9 January 2023
Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 2 Day 9 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 17 miles Flagstaff Today 53° \21° Wind 5mph \ Gusts 8mph
Air Quality: FAIR \Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 320mi \ Nearest Lightning 1197mi
Jan Averages for Flagstaff: 44° \ 16° \5
Days of moisture
Today’s Quote
Weekly Observations
6-9
Elvis' Birthday Celebration Week
6-Feb 21
Carnival Season
7-14
National Personal Trainer Awareness Week
8-14
Home
Office Safety and Security Week
National Mocktail Week
Daily Observations
Aviation
in America Day
Balloon Ascension Day Link
International Choreographers Day
Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Link Link
National Apricot Day
National Cassoulet Day
National Clean Off Your Desk Day
National Nerd Word Day
National Static Electricity Day Link
No Pants Subway Ride Day Link
Panama's Martyr Day Link
Phi Beta Sigma Day
Play God Day Link
Plough Monday
Plough Monday Link
Poetry at Work Day
Static Electricity Day
My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts
A
nice winter day. No complaints.
Later
this afternoon the Broncos play the Chargers and the Cards play the 49er’s.
Neither team had a decent season, but I’m still following both.
I’m
wondering how the new Congress will establish the rules for this session of
Congress. For the sanity of our country, I certainly hope it doesn’t take 15 roll
call votes to decide on the rules.
After
some late night TV, today I have decided it is officially a lazy day.
Waterfalls around the world
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Facts…
The Great Barrier
Reef isn’t just home to coral — it’s made of it. Approximately three-quarters
of the world’s coral species can be found here. There are two main types, hard
coral and soft coral. It is the hard or stony corals (scleractinians) that are
responsible for creating the reef itself. Made up of tiny polyps, each stony
coral measures around one-tenth of an inch, but they band together to form
colonies that consist of millions of individual polyps. The coral secretes
calcium carbonate, which grows over the limestone remains of previous colonies.
This slow and steady growth — less than two inches per year if conditions are
ideal — eventually formed the structure of the Great Barrier Reef. The coral is
precious, which is why visitors should never be tempted to break off a piece as
a souvenir, no matter how small and insignificant it might seem.
Aside from
the coral itself, the Great Barrier Reef is home to more than 1,500 species of
fish. Perhaps the most curious is a scorpion fish called the Rhinopias agriloba.
Occasionally found in the northern part of the reef, it appears to walk along
the seafloor balancing on its fins. Approximately 4,000 species of mollusks and
about 240 species of birds also live in the reef’s ecosystem. On top of this
extraordinary roll call, you’ll find migrating whales, dolphins, dugongs, sea
turtles, crustaceans, sponges, anemones, and other marine life, making the reef
the most biodiverse UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world. Humans, too, are
intrinsically linked to the reef: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples have forged a strong connection with the reef during their 60,000-year
history, as evidenced by shell deposits, fish traps, and marine totems.
Snorkelers
and divers at the Great Barrier Reef should familiarize themselves with some of
its more dangerous inhabitants. The reef is home to 14 species of sea snakes,
and some are more poisonous than any found on land. The venomous blue-ringed
octopus should also be avoided. The octopus tucks itself into shells and won’t
attack unless provoked, but a bite is usually fatal. Some types of jellyfish
are another potential hazard. Species like the Carukia barnesi are known to
cause Irukandji syndrome, which can result in severe lower back pain and muscle
cramps. Meanwhile, the crown-of-thorns starfish can devastate the coral itself.
It feeds on the coral, stripping a thin layer of tissue off its skeleton and
irreparably damaging the fragile polyps.
One of the
most breathtaking sights visitors can witness along the Great Barrier Reef is
mass coral spawning. This annual event takes place once a year after a full
moon and when the water reaches a particular temperature. Corals are
hermaphrodites, meaning they’re neither male nor female, but both. Spawning
occurs as they release eggs and sperm into the water at the same time,
increasing the chance of fertilization. For up to a weeklong period, the water
takes on the appearance of a subterranean blizzard each night, though the
“snow” is red, orange, and yellow in addition to white. The fertilized eggs
rise to the surface and float around for a while before sinking to the ocean
floor. There, they start to bud and the coral begins to develop.
Slang Origins
1959: Ring-a-ding
Meaning: wildly exciting; razzle-dazzle
This slang term was popularized by the
Frank Sinatra song (and album), “Ring-A-Ding-Ding,” which describes the feeling
of falling in love. The association of this term with women isn’t Sinatra’s
invention, however. Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang notes that this was a term
for a beautiful woman used during this time.
Historical Events
1768 – Philip Astley opened the world’s
first modern circus, with the center ring.
1839 – The French Academy of Sciences
announced the Daguerreotype photography process.
1861 – The American Civil War began when
the steamer, Star of the West, was fired upon by the Confederates as it
attempted to enter Charleston Harbor.
Birthdays Today
@91 – Judith Krantz, American novelist (d. 2019)
@88 – Carrie Lane Chapman, American Suffragette (d. 1947)
@85 – Bart Starr, American football player (d. 2019)
If you work harder than somebody else, chances are you’ll
beat him though he has more talent than you.– Bart Starr
82
– Joan Baez, American singer-songwriter
You can’t decide how you’re going to die. Or when. What you
can decide is how you’re going to live now.– Joan Baez
@81 – Richard Nixon, 37th President (d. 1994)
I would have made a good Pope.– Richard M. Nixon
@78 – Simone de Beauvoir, French author, philosopher (d. 1986;
pneumonia)
I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not
accept infinity. I want this adventure that is the context of my life to go on
without end.– Simone de Beauvoir
@72 – Chic Young, American cartoonist, Blondie comic strip (d.
1973; embolism)
@72 – Susannah York, English actress (d. 2011; cancer)
@70 – Bob Denver, American actor (d. 2005; pneumonia)
Nah, the Smithsonian doesn’t ask for anything back from
Gilligan, … They haven’t dropped that low yet.– Bob Denver
79
– Jimmy Page, English guitarist
72
– Crystal Gayle, American singer-songwriter
68
– J.K. Simmons, American actor
@64 – Lee Van Cleef, American actor (d. 1989; heart attack)
56
– Dave Matthews, South African-American singer-songwriter
50
– Sean Paul, Jamaican rapper
45
– AJ McLean, American singer, Backstreet Boys
41
– Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton)
34
– Nina Dobrev, Bulgarian-Canadian actress
