Mar 28, 2013


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:  Week: 13/ Day: 87   Today: H 58°…L 26°
Averages: H  53° L 25° Records: H 70°(1986)…L -1°(1975)
Wind: ave:   15mph; Gusts:  26mph  Ave. humidity:  41%

Quote of the Day


Today’s Historical Highlights
1st ambulance goes into service►1866
1st microfilm device introduced►1922
1st National Curling Championship held►1957
Astrid Lindgren sprains ankle & begins writing Pippi Longstocking►1944
Greatest Show On Earth was formed by PT Barnum & James A Bailey►1881
Louvre opens to the public (although officially opened since August) ►1794
Major nuclear accident at 3 Mile Island, Middletown, Pa (no deaths) ►1979
Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok►845
US Salvation Army officially organized►1885

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


Free Rambling Thoughts   
Busy day today. Got my tax stuff together and dropped it off at the tax preparer. So nice to have a ‘tax guy’. I drop off my stuff and in a week or so he will call to give me the news. When I pick them up we go over everything and make any necessary changes. So much easier than sitting there for an couple of hours and still be told that he has to review it. A couple of weeks ago one of my planters got broken. Not sure how it happened…it was plastic and I figure some young kid jumped on the edge. Anyway, it had some bulbs in it. So today I replanted the bulbs in a new container. I hope it works, since they had already started growing. They hadn’t broken through yet, but had small green sprouts on them. If not, I will buy some more this fall. I also did some shopping and got a few things. Time to get ready for spring.
 
After several months of correspondence with an insurance company, I got a check today from my mother’s estate. I didn’t even know it existed until a couple of months ago. My brother and I are splitting the policy, but neither of us balks at a $6K check each. Thanks mom and dad.
 
This whole N. Korea thing is worrisome. We have heard it before, but the new leader may not have the control of the military that his father had. The important thing to remember in this whole situation is that the people of N. Korea do not hate the world. They have only heard that all their problems are because of others outside the country. A couple of recent documentaries by people who have visited N. Korea make it clear that the people do not have the same feelings about other countries that the government has. The people are not going to revolt as their lives are so destitute and believe their government is doing their best to make matters better. A sad commentary for all involved.
Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
I constantly collide into all the others,  The only one of 16 without colors. Associated with English and banking and breaking, The answer is right there for the taking.

******
Hint
Chalk this one up to nightlife....
Lifestyle  Substance:     
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today
from Cracked.com
Ridiculous Natural Disaster Myths You Probably Believe
Opening a Window During a Storm Relieves Pressure
The Myth: If you live in tornado country or have ever been through a hurricane, you've heard this one. When the storm comes, don't batten down the hatches -- open things up. Yes, some rain will blow into the house, but it will also keep the place from exploding like a wood-and-plaster balloon.
The Reality: The problem is that they're exaggerating the pressure difference. After all, you don't need a space shuttle decompression chamber each time you leave your house in a storm -- and your fleshy body is a lot less structurally sound than a house. So if a storm isn't sucking the eyeballs out of your head, Total Recall-style, there's really no chance it's going to tear the roof off your house. It's the 150-mph winds that do that.

A Giant Earthquake Will Cause California to Fall into the Pacific
The Myth:
If you read any of the news stories about how California is due for a massive earthquake, they sound suspiciously like excerpts from the book of Revelation. They promise massive fires, gaping chasms, swallowed cities, and tens of thousands of deaths. While those prophecies are grim, they aren't completely unreasonable -- California exists squarely on a fault line, which is basically like a perforated line showing Mother Nature exactly where to tear.
The Reality:
It can never happen. Yes, tectonic plates are a thing, and yes, land masses do move. But continents don't drift around the ocean like icebergs -- not only would it be impossible for an entire state to just snap off of North America, but the movement of the plates on the fault line is actually pushing them across each other, not tearing them apart. The Pacific Plate and the North American Plate are grinding against each other like young, unlubricated lovers rolling around in the sand. All the drag from the friction means that the movement is choppy, which is why earthquakes are just as common in California as silicone.
Even if the plates were pulling away from one another, there would still be a better chance of California getting obliterated by an asteroid before it sinks into the ocean because of plate tectonics. Tectonic plates have a blistering top speed of about 100 millimeters a year. That's just not fast enough to make a 163,696-square-mile state rip itself from the mainland and swim away, at least not until millions of years from now.


Ok, then?


Harper’s Index    
Minimum number of Red Bull-sponsored athletes who have died in parachuting, paragliding, and sky diving stunts: 5
Picture of the Day: Dine’ Land [Navajo]


Unusual Fact of the Day
Frederick Arthur Stanley is one of the best-known names in professional hockey. He's the Lord Stanley behind the Stanley Cup.
Joke-of-the-day
 Investigators at a major research institute have discovered the heaviest element known to science. This startling new discovery has been tentatively named Administratium (Ad).
 The new element has no protons or electrons, thus having an atomic number of 0. It does, however, have 1 neutron, 125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice neutrons, and 111 assistant vice neutrons, for an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by a force called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since it has no electrons, Administratium is inert.
 However, it can be detected as it impedes every reaction with which it came into contact.
 According to the discoverers, a minute amount of Administratium causes one reaction to take over four days to complete when it would normally take less than a second. Administratium has a normal half-life of approximately three years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons, viceneutrons, and assistant vice neutrons exchange places. In fact, an Administratium sample's mass will actually increase over time, since with each reorganization some of the morons inevitably become neutrons, forming new isotopes. This characteristic of moron promotion
 leads some scientists to speculate that Administratium is formed whenever morons reach a certain concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as the "Critical Morass".  
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
HOW MUCH SHELF SPACE 6 GIGS WOULD TAKE
 600 gigabytes of data will fill about six floors of an academic library.   
Yeah, It Really Happened
EAST LANSING, Mich. - U.S. scientists have announced the first-ever discovery of a two-headed bull shark, confirming it was a single shark with two heads, not conjoined twins. Michigan State University researchers studying the specimen found in the uterus of an adult bull shark taken in the Gulf of Mexico April 7, 2011, said it was the first record of the phenomenon known as dicephalia ever seen in bull sharks although it has been seen before in other species of shark. "This is certainly one of those interesting and rarely detected phenomena," MSU fisheries and wildlife Professor Michael Wagner said. "It's good that we have this documented as part of the world's natural history, but we'd certainly have to find many more before we could draw any conclusions about what caused this." A fisherman found the two-headed specimen when he cut open the adult shark, Wagner said, and it died shortly thereafter. It would have had little, if any, chance to survive in the wild, he said. "You'll see many more cases of two-headed lizards and snakes," Wagner said in a university release Monday. "That's because those organisms are often bred in captivity, and the breeders are more likely to observe the anomalies." An MRI scan revealed two distinct heads, hearts and stomachs with the remainder of the body joining together in the back half of the animal to form a single tail, the researchers said.
Somewhat Useless Information   
  • Persians first began using colored eggs to celebrate spring in 3,000 B.C. 13th century Macedonians were the first Christians on record to use colored eggs in Easter celebrations. Crusaders returning from the Middle East spread the custom of coloring eggs, and Europeans began to use them to celebrate Easter and other warm weather holidays.
  • The origin of the Easter Bunny can be traced back to 13th-century, pre-Christian Germany. The Teutonic deity Eostra was the goddess of spring and fertility, and feasts were held in her honor on the Vernal Equinox. Her symbol was the rabbit because of the animal's high reproduction rate.
  • These legends were brought to America in the 1700s, when German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania Dutch country.  

Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
24-30 
Tsunami Awareness Week
Pediatric Nurse Practioner Week
National Protocol Officer's Week
National Cleaning Week
Termite Awareness Week

Today Is                                                                      
Barnum & Bailey Day
Weed Appreciation Day
~Czech Republic…Teachers' Day

Today’s Events through History  
Court rules today that Montana State Courts "are without jurisdiction to try an Indian for the crime of larceny committed somewhere within the external boundaries of the BLACKFEET Indian Reservation, although conceivably the offense could have been committed within the town of Browning, Montana located on the reservation."►1957
Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers discovers 2 Pallas, the second asteroid known to man►1802
Mexico drops diplomatic relations with US►1845
Ohio passed law restricting movement of Blacks►1804
Pope John raises the 1st Japanese, 1st African & 1st Filipino cardinal►1960
President Bush awards Jesse Owen the Congressional Gold Medal►1990
Wilt Chamberlain plays his last pro basketball game►1972

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 70’s
Conchata Ferrell , actress (Deadly Hero, Susan-LA Law) is 70
Charlie McCoy,  harmonica player (Hee Haw) is 72

In their 60’s
Ken Howard, American actor (Ken-White Shadow, Dynasty, 1776) is 69

In their 50’s
Bart Wayne Conner, gymnast (Olympic-2 gold-1984) is 55
Reba McEntire, country singer (Can't Even Get the Blues) is 58

In their 40’s
Salt [Cheryl James], rocker (Salt 'n' Pepa-Shake Ya Thang) is 47
Vince Vaughn, actor (Swingers, Wedding Crashers) is 43

In their 30’s
Kate Gosselin, reality TV is 38
Julia Stiles, actress (Bourne series, Save the Last Dance) is 32

Under 30
Lady Gaga [Stefani Germanotta], New York, singer/songwriter (Bad Romance) is 27

Remembered for being born today
August Anheuser Busch, Jr., brewing magnate and American baseball executive [1899-1999]
Frederick Pabst, American brewer [1836-1904]
Frank Lovejoy, actor (Man Against Crime, Meet McGraw) [1912-1962]
Marlin Perkins, TV host (Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom) [1905-1986]
Henry Schoolcraft, American geographer and geologist [1793-1864]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
Dwight D Eisenhower, 34th pres/gen (WW 2) ►heart failure►1969►at 78
Art James, American game show host►natural causes►2004►at 74  
Emmett Kelly, circus clown (Weary Willy) ►1979►at 80
Jesse Owens, (Oly-gold-36) ►lung cancer►1980►at 66
James Francis Thorpe [Tho-Huk-Bright Path], Sac & Fox decathelete (Olympic-gold-12) ►heart failure►1953►at 64
Sergei Vasilievitch Rachmaninov, Russian composer/pianist►melanoma►1943►at 69
Earl Scruggs, American bluegrass musician►natural causes►2012►at 88
Caspar Weinberger, United States Secretary of Defense►2006►at 88
Virginia Woolf-Stephen [Adeline] , author (To Lighthouse) ►suicide►1941►at 59

Answer: Brain Teasers
The cue ball on a pool table.
English is when spin is put on the cue ball to make it curve or bounce differently off the rail. Banking is when a shot is played off the rail. Breaking is the first shot played in a game of pool. The hint refers to the fact that chalk is placed on a cue before it strikes the cue ball.

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  §

Mar 27, 2013



FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:  Week: 13/ Day: 86   Today: H 58°…L 26°
Averages: H  53° L 25° Records: H 73°(1988)…L -8°(1902)
Wind: ave:   21mph; Gusts:  33mph  Ave. humidity:  38%

Quote of the Day


Today’s Historical Highlights
1st English child born in Canada at Cuper's Cove, Newfoundland to Nicholas Guy►1613
1st Japanese cherry blossom trees planted in Wash DC►1912
39 cult members in California commit mass suicide (Hale-Bopp) ►1997
Charlie Chaplin receives France's distinguished Legion of Honor►1931
Earthquake strikes Alaska, 8.4 on Richter scale, 118 die►1964
M L Byrn patents "covered gimlet screw with a 'T' handle" (corkscrew) ►1860
Pres Johnson vetoes civil rights bill; it later becomes 14th amend►1866
Sacheen Littlefeather refuses Marlon Brando's Oscar as a protest against 
     media and governmental mistreatment of American Indians►1973
Supreme Court rules, 8-1, cops can't randomly stop cars►1979
UN Commission on Human Rights holds its final meeting►2006

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


Free Rambling Thoughts   
Had a good check up at the dentist today. Still have to be thinking about two crowns, but will wait a while. Everything else was good. Six months till next cleaning. Good for me.
 
Tomorrow is my tax day…think I’ve waited long enough. So hate to do this. Not so much for paying my fair share of taxes, but knowing that people who make more than I do pay less in actual dollars and that many pay a lower percentage. Reagan had suggested an end to IRS as we know it, and that each American would receive a bill for the tax owed. It didn’t get very far because of big business…the tax lobby…and the churches and other tax free groups that feared their contributions would dwindle. We are a nation that says we have a separation of church and state. Churches like that crazy one in Florida pay no taxes, but disrupt funerals of fallen military do not pay taxes.
 
We say we have separation of church and state, but today the Supreme Court heard two cases deal with marriage in the US. Marriage is supposed to be based on love between two people…not determined by a church belief. No way is anyone asking for a forced church wedding for two men or two women. Some churches allow that already. The people who want to get married realize that certain tax benefits, retirement benefits, death benefits, etc. come with that government document. There are too many stories of people being denied these benefits they want. I know many couples…some are married, some are not. One couple divorced after 30 years of marriage…they had a ‘shotgun’ wedding 42 years ago when the girl got pregnant. After the divorce, she will get about 1/2 of his retirement, though both have worked the entire marriage. Another couple was together for about 25 years, but never married. When they separated, they spilt up the stuff and moved on. She made less money than he did and could probably have gotten more in court, but did not persue it. One of my teachers at one of my schools was ‘involved’ with another teacher. After I left that school, one of the ladies got very ill. Because of their ‘secret’ relationship, the healthy lady could not get any information from the hospital, was unable to take ‘family’ leave to care for her lover, and unable to assist in any way at the hospital. The ill woman recovered, both left the school and moved to a state where they could get some, but not all rights. If the Christian God is a loving God, it is time to let people in love get married. If our country is a country of equality, it is time to open up and provide equality for all in our country.
Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
This teaser is in honor of man's quest to quench his thirst with non-alcoholic beverages. Can you figure out what drinks are depicted below?
1. Joint between thigh and lower leg + having great elevation + yielding readily to pressure + swallowing liquid contents.
2. A practitioner of medicine + spicy hot pod like fruit that grows on plants.
3. Dried and powdered rhizome used as spice + another name for beer.
4. Underground portion of a plant + another name for ale.
5. A natural elevation of the earth's surface having considerable mass and a height greater than that of a hill + water droplets condensed from the air.
6. A powder made from cacao seeds + tropical African evergreen plant having reddish fragrant nutlike seeds


******
Hint for those who need it:
Think about soda pop.
Lifestyle  Substance:     
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

 from Cracked.com
Design Flaws That Annoy You Every Day (And Why They Exist)

Wrap Rage clamshell packaging
The Reason: Package Pilferage
Airline Delays
The Reason: They've Reached Maximum Capacity
Waiting for the Cable Guy
The Reason: Maximizing Work, Minimizing Employees
Ketchup Packets
The Reason: The People Who Pay for Them Aren't the Ones Using Them

Ok, then?


Harper’s Index    
Square footage of a proposed $35 million animal-holding center to be build at JFK: 172,165
Picture of the Day: Dine’ Land [Navajo]


Unusual Fact of the Day
World Famous Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey is made in only one place: the small town of Lynchburg, Tennessee, population 361. Though the town supplies the world with the famous libation, not a drop may be purchased for consumption anywhere in town. Moore County is a "dry" county, meaning that the sale and consumption of alcohol is illegal.
Joke-of-the-day
Little Johnny comes downstairs crying. His mother asked, “What’s the matter now?”
“Dad was hanging pictures, and just hit his thumb with hammer,” said little Johnny through his tears. “That’s not so serious,” soothed his mother. “I know you are upset, but a big boy like you shouldn’t cry at something like that. Why didn’t you just laugh?
“I did!” sobbed Johnny.
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
TESTIFYING IN COURT
When testifying before a jury, remember that the other side's attorney wants to make you look flustered. Always sound like you're calm and sure of yourself, regardless of how fast your heart is pounding. Even if the other attorney has exposed a weakness in your testimony, your calm demeanor can minimize the damage caused by that. Also remember that the jury is probably confused by all those competing claims. The best thing you can do is make your story sound simple.    
Yeah, It Really Happened
 PITTSBURGH — An Ohio prosecutor who light-heartedly filed a criminal indictment against the famous Pennsylvania groundhog who fraudulently "predicted" an early spring said he may consider a pardon now that the animal's handler is taking the blame.
Bill Deeley, president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's Inner Circle, told The Associated Press on Monday that the animal rightly predicted six more weeks of winter last month, but he mistakenly announced an early spring because he failed to correctly interpret Phil's "groundhog-ese."
"I'm the guy that did it; I'll be the fall guy. It's not Phil's fault," Deeley said.
Butler County, Ohio, prosecutor Mike Gmoser told the AP that he's reconsidering the charges in light of the new evidence and may issue a full pardon.
"Frankly, he is a cute little rascal, a cute little thing," Gmoser said. "And if somebody is willing to step up to the plate and take the rap, I'm willing to listen."
Somewhat Useless Information   
  • The United States Chess Federation (USCF) awards the Title of National Master to anyone who achieves a USCF rating of 2200, and the title of Senior Master to anyone who achieves a USCF rating of 2400. The USCF also awards the Life Master title to anyone who holds a 2200 rating for a total of 300 or more games in his or her lifetime
  • The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain. Once achieved, the title is held for life.
  • Blindfold chess is real and documented in world records. It is as it sounds: a player makes all of his or her moves without looking at a board. Usually there is a 'middle man' of sorts to give and receive moves for the game.
  • Blindfold chess is an impressive skill that many stronger chess players possess. It certainly requires a keen ability to see the board clearly, which can get difficult after many moves. The record was set in 1960 in Budapest by Hungarian Janos Flesch, who played 52 opponents simultaneously while blind folded; he won 31 of those games.

Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
21-27
Week of Solidarity with People's Struggling Against Racism & Discrimination
24-30 
Tsunami Awareness Week
Pediatric Nurse Practioner Week
National Protocol Officer's Week
National Cleaning Week
Termite Awareness Week
31-4/6
National Week Of The Ocean

Today Is                                                                      
Celebrate Exchange Day
Education and Sharing Day
Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day
Summer Daylight Savings Time (Europe & UK)
Viagra Day

Today’s Events through History  
1st long-distance telephone call, Boston-NY►1884
1st Mormon temple dedicated (Kirtland Ohio) ►1836
Battle at Horseshoe Bend: General Andrew Jackson defeats the Red Sticks, 
     part of the Creek Indian tribe near Dadeville, ►
Havana Hilton opens►1958
Iwo Jima occupied, after 22,000 Japanese & 6,000 US killed►1945
Modern shoestring (string and shoe holes) invented in England►1790
Polythene discovered by Reginald Gibson & Eric William Fawcett►1933
Spain losses Menorca & Gibraltar►1713
US  establishes a permanent navy and authorizes the building of six frigates►1794

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 70’s
 Cale Yarborough, auto racer (Daytona 500-1968, 77, 83, 84) is 74

In their 50’s
Quentin Tarantino, director/screenwriter (Pulp Fiction) is 50

In their 40’s
Mariah Carey, singer (Love Takes Time, Hero) is 43
Pauley Perrette, actress [CSI-Abby] is 44

Under 30
Brenda Song, Disney actress is 25

Remembered for being born today
Michael Bruce, Scottish poet [1746-1767]
Nathaniel Currier, lithographer (Currier & Ives) [1813-1888]
Patty Smith Hill, author songwriter (Happy Birthday To You) [1868-1946]
David Janssen, [Meyer], actor (Fugitive, Harry O) [1930-1980]
Gloria Swanson, actress (Sunset Boulevard, Queen Kelly) [1899-1983]
Sarah L Vaughan, jazz scat singer (Broken Hearted Melody) [1924-1990]
Otto Wallach, Germany, chemist (Nobel 1910) [1847-1931]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
Alexander E Agassiz, US businessman/biologist/geologist►1910►at 74
Maurits C Escher, Dutch lithograph carver (Praedestinatie) ►1972►at 73
Yuri Gagarin, 1st man to orbit Earth►plane crash►1968►at 34
Diana Hyland, actress (Peyton Place, 8 is Enough) ►breast cancer►1977►at 41
Dudley Moore, British actor► pneumonia►2002►at 66
Aldo Ray, western actor (Battle Cry) ►cancer ►1991►at64
James I Stuart, king of Scotland (1567)/England (1603-25)►dysentery►1625► at 58

Answer: Brain Teasers
1. Nehi Soft Drink. (Knee + high + soft + drink.)
2. Dr Pepper. (Doctor + pepper.)
3. Ginger Ale. (Ginger + ale.)
4. Root Beer. (Root + beer.)
5. Mountain Dew. (Mountain + Dew.)
6. Coca-Cola. (Cocoa + Kola.)
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.