Monday 3-15

♣ 15 March 2010--Week 11 of 2010: 74 days this year…291 remain ♣

♣ Two Quotes to think about…Today ♣

"He walks as if balancing the family tree on his nose."

~Raymond Moley

"The bed is a bundle of paradoxes: we go to it with reluctance, yet we quit it with regret; we make up our minds every night to leave it early, but we make up our bodies every morning to keep it late."

~Charles Caleb Colton.

♣ Free Ramblings ♣

I have never been a big follower of archeology. I have always been much more interested in the peoples of today. I realize that those that came before us helped shape what and who we are today. I live the study of those ancients to others. Oddly, I do enjoy the folklore of today’s people. Today, I did become interested, at least for a while, in archeology. In Tasmania today’s people are trying to build a highway. The highway crosses an aboriginal site and understandably there are protests. The latest plan of appeasement is to build the highway and have a bridge cross over the aboriginal site. Turns out that some of the artifacts found at this site show that man was making tools there at least 40,000 years ago—the oldest artifacts found this far south. This opened up a whole new train of thought for me. I recalled that in school I learned that Australia was used as a penal colony and that most of the current inhabitants of Australia are related to these criminals. I never remember studying about the aboriginals that were there when the convicts arrived. Now we are learning that the aboriginals were fairly advanced. I have so much to learn. Anyway, the bridge across the aboriginal site reminded me of the Flagstaff issue of our ski lodge. A bridge across the aboriginal site will change forever what happened there. The placing of man-made snow on the sacred peaks will also change forever what happened there. I will continue to follow the highway and bridge issue and will now try to learn more about the aboriginal people who were in that part of the world so long ago. I think I am most curious to find what the aboriginals of today in Tasmania have to say about this land. Will they be like the Natives in the US who are knowledgeable of their ancestor’s beliefs and stories and follow many of them today or will they be like the Egyptians who don’t seem to be aware of any connection to the ancient culture that flourished on their land so long ago.

March Madness is just around the corner. The brackets have been set, the teams are getting ready. The next three weeks will have many great basketball games. This year, no team from AZ or CO made the bracket. While this takes a little excitement out of the tourney, I will still be watching. I wonder how far one of the Cinderella teams will go this year. As the tourney progresses I will find a team or two to get behind. Right now, I need to just enjoy some great basketball.

The wind was really blowing most of the night and much of the day. I was awakened several times during the night by the gusts—my guess is that they were probably about 45-50mph. I expected to wake to a blanket of snow, as predicted. Alas, the wind just blew and dried everything out. We made it to about 45°, and while the wind wasn’t blowing, it was nice outside. There isn’t any snow fall predicted in the near future, so we will see if we can have a nice weather week during the kid’s spring break.

♣Random Fact: ♣

BMW originally made airplane engines.

♣Side Show Stories—♣

LONDON - A British TV host drove 210 miles from London to Manchester, England, in a coffee-powered car as part of a major science fair. Jem Stansfield, one of the hosts of science-themed TV show "Bang Goes the Theory," arrived in Manchester Thursday for this weekend's Big Bang Science Fair at Manchester Central, the BBC reported. Stansfield said before his journey that he was planning to stop at several schools on the road from London to his destination.

"It's important for kids to understand that power is not something that is simply there at the flick of a switch," he said. "With the energy challenge facing the world, the more we encourage children to think about alternative fuels, where energy is stored and how it can be released, the better!" The host said his journey would use enough coffee for 10,000 espressos, and required hourly stops for filter cleanings.

♣ 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 enclosure, plural (HINT: S - - - -)

2 volatile liquid (HINT: - T - - -)

3 communications device (HINT: - - O - -)

4 wood projection (HINT: - - - O -)

5 ring (HINT: - - - - A)

♣ 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

14-20•Campfire USA Birthday Week

        •National Poison Prevention Week

        •National Agriculture Week

        •National Animal Poison Prevention Week

14-21•National Toad Hollow Week

15-19•Wildlife Week

15-21•Act Happy Week

        •American Chocolate Week

        •International Brain Awareness Week

        •Wellderly Week: To recognize Senior Citizens who don’t act their age

• 14 March Observances—US/UN/World •

Buzzard Day: Since 1957, in Hinkley, OH to welcome Turkey Vultures back for the summer

Everything You Think Is Wrong Day

Brutus Day: To remind all that back stabbers are still around

Ides of March: Julius Caesar murdered, warning from seer told it would happen this day

International Day Against Police Brutality: since 1997

Maine : Admission Day (1820)

Napping Day (Monday after daylight savings times)

Tennessee : Andrew Jackson's Birthday (1767)
True Confessions Day: A day to tell all, all. (Remember it’s also Brutus Day)

World Consumer Rights Day: since 1983, this year to remember “Our Money, Our Rights”

•14 March Observances—by country •

Belarus: Constitution Day since 1994

Honduras : Thanksgiving Day

Hungary : National Day 1848 revolution

India, Mauritius, Nepál : Holi (Festival of Colors) for Hindi, Sikhs

Iran : Armed Forces Day/Labor Day

Liberia : JJ Roberts’ Birthday (1809): first president of Liberia, from Norfolk, VA

♣ Number One Songs in…

1946•Let It Snow - Vaughn Monroe

1954•Make Love to Me! - Jo Stafford

1962•Don’t Break the Heart that Loves You - Connie Francis

1970•Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel

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

• Holy Mackerel: 1916•President Woodrow Wilson sent thousands of American soldiers into Mexico today hoping to capture Pancho Villa, the Mexican revolutionary

• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Lady Augusta Gregory, 1852, Irish playwright/poet/Yates mistress

Lionel Pigot Johnson, 1867, (England) poet/critic (Ireland & Other Poems)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Roy Clark, 77, country singer

Fabio (Lanzoni), 49, model

Harry James, 1916, trumpeter

Judd Hirsch, 75, actor (Emmy for “Taxi”; “Numb3rs,” Ordinary People)

Eva Longoria, 35, actress (“Desperate Housewives”)

Mike Love, 69, singer, musician (The Beach Boys)

Park Overall, 53, actress (“Empty Nest,” Mississippi Burning)

Joe E Ross, 1905, comedian (Gunther Toody-Car 54)

Sly (Sylvester Stewart) Stone, 66, singer, musician

     …Athletes

Cornell Brown, 35, linebacker (Ravens)

     …Business, Education

--

…Politics

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 77, Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court

Hadrian, 0076, Roman Emperor (builder of Hadrian's Wall)

Andrew Jackson, 1767, 7th U.S. President

     …Science/Religion

Liberty Hyde Bailey, 1858, US botanist (Plant breeding)

Alan Bean, 78, former astronaut

Jimmy Lee Swaggart, 76, evangelist

•Today’s Obits •

Aristotle S Onassis, 1975, Greek shipping magnate, @ myasthenia gravis 69

Tom Harmon, 1990, NFL tail back (Heisman Trophy), @ 70

Gail Davis (Annie Oakley on TV), 1997, @ 72

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1994•8th Soul Train Music Awards: Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston win

     …Athletics

1912•Pitcher Cy Young retires from baseball with 511 wins

1988•NFL's St Louis Cardinals officially move to Phoenix

     …Business, Education.

1892•1st escalator patented by inventor Jesse W Reno

     …Politics

1812•1st Russian settlement in California

1867•Michigan becomes 1st state to tax property to support a university

1907•Finland is 1st European country to give women the right to vote

1913•U.S. President Woodrow Wilson held the first open presidential news conference just 11 days after his inauguration

1934•US Information Service opens

1957•3rd nation to explode a nuclear bomb (Britain)

1961•South Africa withdraws from British Commonwealth

1966•Racial riots erupt in the Watts section of Los Angeles

1989•Department of Veterans Affairs officially established as a Cabinet position

     …Science/Religion

1937•1st state contraceptive clinic opens (Raleigh NC)

1960•Key Largo Coral Reef Preserve established (1st underwater park)

♣ANSWERS to puzzle ♣

SEPTA

ETHER

PHONE

TENON

ARENA

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Sunday 3-14

♣ 14 March 2010--Week 11 of 2010: 73 days this year…292 remain ♣

♣ Two Quotes to think about…Today ♣

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."

~Thomas Jefferson

"To stand in silence when they should be protesting makes cowards out of men."

~ Abraham Lincoln

♣ Free Ramblings ♣

Spring Break is here. A much needed break for students, teachers, and administrators alike. Today, four little kids, around 6 or 7 decided that the snow banks in front of my main window and the snow banks in front of all the adjoining snow banks were there for their enjoyment. Even though I have been around kids all my life, and know that they are just having fun, I was concerned that one or more of them might slip and come slamming though my window. It didn’t happen, and I must say, their playfulness did help pack down the snow bank quite a bit. Their ‘fun’ only lasted about 30 minutes between the five or six snow banks in the row. Either they got wet and cold or a mom came out and stopped it. I didn’t see the end, since they were constantly climbing, jumping, sliding from one bank to another. Suddenly, they were there, than they just never returned. They had fun and I can see a little better out the window. Good for all of us.

I got a call from Cheryl this afternoon. She is on her way to Salt Lake and was stuck in traffic just before crossing Hoover Dam. She called to tell me she had already not moved her vehicle for 2 hours, that she had a great view of the dam from where she was sitting, and wondered if there was anything on the news about why she had to wait so long. There had been a couple of cop cars, a couple of ambulances, and a fire truck rush past the vehicles that were stopped. She had also seen a helicopter land somewhere in front of her. I had to tell her I hadn’t heard anything, then I checked the internet, and again nothing. She said it was OK cause she had her Kindle, the weather was nice, and she had planned to spend the night in Vegas anyway. Sure hope she made it. Every time I have driven across the dam, there is always a wait—not usually that long. After 911 for quite a few months every SUV, big rig, and station wagon was stopped and searched before going onto the dam. There is always a bypass to miss the dam, but you have to take it early, and you add about 50 miles to the trip. Cheryl probably wishes she had taken that bypass.

Most of the country is switching to Daylight time tonight. Here in Flagstaff we don’t change our clocks. The Navajo Rez does. That means many will spend the next 6 months wondering what time it is when they need to know the time. It means that my out of state friends on the east coast are now three hours different in time. My West coast friends are now on the same time I am. My biggest complaint about all this is that some, but not all TV program times change. If I am watching a Phoenix station, the shows still come on at the same time they always have. However, if I watch a cable show, it is one hour earlier each day. The cable networks are all in states that honor DST, so for most of the nation, programming doesn’t change with the change of the clock, but for those few places that don’t change their clocks, we have to adjust our watching times. The only good thing out of all this is that The Daly Show will be coming on at 11pm, instead of midnight, and I can watch it then, rather than having to watch it the next day in the afternoon. For some reason I enjoy Jon more at night than the afternoon.

Public Service Announcement: Reminder to all, batteries don’t last forever. If you change your batteries on your smoke alarm, remotes, and clocks when you switch to or from DST, you will never have to go searching for a battery when the item no longer works properly because the battery went dead. For those of us who use rechargeable batteries, this is still a good time to switch them out and recharge the ones you have been using. While thinking about safety, you should also check your cell phone address book and make sure the ICE number you are using is still correct. ICE (In Case of Emergency) is the number you program into your cell phone that is the number of your emergency contact. Instead of putting the person’s name, you type in ICE. EMT’s and Emergency Room workers will check your cell phone if you are unable to communicate with them. The first number they look for is the ICE number. If it isn’t there, they may call other numbers, wasting valuable time to find someone who can give them vital information. This ends the Public Service Announcement.

It was a great day to be outside, except for the wind. We melted a lot of snow with our 48°. Gusts were up to 36mph, and that did drop the temp about 10°, but luckily the wind didn’t start until about noon and stopped about 4pm. It was supposed to blow in another, wait for it…snowstorm. This storm is to drop about 2” of snow, but the wind has stopped and the sky is clear. Maybe we will dodge the bullet on this one.

♣Random Fact: ♣

Ginger is a plant native to Asia. The warm, pungent, fragrant rhizome (enlarged underground stem) of this plant is used as a spice, either fresh or dried and powdered. Research has shown that ginger is more effective than Dramamine in combating motion sickness.

♣Side Show Stories—♣

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Police in Florida said a man who was angry about the size of his water bills found a way to stop the bills entirely -- he blew up his mobile home.

Investigators quoted witnesses as saying Johnny Dossey, 43, coated his Fort Lauderdale mobile home in gasoline Wednesday and the residence exploded only moments after he ignited the flames, the Miami Herald reported Thursday. Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue spokesman Matt Little said firefighters arrived at about 12:30 p.m. and found the home engulfed in flames. He said Dossey's home was destroyed but no neighboring structures were damaged.

Dossey was arrested and charged with arson of a structure. Police said he may have been intoxicated at the time of the incident. Neighbor Luis Alvarez, 43, said Dossey was arguing with his father about the size of his $70 water bill prior to setting fire to the home. "I guess he got fed up with it," Alvarez said, "and that's the only way he saw out of it."

♣ 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 declare by oath (HINT: S - - - -)

2 product of inefficiency (HINT: - A - - -)

3 obstruct (HINT: - - T - -)

4 redeem oneself (HINT: - - - N -)

5 drive away (HINT: - - - - L)

♣ 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

8-14•Universal Women's Week

14-20•Campfire USA Birthday Week

       •National Poison Prevention Week

       •National Agriculture Week

       •National Animal Poison Prevention Week

14-21•National Toad Hollow Week:

• 14 March Observances—US/UN/World •

Pi Day..3.1415...

National Potato Chip Day

Check Your Batteries Day

Daylight Saving Time Begins

International Ask A Question Day

•14 March Observances—by country •

Albania – Spring Day

Andorra – Constitution Day

Japan and Korea – White Day, similar to Valentine's Day (men give gifts to women)

Estonia – Estonian language day, based on birth of Kristjan Jaak Peterson

Grenadines – Heroes' Day

♣ Number One Songs in…

1945•Accentuate the Positive - Johnny Mercer

1953•Doggie in the Window - Patti Page

1961•Where the Boys Are - Connie Francis

1969•Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone

1977•Fly like an Eagle - Steve Miller

1985•Material Girl - Madonna

• Holy Mackerel: 1968•After two seasons on television, ABC-TV showed the last episode of Batman, starring Adam West and Burt Ward as Robin. Through the two seasons, the ‘Dynamic Duo’ welcomed these stars to the cast: Art Carney (The Archer), Tallulah Bankhead (Black Widow), Eartha Kitt (Catwoman), Julie Newmar (Catwoman), Lee Meriwether (Catwoman), Liberace (Chandell), Vincent Price (Egghead), Cesar Romero (The Joker), Rudy Vallee (Lord Phogg), Milton Berle (Louie the Lilac), Shelley Winters (Ma Parker), David Wayne (The Mad Hatter), Zsa Zsa Gabor (Minerva), Van Johnson (The Minstrel), Otto Preminger (Mr. Freeze), Burgess Meredith (The Penguin), John Astin (The Riddler), Frank Gorshin (The Riddler), Cliff Robertson (Shame), Joan Collins (The Siren) and Anne Baxter (Zelda the Great). Finally, a partial list of official Bat-Noises: Aargh!, Clash!, Crunch!, Klonk!, Pow!, Splat!, Clunk! Eee-Yow! Ooof!, Powie! Swoosh!, Biff!, Conck! Ouch!, Qunkk!, Thunk! Boff! Crash!, Uggh!, Zam!, Zap! and others. Wow!

• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Quincy Jones, 77, composer, producer

Hank Ketcham, 1920, cartoonist (Dennis the Menace)

John P Strijbos, 1891, Dutch writer (Wandering through South-Africa)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Michael Caine (Maurice Micklewhite), 77, actor (Oscars for The Cider House Rules and Hannah and Her Sisters)

Billy Crystal, 63, actor (“Soap,” When Harry Met Sally …, City Slickers)

J Fred Muggs, 1952, chimp (Today show)

     …Athletes

William Clay Ford, Sr., 85, American owner of the Detroit Lions

Lee Petty, 1914, American race car driver

     …Business, Education

(John Luther) Casey Jones, 1864, railroad engineer

     …Politics

Thomas Riley Marshall, 1854, 28th Vice President

     …Science/Religion

James Bogardus, 1800, US inventor/builder (made cast-iron buildings)

Frank Borman, 82, former astronaut, airline executive

Paul Ehrlich, 1854, 1908 Nobel Prize in Medicine; founded chemotherapy, discovered Salvarsan - a remedy for syphilis, developed antitoxin for diphtheria

Albert Einstein, 1879, (Germany), (E=mc²/Theory of Relativity, Nobel 1921)

Peter Musschenbroek, 1692, Dutch physician/physicist (Leyden jar)

Lucy Hobbs Taylor, 1833, 1st US woman dentist (1866)

•Today’s Obits •

Edward Abbey, 1989, environmental author, after surgery at 62

Walter Camp, 1925, father of American football, @ 65

George Eastman, 1932, US industrialist (Kodak-camera), suicide @ 77

Susan Hayward (Edythe Marrenner), 1975, actress (Young & Willing), brain cancer @ 56

Karl Marx, 1883, German philosopher (Communist Manifesto), @ 64

Marlin Perkins, 1986, TV host (Wild Kingdom) @ 80

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1931•1st theater built for rear movie projection (New York NY)

     …Athletics

1954•Braves Henry Aaron homers in his 1st exhibition game

     …Business, Education.

1913•John D Rockefeller gives $100 million to Rockefeller Foundation

     …Politics

1493•Columbus writes a letter today describing the generous nature of the Indians he has encountered. He will describe them as "men of great deference and kindness."

1689•Scotland dismisses Willem III & Mary Stuart as king & queen

1743•1st American town meeting (Boston's Faneuil Hall)

1812•War Bonds were authorized by the United States government for the first time

1833•The Secretary of War has the Indian Department issue orders, again, to U.S. Marshals to remove whites from CREEK lands.

1950•FBI's "10 Most Wanted Fugitives" program begins

1984•The Sinn Fein president, Gerry Adams (Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh), is shot in a street attack in central Belfast, and was hit in the neck, shoulder and arm as several gunmen riddled his car with bullets by UFF (Ulster Freedom Fighters).

     …Science/Religion

1794•Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin

♣ANSWERS to puzzle ♣

SWEAR

WASTE

ESTOP

ATONE

REPEL

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Saturday 3-13

♣ 13 March 2010--Week 10 of 2010: 72 days this year…293 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.

“There is no act too small, no act too bold. The history of social change is the history of millions of actions, small and large, coming together at points in history and creating a power that [nothing] cannot suppress."

~Howard Zinn (historian)

♣ Free Ramblings ♣

I had a great lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant today. Great conversation and great food—can’t beat that. Cheryl is heading for Salt Lake with Elder Hostel tomorrow. She will be doing a week of supervised genealogy searches at the Mormon Church. She should return with some great stories. Mary will be back from Hawaii soon. Those Elder Hostel planners are quite astute—tomorrow is National Genealogy Day.

We had another great day weather-wise today. A high of 52°, very little wind, blue sky, everything one could ask for. It took some time to get to that 52° since we started the day at 9°. Our town brags an average of 288 days of sunshine each year. Most of us here don’t react well to even several days in a row of no sunshine. After too many cloudy days lately, we are all celebrating our second straight day of all day sunshine.

I checked out a page on the internet about Flagstaff. Here is what they told travelers: January – April. Refreshing days and crisp nights! Nights are cold, with temperatures warming up during the day. Layering is key and snow is possible. Bring warm pants, winter coat, gloves, boots and heavy socks. Hmmm. I’ll remember that when I read other town’s weather synopsis before traveling.

Give them enough rope and they will hang themselves. That is one way to deal with the crazies of the world. I’m just wondering how much rope some need? First this week ol’ Rush made all the news programs when he said he was moving to Costa Rica if Health Care passed. That might even muster some votes for health care by legislators. Rush tried to backpedal when real news outlets pointed out that Costa Rica has free health care for the entire population and has been doing so for many many years. Yesterday, Glenn Beck told his listeners that if their church leaders talked about of ‘social justice’ the parishioners should leave that church and report those church leaders to the authorities. His warped view is that both the Nazi’s and the Communists believed in ‘social justice.’ I guess I don’t know a lot about Glenn, since I never listen to him. Turns out he is a practicing member of LDS. Their leaders along with leaders from many denominations stated that their followers should know that Glenn was not speaking for the church, and that the Bible has over 2000 passages that show Jesus preached Social Justice. Uhh, how do guys like Glenn and Rush keep their high paying jobs? It’s beyond me.

Facebook wins a great on-line campaign. I have enjoyed Betty White for decades. She was great on Password, better on Mary Tyler Moore, and the best on Golden Girls. Now, after her Super Bowl Snickers ad and the Facebook Fan Page with over ½ million members Ms White, now 88, will be a host on SNL on the Mother’s Day Show May 8th. All is good with the world.

♣Random Fact: ♣

The "natural alarm clock" which enables some people to wake up more or less when they want to is caused by a burst of the stress hormone adrenocorticotropin. Researchers say this reflects an unconscious anticipation of the stress of waking up.

♣Side Show Stories—♣

AMES, Iowa - Second-degree burglary charges have been filed against an Ames man who broke into a church where he allegedly used the institution's electronic equipment to watch pornography. Police allege the 55-year-old man broke into the First Christian Church on Thursday. After gathering items from around the building, he is believed to have gone to the basement to spend the night. Police summoned to the church Friday by staff, found the man trying to haul away a garbage can filled with food, kitchen utensils, clothes, electronic equipment and a 26-inch flat-screen television. Police Cmdr. Mike Brennan said the man used the electronic equipment to watch pornographic movies that were found on him when he was arrested. He is being held on $10,000 bond.

♣ 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 gun action (HINT: S - - - -)

2 divide in two (HINT: - A - - -)

3 back in ... days (HINT: - - D - -)

4 observable (HINT: - - - R -)

5 in the alphabet, "J" (HINT: - - - - H)

♣ 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

8-14•Universal Women's Week

• 13 March Observances—US/UN/World •

Donald Duck Day: Clarence Nash, his voice, born today 1936

Earmuffs Day: 1st patented today in 1877

Genealogy Day

Good Samaritan Involvement Day: since 1964 to remember Queen’s murder

International Fanny Pack Day

Jewel Day

K-9 Veterans Day

National Open An Umbrella Indoors Day

•13 March Observances—by country •

Cuba : Attack on the Presidential Palace (1959)

Japan: Kasuga Matsuri (Kasuga Grand Shrine in Nara): Shinto “Monkey Festival”

Liberia : Decoration Day

♣ Number One Songs in…

1944•Mairzy Doats - The Merry Macs

1952•Please, Mr. Sun - Johnnie Ray

1960•The Theme from "A Summer Place" - Percy Faith

1968•Love is Blue - Paul Mauriat

1976•December 1963 (Oh, What a Night) - The Four Seasons

1984•Jump - Van Halen

• Holy Mackerel: 1948•According to an article dated this date, unregistered firearms were no longer in Bingham Canyon, Utah. This mountain mining camp town was the last town of the “Old West” to make it illegal to carry a firearm without a license.

• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

David Allan, 1744, Scottish painter

L[aFayette] Ron Hubbard ,1911, sci-fi writer/Scientologist (Dianetics)

Allan Jaffee, 1921, comic strip cartoonist/illustrator (MAD Magazine)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Charo (Maria Martinez)—meaning gaudy or tawdry, 59, singer, actress (“Chico and the Man”)

Dana Delany, 54, actress (“China Beach”)

Paul Fix, 1901, Dobbs Ferry NY, actor (Micah on Rifleman)

William H. Macy, 60, actor (Fargo, Boogie Nights, “ER”)

Clarence Nash, 1936, animation voice (Donald Duck)

Neil Sedaka, 71, singer, songwriter (Breaking Up is Hard to Do)

     …Athletes

Thomas Andrew (Andy) Bean, 57, golfer

Vance Johnson, 1963, NFL wide receiver (Broncos)

     …Business, Education

Walter Annenberg, 1908, American publisher and philanthropist (TV Guide, 17)

     …Politics

Abigail Fillmore (Powers), 1798, wife of 13th President Millard Fillmore; instituted the White House library

     …Science/Religion

Joseph Priestly, 1733, (England) clergyman/scientist (discovered oxygen)

Percival "Percy" Lowell,1855, US astronomer (predicted discovery of Pluto) *

^^^

*Percilval Lowell built an observatory in Flagstaff, in 1894, because of its clear, almost cloudless, and dark nights. The observatory was successful and led to many other observatories around the world to be built in high altitude areas with dark sky nights. This observatory also led Flagstaff, years later, to become the first International Dark Sky City—controlling the number of lights and the brightness of those lights at night. Much of his work was studying the Mars ‘canals’ which he believed showed a previous civilization could have thrived. This part of this work led many sci-fi writers of the time to write stories of Martian Aliens invading Earth to save their civilization. Finally, he predicted Planet X that controlled the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. Years after his death, his Planet X was discovered, in Flagstaff and named Pluto—his initials being the first two letters of the new planet.

•Today’s Obits •

Benjamin Harrison, 1901, 23rd President, influenza @ 67

Susan B[rownell] Anthony, 1906, American suffragist, @ 85

Clarence S Darrow, 1938, Scopes Monkey Trial attorney, @ 80

Stephen Vincent Benét, 1943, American author heart attack @ 44

Bruno Bettelheim, 1990, American psychiatrist @ 87

Maureen Stapleton, 2006,American actress @81

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1938•Louis Armstrong and his orchestra record “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

     …Athletics

1943•Baseball approves official ball (with cork & balata)

     …Business, Education.

1634•Académie Française opens

1639•Cambridge College renamed Harvard for clergyman John Harvard

     …Politics

1852•Uncle Sam cartoon figure made its debut in the New York Lantern weekly

1864•The first group of NAVAJOs finish the "Long Walk" to Fort Sumner on the Bosque Redondo Reservation

1884•US adopts Standard Time

1921•Mongolia (formerly Outer Mongolia) declares independence from China

     …Science/Religion

1781•Sir William Herschel sees "comet" (really discovered Uranus)

♣ANSWERS to puzzle ♣

SHOOT

HALVE

OLDEN

OVERT

TENTH

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Friday 3-12

♣ 12 March 2010--Week 10 of 2010: 71 days this year…294 remain ♣

♣ Two Quotes to think about…Today ♣

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

~Mark Twain, American Author, Humorist

“There is not a truth existing which I fear or would wish unknown to the whole world.”

~Thomas Jefferson

♣ Free Ramblings ♣

Flagstaff has had 94 consecutive days with at least an inch of snow on the ground. As of today, that is the third longest time since records were started back in the early 1900’s. I must say, today was such a nice sunny day, no clouds, little wind, and a 42° high that gave me spring fever. The two snow banks at my front door are still over five feet high with huge icebergs inside. A few more feet away from the house there’s only a couple of inches of snow on the ground. The back deck still has about 3” and I haven’t gone out there yet. Strangely the birds are not coming by very often. I think it is the wind that rushes off the mountain. I know they will be back as soon as they get hungry. The day was so nice, I almost forgot that when I got up at 6 this morning, it was 5°. Certainly that was one of the coldest mornings we have had in a long time.

I’ve been putting the Number One songs from various years in this blog for some time. Most of the time, I see the title and the tune pops into my head, then I put another song down, and another tune pops in. Then I forget about it until the next day. Yesterday I put up “I Love Rock and Roll” and that tune kept popping into my head all day long. It doesn’t happen that often, and this song doesn’t have any odd or unusual or good memories associated with it, but it was a hard hitting song. Maybe that’s why it won’t leave my poor old brain. I hope other readers also are reminded of the tunes listed, maybe a good experience associated with that tune, and even maybe a couple of lines of the song. I hope no one has the song stick in some corner of the brain to pop out throughout the day. I can be very annoying.

Spring break is next week for Flagstaff and NAU. People will be heading out to warmer climates for the sun or to colder climates for skiing or just hangin’ out here in town. Lots of kids will be running around the neighborhood. It also means that for the next week we won’t be getting any local news or weather from NAU. It still amazes me that our little town has to rely on the University to get our local news. It is a good broadcast, and I can’t complain about the broadcast. I just wish it was on every day.

♣Random Fact: ♣

In 1893, Colorado was the first state to adopt an amendment granting women the right to vote. Utah and Idaho followed suit in 1896, Washington State in 1910, California in 1911, Oregon, Kansas, and Arizona in 1912, Alaska and Illinois in 1913, Montana and Nevada in 1914, New York in 1917; Michigan, South Dakota, and Oklahoma in 1918.

♣Side Show Stories—♣

OWENSBORO, Ky. - Police in Kentucky said a woman arrested for public intoxication faces an additional charge for squirting breast milk on a deputy at the jail. Daviess County sheriff's deputies said Toni Tramel, 31, of Owensboro, was arrested Thursday on a misdemeanor count of public intoxication and while changing into a jail uniform she allegedly sprayed a stream of breast milk into the face of a female deputy, WYMT-TV, Hazard, Ky., reported. The sheriff's office said the deputy went through a biohazard decontamination process and Tramel was booked on an additional charge of third degree assault on a police officer, a felony. She was being held in lieu of $10,000 bail.

♣ 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 fumble (HINT: F - - - -)

2 of the moon (HINT: - U - - -)

3 all-American Sam (HINT: - - C - -)

4 lie descriptor (HINT: - - - S -)

5 released (HINT: - - - - D)

♣ 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 •

Alfred Hitchcock Day

Girl Scout Day

Middle Name Pride Day

New Mexico : Arbor Day

•10 March Observances—by country •

Taiwan: Arbor Day

China: Arbor Day

♣ Number One Songs in…

1951•There’s Been a Change in Me - Eddy Arnold

1959•Charlie Brown - The Coasters

1967•Baby I Need Your Lovin’ - Johnny Rivers

1975•My Eyes Adored You - Frankie Valli

1983•Billy Jean - Michael Jackson

• Holy Mackerel: 1930•Mahatma Gandhi and his followers begin a 200 mile march to the salt beds of Jalalpur to campaign against British tax on salt

• Born on this day •

     …The Arts

Authors, Artists and Composers

Edward Albee, 82, playwright, born Washington, DC

Jack Kerouac, 1922, Beat writer (Dharma Bums, On the Road, Mexico Blues)

Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV

Barbara Feldon, 69, actress (“Get Smart,” Smile)

Al (Alwin) Jarreau, 70, singer, songwriter

Paul Kantner, 68, , rock singer/guitarist (Jefferson Airplane)

Gordon MacRae, 1921, singer/actor (Oklahoma, Carousel)

Liza Minnelli, 64, singer, actress (Oscar for Cabaret; The Sterile Cuckoo, Arthur)

Jon Provost, 60, actor (Timmy-Lassie)

James Taylor, 62, singer, musician (“You’ve Got a Friend,” “Handy Man”)

William "Buckwheat" Thomas, 1931, actor (Little Rascals)

     …Athletes

Darryl Strawberry, 48, former baseball player (Mets, Yankees, Dodgers)

     …Business, Education

Charles Boycott, 1832, real estate agent: refused to lower rents, served eviction notices instead [1880]; tenants refused to deal with him; in other words, they boycotted Boycott making his name a part of the English language from then on

     …Politics

Jane Means Appleton Pierce, 1806, 1st lady-Franklin Pierce

James McKay, 1912, lord provost of Edinburgh

Mitt Romney, 63, former Governor of Massachusetts (R)

Andrew Young, 78, civil rights leader, former mayor of Atlanta

     …Science/Religion

Jane Delano, 1862, (US), nurse/teacher/founder (Red Cross)

William Perkin, 1838, inventor (1st artificial dye)

Capt. Walter ‘Wally’ M. Shirra Jr., 1923, astronaut

•Today’s Obits •

Annelies Marie Anne Frank, estimated day-1945, diarist (Diary of Anne Frank), typhus in Belsen Camp @ 16

George Westinghouse, 1914, US engineer (Westinghouse Electric), heart disease @ 67

Sun Yat-Sen,1925, Chinese revolutionary president, liver cancer @ 58

•What Happened on this Day •

     …The Arts

1951•“Mr. Wiiiiillllssssson!” The comic strip, Dennis the Menace, appeared for the first time in 16 newspapers

     …Athletics

1978•Eric Heiden skates world record 1000 meter (1:14.99)

     …Business, Education.

1789•US Post Office established

1884•The State of Mississippi authorized the first state-supported college for women.

1912•Girl Guides (Girl Scouts) founded in Savannah, by Juliette Gordon Low

     …Politics

1664•New Jersey becomes a British colony

1689•Former English King James II lands in Ireland

1850•1st US $20 gold piece issued

1933•FDR conducts his 1st "fireside chat"

1945•New York is 1st to prohibit discrimination by race & creed in employment

     …Science/Religion

1912•Captain Albert Berry performs 1st parachute jump from an airplane

♣ANSWERS to puzzle ♣

FLUFF

LUNAR

UNCLE

FALSE

FREED

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Thursday

♣ 11 March 2010--Week 10 of 2010: 70 days this year…295 remain ♣
♣ Two Quotes to think about…Today ♣
“A general dissolution of the principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy.”
~Samuel Adams
“Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies.”
~John Donne
♣ Free Ramblings ♣
Old man winter will just not give it up. I am beginning to sound like a broken record. It snowed most of the day. My deck has a good 6” of snow that didn’t melt. The wind gusts of 30mph gave of several ‘white-out’ conditions throughout the day. Amazing. Nothing like looking out your window and seeing nothing but white. It wasn’t snowing that hard, but the wind just picked up the newly fallen snow and made life miserable.

I sure guess I don’t get Flagstaff politics. The two women candidates seem to have split the center and left vote, letting the right wing guy have a huge margin in the Primary…scary. I’m hoping that the losing candidate quickly supports our Mayor, who came in second. I really wanted the loser to make the general election but that didn’t happen. She did thank all her supporters today, but hasn’t thrown her support yet. Now, the center and the left have to unite, to keep the conservative wing out of office. I also have some learnin’ to do about the council seats. Our little mountain town may have more problems in the future if somehow we get a conservative mayor and conservative council.

The School District Override passed, so we will see if they can clean up their house a little, with the additional money. Arizona has been in the national news lately. If it isn’t the fights between the non-elected governor and the legislature, then it’s how little we pay for educating our children. Somehow way too many believe that education funding is not that important. I don’t have a lot of hope that this will change anytime soon.
♣Random Fact: ♣
Hugh Hefner served as circulation manager of Children's Activities magazine while he was raising money to launch Playboy.
♣Side Show Stories—♣
ALTON, England - A British man who raised money for charity by taking a roller coaster ride in the nude said it was his 298th thrill ride in the buff. Richard Jones, 27, of Churchdown, England, a lifelong roller coaster fan, said his recent nude ride on the Nemesis coaster at England's Alton Towers marked the 298th time he has taken off his clothes and gone for a roller coaster ride for charity, The Sun reported. Jones said his rides have included coasters across Europe and North America, including his favorite, the Top Thrill Dragster at Ohio's Cedar Point amusement park. "Ever since I was 4 I have been hooked on roller coasters. It's an escape from time because it takes you somewhere you don't normally go," Jones said. "Hurtling along at 80 mph also gets the adrenaline going. Doing it naked is a lot more difficult because it does get very cold." Jones said he participated in the Mary 2004 Guinness World Record for largest naked roller coaster ride with 112 fellow nude riders on the Nemesis coaster.
♣ 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 happiness (HINT: B - - - -)
2 solar emission (HINT: - I - - -)
3 dome home (HINT: - - L - -)
4 assemble (HINT: - - - A -)
5 took possession illegally (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
• 11 March Observances—US/UN/World •
Johnny Appleseed Day
Worship of Tools Day
Dream 2010 Day: To focus attention on making the world a safer and better place.
World Kidney Day
•11 March Observances—by country •
Mauritius : Maha Shivaratree (Hindi Celebration)
Lithuania: Reestablishment of Lithuania's Independence from the Soviet Union in 1990
Zambia: Youth Day
♣ Number One Songs in…
1950•Dear Hearts and Gentle People - Bing Crosby
1958•Lollipop - The Chordettes
1966•The Ballad of the Green Berets - SSgt Barry Sadler
1974•Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks
1982•I Love Rock ’N Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
• Holy Mackerel: 1824•John C. Calhoun, Secretary of War, creates the Bureau of Indian Affairs, within the War Department. Thomas McKenney is appointed its' first head.
• Born on this day •
     …The Arts
Authors, Artists and Composers
Douglas Adams, 1952, author: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Dr. Who
Sam Donaldson, 76, journalist
Dorothy Schiff, 1903, publisher (New York Post)
Jerry Zucker, 60, writer, (Naked Gun movies with brother David), producer (Airplane!)
Entertainers in Cinema, Music, Theater, and TV
Jimmy Fortune, 55, tenor: group: Statler Brothers
Ric Rothwell, 66, drummer (Mindbenders-Games of Love)
Lawrence Welk, 1903, bandleader
     …Athletes
Steve Reed, 45, pitcher (Rockies and many more)
     …Business, Education
Henry Marking, 1920, CEO (British Airways)
Rupert Murdoch, 79, media executive
      …Politics
Ralph Abernathy, 1926, civil rights leader (Southern Christian Leadership)
Antonin Scalia, 74, Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court
Sir [James] Harold Wilson, 1916, British Prime Minister
      …Science/Religion
Vannevar Bush, 1890, developed 1st electronic analog computer
Robert H G Havemann, 1910, German chemist
Urbain Jean Joseph le Verrier, 1811, co-discovered Neptune
•Today’s Obits •
Richard Brooks, 1992, director (Blackboard Jungle, Key Largo), @ 79
Richard E Byrd, 1957, US explorer (Antarctica), @ 68
John Chapman [Johnny Appleseed], 1845, @ 71
Vince Edwards, 1996, actor (Ben Casey), cancer @ 67
Alexander Fleming, 1955, English bacteriologist (penicillin), @ 73
Erle Stanley Gardner, 1970, US writer (Perry Mason), @ 80
[Wayne] Woody Hayes, 1987, football coach (Ohio State), @ 74
Charles Sumner, 1874, a white civil rights leader, @ 63 (My grandfather, father and I named after him)
•What Happened on this Day •
     …The Arts
1302•Romeo & Juliet's wedding day, according to Shakespeare
1927•Samuel Roxy Rothafel opened the famous Roxy Theatre in New York City
1959•"Raisin in the Sun", 1st Broadway play by a black woman, opens
1985•We Are the World airing first on this day as a single
     …Athletics
1927•1st golden gloves tournament
     …Business, Education.
1823•1st normal school in US opens, Concord Academy, Concord VT
1918•Save the Redwoods League founded
1969•Levi Jeans add the latest craze of jeans, bell bottoms, to their line of Jeans
     …Politics
1779•US army Corps of Engineers established (1st time)
1917•British troops occupy Baghdad
1977•130 hostages held in Washington, D.C., by Hanafi Muslims are freed when ambassadors from three Islamic nations joined negotiations.
1988•£ note ceases to be legal tender, replaced by £ coin
1995•Sinn Fein party leader, Gerry Adams, arrives in US
1997•Beatle Paul McCartney knighted Sir Paul by Queen Elizabeth II
     …Science/Religion
1665•New York approves new code guaranteeing Protestants religious rights
1669•Volcano Etna in Italy erupts killing 15,000
1918•The first cases of one of the worst influenza pandemic ( FLU )in history are reported at Fort Riley, Kansas
1953•1st woman army doctor commissioned (FM Adams)
♣ANSWERS to puzzle ♣
BLISS
LIGHT
IGLOO
SHOAL
STOLE
♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

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
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