Sept 14

 

Flagstaff Almanac

Week37 Day 257 Sky Cover 20%| Visibility|21mi.Flagstaff Today|73° \47° Wind6mph|Gusts9mph 
Nearest active fire: 13miles|Risk of fire: Moderate Nearest Lightning:13mi
Air Quality: Fair Moisture Days in Sept:7days Sunshine
September Averages: Temps: 74° \ 42° Moisture 5 Days  26 Sunny Days

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

8-14 Direct Support Professional Recognition Week Link International Housekeepers Week Link National Assisted Living Week National Security Officer Appreciation Week National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Link Suicide Prevention Week 9-14 Celebrate CommunityLink Line Dance Week 9-15 National Neo-Natal Nurses Week  Link

9-16 INVICTUS GAMES Link  11-15 National Championship Air Races   Link National Guitar Flat-Picking Days  Link 11-16 Line Dance Week 11-17 Celebrate Community Link National NeoNatal Nurses Week  Link 13-17 National Championship Air Races National Guitar Flat-Picking Days National Guitar Flat-Picking Days Link 14-17 Hummingbird Celebration Link

Daily Observations

Crab Fest Day Hug Your Hound Day Live Creative Day  Link National Kreme Filled Donut Day Link Link

National School Picture Day Link  National Sober Day   National Sober Day  Link Sober Day U.S. Marshals Service Day

Today’s Thoughts

Puffy clouds around the horizon, upper sky is a deep blue.

Last night there was a big monsoon here. Over 1” of rain fell yesterday.  1pm: alert for rain in 15 minutes and it was just a few tiny drops. 5pm: rain for about 15 minutes with rain bouncing one the street. 8pm: the big storm with nice rain for about 2 hours.

The escaped Pennsylvania convict was captured with the help of a police dog. No shots fired. He is in custody. Finally!

Russia and North Korean leaders are meeting. N. Korea wants money and food, Russia wants arms for the war in Ukraine. If Russia gets the arms, they will have to transport them across the 11 time zones of Russia. Using ships would be more difficult due to the many sanctions.

There is a government shutdown on 9/30 if Congress doesn’t pass a bill to keep the government working. That is not deterring the Republicans to use that time to have an impeachment inquiry. Not sure how THIS congress will be able to pull off both in this short timeframe. I hope they work on the budget real hard; we don’t need a shutdown. Time will tell.

I did some reading on School Choice and I learned a few things. Just after the Civil Rights Act was signed in 1964, many Southern school districts simply closed their schools to prevent immigration. White family students were given state ‘incentives’ to get the white children into private schools. The Black families were ineligible for these ‘incentives’.  Over time this morphed into the current school choice incentives and funding from various state governments.

Enjoy

About a week ago I put an etch-a-sketch photo by Shonto Begay. I realize some readers are not familiar with his vast work. Here is some of it.

Unique National Treasures for the US …

If you like the Grand Canyon, you’ll love…Black Canyon. 

Tourists (6 million in 2016) love the Grand Canyon. Its sheer vastness (277 river miles long, 18 miles wide, a mile deep) is beyond breathtaking.

Colorado’s Black Canyon, less than a fifth as long and half as deep, is impressive in a whole different way. “No other canyon in North America combines the depth, narrowness, sheerness, and somber countenance of the Black Canyon,” Wallace R. Hansen wrote in a 1965 U.S. Geological Survey publication. The river at its base cuts through rock that is almost 2 billion years old, some of the oldest rock in North America. Don’t miss the 2,250-foot high (almost twice the size of the Empire State Building) “Painted Wall.”

Random Trivia…

During World War II, Americans called hamburgers “liberty steaks.” This was because “hamburger” sounded a little too German. Also, during World War II, sauerkraut was re-dubbed “liberty cabbage.”

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The Dutch-Scilly War lasted 335 years and had no battles or deaths. Spanning between 1651–1986, the war was a by-product of the English Civil War and the decision of the Dutch to side with the Parliamentarians over the Royalists. The Royalists had raided a few Dutch shipping vessels in revenge before fleeing to the Isles of Scilly. The Dutch turned up, demanding reparations from the Royalists, and when they didn’t pay up, declared war. But they decided to call it a day and go home pretty sharpish as they realized the Royalists didn’t have a penny to their names. The only thing is they never declared peace with the Isles and just completely forgot they were at war.

Historic Events

·      1752 – The British Empire adopted the Gregorian (modern) calendar, skipping eleven days (the previous day was September 2).

·      1901 – US President William McKinley died after being shot on September 6 by anarchist Leon Czolgosz.

·      1969 – September 14 was the First Draft Lottery date for the US Selective Service.

·      1975 – Elizabeth Ann Seton became the first native-born American to be canonized as a Catholic saint.

·      1994 – The Major League Baseball season was canceled because of a players’ strike.

·      2000 – Microsoft released Windows Me. Support for Windows Me ended on July 11, 2006.

Birthdays with some quotes

@86 – Margaret Sanger, American nurse, and activist, founder of Planned Parenthood (d, 1966)
@85 – Clayton Moore, American actor, The Lone Ranger (d, 1999)
“I will continue wearing the white hat and black mask until I ride up into the big ranch in the sky.”
86 – Walter Koenig, American actor (Chekov on original Star Trek)
79 – Joey Heatherton, American actress, and dancer
76 – Sam Neill, Northern Irish-New Zealand actor
“Failure is never quite so frightening as regret .”
50 – Nas, American rapper
“For my hustlers, here’s some motivation: He who has begun is half done.”
45 – Ron DeSantis, Fl. Governor, Presidential candidate
@27 – Amy Winehouse, English singer-songwriter (d, 2011; misadventure/BAC=0.416) #27club

…The End for today…

 

Sept 13

Flagstaff Almanac

Week37 Day256 Sky Cover 80%| Visibility|16mi.Flagstaff Today|71° \49° Wind3mph|Gusts4mph 
Nearest active fire: 16miles|Risk of fire: Very Low Nearest Lightning:84mi
Air Quality: Fair Moisture Days in Sept:6days Mostly Cloudy
September Averages: Temps: 74° \ 42° Moisture 5 Days  26 Sunny Days

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

8-14 Direct Support Professional Recognition Week Link International Housekeepers Week Link National Assisted Living Week National Security Officer Appreciation Week National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Link Suicide Prevention Week 9-14 Celebrate CommunityLink Line Dance Week

9-15 National Neo-Natal Nurses Week  Link 9-16 INVICTUS GAMES Link  11-15 National Championship Air Races   Link National Guitar Flat-Picking Days  Link 11-16 Line Dance Week 11-17 Celebrate Community Link National NeoNatal Nurses Week  Link 13-17 National Championship Air Races National Guitar Flat-Picking Days National Guitar Flat-Picking Days Link

Daily Observations

9x13 Day Bald Is Beautiful Day Link Link Celiac Disease Awareness Day International Chocolate Day Link International Programmers Day Link   Defy Superstition Day Fortune Cookie Day Kids Take Over The Kitchen Day  Link

National Celiac Awareness Day National Peanut Day Link Peanut Day Positive Thinking Day Roald Dahl Day Scooby-Doo Day Uncle Sam Day  Link

Today’s Thoughts

It looks like the monsoon has returned. Cloudy with many dark clouds.

McCarthy has begun an impeachment inquiry. I thought ‘eye for an eye’ was wrong. He is pandering to the far right. So tired of this.

Biden is President, but I have seen things that bother me…not to the level of impeachment. 1. He is the first President since 9-11 not to speak at DC, PA, or NY. Not a good look. 2. His Vietnam speech was not great. When I was there our tour guide told us that Vietnam had dropped an A-bomb on the US, that McCain fell out of the sky and was cared for at the Hanoi Hilton to recover and that they were simply waiting for US to come and pick him up…that is what they are taught in school. A formal apology is needed. 3. The Saudi’s were given millions in trade and he welcomed them into the club. Another bad look.

The AG of NM has informed the NM Governor that his office will not assist the state in any lawsuit regarding her Order to stop concealed weapons ban. Hmmm

Enjoy

Unique National Treasures for the US …

If you like the Hearst Castle, you’ll love…Iolani Palace. 

Iolani Palace

More than 750,000 people a year visit California’s Hearst Castle, with its 115-room Casa Grande, Tiffany lamps, gilded ceilings and that 345,000-gallon Neptune Pool. But Hawaii’s Iolani Palace is the only castle in the U.S. that housed actual royalty, in this case King Kalakaua, who began constructing the palace in 1879 and finished in 1882.

King Kalakaua lived at Iolani (meaning "bird of heaven") palace for nine years; his sister, Queen Liliuokalani, lived there after his death until a coup (led by U.S.-backed businessmen and sugar planters) overthrew the monarchy in 1893. You can see the impressive crimson and gold throne room, two kahili (the Hawaiian version of a scepter) topped with 22,000 albatross feathers, and the Grand Hall with its staircase of richly grained koa wood. Zita Cup Choy, palace historian, says visitors are often most impressed by “how modern the palace was,” including hot and cold running water, electric lights, and telephones. (Iolani Palace had electric lights four years before the White House.) Along with the modern technology are artifacts with centuries of tradition, including a puloulou (a traditional symbol of royalty) made from a seven-foot narwhal tusk, topped with a sphere covered in gold leaf. Monarchies in Hawaii go back for centuries; when King Kalakaua visited London for Queen Victoria’s jubilee in 1887, he “sometimes outranked other royalties in terms of royal genealogy and how far back it goes,” Cup Choy says.

Random Trivia…

The Ancient Egyptians used slabs of stone as pillows. In Ancient Egypt, the head was considered to be the seat of spiritual life and had to be cared for. Therefore, when getting into bed, the Egyptians would place their heads on a stone with a curve in it.

The first known artworks date back roughly 100,000 years ago. It is believed to have begun with the Homo Sapiens during the Upper Paleolithic era. The oldest known artworks were found in a cave in what is now France.

Historic Events

• 1790 – The US Capitol was moved to New York City from Philadelphia.
• 1899 – Henry Bliss was the first person in the United States to be killed in an automobile accident. Arthur Smith, the driver of the taxicab who struck Bliss, was charged but acquitted.
• 1814 – Francis Scott Key composed his poem “Defence of Fort McHenry”- which later became The Star-Spangled Banner.
• 1956 – The IBM 305 RAMAC, the first commercial computer to use disk storage, was introduced.

Birthdays with some quotes

@92 – Claudette Colbert, French-American actress (d. 1996)

@88 – Milton S. Hershey, American businessman, founded The Hershey Company (d. 1945)

@82 – Lucy Goode Brooks, Former American slave and a founder of Friends’ Asylum for Colored Orphans (d. 1900)

79 – Jacqueline Bisset, English actress

@74 – Richard Kiel, American actor and voice artist (d. 2014; heart disease)

@74 – Roald Dahl, British novelist, poet, and screenwriter (d. 1990; rare cancer)

“I think probably kindness is my number one attribute in a human being. I’ll put it before any of the things like courage or bravery or generosity or anything else,”

@73 – Ray Charles, American singer-songwriter and conductor (d. 2015; liver failure)

“I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.”

@73 – Mel Tormé, American singer-songwriter, and actor (d. 1999; stroke)

72 – Jean Smart, American actress

62 – Dave Mustaine, American singer-songwriter

“It’s not how big your pencil is; it’s how you write your name.”

59 – Tavis Smiley, American talk show host

“I don’t think I’d live anything over, even though I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I have learned how to see failure as a friend. So, I’m not one to live a life of regrets. I try to learn from my mistakes, but I’ll take my life the way it is.”

@54 – Nell Carter, American actress, and singer (d. 2003; heart failure)

54 – Tyler Perry, Producer, comedian

@51 – Walter Reed, American physician, and biologist (d. 1902; ruptured appendix)

45 – Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Daoud Dean), American rapper

30 – Niall Horan, Irish singer

…The End for today…

  

Sept 12

 

Flagstaff Almanac

Week37 Day255 Sky Cover 25%| Visibility|22mi.Flagstaff Today|82° \50° Wind5mph|Gusts10mph 
Nearest active fire: 16miles|Risk of fire: High Nearest Lightning:210mi
Air Quality: Fair Moisture Days in Sept:5days Sunshine
September Averages: Temps: 74° \ 42° Moisture 5 Days  26 Sunny Days

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

8-14 Direct Support Professional Recognition Week Link International Housekeepers Week Link National Assisted Living Week National Security Officer Appreciation Week National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Link Suicide Prevention Week 9-14 Celebrate Community Link Line Dance Week

9-15 National Neo-Natal Nurses Week  Link 9-16 INVICTUS GAMES Link  11-15 National Championship Air Races   Link National Guitar Flat-Picking Days  Link 11-16 Line Dance Week 11-17 Celebrate Community Link National Neo-Natal Nurses Week  Link

Daily Observations

Ants On A Log Day  Link  Chocolate Milkshake Day Day of Encouragement International Day for South-South Cooperation  Chocolate Milkshake Day Day of Encouragement International Day for South-South Cooperation Link National Day of Encouragement  Link

National Hug And High 5 Day Link  National Just One Human Family Day   National Just One Human Family Day  Link National Police Woman's Day  Link   Link Report Medicare Fraud Day  Link Video Games Day

Today’s Thoughts

My mother was born today in 1919. She had a good life and passed at 89 years old. Still missed.

The Broncos lost to the Raiders yesterday 17-16.

The Cards lost to the Commanders 20-16.

After hanging up the flag, I did some light cleaning around the house. The HOA is busy around the property getting ready for fall.

Small villages in Morocco are finally getting relief after 3 days. Most villages are very remote and it has been nearly impossible to get rescue teams to the villages. The death toll has risen to 2800+.

Enjoy

 

Unique National Treasures for the US …

If you like Route 66, you’ll love…the Great River Road.

Great River Road

The 2,448 miles of Route 66, stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica, may be the “Main Street of America,” but the Great River Road, 3,000 miles of interconnecting roads that follow the meandering path of the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Louisiana, offers a unique glimpse into the culture and landscapes that shape our country. “To see the heart of America, I would send someone north to south from Minnesota to New Orleans and I think they would really get it,” says Jamie Jensen, author of Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America’s Two-Lane Highways. Don’t miss the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa.

Random Trivia…

The guillotine was invented to create “equality in execution.” Until its widespread use, the regular methods of execution in France were rather savage. Punishment like being drawn and quartered was common. The idea to use the guillotine as the main method of execution was part of the movement for equality in France that spurred on the revolution.

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Adolf Hitler helped design the Volkswagen Beetle. Between Hitler and Ferdinand Porsche, the iconic bug-like car was designed as part of a Hitler-revived German initiative to create an affordable and practical car that everyone could own.

Historic Events

·         1940 – Cave paintings are discovered in Lascaux, France.

·         1954 – Lassie premiered on CBS

·         1962 – President Kennedy delivered his “We Choose to go to the Moon” speech at Rice University.

·         1984 – Dwight Gooden set the MLB record for strikeouts in a season by a rookie with 276, previously set by Herb Score with 246 in 1954.

Birthdays with some quotes

@88 – Walter B. Gibson, American magician, author (d. 1985)
@83 – Maurice Chevalier, French actor, singer and dancer (d. 1972)
“If you wait for the perfect moment when all is safe and assured, it may never arrive. Mountains will not be climbed, races won, or lasting happiness achieved.”
83 – Linda Gray, American actress
@81 – George Jones, singer (d, 2013)
@77 – Arthur Hays Sulzberger, American publisher (d. 1968)
@75 – H.L. Mencken, American journalist, and critic (d. 1956; in his sleep)
@66 – Jesse Owens, American sprinter, long jumper, Olympic Gold Medalist (d. 1980; lung cancer)
66 – Rachel Ward, English-Australian actress
66 – Hans Zimmer, German composer
@58 – Barry White, American singer-songwriter (d. 2003; stroke)
“We forget that this music, music made by my brothers and sisters, is still a baby. It’s just beginning. When I think of the possibilities, it makes me smile.”
56 – Louis C.K., American comedian and actor
“‘I’m bored is a useless thing to say. I mean, you live in a great, big, vast world that you’ve seen none percent of. Even the inside of your own mind is endless; it goes on forever, inwardly, do you understand? The fact that you’re alive is amazing, so you don’t get to say ‘Im bored’.”
@55 – Henry Hudson, English explorer (d. 1611; after mutiny)
45 – Ruben Studdard, American R&B and gospel singer
42 – Jennifer Hudson, American singer
“We all have the power to choose how we are going to handle every situation we are faced with throughout our lives. We are in control of the decision we make whether it’s about work, relationships, parenting, or our health.”
@40 – Paul Walker, American actor (d. 2013; auto crash)
“Remember that no matter how cool you think you may be, you are not cool enough to look down on anyone…”
37 – Emmy Rossum, American actress

…The End for today…