s Eve
First Nights
Hogmanay 
Link
Leap Second Time Adjustment Day
Make Up Your Mind Day

New Year's Eve Banished Words List
New Year's Dishonor List
No Interruptions Day 
Peeps Days: 30-31 
Link

Universal Hour of Peace Day
World Healing Day  
Link 
World Peace Meditation Day

Today’s Quote                                                               

 


Today’s Meme

 




Thoughts for the day

A nice day to end 2024.

President Jimmy Carter passed at 100. He lived a life as a true humanitarian. His example will be missed by many.

60 Minutes had a story on Cuban spies living in the US. It started in the 1960’s and unfortunately continues even today. Several of these spies have been captured and have been selling sensitive information to our enemies. This is very disturbing. I hope these leaks are plugged post haste.

Inventions…

Walter Hunt - Safety Pin

Walter Hunt invented the safety pin in 1849 while trying to figure out how to pay off a $15 debt. He created the design in just three hours, using a piece of brass wire coiled into a spring at one end and a clasp and point at the other. Hunt sold his patent for $400 to pay his debt, never knowing his invention would become a household essential. The basic design of the safety pin hasn’t changed much since Hunt’s original creation.

Random Thoughts…

WC Fields – Real Name: William Claude Duckenfield

In 2010, a woman named Lori Ruff committed suicide. Her husband’s family found a box among her possessions that contained name change documents and the birth certificate of a long-dead two-year-old girl, named Lori Ruff. The true identity of Lori Ruff was a woman named Kimberly McLean.

“Good friend for Jesus’ sake forbear, To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones.” – Shakespeare’s Tombstone

The original drawings of Snoopy were based on Charles Schulz’s childhood dogs, Snooky and Spike.The “-wright” in “playwright” is from the Old English “wryhta” meaning “worker,” not “writer”.

Quirky town names…

Chicken, Alaska

This gold-mining town got its name when residents couldn’t agree on how to spell “ptarmigan,” the state bird. They settled on the easier—and funnier—Chicken instead.

Historic Events

Click here for 12-31 History

Birthdays

Donald Trump Jr., 47

Business Executive

Anthony Hopkins, 87

Movie Actor

Salman, 89

Saudi King

Val Kilmer, 65

Movie Actor

 

@84 – Henri Matisse, French artist (d. 1954)


@78 – George Catlett Marshall, American General (d. 1959; strokes)


@77 – Odetta (Holmes), American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2008; heart disease)


@63 – Donna Summer, American singer (d. 2012; lung cancer from 9/11)


@53 – John Denver (Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.), American singer-songwriter (d. 1997; experimental aircraft crash)

…The End for today…

               

30 Dec

 

 




Flagstaff Today 56°: 27°  Week 1 Day 365

Air Quality: Fair Sunshine

Wind 8 mph Gusts 17 mph Breezy

Active Fire: 348 miles away Risk of Fire: High

Nearest lightning: 1637 miles away

Dec Averages: Temps: 45°\18° Moisture: 5 Days 

Weekly Observations

14-1/5/25

Christmas Bird Count Week Link 
25—1/2/25

Chanukah

25-31

It's About Time Week
26-1/1/25

Kwanzaa

Daily Observations

Bacon Day
Falling Needles Family Fest Day

Festival of Enormous Changes @ The Last Minute
National Bicarbonate of Soda Day

Today’s Quote                                                               

 


Today’s Meme

 



Early Lakeside Park, Denver

Thoughts for the day

Another blue sky and nice winter day.

I watched the Buffs lose the Alamo Bowl…I had expected a better game.

The Rams beat the Cards, no surprise on that one.

I’m ready for 2025. Looking forward to new experiences, new ideas, and many enjoyable weeks.

Inventions…

George Crum - Potato Chips

George Crum was a chef at Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York, who created potato chips by accident in 1853. After a customer complained about thick French fries, Crum sliced potatoes paper-thin and fried them until crisp as a joke. The customers loved them, and “Saratoga Chips” became a popular menu item at the restaurant. Word of the crispy potatoes spread, and eventually, potato chips became one of America’s favorite snacks.

Random Thoughts…

A group of Swans (at rest) is called a Bevy or Bank or Herd. A group of Swans (in flight) is called a Wedge or Flight.

In 2011, a copy of Action Comics No 1 (the first comic featuring Superman) was found in an abandoned storage unit, estimated to be worth over $1 million. The comic actually belonged to Nicholas Cage, who had it stolen from his house 11 years earlier, and was returned to him.

Robert Stack (original host of the popular Unsolved Mysteries television show) was extremely skeptical about the segments involving paranormal occurrences. While recording his famous narrations, he would often turn to his producer in between takes and exclaim: “Oh, come on, Raymond!”

In 1910, a series of books were published featuring a fictional boy-inventor by the name of Tom Swift. One of these books was titled “Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle.” Many years later, this led to the naming of the TASER that police now carry: “Tom A. Swift Electric Rifle”

In 458 BC Roman farmer Lucius Cincinnatus was named absolute dictator of Rome during a crisis. After achieving victory he resigned and returned power to the senate. His resignation of absolute authority is often cited as an example of outstanding leadership, serving the greater good and civic virtue.

Quirky town names…

Bat Cave, North Carolina

Named for a nearby cave inhabited by bats, this town fully embraces its dark and mysterious moniker. It’s a hotspot for outdoor enthusiasts and curious visitors drawn by its unusual name.

Historic Events

Click here for 30 Dec History

Birthdays

LeBron James, 40 Basketball Player

Tiger Woods, 49 Golfer

Tyrese Gibson, 46  R&B Singer

Tracey Ullman, 65 Comedian

Laila Ali, 47 Boxer

Sean Hannity, 63 TV Show Host

Sheryl Lee Ralph, 68 TV Actress

 

@79 – Bo Diddley (Ellas Otha Bates), American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2008; heart failure)


@77 – Bert Parks, American actor, beauty pageant host (d. 1992; lung cancer)


@73 – Simon Guggenheim, American businessman (d. 1941)


@72 – Skeeter Davis (Mary Frances Penick), American singer-songwriter (d. 2004; breast cancer)

@70 – Rudyard Kipling, Indian-English author (d. 1936; perforated ulcer)


@66 – Davy Jones, English singer-songwriter and actor, Monkee (d. 2012; heart attack)


@55 – Del Shannon (Charles Weedon Westover), American singer-songwriter(d. 1990; suicide)

 

…The End for today…

               

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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.