Nov 28. 2012


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:  Week: 48/ Day: 333
Today: H   56°…L 19° Averages: H  ° L °
Records: H   68°(1949)…L -5°(1984, 1952)
Wind: ave:   6mph; Gusts:  12mph Today’s ave. humidity:  %
Quote of the Day:

Today’s Historical Highlights:
"Hopalong Cassidy" premieres on TV—1948
1st million copy record prior to release "I Want to Hold Your Hand"—1963
1st Polaroid camera sold—1948
1st pulsating radio source (pulsar) detected—1967
220 Indians, and 400 French attack the settlement of Saratoga, NY—1745
Bear Bryant wins his 315th game to out distance Alonzo Stagg & become
     college football's winningest coach—1981
FDR, Churchill & Stalin met at Tehran to map out strategy—1943
Ferdinand Magellan begins crossing Pacific Ocean—1520
Olympia forms as capital of Washington Territory—1853
Times in London is for the first time printed by automatic, steam powered
     presses built by the German inventors Friedrich Koenig and Andreas Friedrich
    Bauer, signaling the beginning of the availability of newspapers to a mass 
    audience—1814

♪  ♪   Happy Birthday To: ♪. ♪   
How many can you identify?…answers in Today’s Birthdays

Free Rambling Thoughts:   
So frustrated…Tax bill from 2006-2008, corrected in 2010. Today I get a call from a collection agency saying that they will start garnishment on Thursday. Lots of calls, lots of lies, each call lasting no less than 20 minutes…sometimes with me alone, sometimes with my tax man. Thankfully he was at his office, doing early loans on expected returns. Am very frustrated and can’t do anything until Thursday. I know I don’t owe the money, and proving it is simple, it’s the timeline that has me freaking out. The biggest problem is getting a hold on the collection agency and have them understand. One lady says yes, the next says it can’t be done, the third tells us it can be done, another says it can’t be done. We all know that collection agencies lie and I know they can’t touch my money until they notify me in writing. But that will ruin my credit rating. What a stupid mess. And of course, everyone assumes that my tax guy and I are both telling lies.
 
I learned today, before the call, the problems with our local elections. Turns out there are strict guidelines on handling ballots between the ballot box and the actual counting. A guy went to the council with a presentation of numerous mistakes…like not always having two people with the ballots between the precinct and the office that counts. Also always having two people present as the ballots are actually counting. Only one member of our city council voted against certification since none of the board had the legal knowledge to challenge it. According to our mayor, the certification is simply a formality and that individuals can still protest the vote. Really? Lots of people will be watching to see if the council actually follows through with the new Recorder to prevent these problems in the future…even after they were given information that it has occurred during several of the last elections. Time will tell who will get their act together.
Game  Center: (answers at the end of post)
Duplicate Letter Puzzles
Find common words with certain letters duplicated in the given positions.  C stands for a duplicated consonant, L stands for any duplicated letter, and _ stands for any letter
 _ C L L C
Lifestyle  Substance:     
Old Saying Explained:
GET THE SACK…This comes from the days when workmen carried their tools in sacks. If your employer gave you the sack it was time to collect your tools and go.
Ok, then?

TV Theme Songs you may remember:
The Olympic Games on NBC - "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" by John Williams
Read This Headline Carefully!!
Nicaragua Sets Goal to Wipe Out Literacy
Beautiful Scotland:

Bet You Didn’t Know…from History Channel
Money: As of 2012, there are 167 different currencies used around the world.
Harper’s Index:         
Estimated number of indecency complaints currently in the Federal Communications Commission’s backlog: 1,500,000
Ruminations:
Let’s hope that the Olympics has taught kids and parents that in real life, you don’t get a trophy for participation.
Unusual Fact of the Day:
The Hard Rock Café got its name from a now-defunct bar that appeared on the back of the Doors’ album Morrison Hotel.
Found on You Tube: 
 Chinese Man Builds Noah's Ark Ball
Joke-of-the-day:
A pipe burst in a doctor's house. He called a plumber. The plumber arrived, unpacked his tools, did mysterious plumber-type things for a while, and handed the doctor a bill for $600.
The doctor exclaimed, "This is ridiculous! I don't even make that much as a doctor!."
The plumber quietly answered, "Neither did I when I was a doctor."
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC…When stopped at a red light with a long line of traffic ahead of you, if your car begins to move before the light turns red, you'll make it through the light on the next cycle.   
Yeah, It Really Happened
Worried about the impending 2012 "Mayan apocalypse," a man in China has reportedly spent his life savings on the construction of his very own "Noah's Ark."
According to China News Service, Lu Zhenghai, from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China, has already spent about $160,000 on the boat. The vessel, designed by Lu himself, measures about 65 feet in length and will, when completed, weigh about 80 tons, the report states.
Lu said he began building his so-called ark in 2010 out of fear that an impending "doomsday" flood would threaten his and his family's survival.
"I'm afraid that when the end of the world comes in 2012, flood waters will destroy my house," Lu told the Chinese News Service, according to a HuffPost translation.
"So I took all my savings and invested in the construction of this boat," he continued. "When the time comes, everyone can take refuge in it."
Chinese news website FMN reports that Lu's "ark" was built with 10 tons of timber and 60 tons of steel. Due to lack of funds, however, it has yet to be completed.
As the Daily Mail notes, experts have long been trying to convince people that the so-called Mayan apocalypse, slated to strike on Dec. 21, will not occur. Still, Lu is not alone in his survivalist struggle.
In August, the New York Daily News reported that another Chinese man had spent two years creating his own "Noah's Ark" in the form of a sturdy, buoyant yellow ball.
Even if the apocalypse fails to take place, however, Lu still has plenty of plans for his boat. According to FMN, Lu said he hopes the vessel will attract tourists who will want to take sightseeing tours. He also said that the boat could be used as a ferry.
Somewhat Useless Information   
  • Alaska has more caribou than people. 
  • Endocarp is the edible pulp inside a lemon. 
  • A turkey can run 20 miles-per-hour. 
  • The world's largest flower is also one of the worst smelling flowers. Rafflesia Arnoldii is often over 3 feet wide and its petals are almost an inch thick. You wouldn't want it in your garden, however, because it smells like a rotting animal. The flower is attempting to attract flies for pollination. 
  • Zsa Zsa Gabor was the first - and only - recipient of a Golden Globe Award for "Most Glamorous Actress." She won the peculiar award in 1958. The category was deleted thereafter. 
  • In 1926, when a Los Angeles restaurant owner with the all-American name of Bob Cobb was looking for a way to use up leftovers, he threw together some avocado, celery, tomato, chives, watercress, hard-boiled eggs, chicken, bacon, and Roquefort cheese, and named it after himself: Cobb salad.

Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
21-28
National Deal Week
22-26
Church/State Separation Week

Today Is                                                                      
International Day of Solidarity With The Palestinian People
Albania: Independence Day (1912-from Ottoman Empire)
Chad: Republic Day (1958)
~Mauritania: Independence Day (1960 from France)
Today’s Events through History  
2nd Continental Congress formally establishes US Navy—1775
Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire kills 602 (Boston Mass) —1942
Ernest Davis is 1st black to win Heisman Trophy—1961
Grand Ole Opry premieres as WSM Barn Dance on WSM radio Nashville Tn—1925
Groucho Marx performed on radio for 1st time—1932
Ka Lahui: Hawaiian Independence Day - The Kingdom of Hawaii is officially recognized by the United Kingdom and France—1843
Male Poʻo-uli (Black-faced Honeycreeper) dies of Avian malaria in the Maui Bird
      Conservation Center in Olinda, Hawaii before it could breed, making the 
     species in all probability extinct—2004
Natchez Indians massacre 138 Frenchmen, 35 French women, and 56 
     children at Fort Rosalie, near the site of modern-day Natchez, Mississippi—1729
Natchez Indians are very upset with the new commander at Fort Rosalie. Commander 
      Etcheparre Chepart is incapable of command—1729 
Norway votes against joining European Union—1994
Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci flees to Hungary—1989
US-born Lady Astor elected 1st female member of British Parliament—1919

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 80’s
Berry Gordy Jr, Detroit, record company owner (Motown) is 83
In their 70’s
Gary Hart, (Sen-D-Co, 1975-86) is 76
In their 60’s
Ed Harris, actor (Right Stuff, Swing Shift, Walker, Coma) is 62
S Epatha Merkerson, Saginaw MI, actress (Jacob's Ladder, Terminator 2, Law & Order) is 60
Randy Newman, New Orleans, vocalist (Short People, Love LA, Raindrops) is 69
Paul Shaffer, Thunder Bay Ont, orchestra leader (SNL, David Letterman) is 63
In their 50’s
Judd Nelson, actor (Breakfast Club, Jack-Suddenly Susan) is 53
Jon Stewart, TV: The Daily Show is 50
Remembered for being born today
Henry Bacon, architect (Lincoln Memorial) (1866-1924)
William Blake, London, poet/painter (Songs of Innocence & Experience), (1757-1827)
John Bunyan, England, cleric/author (Pilgrim's Progress) (1628-1688)
Gloria Grahame, LA California, actress (Sue-Rich Man Poor Man) (1923-1981)
Hope Lange, Redding Ridge Ct, actress (Ghost & Mrs Muir) (1931-2003)
John Palfijn, Flemish physician/inventor (forceps) in 1650
John Stephens, US archaeologist; founded study of Central America (1805-1852)

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
`Abdu'l-Bahá, Persian leader of the Bahá'í Faith—1921—at 77
Dwight Davis, donator of tennis' Davis cup—1945—at 66
Enrico Fermi, Italian/US physicist (Nobel 1938)— stomach cancer—1954—at 53
Christopher George, actor (Chisum, Heist)—heart attack—1983—at 52
James Naismith, creator of basketball— brain hemorrhage—1939—at 78
Garry Moore, TV host (I've Got A Secret)—emphysema—1993—at 78
Leslie Nielsen, Canadian actor [Airplane…]—2010—at 84
Rosalind Russell, actress (Mame)—breat cancer—1976—at 68

Answer: Duplicate Letter Puzzles
 Freer
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  §

Nov 27, 2012


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:  Week: 48/ Day:  332 
Today: H   58°…L 25° Averages: H  46° L 20°
Records: H   68°(1949)…L -5°(1984, 1952)
Wind: ave:   1mph; Gusts:  7mph Today’s ave. humidity:  44%
Quote of the Day:

Today’s Historical Highlights:
1st Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City is held—1924
Audience throws vegetables at actors for 1st recorded time in US—1911
Earliest photograph of a meteor shower made—1885
First elected representatives from Lancashire were called to Westminster
     by King Edward I to attend what later became known as "The Model Parliament"—1295
First partial human face transplant is completed in Amiens, France—2005
Honda 1st opens in America—1948
NY Times dubs baseball "The National Game"—1870
US soldiers attack Florida Indian village, beginning Seminole War—1817

♪  ♪   Happy Birthday To: ♪. ♪   
How many can you identify?…answers in Today’s Birthdays
 Returns tomorrow
Free Rambling Thoughts:   
Caught up on mail…already got my first Christmas card. It arrived on Friday. Such a nice way to start the holiday season. Still too early for me for me to decorate…but it’s getting there.
 
Only local news watched today. Interesting, and much more informative than the other channels. Don’t know how long it will last but when I turned it on they were talkin’ about the 2014 election…please not yet.
Game  Center: (answers at the end of post)
Duplicate Letter Puzzles
Find common words with certain letters duplicated in the given positions. C stands for a duplicated consonant, L stands for any duplicated letter, and _ stands for any letter
C _ L C L
Lifestyle  Substance:     
Old Saying Explained:
FROM THE HORSES'S MOUTH…You can tell a horse’s age by examining its teeth. A horse dealer may lie to you but you can always find out the truth 'from the horse’s mouth'.
Ok, then?

TV Theme Songs you may remember:
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - Will Smith and Quincy Jones III
Read This Headline Carefully!!
Never Withhold Herpes from Loved One
Beautiful Scotland:

Bet You Didn’t Know…from History Channel
Published in 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was the first American novel to sell more than 1 million copies.
Harper’s Index:         
Damages awarded to an Oregon woman who contracted herpes from a man she met through on-line dating: $900,000
Ruminations:
Did you know that a large group of baboons is called a congress? That sure explains a lot.
Unusual Fact of the Day:
SeaWorld began as a plan by four UCLA alums to open an ocean-themed restaurant with a marine show.
Found on You Tube: 

Joke-of-the-day:
Banta's son: Dad there is someone at the door to collect donations for a swimming pool.
Banta: Give him a glass of water.
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
RUNNING A RACE…Three times the average distance you run every day is close to the maximum distance you should run in a race.   
Yeah, It Really Happened
 A suicide turkey in Sheboygan, WI who launched a preemptive strike on Thanksgiving last week. Utility officials say the turkey flew into a power line in Sheboygan County knocking out power for about 1,500 people.
***
In  Gulf Breeze, FL where investigators say a neighbor and his friend used a bow and arrow to shoot and kill a family's pet turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner. 
Sheriff's deputies arrested two Santa Rosa County teens charging them with armed burglary, armed trespassing, theft of livestock and animal cruelty.
The teens told deputies they planned to eat the 30-pound turkey for Thanksgiving. 
Animal lovers Brian and Christa Caponi live on 6 acres and have a multitude animals, but they said this turkey was special because he was so friendly. In fact, the Caponis said he was more like a family dog than a turkey, although a family dog would not go nearly so well with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy.
Somewhat Useless Information   
  • The human body is an incredible machine. It is an engineering miracle we don't take enough time to appreciate!
  • Man has tiny bones once meant for a tail and unworkable muscles once meant to move his ears.  
Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
21-28
National Deal Week
22-26
Church/State Separation Week

Today Is                                                                      
National Day of Listening
Pins And Needles Day

Today’s Events through History  
A hydrogen atmosphere is discovered on the extrasolar planet Osiris by the
     Hubble Space Telescope, the first atmosphere detected on an extrasolar
    planet—2001
Alfred Nobel establishes Nobel Prize—1895
American Statistical Association organizes in Boston—1839
City of Kraków (Poland) declared a free republic state by the
    Congress of Vienna—1815
Gordie Howe becomes 1st to play in 1,000 NHL games—1961
Highest-scoring NFL game, Wash Redskins defeat NY Giants 72-41—1966
Joe DiMaggio wins his 3rd MVP, beating Ted Williams by 1 vote—1947
John Walker invents friction match in England—1826
Part of Vienna Hofburg destroyed by fire—1992
Pope John Paul II returned the relics of Saint John Chrysostom to the
     Eastern Orthodox Church—2004
Pope Paul VI wounded in chest during a visit to Philippines by a dagger-wielding
    Bolivian painter disguised as a priest—1970
Private Albert Mountain Horse is buried in Fort Macleod, Alberta. He is the only
     Blood Indian to go to the front lines in World War One. He dies due to exposure
    to poison gas on the battlefield—1915
Provisional IRA assassinates Ross McWhirter, after a press conference in which
    McWhirter announced a reward for the capture of those responsible for multiple
    bombings and shootings across England—1975

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 60’s
Jayne Kennedy, Wash DC, sportscaster (CBS)/actress (Body & Soul) is 61
In their 50’s
Bill Nye, the Science Guy, TV Host is 57
Caroline Kennedy-Schlossberg, attorney, JFK & Jackie's daughter is 55
In their 40’s
Robin Givens, actress and model is 48
Remembered for being born today
James Agee, American author (African Queen, Death in Family) (1909-1955)
Benigno Aquino Jr, Philippine opposition leader (1932- assassinated-1983)
Jimi Hendrix, Seattle Wash, rock guitarist (Purple Haze), (1942-1970)
Bruce Lee, [Lee Yuen Kam], SF California, karate star/actor (Green Hornet), (1940-1973)
Robert Livingston, delivered oath of office to George Washington (1746-1813)
Eddie Rabbitt, American singer (1941-1998)
"Buffalo" Bob Smith, Buffalo NY, TV host (Howdy Doody) (1917-1998)

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
John Carradine, actor (Ten Commandments)—kidney failure—1988— at 82
Harvey Milk, (SF City Supervisor)—shot by Dan White—1978—at 48
George Moscone, (SF Mayor), shot by Dan White—1978—at 49
"Baby Face" Nelson, [Lester Gillis], gangster—shot by FBI—1934—at 26
Eugene O'Neill, playwright (Nobel 1936)— Parkinson's disease—1953—at 65
Clement Studebaker, American automobile manufacturer—1901—at 70

Answer: Duplicate Letter Puzzles
tests
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  §

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Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
I retired in '06--at the ripe old age of 57. I enjoy blogging, photography, traveling, and living life to it's fullest.