11 Dec

 

 

 

 


Flag Today  33°/17°   Week 50  Day 346

Air Quality: Fair Sunshine

Wind 4 mph Gusts - mph

Active Fire: 107 miles away Risk of fire: Moderate

Nearest Lightning: 1171 miles away

Dec. Averages: Temps: 45°\18° Moisture:  5 Days

Weekly Observations

10-17

Human Rights Week

4-24

Andisop (Meteorological Fiddling) Link
9-15

Computer Science Education Week Link ( Always week with 12/9. Birthday of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper.)

Daily Observations

Holiday Food Drive for Needy Animals Day
International Mountain Day
Kaleidoscope Day
Magnum P.I. Day

National Have a Bagel Day
National Stretching Day 
Link
UNICEF Birthday

Today’s Seasonal Quote                                                                

 


Today’s Meme

 

Thoughts for the day

I attended a funeral for a colleague from the BIA Linguistics Summer School at NAU. That’s where I first met Joanne as she was also a teaching assistant in those workshops. She was at Tees Nos Pos but later moved to Tuba Public. We stayed in contact through the years. She passed last week after a heart attack. It was a long 2-hour service at the local Church of the Nazarene. The large church was full of relatives, colleagues and friends. It was nice to see many friends and colleagues from Tuba.  Joanne and Steve, her husband, had lost their oldest son during the summer.

Trivia Time

 


Christmas Traditions

Hanging mushroom ornaments on the tree

No, folks who hang mushrooms all over their tree aren’t serious fungi fans. In parts of Germany and Austria, these red and white mushrooms are said to bring good fortune. Known as a gluckspilz, you’ll find these mushrooms adorning trees, wreaths and trinkets around the holiday season. Why these showy red mushrooms? They grow around the base of fir trees!

Random Thoughts…

I’m smart enough to wait until my wife is finally ready before putting on my winter coat, but not smart enough to keep my mouth shut about doing it.

Cat Stevens – Real Name: Stephen Georgiou

The United States rents Guantanamo Bay from Cuba for $4085 a month, but Cuba has only cashed one check in the past 55 years – by accident.

Ancient Roman Life

The lives of Roman emperors were characterized by privilege but also by danger. They were involved in constant power struggles and often had to contend with plotting, assassination attempts, and shifting political alliances. Despite their opulent lifestyles and absolute power, being an emperor was a risky and often deadly position, with many meeting a violent end. The history of Roman emperors is filled with tales of extravagance, cruelty, and sometimes madness, reflecting the tumultuous and often brutal nature of Roman political life.

Historic Events

Click on the link: Dec 11

Birthdays

Brenda Lee, 80 Country Singer

Rey Mysterio, 50 Wrestler

Nikki Sixx, 66 Bassist

Rider Strong, 45 TV Actor

Rita Moreno, 93 Stage Actress

Jermaine Jackson, 70 Pop Singer

Mos Def, 51 Rapper

Mo'Nique, 57 Movie Actress

 

@89 – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (d. 2008)

@86 – David Brewster, Scottish physicist, inventor of the Kaleidoscope (d. 1868)


@79 – Teri Garr, American actress (d. 2024; MS)

@76 – Tom Hayden, American politician (d. 2016; heart failure)

@76 – John Labatt, Canadian brewer (d. 1915)

@64 – Fiorello La Guardia, New York politician (d. 1947; pancreatic cancer)

…The End for today…

               

10 Dec

 

 

 

 

Flag Today  46°/17°   Week 50  Day 345

Air Quality: Fair Moderate   Partly Mostly Cloudy  Overcast Smoky Red Flag Warning   Sunshine

Wind 13 mph Gusts 21 mph Fresh Breeze

Active Fire: 104 miles away Risk of fire: Moderate

Nearest Lightning: 1235 miles away

Dec. Averages: Temps: 45°\18° Moisture:  5 Days

Weekly Observations

3-10

Clerc-Gallaudet Week
4-24

Andisop (Meterological Fiddling) Link
9-15

Computer Science Education Week Link

(Always week with 12/9. Birthday of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper.)

10-17

Human Rights Week

Daily Observations

Dewey Decimal System Day
Human Rights Day  
Link
International Animal Rights Day  
Link
International Traffic Light Day  
Link  

Jane Addams Day
National Lager Day
Nobel Prize Day
World Aszu' Day 
 Link

Today’s Seasonal Quote                                                                

 


Today’s Meme

 




Thoughts for the day

A breezy day, but tolerable.

The suspect in the shooting of the United Health CEO has been arrested in Pennsylvania. Good work by all io

The AZ Cards lost big to the Seahawks. Tough game.

60 Minutes last night had a great piece on the Asian Elephants of Thailand. It was very educational.

Now that my computer is working I picked up a new wireless keyboard and mouse. The old one gave up. The old one was very cheap, this one is a higher grade. Hope that it has a long life.

Trivia Time

 


Christmas Traditions

Eating KFC for dinner

In 1974, KFC released a marketing campaign in Japan. The simple but effective slogan, Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii! (Kentucky Christmas!) created a tradition that is going strong to this day. houghts…

Ancient Roman Life

Emperors were fed grapes but at what cost

Roman emperors led lives marked by extravagance, luxury, and often bizarre behaviors. They rose to power through various means, such as conquest, political expertise, or military support, and once they were in power, they generally ruled for life. The emperors had no term limits or retirement plans, and their tenure often ended with their death, frequently through assassination or forced suicide.

Historic Events

I am trying something new here.

Click on this link to see history of today-- Dec. 10

Birthdays

Raven-Symoné, 39 TV Actress

Bobby Flay, 60 Chef

Xavier Samuel, 41 Movie Actor   

Susan Dey, 72, American actress

@81 – Dorothy Lamour, American actress, and singer (d. 1996)

@62 – Chet Huntley, American journalist (d. 1974; lung cancer) [Note; he once lived in Norris, Montana a few miles from my great uncle’s ranch]
@55 – Emily Dickinson, American poet d. 1886; Bright’s Disease)

…The End for today…

               

9 Dec

 

 

 

 


Flag Today  54°/19°   Week 50  Day 344  Air Quality: Fair Sunshine

Wind 6 mph Gusts 14 mph Gentle Breeze

Active Fire: 104 miles away    Risk of fire: Moderate

Nearest Lightning: 1169 miles away

Dec. Averages: Temps: 45°\18° Moisture:  5 Days

Weekly Observations

9-15

Computer Science Education Week Link ( Always week with 12/9. Birthday of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper.)

3-10

Clerc-Gallaudet Week
4-24

Andisop (Meteorological Fiddling) Link

Daily Observations

Christmas Card Day
Birdseye Frozen Food Day
Cremation Day
Green Monday 
Link 
International Anti-corruption Day

 

International Day of Commemoration & Dignity of The Victims of The Crime of Genocide & The Prevention of This Crime
International Day of Veterinary Medicine
National Pastry Day
Weary Willie Day 
 Link
World Techno Day 
Link

Today’s Seasonal Quote                                                                

 


Today’s Meme

 




Thoughts for the day

Having a nice fall day.

I watched the opening of Notre Dame on C-Span. A great ceremony. Lots of emotion for France and its people, but also for anyone who has visited the cathedral.

Syrian leader flees and has been granted asylum in Russia by Putin. After 50 years of that family leading the country, this was a very fast demise of their regime.  

United Healthcare is getting lots of blowback from many who have made complaints as to the issue of them not receiving a positive experience regarding their coverage. Lots of CEO’s are increasing their security following this incident. NYC police say there getting closer to an arrest.

I have been having computer problems with Windows 11. Today it crashed again after not allowing me to read my Outlook emails. When I tried to reboot it, I got a message that a BIOs was corrupted and need an update. All I know is that BIOS is the heartbeat of the whole computer. It automatically did the update, and now everything is working well. I hope this continues.

Trivia Time

 


Christmas Traditions

Christmas Cards

Exchanging holiday greetings via mail is a surprisingly recent tradition, with the first formal card hitting shelves in 1843. Designed by an Englishman named J.C. Horsley, the cardboard greeting showed a happy group of people participating in a toast, along with the printed sentiment, “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you.” A thousand of them were printed that first year, and because it cost just a penny to mail a holiday hello to friends and family (the card itself was a shilling, or 12 times as much), the cards sold like hotcakes and a new custom was born. Today, Americans send around 2 billion cards every year.

Random Thoughts…

Michael Crichton, the author of The Andromeda Strain & Jurassic Park, also wrote & directed Westworld & graduated from Harvard MS. In ’94 he had the top TV show (ER), top movie (Jurassic Park), and top book (Disclosure). To boot, he was also voted one of  People Magazine’s most beautiful people in 1992.
Since mirrors are no longer made with silver, vampires should have reflections in the modern age. #science
US President #37 Richard Nixon (1969-1974) “Tricky Dick” was the first President to resign, and the only Quaker President.

Ancient Roman Life

Roman baths included just about everything someone could need

Over the years, archeologists have discovered amazing things that help to tell the story of life in Ancient Rome. Roman baths are one of many discoveries. But what was their purpose? They were much more than a place for communal bathing with the rest of the city.

Because they covered areas as small as little towns, the baths had all the necessary amenities. The largest was the Baths of Caracalla. The baths could accommodate 1,600 people and included a library, gym, and two fountains measuring 19 feet. The baths also featured a gentleman’s residence, marble statues, artwork, and mosaics.

Historic Events

1851 – The first YMCA in North America opened in Montreal, Canada.

1872 – P.B.S. Pinchback (Republican) became the first African-American governor of a US state, Louisiana.

1884 – The US patent (#308990) for ball-bearing roller skates, was issued to Levant M. Richardson.

1907 – Christmas Seals, an outreach from the American Lung Association, went on sale for the first time, in a Wilmington, Delaware, post office.

1935 – The Downtown Athletic Club Trophy (now the Heisman Trophy) was awarded for the first time. The winner was halfback Jay Berwanger from the University of Chicago.

1958 – In Indianapolis, the John Birch Society was formed.

1960 – The Sperry Rand Corporation demonstrated the UNIVAC 1107 computer, the first to use thin-film magnetic technology. The secret was the few millionths of an inch of iron-nickel alloy.

1962 – The Petrified Forest National Park was established in Arizona.

1975 – President Gerald R. Ford signed a $2.3 billion loan authorization to prevent New York City from having to default on its debts.

1992 – England’s  Prince Charles and Princess Diana formally announced their separation.

1993 – Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Endeavor completed repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope.

2009 – A Russian SLBM RSM-56 Bulava failed mid-flight causing a very unusual light formation over Norway.

Birthdays

Donny Osmond, 67 TV Actor

Kurt Angle, 56 Wrestler

Judi Dench, 90 Movie Actress

McKayla Maroney, 29 Gymnast

Simon Helberg, 44 TV Actor

Lori Greiner, 55 Entrepreneur

John Malkovich, 71 Movie Actor

 

Buck Henry, 90, actor, screenwriter


Beau Bridges, 83, actor, director, producer

Michael Dorn, 72, actor

Felicity Huffman, 62 actor

Kirsten Gillibrand, 58, politician

@103 – Kirk Douglas, American actor (d.2020)

@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 – Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr., 55th Speaker of the House of Representatives (d. 1994)

@80 – Dick Butkus, American football player, sportscaster, actor, (d. 2001)

@68 – Redd Foxx (John Elroy Sanford), American actor (d. 1991; heart attack)

@68 – Morton Downey Jr., American singer-songwriter, actor, and talk show host (d.2001; lung cancer)

@65 – John Milton, English writer, and philosopher (d. 1674; gout)

…The End for today…

               

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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.