3-7-11 Monday

TODAY’s HOLY MACKEREL: 1981 1st homicide at Disneyland, 18 year old is stabbed to death

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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

It’s been a blowin’ most of the day. We may get some snow tomorrow, but nothing to worry about or have to prepare for. I am certainly ready for spring.

I had a long conversation with a friend from Tuba. His family is going through tough times. His sister is very ill in Phx and has been for over a month. It seems the kids and husband are having a really hard time letting go. All they hear is ‘she had a good night,’ or ‘she is more active today’ and don’t hear the doctors telling them that she is not improving. All families have difficulty at times like this. As Navajo’s they have never talked about worst case situations and have no idea what the poor lady wants. It is a decision all four kids and the dad have to agree on so there won’t be finger pointing later. So for now, the decision is not to make a decision. So hard on everyone. So much hurting. I am so glad that I have talked to my brother and told him when to say ‘enough’.

My trip to Hadrian’s Wall seems to be ready to happen. We will be going in mid-May. So far, there will be 5 of us. Bob is getting thing together. He’s finding out how difficult it is to get 4 people to agree on dates, places, etc. He has such a good heart I sure hope he doesn’t get screwed on this trip. He is taking his grandson and then there are his three friends. I asked him when he wanted money and he said to hold off until everything is set. That’s fine for me but I worry that someone will say yes, Bob will make the reservations and then they will back out. I keep telling him I will meet him at DIA, but he really wants me to come to Loveland before the trip to spend a day. I can fly into DIA, take a shuttle or rent a car and drive to Loveland—about 2 hours away. I’ll see how things work out, but when I travel, I want to have the least amount of wait-time possible. I can fly to DIA, wait about two hours, then fly to England on a direct flight. That makes so much sense to me, but so nice to be wanted for a longer time. Whatever happens, it will be good.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT…

To unclog a drain clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka-Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.

Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up.

A teaspoon of sugar swallowed dry can stop hiccups in minutes, says Andre Dubois, MD, PhD.

The sugar is believed to modify the nerve muscles that would otherwise tell the muscles in the diaphragm to contract spasmodically and contribute to hiccups.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION…

The only letter not appearing on the Periodic Table is the letter “J”.

If you stretch a standard Slinky out flat it measures 87 feet long.

The leg muscles of a locust are about 1,000 times more powerful than an equal weight of human muscle.

PUZZLE: Trivia Quiz […answers at bottom…]

1. What countries national anthem is the Patriotic Song?

2. In what country are the Drakesberg mountains?

3. On which national flag is there an eagle and a snake?

4. Brisbane is the state capital of which SE Australian state?

5. In what country is the northernmost point of Africa?

6. Suomi is the name the natives give to what country?

7. The name of which country's capital means 'good air'?

8. Ville Marie was the original name of what city?

9. If you landed at Merignac airport - where are you?

10. Venice stands on what river?

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM:

NEW YORK - An electrician scouting New York locations for a Robert De Niro film said his truck was impaled by a 20-foot steel beam from a construction site. Mike Prisco, 29, said he was driving by a construct-ion site in the Little Italy neighborhood at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday when the steel beam crashed through the roof of his pickup truck, missing his head by less than a foot, the New York Post reported Thursday. "I was on the phone with the locations manager, and I heard a loud bang and jumped up," Prisco said. "I thought I was rear-ended and I got out, and I saw a beam sticking out of my roof." "I feel very lucky," he said. "I almost died." Prisco said his vehicle was struck while he was scouting locations for "Another Night in Suck City," a film starring De Niro and Paul Dano.

A LITTLE LAUGH:

It got crowded in heaven one day so it was decided, for that day and that day only, to only accept people who had a really bad day on the day they had died.

St. Peter was standing at the pearly gates and said to the first man, "Tell me about the day you died." The man said, "Oh, it was awful. I was sure my wife was having an affair, so I came home early to catch the scoundrel in the act. I searched all over the apartment but couldn't find him anywhere. So I went out onto the balcony - we live on the 25th floor - and found this guy hanging over the edge by his fingernails. I went inside, got a hammer, and started pounding on his fingers. Well, he fell, but landed in some bushes. So, I got the refrigerator and pushed it over the balcony and it crushed him. The strain of that activity gave me a heart attack, which caused me to croak on the spot."

St. Peter couldn't deny that this was a pretty bad day, and since it was a crime of passion, he let the man in. He then asked the next man in line about the day he died. "Well, sir, it was awful," said the second man. "I was doing aerobics on the balcony of my 26th floor apartment when I became a little light-headed and fell over the edge. I managed to grab the balcony of the apartment below, but some maniac came out and started pounding on my fingers with a hammer. Luckily I landed in some bushes. But then the guy dropped a refrigerator on my head, which did me in!"

St. Peter chuckled, let him into heaven and decided he could really start to enjoy this job. "Tell me about the day you died?” he said to the third man in line. "OK, picture this”, the man said, “I'm naked, hiding inside a refrigerator...."

Top 10 In The World:

CLOSEUP PICTURE: Can you identify this close up picture?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’: 1955 "Peter Pan" with Mary Martin

*The entire 1955 program is also on You tube. Look on the right side of the screen. I still remember that first presentation*

♫ 60’s Rock ♫

Click on Song Title to see and hear it.

♪…Purple Haze Jimi Hendrix

♪… Sunshine of Your Love Cream

♪…In The Midnight Hour Wilson Pickett

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DAYBOOK INFORMATION

►THIS WEEK◄

1-7 National Cheerleading Week ♣ National Ghostwriters Week ♣ National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week ♣ Universal Human Beings Week ♣

5-20► Iditarod Race ♣

6-12► Celebrate Your Name Week ♣ National Consumer Protection Week ♣ National Pancake Week ♣ National Words Matter Week ♣ Save Your Vision Week ♣ Read an E-Book Week ♣ Return The Borrowed Books Week ♣ Teen Tech Week ♣ Women in Construction Week ♣

7-13► Newspaper in Education Week ♣ National Procrastination Week ♣ National Sleep Awareness Week ♣ National School Breakfast Week ♣ Telecommuter Appreciation Week ♣ Universal Women's Week ♣

►TODAY IS◄

Casimir Pulaski Day: Father of the American Calvary

Daughters' and Sons' Day

Fun Facts About Names Day

National Be Heard Day

National Crown Roast of Pork Day

Orthodox & Christian: Green Monday or Clean Monday or Shrove Monday

♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

Albania: Teacher's Day

Iceland: Bun Day

Laos: Veteran's Day

US: California : Burbank Day/Bird & Arbor Day (1849)

■…AUTHORS/COMPOSERS/ARTISTS

1875 Maurice Ravel composer: Bolero

■…ATHLETES

Janet Guthrie, 73, former auto racer

Franco Harris, 61, Hall of Fame football (Steelers, Seahawks)

1922 Andy Phillip NBA Basketball Hall of Famer: (Warriors, Hawks, Pistons)

■…BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1942 Tammy Faye Bakker (Tamara Faye LaValley) TV evangelist

Michael Eisner, 69, media executive

■…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS)

Bryan Cranston, 55, actor (“Malcolm in the Middle,” “Breaking Bad”)

Daniel J. Travanti, 71, actor (“Hill Street Blues”)

■…POLITICIANS

Anthony Armstrong-Jones (Lord Snowdon), 81, photographer

■…SCIENCE & RELIGION

1849 Luther Burbank naturalist: creator of new varieties of flowers, trees, edible fruits and vegetables

Willard Herman Scott, 77, weatherman (“The Today Show”)

Today’s Obits:

1274 St Thomas Aquinas Italian thelogian . accidental head injury @ 48

1988 Divine [Harris Glenn Milstead] transvestite actor (Hairspray, Polyester, Pink Flamingos), enlarged heart @ 42

1959 Hinsdale Smith developer of roll-down auto windows, @ 88

Today’s Events:

■…ARTS

1939 Glamour magazine begins publishing

1939 Guy Lombardo & Royal Canadians 1st record "Auld Lang Syne"

1955 Mary Martin as "Peter Pan" televised

1985 The song We Are the World, from the album of the same name, was played on the radio for the first time.

■…ATHLETICS

1987 World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champ, ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, became the youngest heavyweight titlist

■…BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1854 Charles Miller patents 1st US sewing machine to stitch buttonholes

1933 Game of "Monopoly" invented

■…INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1524 Giovanni da Verrazano, sailing for France, anchors near Wilmington, North Carolina, in the "Dauphine".

1782 Monrovian missionaries had converted many Delaware, Mahican, and Munsee Indians to Christianity. Both sides of the American Revolution believe they "Moravians" were helping the other. After allowing them to have a final prayer, the soldiers killed the 96 Indian men, women, and children in cold blood.

■…POLITICS (International)

1778 Captain James Cook 1st sights Oregon coast, at Yaquina Bay

1971 Egypt refuses to renew the Suez ceasefire

■…POLITICS (US)

1801 Massachusetts enacts 1st state voter registration law

1850 Daniel Webster endorses Compromise of 1850

1911 US sent 20,000 troops to Mexican border

1942 1st cadets graduated from flying school at Tuskegee

■…SCIENCE & RELIGION

1530 King Henry VIII's divorce request is denied by the Pope Henry then declares that he, not the Pope, is supreme head of England's church

1911 Willis Farnsworth of Petaluma, CA patented the coin-operated locker.

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ANSWERS:

Quiz

1. What countries national anthem is the Patriotic Song? Russia

2. In what country are the Drakesberg mountains? South Africa

3. On which national flag is there an eagle and a snake? Mexico

4. Brisbane is the state capital of which SE Australian state? Queensland

5. In what country is the northernmost point of Africa? Tunisia

6. Suomi is the name the natives give to what country? Finland

7. The name of which country's capital means 'good air'? Buenos Aires, Argentina

8. Ville Marie was the original name of what city? Montreal

9. If you landed at Merignac airport - where are you? Bordeaux

10. Venice stands on what river? The Arno

Close Up Picture

One Die

________AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW________

3-6-11 Sunday

TODAY’s HOLY MACKEREL: 1886 1st US alternating current power plant starts, Great Barrington MA

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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I didn’t make it to the St. Patty Day Parade in Sedona. The parade is organized by NAU students—well not exactly. The NAU students do a whole lot of leg work while a Celtic board makes the decisions. This means that the parade can’t interfere with Spring Break. It is usually the weekend before St. Patty’s Day but this year that is spring break. From what I hear, the students get a grade for their hard work and the parade couldn’t be as successful without their hard work. I am sure that everything went off without a hitch.

Times have really changed. When I was in grad school one of my profs and mentors was very involved in the AZ Bilingual Conference—later, AZ-TESOL. Many of her adult, working students, got involved. Several of us went on to become officers from Program Chair, President, Director, and newsletter editor. This was a statewide organization attached to international TESOL. Back in those days none of the working officers go any time off work, Our conferences were always on Friday night and Saturday so that both the officers and the teacher attendees could actually attend. I think that each of us did get some free printing, some free office supplies, and other things for the conference. I was once invited to participate in the International TESOL conference in Miami, FL. It took a letter from the International head to the BIA to allow me to attend at government expense. While I enjoyed my many years with AZ-TESOL, I never even considered attending a state conference during work hours. I would take leave, or sometimes be given leave as soon as the kids left for the day. I would then drive to Phoenix or Flagstaff or Tucson for the Friday night events. This was a great organization, doing very good things for teachers of children who didn’t speak English as their first language. I know that many of our attendees were sent to our conferences by their districts.

Students today don’t seem to have that kind of dedication to a program that our officers had. The same is true of our local news program. I have been very happy with their professionalism and their work in informing our local community. However, the program is only on M-Th during the time school is in session. It starts about 3 weeks after the fall and winter terms begin—so that students can be prepared for on-air live news. I keep hoping that the students who are really into broadcasting will suggest that they do the news five nights a week or during breaks. (It could be much like student teaching). Now that I have learned about the St. Patty’s Day Sedona parade, I doubt that it will happen anytime in the near future.

As my facial keeps coming in, I am a little disappointed. While I have had white hair for many years, my facial hair is still salt and pepper with a lot more pepper than salt. My mustache is almost totally pepper, to match my eyebrows. I’m not sure I like that look. I’ll give it a couple more days so see what happens.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT…

Motion sickness causes you to produce excess saliva, which can make you nauseated, some doctors say. Compounds in olives called tannins dry out your mouth and can help soothe the queasiness. Pop a couple at the first hint of nausea; sucking on a lemon can also do the trick.

Use Kool-Aid in Dannon plain yogurt as a fingerpaint. Your kids will love it and it won't hurt them if them eat it.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION… Youtube Part II

The first video ever to be uploaded on YouTube was shot by Yakov Lapitsky at the San Diego Zoo. It shows co-founder Jawed Karim in front of the elephant enclosure going on about long trunks. It has racked up 4,282,497 views since its online debut on April 23, 2005.

As of February 2011, YouTube has 490 million unique users worldwide per month, who rack up an estimated 92 billion page views each month. These stats are just for the main YouTube website -- they don't incorporate embedded videos or video watched on mobile devices.

Not counting music videos (which due to licensing restrictions are often shown only in the U.S. on YouTube), the most viewed video of all time is the classic "Charlie bit my finger," with an astounding 282,151,886 (at the time of writing).

PUZZLE: Trivia Quiz […answers at bottom…]

1. By area what is the world's largest sea?

2. What capital city began as the village of Edo?

3. On which national flag is there an eagle and a snake?

4. In which country would you find the Negev desert?

5. Which American State is nicknamed the 'Diamond State'?

6. What is the capitol of Morocco?

7. If you landed at Hanedi airport where are you?

8. Where does the White and Blue Nile join?

9. What does Calabria, Liguria, Puglia and Veneto have in comoon?

10. What is the capital of Ghana?

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM:

HEDGESVILLE, Md. - Authorities in West Virginia said a man arrested on an explosives charge was making "cat bombs" to scare felines away from his yard. West Virginia State Police said Brian Michael Bailey, 42, of Hedgesville, was arrested Monday after several complaints were lodged about him setting off some manner of explosive devices at his home, The (Hagerstown, Md.) Herald-Mail, reported Thursday. Bailey told troopers he had been making "cat bombs" from combining aluminum foil and toilet bowl cleaner in empty plastic soda bottles and throwing them into his yard, frightening away roaming cats with the resulting explosion. Troopers said they found three exploded bottles at Bailey's home and two bottles of The Works toilet bowl cleaner. Bailey was charged with a felony count of illegal possession of destructive devices, explosive material or incendiary devices.

A LITTLE LAUGH:

To prepare for my daughter's First Communion, I called the church in the town where we used to live to get a copy of her baptismal certificate.

We lived there for only a short while, so I didn't know the clergy well. When the secretary asked me the name of the father, I told her that I couldn't remember.

After a brief silence, she said, "Ma'am, I'm talking about the name of the baby's father."

Top 10 In The World:

CLOSEUP PICTURE: Can you identify this close up picture?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’: Cronkite: In His Own Words

♫ 60’s Rock ♫

Click on Song Title to see and hear it.

♪… Papa's Got a Brand New Bag James Brown

♪… Whole Lotta Love Led Zeppelin

♪… My Generation The Who

____________________________________

DAYBOOK INFORMATION

►THIS WEEK◄

1-7 National Cheerleading Week ♣ National Ghostwriters Week ♣ National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week ♣ Universal Human Beings Week ♣

5-20► Iditarod Race ♣

6-12► Celebrate Your Name Week ♣ National Consumer Protection Week ♣ National Pancake Week ♣ National Words Matter Week ♣ Save Your Vision Week ♣ Read an E-Book Week ♣ Return The Borrowed Books Week ♣ Teen Tech Week ♣ Women in Construction Week ♣

►TODAY IS◄

National Frozen Food Day

Namesake Day

Belgium: Carnival of Binche (celebrations leading up to Ash Wednesday)

Austria & Germany: Fasching Sunday (celebrations leading up to Ash Wednesday)

Ghana: Independence Day (1957 from UK)

Guam: Magellan Day/Discovery Day (1521)

Territory of Norfolk Island, Australia: Foundation Day, the founding of Norfolk Island in 1788

U.S. Stoneware Pottery Appreciation Day

U.S. Snowshoe Day

■…AUTHORS/COMPOSERS/ARTISTS

1806 Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Moulton) poet: Sonnets from the Portuguese - “How do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways.”

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

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

Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, 83, Nobel Prize–winning Colombian author (A Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera)

■…ATHLETES

Ryan Nyquist, 32, BMX bike racer

Shaquille Rashan O’Neal, 39, basketball (Magic, Lakers, Heat, Suns, Cavaliers, Celtics)

■…BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Alan Greenspan, 85, economist, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board

■…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS)

Tom Arnold, 52, actor (“Roseanne,” McHale’s Navy, True Lies)

1906 Lou Costello comedian/actor (Abbott & Costello)

1893 [Walter] Furry Lewis father of the blues

Dave Gilmour, 67, singer, guitarist (Pink Floyd)

D.L. Hughley, 48, comedian, actor (“The Hughleys,” The Original Kings of Comedy)

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

Rob Reiner, 64, actor (“All in the Family”), director (When Harry Met Sally . . . , This Is Spinal Tap)

1905 Bob Wills fiddler, composer, bandleader: Light Crust Doughboys, Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys: San Antonio Rose; inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

■…POLITICIANS

Saul Anuzis, 52, former chair of Republican Party

Marion Barry Jr., 52, former mayor of DC

■…SCIENCE & RELIGION

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

Valentina Tereshkova-Nikolayeva, 74, cosmonaut

Today’s Obits:

1888 Louisa May Alcott US author (Old-fashioned Girl), stroke @ 55

1973 Pearl S[ydenstricker] Buck author (Good Earth-Nobel 1938), @ 80

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

1967 Nelson Eddy US baritone/actor (Phantom of the Opera), cerebral hemorrhage @ 65

1968 Joseph Martin Jr Speaker of the House, @ 83

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

Today’s Events:

■…ARTS

1831 Edgar Allen Poe removed from West Point military academy

1985 Yul Brynner appears in his 4,500th performance of "King & I"

■…ATHLETICS

1922 Babe Ruth signs 3 years at $52,000 a year New York Yankee contract

1964 Elijah Muhammad renames Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali

1967 Muhammad Ali is ordered by selective service to be inducted

■…BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1808 1st college orchestra in US founded, at Harvard

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

1981 Walter Cronkite signs-off as anchorman of "The CBS Evening News"

■…INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1777 70 SHAWNEE warriors, led by Chief Blackfish, will attack some settlers near Harrodsburg, Kentucky. One of the men, James Ray, managed to escape and warn the settlement of the war party. The SHAWNEE will attack Harrodsburg tomorrow.

1873 After hearing from Hooker Jim of the "trap" at the Fairchild ranch, Captain Jack has his sister Mary Write a letter to the commissioners. The letter states Captain Jack's wish for both sides to forget the killings on both sides and for the slate to be wiped clean. Captain Jack wants no more killing, but he will not give up his people to be hanged. He states he has not asked for the whites who have killed his people

■…POLITICS (International)

1521 Magellan discovers Guam

1926 China asks for a seat in the Security council

■…POLITICS (US)

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

■…SCIENCE & RELIGION

1840 Baltimore College of Dental Surgery Opened, the first Dental school.

1869 Dmitri Mendeleev presents the first periodic table to the Russian Chemical Society.

1899 Bayer registers aspirin as a trademark.

1992 Michelangelo computer virus begins to affect computers.

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ANSWERS:

Quiz

1. By area what is the world's largest sea? South China

2. What capital city began as the village of Edo? Tokyo

3. On which national flag is there an eagle and a snake? Mexico

4. In which country would you find the Negev desert? Israel

5. Which American State is nicknamed the 'Diamond State'? Delaware

6. What is the capitol of Morocco? Rabat

7. If you landed at Hanedi airport where are you? Tokyo

8. Where does the White and Blue Nile join? Khartoum, in Sudan

9. What does Calabria, Liguria, Puglia and Veneto have in comoon? Regions of Italy

10. What is the capital of Ghana? Accra

Close Up Picture

Toy Oven

________AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW________

3-5-11 Saturday

TODAY’s HOLY MACKEREL: 1845 Congress appropriates $30,000 to ship camels to western US

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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I got some interesting answers when I talked to the Director of Billing at our local hospital. First she claimed that an itemized bill was sent to me in January. I told her I had never gotten an itemized bill for my last four procedures and that had been done—my gall bladder, my hernia, my throat trimming, and my thyroid operation. She said that itemized bills were automatically sent out. I told her that the billing company said I had to request an itemized bill. She called me back a couple of hours later and said that it appears that while the contract calls for itemized bills to be sent, they aren’t being sent. My second complaint was the evening calls. She said that she agreed with me and said that the company requires that in the contract to do business with the hospital. She said that when she gets evening calls she just tells them that it is not a convenient time to talk and hangs up. Hmmm. Then came the really good news. I have reached my insurance deductible for the year and won’t be seeing any bill for the thyroid surgery. That is a relief. Also, I have met my medication deductible so my prescriptions will be less than $2 each for the rest of 2011. We had a good discussion and she certainly provided me with good information.

I went to get a haircut this morning, only to find that the lady I like wouldn’t be in until 2pm. So I went back at 2pm and then found she wouldn’t be in until 3pm. The place is only about 10 minutes from my house so it wasn’t a big deal. When I got there at 3pm she wasn’t there but got there about 3:20. It turns out that her late arrival had nothing to do with her. The salon had called her and told her to come in at 3:30. She explained that somehow, their arrival time is based on how busy they are. They don’t want the stylists just standing around so they decide how many people are waiting one hour before the stylist is to be there. If it is slow, they will have them come in later. So when I went in at 10a there was one stylist and one person getting a haircut and one waiting. When I returned at 2p there were 2 stylists and four people waiting. When I got there at 3p there were 5 stylists with a long list of people waiting. Luckily I was on the list so just walked in with stylist, sat down and got my haircut. A strange way to run a business from the customer’s point of view, but probably does make the salon more money. So we now have a plan.

When I need a haircut, I go in at 10, put my name on the list, leave, call Terri and she will call me when she is heading to the mall.

My facial hair continues, but today was a little itchy. Hopefully that won’t last much longer. If it does, out with the razor. I did look for a beard trimmer today, but didn’t find one I liked and wasn’t ready for that step. If I do buy one, I will feel obligated to keep the facial hair so that I haven’t wasted any money.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT…

Sponges that have a stale odor can be made fresh again by adding a bit of lemon juice and then putting in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Make giant ice cubes in muffin tins or plastic margarine bowls. These are perfect for using in picnic coolers or punch bowls. They look pretty and keep your drinks or food cold longer.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION…

YouTube was created by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim in 2005. They already knew each other from working together on the Internet site PayPal. The funding for the start up of YouTube came from bonuses received following the eBay buy-out of PayPal.

The inspiration for YouTube as we know it today is credited to two different events. The first was founder Karim's inability to find footage online of Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction," and the second when Hurley and Chen were unable to share video footage of a dinner party due to e-mail attachment limitations.

The domain name YouTube.com was registered on Valentine's Day in 2005. This caused a huge misunderstanding for Universal Tube & Rollform Equipment based in Perrysburg, Ohio. Its company domain, "utube.com," was overwhelmed with traffic from people that tried to spell the video site's name phonetically. The manufacturing company sued YouTube claiming its business was damaged by the video site, but the claims were dismissed.

PUZZLE: Trivia Quiz […answers at bottom…]

1. The 'Weir of Hermiston' was whose last, unfinished novel?

2. Chalus the Greek was prophesied to die on a certain day. How did he die?

3. Tempera is made up of water and what other ingredient?

4. What is it illegal to pawn in Las Vegas?

5. Collective nouns - A sute of what?

6. The Sam Maguire Trophy is played for in which sport?

7. Raquel Welch was once held what job?

8. 37% of women prefer what to sex?

9. What pet did Florence Nightingale carry with her?

10. What animal would you find in a form?

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM:

MSMBC:Science-In addition to making you walk funny and drop your keys five or six times while trying to get inside your house, a full bladder may actually do something useful: help you make better decisions.

According to an upcoming study in Psychological Science, researchers at the University of Twente in the Netherlands performed experiments on more than 500 college students to determine if the inhibitory signals sent to a full bladder would “spill over” into other inhibitory responses, such as holding out for a larger monetary reward rather than going with a smaller immediate one.

According to lead author Mirjam Tuk, researchers had test subjects drink either five cups of water or sip a bit from each cup. After about 40 minutes -- the amount of time it takes for the water to reach the bladder -- the subjects were asked to participate in a choice test.

“We asked them to choose between a small, but soon-to-be-received reward or a large but later-to-be-received award, e.g., $18 tomorrow or $30 in 25 days,” says Tuk in an e-mail interview. “The number of times respondents opted for a later but larger reward was higher for people who experienced high bladder pressure.”

Subjects also participated in other tests that seemed to indicate a full bladder helped with impulse control.

“These findings seem to suggest that people possess a general inhibition system,” Tuk writes in her paper. “The inhibition of various behaviors (motor and cognitive) seems to have its origin in the same neural area. Once inhibitory signals are sent, they are not completely bound to the focal task requiring inhibition, but spill over to other domains.”

What does this mean for those of us in the real world, especially that part of the world where there are no public restrooms?

Tuk says since people make better decisions when they have a full bladder, they may want to drink a bottle of water before making a decision about their stock portfolio (or that big-screen TV).

“This is of course a generalization of experimental evidence, but any type of financial decision-making might benefit from increased bladder control,” she says. “People might be more likely to invest money in retirement funds instead of spending it on more short-term benefits, for example.”

Interestingly, Tuk says that if the inhibitory signal is less present -- i.e., if you don’t have to go potty -- then there will be less inhibitory spillover. In other words, if you’ve already gone to see that man about a horse, you may have a tendency to make more impulsive and unwise decisions.

A LITTLE LAUGH:
After shopping for weeks, I finally found the car of my dreams. It was only two years old and in beautiful condition. The salesman asked if I would like to take it for a test drive. We had traveled no more than two miles when the car broke down. The salesman called for a tow truck.

When it arrived, we climbed into the front seat. While the driver was hooking up the car, the salesman turned to me with a smile and said, "Well, now, what is it going to take to put you behind the wheel of that beauty today?"

Top 10 In The World:

CLOSEUP PICTURE: Can you identify this close up picture?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’:

Iditarod Trail Song by Alaskas Hobo Jim

Toughest Race on Earth: Iditarod

♫ 60’s Rock ♫

Click on Song Title to see and hear it.

♪… Proud Mary Creedence Clearwater Revival

♪… Mr. Tambourine Man Byrds

♪…All Along The Watchtower Jimi Hendrix

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DAYBOOK INFORMATION

►THIS WEEK◄

2/27-3/5 ► Telecommuter Appreciation Week ♥ Peace Corps Week

1-7 National Cheerleading Week ♣ National Ghostwriters Week ♣ National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week ♣ Universal Human Beings Week ♣

5-20► Iditarod Race ♣

►TODAY IS◄

Multiple Personalities Day

Potty Dance Day

Memory Day

♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

Brazil: Carnival begins

Cornwall: Saint Piran's Day (Patron St. of Tinworkers)

China: Learn from Lei Feng Day (People's Liberation Army hero )

French West Indies: Carnival begins

Malta: Carnival begins

US: Crispus Attucks Day: 1st person to die in American Revolution

US: Boston MA : Boston Massacre Day (1770)

■…AUTHORS/COMPOSERS/ARTISTS

1852 Lady Isabella Gregory Irish writer/playwright (Golden Apple)

1824 James Merritt Ives lithographer (Currier & Ives)

■…ATHLETES

1977 Wally Szczerbiak, basketball (Timberwolves, Celtics, Supersonics, Cavaliers)

■…BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1893 Emmett J Culligan founder of water treatment organization

1824 Elisha Harris US, physician/found American Public Health Association

■…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS)

1927 Jack (John Joseph Edward) Cassidy actor: The Eiger Sanction, The Andersonville Trial; Broadway’s She Loves Me; David and Shaun’s father; Shirley Jones’ husband

Kevin Connolly, 37, actor (“Entourage”)

Samantha Eggar, 72, actress (“Samantha and the King,” The Collector)

1908 Rex [Reginald Carey] Harrison English actor (My Fair Lady, Dr Doolittle)

Penn Jillette, 56, magician

Dean Stockwell, 75, actor (The Boy with Green Hair, “Quantum Leap”)

Marsha Warfield, 57, actress (“Night Court,” “Empty Nest”)

■…POLITICIANS

1898 Zhou Enlai, Premier of the People's Republic of China

1897 Mei-ling Soong Madame Chiang Kai-shek

■…SCIENCE & RELIGION

1637 John van der Heyden Dutch painter/inventor (fire extinguisher)

1920 Leontine Kelly 1st black female bishop (Methodist)

1512 Gerardus Mercator Belgium geographer/mapmaker

1574 William Oughtred English mathematician/inventor (slide rule)

Today’s Obits:

1982 John Belushi comedian (Sat Night Live), drug overdose @ 33

1992 Andrew Samuel child actor (Our Gang), dies @ 82

1953 Josef V Stalin soviet leader responsible for 11 million murders, @ 73

Today’s Events:

■…ARTS

1917 1st jazz recording for Victor Records released

1960 Elvis Presley returned to civilian life after a two-year hitch in the U.S. Army

■…ATHLETICS

1991 Reggie Miller (Indiana) begins NBA free throw streak of 52 games

■…BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1623 1st American temperance law enacted, Virginia

1836 Samuel Colt manufactures 1st pistol, 34-caliber "Texas" model

1934 Mother-in-law's day 1st celebrated (Amarillo TX)

■…INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1831 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.

1861 The Confederacy appoints Albert Pike, of Arkansas, to negotiate treaties with the Indians in the region.

1891 The city of Phoenix offers a $200 bounty for dead Indians

■…POLITICS (International)

1496 English King Henry VII hires John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) to explore

1836 Mexico attacks Alamo

1945 Allies bombs The Hague, Netherlands

1946 Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech (Fulton MO)

■…POLITICS (US)

1770 Boston Massacre, British troops kill 5 in crowd; Crispus Attackus becomes 1st black to die for American freedom

1923 Old-age pension laws were enacted in the states of Montana and Nevada.

1933 FDR proclaims 10-day bank holiday

■…SCIENCE & RELIGION

1868 Stapler patented in England by C H Gould

1979 Voyager I's closest approach to Jupiter (172,000 miles)

____________________________________

ANSWERS:

Quiz

1. The 'Weir of Hermiston' was whose last, unfinished novel? Robert Louis Stevenson

2. Chalus the Greek was prophesied to die on a certain day. How did he die?

He died laughing because he thought the prophecy was wrong and he was still alive.

3. Tempera is made up of water and what other ingredient? Egg Yolk

4. What is it illegal to pawn in Las Vegas? Your Dentures

5. Collective nouns - A sute of what? Bloodhounds

6. The Sam Maguire Trophy is played for in which sport? Gaelic Football

7. Raquel Welch was once held what job? Weathergirl

8. 37% of women prefer what to sex? Shoe shopping

9. What pet did Florence Nightingale carry with her? An Owl (in her pocket)

10. What animal would you find in a form? Hare

Close Up Picture

Electric Drums

________AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW________

3-4-11 Friday

TODAY’s HOLY MACKEREL: 1849 US had no President, Polk's term ends on a Sunday, Taylor couldn't be sworn-in, Senator David Atchison (pres pro tem) term ended March 3rd ­­­

____________________________________

MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

I pay my bills about every two weeks. I got a bill from Flag Medical Center for my first surgery this year. I was ready to check bills and pay them today. For the Flag Medical Center, you have to request an itemized bill, or just pay whatever they say. Instead of waiting for an itemized bill I compare my EOB’s with the bill. My BCBS has really changed the last two years. No longer do they pay all the surgery. One has to reach a deductible and then you pay 15% of the bill. That can become quite a chuck of money. Anyway, last night I got a call at about 8:30pm from the bill service wondering why I hadn’t paid the bill. I explained that I had the bill for only 2 weeks and that I hadn’t checked it yet. Nowhere on the bill does it say it must be paid within 14 days. They also informed me that I would continue to get phone calls until the bill was paid in full. I called the billing company this morning to say that I found this to be a little harassing. I was told that she was just following a hospital policy. When I asked about the 8:30 phone call she said that they can call, by Federal regulation up until 9:30pm. They are more like a collection agency than a hospital billing service. So I told her the bill payment was mailed to them today. I called the hospital and explained my complaint. I was transferred to the voice announcement of the Director of Billing. She wasn’t in but left a cell phone number. I called her and asked when she would be back in the office. She said she hoped to be back in tomorrow. I told her I would call her then. I get that they want my money but I find it harassing that they call after two short weeks. I’ll see how all this works out tomorrow. As I have another big bill coming in soon, for the second surgery, and don’t want to get any more phone calls.

It was a really nice day and I was able to run errands twice today. Since I don’t have a lot of extra spending money after paying the hospital I didn’t buy a lot, but I did get some ‘essentials’. I have a very broad philosophy about ‘essential’ which includes just about anything I want that is on sale. Sale means that it is at least 25% or more off the regular price. So it was a good day.

I had my first lip swelling of 2011 this morning. It was a mild case as I took the meds as soon as I was sure that was what it was. That usually takes about 2 hours. I notice that there is swelling and start thinking that I might have bit my lip or brushed my teeth too hard. After about 2 hours the area starts feeling very warm and the swelling is observable to me. I took my meds and within 2 hours after that, the swelling, heat, and odd feeling was gone. One would think that after having this for two years + I would just take the pill as soon as it starts. For some reason, I have to be sure, before I pop the pill. I still seem to believe that it will just stop by itself and not bother me. It never has, but there is always a first time…right?

My phone is working well today. I set a ringtone that sounds like a phone ringing instead to some outer space sound that yells ‘DRIOD’ when it rings. And I found a non-intrusive sound when I get a text, email, or other notification. I added a couple of apps today and all is still working. I now have my shopping lists, my meds lists—in case of emergency or when I go to a new physician, my favorite useful app—Cardstar—that puts my discount cards on my phone. So much easier to go to the drug store, Sam’s, Safeway, etc and just use the phone instead of looking through the cards to find the right one. Technology is so helpful—when it works. Of course, when it doesn’t work, it is a real pain.

It sure looks we are going to be ‘wondering’ what is happening in Northern Africa. Libya is a country most Americans don’t know much about and it turns out neither does our State Department, or at least they aren’t saying they know much. The line they are using is that we don’t know that much about the ‘opposition’ in Libya. Really? With its importance in oil reserves—sold mostly to Europe—and its way to control oil movement in the world. Their dictator and our government have not been friends for years. I just find it hard to believe that the CIA doesn’t know a lot.

I haven’t shaved since my birthday. Not real sure why. Just taking a break from the daily hassle. I did do some trimming so I don’t look like I have decided to live in a cave or join ZZTop. I’m not sure how long this will all continue—maybe a week, maybe not. If I do decide to keep the beard, I will certainly have to learn how to keep it short and neat. Not sure how to do that, but time will tell.

____________________________________

DID YOU KNOW THAT…

Bath salts can be made with either sea salts or Epsom salts. Which salt is right for your bath? That depends on what you are looking for. Want to unwind? Try Epsom salts. They soothe sore muscles and calm the body. Want an energy boost? Then use sea salts. They stimulate circulation so you feel more alert.

To clean up spills in the oven, sprinkle table salt immediately on the spill. When oven has cooled, brush away the burnt-on food with a damp sponge. The salt will make the spill much easier to clean up, saving time andmoney, since you won't have to buy oven cleaner as often!

Replace the car windshield washing formula in your car with half vinegar and half water. This cuts the road grime and leaves the windshield crystal clear.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION…

The word "toast" is a wish of good health. It started in ancient Rome, where a piece of toasted bread was dropped into wine.

The word alcohol is derived from the Arabic word 'al-kuhl', meaning " a fine powder used as an antiseptic or used as an eyeliner".

PUZZLE: Trivia Quiz […answers at bottom…]

1. If you landed at Carthage airport where would you be?

2. The Plains of Abraham overlook which city?

3. If someone said they were from the city Hellas, what country are they from?

4. Goa used to be a colony of which nation?

5. What is the capital of Sicily?

6. Bam, Yat and Holon are in which country?

7. What is the smallest state of Australia?

8. If you landed at Schipol airport where are you?

9. Angel Falls located in Venezuela are the highest falls but where are the second highest?

10. Where does the White and Blue Nile join?

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM:

OKLAHOMA CITY — Hundreds of people from the United States and Canada want to adopt an Oklahoma dog that survived an attempt to euthanize it.

The puppy was one of five stray dogs that Sulphur animal control officer Scott Prall put to sleep Friday — or so he thought. Prall found one of the dogs alive Saturday in a trash bin set aside for dead animals and took it to veterinarian technician Amanda Kloski.

"He was prancing around. He heard me drive up, and he looked up and saw me," Prall said Wednesday.

"He was prancing around. He heard me drive up, and he looked up and saw me," Prall said Wednesday. He said he initially found the stray dog near the animal shelter Friday and tried to kill it by injecting the dog with two lethal doses of a sedative in a foreleg and the heart. Each dose should have been enough to kill the dog, and the second injection was meant to ensure it worked. Kloski noted the dog's survival on a pet adoption website, drawing the attention of Marcia Machtiger of Pittsburgh, who donated $100 so Kloski could board the dog for a week.

A girl from Sulphur named the puppy Wall-e, after a Disney movie character, and Machtiger posted Wall-e's story on her Facebook page.

She and Kloski are sorting through hundreds of e-mails and phone calls from people wanting to adopt the lucky dog.

"So many people are interested," Kloski said. "Now we're going through and trying to find the adoption applications for the best home."

Wall-e will be placed in a foster home at the end of the week while the search for a permanent home continues. Both Kloski and Machtiger said they have never seen so many people want to adopt one animal.

Machtiger said people are interested in the puppy because his story is unique. "Having been euthanized basically twice. ... It's a resurrection and a will to live and a medical anomaly," she said.

Sulphur is about 80 miles south of Oklahoma City.

A LITTLE LAUGH:

When my wife and I went up to New England a couple of years ago we decided to stay in one of those quaint little inns. The clerk at the inn asked me if we wanted a room with a shower or a tub.

"What's the difference?" I asked.

"Well, sir, in a tub, you can sit down."

Top 10 In The World:

CLOSEUP PICTURE: Can you identify this close up picture?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’: Red Barber on Jackie Robinson

♫ 60’s Rock ♫

Click on Song Title to see and hear it.

♪… (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay Otis Redding

♪… When A Man Loves A Woman Percy Sledge

♪… The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand

____________________________________

DAYBOOK INFORMATION

►THIS WEEK◄

2/27-3/5 ► Telecommuter Appreciation Week ♥ Peace Corps Week

1-7 National Cheerleading Week ♣ National Ghostwriters Week ♣ National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week ♣ Universal Human Beings Week ♣

►TODAY IS◄

Holy Experiment Day

Courageous Follower Day

Employee Appreciation Day

International Scrapbooking Industry Day

March Forth-Do Something Day

Toy Soldier Day

World Day of Prayer

National Day of Unplugging

Shabbat Across America/Canada (since 1996: encouraging all to learn about the holy day events: about 2.2% of US population is Jewish)

♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

US: Benjamin Harrison Day

US: Constitution Day (1789)

US: Inauguration Day from 1798 to 1933

US: National Grammar Day

US: Pennsylvania : Charter Day (1681)

US: Vermont: Admission Day (1791: 14th state)

■…AUTHORS/COMPOSERS/ARTISTS

1756 Sir Henry Raeburn Scottish artist: mostly male portraits

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

■…ATHLETES

Kevin Johnson, 45, former basketball (Cavaliers, Suns)

1888 Knute Rockne Norwegian/US football player/coach (Notre Dame)

■…BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Richard DeVos, 85, American billionaire, co-founder of Amway

1906 Charles Rudolph Walgreen, Jr., American businessman

1932 Frank Wells, American entertainment businessman

■…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS)

Chaz Bono, 42, American actor and gay rights activist

1876 Theodore Hardeen (Ferencz Deszo Weisz) magician; brother of Harry Houdini; founder of Magician’s Guild

Patricia Heaton, 52, actress (“Everybody Loves Raymond”)

1934 Barbara McNair singer; TV hostess: The Barbara McNair Show; actress

Paula Prentiss, 72, actress (“He & She,” What’s New Pussycat?)

1889 Pearl White [Victoria] US actress/stunt woman (Perils of Pauline)

Mary Wilson, 67, singer (original member of the Supremes)

■…POLITICIANS

Claire Baker, 40, Scottish politician

1919 Tan Chee Khoon, Malaysian politician

1889 Oren E. Long, 10th Territorial Governor of Hawaii and United States Senators from Hawaii

1948 – Jean O'Leary, American gay rights activist and politician (d. 2005)

■…SCIENCE & RELIGION

1835 Giovanni Schiaparelli Italian astronomer (discovered canals of Mars)

1754 Benjamin Waterhouse physician (smallpox vaccine pioneer)

Today’s Obits:

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

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

1996 Minnie Pearl (Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon )country comedienne (Grand Ole Opry), @ 84

1953 Sergei S Prokoviev Russian composer (Peter & the wolf), cerebral hemorrhage @61

Today’s Events:

■…ARTS

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

1960 Lucille Ball files divorce from Desi Arnaz

1979 200th episode of "All in the Family"

■…ATHLETICS

1930 ‘The Redhead’, Red Barber, began his radio career this day. Barber broadcast on WRUF at the University of Florida in Gainsville. He soon became one of the best known sports voices in America.

1930 Mrs Charles [Emma] Fahning is 1st woman to bowl a santioned perfect [300] game

1967 World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Vienna won by Peggy Fleming (USA)

■…BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1792 Oranges introduced to Hawaii

1902 American Automobile Association (AAA) founded in Chicago

■…INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

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.

1829 President Jackson gives his "just policy for Indians" speech today.

■…POLITICS (International)

1972 Libya & USSR signs cooperation treaty

■…POLITICS (US)

1829 Unruly crowd mobs White House during President Jackson inaugural ball

1837 City of Chicago incorporates

1861 Confederate States adopt "Stars & Bars" flag

1909 US prohibits interstate transportation of game birds

1913 Department of Commerce & Labor split into separate departments

1944 1st US bombing of Berlin

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

1997 President Clinton bans federally funded human cloning research

■…SCIENCE & RELIGION

1675 John Flamsteed appointed 1st Astronomer Royal of England

1774 1st sighting of Orion nebula (William Herschel)

1921 Hot Springs National Park created in Arkansas

1995 Blind teenage boy receives a 'Bionic Eye' at a Washington Hospital

____________________________________

ANSWERS:

The website I borrow these quizzes from seem to repeat some questions. Not sure why, but as a teacher, I will guess that it is to see if we learned anything from the previous quiz.

Quiz

1. If you landed at Carthage airport where would you be? Tunis, Tunisia

2. The Plains of Abraham overlook which city? Quebec

3. If someone said they were from the city Hellas, what country are they from? Greece

4. Goa used to be a colony of which nation? Portugal

5. What is the capital of Sicily? Palermo

6. Bam, Yat and Holon are in which country? Israel

7. What is the smallest state of Australia? Tasmania

8. If you landed at Schipol airport where are you? Amsterdam

9. Angel Falls located in Venezuela are the highest falls but where are the second highest? Natal National Park, South Africa: Tugela Falls. If you are wondering Yosemite Falls are the 7th highest

10. Where does the White and Blue Nile join? Khartoum, in Sudan

Close Up Picture

Pool Ball

________AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW________

3-3-11 Wednesday

TODAY’s HOLY MACKEREL: 1875 Congress authorizes 20¢ coin, lasts only 3 years

____________________________________

MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

My friend Martha and I went out for an Italian Dinner—late birthday party. Great conversation, and presents too. I got a 12CD set of her book Caitlin—very cooooool. And I got three shot-bottles of various Scotch. Guess I will have my own Scotch tasting party. A nice celebration all around.

Today is International Sister Cities Day. Flagstaff has 4 sister cities: 1. City of Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia, 2. Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico, 3. Barnaul, Siberia, Russia, and 4. Hsin Tien City, Taipei, Taiwan. Even though we are part of AZ, we try to remain international.

____________________________________

DID YOU KNOW THAT…

Carpet Spot Cleaner. To clean spots on rugs and carpets, use window cleaner. It works as well as the spray-on carpet cleaners and if you buy the store brand (I use Wal Mart), you can get it for as little as $0.97 for a full quart bottle.

When I set mousetraps, I always bait them and put them in a brown paper lunch bag. The mice seem drawn to the small place to explore and all I have to do is close the bag and throw it away after they've been caught! No muss, no fuss!

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION…

In Massachusetts, the holiday is still called Washington’s Birthday. However, each year the governor issues a proclamation honoring all of the presidents from Massachusetts: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge and John F. Kennedy.

Washington conceived the Badge of Military Merit, for wounded soldiers, and won three during his term. The award wasn’t used again until it was revived and renamed the Purple Heart on his 200th birthday, in 1932.

In some areas, instead of closing for one day to celebrate Lincoln and Washington’s birthdays, they close for an entire week. One such place is the New York City School District.

There was an attempt in 1968 to officially name this day Presidents Day. However, this suggestion died in committee.

Many states, however, choose to call their own celebration on this day "Presidents Day."

On February 22nd of almost every year since 1888, Washington's Farewell Address has been read in the US Senate. While this did not happen on Presidents Day, it is an annual celebration of Washington's Birthday that stems from 1862 when the Address was read as a way to boost morale during the Civil War.

Abraham Lincoln's birthday is on February 12th. Even though many states celebrate Abraham Lincoln's birthday concurrently with Washington's birthday, it is not a federally designated holiday.

PUZZLE: Trivia Quiz […answers at bottom…]

1. If you landed at Mirabel airport, where would you be?

2. What is the largest state in the USA?

3. What river flows through 8 countries and four capital cities?

4. What's the only river that flows both north and south of the equator?

5. The Mason-Dixon line separates Pennsylvania and what State?

6. If you landed at Merignac airport - where are you?

7. Caligari is the capital of what island?

8. What is France's longest river?

9. In what country is the Eucumbene Dam?

10. In which country is Zug?

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM:

YUMA, Ariz. — A runaway dog darted into an Arizona apartment and found a cool place to hide — the bottom of the refrigerator.

A Yuma Fire Department spokesman says the family told firefighters the pooch rushed into their home when they opened the front door and kept snapping at them.

When they went to the fridge to get some food to try to lure the dog outside, the animal jumped in the appliance and refused to come out.

Firefighters found the small black terrier-type dog crouched on the bottom shelf, snapping at anyone who approached. They used protective gear to pick up the pooch and put it in a carrier.

The dog had been reported missing by someone else at the apartment complex and was returned home safely.

A LITTLE LAUGH:

A screenwriter comes home to a burned down house. His sobbing wife is standing outside. "What happened, honey?" the man asks.

"Oh, John, it was terrible," she weeps. "I was cooking when the phone rang. It was your agent. Because I was on the phone, I didn't notice the stove had caught on fire. It went up in seconds. Everything is gone. I nearly didn't make it out of the house. Poor Fluffy is gone........"

"Wait! Back up a minute," the man says. "My agent called?"

Top 10 In The World:

CLOSEUP PICTURE: Can you identify this close up picture?

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’: Mount Rushmore National Monument

♫ 60’s Rock ♫

Click on Song Title to see and hear it.

♪… Yesterday The Beatles

♪… The House Of The Rising Sun The Animals

♪… A Whiter Shade of Pale Procol Harum

____________________________________

DAYBOOK INFORMATION

►THIS WEEK◄

2/27-3/5 ► Telecommuter Appreciation Week ♥ Peace Corps Week

1-7 National Cheerleading Week ♣ National Ghostwriters Week ♣ National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week ♣ Universal Human Beings Week ♣

►TODAY IS◄

I Want You To Be Happy Day

International Sister Cities Day

National Anthem Day

Peach Blossom Day

What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs? Day

♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

Arab Countries: Mohammed's Birthday

Bulgaria: Liberation from Ottoman Rule Day (1878)

Egypt: Sportsmen's day

Grenada: Partial Independence Day (1967)

Japan : Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival)

Malawi: Martyrs Day

Morocco : National Day (1961)

Sudan : Unity Day Day of Prayer

UK and Ireland: World Book Day

US: Florida: Admission Day (1845—27th state)

US: Hawaii : Japanese Girl's Day

■…AUTHORS/COMPOSERS/ARTISTS

1921 Allen Ginsberg beat generation poet (1969 Arts & Letters Award)

1793 Charles Sealsfield writer (The Making of America)

■…ATHLETES

1920 Julius Boros golfer (US Open 1952,63)

Santonio Holmes, 27, football (Stealers, Jets)

Jacqueline (Jackie) Joyner-Kersee, 49, Olympic heptathlete

Herschel Walker, 49, former football player

■…BUSINESS & EDUCATION

1909 Harry Hemsley billionaire New York landlord

Lee Radziwill, 78, socialite

■…ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS)

Jessica Biel, 29, actress (The Illusionist, “7th Heaven”)

David Faustino, 37, actor (“Married . . . With Children”)

1911 Jean Harlow [Harlean Carpentier] 30s' sex goddess (Dinner at 8)

Ira Glass, 52, radio host (“This American Life”)

■…POLITICIANS

--

■…SCIENCE & RELIGION

1847 Alexander Graham Bell Edinburgh Scotland, inventor (telephone)

1838 George W Hill US astronomer (Moon orbit)

1831 George M Pullman inventor (railway sleeping car)

Today’s Obits:

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

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

Today’s Events:

■…ARTS

1915 The now-famous film, The Birth of a Nation, debuted in New York City.

1931 "Star Spangled Banner" officially becomes US national anthem

1978 Charles Chaplin's remains are stolen in Switzerland

■…ATHLETICS

1974 George Foreman KOs Ken Norton

■…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

1939 A new craze began to sweep college campuses. Goldfish swallowing.

■…INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

1819 The United States starts its Indian "civilization" program.

1885 Congress passes Indian Appropriations Act (Indians wards of federal government)

1988 The Alaska Native Claims Act is amended.

■…POLITICS (International)

--

■…POLITICS (US)

1791 Congress establishes US Mint

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

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

1817 Mississippi Territory is divided into Alabama Territory & Mississippi

1845 The U.S. Congress passed legislation overriding a President’s veto. It was the first time Congress had done so. President John Tyler was in office at the time.

1863 1st US wartime military conscription bill enacted

1891 Congress creates US Courts of Appeal

1933 Mount Rushmore dedicated

■…SCIENCE & RELIGION

--

____________________________________

ANSWERS:

Quiz

1. If you landed at Mirabel airport, where would you be? Montreal

2. What is the largest state in the USA? Alaska

3. What river flows through 8 countries and four capital cities? Danube

4. What's the only river that flows both north and south of the equator? The Congo

5. The Mason-Dixon line separates Pennsylvania and what State? Maryland

6. If you landed at Merignac airport - where are you? Bordeaux

7. Caligari is the capital of what island? Sardinia

8. What is France's longest river? Loire

9. In what country is the Eucumbene Dam? Australia, New South Wales

10. In which country is Zug? Switzerland, it is the smallest Canton

Close Up Picture

Bread Maker

________AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW________