Wednesday

♣ 10 March 2010--Week 10 of 2010: 69 days this year…296 remain ♣

♣ Two Quotes to think about…Today ♣

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"Powerlessness and silence go together. We...should use our privileged positions not as a shelter from the world's reality, but as a platform from which to speak. A voice is a gift. It should be cherished and used."

~Margaret Atwood

♣ Free Ramblings ♣

Old man winter will just not give it up. We had snow again today. Sometimes it snowed while the sky was grey. Sometimes it snowed as the sky was clearing. Sometimes it snowed while the sun was shining. Most of all, it just snowed. Most of it melted as it fell, but the magical weatherman says we got 6” of snow since last night. The wind almost constant gusts off 36mph kept our high temperature down to about 33°. We have had 133” of snow this year…the highest snowfall in ten years. We still have lots of snow to come before the snow season ends. Another storm is due late tomorrow.

Every year my doctor orders routine blood tests to see what is happening in various places in my body. Today was the day I decided to have the blood drawn. I have to fast for 14 hours before it is drawn. Since I am a great late night snacker, I have to prepare for the day. It means nothing to eat after 7pm. So this morning, during the snowstorm I headed across town to the lab. Roads weren’t bad, traffic was light, and things looked good until I got to the parking lot. There I was greeted with no parking spaces anywhere close to the lab. I guess lots of people decided that today would be a good day to give up some blood. The waiting room had three people waiting and it took about 30 minutes to get called. My blood came out slowly, but I finally filled the four vials. The hematologist told me to drink a lot of water before coming in again, and said that would make it easier to get the blood out. I will certainly do that, even if I am not thirsty. Anything to speed up the process. My next doctor visit isn’t until May, so then he will hand me a bunch of papers with lots of numbers and he will explain that everything is OK. Today’s Random Fact (below) makes me wonder how many blood cells were removed from my body in those four vials.

Our healthcare insurance system has to be fixed. I can’t believe how many lobbyists are hired by the insurance companies to stop reform. Again I heard today how the companies have raised rates, raised co-pays, cut coverage, and raised deductibles in preparation for some kind of reform. Again I am reminded that healthcare should be a moral issue, not a financial issue.

♣Random Fact: ♣

The human body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second!

♣Side Show Stories—♣

EVESHAM, N.J. - Police in New Jersey said they charged a restaurant cook with aggravated assault for concealing a "body hair" in food prepared for an officer. Authorities said Ryan Burke, 26, of Stratford, was working Feb. 21 at Good Foods to Go in Evesham when he concealed the "body hair" on a bagel sandwich made for a police officer, whose name was not released, The Courier Post, Cherry Hill, N.J., reported Thursday. Burke was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, food tampering and retaliation for a past official action. Burke, who denies the accusation, said he was arrested by the officer in March 2009 for failing to pull over during a traffic stop. However, he said the officer is a regular at the restaurant and there had been no previous incidents. "I think that this is absurd," said Burke, who was fired from the restaurant following the incident. "They decided to ruin my life."

♣ Puzzle ♣

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.

1 wanderer (HINT: N - - - -)

2 big (HINT: - B - - -)

3 deserve (HINT: - - R - -)

4 Shakespearean remark to audience (HINT: - - - D -)

5 redirect (HINT: - - - - R)

♣ Calendar Information ♣

• March’s Month Long Observances •

BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)

National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month

• Observance Weeks in March•

6-21 •Iditarod Race

7-13 •Celebrate Your Name Week:

       •National Consumer Protection Week

       •National Words Matter Week

       •Save Your Vision Week

       •Telecommuter Appreciation Week

       •National Professional Pet Sitters Week

       •Read an E-Book Week

       •Teen Tech Week

8-12•Make A Referral Week

      •National Sleep Awareness Week

      •National School Breakfast Week

8-14• Universal Women's Week

• 10 March Observances—US/UN/World •

Festival Of Life In The Cracks Day: Hmmm

Learn What Your Name Means Day

International Day of Awesomeness

Mario Day—for all those named Mario, no one in particular

Registered Dietician Day

Salvation Army Day

World Culture Day

•10 March Observances—by country •

Laos : Teachers' Day

Tibetan Uprising Day (Tibetan independence supporters) since 1959

♣ Number One Songs in…

1949•Far Away Places - Margaret Whiting

1957•Young Love - Tab Hunter

1965•The Jolly Green Giant - The Kingsmen

1973•Killing Me Softly with His Song - Roberta Flack

1981•I Love a Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt

1989•Lost in Your Eyes - Debbie Gibson

• Holy Mackerel: 1893•New Mexico State University cancels its 1st graduation ceremony, its only graduate Sam Steele was robbed & killed the night before

• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

James Herriot, 1916, (Scotland), writer (All Creatures Great & Small)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Barry Fitzgerald, 1888, (Dublin Ireland), actor (Academy Award-Going My Way)

Jasmine Guy, 46, singer, actress (“A Different World”)

Jon Hamm, 39, actor (“Mad Men”)

Sam Jaffe, 1891, actor (on Ben Casey)

Gary Owens, 74, announcer (Laugh-in)

Sharon Stone, 52, actress (Basic Instinct, The Specialist, Casino)

Dean Torrence, 70, surf music singer (Jan & Dean)

Carrie Underwood, 27, singer (“American Idol”)

     …Athletes

Shannon Miller, 33, Olympic gymnast

     …Business, Education

Wayne Dyer, 70, psychologist (Universe Within You)

Chuck [Carlos Ray] Norris, 70, martial arts, fitness guru, actor (Missing in Action, “Walker, Texas Ranger”)

     …Politics

Kim Campbell, 63, first woman prime minister of Canada (for five months in 1993)

Prince Edward (Edward Antony Richard Louis) Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn, 46, son of Queen Elizabeth II

James Earl Ray, 1928, assassin (Martin Luther King Jr)

     …Science/Religion

John Playfair, 1748, (Scotland), clergyman/geologist/mathematician

•Today’s Obits •

Harriet Tubman, 1913, abolitionist, conductor on Underground RR, @ 92 or 93

Charles Gordon Curtis, 1953, inventor of (Curtis-steam turbine), @ 92

Herman Tarnower, 1980, doctor (Scarsdale Diet), killed by Jean Harris @ 70

Ray Milland, 1986, actor (Lost Weekend-Academy Award 1945), @ 81

Glenn Cunningham, 1988, US world record miler, @ 78

•What Happened on this Day •

      …The Arts

1940•1st US opera telecast, W2XBS, New York NY, I Pagliacci

1978•"The Incredible Hulk" premiers on TV

     …Athletics

1951•FBI director J Edgar Hoover declines post of baseball commissioner

     …Business, Education

1791•John Stone, Concord MA, patents a pile driver

1847•1st money minted in Hawaii

1903•Harry C. Gammeter of Cleveland, OH patented the multigraph duplicating machine.

     …Politics

0418•Jews are excluded from public office in the Roman Empire

1624•England declares war on Spain

1910•China ends slavery

1945•Japan declares Vietnam Independence

1959•After the Chinese invasion and control of Tibet, Tibetan rebels revolt against the chinese control by surrounding the summer palace of the Dalai Lama to protect the Dalai Lama but he is forced to flee to India who granted him political asylum.

     …Science/Religion

1933•Major earthquake in Long Beach CA, over 100 die

1977•Rings of Uranus discovered
1987•Vatican formal opposition to test-tube fertilization & embryo transfer

♣ANSWERS to puzzle ♣

NOMAD

OBESE

MERIT

ASIDE

DETER

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Tuesday

♣ 9 March 2010--Week 10 of 2010: 68 days this year…297 remain ♣
♣ Two Quotes to think about…Today ♣
"If you always postpone pleasure you will never have it."
~fortune cookie
“The wise person understands that his own happiness must include the happiness of others.”
~Dennis Weaver: (1924-2006); Actor
♣ Free Ramblings ♣
We didn’t get a lot of snow overnight, and the roads were clear and fairly dry when I set out on some errands. I’ve learned that Monday is not usually the best day to run errands. First the stores are empty..a good thing, but so are the shelves..a bad thing. Second, the lack of traffic in the stores also means fewer cashiers, so lines are not unusual. Today seemed to be a ‘training day’ at a couple of the stores, with the limited cashiers not real sure how to use the scanner or the cash register. I am always saddened when I see a customer in front of me not able to pay for all the stuff that they bought. It seems to me if you have twenty dollars in your wallet; you know that you can’t buy all that stuff. Then there is always the ‘take this back’ thing. Today it was a young lady with a small child. Unfortunately she was not a math wiz. The exchange of items took some time, as she took off one thing, and it wasn’t enough, then another and that was too much, so she put the first item back in and paid her $19.65 bill and left. Had this been a grocery store, I might have stepped up and helped, but it wasn’t, and none of the items seemed to be ‘essentials’. Next errand trip may wait until Tuesday, since it isn’t very busy, and the shelves have been replenished after the weekend.

The weather guy says to get ready for more snow. Tonight they had a college student weatherman on the local channel. He did a good job as a first timer. Turns out that yesterday’s storm—the one with the big flakes—actually dropped 7.3” of snow. Not being a meteorologist I will have to take his word for that. I do understand the concept of a rain gauge—on a pole, away from buildings and trees. I guess I don’t get the concept of snow gauge. If the snow is falling, and melting as soon as it hits the ground, doesn’t it melt in the gauge too? Is the gauge some very cold tube, kept cold by dry ice so that the falling snow doesn’t melt right away? Doesn’t really matter I guess. As our snowfall depth rises with each storm, it lets people around the country learn that Arizona is a lot more than cactus and desert. I have heard many a traveler, foreign and domestic, who came to Arizona in the winter with shorts and T-shirts and decided that it would be an adventure to visit the Grand Canyon, only to find cold temperatures and snow in the canyon. We were only 36° today, and last night only dropped to 26°.

Thankfully our primary local election ends tomorrow. The candidates are already planning their victory celebrations. The school district is hoping for its override. No matter how these elections turn out, the sun will still rise on Wednesday, the problems of Monday will still be here, and we certainly will continue to hear from the candidates and the school district—no matter what happens. I’m just hoping for a huge turnout and some real definitive results that will wake up our sleepy mountain town politicians and district bureaucrats. No matter what happens with the override, I want a 70-30 vote or better. That will show that our town is somewhat aware of what is happening. For the council seats, I hope that the candidates that make it to the general election have huge wins. I am tired of elections where a percentage point or two makes the difference in winning or losing.
♣Random Fact: ♣
The first living creature ever ejected from a supersonic aircraft was a bear in 1962. It was parachuted from 35,000 feet to a safe landing on earth.
♣Side Show Stories—♣
CANTERBURY, England - British police said a kick from a man in a gorilla suit helped police catch a suspect fleeing from a fight at a supermarket. Canterbury police said a 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and resisting arrest -- with the help of Andy Ingham, 30, who was dressed in a gorilla suit on a street corner Feb. 18 to promote his gym, Fit4Less, to commuters, Kentnews.co.uk reported. "Obviously I had the gorilla suit on and had my hands full of bags as well," Ingham said. "The policewoman ran up the bridge and there was this guy running over the bridge. "The police officer tried to arrest him, at which point he tried to resist -- he grabbed her and slammed her into the side of the bridge," Ingham said. "Then the man started running towards us and the police officer shouted 'assistance please!'" Ingham delivered a kick to the suspect's legs that did not take the man down, but slowed him enough for police to catch up and arrest him. Police said they are appealing to the public for information about the Feb. 18 fight at Tesco supermarket.
♣ Puzzle ♣
Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.
1 media anthology (HINT: A - - - -)
2 apartment security (HINT: - E - - -)
3 dull (HINT: - - N - -)
4 treatment (HINT: - - - G -)
5 hand-to-hand fight (HINT: - - - - E)
♣ Calendar Information ♣
• March’s Month Long Observances •
BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)
National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month
• Observance Weeks in March•
6-21 •Iditarod Race
7-13 •Celebrate Your Name Week:
       •National Consumer Protection Week
       •National Words Matter Week
       •Save Your Vision Week
       •Telecommuter Appreciation Week
       •National Professional Pet Sitters Week
       •Read an E-Book Week
       •Teen Tech Week
8-12:Make A Referral Week
        •National Sleep Awareness Week
        •National School Breakfast Week
8-14: Universal Women's Week
• 9 March Observances—US/UN/World •
Barbie Day
Get Over It Day
Joe Franklin Day (1st to have ‘talk show’ on radio—1950)
Organize Your Home Office Day
Panic Day (the one day a year where we can all panic together)
Unique Names Day
•9 March Observances—by country •
Belize : Baron Bliss Day (a Portuguese yachtsman who left $2mil to Belize in 1926)
Lebanon:Teacher's Day or Eid Al Moalim
Ukraine : Taras Shevchenko (Ukrainian poet) Day ( born today in 1814)
Amerigo Vespucci Day (1451)
♣ Number One Songs in…
1948 •I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover - The Art Moonie Orchestra
1956 •Why Do Fools Fall in Love - Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
1964 •I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles
1972 •Without You – Nilsson
1980•Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
• Holy Mackerel: 1954 •This was the day that critics called “TV’s coming of age.” Edward R. Murrow presented his report on the controversial Wisconsin Senator, Joseph R. McCarthy.
• Born on this day •
     …The Arts
Authors, Artists and Composers
Mickey [Frank Morrison] Spillane, 1918, mystery writer
Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV
Carl Betz, 1920, actor (Alex Stone-Donna Reed Show)
Juliette Binoche, 46, actress (Oscar for The English Patient; Chocolat)
Eddie (Edwin Fitzgerald) Foy Sr. , 1856, actor, comic, dancer
Charles Gibson, 67, TV news host
Mickey Gilley, 74, singer, musician (Urban Cowboy)
Will Greer, 1902, actor (Grandpa Walton-The Waltons)
Marty Ingels, 74, actor comedian
Glenda Jackson, 74, (England), actress
Raul Julia , 1940 , (Puerto Rico), actor (Addams Family-movie)
Emmanuel Lewis, 39, actor (“Webster”)
Mark Lindsay , 68 , rocker (Paul Revere & the Raiders)
Keely Smith (Dorothy Jacqueline Keely), 76 , singer: That Old Black Magic
     …Athletes
Jackie (Jack Eugene) Jensen, 1927 ,baseball: Yankees, Senators, Red Sox
Danny Sullivan , 50 , Indy-car racer
     …Business, Education
Barbie, 51, doll (Mattel)
Amerigo Vespucci, 1454, explorer
Margaret Murray Washington, 1865, wife of Booker T/head (NACW 1896..1918)
     …Politics
--
     …Science/Religion
Bobby Fischer , 1943 , US, world chess champion
Yuri Gagarin , 1934, cosmonaut, 1st man into space
George Hayward, 1791, surgeon, 1st to use ether
•Today’s Obits •
Oskar Hêks, 1943, Czechoslovakian marathon runner/antifascist, in Auschwitz @ 36
Howard Engstrom, 1962, a designer of Univac computer, dies at 59
Richard Crane, 1969, actor (Surfside 6), heart attack @ 50
Fernando Rey, 1994, Spanish actor (French Connection), cancer @ 76
Lawrence E Spivak, 1994, journalist (Meet the Press), @ 93
Notorius B I G [Biggie Small Chris Walkin], 1997, rapper, shot @ 24
•What Happened on this Day •
     …The Arts
--
     …Athletics
1979 •Bowie Kuhn orders baseball to give equal access to female reporters
     …Business, Education
--
     …Politics
1562 •Kissing in public banned in Naples (punishable by death)
1841 •US Supreme Court rules Negroes are free (Amistad Incident)
1862 •"Monitor" (Union) & "Merrimack" (Rebel) battle in Hampton Roads
1916 •General Fransisco "Pancho" Villa leads Mexican band raid on Columbus NM
1942 •Construction of the Alaska Highway began
1983 •Zimbabwe opposition leader Joshua Nkomo flees to Botswana
     …Science/Religion
1497 •Nicolaus Copernicus 1st recorded astronomical observation
1907 •1st involuntary sterilization law enacted, Indiana
1961 •1st animal returned from space, dog named Blackie aboard Sputnik 9
♣ANSWERS to puzzle ♣
ALBUM
LEASE
BANAL
USAGE
MELEE
♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Monday

♣ 8 March 2010--Week 10 of 2010: 67 days this year…298 remain ♣

♣ Two Quotes to think about…Today ♣

"Quit work and play for once."

~unknown

“Unity is power”

~Arabic Proverb

♣ Free Ramblings ♣

The promised snow arrived today. We had an afternoon of huge flakes. Last night we had a night of wind and rain. The huge flakes were kept in the air for some time by the wind, and then, as they fell to the ground, they quickly melted. Snow that fell on snow lasted longer than snow that fell on pavement. After a couple of hours of the beauty of falling snow, both the wind and the snow stopped and the remainder of the day was simply grey. The high of 35° wasn’t too cold, but the wind made it a day to stay inside.

♣Random Fact: ♣

Crocodiles swallow stones to help them dive deeper.

♣Side Show Stories—♣

DOUGLAS, Ariz. - U.S. Border Patrol officials in Arizona said someone outfitted in scuba gear was spotted in a sewer along the U.S.-Mexico border with two bundles of marijuana. The Border Patrol Douglas Station said a bike patrol was dispatched to a sewer outlet Friday after infrared cameras picked up signs of people illegally crossing into the United States from Mexico, The Arizona Republic reported. The agents said the bike patrol spotted someone in scuba gear wading through waist-high water with two bundles of marijuana. The person dropped the bundles and turned back toward Mexico upon seeing the agents, spokesman Omar Candelaria said. The bundles, containing 55 pounds of marijuana, were recovered by the agents. However, Candelaria said the smuggler evaded capture.

♣ Puzzle ♣

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.

1 sulk walk (HINT: S - - - -)

2 a type of mostly nocturnal ungulate (HINT: - A - - -)

3 judge (HINT: - - I - -)

4 chop fine (HINT: - - - C -)

5 feather maintenance technique (HINT: - - - - N)

♣ Calendar Information ♣

• March’s Month Long Observances •

BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)

National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month

• Observance Weeks in March•

6-21 •Iditarod Race

7-13 •Celebrate Your Name Week:

       •National Consumer Protection Week

       •National Words Matter Week

        •Save Your Vision Week

       •Telecommuter Appreciation Week

       •National Professional Pet Sitters Week

       •Read an E-Book Week

       •Teen Tech Week

8-12•Make A Referral Week

     •National Sleep Awareness Week

     •National School Breakfast Week

8-14•Universal Women's Week:

• 4 March Observances—US/UN/World •

Be Nasty Day

Day for Women's Rights & International Peace

Fun Facts About Names Day (What is Barbie’s last name? What was the White House called before the White House?*

Girls Write Now Day

International Working Women's Day

•4 March Observances—by country •

Egypt, Libya, Syria : Syrian Revolution Day (1963)

UK: Commonwealth Day since 1958, before that Empire Day

* Barbie is Barbara Millicent Roberts: White House was called the President’s Palace, President’s House, and Executive Mansion

♣ Number One Songs in…

1947•The Anniversary Song - Dinah Shore

1955•Sincerely - McGuire Sisters

1963•Walk like a Man - The 4 Seasons

1971•Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin

1979•I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor

• Holy Mackerel: 1913 •Internal Revenue Service begins to levy & collect income taxes
• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Eric Linklater, 1899, Scotish novelist/poet/historical writer (Blue Swallows)

John McPhee, 79, author (The Control of Nature)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Cyd Charisse [Tula Ellice Finklea] , 1921, dancer/actress

Micky Dolenz, 65, singer, actor (“The Monkees” and “Circus Boy”), director

Alan Hale [MacKahan] Jr, 1918, actor (Skipper Jonas Grumby-Gilligan's Island)

Kathy Ireland, 47, model

Camryn Manheim, 49, actress (“Ghost Whisperer,” “The Practice”)

Little Peggy March (Margret Annemarie Batavio), 62, singer: I Will Follow Him

Freddie Prinze, Jr, 34, actor (Scooby-Doo, She’s All That)

Lynn Redgrave, 67, actress (Georgy Girl)

James Van Der Beek, 33, actor (“Dawson’s Creek”)

     …Athletes

Jason Elam, 40, NFL kicker (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32)

James Edward (Jim) Rice, 57, Hall of Fame baseball player (Red Sox)

     …Business, Education

Joseph Lee, 1862, helped develop playgrounds

Raynoma Gordy Singleton, 73, cofounder of Motown Records

     …Politics

Hannah Hoes Van Buren, 1783, wife of President Martin Van Buren

Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1841, 59th Supreme Court justice

     …Science/Religion

Abu 'l-Kasim Mahmud ibn Omar al-Zamachshari, 1075, Arab theologist

Juan de Dios, 1495, saint/founder (Brothers of Mercy)

Karl Ferdinand von Grafe, 1787, help create modern plastic surgery

•Today’s Obits •

Joe DiMaggio, 1999, Yankee baseball, @ 84

Juan de Dios, 1550, saint (Brothers of Mercy), pneumonia on his 55th birthday

Nat Gordon, 1862, last pirate, hanged in New York NY for stealing 1,000 slaves (age unknown)

Millard Fillmore , 1874 , 13th President (1850-53), @ 74

Ferdinand von Zeppelin , 1917 , Dutch count/air pioneer, @ 78

William Howard Taft , 1930 , 27th US President/Chief Justice, @ 72

Harold Lloyd , 1971 , US comic/actor, cancer @ 77

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan , 1973 , rocker (Grateful Dead) cirrhosis @ 27

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1978 •The first-ever radio episode of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, is transmitted on BBC Radio 4.

     …Athletics

1936 •For the first time ever, car racing was done in Daytona.

1951 •International Table Tennis Federation bans Egypt (for refusing to play Israel)

1966 •Casey Stengel elected to Hall of Fame

     …Business, Education

1946 •1st helicopter licensed for commercial use (New York NY)

1958 •William Faulkner says US schools degenerated to become babysitters

1969 •The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am the epitome of the American muscle car is introduced.

     …Politics

1838 •US mint in New Orleans begins operation (producing dimes)

1855 •1st train crosses 1st US railway suspension bridge, Niagara Falls

1862 •Confederate ironclad "Merrimack" launched

1865 •The WINNEBAGO sign a treaty reagrding the Omaha reservation.

1917 •The beginning of the Russian Revolution (Often called The February Revolution March 1917 in the Western Calendar ) against Czarist Rule

1930 •Mahatma Gandhi starts civil disobedience in India

2004 •President Bush has vetoed a bill that would explicitly prohibit the Central Intelligence Agency from using interrogation methods including include water boarding.

     …Science/Religion

1887 •Everett Horton, Connecticut, patents fishing rod of telescoping steel tubes

♣ANSWERS to puzzle ♣

STOMP

TAPIR

OPINE

MINCE

PREEN

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Sunday

♣ 7 March 2010--Week 10 of 2010: 66 days this year…299 remain ♣

♣ Two Quotes to think about…Today ♣

"If you continually give you will continually have."

~fortune cookie

"The strongest bond of human sympathy outside the family relation should be one uniting working people of all nations and tongues and kindreds.”

~Abraham Lincoln: (1809-1865); 16th U.S. President

♣ Free Ramblings ♣

Lincoln’s quote above got me thinking about today’s Republican Party. Lincoln, after all, was the party’s first President. Today’s Republicans don’t seem to believe in talking with other countries. They don’t even seem to want to talk to anyone who doesn’t agree with them. They certainly don’t seem to show any sympathy to those who are not in their social class. The current Democratic Party, much older than the GOP, still holds many of its founding beliefs. Times have certainly have changed and policy and principle in both parties has certainly changed with the times. I guess we can’t expect politicians today to really look out for their constituent’s best interests. Our country really needs leaders, not spinners. A friend of mine came to the US about 30 years ago, as a young businessman. I learned today that since his arrival until recently he had been a Republican. I guess it makes sense, a businessman who wanted to increase his wealth and who didn’t want a lot of government interference. Over the years, he married, had kids, and wanted them to live the American Dream. Then 911 changed all that. Anyway, for whatever reason, he found that many Americans no longer trusted him. He is now alert to the fact that many of the far right wing conservatives are not looking out for his best interest. I’m glad he feels comfortable talking about his change of heart. I know it was a difficult change for him.

I spent a few hours at the Flagstaff Pow Wow this afternoon. It was nice to hear the drums and see the dancers. I ran into a few Rez friends and that was good too. It will probably be even better tonight, but I am not a real Pow Wow person, more a few hours of dancing on occasion, rather than the old all nighter or a circuit runner.

The Pow Wow was inside, another reason I didn’t want to stay around too long during our great day. We made it to 50° and there was only a little breeze. A good day to spend some time outside since the snow is still expected tomorrow.

♣Random Fact: ♣

There are 10 towns named Hollywood in the United States.

♣Side Show Stories—♣

DERBY, England - Online bids for a British nuclear bunker dating back to the Cold War era are approaching $30,000 on eBay. The underground bunker, constructed in 1959 as a Royal Observer Corps post to monitor nuclear fallout, is advertised on eBay as a "rare opportunity the acquire a piece of Cold War history," The Telegraph on Sunday reported. Bidding for the Derbyshire, England, bunker reached $29,525 Monday after 39 bids. "The bunker is in a perfect location on farmland and offers the freedom of having your own land and bunker, but with the security of being on private land which is fenced and securely gated," the auction's description reads. Bidding closes on the property March 7.

♣ Puzzle ♣

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.

1 meeting of opposed forces (HINT: C - - - -)

2 weapon (HINT: - A - - -)

3 electro-negative element (HINT: - - I - -)

4 search (HINT: - - - U -)

5 the fifth was a Shakespeare subject (HINT: - - - - Y)

♣ Calendar Information ♣

• March’s Month Long Observances •

BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)

National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month

• Observance Weeks in March•

6-21 •Iditarod Race

7-13 •Celebrate Your Name Week:

       •National Consumer Protection Week

       •National Words Matter Week

       •Save Your Vision Week

       •Telecommuter Appreciation Week

       •National Professional Pet Sitters Week

       •Read an E-Book Week

       •Teen Tech Week

• 4 March Observances—US/UN/World •

National Crown Roast Of Pork Day

Academy Awards

Daughters' and Sons' Day

National Be Heard Day

California : Burbank Day/Bird & Arbor Day (1849)

•4 March Observances—by country •

Laos : Veteran's Day

♣  Number One Songs in…

1946•Let It Snow - Vaughn Monroe

1954•Make Love to Me! - Jo Stafford

1962•Duke of Earl - Gene Chandler

1970•Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel

1978•Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys - Waylon & Willie

1986•Living in America - James Brown

• Holy Mackerel: 1965 •Troopers with night sticks, shotguns and tear-gas grenades violently confronted 600 civil rights marchers during an attempted 50-mile march from Selma to the Alabama state capitol Montgomery.

• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Anthony Armstrong-Jones (Lord Snowdon), 80, photographer

Frantisek L Celakovsky, 1799, Czechoslovakian poet (national anthem, folk song)

Maurice Joseph Ravel, 1875, Cibourne France, composer (Boléro)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Willard Herman Scott, 76, weatherman (“The Today Show”), friend of centenarians

Daniel J. Travanti, 70, actor (“Hill Street Blues”)

Peter Wolf, 64, singer (J. Geils Band)

     …Athletes

Janet Guthrie, 72, former auto racer

Franco Harris, 60, Hall of Fame football player (Steelers)

Ivan Lendl, 50, former tennis player, (Ostrava, Czechoslovakia)

Lynn Swann, 58, NFL receiver (Pittsburgh Steelers)/sportscaster

     …Business, Education

Michael Eisner, 68, media executive-Disney

     …Politics

--

     …Science/Religion

Luther Burbank, 1849, naturalist: creator of new varieties of flowers, trees, edible fruits and vegetables

Tammy Faye (LaValley) Bakker, 1942, gospel singer/wife of Jim Bakker (PTL)

Joseph N Niépce, 1765, French inventor (photography)

•Today’s Obits •

Aristotle, 322BC, poet, natural causes @ 62

St Thomas Aquinas, 1274, Italian theologian, brain injury @ 48

Yuri Aleksayevich Gagarin, 1968, USSR cosmonaut (Vostok I), plane crash during training flight @ 31

Jacob K Javits, 1986, Senator-NY @ 81

Stanley Kubrick, 1999, author heart attack @ 70

Hinsdale Smith, 1959, developer of roll-down auto windows, @ 88

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1939 •Guy Lombardo & Royal Canadians 1st record "Auld Lang Syne"

1955 •Mary Martin as "Peter Pan" televised

1955 •Comedienne Phyllis Diller made her debut at the Purple Onion

     …Athletics

--

     …Business, Education

1911 •Willis Farnsworth, Petaluma CA, patents coin-operated locker

1933 •Game of "Monopoly" invented

1981 •1st homicide at Disneyland, 18 year old is stabbed to death

1983 •TNN (The Nashville Network) begins on Cable TV

     …Politics

1644 •Massachusetts establishes 1st 2-chamber legislature in colonies

1778 •Captain James Cook 1st sights Oregon coast, at Yaquina Bay

1850 •Daniel Webster endorses Compromise of 1850

1969 •Israel elects Golda Meir, to become the first female prime minister of Israel. Stanley Kubrick

1971 •Egypt refuses to renew the Suez ceasefire

1988 •IRA gang who were reported to have planted a 500lb car bomb near the British Governor's residence shot dead in Gibraltar.

     …Science/Religion

1876 •Alexander Graham Bell patents telephone

1996 •1st surface photos of Pluto (photographed by Hubble Space Telescope)

♣ANSWERS to puzzle ♣

CLASH

LANCE

ANION

SCOUR

HENRY

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Saturday

♣ 6 March 2010--Week 9 of 2010: 65 days this year…300 remain ♣

» Two Quotes to think about…Today «

"If you make a mistake, immediately fix it to the best of your ability."

~unknown

“Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.”

~Mark Twain [Samuel Clemens](1835-1910); Author, Humorist

» Free Ramblings «

What a great day we had here in Flagstaff. Last night’s storm did bring us down to 14° last night, but we made it to 47° fairly quickly today. Blue skies with high wispy clouds and very little breeze made it a nice day to be out and about. The next storm is now due late Sunday, instead of the Saturday that was predicted. So I am hoping for a nice weekend. There is a St. Patty’s Day parade in Sedona tomorrow, and while I am not going, I don’t want my bag piping friends to get wet or blown away. They all got drenched at the Phoenix games and need a break.

AZ sadly made national news today. There was a tour bus crash, near Phoenix. The tour group was coming from Mexico to LA through Phoenix. What I don’t get is how this tour bus got through the border in the first place. Turns out the company has a record—in AZ and five other states for driving vehicles that cannot pass a safety inspection. The company has been involved in accidents in the states recently and even had a driver that had no license. So what exactly is happening at the border? Don’t these border guards check to see if they have insurance? They don’t. Don’t they check to insure that the bus company has a permit to operate in the states? They don’t. The six Mexican Nationals who died, and the 16 who were seriously injured had no idea that they were traveling with a bus company that had such a poor safety record. After going through customs in Nogales, NYC, London, Glasgow, Cairo, Johannesburg, and DC I have always wondered how much is ‘show’ and how much is ‘necessary’. I have gone through some checkpoints where the stamper was very nice and welcoming. I have gone through checkpoints where the stamper was a little too impressed with themselves and the power they had. I held up the line at one checkpoint because I didn’t know the exact street address of the hotel where we were staying. Her boss intervened and let me through. Whoever was at the checkpoint when this bus went through the checkpoint, around 3am, seems to have messed up. Sure sounds to me like our secure border was badly broken. If a bus with this history can legally cross into our state, why have we spent all this money on a fence? I really can’t believe a bus with this history was not prevented from entering our state. It certainly was not the tourists fault and they should not have died.

»Random Fact: «

North Carolina molecular scientist Robert Bohannon has developed Buzz Donuts and Buzzed Bagels- caffeinated donuts and bagels. They contain the caffeine equivalent of two cups of coffee.

»Side Show Stories—«

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Indiana police said they arrested an alleged drunk driver who drove away from a gas station with the nozzle and hose still attached to his vehicle. St. Joseph County police said they received calls Monday night about a truck on westbound U.S. 20/U.S. 31 with a gas station hose dangling from the side and striking passing vehicles, the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune reported. Officers said the driver, a 46-year-old South Bend man, smelled of alcohol when he was pulled over on Indiana 2 and failed several field sobriety tests before being booked into the St. Joseph County Jail. Police said his blood alcohol content was measured at 0.13 at the jail, well over the 0.08 legal limit for driving. The man told police he had recently purchased gas from a Speedway station. The hose and nozzle were returned to the business.

§ Puzzle §

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.

1 joint (HINT: E - - - -)

2 genus of coniferous trees (HINT: - A - - -)

3 hold firm (HINT: - - A - -)

4 happen (HINT: - - - U -)

5 use this word to ask someone's location (HINT: - - - - E)

§ Calendar Information §

• March’s Month Long Observances •

BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)

National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month

• Observance Weeks in March•

1-7: National Cheerleading Week

     • National Ghostwriters Week

     • National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week

     • National Procrastination Week

     • Return The Borrowed Books Week

     • Universal Human Beings Week

     • Yo-Yo and Skill Toys Week

6-21: Iditarod Race

• 4 March Observances—US/UN/World •

U.S. Snowshoe Day

National Frozen Food Day

Stoneware Pottery Appreciation Day

Texas: Alamo Day ( formerly known as Mission San Antonio de Valero) is owned by the DRT: Daughters of the Republic of Texas and is not a state or nationally owned site

•4 March Observances—by country •

Ghana (Gold Coast): Independence Day, from Britain in 1957

Guam : Magellan Day/Discovery Day (1521)

Territory of Norfolk Island, Australia: since1788--Foundation Day, the founding of Norfolk Island

§ Number One Songs in…

1945 •Accentuate the Positive - Johnny Mercer

1953 •Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes - Perry Como

1961 •Pony Time - Chubby Checker

1969 •Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone

1977 •Fly like an Eagle - Steve Miller

1985 •Can’t Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon

• Holy Mackerel: 1985 •Mexican authorities find body of US drug agent Enrique C Salaazar: Red Ribbon Week hero
• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Moulton), 1806, poet

Cyrano de Bergerac, 1619, dramatist (A Voyage to the Moon)

Michelangelo (de Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni),1475, painter/sculptor/architect(David, Pièta)

Anna Claypoole Peale, 1791, painted miniatures

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Tom Arnold, 51, actor (“Roseanne,” McHale’s Navy, True Lies)

Aaron Lufkin Dennison, 1812, father of American watch making

Dave Gilmour, 66, singer, guitarist (Pink Floyd)

Stewart Granger, 1913, actor

Merle Haggard, 73, country singer

D.L. Hughley, 47, comedian, actor

Ed McMahon, 1923, Detroit MI, TV host (Johnny Carson Show, Star Search)

Rob Reiner, 63, actor (“All in the Family”), director

Mary Wilson, 66, vocalist (Supremes)

     …Athletes

Dick Fosbury, 63, high jumper (Olympics-gold-1968)

Shaquille Rashan O’Neal, 38, basketball player (Magic, Lakers, Suns)

Willie (Wilver Dornel) Stargell, 1940, outfielder/1st baseman (Pirates)

     …Business, Education

Alan Greenspan, 84, economist, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board

     …Politics

Marion S Barry, 74, Mayor-Democrat-DC

     …Science/Religion

(Leroy) Gordon Cooper, 1927, U.S. astronaut

Joseph von Fraunhofer, 1787, German physicist (studied Sun's spectrum)

•Today’s Obits •

Davy Crockett, 1836, frontiersmen (Alamo), killed in battle @ 49

William Hopper, 1970, actor (Paul Drake-Perry Mason), stroke @ 55

Georgia O’ Keefe,1986, artist, @ 98

Ayn Rand, 1982, author-philosopher (The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged), @ 77

Max Schubert, 1994, winemaker, @ 89

John Philip Sousa, 1932, US composer (Stars & Stripes Forever), @ 77

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1831 •Edgar Allen Poe removed from West Point military academy

     …Athletics

1964 •Elijah Muhammad renames Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali

     …Business, Education

1978 •Hustler publisher Larry Flynt shot & crippled by a sniper in Georgia

      …Politics

1521 •Magellan discovers Guam

1857 •Dred Scott Decision: Supreme Court rules slaves cannot be citizens

1902 •Census Bureau forms

1951 •The trial of suspected spies Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were indicted for conspiring to obtain national defense secrets for the Soviets starts in New York.

1981 •Walter Cronkite, the dean of American television newscasters, said “And that’s the way it is” for the final time
1998 •1st time the British flag is flown over Buckingham Palace

     …Science/Religion

1899 – Bayer registers aspirin as a trademark.

2006 – South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds signs legislation banning most abortions in the state.

§ANSWERS to puzzle §

ELBOW

LARCH

BRACE

OCCUR

WHERE

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Friday

♣ 5 March 2010--Week 9 of 2010: 65 days this year…301 remain ♣
» Two Quotes to think about…Today «
"If you wish to succeed, consult three old people."
~Chinese Proverb
Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. ”
~Kenyan Proverb
» Free Ramblings «
As a career educator, my ears are tuned to stories involving education issues. I get that. I’m sure I tune in to news stories on education more than many people not in education. 1. Today, teachers in Phoenix and Tucson held rallies to stop the budget cuts in Arizona education. Several thousand teachers and parents rallied to wake up our legislature, which seems to believe that a free education for K-12 means that state money doesn’t have to be used. “March 4 Education” is sponsored by the AEA (Arizona Education Assoc) and made all the AZ nightly news programs. Nothing was said about a Flagstaff rally. Maybe Flagstaff teachers just can’t get it together to rally, maybe the weather stopped the rally, or maybe Flagstaff just doesn’t have a rally mentality? Whatever the reason, we are in just as much trouble as the rest of the state. 2. While we have been reading about school closures here in Flagstaff since November, it turns out the current school board is not any better than the previous boards that got us into this mess. Previous boards built schools and expanded schools when the population wasn’t growing that fast. Now our board just talks and talks. They even sent out letters to almost all parents telling them of possible closures. Turns out the state law clearly states that a couple of things have to be stated in that letter for the state mandated notification clock to start. First the letter has to give the names of the schools that are being closed and have to state why the schools are being closed. Since the board hasn’t decided which schools will actually close and don’t have a clear plan as to why they are closing the board now has to restart the notification calendar to parents. 3. Oh, the vague letter came from the interim Superintendent, who was just selected by the board to be the new ‘really’ superintendent. It isn’t a final hiring until they work out her salary and benefits package. I get that education has become a business…but at some point there has to be accountability to the students, the parents and the community.

I never thought I would see a losing vice presidential candidate doing a stand-up routine. Sara did just that on the Tonight show the other night. Some of her jokes were funny, some very lame. Then the news came out today that the reason she was in California was to meet with TV types to do a reality show about living in Alaska. Politics

Those who know me know that I hate the wind. So today was not a god day for me. The wind started early and continued most of the day. The weatherman says that we had 50mph gusts. Since I live at the bottom of Mt Elden there is a corridor for wind, especially on windy days. So while the rest of the city may have been having gusts, here we had a steady wind of at least 40mph. I did get out this morning and ran some errands, then just hunkered down inside. Early this evening, the clouds came in. In about 15 minutes we went from few big clouds to completely overcast. As soon as it was grey, the snow started falling. The wind stopped, and the near white out conditions hit just as workers were heading home. Then after about 30 minutes, the wind picked up again, and the snow just swirls around before finally hitting the ground and quickly melting. This storm will be short lived, and out of here by tomorrow—making way for the weekend storm that should drop about 4” of the white stuff. In between these two storms, more wind.
»Random Fact: «
Bagels are formed from an eggless dough (flour, yeast, water and oil) into a donut shape, then dropped in rapidly boiling water.
»Side Show Stories—«
NEW YORK - A New York realty group is suing the owners of a floor at the Gramercy Park Hotel for installing an "ugly" Ikea kitchen at the property. The Paramount Realty Group said retail mogul Jon Asgeir Johannesson and his wife, designer Ingibjorg Palmadottir, agreed to rent out the 16th floor of the Gramercy Park Hotel for $312,000 last year, but the "ugly" kitchen has been an embarrassment for the renting tenant, the New York Daily News reported Thursday. "Defendants willfully installed what (Jon Asgeir Johannesson) defined as an 'ugly' kitchen," the suit states. "The kitchen installed is manufactured by Ikea, which is generally known to offer low-budget furniture." "The kitchen has also been a source of embarrassment for Plaintiff and the subject of remarks by guests," Paramount said in the suit. The lawsuit is seeking $52,000 in damages.
§ Puzzle §
Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.
1 bad place to leave someone in (HINT: L - - - -)
2 useful (HINT: - T - - -)
3 unwavering (HINT: - - G - -)
4 hold on (HINT: - - - N -)
5 yard delimiter (HINT: - - - - E)
§ Calendar Information §
• March’s Month Long Observances •
BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)
National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month
• Observance Weeks in March•
1-5: Newspaper in Education Week
1-7: National Cheerleading Week
     • National Ghostwriters Week
     • National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week
     • National Procrastination Week
     • Return The Borrowed Books Week
     • Universal Human Beings Week
     • Yo-Yo and Skill Toys Week
• 4 March Observances—US/UN/World •
Multiple Personalities Day
Nametag Day
Boston MA : Boston Massacre Day (1770)
•4 March Observances—by country •
China: Learn from Lei Feng Day (Since 1963): pop-icon as selfless, modest soldier for Communism
Cornwall: Saint Piran's Day: Patron Saint..for tin miners
§ Number One Songs in…
1944 •Mairzy Doats - The Merry Macs
1960 •The Theme from "A Summer Place" - Percy Faith
1968 •Love is Blue - Paul Mauriat
1976 •Theme from S.W.A.T. - Rhythm Heritage
1984 •Jump - Van Halen
• Holy Mackerel: 1831: Today the Supreme Court decided the case of the CHEROKEE Nation v. Georgia. The court decided that the CHEROKEEs are not a "foreign state", and therefore the court has no jurisdiction in the dispute. However, the court does decide that the CHEROKEEs are a distinct political society capable of governing itself, and managing its own affairs.
• Born on this day •
     …The Arts
Authors, Artists and Composers
Lady Isabella Gregory, 1852, (Ireland), writer/playwright (Golden Apple)
James Merritt Ives, 1824, lithographer (Currier & Ives)
Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV
Kevin Connolly, 36, actor (“Entourage”)
Samantha Eggar, 71, actress (“Samantha and the King,” The Collector)
Rex (Reginald Carey) Harrison, 1908, Academy Award-winning actor: My Fair Lady
Penn Jillette, 55, magician
Paul Sand (Sanchez), 66, actor (“St. Elsewhere”; Tony Award for Story Theatre)
Dean Stockwell, 74, actor (The Boy with Green Hair, “Quantum Leap”)
Marsha Warfield, 56, actress (“Night Court,” “Empty Nest”)
Michael Warren, 64, actor (Bobby Hill-Hill Street Blues)
     …Athletes
Brian Grant, 38, NBA forward (Trailblazers, Kings)
Michael Irvin, 44, NFL wide receiver (Cowboys)
Reggie Williams, 46, NBA forward/guard (Nuggets)
     …Business, Education
Charles Goodnight, 1836,American cattle rancher
David Koch, 1940, American businessman—oil and natural gas
     …Politics
David II Bruce, 1324, king of Scotland (1331..71)
     …Science/Religion
Emmett J Culligan, 1893, founder of water treatment organization
Elisha Harris, 1824, US physician/found American Public Health Association
Leontine Kelly, 90, 1st black female bishop (Methodist)
Gerardus Mercator, 1512, (Belgium), geographer/mapmaker
Joel Osteen, 43, American religious figure
William Oughtred, 1574, (England), mathematician/inventor (slide rule)
John van der Heyden, 1637, Dutch painter/inventor (fire extinguisher)
•Today’s Obits •
Alessandro Volta, 1827, Italian physicist (made 1st battery), @ 82
Josef V Stalin, 1953, soviet leader responsible for 11 million murders, @ 73
Patsy Cline, 1963, country singer (Crazy, I Fall To Pieces), plane crash @ 30
William Powell, 1984, actor: “Thin Man” movies, @ 91
Jay Silverheels (Harold J. Smith), 1980, Canadian Mohawk actor (Tonto-Lone Ranger), stroke @ 60
John Belushi, 1982, comedian (Sat Night Live), drug overdose @ 33
•What Happened on this Day •
     …The Arts
1956 •"King Kong" 1st televised
     …Athletics
1922 •Phoebe Anne Oakley Mozee broke all existing records for women’s trap shooting.
1982 •Gaylord Perry (with 297 wins) signs with Mariners
     …Business, Education
1845 •Congress appropriates $30,000 to ship camels to western US
1963 •The Hula-Hoop, first marketed by Wham-O in 1958, is patented by the company's co-founder, Arthur "Spud" Melin.
1994 •Largest milkshake (1,955 gallons of chocolate-Nelspruit South Africa)
     …Politics
1623 •1st American temperance law enacted, Virginia
1836 •Mexico attacks Alamo
1891 •The city of Phoenix offers a $200 bounty for dead Indians.
1923 •Montana & Nevada become 1st states to enact old age pension laws
1960 •Elvis Presley completes his two-year stint is discharged from the US Army.
1946 •Winston Churchill delivered his famous Iron Curtain Speech at Fulton, MO, “From tettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.”
1970 •3 SDS Weathermen terrorist group bomb 18 West 11th St in New York NY
…Science/Religion
1960 •The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis originates when Alister Hardy publicly announces his idea that ape-human divergence may have been due to a coastal phase.
2001 •In Mecca, 35 Muslim pilgrims are crushed to death during the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
§ANSWERS to puzzle §
LURCH
UTILE
RIGID
CLING
HEDGE
♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Thursday

♣ 3 March 2010--Week 9 of 2010: 63 days this year…304 remain ♣

» Two Quotes to think about…Today «

" Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.

~"The Merry Wives of Windsor Act 2, Scene 2 (Shakespeare)

The unity of freedom has never relied on uniformity of opinion.”

~John F. Kennedy (1917-1963); 35th U.S. President

» Free Ramblings «

Flagstaff had a beautiful day. We made it to 50° on my deck. That was very nice.

I went to a financial planning dinner tonight. Seems our non-elected governor has sold off a number of state buildings to pay our state bills. That, turns out is good news for me. I thought I buy a REIT and get paid part of the rental money the state pays to use the very buildings they used to own. Not a bad deal. Turns out, while the company had expected to buy the buildings, and made a cash bid of $700 bijillion, just before approving the purchase, our wonderful legislature added the state mental hospital (with buildings closed in 2003), and another facility. Since this REIT is not interested in purchasing buildings that are vacant…and need massive rehab (no pun intended) before they can be rented… so the company withdrew its offer. So, bottom line, the REIT company lost out, the state lost out, and I lost out on a possible way to help myself and help the state I live in. This all happened in January, and to date the state hasn’t found any takers for its revised sale. Duh.

The dinner ran a little later than I had planned, but was good information. Two of the other guests at my table were a husband and wife who teach in Flagstaff, after a few years at Chinle. We were conversing about Flagstaff, and the lady stated how much she missed the train horns. We talked about a few other things, snow, the override election, usual stuff. Then the lady asked her husband, “When are they going to stop the train horns?” He told her it happened a few days ago. Her response was ‘Oh’. Yeah she really misses those horns. The two scary parts are that she babbled about missing them, not knowing they had stopped, and that she teaches at a high school in town and doesn’t even know the current events of the town. We did mention the primary election here in Flag. When I said I felt that Sara and Kara will be on the final ballot in May, her response was “It’s a Primary? So I guess I don’t have to get excited, guess I won’t have to go to the polls.” First, it’s a mail in ballot only—no polls. Second, the School Override vote is NOT a primary and she works for the district asking for money, and lives in the district that will have to pay the bill if passed. Third, from my point of view, a primary IS an important vote. My candidate may not make it to the general election if I don’t vote in the Primary. Forth, this woman is teaching high school students and should be preparing them for life…including voting…and should set the example. A good teacher in any subject area will find a way to make the voting process relevant in some way to their area. Grrrrrrrrrrr.

»Random Fact: «

One acre of peanuts will make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.

»Side Show Stories—«

ESLOV, Sweden - Police in Sweden said a man walked into a local precinct to complain about the quality of hashish he had purchased from a dealer. Eslov police said the 26-year-old man told police he was a frequent user of marijuana and its derivatives, including hash, but the latest batch of hash he purchased sent him on a bad trip that made him feel like his TV was talking to him and his girlfriend was turning into a dolphin, The Local reported Monday. Police said it was unclear whether the man, who brought a small amount of the hash in for testing, will face possession charges. Possession of marijuana and its derivatives in small amounts is an offense usually punished with a small fine.

§ Puzzle §

Word Boxes are like miniature crossword puzzles, except that each word is filled in across AND down the grid. That is, the answer to 1 across is the same word as the answer to 1 down; 2 across is the same as 2 down; etc. Can you solve these Word Boxes? To solve: draw a square that has 5 X 5 sections.

1 around (HINT: A - - - -)

2 anchorage place (HINT: - E - - -)

3 talk pompously (HINT: - - A - -)

4 speak (HINT: - - - E -)

5 not here (HINT: - - - - E)

§ Calendar Information §

• March’s Month Long Observances •

BIRTHSTONE: aquamarine and bloodstone (courage) FLOWER: Narcissus [daffodil, jonquil] (vanity)

National Cheerleading Safety Month • National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month • National Craft Month • National Ethics Awareness Month •National Eye Donor Month • National Frozen Food Month • National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month •National Kidney Month• National Nutrition Month • National Social Work Month • National Umbrella Month • National Women's History Month • Optimism Month • Play The Recorder Month • Poison Prevention Awareness Month • Red Cross Month • Save Your Vision Month • Sing With Your Child Month • Small Press Month •Spiritual Wellness Month • Women's History Month • Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month • Youth Art Month

• Observance Weeks in March•

1-5: Newspaper in Education Week

1-7: National Cheerleading Week

     • National Ghostwriters Week

     • National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week

     • National Procrastination Week

     • Return The Borrowed Books Week

     • Universal Human Beings Week

     • Yo-Yo and Skill Toys Week

• 4 March Observances—US/UN/World •

Holy Experiment Day: A day to prayer for something and see if it comes true…really!

Courageous Follower Day

International Scrapbooking Industry Day

March Forth-Do Something Day

National Grammar Day

Toy Soldier Day

Pennsylvania : Charter Day (1681)

Vermont : Admission Day (1791)

US : Constitution Day (1789)

US: Inauguration Day from Adams to FDR

•4 March Observances—by country •

Thailand : Magha Puja: Holy Day for Buddahists.

§ Number One Songs in…

1951… Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page

1959…Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price

1967…Ruby Tuesday - The Rolling Stones

1975…Best of My Love - The Eagles

1983… Why Baby Why - Charley Pride

• Holy Mackerel: 1643 • the CANARSEE Indians will negotiate a peace with the Dutch in Fort Amsterdam. The CANARSEE are the Indians who sold Manhattan to Peter Minuit for $24 in trinkets, even though they did not own it.

• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Sir Henry Raeburn, 1756,- Scottish artist: mostly male portraits

Johann Wyss. 1782. Swiss folklorist/writer (Swiss Family Robinson)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Emilio Estefan, 57, percussionist for the Miami Sound Machine

Patricia Heaton, 51, actress (“Everybody Loves Raymond”)

Miriam (Zensile) Makeba, 1932, Empress of African Song: singer

Paula Prentiss (Ragusa), 71, actress (“He & She,” What’s New Pussycat?)

Steven Weber, 49, actor (“Wings”)

Mary Wilson, 66, singer (original member of the Supremes)

     …Athletes

Kevin Johnson, 44, basketball (Suns)

Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, 49, boxer

Reggie McElroy, 50, NFL tackle (Denver Broncos)

Knute Rockne, 1888, College Football Hall of Famer: Notre Dame coach

     …Business, Education

--

     …Politics

Chastity Bono, 41, child of Sonny & Cher

     …Science/Religion

Giovanni Schiaparelli, 1835, Italian astronomer (discovered canals of Mars)

Benjamin Waterhouse, 1754, physician (smallpox vaccine pioneer)

Willem H Winkel, 1885, Dutch physician/founder (Red Cross of Curaçao)

•Today’s Obits •

Arthur Babbitt, in 1992, Disney animator (Mr Magoo, Goofy), heart failure @ 84

John Candy, in 1994, actor (SCTV, Uncle Buck), heart attack @ 43

E.Y. ‘Yip’ Harburg, Lyricist 1981, - auto accident @ 82. Two ( Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz)

Minnie Pearl, 1996, country comedienne (Grand Ole Opry), @ 84

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1924 • "Happy Birthday To You" published by Claydon Sunny

1952 • Ernest Hemingway had finished a novel entitled The Old Man and the Sea

     …Athletics

1913 • New York Yankees are 1st to train outside US (Bermuda)

…Business, Education

1792 • Oranges introduced to Hawaii

1880 • Halftone engraving was used for the first time as the Daily Graphic was published in New York City.

     …Politics

1789 • 1st Congress declares constitution in effect (9 senators, 13 representatives)

1801 • 1st President inaugurated in Washington DC (Thomas Jefferson)

1841 • Longest inauguration speech (8,443 words), William Henry Harrison

1933 • Frances Perkins becomes Secretary of Labor, 1st US woman cabinet member

1994 • 4 Arab terrorist founded guilty of 1st bombing of the World Trade Center

1997 • President Clinton bans federally funded human cloning research

     …Science/Religion

1774 • 1st sighting of Orion nebula (William Herschel)

1909 • US prohibits interstate transportation of game birds

1930 • Coolidge Dam in Arizona dedicated

§ANSWERS to puzzle §

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