5-28-13


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Almanac: Flagstaff:  Week: 22/ Day: 148   Today: H 70°L 39°
Wind: ave:   8mph; Gusts:  23mph  Ave. humidity:  25%
*Averages: H  72° L 37° Records: H 87°(1974)L 23°(1916)

Quote of the Day


Today’s Historical Highlights
1st all color talking picture "On With the Show" exhibited (NYC)…1929
1st animated 3-D cartoon in Technicolor-"Melody" premiers…1953
1st black regiment (54 Mass) leaves Boston to fight in Civil War…1863
1st Continental Congress convenes (Virginia)…1774
1st indoor swimming pool opens (Goodman's Fields, London)…1742
Attorney General says it is legal for women to wear trousers anywhere…1923
European Market accepts Greece as member…1979
Hernando de Soto lands in Florida…1539
Monitor, Civil War warship, is discovered by a deep sea robot…1987
White House "plumbers" break into Democratic Natl HQ at Watergate…1972
Women of Greece are given the right to vote…1952

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



My Free Rambling Thoughts   
A windy Memorial Day…but still got lots done. Flag hung just after sunrise. Laundry from my trip is finally finished. Got a haircut. Cleaned off my deck and got it set up for summer. Time for the wind to stop so I can enjoy my deck in all its splendor.  Maybe I’ll read the paper out there tomorrow morning before the wind starts.
 
So glad to see, that while on my cruise, some people woke up and are starting to see a better world. A federal judge finally decided that Sheriff Joe, the county sheriff around Phoenix, was found guilty of profiling those with brown skin. We have known this for years that his traffic sweeps were questionable both for location and for timing. Then today, retired Senator Dole says that today’s Republicans need to look at what they are doing…adding that neither he nor Ronald Reagan would be successful in today’s party. Well, duh…but still good to hear. These are small steps I know, but they are steps we haven’t seen in a long time.
Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
Take the given words, and by moving a single letter from one word to the other, make a pair of synonyms, or near synonyms. For example, given: Boast - Hip, move the 's' from 'Boast' to 'Hip' creating two synonyms: Boat - Ship.
1. Burn - Bead 2. Rid - Tripe 3. Grove - Rout 4. Charm - Rush 5. Cream – Sweep

***
Hint
1. Food 2. Journey 3. Indentation 4. Damage 5. Outcry
Lifestyle  Substance:     
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

Hmmmm
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
Ok, then?



Harper’s Index    
  • Number of seconds the Long Island Power Authority spent discussing Hurricane Sandy in public meetings before the storm: 39
  • Number of hours before power was restored in the majority of Long Island residents affected by the storm: 361
  • Estimated feet by which Sandy shrank the New Jersey’s shoreline: 35

Picture of the Day: Recent Canadian Cruise

Unusual Fact of the Day
Calvin Coolidge's Vice President, Charles Gates Dawes, was also a songwriter. In 1951, a tune he’d composed called “Melody in A Major” became a number one pop hit.
Joke-of-the-day
Q: Do politicians ever lie? A: What do you think they get paid for?  
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
THE RULE OF THREE
 A list of three things always sounds better, even if you're repeating yourself. This works in principle, in practice and in theory.    
Yeah, It Really Happened
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Police in Charlotte, N.C., said a woman called authorities and had her juvenile son arrested for stealing her Pop-Tarts. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said officers responded to the woman's home Monday and she reported her juvenile son had stolen her breakfast pastries, WCNC-TV, Charlotte, reported Thursday. The police report said the boy was placed under juvenile arrest on a charge of larceny/misdemeanor. WCNC-TV said the woman, whose name was not reported, refused to comment at her home, choosing to instead shout an obscenity and slam the door.  
Somewhat Useless Information   
  • Memorial Day was a response to the unprecedented carnage of the Civil War, in which some 620,000 soldiers on both sides died. 
  • Waterloo, New York., began holding an annual community service on May 5, 1866. Although many towns claimed the title, it was Waterloo that won congressional recognition as the "birthplace of Memorial Day."
  • From the practice of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags, the holiday was long known as Decoration Day. The name Memorial Day goes back to 1882, but the older name didn't disappear until after World War II. Federal law declared "Memorial Day" the official name in 1967.
  • On May 30, 1868, President Ulysses S. Grant presided over the first Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery -- which, until 1864, was Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's plantation.
  • On Memorial Day weekend in 1988, 2,500 motorcyclists rode into Washington, D.C., for the first Rolling Thunder rally to draw attention to Vietnam War soldiers still missing in action or prisoners of war. By 2002, the numbers had swelled to 300,000 bikers, many of them veterans. There may have been a half-million participants in 2005 in what organizers bluntly call "a demonstration -- not a parade."
  • It is customary on Memorial Day to fly the flag at half staff until noon, and then raise it to the top of the staff until sunset.

Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
25-31
·        Black Single Parents Week
·        Hurricane Preparedness Week

Today Is                                                                      
·        International Jazz Day
·        Julia Pierpont Day: 1866 when she started Decoration Day following Civil War
·        National Hamburger Day
·        Sierra Club Day
·        Slugs Return From Capistrano Day
·        Day of the Republic (Azerbaijan): 1918 Azerbaijan independence from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, forming the the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
·        Derg Downfall Day (Ethiopia): end of the Derg junta in 1991
·        Republic Day (Nepal): 2008 ending 240 year reign of Shahs

Today’s Events through History  
1st Baptist Church organizes (Boston)…1664
1st in a series of treaties is signed with California Indians at Dent's and 
     Ventine's Crossings…1851 
Andrew Jackson, called "Sharp Knife" by the Indians, has long fought the Indians 
     of the southeast. He believes that the Indians and white settlers will not be able 
     to peacefully live together. His solution to this is to renege on all of the previous treaties,
     which granted the Indians their lands forever, and to move all Indians west of 
     the Mississippi River…1830
Chrysler Building in New York City officially opens…1930
Daint-Leu at Oise begins French boer uprising…1358
Jawaharlal Nehru cremated in New Dehli…1964
Pope John Paul II is 1st pope to visit Great Britain…1982
Senator Eugene McCarthy wins Democratic primary in Oregon…1968
Wide World of Sports with Chris Schenkel premieres on CBS radio…1962

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 80’s
Carroll Baker, actress is 82

In their 70’s
Dionne Quintuplets, Emelie, Marie, [Yvonne, Annette, Cecile are 79]
Jerry West, NBA superstar (LA Lakers, Olympic-gold-1960) is 75

In their 60’s
John Fogerty, rock vocals (Creedence Clearwater Revival) is 68 
Rudy Giuliani, (Mayor-NYC) is 69
Gladys Knight, singer, leader of Pips (Last Train) is 69

In their 50’s
Brandon Cruz, actor (Eddie-Courtship of Eddie's Father) is 51

In their 30’s
Elisabeth Hasselbeck, American television panelist (The View) is 36

Remembered for being born today
George I, King of England (1660-1727)
Joseph Greenberg, American linguist (1915-2001)
Barney Rosset, publisher and free speech advocate (publisher of Tropic for Cancer), 
     (1922-2012)
Gary Stewart, country singer (She's Actin' Single) [1944-2003]
James Francis Thorpe [Wa-Tho-Huk, "Bright Path"], decathelete (Olympic-gold-1912) 
     (1888-1953)
T-Bone Walker, blues guitarist (Funky Town, Well Done) (1910-1975)

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
Anne Bronte, English novelist (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall)…heart disease…1849…at 29
Gary Coleman, actor…seizures…2010…at 42
Edward VIII, King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland…1972…at 77
Sidney Greenbaum, grammarian…1996…at 66
Phil Hartman, Canadian actor, comedian… "domestic discord"…1998…at 49  
Audie Murphy, actor (Whispering Smiths)…private plane…1971…at 46
Roy Roberts, actor (Petticoat Junction, Lucy Show)…heart attack…1975…at 69
Noah Webster, lexicographer (Webster's Dictionary)…1843…at 84
Rhys Williams, actor (Nightmare, Okinawa, Corn is Green)…1969…at 71

Answer: Brain Teasers
1. Bun - Bread 2. Ride - Trip 3. Groove - Rut 4. Harm - Crush 5. Scream - Weep
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  §

Memorial Day 2013/ 5-27


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Almanac: Flagstaff:  Week: 22/ Day: 147   Today: H 71°L 39°
Wind: ave:   6mph; Gusts:  27mph  Ave. humidity:  27%
*Averages: H  71° L 37° Records: H 87°(1951)L 19°(1916)


Quote of the Day



Today’s Historical Highlights
1st black light is sold…1961
Afghanistan gains sovereignty After 84 years of British control…1921
Bubonic Plague breaks out in SF…1907
Chinese Communists force Dalai Lama to surrender his army to Beijing…1951
Christopher Reeve is paralyzed after falling from his horse…1995
Golden Gate Bridge, SF, dedicated…1937
John Hinckley attempts suicide by overdosing on Tylenol…1981
Mormon Temple in Nauvoo Illinois destroyed by tornado…1850
Pres Kennedy announces US goal to reach Moon…1961
Richard Drew invents masking tape…1930
St Petersburg (Leningrad) founded by Peter the Great…1703
Virginia has its first significant battle between Indians and European settlers…1607
 Today’s Birthdays:    
How many can you identify?…answers in Today’s Birthdays


My Free Rambling Thoughts   
Windy, windy, and more windy…really!!! Blue sky with any clouds quickly blown away.
 
Thanks to all who gave all that we are free. Remember those who lost their lives fighting for our country. My parents always called it Decoration Day.
 
A little more on the Canadian Cruise: We were in Montreal on Victoria Day…or National Patriot’s Day in Quebec. The day marks the birthday of Queen Victoria…who was the monarch when Canada became a country. It was on Sunday, so we went to the Basilica de Montreal for services. The only English during the service was ‘Welcome visitors, no photography during the service’ and ‘We ask that those who have not received the Holy Eucharist should honor our traditions and beliefs and remain in their pews.’ Everything else was in French. It was an important service with several rows of military personnel and many vets in special seating. I was surprised that most of the service people did not take communion. I’d been told by a practicing Catholic in our group that the service is about an hour. Turned out to be over 90 minutes. It was high church with incense, beautiful choir, and a huge pipe organ playing many hymns. There was much less active participation by the congregation than I expected. Basically it was a few Amens, and a couple of rhetorical answers. The Bishop was there and during his sermon he seemed be trying to convert everyone. We also did the passing of the peace with the locals in front of us and behind us. After the service, on the street in front of the Cathedral the military performed some rifle drills, dignitaries laid four huge bouquets at a statue honoring fallen heroes. Some group of colonial dressed soldiers also did some gun salutes with muskets. It was really quite impressive. Then Bob and I walked a few blocks to Chinatown for lunch. It is a three or four block area with lots of stores, restaurants, and open markets. We ended up at Viet Nam hole in the wall restaurant that had great Lo Mein with shrimp dumplings and fortune cookies in French and English. Our young waitress’ first language was French, then Vietnamese, and finally English. I should not her English was very good. After wandering around Chinatown we walked the fifteen or so blocks back to the hotel. We saw three beautiful parks, an amazing mixture of old and new architecture, and lots of people and cars. Montreal is quite the cosmopolitan city with most women, young and older, wearing high heels and skirts or dresses. Quebec city also had great architecture, lots of parks and people dressed up when out walking. Both cities also had lots of bike trails and lots of runners with trails nicely divided for runners and bikers.
Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
A man is trapped in a room. The room has only two possible exits: two doors. Through the first door there is a room constructed from magnifying glass. The blazing hot sun instantly fries anything or anyone that enters. Through the second door there is a fire-breathing dragon. How does the man escape?
Lifestyle  Substance:     
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

Hmmmm
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
Ok, then?


Harper’s Index    
Percentage of children living in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture who have typhoid abnormalities: 40
Picture of the Day: Recent Canadian Cruise...more at Fortress


Unusual Fact of the Day
One of the most interesting mysteries of Death Valley National Park is the sliding rocks at Racetrack Playa (a playa is a dry lake bed). These rocks can be found on the floor of the playa with long trails behind them. Somehow these rocks slide across the playa on their own, cutting a furrow into the sediment as they move. Nobody knows how they move!
Joke-of-the-day
Q. What do you call a bug with manners? A. A lady bug  
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
CHECKING YOUR PULSE
The normal resting pulse rate for humans is about equal to the external temperatures they find most comfortable measured in degrees Fahrenheit - 68 to 72.    
Yeah, It Really Happened
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A "court" comprised of students at a Florida school found the Wicked Witch of the West "not guilty by reason of insanity" on an attempted murder charge. Mark Haynes, a seventh grade literature teacher at St. Anthony Catholic School in Fort Lauderdale, said his students played the roles of the defendant, victims, witnesses, prosecutors and defense lawyers, while students from other classes at the pre-K through eighth grade school served as jurors and spectators, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Friday. Haynes said the trial Thursday was the result of two months of preparation as part of a lesson using the plot of "Oz the Great and Powerful." The role of the judge was filled by Tim Donnelly, a prosecutor with the Broward State Attorney's Office. The jury deliberated for 10 minutes and found the witch not guilty by reason of insanity. Haynes said the lesson helped the students apply lessons from literature to real life. "I'm not necessarily trying to cultivate lawyers or actors," he said. "I'm trying to cultivate thinkers and artists."  
Somewhat Useless Information   
  • The scientific name for kissing is philematology.
  • Kissing stimulates 29 muscles and chemicals causing relaxation.
  • The average person burns 26 calories in a one-minute kiss.
  • The average person spends two weeks of his/her life kissing.
  • In 1562, kissing was banned in Naples, Italy, under punishment of death. The law lasted for approximately one day before the local nobleman was forced to rescind it because so many in his own palace were violating the law. 
  • In Russia, the highest sign of recognition was a kiss from the Tsar.


Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
·        25-31
  •         Black Single Parents Week
  •         Hurricane Preparedness Week


Today Is                                                                      
·        Cellophane Tape Day
·        Memorial Day
·        National Wig Out Day
·        Prayer for Peace Memorial Day
·        World Body Painting Arts Festival

Today’s Events through History  
British inventor Birt Acres patents film camera/projector…1895
Habeaus Corpus Act (no false arrest & imprisonment) passes in UK…1679
International Criminal Tribunal indicts Slobodan MiloÅ¡ević for war crimes and 
      crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo…1999
Marv Albert pleads innocent to charges of sexual assault…1997
Oregon Country publication "The Spectator" has an article by its editor, George L. Curry. 
     He blames much of the problems with the local Indians on their use of alcohol. 
     He asks for better enforcement of the laws prohibiting the sale of "intoxicants" 
     to Indians…1847
US forbid racial discrimination in war industry…1943

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 90’s
Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State (1973-77)/Nobel Peace Prize (1973) is 90
Christopher Lee, London England, actor (Hound of Baskervilles) is 91
Herman Wouk, novelist (Caine Mutiny, Winds of War) is 97

In their 70’s
Louis Gossett Jr, Bkln NY, actor (Officer & Gentleman, Deep) is 77
Lee Meriwether, Miss America (Time Tunnel, Barnaby Jones) is 78

In their 40’s
Todd Bridges, actor (Diff'rent Strokes, Fish) is 48
Glenn Ross, Northern Irish strongman and powerlifter is 42

In their 30’s
Jamie Oliver, British chef and television personality is 38

Remembered for being born today
Francis Beaufort, admiral/hydrographer (Beaufort wind force scale) [1774-1857]s
Ibn Khaldun, Tunis, Arab historian/sociologist (Muqaddimah) [1332-1406]
"Wild Bill" Hickok, [James Butler], cowboy/scout [1837-1876]
Hubert Humphrey, (Sen-D-Minn) 38th VP (1965-69), 1968 Pres candidate [1911-1978]
[Herman] Junior Parker, Arkansas, blues vocalist/songwriter (Mystery Train) [1932-1971]
Vincent Price, actor (House on Haunted Hill, Fly, Laura) [1911-1993]
Sam Snead, Hot Springs VA, PGA golfer (PGA-1963, 65, 67, 70, 72, 73) [1912-2002]
Cornelius Vanderbilt, millionaire (B & O railroad) [1794-1877]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
Jean Caulvin, [John Calvin], priest/church reformer…broken blood vessel…1564…at 54
Jeff Conaway, American actor…OD…2011…at 60
Jawaharial Nehru, Independent India's 1st PM…heart attack…1964…at 74
Ropert L Ripley, cartoonist (Believe It or Not)…heart attack…1949…at 55
Gil Scott-Heron, American poet, musician and author… pneumonia [HIV]…2011…at 62
Hh
Ed Yost, American inventor [modern hot air balloon]…2007…at 87

Answer: Brain Teasers
He waits until night time and then goes through the first door.
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.