11 Dec

 

11 December 2022

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 51 Day 345 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 10 miles Flagstaff Today 47° \16° 
Wind 5mph \ Gusts s9mph  Air Quality: Fair \ Moderate Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 331mi \ Nearest Lightning 640qmi
Dec Averages for Flagstaff: 43° \ 17° `
Sunshine

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

Andisop (Meteorological Fiddling): 5-24   Link
Computer Science Education Week: 5-11 
Link
Human Rights Week: 10-17

Daily Observations

Holiday Food Drive for Needy Animals Day
International Mountain Day
Kaleidoscope Day
Magnum P.I. Day
National App Day  Link
National Have a Bagel Day
National Sobriety Day Link
UNICEF Birthday
Worldwide Candle Lighting Day (The Compassionate Friends) Link 
World Choral Day  Link

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

I don’t like shopping on weekends. Today they are forecasting a big snowstorm…5-10” on Sunday/Monday. I decided it was about time the weather guy gets is right. I needed gas before the storm hit. I went to Sam’s for gas, then inside for some cashews. I found other stuff I didn’t know I needed but wanted. Good outcome.

I became a real fan of The Daily Show when Trevor Noah took over about 7 years ago. He is creative, intelligent, and funny. He announced he was leaving about a month ago, and last night was his final show. I wish him well and will miss his brand of comedy.

Favorite Memes

 

Did you Know?

While the sculptor Gutzon Borglum was working on Mount Rushmore, he had the idea of adding a special room where future generations could learn about the significance of the United States as well as his own creation. The Hall of Records was intended as its own architectural wonder, accented with double doors, a long staircase, and a gold-plated eagle with a 38-foot wingspan. The inside would serve as a museum, housing bronze and glass cabinets full of the country’s key historical documents, busts of important Americans, a list of notable U.S. contributions to the world, and more. Armed with dynamite, miners laid the groundwork for the Hall of Records in 1938 — to the displeasure of Congress, who saw only a 70-foot-deep cave beyond President Lincoln’s hairline. Borglum was instructed to devote his time and federal funding to finishing the quartet of faces. Soon after he died in March 1941, the monument was deemed complete. The Hall of Records remained an empty granite pit for more than half a century.

At the behest of Borglum’s family — who worried that the sculpture’s significance “would become a riddle” to historians — the artist’s vision for the room was partly realized on August 9, 1998. A teak box was filled with 16 porcelain enamel tablets containing documents including the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address, plus details about Borglum and the forging of Mount Rushmore. The box was placed in a non-corrosive titanium container, which was lowered deep into a hole at the Hall of Records’ entrance. To seal the opening, a 1,200-pound granite capstone was added, etched with a quote from Borglum. Alas, tourists are not able to explore the hall that might have been.    

Slang Origins

1932: Layabout

Meaning: a lazy, shiftless person; idler

As the Depression pressed on, unemployment reached unprecedented levels, eventually peaking with nearly a quarter of the population out of work. With more people at home, words like this came into use as Americans waited for the economy to recover.

Corny jokes

3. Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants?

In case he got a hole in one.

….

4. Why did the Clydesdale give the pony a glass of water?

Because he was a little horse.

Historical Events

1789 – The University of North Carolina was chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly.

1941 – Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.

1946 – UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) was founded.

2001 – The People’s Republic of China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Birthdays Today

91 – Rita Moreno, Puerto Rican-American actress, singer, dancer
“It is through art that we will prevail, and we will endure. It lives on after us and defines us as people.”– Rita Moreno
@89 – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (d. 2008)
“Let us not forget that violence does not live alone and is not capable of living alone: it is necessarily interwoven with falsehood. Between them lies the most intimate, the deepest of natural bonds. Violence finds its only refuge in falsehood, falsehood its only support in violence. Any man who has once acclaimed violence as his METHOD must inexorably choose falsehood as his PRINCIPLE.”– Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
@86 – David Brewster, Scottish physicist, inventor of the Kaleidoscope
82 – David Gates, American singer-songwriter
82 – Donna Mills, American actress
79 – John Kerry, American politician
78 – Lynda Day George, American actress
78 – Brenda Lee, American singer-songwriter
@76 – John Labatt, Canadian brewer (d. 1915)
@64 – Fiorello La Guardia, New York politician (d. 1947; cancer)
@74 – John Buscema, American comic book artist (d. 2002; cancer)
@76 – Tom Hayden, American politician (d. 2016; heart failure)
73 – Teri Garr, American actress
68 – Jermaine Jackson, American singer-songwriter, Jackson 5
64 – Nikki Sixx (Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna Jr.), American bass player
“I forgive my mom for being a psycho and my dad for being a loser.”– Nikki Sixx
55 – Mo’Nique (Monique Angela Hicks), American comedian
49 – Mos Def, American rapper
26 – Hailee Steinfeld, American actress, singer

 

10 Dec

 

10 December 2022

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 50 Day 344 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 10 miles Flagstaff Today 46° \19° 
Wind 3mph \ Gusts 8mph  Air Quality: Fair \Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 132mi \ Nearest Lightning 1595mi
Dec Averages for Flagstaff: 43° \ 17° `
Sunshine

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 (Meteorological Fiddling): 5-24
   Link
Computer Science Education Week: 5-11 
Link
Human Rights Week: 10-17

Daily Observations

Dewey Decimal System Day
Gingerbread Decorating Day
Gingerbread House Day
Human Rights Day
Link
International Animal Rights Day
Link
International Shareware Day

Jane Addams Day
National Lager Day
Nobel Prize Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

A nice winter day.

I had a nice lunch with friends. We met at a restaurant on the local campus. Great food and even better conversation. Good times roll.

So AZ Senator has now registered at an Independent. A political move since she was sure she would not get the Democratic nomination in 2024. This will just make headlines now and again if she runs in 2024. I had expected more from her.

I’m looking forward to  quiet weekend.

Favorite Memes

 

Did you Know? NEW!

James A. Garfield didn’t have the strangest presidential pet — that distinction probably belongs to either John Quincy Adams’ alligator (which he kept in a bathtub) or Martin Van Buren’s two tiger cubs — but his dog Veto might have had the cleverest name. Named after the presidential power to prevent a bill passed by Congress from becoming law, the black Newfoundland was described by the Lewiston Evening Journal as “a true protector” who once alerted his humans to a barn fire by barking, and who also once “held the reins of a valuable horse on a rampage in the barn” until help arrived to resolve the equine emergency.

 

Presidents without pets (Martin Van Buren, James K. Polk, Donald Trump) 

Slang Origins

1931: Doll

Meaning: an attractive woman; darling, sweetheart

One of many words referring to women that have sprung up over the years, “doll” has remained in our cultural vocabulary partly thanks to the Tony award-winning Broadway musical “Guys and Dolls,” which hit the stage in 1950. The musical is based on the stories of Damon Runyon, who was known for using regional slang in his writing. It was later adapted into a movie starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra.

Corny jokes NEW!

What do you call a pig that does karate?

A pork chop.

Why did the bike fall over?

It was two tired.

Historical Events

1768 – The first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica was published.

1884 – Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published.

1901 – The first Nobel Prizes were awarded. President Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt became the first person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Birthdays Today

@81 – Dorothy Lamour, American actress, and singer (d. 1996)
“Glamor is just sex that got civilized. A pretty girl, tastefully posed in a scant costume, is even a sort of cultural achievement.”– Dorothy Lamour
70 – Susan Dey, American actress
62 – Kenneth Branagh, Northern Ireland-born English actor-director, producer, screenwriter
“Friendship is one of the most tangible things in a world which offers fewer and fewer supports.”– Kenneth Branagh
@62 – Chet Huntley, American journalist (d. 1974; lung cancer)
61 – Nia Peeples, American singer
58 – Bobby Flay, American chef
“Don’t try to be the next Rachael Ray or Bobby Flay, we already have those people. We want someone who is going to make their own mark on Food Network.”– Bobby Flay
@55 – Emily Dickinson, American poet (d. s1886; Bright’s disease)
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul – and sings the tunes without the words – and never stops at all.”– Emily Dickinson
54 – Michael Clarke Duncan, Actor
48 – Meg White, American drummer
“I met Drew Barrymore in New York and she said she liked the band. That was really cool. I grew up on her.”– Meg White
37 – Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman-Maday, Actor 

 

9 Dec

 

December 2022

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 50 Day 343 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 10 miles Flagstaff Today 35° \12° 
Wind 3mph \ Gusts 6mph  Air Quality: Fair \Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 132mi \ Nearest Lightning 1599mi
Dec Averages for Flagstaff: 43° \ 17° `
Crispy Cool

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
Human Rights Week: 10-17

Daily Observations

Christmas Card Day
Cremation Day
International Anti-corruption Day
International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of The Victims of The Crime of Genocide and The Prevention of This Crime
International Day of Veterinary Medicine
National Pastry Day
Official Lost & Found Day  
Weary Willie Day  Link
World Techno Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

I had a 10am dental visit to fill a small cavity. The office called and said I could come in early…like 9:30. I was there at 9:30 and out by 10:15. Good visit.

I sounds like there will be uranium mining near Grand Canyon. A company is advertising for workers. It has been fought by several tribes and environmentalists for decades. The biggest fear now is that such mining will negatively impact the water used by the Havasupai tribe in the canyon. The fight is far from over.

Still no public announcement on who caused the NC electric outage. Most have power back, but many are still without power. Note to perpetrators: Your reasons won’t come out unless you are caught, or you release information about why you did it. Just saying.

I am happy to see that Britney Griner has been released and is on her way home. Still waiting for Whelan’s release. Hopefully that will happen too. The trade returned a wicked gun dealer whom I am sure will be in the news again back to Russia.

Favorite Memes

 

 

Little known Native American History

The origin of hockey Part 3

When your teacher taught you about the pilgrims of the Mayflower, you probably heard something about Squanto, a member of the Patuxet tribe who helped them survive. What many history books fail to say is that Squanto was equipped to help the pilgrims because he learned English after being kidnapped. Squanto was abducted by English explorer George Weymouth who took him to Britain as an exhibit for his financial backers. It was here he learned English. He was later returned to his homeland only to be abducted by Englishman Thomas Hunt, who sold him into slavery in Spain. He was eventually returned only to find his entire tribe had been killed by smallpox. It was only after this that he came into contact with the Mayflower passengers. 

Slang Origins

1930: Hooverville

Meaning: a town of temporary dwellings, especially those found during the Great Depression

After the stock market crash of 1929, the U.S. economy was in shambles and the following years saw millions losing their jobs and homes. This led to the development of shantytowns across the country. They were soon nicknamed "Hoovervilles" after then-President Herbert Hoover, as he and the Republican Party were blamed by some for the country's misfortune.

Historical Events

1960 – The first episode of Coronation Street, the world’s longest-running television soap opera, was broadcast in the United Kingdom.

1979 -The eradication of the smallpox virus was certified.

Birthdays Today

@103 – Kirk Douglas, American actor (d. 2020)
“Life is like a B-picture script.”– Kirk Douglas
@89 – Buck Henry, American actor, screenwriter (d. 2020)
88 – Judi Dench, English actress
@85 – Grace Hopper, American admiral, and computer scientist, designed COBOL (d. 1992)
@83 – Joseph Pilates, German-American fitness expert, developer of Pilates (d. 1967)
81 – Beau Bridges, American actor, director, producer
@81 – Tip O’Neill, 55th Speaker of the United States House (d. 1994)
80 – Dick Butkus, American football player, sportscaster, and actor
When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately – unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something– Dick Butkus
70 – Michael Dorn, American actor
69 – John Malkovich, American actor
@68 – Morton Downey Jr., singer-songwriter, actor, talk show host (d. 2001; cancer)
@68 – Redd Foxx (John Elroy Sanford), American actor (d. 1991; heart attack)
@65 – John Milton, English writer, and philosopher (d. 1674; gout)
“Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to my conscience, above all liberties.”– John Milton
65 – Donny Osmond, American singer, actor
“My father instilled in me the attitude of prevailing. If there’s a challenge, go for it. If there’s a wall to break down, break it down.”– Donny Osmond
60 – Felicity Huffman, American actress
56 – Kirsten Gillibrand, American politician
44 – Jesse Metcalfe, American actor
42 – Simon Helberg, American actor
27 – McKayla Maroney, American gymnast
“There’s a lot of stress out there, and to handle it, you just need to believe in yourself; always go back to the person that you know you are, and don’t let anybody tell you any different because everyone’s special and everyone’s awesome. Looking back isn’t going to help you.”– McKayla Maroney

 

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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.