27 Dec

 

Flagstaff Today 46°: 22°  Week 52 Day 362 Air Quality: Fair Overcast Wind 1 mph Gusts 4 mph Active Fire: 346 miles away Risk of Fire: Low Nearest lightning: 854 miles away Dec Averages: Temps: 45°\18° Moisture: 5 Days

Weekly Observations

14-1/5/25 Christmas Bird Count Week Link  14-28 Halcyon Days: 14-28 (Always 7 days before and 7 days after the Winter Solstice)

25—1/2/25 Chanukah 25-31 It's About Time Week 26-1/1/25 Kwanzaa

Daily Observations

Howdy Doody Day International Day for Epidemic Preparedness Make Cut Out Snowflakes Day

National Fruitcake Day Radio City Music Hall Day Visit The Zoo Day Link

Today’s Quote                                                               

 

Today’s Meme

 

Thoughts for the day

The storm for Christmas day never materialized. However; the day after Christmas is overcast, but no precipitation is in the forecast. Crazy!

I made or got several calls from friends on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I talked to Cheryl who is happy in her own little world. I also talked to my brother
Richard. He and Laura are doing great and enjoying their 2^nd place in San Miguel. I also talked to Lori and Lisa, Bob Echardt’s daughters. Lisa is still working in Chicago and Lori is in Loveland. They used Lori’s RV to escape for a spa vaca in Buena Vista. Both are doing well. I also texted Robin and Frank, Laura’s parents, in Chicago.  They are doing well and we plan to meet up when they come to their condo in Surprise later this year. A good Christmas all around.

Flagstaff’s pinecone drop on New Year’s Eve was just ranked as one of the top 5 in unique NYE celebrations. Nice!

It looks like the NBA v NFL for Christmas Day viewership is in full swing. The Nuggets lost to the Suns in their game.

On a serious note, the Māori are in a constitutional battle with New Zealand over their sovereignty. It will be a tough legal battle and one that should not be necessary.

After hundreds of years of believing that the Bald Eagle was the National Bird, a law was signed by Biden to make it so.

Inventions…NEW

Samuel Leeds Allen - Modern Sled: " Flexible Flyer sled" is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Samuel Leeds Allen patented the Flexible Flyer sled in 1889 during his farming equipment company’s off-season. His design included a steering mechanism that allowed riders to control the sled by shifting their weight. The Flexible Flyer became America’s most popular winter toy. Allen’s basic steering design is still used in modern sleds.

Random Thoughts…

Biggest film of 2012: The Avengers (Action) earned ~ $623,000,000 (in the USA)

Boy George – Real Name: George O’Dowd

The Hatfield-McCoy Feud was settled by the doctrine that possession is nine-tenths of the law, giving possession of the pig that the McCoys claimed was their property.

Charles Darwin collected a Galápagos tortoise during his 1835 visit to the Galápagos Islands as part of his round-the-world survey expedition. It lived 175 years and died of heart failure at the Australia Zoo in 2006.

A group of Jellyfish is called a Smack or Brood.

The Noid, Domino’s 80’s Pizza mascot, was retired after a paranoid schizophrenic named Kenneth Lamar Noid entered a Domino’s Pizza in Atlanta and held two employee’s hostage at gunpoint. He believed the commercials were making fun of him.

Quirky town names…

Why, Arizona

This desert town got its name from a highway intersection shaped like the letter Y. When naming it, the state required at least three letters, so they settled on Why. It’s a tiny community with a big backstory. It is located in Pima County.

Historic Events

27 Dec History

Birthdays

Timothée Chalamet, 29 Movie Actor Hayley Williams, 36 Rock Singer Savannah Guthrie, 53 Journalist

@90 – Marlene Dietrich, German-American actress (d. 1992) @84 – John Amos, American actor (d. 2024) @75 – Cokie Roberts, American journalist (d. 2019; breast cancer) @58 – Louis Pasteur, French chemist, microbiologist, invented Pasteurization (d. 1895; stroke) @58 – Johannes Kepler, German mathematician, astronomer (d. 1630)

…The End for today…

               

24 Dec

 

Flag Today  52°/28°   Week 52  Day 359 Air Quality: Fair Sunshine Wind 4 mph Gusts 6 mph Active Fire: 1119 miles away Risk of fire: Moderate Nearest Lightning: 1734 miles away Dec. Averages: Temps: 45°\18° Moisture:  5 Days

Weekly Observations

Andisop 4-24 (Meteorological Fiddling) Link 14-1/5/25 Christmas Bird Count Week Link

14-28 Halcyon Days: 14-28 (Always 7 days before and 7 days after the Winter Solstice) 16-24 Posadas

Daily Observations

Christmas Eve Last Minute Shopper’s Day National Egg Nog Day

Today’s Seasonal Quote                                                                

 

Today’s Meme

 

Thoughts for the day

Wishing everyone a Happy Holidays. This will be my last post until after Christmas.

The Cowboys won another one. The Cards are out of the playoffs. Life goes on.

One should always dig deeper when hearing the news. Last night 60 Minutes did a story on Gun Trafficking. It turns out that the Cartels in Mexico get between 50% and 90% of their guns from the US. They use them to traffic drugs back into the US and terrify the locals. How can this happen? Probably our lax gun laws. The Cartel offer US citizens lots of money to buy their weapons and have them brought across the border. The US will never stop the drug trade until they stop the thousands of guns sent by US citizens to them. Such a difficult story to hear.

Christmas Traditions

Sugar Plums are Plums Coated in Sugar

Many imagine sugar plums as plums dipped in sugar, inspired by classic holiday tales. In reality, they're a type of candy, made from dried fruits and nuts, coated in sugar.

The confusion arises from the name, evoking images of sugar-drenched plums. However, traditional sugar plums are a confectionery delight enjoyed during Christmas.

Understanding this myth broadens appreciation for holiday treats, offering a taste of history with every bite.

Christmas Trees are a Christian Tradition

Christmas trees are often associated with Christian traditions, but their origins predate Christianity. Ancient cultures, like the Egyptians and Romans, used evergreen plants in winter festivals.

The modern Christmas tree tradition began in Germany in the 16th century, gradually blending with Christian customs. Today, it's a symbol of joy, unity, and celebration across cultures.

Recognizing this myth highlights the beauty of cultural exchange, enriching our festive experiences.

Random Thoughts…

The largest man-made lake in the U.S. is Lake Mead, created by the Hoover Dam.

The village of Carol Stream, Illinois is not named after a local stream but is in fact one of only a few municipalities in the US named after a person’s first and last name.

Jimmy Carter was the first president to admit to seeing a UFO.

Santa must deliver presents to almost 22 million kids an hour, every hour, on the night before Christmas. That’s about 365,000 kids a minute; about 6,100 a second.

The drug term “trip” was first coined by U.S. Army scientists in the 1950’s when they were experimenting with LSD.

A group of Cobras is called a Quiver.

Despite their reputation, it is actually very rare for an opossum to have rabies because their body temperature is too low for rabies to survive and replicate well.

Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School (established in 1937) is the longest continuously running Santa Claus School in the world.

Quirky town names…

Intercourse, Pennsylvania

While its name might raise eyebrows, Intercourse was likely named for the original meaning of the word—“fellowship” or “social interaction.” It’s now a hub for Amish tourism, but the name is what draws the curious.

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

24 Dec History

Birthdays

Ryan Seacrest, 50 TV Show Host Carol Vorderman, 64 Game Show Host Ricky Martin,  53, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter

@70 – Howard Hughes, businessman, engineer, pilot (d. 1976; kidney failure) @70 – Lemmy, English rock singer-songwriter, bass player (d. 2015; kidney failure from drug use) @69 – Jean-Louis Pons, French astronomer, found 37 comets (d. 1831) @67 – Ava Gardner, American actress (d. 1990stroke) @58 – Christopher ‘Kit’ Carson, American general, and frontiersman (d. 1868; aneurysm) @55 – Kate Spade, American fashion designer, co-founder of Kate Spade New York (d. 2018; suicide) @49 – John, King of England, Magna Carta (d. 1216; dysentery)

…The End for today…

                

23 Dec

 

 

Flag Today  59°/26°   Week 52  Day 358 Air Quality: Fair  a few clouds Sunshine Wind 5 mph Gusts 8 mph  Light Breeze Active Fire: 1163 miles away  Risk of fire: High   Nearest Lightning: 835 miles away Dec. Averages: Temps: 45°\18° Moisture:  5 Days

Weekly Observations

Andisop 4-24 (Meteorological Fiddling) Link 14-1/5/25 Christmas Bird Count Week Link

14-28 Halcyon Days (Always 7 days before and 7 days after the Winter Solstice) 16-24 Posadas

Daily Observations

Christmas Adam Link Family Roots Day  Link Festivus Human Light Celebration

Metric Conversion Day National Roots Day National Pfeffernüsse Day

Today’s Seasonal Quote                                                                

 

Today’s Meme

 

Thoughts for the day

1^st full day of winter is a nice day.

A day late, I rotated my mattress, changed the linen, and put on a new toothbrush head on my Sonicare.

I’m not sure why yesterday’s meme’s didn’t post yesterday. Oh well.

Sometime during the night my CGM stopped working. No problem, never have a problem with my blood sugar while I am sleeping. Put on a new sensor this morning.

Christmas Traditions

Three Wise Men Visited Jesus at His Birth

The nativity story often includes three wise men visiting Jesus at birth, bearing gifts. However, biblical texts suggest their arrival much later, possibly months or years after.

The number 'three' is derived from the gifts mentioned: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their exact number remains unknown.

This myth illustrates how interpretations can shape narratives. Recognizing this encourages deeper exploration of cultural and religious stories.

Random Thoughts…

Veni, Vedi, Visa. I Came. I Saw. I Did a Little Shopping.
Raw materials on earth haven’t changed much. Dinosaurs could have had iPhones if they had been smarter.

The first movie to gross over $100 million was Jaws, 1975.

In a 1931 exhibition game between the New York Yankees and the Chattanooga Lookouts, a 17-year-old girl named Jackie Mitchell struck out baseball greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

Creator Chuck Jones said he created the Coyote-Road Runner cartoons as a parody of traditional “cat and mouse” cartoons like Tom and Jerry.

The first nativity scene staged was by St Francis of Assissi in 1223. He got permission from Pope Honorious III to set up a manger with hay and two live animals—an ox and an ass – in Grecio, an Italian village. He invited villagers to view it while he preached.

People with higher incomes generally prefer their toilet paper to come over the roll, while those with lower incomes prefer it to go under.

Quirky town names…

Hell, Michigan

Hell got its devilish name from a local legend. In the 1840s, settlers joked that the town would go to “hell” if a local businessman, George Reeves, succeeded in running it. He did, and the name stuck, making it a popular Halloween destination.

Ancient Roman Life

Ancient Meals and Methods

Ancient Roman cuisine was a mix of cereals, vegetables, fruits, and legumes tailored to societal status. Commoners mainly consumed staples like bread, beans, lentils, peas, and vegetables. Meat, a luxury for the wealthy, included hares, snails, and birds, with beef less favored. Seafood was diverse, reflecting Rome’s expansion and trade. Cooking primarily involved boiling and frying, particularly in olive oil, with sauces and spices enhancing flavors. Garum, a fermented fish sauce, was particularly popular.

Wine was central to Roman dining, often diluted with water. Posca, watered-down wine with spices, was common among soldiers and the lower classes. Fruits like apples, figs, and grapes were integral and often preserved. The diet evolved over time, incorporating new ingredients as Rome expanded​​​​​​.

Historic Events

23 Dec History

Birthdays

Susan Lucci, 78 Soap Opera Actress Naked Cowboy, 54 1944 – Wesley Clark, 80 American general Martin Kratt, 59 TV Producer

@83 – John Jay, 1st Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1829) @51 – C.J. Walker, first female American millionaire (d. 1919; kidney failure) @38 – Corey Haim, Canadian actor (d. 2010; prescription drugs OD) @38 – Joseph Smith, American religious leader, founder of the Latter Day Saints (d. 1844; shot)

…The End for today…