6 Apr

6 April 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 14 Day 96 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 20 miles Flagstaff Today 48° \6°  Wind 11mph \ Gusts 18mph 
Air Quality: Fair \ Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 855mi \ Nearest Lightning 998mi
Apr. Averages for Flagstaff: 60° \ 27° \3 Days of moisture
Sunshine

Today’s Quote

 

Monthly Observations

National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month  Link  Link  Link
National Garden Month Link
National Heartworm Awareness Month Link
National Humor Month
National Kite Month Link
National Knuckles Down Month
National Landscape Architecture Month
National Lawn Care Month
National Licorice Month
National Minority Health Month Link
National Multiple Birth Awareness Month Link
National 9-1-1 Education Month
National Occupational Therapy Month
National Parkinson's Awareness Month Link 
National Pecan Month Link
National Pest Management Month
National Pet Month Link Link
National Pickleball Month
National Poetry Month
National Rebuilding Month
National Safe Digging Month Link

Weekly Observations

3/19-4/16

National Cherry Blossom Festival 

3/22-4/20

Consider Christianity Week
International Phace Syndrome Awareness Week
National Cleaning Week

3/26-4/9

Passiontide

Apr. 1-7

APAWS Pooper Scooper  Week

Golden Rule Week

Laugh at Work Week

Medication Safety Week

Testicular Cancer Awareness Week (aka Get A Grip Day!) 

Week of The Young Child

 

2-8

Bat Appreciation Week

Holy Week

National Blue Ribbon Week   (Child Abuse)

National Public Health Week

National Window Safety Week

2-9

World Irish Dancing Week

3-9

Explore Your Career Options Week

4-10

Hate Week

National Dental Hygienest Week

6-9

The Masters Tournament

Daily Observations

Army Day Link
Caramel Popcorn Day
Charlie the Tuna Day Link
Drowsy Driver Awareness Day
Fresh Tomato Day
Holy Thursday
National Alcohol Screening Day 
National Burrito Day
National Fun at Work Day
Hostess Twinkie Day  Link
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace Link
National Employee Benefits Day  Link
National Student Athlete Day  Link
New Beers Eve Link
Siamese Cat Day
Sorry Charlie Day
Student-Athlete Day
Tartan Day Link
Teflon Day
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Day
World Physical Activity Day  Link

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Blue sky, a little wind. Nice spring day.

As I was reading an article on Prison Reform, I learned that 1 out of 3 women in prison around the world live in the US. I was shocked.

ADOT, the Arizona Dept. of Transportation, release some stats recently. Looking only at this snow season, ADOT has used 200 snowplows, cleared 1.2 million miles of roads, in  a little over 66,000 hour so far.  Thanks, ADOT for a great job.

I listened to Trump’s spectacle last night after he got back to Mar-a-Lago. I was sad and disappointed, but not surprised.

Facts…

Despite seeming like a timeless character, the tooth fairy is a recent invention. The first written reference to her appears in 1927. 

More Slang origins…

Madder’n A Wet Hen

You probably don’t want to approach someone who’s “madder than a wet hen.” This means that they’re seriously angry, and they might even be throwing something of a hissy fit.

When hens were brooding (angry and troublesome), Southern farmers used to dunk them in cold water in an effort to make them snap out of this phase. By doing so, they could collect eggs more easily.

Beauty in our 50 states…

12. North Carolina

The most beautiful state on the East Coast? Hard to argue with North Carolina, the rare eastern state where you can see a progression of scenery as you drive through from beaches in the east to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west. The Outer Banks are some of the best coastal retreats in the nation, and a trip through the lush greenery of the center of the state ultimately brings you to the east’s preeminent place for mountain scenery, Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Historical Events

1869 – Celluloid was patented (#50359) by John Wesley Hyatt.

1896 – In Athens, the opening of the first modern Olympic Games took place, 1,500 years after being banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I.

1917 – The United States joined in World War I.

Birthdays Today

@89 – André Previn, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2019)
“If you’re going to do good work, the work has to scare you.”– Andre Previn
86 – Billy Dee Williams, American actor
“Failures not a bad thing. It builds character. It makes you stronger.”– Billy Dee Williams
81 – Barry Levinson, American director, producer, screenwriter
“You don’t always have to have the ending, but you want to have a satisfactory conclusion.”– Barry Levinson
@79 – Merle Haggard, American singer-songwriter (d. 2016; pneumonia)
76 – John Ratzenberger, American actor and voice actor
“I don’t know how many days I worked there (Star Wars), the thing I do remember was I somehow got a parking space next to Kermit the Frog. It was Jim Henson’s space, with this Kermit the Frog sign. I took a photo of it and sent it to my mom with a caption that read, “Look, Mom. I made it. I got a parking space next to Kermit the Frog.” I was always fascinated by the film-set infrastructures.”– John Ratzenberger
71 – Marilu Henner, Greek-Polish American actress
@68 – Gerry Mulligan, American saxophonist, clarinet player, composer (d. 1996)
“If you’ve only got one horn playing, I still want the sense of ensemble.”– Gerry Mulligan
67 – Michele Bachmann, American lawyer, politician
54 – Paul Rudd, American actor
48 – Zach Braff, American actor
@37 – Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino), Italian painter, architect (d. 1520; bloodletting)
“When one is painting one does not think.”– Raphael
25 – Peyton List, American actress and model

 

  

5 Apr

 

5 April 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 14 Day 95 \ Ave. Sky Cover a98% \ Visibility 10 miles Flagstaff Today 37° \13°  Wind 6mph \ Gusts 16mph 
Air Quality: Moderate \ Moderate Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 265mi \ Nearest Lightning 950mi
Apr. Averages for Flagstaff: 60° \ 27° \3 Days of moisture
Light snow, graupel

Today’s Quote

 

Monthly Observations

Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month Link 
Medical Cannabis Education and Awareness Month
Month of the Military Child Link
Month of the Young Child
Move More In April  Link
National 9-1-1 Education Month
National African American Women's Fitness Month
National Autism Awareness Month
National Cannabis Awareness Month Link
National Cancer Control Month  Link
National Child Abuse Prevention Month
National Card and Letter Writing Month
National Decorating Month
National Exchange Club - Child Abuse Prevention Month
National DNA & Genomics & Stem Cell Education & Awareness Month Link
National Donate Life Month
National Facial Protection Month Link
National Frog Month  Link

Weekly Observations

3/19-4/16
National Cherry Blossom Festival 
3/22-4/20
Consider Christianity Week
International Phace Syndrome Awareness Week
National Cleaning Week
3/26-4/9
Passiontide
Apr. 1-7
APAWS Pooper Scooper  Week
Golden Rule Week
Laugh at Work Week
Medication Safety Week
Testicular Cancer Awareness Week (aka Get A Grip Day!) 
Week of The Young Child
 
2-8
Bat Appreciation Week
Holy Week
National Blue-Ribbon Week (Child Abuse)
National Public Health Week
National Window Safety Week
2-9
World Irish Dancing Week
3-9
Explore Your Career Options Week
3-13
Passover

Daily Observations

Caramel Day
Child-help National Day of Hope
Dandelion Day
Deep Dish Pizza Day
First Contact Day
Gold Star Spouses Day
Go For Broke Day  Link
International Day of Conscience
National Bookmobile Day Link 
National Deep Dish Pizza Day 
National Deep Dish Pizza Day Link
National Flash Drive Day 
National Walk Day Link 
Paraprofessional Appreciation Day  
Passover
Pascha
Raisin and Spice Bar Day
Read A Road Map Day  Link

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Yep, it’s spring. Woke up to blue sky, by 8am it was light snow, by noon the sun was shining again.

So, Trump saw the 34 counts against him, pleaded not guilty, now headed back to Mar-a-Lago. This indictment sure cost taxpayers of NYC a bunch of $$ with the barricades, increased police presence, increased security. It should be noted that Trump was given a choice to have a zoom indictment. He declined.  History made.

While I was listening to the whole circus, I wiped down the walls and cabinets in the kitchen, and the front door. Glad I found time to do it.

Enjoy…

Facts…

Until the Great Depression, movie theaters hated popcorn. 

More Slang origins…

If something is in high cotton, it’s very successful, profitable, or promising. For example, you might have a hot dog stand that’s in high cotton.

The meaning behind this phrase is also pretty obvious. If you have a crop of cotton and it’s growing high, then you’re in for some serious cash when harvest time rolls around. People in the south have a deep connection with farming, and this phrase shows how their culture is linked with agriculture.

Beauty in our 50 states…

13. Vermont

This famously sparsely populated state is covered in rolling green hills, all of which seem to have clear mountain streams, lakes, and tiny villages huddled around them. (God forbid you visit during the height of fall, when the red and gold foliage makes the scenery almost painfully beautiful.) From the sunset shores of Lake Champlain to the misty rivers of St. Johnsbury, you’d be hard pressed to find a place in Vermont that didn’t look like it popped out of a calendar. Of course, it is the only state in New England without any ocean coastline, and even Bernie Sanders and Ben & Jerry’s can only make up so much for that.

Historical Events

1768 – The first American Chamber of Commerce was founded in New York, NY.

1792 – United States President George Washington vetoed a bill, the first time exercising the authority to this power is used in the United States.

1933 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed executive order 6102 “forbidding the Hoarding of Gold Coin, Gold Bullion, and Gold Certificates” by American citizens.

1951 – Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were sentenced to death for spying for the Soviet Union.

Birthdays Today

85 – Colin Powell, American general and politician, 65th United States Secretary of State
@87 – Albert R. Broccoli, American film producer, co-founded Eon Productions (d. 1996)
@87 – Gregory Peck, American actor (d. 2003)
@87 – Gale Storm (Josephine Owaissa Cottle ), American actress, singer (d. 2009)
@84 – Joseph Lister, English physician (d. 1912)
@84 – Arthur Hailey, English-Canadian author (d. 2004)
@81 – Bette Davis, American actress (d. 1989)
“It’s better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for someone you’re not. It’s a sign of your worth sometimes if you’re hated by the right people.”– Bette Davis
@67 – Spencer Tracy, American actor (d. 1967; heart attack)
@77 – Robert Bloch, American author (d. 1994; cancr)
@72 – Frank Gorshin, American actor (d. 2005; lung cancr)
“I don’t think of myself as being funny. But life takes strange turns.”– Frank Gorshin
@59 – Booker T. Washington, educator, essayist, historian (d. 1915; nephritis )
“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed.”– Booker T. Washington
50 – Pharrell Williams, American singer, songwriter and producer.“Happiness is not about the trophy or the finish line. It’s the journey. If you enjoy your journey, you can enjoy your life.”– Pharrell Williams
22 – Thylane Blondeau, French model and actress

 

 

4 Apr

 

April 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 14 Day 94 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 21 miles Flagstaff Today 57° \20°  Wind 16mph \ Gusts 37mph 
Air Quality: Fair \ Moderate Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 369mi \ Nearest Lightning 1465mi
Apr. Averages for Flagstaff: 60° \ 27° \3 Days of moisture
WIND &Sunshine

Today’s Quote

 

Monthly Observations

Holy Humor Month
Home Improvement Time (April-Sept.30)
Honor Society Awareness Month 
Informed Women Month
International Black Women's History Month Link
International Customer Loyalty Month
International Guitar Month Link
International Twit Award Month
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) Month Link
Jazz Appreciation Month
Keep America Beautiful 
Library Snapshot Month

Weekly Observations

3/19-4/16
    National Cherry Blossom Festival 
3/22-4/20
    Consider Christianity Week
    International Phace Syndrome Awareness Week
    National Cleaning Week
3/26-4/9
    Passiontide
1-7
    APAWS Pooper Scooper  Week
    Golden Rule Week
    Laugh at Work Week
    Medication Safety Week
    Testicular Cancer Awareness Week (aka Get A Grip Day!) 
    Week of The Young Child  
2-8
    Bat Appreciation Week
    Holy Week
    National Blue Ribbon Week (Child Abuse)
    National Public Health Week
    National Window Safety Week
2-9
    World Irish Dancing Week
3-9
    Explore Your Career Options Week
4-10
    Hate Week
    National Dental Hygienist Week

Daily Observations

Chocolate Milk Powder Day
Cordon Bleu Day
Hug a Newsperson Day
International Day for Mine Awareness& Assistance in Mine Action
Jeep 4x4 Day  Link
National Sexual Assault Awareness Day of Action (SAAM)  Link  
Ramen Noodle Day
School Librarian Day
Tell a Lie Day
Victims of Violence Wholly Day
Vitamin C Day
World Rat Day Link

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Spring always brings wind…and today it is here. Pine needles should start piling up on deck soon.

The first week of the month always brings computer and app updates. This month had more than normal. Took about 30 minutes to update the computer.

I wish there was a really trustworthy news service. I don’t like getting accurate news from The Daily Show. They did a story of fentanyl distribution in the US. I fact-checked it and it was true. I never realized that 87% fentanyl crossing the border is brought in by Americans bringing it in. If I watch Right-wing media, they make it sound like at least 100% of the illegal pills or powder is brought in by those illegals who are steaming across the border.  If I watch Main-stream or Left-wing media, Fentanyl is a problem; no one knows who is bringing it in to the country. If Americans got the truth, it would be a beginning to solving the problem.

I’ve been a fan of 60 Minutes for ever. I am still trying to understand Leslie Stahl’s interview last night with Marjorie Taylor Green. Leslie let MTG say Dems are pedophiles, she can’t be held accountable for posts on her website because many other employees do much of the postings under her name, and she can’t understand why media goes back decades to use her quotes. While Leslie and 60 Minutes might have assumed that letting her talk would show the audience her ‘unique’ views, it didn’t work. I expected more. After the interview I though maybe the media got MTG wrong…but the more I thought about it, it was just a puff-piece for MTG. This is the same thing Fox does when interviewing others. Upset and sad.

Culture: The Tuba City Fair committee moved the dates for this year. Why? The fair would have been during a solar eclipse. Honoring culture.

Enjoy…

 

Facts…

The CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) peace symbol was displayed in public for the first time in London. It was designed by Gerald Holtom in 1958. It has become a nearly universal peace symbol used in many different versions worldwide. 

More Slang origins…

What In The Sam Hill?

This is another Southern expression that is used when people are surprised, angry, or feeling some kind of strong emotion. It’s an exclamation similar to “hell,” or other curse words.

So, who was Sam Hill? Well, no one really knows. Depending on who you ask, he might have been a geologist, a millionaire, or even the devil himself. We’ll probably never know.

Beauty in our 50 states…

14. New Mexico

The fine cinematographers from Breaking Bad made this state a stunning backdrop for making crystal meth. But even without the dilapidated trailers in the foreground, the desert scenery here is absolutely breathtaking. The red rock cliffs and sprawling mesas make a road trip through New Mexico feel a lot shorter than the 375 miles that I-40 actually spans across the state. Northern New Mexico boasts the mountains of Taos, giving that part of the state a look more Colorado than Arizona; head south, and you’ll hit the dramatic Organ Mountains before arriving at White Sands National Park, one of the most distinct—and arresting—pieces of earth in the lower 48.

Historical Events

1814 – Napoleon abdicated and named his son Napoleon II as Emperor of the French.
1841 – William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia, becoming the first President of the United States to die in office (presiding 31 days total).
1887 – Argonia, Kansas elected Susanna M. Salter as the first female mayor in the United States.
1932 – Vitamin C was isolated by C.G. King.
1949 – Twelve nations signed the North Atlantic Treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Birthdays Today

90 – Clive Davis, American record producer, founded Arista Records
“You’ve got to seize the opportunity if it is presented to you.”– Clive Davis
@86 – Maya Angelou, American poet (d. 2014)
@85 – Dorothea Dix, American social activist (d. 1887)
“Man is not made better by being degraded.”– Dorothea Dix
79 – Craig T. Nelson, American actor
@70 – Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield), American Blues guitarist (d. 1983; heart failure)
“There’s no way in the world I can feel the same blues the way I used to. When I play in Chicago, I’m playing up-to-date, not the blues I was born with. People should hear the pure blues – the blues we used to have when we had no money.”– Muddy Waters
67 – David E. Kelley, American screenwriter, producer
@60 – Anthony Perkins, American actor (d. 1992; AIDS)
60 – Graham Norton, Irish actor and talk show host
59 – David Cross, American actor and screenwriter
58 – Robert Downey Jr., American actor
51 – Jill Scott, American singer-songwriter
50 – David Blaine, American magician
“As children, we believe that anything is possible, the trick is to never forget it.’– David Blaine
@47 – Linus Yale, Jr., engineer, businessman Yale Locks (d. 1868; heart attack)
36 – Sarah Gadon, Canadian actress
@28 – Heath Ledger, Australian actor (d. 2008)
“If you make decisions based upon people’s reactions or judgments then you make really boring choices.”– Heath Ledger