10 Mar

March 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 10 Day 69 \ Ave. Sky Cover 80% \ Visibility 18 miles Flagstaff Today 52° \22°  Wind 8mph \ Gusts 4mph 
Air Quality: Fair \ Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 251mi \ Nearest Lightning 966mi
Mar. Averages for Flagstaff: 51° \ 23° \6 Days of moisture
Cloudy; no precipitation

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

  22-4/8

  Lent

5-11

   National Consumer Protection Week  Link 
Celebrate Your Name Week
National Procrastination Week  
National Schools Social Work Week   Link 
National Words Matter Week
No More Week  Link

Read an E-Book Week  Link  
Save Your Vision Week  
Save Your Vision Week  Link  
Termite Awareness Week
Termite Awareness Week
  5-12
  Women in Construction Week:   Link 
Women of Aviation Worldwide Week
Words Matter Week
6-10
Women of Aviation Worldwide Week
Words Matter Week
6-10
  National School Breakfast Week
10-12
  World Rattlesnake Roundup
  10-16
  Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Week

Daily Observations

  Blueberry Popover Day
International Bagpipe Day
International Day of Awesomeness Link
International Day of Women Judges
Land Line Telephone Day
Mario Day
Middle Name Pride Day Link 
National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Ranch Dressing Day
Salvation Army Day
US Paper Money Day
Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Ranch Dressing Day
Salvation Army Day
US Paper Money Day
Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

It’s an overcast day, with no precipitation in the forecast.

CNN did a piece on AI yesterday. They had the AI fake the voices of several CNN employees. Even the parent of one thought they were talking to their son. Congress better wake up very quickly and figure out a way to notify the public when AI was used to produce a voice and/or video. I admit it sounds very cool, but the ramifications are too great to allow it to be out there un-regulated.

Mary and Mike are still in Phoenix, enjoying the sun and heat. No group lunch with them this week.  

A trio of GOP gun measures won approval from lawmakers Wednesday, including a measure that would allow people with concealed weapon permits to bring firearms onto Arizona school campuses. Not a good idea.

Enjoy…

Facts…

"Penguins have glands under their eyes to extract and secrete excess salt. These are powerful enough that they allow them to drink seawater as their primary water source." 

More Slang origins…

Made in the shade

Today, being in the shade means you're avoiding sun damage to your skin. But in the '50s, being made in the shade meant things are going well for you and you don't have a care in the world. Remember: Shade is a good thing.

Beauty in our 50 states…

 

Want to surprise someone? Send them a postcard from Delaware. "I never knew Delaware was that pretty," they'll say, looking at a silhouette of dune grasses framed by an ocean sunset. Actually, no one does, because Delaware's not large enough to hold more than three cars at a time. But if you're lucky enough to be in one of those three cars, you, too, can take in the rolling rural countrysides and the not-half-bad beach views and say, "Delaware. Hi. I'm in Delaware."

Historical Events

1862 – The United States began using paper currency.
1876 – Alexander Graham Bell spoke into his just-completed invention, the telephone.
“Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.”
1880 – The US Salvation Army began serving.
1977 – Astronomers discovered the rings of Uranus.

Birthdays Today

@93 – Judith Jones, American literary and cookbook editor (d. 2017)
83 – Chuck Norris, American actor, producer, and martial artist
“Always remember that your success begins inside you: If you can’t see it first, no one else ever will.”– Chuck Norris
@70 – James Earl Ray, assassin of Martin Luther King Jr. (d. 1998; liver failure)
66 – Shannon Tweed, American model
65 – Sharon Stone, American actress
61 – Jasmine Guy, American actress
“There is a child in all of us, a person who believes in a glorious future.”– Jasmine Guy
@54 – Osama bin Laden, Saudi Arabian terrorist, founded al-Qaeda (d. 2011; killed)
52 – Jon Hamm, American actor
“I’ve gotten away with a lot in my life. The older you get the more you realize you’re not getting away with it, it’s taking its toll somewhere. So you try not to put yourself in those situations. Part of the mysterious process called growing up. Some people do that better than others.”– Jon Hamm
51 – Timbaland, American rapper and producer
“Everyone wants to work with the big new producer or the hot new singer. The key is to find them before they’re hot.”– Timbaland
40 – Carrie Underwood, American singer-songwriter
29 – Bad Bunny [Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio], rapper

 

  

9 Mar

9 March 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 10 Day 68 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 19 miles Flagstaff Today 53° \18°  Wind 7mph \ Gusts 16mph 
Air Quality: 9 \ Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 251mi \ Nearest Lightning 636mi
Mar. Averages for Flagstaff: 51° \ 23° \6 Days of moisture

Sunshine

Weekly Observations

  22-4/8
  Lent
  1-7
  Hearing Awareness Week Link
LGBT Health Awareness Week Link
National Cheerleading Week
National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week
National Ghostwriters Week
National Invest in a Veteran Week  Link
National Pet Sitters Week Link
Return The Borrowed Books Week
Universal Human Beings Week: Link
Will Eisner Week Link
World Hearing Awareness Week
5-11
   National Consumer Protection Week  Link 
Celebrate Your Name Week
National Procrastination Week  
National Schools Social Work Week   
Celebrate Your Name Week
National Procrastination Week  
National Schools Social Work Week   Link 
National Words Matter Week
No More Week 
National Words Matter Week
No More Week  Link
Read an E-Book Week  Link  
Save Your Vision Week  
Save Your Vision Week  Link  
Termite Awareness Week
Termite Awareness Week
  5-12
  Women in Construction Week:   Link 
Women of Aviation Worldwide Week
Words Matter Week
6-10
Women of Aviation Worldwide Week
Words Matter Week
6-10
  National School Breakfast Week

Daily Observations

Barbie Day

Crabmeat Day

Get Over It Day Link

Joe Franklin Day

Meatball Day

Nametag Day Link  

National Get Over It Day

National Urban Educator Day  Link

Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered Day

Panic Day

World Kidney Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Another day of melting snow. The snow on the trees is gone. Basically only the man-made piles from clearing the sidewalks and roads remain. Some of those berms are still 4+ feet high.

I was sad to hear of the passing of Peterson Zah, first Navajo Nation President, at 85. All the previous elected leader in modern times had been Chairman, not President. Mr. Zah, the uncle of a good friend, took over after some turbulent times and was able to keep the Navajo Nation together. Flags are flying at half-mast throughout the Navajo Nation.

I continue to be perplexed by Tucker Carlson. He continues his craziness on Fox, even after many emails have been released that show he is merely an actor, playing the role of a journalist. I guess it is true: You can lead a man to knowledge, but you can’t make him think.  

Enjoy…

Facts…

Barber’s Pole

Few symbols are more recognizable than a barber’s pole. This spinning red-and-white cylinder is hard to miss, and serves as a shining beacon for a place to get a haircut. Historically, however, it also signified a spot where people could have medical procedures done.

The barber’s pole reflects a time when barbers not only cut hair, but performed medical operations such as bloodletting. Prior to the barber pole, barbers would place bowls of blood in their window to advertise their bloodletting capabilities, though that act was prohibited by a 1307 law in London. Hence, the barber’s pole was born, and it has remained a popular symbol ever since.

The color red represents the blood, whereas the white reflects the bandages used to stop the bleeding. In America, you’ll notice that barber poles also have the color blue in addition to the traditional red and white found throughout Europe. One theory is that the blue represents the veins that were cut during bloodletting; another idea is that the addition of blue was simply a patriotic statement. 

Beauty in our 50 states…

 40. Connecticut

Poor Connecticut (not literally, of course). Not only will most New Englanders disavow it for its close ties to New York—"half the state is Yankees country!"—but it also came out as the runt among the region's hill-and-valley idyll. Most of the state is flat, and although it's got some quaint towns along the coast, and comely streams further inland towards the Berkshires, nondescript suburbs and urbanized areas are the norm. Plus, at this point in its march towards the ocean, even the mighty Connecticut River has lost some steam (and picked up flotsam in Hartford and Springfield).

Historical Events

1796 – Napoléon Bonaparte married his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais.
1841 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the United States v. The Amistad case that captive Africans who had seized control of the ship carrying them had been taken into slavery illegally.
1842 – The first documented discovery of gold in California occurred at Rancho San Francisco, six years before the California Gold Rush.
1959 – The Barbie doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York.

Birthdays Today

@88 – Mickey Spillane, American crime novelist (d. 2006)
@86 – Mickey Gilley, American singer-songwriter, pianist (d. 2022)
“If you have good food, people will come to your restaurant.”– Mickey Gilley
@79 – Marty Ingels, American actor, comedian (d. 2015; stroke)
78 – Robin Trower, English rock guitarist and vocalist (Procol Harum)
75 – Jeffrey Osborne, American singer and drummer
65 – Linda Fiorentino, American actress
@64 – Bobby Fischer, American chess player (d. 2008; kidney failure)
@54 – Raul Julia, Puerto Rican-American actor (d. 1994; stroke)
52 – Emmanuel Lewis, American actor (Webster)
“I like projects in which I can really act and not be me all the time.”– Emmanuel Lewis
37 – Brittany Snow, American actress
“Sometimes the characters I find the most compelling are in independent movies. With independent scripts, people can take more challenges.”– Brittany Snow
@34 – Yuri Gagarin, cosmonaut, 1^st human in outer space
30 – Suga [Min Yoon-gi], South Korean artist (BTS)

 

  

8 Mar

 

8 March 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 10 Day 67 \ Ave. Sky Cover 10% \ Visibility 20 miles Flagstaff Today 54° \24°  Wind 6mph \ Gusts 12mph 
Air Quality: Moderate \ Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 251mi \ Nearest Lightning 841mi
Mar. Averages for Flagstaff: 51° \ 23° \6 Days of moisture
Sunshine

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

  22-4/8
  Lent
  1-7
  Hearing Awareness Week Link
  LGBT Health Awareness Week Link
  National Cheerleading Week
  National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week
  National Ghostwriters Week
  National Invest in a Veteran Week  Link
  National Pet Sitters Week Link
  Return The Borrowed Books Week
  Universal Human Beings Week: Link
  Will Eisner Week Link
  World Hearing Awareness Week
5-11
   National Consumer Protection Week  Link 
  Celebrate Your Name Week
  National Procrastination Week  
  National Schools Social Work Week   
  Celebrate Your Name Week
  National Procrastination Week  
  National Schools Social Work Week   Link 
  National Words Matter Week
  National Words Matter Week
  No More Week  Link
  Read an E-Book Week  Link  
  Save Your Vision Week  
  Save Your Vision Week  Link  
  Termite Awareness Week
  Termite Awareness Week
 5-12
  Women in Construction Week:   Link 
  Women of Aviation Worldwide Week
  Words Matter Week
6-10
  Women of Aviation Worldwide Week
  Words Matter Week
6-10
  National School Breakfast Week 

Daily Observations

Day for Women's Rights & International Peace
Discover What Your Name Means Day Link 
Girls Write Now Day
Holi
National Biobased Products Day  
Girls Write Now Day
Holi
National Biobased Products Day  Link
International Women's Day Link
International Working Women's Day
National Breast Implant Awareness Day  Link
National Proofreading Day
National Peanut Cluster Day Link
National Retro Video Game Day  Link
Proofreading Day
Registered Dietitian Day  
Sterile Packaging Day
The Bikini Bottom Free (Crabcakes) Day  Link  (SpongeBob Squarepants)
Volunteers of America Day 

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Warming up and pile of snow still melting. Yesterday there were 4 residential and one commercial roof collapse here due to the heavy snow last week. No injuries but lots of damage.   

The oil change included systems check and car washed inside and out. Price for the hours work was $84. Glad the first one was free.

This morning I needed a blood draw for my upcoming physical. I got there at 8:00 but had to wait until almost 9 for the ultra-sound team. It was then quick and easy. I do wish they took appointments.

Four Americans were kidnapped just across the Mexican border near Brownsville, TX. They were there for one of them to get cosmetic surgery. Two have been found dead, one seriously injured and one alive. Thankfully my brother’s place is far from all the drug cartels and is a safe place to live and do business.

Tucker Carlson, an entertainer and not a journalist, has released highly edited video Fox received from Speaker McCarthy.  His shtick is that almost everyone was peaceful tourists. It is unfortunate that his audience probably believed what he showed and said.   

Enjoy…

Facts…

The rod of Asclepius, depicting a single snake wrapped around a staff, serves as a symbol of modern medicine. The image dates back to the legend of Asclepius, who was considered a renowned doctor in ancient Greek myth. Snakes were revered as divine creatures in Greek culture, and according to the mythology, Asclepius is said to have been taught the secrets of medicine by a snake that he healed. Asclepius’ legacy remains strong, as the image now adorns the logos of major global medicinal groups such as the World Health Organization.

Another similar symbol used by various medical organizations is the caduceus, which is associated with the messenger god Hermes. Slightly more ornate and symmetrical than the rod of Asclepius, the caduceus features two snakes wrapped around a staff, with a pair of wings emanating from the orb at the top of the staff. The caduceus has been used as the logo of the U.S. Army Medical Corps since 1902. 

A Look back in time…Baby Boomers life

#10 Children Grew Up Quickly

When boomers say kids today are spoiled, they aren't kidding. In the past, children had a lot more responsibilities. The term "Latchkey Kids" was created to define children with working parents, who used to take care of themselves after school till their parents got home.

We've also heard stories of how kids used to be given a shopping list and sent off to the store. Items included cigarettes, cleaning products and alcohol – things that no one would sell to children today.

Beauty in our 50 states…

41. Missouri

It's tough for Missouri—which borders five states that have already appeared in the bowels of this list—to distinguish itself. The great sprawling center of the state is a less agriculturally fatigued transition between Illinois and Kansas. But that southern third or so is a delight. The ruddy hills of the Lake of the Ozarks area (population: Branson) are terrific for winding drives and trout-fishing trips. Further east, Missourians enjoy their forests and rivers as playgrounds. The curious rocky outcroppings around the Johnson Shut-Ins State Park swimming holes and the lazy tube-floats on the Current River are exemplars. They're almost spookily litter-free, evidence that Missourians appreciate what they have.

Historical Events

1481 – William Caxton reprinted the illustrated book, Mirror of the World, from the original French.
1913 – The Internal Revenue Service began collecting income tax on Americans’ income.
2014 – Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared over the South China Sea

Birthdays Today

@93 – Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., American lawyer and jurist (d. 1935)
“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”– Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
@89 – Otto Hahn, German chemist, academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
@86 – Cyd Charisse [Tula Ellice Finklea], actress, dancer (d. 2008)
“If I had to give up either acting or dancing, I’d choose to keep dancing.”– Cyd Charisse
78 – Micky Dolenz, American singer-songwriter and actor
“The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is not a public democratic organization; it’s a private club basically. It’s like a private golf club and they decide who they’re going to let in the club.”– Micky Dolenz
77 – Randy Meisner, American singer-songwriter, bass player (Eagles)
76 – Carole Bayer Sager, American singer-songwriter, painter
“I learned that people want to be in love. They long to be in love, they pretend to be in love, and sometimes they are.”– Carole Bayer Sager
@67 – Lynn Redgrave, English-American actress and singer (d. 2010; breast cancer)
64 – Lester Holt, journalist
47 – Freddie Prinze Jr., American actor
“I was raised to believe in myself. I know I’m cool. I’m not trying to brag or say I’m the man or anything like that. I don’t lie or cheat, and I’m not mean to anybody. I treat people with respect.”– Freddie Prinze, Jr.
46 – James Van Der Beek, American actor