Saturday

Week 2 of 2010: 16 days so far this year…349 days remain

►Provocative Quote .

"Fame is proof that people are gullible."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

►Free Ramblings .

The Great Decisions Group met tonight. Our topic was ‘Peacemaking’. Very good.

A little breezy and cool today. It only dropped to 27° last night, but took most of the day to make it to the high of 47°. The 18mph wind kept us feeling very cool. The next predicted storm is moving closer. I’m ready.

►Quotes from Values.com—TEACHING BY EXAMPLE .

“And children whose backgrounds have stunted their sense of the future need to be taught by example that they are good for more than they dared dream.”

~Kenneth Keniston Professor

►Side Show Stories Unusual Warning Labels .

"WARNING: Contents flammable." - Found on a container of lighter fluid.

"Do not use orally." - Found on a toilet-bowl cleaning brush.

"Please keep out of children." - Found on a butcher knife.

"Warning: Do not use on eyes." - Found in the manual for a heated seat cushion.

►Random Fact .

Facebook has over 350 million active users. More than 35 million users update their status each day, with more than 55 million status updates each day.

§ Interesting Statistics

*Note: I realize that statistics can be made to say just about anything.

~7-11 has sold over 6 billion Slurpees, almost enough for every one on earth.

§ January Month Long Observances

Birthstone: Garnet …Flower: Carnation

Book Blitz Month * Bath Safety Month * Birth Defects Month * California Dried Plum Digestive Month * Celebration of Life Month * Cervical Cancer Screening Month * Financial Wellness Month * High Tech Month * International Creativity Month * International Quality of Life Month * International Wayfinding Month * International Wealth Mentality Month * National Be On-Purpose Month * National Bird Feeding Month * National Clean Up Your Computer Month * National Get Organized Month * National Glaucoma Awareness Month * National Hot Tea Month * National Mail Order Gardening Month * National Mentoring Month * National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month * National Poverty in America Awareness Month * National Radon Action Month * National Skating Month * National Soup Month * National Volunteer Blood Donor Month * Oatmeal Month * Rising Star Month * Self-help Group Awareness Month * Senior Women’s Travel Month * Shape Up US Month * Thyroid Awareness Month

§ Observance Weeks in January

Cuckoo Dancing Week: 11-17 [honoring Laurel and Hardy]

National No Tillage Week: 13-16 [to reduce soil damage and increase crop production—especially organic farms]

§ 14 January Observances—US/UN/World

Appreciate A Dragon Day

Do Nothing Day since 1973

Religious Freedom Day to commemorate the adoption of Thomas Jefferson's landmark Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786

§14 January Observances—by country

Thailand: Teacher's Day

Moslem Countries: Night of Remembrance (Moslem feast)

§ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1938…Benny Goodman refuses to play Carnegie Hall when black members of his band were barred from performing.

§Who was born on this day?

     ~ The Arts

Debbie Allen in 1950 - dancer/actress

Jim Berry in 1932 - cartoonist (Berry's World)

John Hamilton in 1887 - actor (Perry White-Superman)

Marilyn Horne in 1934 - opera singer

William Kennedy in 1928 - US writer

Ethel Merman Zimmerman in 1908 - stage & screen actress

Ronnie Milsap in 1944 - country singer

Susan Sontag in 1933 – American writer

     ~Athletics

Dave Brown in 1953 - football: Pittsburgh Steelers safety

Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean in 1911 - baseball pitcher and commentator

A J Foyt in 1935 - auto race driver

     ~Business, Education, Politics

Fulgencio Batista in 1901 President/Dictator of Cuba

André Michelin in 1853 (France) - industrialist/tire manufacturer (Michelin)

     ~Science/Religion

Frank Zamboni in 1901 – American inventor of Ice Rink Cleaner

§Who Died on this day?

Carole Lombard in 1942 actress, plane crash @ 32

Robert R "Bob" Jones in 1968 founder (Bob Jones University), @ 84

David Seville [Ross Bagdasarian] in 1972 (Alvin & Chipmunksand Witch Doctor), heart attack @ 52

Ted Cassidy in 1979 actor (Lurch-Addams Family), heart problems @ 46

§What happened on this day?

1776…Continental Congress approves enlistment of free blacks

1868…Refrigerator car patented by William Davis, a fish dealer in Detroit

1920…18th Amendment, prohibition, becomes the law of the land - one year after ratification; it is repealed in 1933

1936…1st photo finish camera installed at Hialeah Race track in Hialeah FL

1939…Comic strip "Superman" debuts

1956…Egyptian President Nassar pledges to reconquer Palestine

1958…A grasshopper plague causes serious damage across the state of Colorado and Neighboring states. This particular plague damaged farmer’s crops, annoyed tourists, and cost millions of dollars.

1970…Colonel Kadhaffi becomes premier of Libya

1981…Bernadette McAliskey formerly known as Bernadette Devlin, was shot by gunmen who burst into her home at Coalisland in County Tyrone. The injuries are serious, but not life-threatening

1985…"Playboy" announces end of stapling centerfolds

1991…After midnight of this date, war was to be declared in the Persian Gulf if Iraq did not pull out of Kuwait

2003…Space Shuttle Columbia was launched on its final mission

►Rhyme & Reason Puzzle .

Answer the following clue in two rhyming words (e.g. an obese feline is a fat cat) If only one number is given, the answer is a word featuring internal rhyme (e.g. voodoo)

1. peculiar fish from the North Atlantic. (3,3):

2. ransack a famous Parisian landmark (5,6):

3. perky ship's captain (7,7):

4. anger on the twelve-person judicial panel (4,4):

5. fondness for Minnesota footballer (6,6):

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ANSWERS

1. peculiar fish from the North Atlantic. (3,3): odd cod

2. ransack a famous Parisian landmark (5,6): rifle Eiffel

3. perky ship's captain (7,7): Chipper skipper

4. anger on the twelve-person judicial panel (4,4): Jury fury

5.. fondness for Minnesota footballer (6,6): Viking liking

Friday

Week 2 of 2010: 15 days so far this year…350 days remain
►Provocative Quote                        .
"When all is said and done, too many people keep on saying and doing."
~unknown
►Free Ramblings                            .
Our lunch group got off on child rearing today. I really don’t have much to say, not having raised any kids. However, a sad story was told. One of the teachers I knew didn’t trust the teenage kids. They would steal and sell family things. The parents were going on a trip. They took all their expensive, sellable stuff and locked it in the bedroom. They headed out. The next day one of the kids called and said they had locked the cat in the bedroom and it was hungry and making a lot of noise. The door had to be broken to let the cat out. When they returned, much of their sellable stuff was indeed sold. OMG. The parents didn’t travel much after that.
It is so sad to listen to the news from Haiti. Many of the planes that have doctors and much needed water can’t land and have to circle for hours and some have to go to another country to refuel and try again. Life in this century is sure difficult if there is no infrastructure.
We are approaching a 3-day weekend. Arizona was slow on the uptake to honor Mr. King, but we do now. Probably will be seeing a lot of Tuba people the next few days.
The expected storm never materialized in my area, however, some areas of Flag and much of Williams did get some snow. Our next expected storm is next week with ‘continuous snow showers for several days'—but only dropping about 6” of the white stuff. Last night only dropped to 24° and we made it to 42° today. The 25mph winds with 40mph gusts didn’t make it a very nice day around here.
►Quotes from Values.com—TEACHING BY EXAMPLE .
“I don’t want to be a product of my environment; I want my environment to be a product of me.”
~Line from film "Departed"
►Side Show Stories Unusual Warning Labels            .
"Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts." - Found on a package of airline peanuts.
"Not intended for highway use." - Found on a 13-inch wheel for a wheelbarrow.
"Kills all kinds of insects. Warning: This spray is harmful to bees." - Found on a can of insecticide.
►Random Fact                                                   .
The ancient Greek physicians maintained that the balance of the humors, controlled a person's temperament. The blood (sanguis), made a person cheerful; phlegm (pituita), meant slow moving; Yellow bile (chole), made one hot tempered; black bile (melanchole), caused depression. If any of the four humors were out of balance, it reflected on the body and mind as a whole.
§ Interesting Statistics
*Note: I realize that statistics can be made to say just about anything.
~47% of the pregnancies in the US, according to the mothers, are unintended.
§ January Month Long Observances
Birthstone: Garnet …Flower: Carnation
Book Blitz Month * Bath Safety Month * Birth Defects Month * California Dried Plum Digestive Month * Celebration of Life Month * Cervical Cancer Screening Month * Financial Wellness Month * High Tech Month * International Creativity Month * International Quality of Life Month * International Wayfinding Month * International Wealth Mentality Month * National Be On-Purpose Month * National Bird Feeding Month * National Clean Up Your Computer Month * National Get Organized Month * National Glaucoma Awareness Month * National Hot Tea Month * National Mail Order Gardening Month * National Mentoring Month * National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month * National Poverty in America Awareness Month * National Radon Action Month * National Skating Month * National Soup Month * National Volunteer Blood Donor Month * Oatmeal Month * Rising Star Month * Self-help Group Awareness Month * Senior Women’s Travel Month * Shape Up US Month * Thyroid Awareness Month
§ Observance Weeks in January
Cuckoo Dancing Week: 11-17 [honoring Laurel and Hardy]
National No Tillage Week: 13-16 [to reduce soil damage and increase crop production—especially organic farms]
§ 14 January Observances—US/UN/World
Hat Day
Humanitarian Day
International Fetish Day—charms or amulets with ‘power’
§14 January Observances—by country
Guatemala : Esquipulas – Day of Peace
Japan : Adults Day/Seijin-No-Hi
Jordan : Arbor Day
North Korea – Korean Alphabet Day.
Venezuala : Teachers' Day/Dia Del Maestro
§ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1967…Ed Sullivan told The Rolling Stones to change the lyrics AND the title to the song, Let’s Spend the Night Together, or “be off my riiiillly big shew!” So, the Stones gave in... changing the tune to “Let’s Spend Some Time Together.”
§Who was born on this day?
     ~ The Arts
Peter C Asbjørnsen in 1812 - Norwegian fairy tale writer
Lloyd Bridges in 1913 - actor (Sea Hunt)
Charo in 1951 - actress/singer
Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr in 1929 speaker (Nobel 1964)
Gene Krupa in 1909 - drummer
Jean Baptiste Molière in 1622 – French dramatist
Mario Van Peebles in 1957 (Mexico) – actor
     ~Athletics
LeShon Johnson in 1971 - running back (Cardinals)
Lord Frederick Stanley in 1841 - presenter of hockey's Stanley Cup
Randy White in 1953 - NFL tackle (Cowboys)
     ~Business, Education, Politics
Gamal Abdel Nasser 1918 - President of Egypt
Aristotle Onassis in 1906 - Greek shipping magnate
Johann Oporinus [Herbster] in 1507 - Swiss book publisher (Koran)
Ella Flagg Young in 1845 - 1st woman president (National Educational Association)
     ~Science/Religion
Edward Teller in 1908 (Hungary) fathered H-bomb (Manhattan Project)
§Who Died on this day?
Matthew B Brady in 1896 - US photographer (Civil War), @ 72
Black Dahlia (Elizabeth Short) in 1949 murder victim found in Los Angeles (basis of the movie) @ 23
Ray Bolger in 1987 actor/dancer (Wizard of Oz), @ 82
§What happened on this day?
1797…1st top hat worn (John Etherington of London)
1863…1st US newspaper printed on wood-pulp paper, Boston Morning Journal
1864…Sixty starving NAVAJOs surrender to Kit Carson after the Canyon de Chelly fight.
1870…Donkey 1st used as symbol of Democratic Party, in Harper's Weekly
1895…Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake" premieres, St Petersburg
1907…Gold dental inlays 1st described by William Taggart, who invented them
1919…2 million gallons of molasses "Tidal wave" Boston MA, drowning 21
1936…The first all glass, windowless building was completed in Toledo, Ohio as the home of the Owens-Illinois Glass Company Laboratory.
1943…The Pentagon headquarters of the Department of Defense was completed after just 16 months construction
1971…George Harrison releases "My Sweet Lord"
1971…Aswan Dam official opens in Egypt
1973…Bonanza, a television program that aired for 14 seasons finally aired for the last time on this day.
1973…Following progress in Paris peace negotiations between National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam, President Richard Nixon halts the most concentrated bombing of the war against North Vietnam.
1975…Space Mountain opens (Disneyland)
►Rhyme & Reason Puzzle                                   .
Answer the following clue in two rhyming words (e.g. an obese feline is a fat cat) If only one number is given, the answer is a word featuring internal rhyme (e.g. voodoo)
1. insufficient in number (3,3) :
2. shacking up: living ____ ______ (2,3):
3. brittle shipment (7,8):
4. rob the credulous (6,5):
5. leasing of teeth (6,6):
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ANSWERS
1. insufficient in number (3,3) : too few
2. shacking up: living ____ ______ (2,3): in sin
3. brittle shipment (7,8): shivery delivery
4. rob the credulous (6,5): thieve naive
5. leasing of teeth (6,6): dental rental

Thursday

Week 2 of 2010: 14 days so far this year…351 days remain

►Provocative Quote                  .

"Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all."

~Edmund Burke

►Free Ramblings                     .

My dental visit was a dental success—in and out in less than a hour, and my wallet is thinner.

The eyes of the world are on Haiti. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere is in very dire straits. America is responding. The American government, American citizens, American churches, American Medical Personnel are all working to bring relief. Other nations are also responding. The pictures and reports are devastating. Haiti doesn’t have a great track record for good government, and now their total infrastructure is gone. No fresh water, no first response teams, no electricity, little food, no hospitals, no government offices, few buildings safe to enter. So very sad.

Sadly, some conservative jackasses added their petty comments. Ol’ Rush is reported as saying he wonders why Obama reacted so quickly, when it took him so long with the Detroit guy. Then he added some racial thing about dark-skinned and light-skinned. Idiot! Then Pat Robertson said that Haiti sold itself to the Devil a long time ago and is now paying the price. Idiot.

Our storm hasn’t materialized yet. It was cloudy most of the day, but alas no moisture. It dropped to 20° last night, but very strangely, when I left for the dentist at 8:00 it was 42°. I figured my outdoor thermometer was messed up, but when I walked outside, it was not cold at all. Very odd. Here’s hoping the snow arrives tonight, as predicted again.

►Quotes from Values.com—TEACHING BY EXAMPLE .

Personally I do not resort to force - not even the force of law — to advance moral reforms. I prefer education, argument, persuasion, and above all the influence of example.”

~Rutherford b. Hayes 19th U.S. president

►Side Show Stories Unusual Warning Labels            .

"This product not intended for use as a dental drill." - Found on an electric rotary tool.

"Caution: Do not spray in eyes." - Found on a can of underarm deodorant.

"Do not drive with sunshield in place." - Found on a cardboard sunshield that keeps the sun off the dashboard.

►Random Fact                                                  .

The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows.

§ Interesting Statistics

*Note: I realize that statistics can be made to say just about anything.

~”Ecstasy” tablets, in the shape of Pres. Obama’s head, are being sold my NC drug dealers for $10 a pop.

§ January Month Long Observances

Birthstone: Garnet …Flower: Carnation

Book Blitz Month * Bath Safety Month * Birth Defects Month * California Dried Plum Digestive Month * Celebration of Life Month * Cervical Cancer Screening Month * Financial Wellness Month * High Tech Month * International Creativity Month * International Quality of Life Month * International Wayfinding Month * International Wealth Mentality Month * National Be On-Purpose Month * National Bird Feeding Month * National Clean Up Your Computer Month * National Get Organized Month * National Glaucoma Awareness Month * National Hot Tea Month * National Mail Order Gardening Month * National Mentoring Month * National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month * National Poverty in America Awareness Month * National Radon Action Month * National Skating Month * National Soup Month * National Volunteer Blood Donor Month * Oatmeal Month * Rising Star Month * Self-help Group Awareness Month * Senior Women’s Travel Month * Shape Up US Month * Thyroid Awareness Month

§ Observance Weeks in January

Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14

Cuckoo Dancing Week: 11-17 [honoring Laurel and Hardy]

National No Tillage Week: 13-16 [to reduce soil damage and increase crop production—especially organic farms]

§ 14 January Observances—US/UN/World

Make Your Dream Come True Day

Blame Someone Else Day

Dress Up Your Pet Day

Organize Your Home Day

Ratification Day: US Constitution in 1784

§14 January Observances—by country

India: Makar Sankranti Day--The event is marked by flying kites.

§ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1934…More reports are coming in from Loch Ness in Scotland where they make the strongest Whisky on earth from tourists and locals of sightings of the Loch Ness Monster. It is described as a sea serpent estimated at over 50 ft long and the secretary of state for Scotland has forbidden the capture or shooting of the creature.

§Who was born on this day?

     ~ The Arts

Sydney Biddle Barrow in 1952 - madam/author (Mayflower Madam)

William Bendix in 1906 - actor (Life of Riley)

Thornton Waldo Burgess in 1874 -author (Peter Rabbit)

[Dorothy] Faye Dunaway in 1941 - actress (Chinatown, Bonnie & Clyde)

Mark Goodson in 1915 - TV game show producer

Jack Jones in 1938 - singer

Andy Rooney in 1919 - CBS news correspondent (60 Minutes)

George Richard Samways in 1895 children's writer

L L Cool J [James Todd Smith] in 1968 - rapper

Veronica Turleigh in 1903 (County Donegal Ireland) - actress (Promoter)

Carl Weathers in 1948 - actor (Apollo Creed-Rocky)

Guy Williams in 1924 - actor (Zorro, Lost in Space)

     ~Athletics

Matt Brock in 1966 NFL (Jets)

     ~Business, Education, Politics

Benedict Arnold in 1741 -US General turned traitor (Revolutionary War)

Julian Bond in 1940 - civil rights leader

Calvin Phillips in 1791 - became shortest known adult male (67cm; 2'2")( Gen. Tom Thumb was 3’3”)

Harold Wolpe in 1926 - sociologist lawyer/South African activist

     ~Science/Religion

John Biddle in 1615 - English minister (Unitarian)

Albert Schweitzer in 1875 - physician/humanitarian/organist (Nobel 1952)

§Who Died on this day?

Humphrey Bogart in 1957 - actor (Casablanca, Caine Mutiny), cancer @57

Reverend Charles L Dodgson in 1898 -better known as Lewis Carroll, pneumonia @ 66

Peter Finch in 1977 - actor (Network), heart attack @ 60

Edmund Halley in 1742 -genius eclipsed by Newton, @ 86

Ray Kroc in 1984 -founder of MacDonalds/owner San Diego Padres, @ 82

Donna Reed in 1986 – actress, cancer @ 64

Blossom Rock in 1978 - actress (Grandmamma-Addams Family), @ 81

§What happened on this day?

1690…Clarinet is invented, in Nüremberg, Germany

1746…Bonnie Prince Charlie's army leaves Glasgow

1784…Revolutionary War ends; Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris

1799…Eli Whitney receives government contract for 10,000 muskets

1873…"Celluloid" registered as a trademark 1878 US Supreme court rules race separation on trains unconstitutional

1882…A country club named The Country Club became the first country club in the United States -- in Brookline, MA.

1914…Henry Ford introduces assembly line, for T-Fords

1934…More reports are coming in from Loch Ness in Scotland where they make the strongest Whisky on earth from tourists and locals of sightings of the Loch Ness Monster. It is described as a sea serpent estimated at over 50 ft long and the secretary of state for Scotland has forbidden the capture or shooting of the creature.

1942…A reluctant but resigned Roosevelt signed the War Department’s blanket Executive Order 9066, which authorized the physical removal of all Japanese Americans into internment camps.

1954…Marilyn Monroe married baseball great, Joe DiMaggio

1956…Little Richard releases "Tutti Frutti"

1979…President Carter proposes Martin Luther King's birthday be a holiday

1990…The Fox network’s animated show The Simpsons premiered

►Rhyme & Reason Puzzle                 .

Answer the following clue in two rhyming words (e.g. an obese feline is a fat cat) If only one number is given, the answer is a word featuring internal rhyme (e.g. voodoo)

1.rural murder (11,8) :

2. a moist slope (4,4):

3. name for a fleshy fruit flavored drink (4,6):

4. breed of dog bred in judicial circles (5,6):

5. flagging automobile tooter (4,4):

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ANSWERS

1. rural murder (11,8) : countryside homicide

2. a moist slope (4,4): damp ramp

3. name for a fleshy fruit flavored drink (4,6): very cherry

4. breed of dog bred in judicial circles (5,6): legal beagle

5. flagging automobile tooter (4,4): worn horn

Wednesday

Week 2 of 2010: 13 days so far this year…352 days remain

►Provocative Quote      .

"Some men are discovered; others are found out."

~Fortune Cookie Insert

►Free Ramblings         .

I finally got some thank you notes sent to my in-laws in Chicago. I did not have any of their emails or physical addresses until yesterday. I had a really good time during Christmas, and wanted to let them know that I did appreciate being welcomed into the family so easily. My brother and his wife had been together for 14 years before I met any her side of the family. Now after spending two Christmas’ together, we are exchanging gifts, and just hangin’ out with them. Hangin’ out is so much better than being a guest in one’s home. One does pick up on some of the family issues, hears some things that are ‘family business’, and gets to hear some great family stories. One of the grandpas, who just turned 90, thanked everyone for having another great Christmas, another great year, and how proud he was of all his kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. A thank you note doesn’t cover their kindness. I am so lucky.

Tomorrow I help my dentist get his new mansion. Actually I’m just having a cap prepared. I need to have two done before either one of the teeth crack or break. He is a good guy and I’m sure his work will save the teeth. Getting older leads to lots of ‘new’ issues. I had very crooked teeth as a young teen. Braces fixed that. My dentist back then said my molars had unusually deep something or other that led to bigger fillings when needed. Now, some 45 years later, those bigger fillings now pose a danger to the teeth. The dentist had replaced from the old silver fillings to porcelain ones years ago. Somehow, big fillings make teeth crack with age. I did have a tooth crack and break about seven years ago. That led to a root canal, oral surgery to prepare the tooth for a cap, and finally the cap. I don’t want to go through that again. So with almost worthless dental insurance, I don’t mind the preventative stuff. I do wish some of the cost was covered by my not-to-cheap insurance.

It was a little cold again last night, 10°. While it did warm up to 48° but along about 3:00 some very grey clouds moved in, and it sure looks like snow is in our very near future. The ol’ weatherman says only a 30% chance for snow tomorrow and Thursday. We’ll see. All I say is, it sure looks like it’s gonna snow a little.

►Quotes from Values.com—LIVE LIFE .

This was a splendid life. Splendid in its obscurity and humility, splendid in its strength and charity, splendid in its achievements.”

~Robert C. Mortimer Anglican Bishop of Exeter

►Side Show Stories Strange Headlines .

Student Excited Dad Got Head Job

Tiger Woods plays with his own balls, Nike says

Lake County to spend $250,000 to advertise lack of funds

Volunteers Search for Old Civil War Planes

DOE to do NEPA’s EIS on BNLF’s AMWTP at INEEL after SRA Protest

Missippi’s Literacy Program Shows Improvement

►Random Fact       .

A ten gallon hat holds less than one gallon of liquid.

§ Interesting Statistics

*Note: I realize that statistics can be made to say just about anything.

~1 in 12 merchant ships worldwide are sitting idle due to declining trade.

§ January Month Long Observances

Birthstone: Garnet …Flower: Carnation

Book Blitz Month * Bath Safety Month * Birth Defects Month * California Dried Plum Digestive Month * Celebration of Life Month * Cervical Cancer Screening Month * Financial Wellness Month * High Tech Month * International Creativity Month * International Quality of Life Month * International Wayfinding Month * International Wealth Mentality Month * National Be On-Purpose Month * National Bird Feeding Month * National Clean Up Your Computer Month * National Get Organized Month * National Glaucoma Awareness Month * National Hot Tea Month * National Mail Order Gardening Month * National Mentoring Month * National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month * National Poverty in America Awareness Month * National Radon Action Month * National Skating Month * National Soup Month * National Volunteer Blood Donor Month * Oatmeal Month * Rising Star Month * Self-help Group Awareness Month * Senior Women’s Travel Month * Shape Up US Month * Thyroid Awareness Month

§ Observance Weeks in January

Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14

Cuckoo Dancing Week: 11-17 [honoring Laurel and Hardy]

National No Tillage Week: 13-16 [to reduce soil damage and increase crop production—especially organic farms]

§ 13 January Observances—US/UN/World

Stephen Foster Day

Rubber Ducky Day

§13 January Observances—by country

Ghana : Redemption Day (1972)—2nd junta

Sweden: Christmas ends on the 20th day, St. Knut's Day or Tjugondag Knut. Children celebrate a party throwing out the Christmas tree (julgransplundring).

Togo : Liberation Day (1963)

§ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1957…Wham-O Company produces the 1st Frisbee

§Who was born on this day?

     ~ The Arts

Horatio Alger Jr in 1834 – minister, author (Lost at Sea, Work & Win)

Army Archerd in 1919 Hollywood columnist/TV host

Orlando Bloom in 1977 - actor: Lord of the Rings

Patrick Dempsey in 1966 - actor

Julia Louis-Dreyfus in 1961 - comedienne

Ralph Edwards in 1913 - TV host (This is Your Life)

Billy Gray in 1938 - actor (Bud-Father Knows Best)

Richard Moll in 1943 - actor (Night Court)

Charles Perrault in 1628 [France] - lawyer/writer (Mother Goose)

Charles Nelson Reilly in 1931 - actor (Match Game)

Robert Stack (Robert Langford Modini) in 1919 - actor (Eliot Ness-Untouchables)

Brandon Tartikoff in 1949 - TV exec (NBC)

Rip Taylor in 1934 - comedian

Sophie Tucker [Kalish] in 1884 [Russia] - singer/last of red hot mammas

     ~Athletics

Sharon Miller in 1941 - golfer

Mark Francis O'Meara in 1957 - PGA golfer

     ~Business, Education, Politics

Titus M Mafolo in 1955 - South Africa journalist/ANC-leader

     ~Science/Religion

Ross Granville Harrison in 1870 – , American biologist

Wilhelm Wien in 1864 – German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate

§Who Died on this day?

Wyatt Earp in 1929 US marshall (OK Corral), @ 80

George Fox in 1691 founder of Quakers, natural causes @ 66

Stephen Foster in 1864 composer (My Old Kentucky Home), fever and fall @ 37

James Joyce in 1941 novelist (Ulysses), dies in Zürich Switzerland, perforated ulcer @ 58

Edmund Spenser in 1599 poet (Faerie Queene), heartbroken @ 46

Carol Wayne in 1985 Johnny Carson's teatime movie hostess, drowned @ 42

§What happened on this day?

1559…Elizabeth I crowned queen of England in Westminster Abbey

1695…Jonathan Swift ordained an Anglican priest in Ireland

1785…John Walter publishes 1st issue of London Times

1888…National Geographic Society founded (Washington DC)

1920…New York Times editorial (falsely) reports rockets can never fly

1930…"Mickey Mouse" comic strip 1st appears

1942…Henry Ford patents a method of constructing plastic auto bodies

1953…Marshal Josip Tito chosen president of Yugoslavia

1958…US newspaper "Daily Worker" ceases publication
1966…1st black selected for Presidential cabinet (LBJ selects Robert C Weaver-HUD)

1988…Supreme Court rules (5-3) public school officials have broad powers to censor school newspapers, plays & other expressive activities

1990…1st elected US black governor inaugurated (Douglas Wilder-Virginia)

►Rhyme & Reason Puzzle      .

Answer the following clue in two rhyming words (e.g. an obese feline is a fat cat) If only one number is given, the answer is a word featuring internal rhyme (e.g. voodoo)

1. cost to rent the rink? (3,5):

2. premature claim that things will start up again (10,10):

3. from this lofty perspective, one can see the white cliffs (4,5):

4. perspiration resulting from worry (4,5):

5. cold and wet place for earning interest (4,4):

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ANSWERS

1. cost to rent the rink? (3,5): ice price

2. premature claim that things will start up again (10,10): resumption assumption

3. from this lofty perspective, one can see the white cliffs (4,5): over Dover

4. perspiration resulting from worry (4,5): fret sweat

5. cold and wet place for earning interest (4,4): dank bank

Tuesday

Week 2 of 2010: 12 days so far this year…353 days remain

►Provocative Quote  

"Too much of a good thing is wonderful."

~Mae West, actress

►Free Ramblings     
The madness may never end. Today I heard that Fox News, commonly known as Faux News, has added a new occasional commentator. They are adding Sara Palin to their stellar lineup that claims to bring us all ‘fair and balanced’ news. This move should get her off all the other channels, and since I watch Faux News about 10 seconds a year, I won’t hear her babbling anymore. The term ‘fair and balanced’ has taken on a whole new meaning since Faux added it to its promos.

I’m still having a hard time with the new book Game Change. I watched one of the authors talking about the book. It won’t be out until tomorrow, and I might get it on my iPod when it becomes available. So far, it sounds like a book that believes no matter how much we change, we remain the same. Backroom politics isn’t filled with cigar smoke anymore, but sounds like everything else that used to take place in those backrooms continues. Sad commentary on our political system. I remember “The Making of A President” by White on the 1960 campaign. I wonder this new book will also become a classic?

It was a balmy 11° last night and warmed way up there to 41°. The 15mph didn’t make it very pleasant today. It was warm enough for me to wash the dirt off the sliding glass door to the deck. It seems to get dirty faster than the other windows. Can’t really figure out why, just something that happens.

►Quotes from Values.com—LIVE LIFE 
“Ask not for an easy life...ask for the strength to face the elements, to weather the storms; to be the might for the right and the weak, to be the voice for those who cannot speak, to see one's dreams to fruition with dignity, integrity, and grace.”

~Giac Nguyen

►Side Show Stories
North Yorkshire, England: It seems patrons at the highest-altitude pub in Britain said heavy snowfall left them stranded at the bar for three days while awaiting rescue by snowplows.

Workers and patrons at the Tan Hill Inn said about 30 people were trapped inside the pub by a white-out snowstorm New Year’s Day and remained stuck in the snow for three days at the business, which is located 1,732 feet above sea level.

“Morale’s been high — people realized they wouldn’t be trapped forever,” said Mike Carter, 44, assistant manager of the pub. “They’ve peeled carrots and potatoes and helped make dinner.”

Many of the trapped customers were members of Leeds University’s Cross Country Club. “We were meant to go the next day,” club member Nathan Martin, 26, said. Luckily none of us was in a rush to get home! It’s been good.There’s been a quiz every night which has kept us going.”

►Random Fact .

To take lumps out of a bag of sugar, place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

§ Interesting Statistics

*Note: I realize that statistics can be made to say just about anything.

~39% of unemployed Americans take a nap.

~31% of employed Americans take a nap.

§ January Month Long Observances

Birthstone: Garnet …Flower: Carnation

Book Blitz Month * Bath Safety Month * Birth Defects Month * California Dried Plum Digestive Month * Celebration of Life Month * Cervical Cancer Screening Month * Financial Wellness Month * High Tech Month * International Creativity Month * International Quality of Life Month * International Wayfinding Month * International Wealth Mentality Month * National Be On-Purpose Month * National Bird Feeding Month * National Clean Up Your Computer Month * National Get Organized Month * National Glaucoma Awareness Month * National Hot Tea Month * National Mail Order Gardening Month * National Mentoring Month * National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month * National Poverty in America Awareness Month * National Radon Action Month * National Skating Month * National Soup Month * National Volunteer Blood Donor Month * Oatmeal Month * Rising Star Month * Self-help Group Awareness Month * Senior Women’s Travel Month * Shape Up US Month * Thyroid Awareness Month

§ Observance Weeks in January

Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14

Cuckoo Dancing Week: 11-17 [honoring Laurel and Hardy]

§ 12 January Observances—US/UN/World

Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day—has little to do with cannibalism, but has something to do with a day for gazing at hunks.

§12 January Observances—by country

Tanzania : Zanzibar Revolution Day [since 1964]

India- National Youth Day Swami Vivekananda's birthday [key figure in bringing Vedanta and Yoga to Europe and America]

§ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1984…It was a struggle for quite a few years to restore some of the Great Pyramids in Egypt. However, when pyramid restores began to use the method of interlocking blocks as the ancient Egyptians did the project progress quite a bit more smoothly. The decision to revert back to the historic Egyptian building practices was more than likely inspired by the fact that the modern-day brick-and-mortar method did not hold up against water damage. Therefore, just a few years after the repaired work done on the Sphinx in 1981 new “old methods” of construction were practiced.

§Who was born on this day?

     ~ The Arts

Kirstie Alley in 1951 - actress

Edmund Burke in 1729 - British author (Philosophy & Inquiry)

Melanie Jayne Chisholm in 1974 - "Sporty Spice"

"The Amazing" Kreskin in 1935 - mentalist/telepath

Rush Hudson Limbaugh III in 1951 Cape -conservative radio & television host

Jack London in 1876 - writer/socialist (Call of the Wild)

Ray Manzarek in 1943 - rock pianist (Doors)

Howard Stern in 1954 - syndicated/satellite radio talk-show host

Tex Ritter in 1906 Texas, country singer

Ray Teal in 1902 - actor (Sheriff Roy Coffee-Bonanza)

Glenn Yarborough in 1930 - singer (Limeliters)

Henny Youngman in 1906 (England) - comedian (Take my wife please...)

     ~Athletics

Joe Frazier in 1944 - heavyweight champion boxer

Drew Pearson in 1951 - NFL all-pro receiver

Dominique Wilkins in 1960 - NBA forward (Atlanta Hawks)

     ~Business, Education, Politics

A P(ieter) W Botha in 1916 Orange Free State, President of South Africa

Edmund Burke in 1729 - statesman, philosopher: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

John Hancock in 1737 - patriot (1st to sign Declaration of Independence)

John Winthrop in 1588 - 1st Governor (Massachusetts Bay Colony)

     ~Science/Religion

Paul H Müller in 1899 - Swiss chemist (DDT-Nobel 1948)

Jean Baptiste van Helmont in 1580 - Belgian chemist, (found boiling point temperature)

§Who Died on this day?

Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1517 Spanish conquistador/admiral, beheaded @ 41

Agatha Christie in 1976 mystery writer (10 Little Indians), @ 85

Ernie Kovacs in 1962 comedian (Ernie Kovacs Show), auto crash @ 42

Walt Morey in 1992 US children's book writer (Gentle Ben), @ 84

§What happened on this day?

1755…Tsarina Elisabeth establishes 1st Russian University

1773…1st US public museum established (Charleston SC)

1864…The NAVAJOs have been ordered to move to the Bosque Redondo Reservation in New Mexico. Many who decide not to go move to the Canyon de Chelly. Kit Carson has been directed to force the NAVAJOs to move or to be killed as "hostiles". Carson and Captain Pfeiffer advance to the canyon. On this date, Carson enters the west end of the canyon. They encounter a band of NAVAJOs, and kill 11 of them. While in the canyon, Carson will order the burning of the NAVAJOs' food and cherished peach trees

1896…1st X-ray photo in US (Dr Henry Smith, Davidson NC)

1915…House of Representatives rejects proposal to give women the right to vote

1928 …Vladimir Horowitz debuted as a soloist with the New York Philharmonicat Carnegie Hall in New York City

1948…Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi begins his final fast

1949…The Chicago-based children’s show, Kukla, Fran and Ollie, made its nationaldebut on NBC-TV.

1965…"Hullabaloo" premieres on NBC-TV

1966…"Batman" with Adam West & Burt Ward premieres on ABC TV

1971…"All in the Family" premieres on CBS featuring 1st toilet flush on TV .

►Rhyme & Reason Puzzle .

Answer the following clue in two rhyming words (e.g. an obese feline is a fat cat) If only one number is given, the answer is a word featuring internal rhyme (e.g. voodoo)

1. imputation of deceit (9,7):

2. soggy domesticated animal (3,3):

3. any which way (6-7):

4. inapt policeman (8,6):

5. hamburger (6,5):

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ANSWERS

1. imputation of deceit (9,7): bamboozle accusal

2. soggy domesticated animal (3,3): wet pet

3. any which way (6-7): helter skelter

4. inapt policeman (8,6): improper copper

5. hamburger (6,5): ground round

Monday

Week 2 of 2010: 11 days so far this year…354 days remain

►Provocative Quote

"No great scoundrel is ever uninteresting."

~Murray Kempton

►Free Ramblings

The very unpredictable Cardinals beat the Packers today. The Cards had lost to the Pack twice this year. The team is so unpredictable they may be in the Super Bowl, again. They belong in Arizona, they only play well when it is a ‘do or die’ situation, much like our non-elected governor, and sadly the elected state legislature. The Cards blew a chance for the division title, but knew they would be a wild card, so no big deal. Our state is still in a budget crisis, but no big deal, just close more government run offices and parks and sell the buildings to others. No big deal, they still get paid. I guess when the legislature and the governor don’t get paid, then they will get busy and find a solution. Yep, the Cardinals want those playoff paychecks so they will keep winning.

For almost two years the media has avoided discussing the underlying issues of Race in this country. Much of the conservative media has found fault with our President, and the liberal media acts like his background doesn’t matter. I fear that is all about to end. It is coming out that many power brokers in our Nation’s capital had lots to say about Obama before he was elected. Some is coming out in a new book. So sad. Listening to the apologies to our Commander and Chief seem so empty. The comments are hardly out of context, misunderstood, or a poor choice of words. They are racist, plain and simple. I am sure that if Mrs. Clinton had been elected, these same ‘leaders’ would now be in the news for comments they made about her during her campaign. Overall, our country voted for change. We got a good start, but the need for change is far from over. Closeted bigots need to lose their power and our country needs to move forward.

Everything East of Kansas seems to be suffering with the cold. A big storm that was expected to reach the City [NYC] this weekend, but never made it. While I sometimes complain about our cold or snow, it ain’t nuttin’ compared to what many have to deal with day after day, every winter. It sure makes Flagstaff very tolerable. Our snow and cold comes and goes, our cold weather comes and goes. We don’t have to wait for April or May for any warm days. The warm days we get happen all the time and we seldom drop into the negative degrees, even at night. A couple of friends in different parts of Florida are freakin’ out. Temperatures are dropping below 32° and few people have warm clothes and some don’t have furnaces. Flag keeps looking really good. Our low of 14° and high of 39° worked for me…I have warm clothes…I have heat…I know it’s winter…I know it’s expected.

►Quotes from Values.com—LIVE LIFE

“The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live.”

~Ayn Rand: Writer, Philosopher

►Side Show Stories

PORT ORANGE, Fla. - A 91-year-old man who crashed his car into a popular Florida restaurant proceeded to sit down and order breakfast near his vehicle, authorities said.

Tonya Gilardi, a spokeswoman for Port Orange Fire, said Charles Pierce was not injured when he crashed his car into the Biscuits 'N' Gravy restaurant Monday morning but another customer was treated for minor injuries at Halifax Health Medical Center in Port Orange, the Daytona Beach (Fla.) News-Journal reported. "A firefighter told me he sat down and ordered breakfast right after the crash," Gilardi said of Pierce. "He sat close to where the crash occurred so he could keep an eye on his car." Port Orange Assistant Police Chief Wayne Miller said Pierce was attempting to park Monday at the restaurant when he pressed the accelerator "one too many times" and the vehicle slammed through the glass window of the cafe.

Miller said Pierce was issued a citation for careless driving.

►Random Fact

Cheeses made in Europe didn’t require as much salt because of cooler conditions, thus paving the way for beneficial microbes and molds to form and give aged cheeses their robust flavors.

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Ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to turn cheese making into a fine art. Larger Roman houses even had a special kitchen, called a careale, just for making cheese. After developing new techniques for smoking and adding other flavors into cheeses, the Romans spread this knowledge slowly through their empire.

§ Interesting Statistics

*Note: I realize that statistics can be made to say just about anything.

~Spam: only 1 in every 12,414,000 spam e-mail is answered.

~About 6.5 million US Adults believe the media did not adequately cover Michael Jackson’s death.

§ January Month Long Observances

Birthstone: Garnet …Flower: Carnation

Book Blitz Month * Bath Safety Month * Birth Defects Month * California Dried Plum Digestive Month * Celebration of Life Month * Cervical Cancer Screening Month * Financial Wellness Month * High Tech Month * International Creativity Month * International Quality of Life Month * International Wayfinding Month * International Wealth Mentality Month * National Be On-Purpose Month * National Bird Feeding Month * National Clean Up Your Computer Month * National Get Organized Month * National Glaucoma Awareness Month * National Hot Tea Month * National Mail Order Gardening Month * National Mentoring Month * National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month * National Poverty in America Awareness Month * National Radon Action Month * National Skating Month * National Soup Month * National Volunteer Blood Donor Month * Oatmeal Month * Rising Star Month * Self-help Group Awareness Month * Senior Women’s Travel Month * Shape Up US Month * Thyroid Awareness Month

§ Observance Weeks in January

Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14

Cuckoo Dancing Week: 11-17 [honoring Laurel and Hardy]

§ 11 January Observances—US/UN/World

National Clean Off Your Desk Day

National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friend Day

Puerto Rico : Eugenio Maria de Hostos Day [writer and educator, worked for Independence]

►11 January Observances—by country

Bangladesh: Independence Day [formerly East Pakistan—1972]

Chad : Independence Day [from France-1960]

Morocco: Independence Resistance Day [from France in 1956]

Nepal: Unity Day-- Honors King Prithvinarayan Shah (1723-1775) who unified the country

► Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1569…1st recorded lottery in England is drawn at St Paul's Cathedral 

►Who was born on this day?

     ~ The Arts

Mary J Blige in 1971 - singer

Naomi [Diana Ellen] Judd in 1946 - singer

Francesco Parmigianino in 1503 - Italian artist (Madonna with the Long Neck)

Lionel Stander in 1908 - actor (Max-Hart to Hart)

Grant Tinker in 1926 - broadcasting executive (NBC-TV)

     ~Athletics

‘Gentle’ Ben Crenshaw in 1952 - golf champion

Chris Ford in 1948 - basketball: Pistons Celtics [1973-1982] coach: Celtics Bucks Clippers

Rod Jones in 1974 - NFL guard (Bengals)

     ~Business, Education, Politics

Frederick Boland in 1904 - Irish diplomat/President (UN General Assembly)

Ezra Cornell in 1807 - founder (Western Union Telegraph, Cornell University)

Alexander Hamilton in 1757 (West Indies) - 1st US Secretary of Treasury ($10 face)

Aldo Leopold in 1887 - founder (Wilderness Society)

Alice Paul in 1885 - ERA advocate/founder (National Woman's Party)

Rosenkowitz sextuplets in 1974 (Cape Town South Africa)- 1st known to survive infancy

     ~Science/Religion

Albert Hofmann Switzerland in 1906 - chemist (discovered LSD)

►Who Died on this day?

Gregory (Pappy) Boyington in 1988 ace WWII pilot, @ 75

John Bradley in 1994 raised US flag at Iwo Jima, @ 70

Francis Scott Key in 1843 composer (Star Spangled Banner), @ 63

Sheldon Leonard in 1997 producer/director (Dick Van Dyke), @ 89

Helen Foster Snow in 1997 writer, @89

Jack Soo in 1979 actor (Nick Yemana-Barney Miller), @ 63

►What happened on this day?

1672…Isaac Newton is elected a member of Royal Society

1759…1st American life insurance company incorporated, Philadelphia

1770…The first shipment of rhubarb was sent to the United States from London.

1787…Titania & Oberon, moons of Uranus, discovered by William Herschel

1805…Michigan Territory is organized

1813…1st pineapples planted in Hawaii

1873…1st livestock market newspaper published, Drover's Journal, Chicago

1878…Milk was delivered in glass bottles for the first time, -- by one Alexander Campbell, in New York.

1879…Zulu war against British colonial rule in South Africa begins

1892…Hawaiian Historical Society founded

1902…Popular Mechanics magazine was published for the first time

1922…Insulin 1st used to treat diabetes (Leonard Thompson, 14, of Canada)

1935…Amelia Earhart flies non-stop from Honolulu HI to Oakland CA

1962…Mandela leaves South Africa, travels to Ethiopia, Algeria & England

1962…The B52 H, a new U.S. superbomber, pulled into an airbase located near Madrid, Spain. This particular bomber had just finished a 12, 519-mile flight.

1963…1st discotheque opens, The Whiskey-a-go-go in Los Angeles CA

►Rhyme & Reason Puzzle
Answer the following clue in two rhyming words (e.g. an obese feline is a fat cat) If only one number is given, the answer is a word featuring internal rhyme (e.g. voodoo)
1. a more orderly diner (6,5):
2. anticipate destiny (5,4):
3. facsimile of an old car (6,4):
4. liberate a trio (4,5):
5. for a card shark, it's up the sleeve (3,5):
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ANSWERS
1. a more orderly diner (6,5): neater eater
2. anticipate destiny (5,4): await fate
3. facsimile of an old car (6,4): jalopy copy
4. liberate a trio (4,5): free three
5. for a card shark, it's up the sleeve (3,5): ace place

Sunday

Week 2 of 2010: 10 days so far this year…355 days remain

►Provocative Quote

"Some rise by sin and some by virtue fall."

~ (Act II, Scene I) Measure by Measure—Shakespeare

►Free Ramblings

I was really lazy today, don’t know why. But I sure enjoy these kinds of days. I figure I didn’t have very many for a lot of years and now I deserve one every once in a while. I watched a couple of old movies, checked in on the football games, and just relaxed.

Gas Prices seem to be a little weird in Flagstaff. The lowest price I have seen is @2.54, but yesterday I saw a high of 2.80. I don’t get why anyone would buy gas at 2.80 when it is 2.54 less than 2 miles away. Back in the day, my dad did have a favorite ‘filling station’. The old guy who ran it knew a lot about cars, would always check your oil, remind you when an inspection sticker was due, wash your windows, and fill the car with gas. Sometimes his gas was a penny or two higher than the competition, but my dad always stuck with the guy. That I understood. There all no more ‘filling stations’, nobody pumps your gas, nobody checks your oil, nobody washes your windows. You don’t even have to see a human when you get gas today. From my point of view, all the stations today just sell gasoline. So why not find the least expensive? There must be some reason these more expensive places stay in business, but it is not from selling gas to me.

To set the record straight: over the past few days several conservative members of Congress have said that the 9-11 attack happened on the Democrat’s watch. It didn’t. Way many in Congress think that 1. People forget the facts, 2. People will believe anything if it is said enough times.

While I was watching movies, Flag seems to have had a decent day. It dropped to a frigid 3° last night, but warmed up to a nice 49° late in the day.

When I got up this morning it was only 10° which may have led to my desire to stay inside all day, in front of the fireplace and TV, and just be lazy.

►Quotes from Values.com—LIVE LIFE

“You can't change your past, and your future has not happened. Focus your energy on enjoying the moment you are living right now.”

~Rod Williams--Musician

►Side Show Stories

SOUTHAMPTON, England - British firefighters called to a hospital said they spent 30 minutes using a metal grinder to free a man's penis from a steel pipe. The Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service crew said they were called to England's Southampton General Hospital Tuesday morning to use the 4 1/2-inch grinder to cut through the pipe without damaging the man's sex organ, The Sun reported. Hospital staff said they were unable to remove the pipe without assistance because the blood flow in the man's penis had become restricted and caused him to become aroused. Doctors said the man's penis was bruised and swollen after the operation but he did not suffer any serious or permanent injuries. Firefighters said the man declined to explain how his penis had become stuck in the pipe. "It was a very delicate operation that required a very steady hand and the crew was worried about things getting too hot during the cutting," a Fire and Rescue spokesman said. "It's certainly an unusual call-out and I'm sure the man won't be getting into that situation again."

►Random Fact

Egypt is home to the earliest archeological evidence of cheese making, found in tomb murals that date back to 2000 BC. These cheeses were likely to have been very sour and salty (lots of salt was needed to preserve the cheese in the hot, arid climate) and similar to a cottage cheese or feta in texture.

§ Interesting Statistics

*Note: I realize that statistics can be made to say just about anything.

~In March, 2008 only 17% of people from 21 nations surveyed said they trusted President Bush to ‘do the right thing’ in world affairs

~In the first 6 months in office, Bush used the word ‘evil’ 18 times in speeches; Obama used it 14 times.

§ January Month Long Observances

Birthstone: Garnet …Flower: Carnation

Book Blitz Month * Bath Safety Month * Birth Defects Month * California Dried Plum Digestive Month * Celebration of Life Month * Cervical Cancer Screening Month * Financial Wellness Month * High Tech Month * International Creativity Month * International Quality of Life Month * International Wayfinding Month * International Wealth Mentality Month * National Be On-Purpose Month * National Bird Feeding Month * National Clean Up Your Computer Month * National Get Organized Month * National Glaucoma Awareness Month * National Hot Tea Month * National Mail Order Gardening Month * National Mentoring Month * National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month * National Poverty in America Awareness Month * National Radon Action Month * National Skating Month * National Soup Month * National Volunteer Blood Donor Month * Oatmeal Month * Rising Star Month * Self-help Group Awareness Month * Senior Women’s Travel Month * Shape Up US Month * Thyroid Awareness Month

§ Observance Weeks in January

Women's Self Empowerment Week: 4-10

Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14

§ 10 January Observances—US/UN/World

International Diet Day

National Cut Your Energy Costs Day

Peculiar People Day

Stephen Foster Day

United Nations Day

►10 January Observances—by country

None found

► Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1969 - The final issue of The Saturday Evening Post appeared after 147 years of publication

►Who was born on this day?

     ~ The Arts

Pat Benatar [Andrezejewski] in 1953 - singer (Hit Me With Your Best Shot)

Ray Bolger (Raymond Wallace Bulcao) in 1904 - dancer, actor: The Wizard of Oz

Jim Croce in 1943 - singer/songwriter (Time in a Bottle, Bad Bad Leroy Brown)

Gisele MacKenzie (Gisèle Marie-Louise Marguerite LaFlèche) in 1927 Winnipeg Manitoba, singer/actress

Sal Mineo in 1939 - actor (Exodus, Rebel Without a Cause)

Rod Stewart in 1945 - singer (Maggie Mae, Da Ya Think I'm Sexy)

     ~Athletics

George Foreman in 1949 - world heavyweight boxing champ

Hollis Thomas in 1974 - defensive tackle (Eagles)

Bill Toomey in 1939 - U.S. Decathlon Olympic Gold Medalist

     ~Business, Education, Politics

Ethan Allen in 1738 - Revolutionary War fighter (led the Green Mountain Boys)

~Science/Religion

George Washington Carver in 1864 - agricultural scientist (estimate date - actual birthdate unknown)

►Who Died on this day?

Richard Boone in 1981 - actor (Paladin-Have Gun Will Travel), cancer @ 63

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in 1971 - French fashion designer, @ 87

Buffalo Bill [William Frederick] Cody in 1917 - army scout & Indian fighter, @ 71

Samuel Colt in 1862 inventor (6 shot revolver), natural causes @ 47

Harry Sinclair Lewis in 1951 - US writer (Nobel 1930), advanced alcoholism @ 65

Carolus Linnæus in 1778 - Swedish botanist/explorer/"Father of Taxonomy", @ 70

Paul Lynde in 1982 - comedian/actor (Uncle Arthur-Bewitched; center square), heart attack @ 55

►What happened on this day?

1776…"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine, published

1870…John D Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil

1878…US Senate proposes female suffrage

1879…President Rutherford Hayes, by Executive Order, adds to the Gila River Reserve in Pima Agency. This reserve was established February 28, 1859. The order also add to the Pima and Maricopa Indian Reservation. This second part of this order will be canceled on June 14, 1879.

1911…1st photo in US taken from an airplane, San Diego

1944…Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill of Rights) is passed by Congress

1949…RCA introduces the first vinyl record (45 rpm) and Columbia releases the first vinyl record at 33.3 rpm. Previous recordings were on wax discs

1964 US version of "That Was The Week That Was" premieres

1967…PBS (the National Educational TV) begins as a 70 station network

►Rhyme & Reason Puzzle
Answer the following clue in two rhyming words (e.g. an obese feline is a fat cat) If only one number is given, the answer is a word featuring internal rhyme (e.g. voodoo)
1. burial sight for the scoundrel (5,5):
2. help with the linear measurement (8, 10):
3. fuel basin (4,4):
4. a dull blade; or uneven kerf? (3,4):
5. cause persistent annoyance to a lower joint (6,5):
* Bonus: pseudo- sandwich meat:
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ANSWERS
1. burial sight for the scoundrel (5,5): knave grave:
2. help with the linear measurement (8, 10): distance assistance
3. fuel basin (4,4): coal bowl
4. a dull blade; or uneven kerf? (3,4): saw flaw
5. cause persistent annoyance to a lower joint (6,5): rankle ankle
*Bonus: pseudo- sandwich meat--Sham Spam

Saturday

9 days so far this year…356 days remain in 2010
►Provocative Quote
"Someone is speaking well of you."
~unknown
►Free Ramblings
Technology can drive us all crazy. Today I dropped of a prescription at the local pharmacy. I was told “our system is down”, and that meant they couldn’t fill the script right then. Not a big deal, it is my regular blood pressure medicine and the Dr. had just given me a renewal script. Then I find out that the system has been down since yesterday morning. They had no idea when it would be back up, but were hopeful sometime today. The medical community recommends that we keep all our scripts at one pharmacy allowing the pharmacist to double or triple check for interactions. Actually I thought the insurance company did that too. Had I been sick, and needed an antibiotic I would have to go to another pharmacy. It seems impossible, that in this day and age, when a system crashes, the huge pharmacy network should either have a back-up system, or a way for the local pharmacist to fill the prescription. Guess it is easier to just say “the system is down.” It is a new year, so I have to reach my script deductible before it kicks in. That means that for a couple of months, my regular $2.12 script will cost about $25. I don’t understand it, and I just pay it. I do know that if I have a big medical ‘procedure’ and pass some other magical number in the amount I have paid, any scripts I have and any co-pays are free for the remainder of that year. I guess that’s a good plan. Please, somebody fix heath care so I can benefit more while I am fairly healthy.

Now we all know, Sara Palin had a brain fart. Big deal, we all have them every so often. It turns out that Sara knew she was running against the Obama and Biden. Somehow her brain was always slipping into “Mr. O’Biden”, While Joe is Irish, his family has never been known as O’Biden’s. To prevent a blunder at the debate, she enters, shakes hands with Mr. Biden and quips, “can I call you Joe?” He agrees and she only called him Mr. O’Biden once. For some reason, this is news. So watch out for those pesky brain farts.

We had some fairly good weather today. We only got to 38° but there was little breeze, so a light jacket worked just fine. While I did run some errands today, I also did get some light cleaning done—that means I got out the vacuum cleaner, turned it on and pushed it around the carpet. No furniture was moved, no difficult areas, like under the tables were done. Just a quick run. I also fed the birds, again. They seem to be really hungry. I figure the smart birds migrated long ago, and the ones that are left aren’t very smart and need help finding food. Besides, they are enjoyable to watch.
►Quotes from Values.com—LIVE LIFE
“There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life.”
~Federico Fellini: Filmmaker
►Side Show Stories
DUNCHURCH, England - Residents of a British town said pranksters carried on a 40-year tradition of disguising a statue in the village, this time as Homer Simpson. Tony Kember, 66, chairman of the Dunchurch, England, historical society, said the village's 19th century statue of Lord John Scott was disguised as "The Simpsons" patriarch as part of an annual prank tradition that has previously featured the statue dressed as Harry Potter, Spider-Man, Guy Fawkes and Shrek, The Sun reported. "I have lived in the village for over 40 years and people were dressing up the statue before that," Kember said. "Nobody in the village seems to know who the culprits are -- or if they do they are not telling anyone," he said. "People in the village love seeing the statue dressed up, it is always a surprise which character he will be."
►Random Fact
People with the rare condition called "synesthesia" not only taste colors, but see words and feel flavors. Each person is unique in how they perceive the world; some smell colors or taste shapes, while others associate colors with sound, perceiving each note as a different hue. The condition has been linked to less blood flow to those parts of the brain that receive sensory stimulation.
§ Interesting Statistics
*Note: I realize that statistics can be made to say just about anything.
~60% Estimated decline, since 2003, of Christians living in Iraq.
~71% of people in 21 nations surveyed trust that President Obama will “do the right thing” in world affairs.
§ January Month Long Observances
Birthstone: Garnet …Flower: Carnation
Book Blitz Month * Bath Safety Month * Birth Defects Month * California Dried Plum Digestive Month * Celebration of Life Month * Cervical Cancer Screening Month * Financial Wellness Month * High Tech Month * International Creativity Month * International Quality of Life Month * International Wayfinding Month * International Wealth Mentality Month * National Be On-Purpose Month * National Bird Feeding Month * National Clean Up Your Computer Month * National Get Organized Month * National Glaucoma Awareness Month * National Hot Tea Month * National Mail Order Gardening Month * National Mentoring Month * National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month * National Poverty in America Awareness Month * National Radon Action Month * National Skating Month * National Soup Month * National Volunteer Blood Donor Month * Oatmeal Month * Rising Star Month * Self-help Group Awareness Month * Senior Women’s Travel Month * Shape Up US Month * Thyroid Awareness Month
§ Observance Weeks in January
Someday We'll Laugh About This Week: 2-9
Home Office Safety and Security Week: 3-9
Women's Self Empowerment Week: 4-10
Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14
§ 9 January Observances—US/UN/World
Play God Day
Balloon Ascension Day—since 1793 for 1st successful flight in US
Fruitcake Toss Day—Annual event in Manitou Springs, CO
Positively Penguins Day—to learn more about penguins.
Connecticut : Ratification Day (1788)
►9 January Observances—by country
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republic Day since 1992
Manila, Philippines: Black Nazarene feast in the Quiapo district: since 1606 a dark wood statue of Christ on the cross is walked through the streets.
Panama: Martyr Day [Dia de los Martires ]: Commemorates the riots over the Panama Flag flying alongside the American flag in the Canal Zone in 1964. 21 locals and 4 US soldiers died.
Republika Srpska: Republic Day since 1991
► Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1984…“WHERE’S THE BEEF?” Clara Peller was first seen by TV viewers
►Who was born on this day?
     ~ The Arts
Joan Baez in 1941 folk singer/human rights advocate
Jimmy Boyd in 1939 - singer: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Karel Capek in 1890 (Czechoslovakia) writer; coined the word "robot"
Bob Denver in 1935 actor (Dobie Gillis, Gilligan's Island)
Judith Krantz in 1928 author
Fernando Lamas in 1915 (Argentina) actor ("You look marvelous")
Dave Matthews in 1967 singer/musician (Dave Matthews Band)
Jimmy Page in 1944 (England) rock guitarist (Led Zeppelin)
Lizette Woodworth Reese in 1856 US poet (Branch of May, Tears)
Chic Young in 1901 cartoonist (Blondie)
     ~Athletics
Bart Starr in 1934 NFL quarterback/coach (Packers)
     ~Business, Education, Politics
Richard Milhous Nixon in 1913 - 36th U.S. Vice President; 37th U.S. President
Joseph B Strauss in 1870 civil engineer/builder (Golden Gate Bridge)
~Science/Religion
1902 – Saint Josemaría Escrivá, Spanish Catholic priest and founder of Opus Dei
►Who Died on this day?
Caroline Herschel in 1843 "1st lady of astronomy", @ 98
Marco Polo in 1324 Italian explorer, @ 70
Johann Strauss Austrian conductor/Royal ball director, @ 72
►What happened on this day?
1493…1st sight of manatees (by Christopher Columbus)
1811…1st Women's Golf Tournament held
1861…1st hostile act of Civil War; Star of the West fired on, Sumter SC
1903…Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota established
1908…Muir Woods National Monument, California established
1936…Semi-automatic rifles adopted by US army
1937…The first issue of the periodical LOOK went on sale. 1942…US Joint Chiefs of Staff created
1951…The United Nations headquarters officially opened in New York City.
1956…Abigail Van Buren's "Dear Abby" column 1st appears in newspapers
1958…Toyota and Datsun make their first appearances in the United States at the Imported Motor Car Show in Los Angeles, California.
1960…Building of Aswan dam in Egypt, begins
1984…“WHERE’S THE BEEF?” Clara Peller was first seen by TV viewers
1991…Baseball officially bans Pete Rose from being elected to Hall of Fame
2007…Apple introduces the 4.5 inch X 2.4 inch Apple iPhone which epitomizes the next generation of mobile phone devices,
►Rhyme & Reason Puzzle
Answer the following clue in two rhyming words (e.g. an obese feline is a fat cat) If only one number is given, the answer is a word featuring internal rhyme (e.g. voodoo)
1 pseudo- sandwich meat (5,7):
2. retracts ordinances (9,4):
3. exile people from Barcelona (6,7):
4. lead a lion-collective (5,5):
5. monies given to forward the art of monotonous singing (5,4):
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ANSWERS
1 pseudo- sandwich meat (5,7): Phony bologna
2. retracts ordinances (9,4): withdraws laws
3. exile people from Barcelona (6,7): Banish Spanish
4. lead a lion-collective (5,5): guide pride
5. monies given to forward the art of monotonous singing (5,4): drone loan