Oct 29, 2012

FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!

Flagstaff Almanac:  

Week: 44/ Day: 303   

Today: High 67°…Low 23°

Records: High 74°(1950)…Low 13°(1954)

Averages: High 58° Low 28°

Wind: average:   3mph; Gusts:  13mph

Today’s average humidity:  34%

Quote of the Day:

Today’s Historical Highlights:

1st ball point pen goes on sale, 57 years after it is patented—1945
Alaska highway completed—1942
Boris Pasternak refuses Nobel prize for literature—1958
Chet Huntley & David Brinkley, NBC News, team up—1956
Mount Hood (Oregon) is named after the British naval officer      Alexander Arthur Hood—1792
National Museum of American Indian opens (NYC) —1994
Sir Walter Raleigh is beheaded for allegedly conspiring against      James I of England—1618

♪  ♪   Happy Birthday To: ♪. ♪   

How many can you identify?…answers in Today’s Birthdays

Free Rambling Thoughts:   

A nice relaxing Sunday…good day to pay bills. Broncos play the Saints in Denver, and it’s on TV.  Guess I’ll watch it.

 

Guess Mother Nature will be in the news for the next few days. A friend in Florida emailed that she is OK and battened down. My brother and his wife in NY probably taking the next days off…too hard to get from Brooklyn to the City and both their buildings have been closed. A friend visiting Hawaii was evacuated from the hotel and was let back in when the expected tsunami from the Canadian earthquake wasn’t as big as expected. Small world.

Game  Center: (answers at the end of post)

Anagram Sentences: 4 letter anagrams

What are the missing words?

Mitten, one of my ____ , is now wearing a ____ on his leg, but ____ normally.

Lifestyle  Substance:     

Unusual Uses for Everyday Things: Hair Dryer

• The hot hair from a hair dryer will loosen a price tag or sticker making removal super easy.  You can also use this trick to remove contact paper from shelves.
• The best way to remove wax is to heat it back up.  Blow medium heat on the wax until it starts to melt then wipe away with a cloth.
• Quickly dry spots of water you spilt on your clothes.
• Dry that steam off with a quick blast of hot air from your hair dryer. 
• Use a hair dryer to remove dust from hard to get to nooks and crannies in your house. 
• Set the hair dryer on hot and keep it on the crayon mark until it melts.  The crayon will wipe off easily with a damp cloth and a small amount of oil soap cleanser.

Old Saying Explained: BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH

When hunting birds some people would beat about the bush to drive them out into the open. Other people would then catch the birds. 'I won't beat about the bush' came to mean 'I will go straight to the point without any delay'.

Ok, then?

TV Theme Songs you may remember:

Sesame Street - Joe Raposo, Jon Stone and Bruce Hart

Read This Headline Carefully!!

Deaf Mute Gets New Hearing in Killing

Bumper Stickers:

Bagpiping:

Amazing Grace – Bagpipes

Harper’s Index:         

Estimated portion of sexually explicit text messages that are sent to the wrong number: 1 in 10

Unusual Fact of the Day:

Kiribati. about 32 atolls and one solitary island (Banaba), extending into both the eastern and western hemispheres. is the only country that falls in all four hemispheres.

Found on You Tube: 

• "Blue Sky", Duane Allman's Solo

• Melba Moore - Love's Comin' At Ya !

Joke-of-the-day:

A pilot landed a plane with a rather bumpy landing. As part of his job he was required to stand by the terminal door and say goodbye to the passengers as they exited the airplane. He was afraid that someone might say something about his rather less than perfect landing, but everyone left without saying a word except for one passenger, an elderly lady, she slowly approached the pilot after most passengers had exited the plane and asked, "Did we land? Or were we shot down?"

Rules of Thumb:   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

THE GRADE SCHOOL RULE OF FIVE…Subtract five from the age of a child to determine his or her grade in school. Conversely, add five to the grade of a child to determine his or her age. A fourth grader, for instance, is usually nine years old.   

Yeah, It Really Happened

NOVATO, Calif. - A 2-inch chunk of a meteor that exploded dramatically over California struck the roof of the home of a minister, his wife said. "It's wonderful. It's like the heavens coming down and history, and this thing probably came from an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. I mean, how cool is that?" said Lisa Webber of the rock that bounced off the roof of her husband's study Thursday night and onto the lawn of their Novato, Calif., home. Peter Webber is pastor of Presbyterian Church of Novato, the San Francisco Chronicle said Monday. The object was confirmed as debris from the meteor that streaked over the Bay Area, offering viewers a spectacular light show, said Peter Jenniskens of the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif. "We can now hope to use our fireball trajectory to trace this type of meteorite back to its origins in the asteroid belt," he said.

Somewhat Useless Information   

Returns tomorrow

Calendar Information        

Happening This Week:

24-30

Disarmament Week
International Magic Week

Peace, Friendship and Good Will Week
Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week
World Hearing Aid Awareness Week

29-11/4

Give Wildlife a Break Week

Today Is                                                                      

Hermit Day

Internet Day (1969: 1^st e-mail)

Lung Health Day   

National Cat Day

National Forgiveness Day since 1994; to encourage people to ask for forgiveness and to forgive one another

Visit A Cemetery Day  

World Psoriasis Day   

Turkey: Republic Day (1923)

Today’s Events through History  

16,000 Jews killed in Pinsk Russia—1942
1st intercity trucking service (Colorado City & Snyder,      Texas) —1904
Belgium signs accord for 5 day work week (45 hours) —1955
Delta Air Lines merges with Northwest Airlines, creating the      world's largest airline—2008First trial for witchcraft in Paris—1390
Hand grenade explodes in Israel's Knesset —1957International day of Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, who declared      the first charter of human rights in the world also known as      Cyrus Cylinder—529BC
Star of India & other jewels are stolen in NY—1964
United Rep of Tanganyika & Zanzibar renamed United      Rep of Tanzania—1964

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

In their 40’s

Winona Ryder, [Horowitz],  actress (Heathers, Edward Scissorhand) is 41

In their 60’s

Richard Dreyfuss, Bkln NY, actor (Jaws, Nuts, Mr Holland's Opus) is 65

Kate Jackson, actress (Rookies, Charlie's Angels) id 64

Melba Moore, [Beatrice], NYC, singer/actress (Ellis Island) is 67

Remembered for being born today

James Boswell, Scotland, Samuel Johnson's biographer (1740-1795)

Fanny Brice, NYC, singing comedienne (Ziegeld Follies, Baby Snooks) (1891-1951)

Dominick Dunne, American author(1925-2009)

Charles Ebbets, (namesake of Ebbets Field, Brooklyn) (1859-1925)

Johnny Lewis, Los Angeles, California, actor (Sons of Anarchy), (1983-2012)

Bela Lugosi, Lugos Hungary, horror actor (Dracula, Body Snatcher) (1882-1956)

Bill Mauldin, political cartoonist (Pulitzer-1945, 59) (1921-2003)

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           

Robert G Aitken, US astronomer (New General Catalogue)—1951—at 86

Duane Allman, rock guitarist—motorcycle accident—1971—at 24

James Leo Herlihy, author (Midnight Cowboy)—suicide—1996—at 66

Louis B Mayer (Lazar Meir), MGM producer— leukemia—1957—at 73

Frances Cleveland Preston, former 1st lady (1885-89 93-97)—1947—at 83

Joseph Pulitzer, American newspaperman—on yacht—1911—at 64

Answer: Anagram sentence

Mitten, one of my cats , is now wearing a cast on his leg, but acts normally.

Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site has mistakes and sadly once out the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.

§    And That Is All for Now  §

Oct 28, 2012

FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!

Flagstaff Almanac:  

Week: 44/ Day: 302   

Today: High   61°…Low 20°

Records: High 75°(2008)…Low 10°(1970)

Averages: High 58° Low 28°

Wind: average:   11mph; Gusts:  28mph

Today’s average humidity:  31%

Quote of the Day:

Today’s Historical Highlights:

1st Protestant church assembly for Indians (Massachusetts) —1646
1st university in the New World, the Universidad Santo Tomás      de Aquino, is established-Dominican Republic—1538         
Centennial of the Statue of Liberty's dedication is re-celebrated      in New York Harbor—1986
Eli Whitney applies for a patent on cotton gin—1793
Ernest Hemingway wins Nobel prize for literature—1954
Macy's Dept store opens in NYC—1858
Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen gives $10 million to U Wash library—1988NY gives up claims to Vermont for $30,000—1790
Volstead Act passed by Congress, start prohibition over Wilson's veto—1919

♪  ♪   Happy Birthday To: ♪. ♪   

How many can you identify?…answers in Today’s Birthdays

Free Rambling Thoughts:   

Getting used to this fall weather…furnace comes on during the night, and has been on when I get up about 7am. Birds continue to feed, and today I had a nice Blue Jay loading up. Nice.

 

I am just like any American over 50…when I turned 50 I got lots of literature on AARP. I joined and still a card carrying member. I get some discounts and I am usually happy with what they support and what they fight. There is an organization I have never heard of, until this eleciton…60+ Association. It is the conservatives answer to AARP. They are running lots of anti-ads here in AZ. One of their campaigns is to save Medicare. They put out an ad, with Pat Boone as the spokesperson, to say a vote for Romney will save Medicare. Really? He wants a voucher program for Medicare. I’m not on Medicare, but I have paid and will be eligible in a few years. I can’t imagine having to hunt around on where to spend my voucher. I guess Romney figures that Medicare eligible people are no longer part of the workforce and therefore have plenty of time on their hands to search out the best plan. Just ain’t so.

Game  Center: (answers at the end of post)

Anagram Sentences: 4 letter anagrams

What are the missing words?

Pam didn't ____ that the route for the ____ was on a three ____ lot.

Lifestyle  Substance:     

Unusual Uses for Everyday Things: Butter

• Got some glue on your hands, first rub them with butter before washing with soap and water.
• Gum in your hair? Never fear! Apply softened butter to your locks, and the bubble gum will glide off pain-free.
• Dislodge tree sap from your vehicle by rubbing some soft butter on the spot with a cloth. Wipe away, and wash with soap and water.
• Out of WD-40, or don’t have any oil, you can stop a door from squeaking by rubbing a little butter on the hinge.
• Large pills covered with a light layer of butter will help the medicine go down.
• Next time you move, butter your cat's paws before you let them outdoors for the first time at your new residence. Instead of darting out the door in a panic, the cat will sit down to lick the butter, which gives it a little time to become aware of its surroundings. 
• Fishing trip was a big success, but now your hands reek of fish. Rub some butter on your hands, wash with warm water and soap, and everything will smell clean and fresh again.

Old Saying Explained: BAKERS DOZEN

A bakers dozen means thirteen. This old saying is said to come from the days when bakers were severely punished for baking underweight loaves. Some added a loaf to a batch of a dozen to be above suspicion.

Ok, then?

TV Theme Songs you may remember:

The Rockford Files

Read This Headline Carefully!!

Grandmother of Eight Makes Hole in One

Bumper Stickers:

Bagpiping:

Scotland the Brave (Bagpipes)

Harper’s Index:         

Rank of the current US teen pregnancy rate among the lowest on record: 1

Unusual Fact of the Day:

Correction: yesterday’s post about urinating on the Blarney Stone was just that…blarney.  It is an old unproven Urban Legend…sorry.

The Empire State Building was the world’s tallest building for 40 years (from 1931 to 1971). That seems impressive until you consider that, at 481 feet high, the Great Pyramid of Giza was the world’s tallest building for more than 4,000 years (from around 2560 BCE until the 19th century CE). It’s the only ancient wonder still standing.

Found on You Tube: 

• "Fanfare For The Common Man" (Copland)

• Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders

• Barney Miller selects (1975-77)

Joke-of-the-day:

There was this little guy sitting in a bar, drinking his beer, minding his own business when all of a sudden this great big dude comes in and -- WHACK!! -- knocks him off the bar stool and onto the floor. The big dude says, "That was a karate chop from Korea." The little guy thinks "GEEZ," but he gets back up on the stool and starts drinking again when all of a sudden -- WHACK!! -- the big dude knocks him down AGAIN and says, "That was a judo chop from Japan." So the little guy has had enough of this... He gets up, brushes himself off and quietly leaves. The little guy is gone for an hour or so when he returned. Without saying a word, he walks up behind the big dude and -- WHAM!!!" -- knocks the big dude off his stool, knocking him out cold!!! The little guy looks at the bartender and says, "When he gets up, tell him that's a crowbar from Sears.  

Rules of Thumb:   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

CHOOSING A WATERMELON…A watermelon is ripe when you hear "punk" rather than "pank" or "pink" when you tap it with your finger.    

Yeah, It Really Happened

AURORA, Ill. - Officials in an Illinois city said crews will remove 200 to 300 pet birds from a man's home if he does not remove the birds himself. Aurora officials said they received an order from Kane County Circuit Court authorizing them to begin clearing the birds out of Dave Skeberdis's home at 10 a.m. Friday if he does not abide by orders to get rid of his pets, The (Aurora) Beacon-News reported Thursday. City Attorney Alayne Weingartz said Skeberdis said he plans to "take care of it himself" to avoid being hit with a $13,478 cleanup bill. Rosario DeLeon, city chief operations officer, said the exact number of birds is unknown, as firefighters have only entered the home once. Skerberdis acknowledged his love of birds has gotten out of hand. "I think everybody is a bit of a hoarder, but this got out of control," he said. "I've got civil rights, too, and I don't need someone strong-arming me to get someone to clean it."  

Somewhat Useless Information   

• The saguaro cactus blossom is the official state flower. The white flower blooms on the tips of the saguaro cactus during May and June. The saguaro is the largest American cactus.

• The age of a saguaro cactus is determined by its height.

• The amount of copper on the roof of the Capitol building is equivalent to 4,800,000 pennies.

• World War II brought many military personnel to train at Luke and Thunderbird fields in Glendale.

• In 1926, the Southern Pacific Railroad connected Arizona with the eastern states.

• The original London Bridge was shipped stone-by-stone and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City.

• At one time camels were used to transport goods across Arizona.

Calendar Information        

Happening This Week:

24-30

Disarmament Week
International Magic Week

Peace, Friendship and Good Will Week
Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week
World Hearing Aid Awareness Week

Today Is                                                                      

Plush Animal Lover's Day

National Chocolate Day

Mother-in-Law Day

Statue Of Liberty Day (unveiled 1886)

Czech Republic: Independence Day (Creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918)

Greece: Ohi Day (to commemorate the rejection by Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas (in power from August 4, 1936, until January 29, 1941) made by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini 1941)

Today’s Events through History  

2nd Olympic games in Paris France, close after over 5 months—1900FDR rededicates Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary—1936
Harvard University (Cambridge Mass) founded—1636
Kansa Indians conclude a treaty(7 stat.137)at St. Louis—1815KOB-AM in Albuquerque NM changes call letters to KKOBMaimonides College in PA is 1st Jewish college in the US—1867
NASA successfully launches the Ares I-X mission, the only rocket      launch for its later-cancelled Constellation program—2009Peruvian cities of Lima & Callao demolished by earthquake,      18,000 die—1746
Red Barber, resigns as Dodger sportscaster to join Yankees—1953
Upper Yankton Sioux (14 stat.743) & the Oglala Sioux (7 stat.747)      sign treaties with the US—1865US/USSR sign an agreement to discuss joint space efforts—1970

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

In their 30’s

Joaquin Phoenix, actor: Gladiator is 38

In their 40’s

Terrell Davis, NFL running back (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32) is 40

Andy Richter, writer/sidekick (Conan O'Brien) is 46

Julia Roberts, actress (Mystic Pizza, Pretty Woman) is 45

In their 50’s

Bill Gates [William Henry], Seattle Wash, billionaire founder/CEO (Microsoft) is 57

In their 60’s

Dennis Franz, Maywood Ill, actor (Buntz-Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue) is 68

Wayne Fontana, Manchester England, rocker (Groovy Kind of Love) is 67

Bruce Jenner, Mt Kisco NY, decathalete (Olympic-gold-1976) is 63

Annie Potts, Nashville TN, actress (Mary Jo-Designing Women) is 60

In their 70’s

Jane Alexander, [Quigley], Boston, actress (Betsy, Kramer vs Kramer) is 73

Jim Beatty, track runner (1st sub 4 minute indoor mile) is 78

In their 80’s

Bowie Kuhn, baseball commissioner (1969-1984) is 86

Leonard Starr, comic strip cartoonist (Little Orphan Annie) is 87

Remembered for being born today

Dody Goodman, Columbus Ohio, comedienne (Mary Hartman!, Max Duggan)(1915-2008)

Edith Head, fashion designer (MGM) (1897-1981)

Elsa Lanchester, Lewisham London, actress (Bride of Frankenstien) (1902-1986)

Ormer Locklear, American movie stunt pilot (1891-1920)

Eliphalet Remington, US gun maker (1793-1861)

Jonas Salk, NYC, medical reseacher (polio vaccine) (1914-1995)

Jack Soo, actor-Barney Miller  (1917-1979)

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           

Abigail Adams, 2nd first lady (1797-1801) typhoid fever—1818—at 73

Morey Amsterdam, comedian (Dick Van Dyke Show)—1996—at 87

Red Auerbach, American basketball coach and executive—2006—at 89

Doris Duke, heiress (American Tobacco Co)—1993—at 80

Woody Herman, US jazz clarinetist/composer—1987—at 74

John Locke, English philosopher (2 treatises of government)—1704—at 72

James MacArthur, actor-Hawaii 50—natural causes—2010—at 72

Porter Wagoner, American country singer—2007—at 80

Answer: Anagram sentence

 Pam didn't care that the route for the race was on a three acre lot.

Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site has mistakes and sadly once out the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.

§    And That Is All for Now  §