Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 20 Day: 133 \ Ave. sky cover: 5% \ Visibility: 10 miles Flagstaff Today 68° \26°
Wind: 6mph \ Gusts: 11mph
High risk of fire
\ Nearest active fire: 12mi \ nearest Lightning: 545mi
May Averages for Flagstaff: 68° \ 34° (3 days of moisture)
Today’s Quote
Weekly Observations
6-15
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8-14
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8-15
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9-13
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9-15
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10-16
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Daily Observations
My
Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts
So happy to
report there is just a slight wind today and it should remain that way into next
week.
I had lunch with
Faith and Andy. Great food, good conversation.
I am
shocked, horrified, grateful, and concerned with the recent release of the
Dept. of Interior’s examination of 400+ government boarding schools here in the
US. The study was from the 1860’s until 1969. I did not start working for the
BIA until 1971. I have downloaded the 162-page report. The information is long
overdue. Healing can’t begin until everyone knows what occurred. The
report details the events that led to horrors at many schools. Thank you to Interior
Secretary Deb Haaland of Laguna for having this report done. It is difficult
for all Americans to hear the information, and even more difficult for those of
us who worked for the Bureau. The healing will begin when all the information
is discovered, verified, and made public.
Also, The
National Park Service is holding a meeting in late May discussion on what the
future of the National Park System could look like with the inclusion of
Indigenous voices and traditional ecological knowledge.
A second
issue that needs to be made public and fixed…In 2021 there was an overdose
death every 5 minutes. Most of the deaths involved fentanyl, usually laced into
other drugs. How can Congress just ignore
figures like that. There is now a quick test to see if the fentanyl is in the
drug…but many states will not approve the test, as it is labeled as ‘drug paraphernalia’.
That is crazy!
Favorite Memes
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Safest Cities in the
World
1. Tokyo, Japan
The bigger
the city, the more dangerous it is? Not true for Tokyo. This city has a
population of over 13 million and it’s still one of the safest cities on the
planet. In terms of how well your cyber security is protected, Tokyo is ranked
on top. This means identity theft is super rare and digital privacy is highly
respected and protected. The low crime rates are probably related to the fact
that the majority of the Tokyo residents are considered “upper-middle class.”
What’s more? Tokyo boasts a world-famous nightlife scene which can be enjoyed
worry-free!
2. Singapore
The number
of violent crimes, theft, and level of police engagement is the lowest in the
world in Singapore. If that doesn’t make you feel safe, we don’t know what
will. In fact, Singapore reported a 135-day completely crime-free streak in
2017. The small island nation has close to 100,000 surveillance cameras positioned
around the city, keeping citizens honest and majorly deterring those who are
tempted to stray. Because of their super-safe environment, Singaporeans really
trust each other. It’s not uncommon to see shops without windows, locks, or
doors!
State Trivia
New Hampshire: Wolfeboro is the oldest
summer resort in America
New England
and especially New Hampshire have long been favorites for summer vacations, but
no destination more so than Wolfeboro. Dubbed the oldest summer resort in
America, Wolfeboro gained this title after Governor John Wentworth built his
Lake Wentworth mansion here in 1768, making it the first summer country estate
in northern New England. Over the years it became a popular destination,
especially for families from Boston, and more recently Prince Rainier and
Princess Grace of Monaco, Kurt Vonnegut, Drew Barrymore and former French
president Nicolas Sarkozy have all vacationed here.
New Jersey: it has the most horses in the
US
You might
have suspected that there are more diners in New Jersey than any other state,
but did you know New Jersey also has the most horses? There are more horses per
square mile here than any other state in the US. This also explains why the
United States Equestrian Team is based in Gladstone, New Jersey.
New Mexico: it's the only state that has
an official state question
"Red or
Green?" was declared an official state symbol in 1996 thus becoming the
first official state question in the country. But can you guess what it refers
to? Wanting to recognize the importance of the chile industry in New Mexico,
the New Mexico State Legislature decided to use a question asked in diners up
and down the state every day. Referring to either red or green chile, the question
actually has three possible answers. Reply "Christmas" and you'll get
a mix of both.
New York: Empire State Building has its
own zip code
The US
postal code, or zip code, was first introduced to sort and deliver mail more
efficiently and we're accustomed to zip codes indicating specific
neighborhoods. However, New York City's Empire State Building has a zip code of
its own – 10118 – and turns out it's not the only one. In total there are 42
buildings in Manhattan with a personal zip code, including MetLife Building, 30
Rockefeller Plaza and Chrysler Building.
North
Carolina: Venus flytrap is native to the state
Feared by
insects, admired by humans and cultivated around the world, a Venus flytrap
looks like it belongs in a tropical jungle. However, it's only native to a
small area of the coastal plain, mostly within a 75-mile (120km) radius within
Wilmington. Facing a high risk of extinction in the wild, the famous plant was
designated the official state carnivorous plant in 2005.
North Dakota: the world's largest French
fry feed is held here
An utterly
irresistible event, if you ask us, the World's Largest French Fry Feed is a
must-visit. Held annually (it was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19), it's the
signature event of Potato Bowl USA – an American football battle between the
two largest potato growing regions in the United States. The latest French Fry
Feed record was broken in 2017, when 8,154 pounds of French fries were served
to over 10,000 people.
Historical Events
Ø
1637 – The
rounded table knife was created by Cardinal Richelieu in France.
Ø
1861 – The
Great Comet of 1861 (C/1861 J1) was discovered, and it should return in 2063.
Ø
1890 –
Nikola Tesla was issued a patent (#428,057) for an electric generator.
Ø
1917 – The
first reported apparition of Our Lady of Fátima in Fátima, Portugal.
Ø
1607 –
English in Virginia founded Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement
in North America.
Ø
1939 – The
first commercial FM radio station in the United States is launched in
Bloomfield, Connecticut. The station later became WDRC-FM.
Ø
1950 – The
first round of the Formula One World Championship was held at Silverstone.
Ø
1958 – Ben
Carlin became the first person to circumnavigate the world by amphibious
vehicle
Ø
1973 – Bobby
Riggs beat Margaret Court in a $10,000 winner-take-all challenge tennis match.
Billie Jean King played him on September 20, 1973, and won the second Battle of
the Sexes.
Ø
1981 – Pope
John Paul II was shot by Mehmet Ali Agca.
Ø
1985 –
Philadelphia Mayor W. Wilson Goode ordered police to raid the MOVE
headquarters, and a small bomb was detonated on top of 6221 Osage Avenue. Six
adults and five children were killed in the fire that destroyed the entire
block, along with 250 nearby homes.
Ø
1994 –
Johnny Carson made his last television appearance on Late Show with David
Letterman.
Birthdays Today
@86 – Bea Arthur, American actress and
singer (d. 2009)
72
– Stevie Wonder, musician
@66 – Joe Louis [Joseph
Louis Barrow], American
boxer (d. 1981; cardiac arrest)
61
– Dennis Rodman, American basketball player
58
– Stephen Colbert, American comedian and talk show host
@49 – Mary Wells, American
singer-songwriter (d. 1992; cancer)
36
– Lena Dunham, American actress
36 – Robert Pattison, Actor
@17 – Ritchie Valens, American
singer-songwriter, guitarist (d. 1959; plane crash)
