Saturday

♣ 6 March 2010--Week 9 of 2010: 65 days this year…300 remain ♣

» Two Quotes to think about…Today «

"If you make a mistake, immediately fix it to the best of your ability."

~unknown

“Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.”

~Mark Twain [Samuel Clemens](1835-1910); Author, Humorist

» Free Ramblings «

What a great day we had here in Flagstaff. Last night’s storm did bring us down to 14° last night, but we made it to 47° fairly quickly today. Blue skies with high wispy clouds and very little breeze made it a nice day to be out and about. The next storm is now due late Sunday, instead of the Saturday that was predicted. So I am hoping for a nice weekend. There is a St. Patty’s Day parade in Sedona tomorrow, and while I am not going, I don’t want my bag piping friends to get wet or blown away. They all got drenched at the Phoenix games and need a break.

AZ sadly made national news today. There was a tour bus crash, near Phoenix. The tour group was coming from Mexico to LA through Phoenix. What I don’t get is how this tour bus got through the border in the first place. Turns out the company has a record—in AZ and five other states for driving vehicles that cannot pass a safety inspection. The company has been involved in accidents in the states recently and even had a driver that had no license. So what exactly is happening at the border? Don’t these border guards check to see if they have insurance? They don’t. Don’t they check to insure that the bus company has a permit to operate in the states? They don’t. The six Mexican Nationals who died, and the 16 who were seriously injured had no idea that they were traveling with a bus company that had such a poor safety record. After going through customs in Nogales, NYC, London, Glasgow, Cairo, Johannesburg, and DC I have always wondered how much is ‘show’ and how much is ‘necessary’. I have gone through some checkpoints where the stamper was very nice and welcoming. I have gone through checkpoints where the stamper was a little too impressed with themselves and the power they had. I held up the line at one checkpoint because I didn’t know the exact street address of the hotel where we were staying. Her boss intervened and let me through. Whoever was at the checkpoint when this bus went through the checkpoint, around 3am, seems to have messed up. Sure sounds to me like our secure border was badly broken. If a bus with this history can legally cross into our state, why have we spent all this money on a fence? I really can’t believe a bus with this history was not prevented from entering our state. It certainly was not the tourists fault and they should not have died.

»Random Fact: «

North Carolina molecular scientist Robert Bohannon has developed Buzz Donuts and Buzzed Bagels- caffeinated donuts and bagels. They contain the caffeine equivalent of two cups of coffee.

»Side Show Stories—«

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Indiana police said they arrested an alleged drunk driver who drove away from a gas station with the nozzle and hose still attached to his vehicle. St. Joseph County police said they received calls Monday night about a truck on westbound U.S. 20/U.S. 31 with a gas station hose dangling from the side and striking passing vehicles, the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune reported. Officers said the driver, a 46-year-old South Bend man, smelled of alcohol when he was pulled over on Indiana 2 and failed several field sobriety tests before being booked into the St. Joseph County Jail. Police said his blood alcohol content was measured at 0.13 at the jail, well over the 0.08 legal limit for driving. The man told police he had recently purchased gas from a Speedway station. The hose and nozzle were returned to the business.

§ Puzzle §

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.

1 joint (HINT: E - - - -)

2 genus of coniferous trees (HINT: - A - - -)

3 hold firm (HINT: - - A - -)

4 happen (HINT: - - - U -)

5 use this word to ask someone's location (HINT: - - - - E)

§ Calendar Information §

• March’s Month Long Observances •

BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)

National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month

• Observance Weeks in March•

1-7: National Cheerleading Week

     • National Ghostwriters Week

     • National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week

     • National Procrastination Week

     • Return The Borrowed Books Week

     • Universal Human Beings Week

     • Yo-Yo and Skill Toys Week

6-21: Iditarod Race

• 4 March Observances—US/UN/World •

U.S. Snowshoe Day

National Frozen Food Day

Stoneware Pottery Appreciation Day

Texas: Alamo Day ( formerly known as Mission San Antonio de Valero) is owned by the DRT: Daughters of the Republic of Texas and is not a state or nationally owned site

•4 March Observances—by country •

Ghana (Gold Coast): Independence Day, from Britain in 1957

Guam : Magellan Day/Discovery Day (1521)

Territory of Norfolk Island, Australia: since1788--Foundation Day, the founding of Norfolk Island

§ Number One Songs in…

1945 •Accentuate the Positive - Johnny Mercer

1953 •Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes - Perry Como

1961 •Pony Time - Chubby Checker

1969 •Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone

1977 •Fly like an Eagle - Steve Miller

1985 •Can’t Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon

• Holy Mackerel: 1985 •Mexican authorities find body of US drug agent Enrique C Salaazar: Red Ribbon Week hero
• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Moulton), 1806, poet

Cyrano de Bergerac, 1619, dramatist (A Voyage to the Moon)

Michelangelo (de Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni),1475, painter/sculptor/architect(David, Pièta)

Anna Claypoole Peale, 1791, painted miniatures

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Tom Arnold, 51, actor (“Roseanne,” McHale’s Navy, True Lies)

Aaron Lufkin Dennison, 1812, father of American watch making

Dave Gilmour, 66, singer, guitarist (Pink Floyd)

Stewart Granger, 1913, actor

Merle Haggard, 73, country singer

D.L. Hughley, 47, comedian, actor

Ed McMahon, 1923, Detroit MI, TV host (Johnny Carson Show, Star Search)

Rob Reiner, 63, actor (“All in the Family”), director

Mary Wilson, 66, vocalist (Supremes)

     …Athletes

Dick Fosbury, 63, high jumper (Olympics-gold-1968)

Shaquille Rashan O’Neal, 38, basketball player (Magic, Lakers, Suns)

Willie (Wilver Dornel) Stargell, 1940, outfielder/1st baseman (Pirates)

     …Business, Education

Alan Greenspan, 84, economist, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board

     …Politics

Marion S Barry, 74, Mayor-Democrat-DC

     …Science/Religion

(Leroy) Gordon Cooper, 1927, U.S. astronaut

Joseph von Fraunhofer, 1787, German physicist (studied Sun's spectrum)

•Today’s Obits •

Davy Crockett, 1836, frontiersmen (Alamo), killed in battle @ 49

William Hopper, 1970, actor (Paul Drake-Perry Mason), stroke @ 55

Georgia O’ Keefe,1986, artist, @ 98

Ayn Rand, 1982, author-philosopher (The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged), @ 77

Max Schubert, 1994, winemaker, @ 89

John Philip Sousa, 1932, US composer (Stars & Stripes Forever), @ 77

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1831 •Edgar Allen Poe removed from West Point military academy

     …Athletics

1964 •Elijah Muhammad renames Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali

     …Business, Education

1978 •Hustler publisher Larry Flynt shot & crippled by a sniper in Georgia

      …Politics

1521 •Magellan discovers Guam

1857 •Dred Scott Decision: Supreme Court rules slaves cannot be citizens

1902 •Census Bureau forms

1951 •The trial of suspected spies Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were indicted for conspiring to obtain national defense secrets for the Soviets starts in New York.

1981 •Walter Cronkite, the dean of American television newscasters, said “And that’s the way it is” for the final time
1998 •1st time the British flag is flown over Buckingham Palace

     …Science/Religion

1899 – Bayer registers aspirin as a trademark.

2006 – South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds signs legislation banning most abortions in the state.

§ANSWERS to puzzle §

ELBOW

LARCH

BRACE

OCCUR

WHERE

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Friday

♣ 5 March 2010--Week 9 of 2010: 65 days this year…301 remain ♣
» Two Quotes to think about…Today «
"If you wish to succeed, consult three old people."
~Chinese Proverb
Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. ”
~Kenyan Proverb
» Free Ramblings «
As a career educator, my ears are tuned to stories involving education issues. I get that. I’m sure I tune in to news stories on education more than many people not in education. 1. Today, teachers in Phoenix and Tucson held rallies to stop the budget cuts in Arizona education. Several thousand teachers and parents rallied to wake up our legislature, which seems to believe that a free education for K-12 means that state money doesn’t have to be used. “March 4 Education” is sponsored by the AEA (Arizona Education Assoc) and made all the AZ nightly news programs. Nothing was said about a Flagstaff rally. Maybe Flagstaff teachers just can’t get it together to rally, maybe the weather stopped the rally, or maybe Flagstaff just doesn’t have a rally mentality? Whatever the reason, we are in just as much trouble as the rest of the state. 2. While we have been reading about school closures here in Flagstaff since November, it turns out the current school board is not any better than the previous boards that got us into this mess. Previous boards built schools and expanded schools when the population wasn’t growing that fast. Now our board just talks and talks. They even sent out letters to almost all parents telling them of possible closures. Turns out the state law clearly states that a couple of things have to be stated in that letter for the state mandated notification clock to start. First the letter has to give the names of the schools that are being closed and have to state why the schools are being closed. Since the board hasn’t decided which schools will actually close and don’t have a clear plan as to why they are closing the board now has to restart the notification calendar to parents. 3. Oh, the vague letter came from the interim Superintendent, who was just selected by the board to be the new ‘really’ superintendent. It isn’t a final hiring until they work out her salary and benefits package. I get that education has become a business…but at some point there has to be accountability to the students, the parents and the community.

I never thought I would see a losing vice presidential candidate doing a stand-up routine. Sara did just that on the Tonight show the other night. Some of her jokes were funny, some very lame. Then the news came out today that the reason she was in California was to meet with TV types to do a reality show about living in Alaska. Politics

Those who know me know that I hate the wind. So today was not a god day for me. The wind started early and continued most of the day. The weatherman says that we had 50mph gusts. Since I live at the bottom of Mt Elden there is a corridor for wind, especially on windy days. So while the rest of the city may have been having gusts, here we had a steady wind of at least 40mph. I did get out this morning and ran some errands, then just hunkered down inside. Early this evening, the clouds came in. In about 15 minutes we went from few big clouds to completely overcast. As soon as it was grey, the snow started falling. The wind stopped, and the near white out conditions hit just as workers were heading home. Then after about 30 minutes, the wind picked up again, and the snow just swirls around before finally hitting the ground and quickly melting. This storm will be short lived, and out of here by tomorrow—making way for the weekend storm that should drop about 4” of the white stuff. In between these two storms, more wind.
»Random Fact: «
Bagels are formed from an eggless dough (flour, yeast, water and oil) into a donut shape, then dropped in rapidly boiling water.
»Side Show Stories—«
NEW YORK - A New York realty group is suing the owners of a floor at the Gramercy Park Hotel for installing an "ugly" Ikea kitchen at the property. The Paramount Realty Group said retail mogul Jon Asgeir Johannesson and his wife, designer Ingibjorg Palmadottir, agreed to rent out the 16th floor of the Gramercy Park Hotel for $312,000 last year, but the "ugly" kitchen has been an embarrassment for the renting tenant, the New York Daily News reported Thursday. "Defendants willfully installed what (Jon Asgeir Johannesson) defined as an 'ugly' kitchen," the suit states. "The kitchen installed is manufactured by Ikea, which is generally known to offer low-budget furniture." "The kitchen has also been a source of embarrassment for Plaintiff and the subject of remarks by guests," Paramount said in the suit. The lawsuit is seeking $52,000 in damages.
§ Puzzle §
Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.
1 bad place to leave someone in (HINT: L - - - -)
2 useful (HINT: - T - - -)
3 unwavering (HINT: - - G - -)
4 hold on (HINT: - - - N -)
5 yard delimiter (HINT: - - - - E)
§ Calendar Information §
• March’s Month Long Observances •
BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)
National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month
• Observance Weeks in March•
1-5: Newspaper in Education Week
1-7: National Cheerleading Week
     • National Ghostwriters Week
     • National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week
     • National Procrastination Week
     • Return The Borrowed Books Week
     • Universal Human Beings Week
     • Yo-Yo and Skill Toys Week
• 4 March Observances—US/UN/World •
Multiple Personalities Day
Nametag Day
Boston MA : Boston Massacre Day (1770)
•4 March Observances—by country •
China: Learn from Lei Feng Day (Since 1963): pop-icon as selfless, modest soldier for Communism
Cornwall: Saint Piran's Day: Patron Saint..for tin miners
§ Number One Songs in…
1944 •Mairzy Doats - The Merry Macs
1960 •The Theme from "A Summer Place" - Percy Faith
1968 •Love is Blue - Paul Mauriat
1976 •Theme from S.W.A.T. - Rhythm Heritage
1984 •Jump - Van Halen
• Holy Mackerel: 1831: Today the Supreme Court decided the case of the CHEROKEE Nation v. Georgia. The court decided that the CHEROKEEs are not a "foreign state", and therefore the court has no jurisdiction in the dispute. However, the court does decide that the CHEROKEEs are a distinct political society capable of governing itself, and managing its own affairs.
• Born on this day •
     …The Arts
Authors, Artists and Composers
Lady Isabella Gregory, 1852, (Ireland), writer/playwright (Golden Apple)
James Merritt Ives, 1824, lithographer (Currier & Ives)
Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV
Kevin Connolly, 36, actor (“Entourage”)
Samantha Eggar, 71, actress (“Samantha and the King,” The Collector)
Rex (Reginald Carey) Harrison, 1908, Academy Award-winning actor: My Fair Lady
Penn Jillette, 55, magician
Paul Sand (Sanchez), 66, actor (“St. Elsewhere”; Tony Award for Story Theatre)
Dean Stockwell, 74, actor (The Boy with Green Hair, “Quantum Leap”)
Marsha Warfield, 56, actress (“Night Court,” “Empty Nest”)
Michael Warren, 64, actor (Bobby Hill-Hill Street Blues)
     …Athletes
Brian Grant, 38, NBA forward (Trailblazers, Kings)
Michael Irvin, 44, NFL wide receiver (Cowboys)
Reggie Williams, 46, NBA forward/guard (Nuggets)
     …Business, Education
Charles Goodnight, 1836,American cattle rancher
David Koch, 1940, American businessman—oil and natural gas
     …Politics
David II Bruce, 1324, king of Scotland (1331..71)
     …Science/Religion
Emmett J Culligan, 1893, founder of water treatment organization
Elisha Harris, 1824, US physician/found American Public Health Association
Leontine Kelly, 90, 1st black female bishop (Methodist)
Gerardus Mercator, 1512, (Belgium), geographer/mapmaker
Joel Osteen, 43, American religious figure
William Oughtred, 1574, (England), mathematician/inventor (slide rule)
John van der Heyden, 1637, Dutch painter/inventor (fire extinguisher)
•Today’s Obits •
Alessandro Volta, 1827, Italian physicist (made 1st battery), @ 82
Josef V Stalin, 1953, soviet leader responsible for 11 million murders, @ 73
Patsy Cline, 1963, country singer (Crazy, I Fall To Pieces), plane crash @ 30
William Powell, 1984, actor: “Thin Man” movies, @ 91
Jay Silverheels (Harold J. Smith), 1980, Canadian Mohawk actor (Tonto-Lone Ranger), stroke @ 60
John Belushi, 1982, comedian (Sat Night Live), drug overdose @ 33
•What Happened on this Day •
     …The Arts
1956 •"King Kong" 1st televised
     …Athletics
1922 •Phoebe Anne Oakley Mozee broke all existing records for women’s trap shooting.
1982 •Gaylord Perry (with 297 wins) signs with Mariners
     …Business, Education
1845 •Congress appropriates $30,000 to ship camels to western US
1963 •The Hula-Hoop, first marketed by Wham-O in 1958, is patented by the company's co-founder, Arthur "Spud" Melin.
1994 •Largest milkshake (1,955 gallons of chocolate-Nelspruit South Africa)
     …Politics
1623 •1st American temperance law enacted, Virginia
1836 •Mexico attacks Alamo
1891 •The city of Phoenix offers a $200 bounty for dead Indians.
1923 •Montana & Nevada become 1st states to enact old age pension laws
1960 •Elvis Presley completes his two-year stint is discharged from the US Army.
1946 •Winston Churchill delivered his famous Iron Curtain Speech at Fulton, MO, “From tettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.”
1970 •3 SDS Weathermen terrorist group bomb 18 West 11th St in New York NY
…Science/Religion
1960 •The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis originates when Alister Hardy publicly announces his idea that ape-human divergence may have been due to a coastal phase.
2001 •In Mecca, 35 Muslim pilgrims are crushed to death during the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
§ANSWERS to puzzle §
LURCH
UTILE
RIGID
CLING
HEDGE
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Thursday

♣ 3 March 2010--Week 9 of 2010: 63 days this year…304 remain ♣

» Two Quotes to think about…Today «

" Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.

~"The Merry Wives of Windsor Act 2, Scene 2 (Shakespeare)

The unity of freedom has never relied on uniformity of opinion.”

~John F. Kennedy (1917-1963); 35th U.S. President

» Free Ramblings «

Flagstaff had a beautiful day. We made it to 50° on my deck. That was very nice.

I went to a financial planning dinner tonight. Seems our non-elected governor has sold off a number of state buildings to pay our state bills. That, turns out is good news for me. I thought I buy a REIT and get paid part of the rental money the state pays to use the very buildings they used to own. Not a bad deal. Turns out, while the company had expected to buy the buildings, and made a cash bid of $700 bijillion, just before approving the purchase, our wonderful legislature added the state mental hospital (with buildings closed in 2003), and another facility. Since this REIT is not interested in purchasing buildings that are vacant…and need massive rehab (no pun intended) before they can be rented… so the company withdrew its offer. So, bottom line, the REIT company lost out, the state lost out, and I lost out on a possible way to help myself and help the state I live in. This all happened in January, and to date the state hasn’t found any takers for its revised sale. Duh.

The dinner ran a little later than I had planned, but was good information. Two of the other guests at my table were a husband and wife who teach in Flagstaff, after a few years at Chinle. We were conversing about Flagstaff, and the lady stated how much she missed the train horns. We talked about a few other things, snow, the override election, usual stuff. Then the lady asked her husband, “When are they going to stop the train horns?” He told her it happened a few days ago. Her response was ‘Oh’. Yeah she really misses those horns. The two scary parts are that she babbled about missing them, not knowing they had stopped, and that she teaches at a high school in town and doesn’t even know the current events of the town. We did mention the primary election here in Flag. When I said I felt that Sara and Kara will be on the final ballot in May, her response was “It’s a Primary? So I guess I don’t have to get excited, guess I won’t have to go to the polls.” First, it’s a mail in ballot only—no polls. Second, the School Override vote is NOT a primary and she works for the district asking for money, and lives in the district that will have to pay the bill if passed. Third, from my point of view, a primary IS an important vote. My candidate may not make it to the general election if I don’t vote in the Primary. Forth, this woman is teaching high school students and should be preparing them for life…including voting…and should set the example. A good teacher in any subject area will find a way to make the voting process relevant in some way to their area. Grrrrrrrrrrr.

»Random Fact: «

One acre of peanuts will make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.

»Side Show Stories—«

ESLOV, Sweden - Police in Sweden said a man walked into a local precinct to complain about the quality of hashish he had purchased from a dealer. Eslov police said the 26-year-old man told police he was a frequent user of marijuana and its derivatives, including hash, but the latest batch of hash he purchased sent him on a bad trip that made him feel like his TV was talking to him and his girlfriend was turning into a dolphin, The Local reported Monday. Police said it was unclear whether the man, who brought a small amount of the hash in for testing, will face possession charges. Possession of marijuana and its derivatives in small amounts is an offense usually punished with a small fine.

§ Puzzle §

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.

1 around (HINT: A - - - -)

2 anchorage place (HINT: - E - - -)

3 talk pompously (HINT: - - A - -)

4 speak (HINT: - - - E -)

5 not here (HINT: - - - - E)

§ Calendar Information §

• March’s Month Long Observances •

BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)

National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month

• Observance Weeks in March•

1-5: Newspaper in Education Week

1-7: National Cheerleading Week

     • National Ghostwriters Week

     • National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week

     • National Procrastination Week

     • Return The Borrowed Books Week

     • Universal Human Beings Week

     • Yo-Yo and Skill Toys Week

• 4 March Observances—US/UN/World •

Holy Experiment Day: A day to prayer for something and see if it comes true…really!

Courageous Follower Day

International Scrapbooking Industry Day

March Forth-Do Something Day

National Grammar Day

Toy Soldier Day

Pennsylvania : Charter Day (1681)

Vermont : Admission Day (1791)

US : Constitution Day (1789)

US: Inauguration Day from Adams to FDR

•4 March Observances—by country •

Thailand : Magha Puja: Holy Day for Buddahists.

§ Number One Songs in…

1951… Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page

1959…Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price

1967…Ruby Tuesday - The Rolling Stones

1975…Best of My Love - The Eagles

1983… Why Baby Why - Charley Pride

• Holy Mackerel: 1643 • the CANARSEE Indians will negotiate a peace with the Dutch in Fort Amsterdam. The CANARSEE are the Indians who sold Manhattan to Peter Minuit for $24 in trinkets, even though they did not own it.

• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Sir Henry Raeburn, 1756,- Scottish artist: mostly male portraits

Johann Wyss. 1782. Swiss folklorist/writer (Swiss Family Robinson)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Emilio Estefan, 57, percussionist for the Miami Sound Machine

Patricia Heaton, 51, actress (“Everybody Loves Raymond”)

Miriam (Zensile) Makeba, 1932, Empress of African Song: singer

Paula Prentiss (Ragusa), 71, actress (“He & She,” What’s New Pussycat?)

Steven Weber, 49, actor (“Wings”)

Mary Wilson, 66, singer (original member of the Supremes)

     …Athletes

Kevin Johnson, 44, basketball (Suns)

Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, 49, boxer

Reggie McElroy, 50, NFL tackle (Denver Broncos)

Knute Rockne, 1888, College Football Hall of Famer: Notre Dame coach

     …Business, Education

--

     …Politics

Chastity Bono, 41, child of Sonny & Cher

     …Science/Religion

Giovanni Schiaparelli, 1835, Italian astronomer (discovered canals of Mars)

Benjamin Waterhouse, 1754, physician (smallpox vaccine pioneer)

Willem H Winkel, 1885, Dutch physician/founder (Red Cross of Curaçao)

•Today’s Obits •

Arthur Babbitt, in 1992, Disney animator (Mr Magoo, Goofy), heart failure @ 84

John Candy, in 1994, actor (SCTV, Uncle Buck), heart attack @ 43

E.Y. ‘Yip’ Harburg, Lyricist 1981, - auto accident @ 82. Two ( Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz)

Minnie Pearl, 1996, country comedienne (Grand Ole Opry), @ 84

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1924 • "Happy Birthday To You" published by Claydon Sunny

1952 • Ernest Hemingway had finished a novel entitled The Old Man and the Sea

     …Athletics

1913 • New York Yankees are 1st to train outside US (Bermuda)

…Business, Education

1792 • Oranges introduced to Hawaii

1880 • Halftone engraving was used for the first time as the Daily Graphic was published in New York City.

     …Politics

1789 • 1st Congress declares constitution in effect (9 senators, 13 representatives)

1801 • 1st President inaugurated in Washington DC (Thomas Jefferson)

1841 • Longest inauguration speech (8,443 words), William Henry Harrison

1933 • Frances Perkins becomes Secretary of Labor, 1st US woman cabinet member

1994 • 4 Arab terrorist founded guilty of 1st bombing of the World Trade Center

1997 • President Clinton bans federally funded human cloning research

     …Science/Religion

1774 • 1st sighting of Orion nebula (William Herschel)

1909 • US prohibits interstate transportation of game birds

1930 • Coolidge Dam in Arizona dedicated

§ANSWERS to puzzle §

A B O U T

B E R T H

O R A T E

U T T E R

T H E R E

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Wednesday

♣ 3 March 2010--Week 9 of 2010: 62 days this year…305 remain ♣

» Two Quotes to think about…Today «

"It is Fortune, not wisdom that rules man`s life."

~Cicero

“Equal laws protecting equal rights...the best guarantee of loyalty and love of country.” ~James Madison, (1751-1836); 4th U.S. President

» Free Ramblings «

I had MY final 2010 birthday lunch today. Still many more lunches are in store, but each time I will be celebrating someone else getting another year older. I am so lucky to have such good friends. Martha always finds unique and personal gifts. Today was no exception. I arrived at the chosen place, parked my vehicle and started to walk in. Martha was there bag piping away. Due to problems with delivery around Christmas, I had already been told I was getting my Christmas present at my birthday. So to start off, she played a Christmas tune, followed by Happy Birthday on the pipes. So cool. Then we went inside, minus the pipes and had a great lunch. Many may remember I had just returned from South Africa for Christmas 2009. She had gotten me three cute Christmas decorations…a hippo, an elephant, and a giraffe. They are just cute and will be on my tree for years to come.

Before I went to lunch, I did get my vehicle washed. I just couldn’t stand having a brown ride with a white chemical covering most of the lower half. Much better when it is clean.

I’ve been coming to Flagstaff for almost 40 years, and living here for almost four. One of the ‘big’ stories or controversies has been the train horns. Flag was a lumber town for many years and the train was the cheapest and easiest way to move all that lumber. It was also a great way to go east to Chicago or west to LA. The train tracks split downtown in half. Route 66, America’s highway, still runs right next to the tracks from the East side of town to the West side of town. Motel row, built in the heyday of 66 only has 66 between them and the train tracks. Over the years, there have been only a few motels in town that could truthfully advertise no train noise. Well, after years of battling, bitching, fighting, and a couple of lawsuits, the train whistles were silenced on March 1. One would think that this would help everyone living in Flagstaff. Tourist will no longer be awakened numerous times during the night to the train noise. Drivers on 66 will no longer be startled by the train whistle as the many trains approach one of the crossings. No longer will casual conversations in downtown, turn into shouting matches as the whistles blow. One would think this is a good thing. But alas, no. Many people have already written on Facebook, and on the online newspaper, that Flagstaff will sadly never be the same. These naysayers are lamenting their happy memories of hearing the train whistles, their excitement as kids of hearing the train whistle and running to the tracks to watch the train. For whatever reason, the days of getting excited about a train passing through our little town have long since been abandoned. In all the times I have heard and then seen the train, I can’t remember even one little kid, running toward the tracks with a big smile, a fishing pole in one hand and a piece of straw in their mouth. Flagstaff, thankfully, will never be the same. An additional benefit to the end of train whistles is that the three barking dogs that live behind me are now only barking when an ambulance or police car siren goes down 66. Inside my townhouse, I almost never heard the train, but those dogs always alerted me, if I was in one of the back rooms.

We had a nice day—high of 46° and a low of 23°, with almost no wind. There were a few gusts around 25mph, but they didn’t happen very often and the rest of the time it was very calm. I have to enjoy these days, as yet another storm on the horizon, promising us a good 4-6” of freshly fallen snow over the weekend. What did that darn ol’ ground hog say last month?

»Random Fact: «

In 1980, a Las Vegas hospital suspended workers for betting on when patients would die!

»Side Show Stories—«

A 1975 raid on the Royal Bank of Scotland in Rothesay degenerated into farce when, on the way in, the three would-be raiders got stuck in the bank's revolving doors and had to be helped free by the staff. Undeterred, they returned a few minutes later and announced that it was a robbery. The staff thought it was a practical joke and refused to pay up. While one of the men vaulted the counter and twisted his ankle on landing, the other two made their escape, only to get trapped in the revolving doors again.

§ Puzzle §

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.

1 unpopular poker play (HINT: C - - - -)

2 board game (HINT: - A - - -)

3 the previous generation (HINT: - - D - -)

4 fix (HINT: - - - N -)

5 late (HINT: - - - - Y)

§ Calendar Information §

• March’s Month Long Observances •

BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)

National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month

• Observance Weeks in March•

1-5: Newspaper in Education Week

1-7: National Cheerleading Week

     • National Ghostwriters Week

     • National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week

     • National Procrastination Week

     • Return The Borrowed Books Week

     • Universal Human Beings Week

     • Yo-Yo and Skill Toys Week

• 3 March Observances—US/UN/World •

Day of Prayer

I Want You To Be Happy Day

National Anthem Day (since 1931)

Peach Blossom Day

What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs? Day

Florida : Admission Day (1845)

Hawaii : Japanese Girl's Day

•3 March Observances—by country •

Australia: Labour Day

Bulgaria : Liberation from Ottoman Rule Day (1878)

Grenada : Partial Independence Day (1967)

Japan : Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival)

Malawi (Africa) : Martyrs' Day for those who died in the fight for Independence from UK

Morocco : National Day (1961)

Sudan : Unity Day (since 2009 when North and South united)

§ Number One Songs in…

1950...Dear Hearts and Gentle People - Bing Crosby

1958...Tequila - The Champs

1966...These Boots are Made for Walkin’ - Nancy Sinatra

1974...Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks

1982...Centerfold - The J. Geils Band

• Holy Mackerel: 1931…"Star Spangled Banner" officially becomes US national anthem

• Born on this day •

    …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Ira Glass, 51, radio host (“This American Life”)

Allen Ginsberg, 1921, beat generation poet

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Jessica Biel, 28, actress (The Illusionist, “7th Heaven”)

Lew De Witt, 1938, singer (Statler Brothers-Flowers on the Wall)

James Doohan, 1920, actor: Montgomery “Scottie” Scott—Star Trek

David Faustino, 36, actor (“Married … With Children”)

Don Gibson, 1928, singer/writer (I can't Stop Loving You, Oh Lonesome Me)

Jean Harlow [Harlean Carpentier], 1911, Kansas 30s' sex goddess

Mike Pender, 1942 (Liverpool), vocalist/guitarist (Searchers-Needles & Pins)

     …Athletes

Jacqueline (Jackie) Joyner-Kersee, 48, Olympic gold medal heptathlete

Herschel Walker, 48, former football player

     …Business, Education

--

     …Politics

(Caroline) Lee Radziwill, 77, sister of the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

     …Science/Religion

Alexander Graham Bell, 1847, (Edinburgh Scotland) inventor (telephone)

George W Hill, 1838, US astronomer (Moon orbit)

George M Pullman, 1831, inventor (railway sleeping car)

•Today’s Obits •

Robert Hooke, 1703, scientific genius @ 68

Lou Costello, 1959, comedian (Abbott & Costello), heart attack @ 52

Alice Pearce, 1966, comedienne (Gladys Kravitz-Bewitched), cancer @ 52

William Frawley, 1966, actor (Fred Mertz-I Love Lucy), @ 89

Danny Kaye, 1987, comedian (Danny Kaye Show), @ 74

Arthur Murray, 1991, dance instructor, pneumonia @ 95

Albert Sabin, 1993, physician (oral polio vaccine), @ 86

Carlos Montoya, 1993, flamenco guitarist, @ 89

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1873 – Censorship: The U.S. Congress enacts the Comstock Law, making it illegal to send any "obscene, lewd, or lascivious" books through the mail.

1875 – Georges Bizet's opera Carmen receives its première at the Opéra Comique of Paris.

     …Athletics

2009 – The Sri Lankan cricket team is attacked by terrorists while on their way to the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore for a Test match against Pakistan.

     …Business, Education

1634 - 1st tavern in Boston opens (Samuel Cole)

1885 - American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) incorporates

1887 - Anne Sullivan begins teaching 6 year old blind-deaf Helen Keller

1900 – US Steel Corporation organizes

1923 – Time magazine publishes 1st issue

     …Politics

1284 – The Statute of Rhuddlan incorporates the Principality of Wales into England.

1791 – 1st Internal Revenue Act (taxing distilled spirits & carriages)

1812–  US Congress passes 1st foreign aid bill (aids Venezuela earthquake vicitims)

1813 – Office of Surgeon General of the US army is established

1837 – Congress increases Supreme Court membership from 7 to 9

1863 – 1st US wartime military conscription bill enacted

1871 – Congress changes Indian tribes status from independent to dependent

1871 – Congress establishes the civil service system

1901 – Congress creates National Bureau of Standards, in Department of Commerce

1933 – Mount Rushmore dedicated

2002 – After about 200 years Switzerland became no longer “Neutral”. They became officially a part of the UN upon voters’ approval.

     …Science/Religion

1924 – The 1400-year-old Islamic caliphate is abolished when Caliph Abdul Mejid II of the Ottoman Empire is deposed. The last remnant of the old regime gives way to the reformedTurkey of Kemal Atatürk.

1938 – Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia.

§ANSWERS to puzzle §

C H E A T

H A L M A

E L D E R

A M E N D

T A R D Y

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Tuesday

♣ 2 March 2010--Week 9 of 2010: 61 days this year…304 remain ♣

» Two Quotes to think about…Today «

"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:

soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."

~Ed Howdershelt (Author)

“There is no security on this earth; there is only opportunity.”

~Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964); American General and Field Marshal

» Free Ramblings «

New week, new month, gotta make some changes. It is time to get out my St. Patrick’s Day decorations for the windows and door. But first, I decided that this afternoon I would work on my entryway. I still have a snow bank on one side that is about five feet high, and one on the other side about four feet high. I also have a clear ice mound on the sidewalk, formed each day from the dripping off the porch roof. I took a spade, that’s a square ended shovel, and chopped through both sides till I got to the edge of the sidewalk. I was successful on the shorter pile, not so much on the higher pile. The higher pile, it turns out has several big large icebergs—from the roof clearing—that do not want to break up. The sidewalk is a little wider, but I have no idea how to get rid of the icebergs. I keep thinking about all those really cool Christmas pictures with the snow gently falling, people wrapped up in a sleigh, being pulled by horses through the beautiful scenery. I have to wonder why those photographers or painters or illustrators don’t show us in March, still trying to climb over and through the snow. Cheryl was telling us about a lady in Williams who is complaining because the Williams’ snow is so dirty. She wants to know why Williams doesn’t have the beautiful white snow like other places. I think it is just too many tourists.

Our city council, a paid and elected group, have been working on the ‘new’ budget since August. They will make their final vote in April. Turns out, to date, they are still talking about if any cuts are actually necessary. Sounds like next month they will prioritize any necessary cuts. I did budgets while I was in the Bureau. By the end of my career, the budget was a year round process. Sometimes we had to do three budgets—one with no increase in funding, one with a 10% cut in funding, and a third with a 20% cut. We never knew what congress was going to give us, and we had to be prepared. The 20% budget basically meant the janitor would stay on duty to protect the buildings—since about 93% of our budget was salaries. Here in Flagstaff the council knows that our incoming revenue has decreased drastically. Housing values have plummeted—dropping property taxes, and retail sales have dropped. New construction has virtually stopped. Our famous BBB tax has fallen about 20%. Flag was an early adopter of the Bed, Booze, Board (BBB) tax that increase the amount a visitor pays for a hotel and everyone pays a tax on the alcoholic drinks in bars and on food from a restaurant. At the time, many businesses raised the prices substantially and falsely blamed it on the BBB tax. Now the tourist dollars have fallen for more than a year with no end in sight. Our city leaders (?) just don’t get it. So Flag has another couple of months in la-la land before the reality of this recession finally understood.

Chile had a severe earthquake, about 500 times stronger than the one that hit Haiti. Chile has a much stronger economy and a better seeded government than Haiti. Building codes are stricter and require ‘earthquake’ resistant buildings. This means that there was a lot less damage than could have happened. However, since Chile is a richer country, they are looting. Unlike Haiti, which saw basically no looting, people in Chile are taking lots of things. Certainly I understand the grocery store looting—everyone needs food and help hasn’t arrived. I don’t get the looting of electronics stores—taking big screen TVs and other such stuff. The interviews with locals are also different. In Haiti few were crying and only wanted food, water, and doctors. In Chile, they are crying and begging for people help them find relatives. To me, thousands of miles away, I see the Chilean people less able to deal with the crisis than the Haitians. So sad for so many.

The weather guy says even though March is our biggest snow month, the next week will be nice. Tomorrow we are expected to reach 50°. That should melt some of my iceberg. We dropped to 17° last night, so it took quite some time to reach our high of 46° today. All in all, a good day.

»Random Fact: «

Lemons ripen after you pick them, but oranges do not.

»Side Show Stories—«

In 1998, a would-be Texas grocery store robber went to the trouble of disguising his face with a balaclava but forgot remove from his breast pocket a laminated badge which bore his name, place of employment and position within the company - an oversight spotted by at least a dozen witnesses.

§ Puzzle §

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.

1 Alexander (HINT: G - - - -)

2 musical form (HINT: - O - - -)

3 furnish (HINT: - - D - -)

4 clay hut (HINT: - - - B -)

5 dryer (HINT: - - - - L)

§ Calendar Information §

• March’s Month Long Observances •

BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)

National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month

• Observance Weeks in March•

1-5: Newspaper in Education Week

1-7: National Cheerleading Week

   • National Ghostwriters Week

   • National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week

   • National Procrastination Week

   • Return The Borrowed Books Week

   • Universal Human Beings Week

   • Yo-Yo and Skill Toys Week

• 1 March Observances—US/UN/World •

Namesake Day

NEA's Read Across America Day

Old Stuff Day

Texas: Independence Day (from Mexico in 1836)

•1 March Observances—by country •

Burma : Peasant's Day

Ethiopia : Battle of Aduwa Day (1896), 1st African Nation to defeat Colonial power (Italy)

Morocco: Independence Day (from France in 1956)

§ Number One Songs in…

1949…Far Away Places - Margaret Whiting

1957…Young Love - Tab Hunter

1965…I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail - Buck Owens

1973…Killing Me Softly with His Song - Roberta Flack

1981…I Love a Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt

• Holy Mackerel: 1867…An act is passed today which will purchase a reserve for SAUK and FOX of 4.5 square miles.
• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Dr Seuss [Theodor Geisel], 1904, children's book author (Green Eggs and Ham, Horton Hears a Who!)

John Irving, 68, author (Cider House Rules, The World According to Garp)

Tom Wolfe, 79, author, journalist (The Bonfire of the Vanities, The Right Stuff)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Desi Arnaz, (Desiderio Alberto Arnez y De Acha III) 1917, (Santiago Cuba), singer/actor (Ricky Ricardo-I Love Lucy)

Jon Bon Jovi (John Bongiovi), 48, singer, songwriter, actor

Karen Carpenter,1950, vocalist/drummer (We've Only Just Begun)

Daniel Craig, 42, actor (Casino Royale, The Golden Compass, Munich)

Jennifer Jones (Phyllis Isley), 1919, actress (Oscar for The Song of Bernadette)

Chris Martin, 33, singer, songwriter (Coldplay)

Eddie Money[Mahoney] , 61, musician

Laraine Newman, 58, comedienne (“Saturday Night Live”)

     …Athletes

Reggie Bush, 25, football player (Saints)

Peter O'Sullevan, 1918, (Ireland), horse racing commentator

     …Business, Education

Willem Bruynzeel, 1901, Dutch timber-merchant

     …Politics

Russell D. Feingold, 57, US Senator (D, Wisconsin)

Mikhail Sergeyvich Gorbachev, 79, former Soviet political leader

Sam[uel] Houston, 1793, 1st president of Texas

Robert II the Steward,1316, King of Scotland (1371-90)

Ken Salazar, 55, current US Secretary of the Interior

     …Science/Religion

Edward Uhler Condon, 1902, atomic scientist (Manhattan Project)

•Today’s Obits •

Sandy Dennis, 1992, actress (Up the Down Staircase), cancer @ 54

Howard Carter, 1939, British archaeologist/Egyptologist (King Tut), lymphoma @ 65

David H Lawrence, 1930, poet/writer (Lady Chatterley's Lover), TB @ 44

Heinrich Olbers, 1840, German astronomer (discoverer of comets & asteroids), @ 81

Sir Michael Redgrave, 1985, actor/writer Parkinson's disease @ 77

Randolph Scott, 1987, actor (Fort Worth, Gung Ho, Jesse James), @ 89

Harry E Soref, 1957, inventor (padlock), @ 70

Dusty Springfield, 1999, singer, cancer @ 59

Horace [Horatio] Walpole, 1797, British horror writer, @ 79

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1933…The Original King Kong movie has its world premiere in New York

     …Athletics

1874…Baseball batter's box is officially adopted

1962…Wilt ‘The Stilt’ Chamberlain scored 100 points and broke an NBA record

     …Business, Education

1983…Compact Disc recordings developed by Phillips & Sony introduced

     …Politics

1819…Territory of Arkansas organized

1861…Government Printing Office purchases 1st printing plant

1861…US Congress creates Dakota & Nevada Territories out of the Nebraska & Utah territories

1867…US Congress creates the Department of Education

1899…President McKinley signs bill creating Mount Rainier National Park

1925…Nationwide road numbering system & US shield marker adopted

1989…The NAVAJO Code Talker Monument is erected.

     …Science/Religion

1950…Silly Putty invented

§ANSWERS to puzzle §

GREAT

RONDO

ENDOW

ADOBE

TOWEL

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Monday

♣ 1 March 2010--Week 9 of 2010: 60 days this year…305 remain ♣
§ Two Quotes to think about…Today §
"It`s clever, but is it art?"
~Rudyard Kipling: (1865-1936) author
“Tolerance is the positive and cordial effort to understand another's beliefs, practices, and habits without necessarily sharing or accepting them.”
~Joshua Loth Leibman: (1907-1948); Rabbi, Author”
§ Free Ramblings §
March was named after the Roman God of War. March used to be the first month of the year and a good time for troops to gather and prepare for another military campaign. In Finland it is called ‘maaliskuu’ meaning earthly month—since snow usually disappears. In the Ukraine it is березень, meaning birch tree.

The US put up a valiant fight in the final Hockey game of the Olympics, drew the Canadians into overtime, but couldn’t pull it off. Still a great game. This has been a well televised Olympics and I have enjoyed every minute that I watched. Now that Olympics are over, it must be time for March Madness.

Thankfully, or not, our 8” of snow never materialized…only got about an inch or so of nice light powder here in Flagstaff. We made it to 42° today and last night only dropped to 30° so it was a fairly nice day today. Looks like March will be coming in like a lamb, so who knows what the month will bring in the way of snow.
Random Fact: «
Lobsters can live up to 50 years.
§Side Show Stories—§
In 1998, a guard was caught smuggling a wad of money in his underpants out of a bank in Atlanta when a tiny security-dye capsule exploded, blowing a hole in his trousers.
§ Puzzle §
Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.
1 complete environment (HINT: W - - - -)
2 not this one (HINT: - T - - -)
3 poetic device (HINT: - - Y - -)
4 assumption (HINT: - - - M -)
5 foreboding (HINT: - - - - D)
§ Calendar Information §
• March’s Month Long Observances •
BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)
National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month
• Observance Weeks in March•
1-5: Newspaper in Education Week
1-7: National Cheerleading Week
   • National Ghostwriters Week
   • National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week
   • National Procrastination Week
   • Return The Borrowed Books Week
   • Universal Human Beings Week
   • Yo-Yo and Skill Toys Week
• 1 March Observances—US/UN/World •
Beer Day borrowed from Iceland to celebrate in the US
Peace Corp Birthday
Pig Day
Plan a Solo Vacation Day
Re-fired, Not Retired Day
Share a Smile Day
Ohio 1803, Nebraska 1867 : Admission Day
•1 March Observances—by country •
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Independence Day from Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1992)
Iceland: Beer Day since 1989 prohibition
Panamá : Constitution Day (1946)
Paraguay : Heroes' Day/National Defense Day/Memorial Day
Scotland : Whuppity Scoorie Day: in Lanark, to welcome spring
South Korea : Independence Movement Day/Sam Il Chul (1919)
Spain : Pinzon Day: for 3 brothers who sailed with Columbus
Switzerland : Chalanda Marz/Coming of spring
UK-Wales: St. David’s Day (Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant)
§ Number One Songs in…
1948…I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover - The Art Moonie Orchestra
1956…Why Do Fools Fall in Love - Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
1964…I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles
1972…It’s Four in the Morning - Faron Young
• Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1928…Paul Whiteman and his orchestra recorded Ol’ Man River for Victor Records. The featured vocalist on the track was 29-year-old Paul Robeson. The song became an American classic.
• Born on this day •
   …The Arts
Authors, Artists and Composers
Ion Creanga, 1837, Romanian fairy tale author (Amintiti the Copilarie)
Frédéric Chopin, 1810, Polish composer/pianist (Concerto in F Minor)
William Gaines, 1922, publisher: Mad magazine
William Dean Howells, 1837, US, novelist/critic/editor (Atlantic)
Robert Lowell, 1917, poet/pacifist (Lord Weary's Castle, Near the Ocean)
Judith Rossner, 1935, author (Looking for Mr Goodbar)
Richard (Purdy) Wilbur, 89, former poet laureate of the US
Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV
Catherine Bach, 56, actress (“The Dukes of Hazzard”)
Javier Bardem, 41, (Canary Islands, Spain) actor (Oscar for No Country for Old Men; Love in the Time of Cholera, Before Night Falls)
Harry Belafonte, 83, singer
Dirk Benedict, 66, actor (A-Team)
Robert Conrad, 75, actor (“The Wild Wild West”)
Roger Daltrey, 66, singer (The Who)
Timothy Daly, 54, actor (Diner, “Wings”)
George Eads, 43, actor (“CSI”)
Mark-Paul Gosselaar, 36, actor (“NYPD Blue,” “Saved by the Bell”)
Ron Howard, 56, director (Oscar for A Beautiful Mind; Cinderella Man, Apollo 13), actor
Sonny James, 81, singer (Young Love, Running Bear
Glenn Miller, 1904, bandleader
(James) David (Graham) Niven, 1910, Academy Award-winning actor
Dinah Shore, 1917, singer (See the USA in a Chevrolet)
Alan Thicke, 63, (Ontario, Canada) actor (“Growing Pains”), host (“Thicke of the Night”)
   …Athletes
Harry (Christopher) Caray (Carabina), 1920, baseball announcer (Cubs)
Chris Webber, 37, basketball player (Magic)
   …Business, Education
--
   …Politics
Lorenzo de' Medici, 1449, Italian statesman
Yitzhak Rabin,1922, Prime Minister of Israel, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
Suzanna Salter, 1860, 1st US female mayor (Argonia, KS/temperance leader
   …Science/Religion
Richard H. Price, 67, American physicist
Rashid Sunyaev, 67, Russian physicist
•Today’s Obits •
George Herbert, 1633, English poet, @ 39
Anna Paulowna Romanova, 1865, great monarch of Russia, @ 70
Jackie Coogan, 1984, actor (Uncle Fester-Addams Family), @ 69
Edwin H Land, 1991, inventor (Polaroid Camera), @ 81
Luis Kutner, 1993, US co-founder (Amnesty International), @ 84
Walter Kent, 1994, US composer (I'll Be Home for Christmas), @ 82
•What Happened on this Day •
   …The Arts
1941…"Captain America" appears in a comic book
1978…Charlie Chaplin's coffin was stolen from a Swiss cemetery
   …Athletics
--
   …Business, Education
1873…E. Remington and Sons of Ilion, NY began the manufacturing of the first practical typewriter.
1909…1st US university school of nursing established, University of Minnesota
1962…K-Mart opens
1996…New toll-free 888 area code introduced
   …Politics
1780…Pennsylvania becomes 1st US state to abolish slavery (for new-borns only)
1790…1st US census authorized
1913…Federal income tax takes effect (16th amendment)
1932…The Lindbergh baby is kidnapped when stolen from his crib at the family estate in Hopewell, New Jersey,
1936…The Hoover Dam ( Boulder Dam ) is completed and turned over to the U.S. government.
1937…1st permanent automobile license plates issued (Connecticut)
1954…4 Puerto Ricans open fire in US House of Representatives injuring 5 Representatives
1981…Irish Republican Army member Bobby Sands begins a hunger strike at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland. He dies 65 days later
   …Science/Religion
1864…Louis Ducos du Hauron patents movie machine (never built)
1872…Yellowstone becomes world's 1st national park
1970…End of US commercial whale hunting
§ANSWERS to puzzle §
WORLD
OTHER
RHYME
LEMMA
DREAD
♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

Sunday

28 February 2010--Week 8 of 2010: 59 days this year…306 remain

» Quote Times Two «

"The heart is wiser than the intellect."

~J.G. Holland

“The wise person understands that his own happiness must include the happiness of others.”

~Dennis Weaver, (1924-2006); Actor

» Free Ramblings «

My body decided to have my last day as a 60 year old with a case of angioedema. This time, it was my tongue, not the whole tongue, just the right side. I took the pills, but they are slow in working this time, think I waited a little too long, not a danger, just takes longer to get the swelling down.

Back in the day there was ABC’s Wide World of Sports with the opening line “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition.” Jim McKay and the show are long gone. But the bar they set is very high. NBC televised their first Olympics in 1964 and have covered 12 Olympics. They certainly have had some blunders, like the PPV Red, White and Blue channels they had for one Olympics. They lost a ton of $$ ad angered a lot of viewers who couldn’t get it or wouldn’t pay the price. They did have an internet pay site where you could get more coverage, but I was happy with what was on the three channels. Tomorrow night is the closing ceremonies, and I must say, I have really enjoyed this year’s coverage. I have seen many thrills of victory from athletes spanning the globe. I have also seen a few agony of defeat events. All in all, I don’t keep up on the medal counts, but will remember some of the great finishes, the athletes who gave 110%, the athletes who showed outstanding sportsmanship in very difficult situations. For me, that’s what the Olympics has always been about.

Our ‘big’ storm hasn’t arrived yet. Maybe tonight. We got up to 45° with a heavy cloud cover this morning, then after a day of 25mph winds, it cleared up to give us a nice blue sky. They keep alerting me that I should expect about 8” of snow to come in tonight. However, the sky is clear right now, the full moon is amazing, and even I know that there has to be clouds and cold to make snow. I think this storm may be like the tsunami that fortunately didn’t make it to Hawaii. Chili is suffering but the Pacific’s Island nations seem to have been spared any tsunami devastation. Mary is heading for Hawaii on Wednesday for a week or so on the beach.

»* Winter Olympics* «

The Vancouver Olympics opened on Feb 12.

Counterfeit Olympic tickets to events have always been a problem. The Vancouver games’ tickets had 14 different anti-counterfeiting methods including holograms and color-shifting inks.

»Side Show Stories—«

Ronald Reagan, the 40th U.S. president, saved 77 people from drowning as a lifeguard in his youth at a riverside beach near Dixon, Illinois.

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20th president of the United States James Garfield could write Greek with one hand while writing Latin with the other.

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Abe Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, carried letters, bills, and notes in his notorious black, top-hat.

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First U.S. president George Washington rejected a movement among army officers to make him king of the United States.

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William Taft, 27th president of the United States, weighed more than 300 pounds and had a special over-sized bathtub installed in the White House.

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The 38th president of the United States, Gerald Ford turned down offers to play professional football for the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions.

»Random Fact: «

The Eber Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian medical journal, states that inflammation should be treated with copper. Many Egyptian paintings depict their rulers and wealthy citizens wearing bracelets made of copper.

» Puzzle « New Puzzle Tomorrow

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has four X four sections.

1 incidental benefit (HINT: P - - -)

2 ardor inspired by passion (HINT: - L - -)

3 timed competition (HINT: - - C -)

4 joint example (HINT: - - - E)

» Calendar Information «

☼ February’s Month Long Observances ☼

Birthstone: Amethyst …Flower: Violet and Primrose

Adopt A Rescued Rabbit Month^AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month^American Heart Month^Bake for Family Fun Month^Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month^Grapefruit Month^International Boost Self-Esteem Month^International Expect Success Month^Jobs in Golf Month^Library Lovers Month^Marijuana Awareness Month^National African American History Month^National Bird Feeding Month^National Black History Month^National Care About Your Indoor Air Month^National Cherry Month^National Condom Month^National Children's Dental Health Month^National Laugh-Friendly Month^National Mend A Broken Heart Month^National Parent Leadership Month^National Pet Dental Health Month^National Senior Independence Month^National Time Management Month^Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month^Pull Your Sofa Off The Wall Month^Relationship Wellness Month^Responsible Pet Owner's Month^Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month^Spiritual Teachers Month^Spunky Old Broads Month^ Sweet Potato Month^Wise Health Care Consumer Month^ Youth Leadership Month^

☼ Observance Weeks in February ☼

Telecommuter Appreciation Week: 24-3/6

American Crossword Puzzle Week: 26-28

Texas Cowboy Poetry Week: 26-28

☼ 26 February Observances—US/UN/World ☼

Public Sleeping Day

Floral Design Day

International Sword Swallowers Day

National Tooth Fairy Day

☼26 February Observances—by country ☼

Taiwan: Peace Memorial Day, commemorating the 228 Incident: 10-30,000 massacred in anti-gov’t uprising

Finland : Kalevala Day (1835): epic poem of history of Finland

☼ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1954…American molecular biologists James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick discover the double-helix structure of DNA

☼ Born on this day ☼

     » The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Svetlana Allilueva, 84, daughter of Joseph Stalin, author (The Faraway Music)

John Tenniel, in 1820 (England), cartoonist/illustrator (Alice in Wonderland)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Charles Blondin (Jean Francois Gravelet), in 1824, acrobat, aerialist: first to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope [June 30, 1859]

Charles Durning, 87, actor (Dog Day Afternoon, “Evening Shade”)

Zero Mostel (Samuel Joel Mostel), in 1915, actor

Bernadette Peters, 66, singer, actress (Dames at Sea, Annie Get Your Gun)

     »Athletes

Mario Gabrielle Andretti, 70, former auto racer

Jelena Janković, (Yugoslavia) 25, tennis player

     »Business, Education

Charlie Frazier, 61, BIA educator now happily retired
Mary Lyon, in 1797, educator: founded Mount Holyoke Seminary, now Mt. Holyoke College, one of the first permanent colleges for women

Bugsy Siegel, in 1906, gangster created casinos in Las Vegas
    »Politics

Clara Petacci, in 1912, Italian mistress of Benito Mussolini

     »Science/Religion

Thomas Newcomen, in 1663, English co-inventor (steam engine)

Smokey The Bear, 1928

☼Today’s Obits ☼

Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, in 1977, comedian (Jack Benny Show), @ 71

Mr Ed (Bamboo Harverster), in 1979, talking horse, @ 21

Henry James, in 1916, US/British writer (Bostonians), @ 72

Jim Thorpe, in 1953, decathlete (Olympics-gold-1912), @64

☼What Happened on this Day ☼

     » The Arts

1749…1st edition of Henry Fieldings' "Tom Jones" published

1940…Richard Wright's "Native Son" published

1983…The final episode of M*A*S*H, became the most-watched television episode in U.S. history, estimates at 106 million Americans.

     »Athletics

1940 – Basketball is televised for the first time (Fordham University vs. the University of Pittsburgh in Madison Square Garden)

»Business, Education

1970…Bicycles permitted to cross Golden Gate Bridge

1977…1st killer whale born in captivity (Marineland, Los Angeles CA)

     »Politics

1692…Salem witch hunt begins

1861…Territories of Nevada & Colorado created

1922…After 40 years of British rule following Great Britain seizing control of Egypt's government in 1882 over concerns for British interests including the Suez Canal. Great Britain announces a unilateral declaration of Egypt's independence.

1933…1st female in cabinet Francis Perkins appointed Secretary of Labor

1961…JFK names Henry Kissinger special advisor

1986…Olof Palme, the Swedish Prime Minister is shot dead and his wife Lisbeth wounded in a street ambush in central Stockholm.

1995…Denver International Airport opens

     »Science/Religion

1066…Westminster Abbey opens

1638…Scottish Presbyterians sign National Convenant, Greyfriars, Edinburgh

1993…Gun battle erupts at Waco TX between FBI & Branch Davidians

» Number One Songs in…

1947…For Sentimental Reasons - Nat King Cole

1955…Sincerely - McGuire Sisters

1963…Hey Paula - Paul & Paula

1971…Help Me Make It Through the Night - Sammi Smith

1979…Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? - Rod Stewart

» ANSWERS to puzzle «

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