8 Dec

 

8 December 2022

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 50 Day 342 \ Ave. Sky Cover 95% \ Visibility 10 miles Flagstaff Today 34° \22° 
Wind 3mph \ Gusts 8mph  Air Quality: Fair \Very Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 386mi \ Nearest Lightning 223mi
Dec Averages for Flagstaff: 43° \ 17° `
Snowing on and off

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

Clerc-Gallaudet Week: 3-10
National Hand Washing Awareness Week: 4-10 Link  
Recipe Greetings For The Holidays Week: 4-10 
Andisop (Meterological Fiddling): 5-24   Link
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week: 5-9 Link 
Computer Science Education Week: 5-11 Link

Daily Observations

Feast of the Immaculate Conception
AFL-CIO Day
Bodhi Day  Link [Traditional] 
National Brownie Day
National Day of Lard
National Christmas Tree Day
Pretend To Be A Time Traveler Day
Toilet Paper Appreciation Day  Link  (Note: December 8, 1857 was when it was first sold in the US by Joseph C. Gayetty. The other observance is on August 26 when Scott first sold toilet paper on a roll on August 26, 1871 fourteen years later as Toilet Paper Day.)

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

The promised snow has arrived. So far none is sticking. I went out to get a much-needed haircut before any snow fell. As I was driving, there was a light rain, just enough to use the intermittent wipers on the slowest speed.

Georgia results are in. Warnock kept his seat. Walker gave a very good speech to concede. There is hope for our country.

A few months ago I had a minor bladder issue. Due to my age, I was referred to a urologist. I saw him but he only scheduled an appointment to look at the bladder and a CT scan. The scan showed nothing unusual. The real look was scheduled for next week. Today I got a call that the Dr. would not be available for my appointment, and I needed to reschedule. Their earliest opening was Valentines Day. Not happy about it, but my latest urine, last week, was just fine, according to the lab that analyzed it.

Favorite Memes

Little known Native American History

The origin of hockey part 2

It may be tempting to keep a cool artifact you find on federal or tribal land, but it might be against the law. The Native Graves Protection and Repatriation Act recognizes that certain items belong to "lineal descendants, Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations." This protection applies to "human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony." These Native American artifacts have found their way into a museum—where they belong.

If you're a sports fan, chances are you've heard of Jim Thorpe. Thorpe was a member of the Sac and Fox nation and while you might know him for making Olympic history as the first Native American to win a gold medal (he actually won two, for the pentathlon and decathlon), you might be surprised to learn he also played professional football, baseball, and basketball. In college, he also played lacrosse and won a ballroom dancing championship. It's no wonder many consider Jim Thorpe to be the greatest athlete of all time. 

Slang Origins

1929: Nerts

Meaning: nonsense

Much like “horsefeathers” before it, “nerts” was something you shouted when something just wasn’t going right. It was used in place of “nuts,” presumably to avoid shocking or offending anyone nearby.

Historical Events

1886 – The American Federation of Labor was founded

1952 – On the CBS show I Love Lucy, a pregnancy was acknowledged in a TV show for the first time, with the announcement that ‘Me and my husband are about to have a blessed event.’

1980 – John Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman outside of his home in New York City.

1991 – The Soviet Union dissolved.

2013 – Metallica performed a show in Antarctica, making them the first band to perform on all seven continents.

Birthdays Today

@85 – William C. Durant, founder of General Motors and Chevrolet (d. 1947)
@83 – Maximilian Schell, Austrian-Swiss actor (d. 2014)
83 – Jerry Butler, American singer-songwriter
@72 – David Carradine, American actor (d. 2009; suicide)
@70 – Diego Rivera, Mexican painter, educator (d. 1957)
@69 – Gregg Allman, American singer-songwriter, guitarist (d. 2017, liver cancer)
69 – Kim Basinger, American actress
@66 – James Thurber, American humorist, and cartoonist (d. 1961; pneumonia)
“The wit makes fun of other persons; the satirist makes fun of the world; the humorist makes fun of himself, but in so doing, he identifies himself with people — that is, people everywhere, not for the purpose of taking them apart, but simply revealing their true nature. “ “All human beings should try to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why.” “Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.”– James Thurber
@64 – Lee J. Cobb, American actor (d. 1976; heart attack)
@64 – Sammy Davis, Jr., actor, singer, and dancer (d. 1990; throat cancer)
“You always have two choices: your commitment versus your fear.”– Sammy Davis, Jr.
61 – Ann Coulter, American author
@60 – Eli Whitney, engineer, inventor- Cotton Gin (d. 1825; prostate cancer)
“Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized.”– Eli Whitney58 – Teri Hatcher, American actress
56 – Sinéad O’Connor, Irish singer-songwriter
@44 – Mary, Queen of Scots (d. 1587; executed)@43 – E.C. Segar, American cartoonist, creator of Popeye (d. 1938; liver disease)
40 – Nicki Minaj, Trinidadian-American rapper and actress
29 – AnnaSophia Robb, American actress
@27 – Jim Morrison, American singer-songwriter, #27club (d. 1971)
“A hero is someone who rebels or seems to rebel against the facts of existence and seems to conquer them. Obviously, that can only work at moments. It can’t be a lasting thing. That’s not saying that people shouldn’t keep trying to rebel against the facts of existence. Someday, who knows, we might conquer death, disease, and war.”– Jim Morrison

 

7 Dec

 

December 2022

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 50 Day 341 \ Ave. Sky Cover 30% \ Visibility 10 miles Flagstaff Today 42° feels like 36°\32° 
Wind 9mph \ Gusts 4mph  Air Quality: Fair \Very Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 386mi \ Nearest Lightning 1262mi
Dec Averages for Flagstaff: 43° \ 17° `
Partly cloudy

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

Cookie Cutter Week: 1-7 Link
Clerc-Gallaudet Week: 3-10
National Hand Washing Awareness Week: 4-10 Link  
Recipe Greetings For The Holidays Week: 4-10 
Andisop (Meterological Fiddling): 5-24   Link
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week: 5-9 Link 
Computer Science Education Week: 5-11 Link

Daily Observations

International Civil Aviation Day
Letter Writing Day
National Cotton Candy Day
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
International Civil Aviation Day
National Cotton Candy Day Link
National Fire Safety Council Day
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Special Kids Day Link  

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Weather guy says to expect 1-3” of snow tonight…I’ll wait and see if it happens.

I made a quick shopping trip to get some essentials. A tad chilly to be out and about.

I had planned to run my vehicle through the dealer car wash today.  It was too chilly to wipe it down after the blower leaves some parts still wet. I’ll do it when it warms up a tad. Hopefully that will happen before May.

Favorite Memes

So very good!
	Digis =  Crazy!

Little known Native American History

The origin of hockey

If you're a hockey fan, you may be unaware you have the Saux, Foxes, and Assiniboine people to thank. They were among the Native American tribes who played a game called "shinny." In shinny a buckskin ball was hit down the field using a curved stick. In the winter months, the game was played over ice. White settlers took note and over time, shinny was developed into the modern sport we call hockey.

Depending on how much you know about the constitution, you may be surprised to learn that Ben Franklin and the founding fathers modeled the United States constitution on the constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy. However, Pamala Silas, associate director of outreach and engagement for the Center For Native American and Indigenous Research at Northwestern University, says, "Ben Franklin left out the most important part. The clan mothers were the ones who picked the leaders at the representative level because they knew them the best." 

Slang Origins

1928: Horsefeathers

Meaning: nonsense, balderdash

“Horsefeathers” is an exclamation perfect for interrupting someone you disagree with. “Applesauce,” another word from the same time, could serve a similar purpose. Rumored to be having been coined by cartoonist Billy De Beck, some think it’s meant to serve as a replacement for a more vulgar term, but that definition only goes back to the 1940s.

Historical Events

1787 – Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution.

1941 – Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA attacked by Japan.

2002 – In Amsterdam, Netherlands, two Van Gogh paintings were stolen from the Van Gogh Museum. The two works were “View of the Sea st Scheveningen” and “Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen.” They were found, along with the thieves shortly after the heist.

Birthdays Today

@98 – Eli Wallach, American actor (d. 2014)

94 – Noam Chomsky, American linguist, and philosopher

Being able to do as one pleases is the natural goal of the libertarian, but having nothing to do is not. While it may be correct to say that the human species is badly prepared for having nothing to do, it is quite a different matter to say that it is badly prepared for the freedom to do as one pleases. People who are able to do as they please may work very hard, given the opportunity to do interesting work.– Noam Chomsky

90 – Ellen Burstyn, American actress

@80 – Clarence Nash, American voice actor, Donald Duck (d. 1985)

73 – Tom Waits, American singer-songwriter

We are buried beneath the weight of information, which is being confused with knowledge; quantity is being confused with abundance and wealth with happiness. We are monkeys with money and guns.– Tom Waits

67 – Larry Bird, American basketball player

I’ve got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.– Larry Bird

@67 – Louis Prima, American singer-songwriter, trumpet player, performer (d. 1978; stroke)

@62 – Ted Knight, American actor, and comedian (d. 1986; cancer)

56 – C. Thomas Howell, American actor

@50 – Richard Warren Sears, co-founder of Sears (d. 1914; alcoholism)

49 – Terrell Owens, American football player, and actor

43 – Sara Bareilles, American singer-songwriter

@38 – Harry Chapin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1981; auto accident)

Oh, if a man tried to take his time on earth and prove before he died what one man’s life could be worth, I wonder what would happen to this world?– Harry Chapin

@34 – Aaron Carter, American singer-songwriter (d. 2022; in bathtub)

Music is something that always lifts my spirits and makes me happy, and when I make music I always hope it will have the same effect on whoever listens to it.-Aaron Carter

33 – Nicholas Hoult, English actor

 

6 Dec

 

December 2022

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 50 Day 340 \ Ave. Sky Cover 40% \ Visibility 10 miles Flagstaff Today 46° \35° 
Wind 9mph \ Gusts s15mph  Air Quality: Fair \Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 38mi \ Nearest Lightning 1382mi
Dec Averages for Flagstaff: 43° \ 17° `
Mostly Sunny

Today’s Quote

 

Weekly Observations

Cookie Cutter Week: 1-7 Link
Clerc-Gallaudet Week: 3-10
National Hand Washing Awareness Week: 4-10 Link  
Recipe Greetings For The Holidays Week: 4-10 
Andisop (Meterological Fiddling): 5-24   Link
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week: 5-9 Link 
Computer Science Education Week: 5-11 Link

Daily Observations

International Sweater Day

Miner’s Day

Mitten Tree Day Link

National Gazpacho Day

National Pawnbrokers Day

National Microwave Oven Day

Put on Your Own Shoes Day

Saint Nicholas Day

World Trick Shot Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Finally, some sunshine.

Yesterday the Cardinals had a bye and the Broncos lost to the Ravens.

So nice to see that the White House has returned the Kennedy Center honorees pre-party. Trump had stopped the party and refused to attend the Kennedy Center Honors.

Deion Sanders is now the Head Football coach for the Univ. of CO Buffaloes. He has plans that may have a number of scholarship students transferring to another program. I’ll see how he does.

60 Minutes did a segment on Gorongosa Mountain and National Park in Mozambique. A former tech billionaire has poured over $100 million into rebuilding the Park after a civil war that destroyed most of the wildlife. The locals are now part of the park. It sounds fascinating. Adding it too my shortened bucket list.

Favorite Memes

One lonely Aspen in a see of Pine trees

Little known Native American History

You need to hear about Maria Tallchief

If you managed to get through school without hearing about Maria Tallchief, you missed out on hearing about a pioneering woman who changed the world. Tallchief, whose father was a member of the Osage Nation, dreamed of being a ballet dancer from the time she was a little girl. At 17, she moved to New York City to pursue a career as a ballerina, but racism stood in her way. She was advised many times to change her last name so her Native American heritage wouldn't be readily apparent, but Tallchief refused. Her hard work, talent, and unwavering persistence paid off. Maria Tallchief eventually broke barriers as the first American to dance with the Paris Opera Ballet and the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. She became the prima ballerina at the New York City Ballet and was regarded as one of the greatest dancers in the world. 

Slang Origins

1927: Zozzled

Meaning: drunk

First recorded in Edmund Wilson’s "Lexicon of Prohibition," “zozzled” was one of many words used during Prohibition to describe the effect of now-illegal drinking. “Zozzle” most likely comes from the word the word “sozzle,” another word for drunk that also means to splash something on someone, something a drunk person may be more likely to do.

Historical Events

1897 – London became the world’s first city license taxicabs.

1969 – The Altamont Free Concert, featuring Santana, Jefferson Airplane, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and the Rolling Stones. It also had several deaths, and hundreds were injured. It was the focus of the 1970 documentary film titled Gimme Shelter.

Gerald Ford was sworn in as US Vice President in 1973.

Birthdays Today

@91 – Dave Brubeck, American pianist, composer (d. 2012)
“It is stern work, it is perilous work, to thrust your hand in the sun And pull out a spark of immortal flame to warm the hearts of men: But Prometheus, torn by the claws and beaks whose task is never done, Would be tortured another eternity to go stealing fire again.”
– Joyce Kilmer
@86 – Ira Gershwin, American songwriter (d. 1983)
“One can be very happy without demanding that others agree with them.”– Ira Gershwin
86 – Kenneth Copeland, American evangelist
“Don’t try and fit your faith into your busy schedule, build your schedule around your faith.”
– Kenneth Copeland
74 – JoBeth Williams, American actress
@73 – Agnes Moorehead, American actress (d. 1974; cancer)
69 – Tom Hulce, American actor
55 – Judd Apatow, American director, producer, screenwriter
@48 – Wally Cox, American actor (d. 1973; heart attack)
@37 – Linda Creed, American singer-songwriter (d. 1986; breast cancer)
Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all. – Michael Masser & Linda Creed
@31 – Joyce Kilmer, American soldier, author, poet (d. 1918; KIA)
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
– Joyce Kilmer
@25 – Baby Face Nelson, American gangster (d. 1934; shot by FBI)
“You drive. I’ve been hit!”– George “Baby Face” Nelson