Thursday 1-20-11





HOLY MACKEREL: 1929 1st feature talking motion picture taken outdoors, "In Old Arizona" in Bryce and Zion, a singing cowboy movie


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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
A very good recovery day. I took one pain pill this morning as it was a little hard to swallow. NBD. I was able to run errands, pay some bills, and take a nice afternoon nap. I am truly amazed at how quickly the human body recovers after an invasive procedure. I am still surprised at how the ‘scare’ affected me. Knowing that everything is OK make the whole world look more inviting. I do look a little dork-ier than usual as I keep the top button on my shirt buttoned. No need for others to see my cut neck. If I was working, I would simply wear a bolo tie, but I’m retired so I just button up and head out. If I see anyone who asks I’ll show them. It doesn’t look bad and is still covered with those steri-strips. I don’t see any real stitches, but then I don’t really like to stare at it. I may have a kinda hairy neck as it is a little hard to shave in that area, because of the tape. The nurse did shave my wrist a little before putting the IV in, then it didn’t work, and didn’t shave my hand when she put that one in. I guess nurses don’t get the hair thing, because she taped down the IV on my very hairy arm. The male nurse who took it off gave me a roll of that stretchy non-stick tape they use when they do a blood test. He said to carry it if I come back to the hospital and just tell the nurse I’m allergic to tape and give her the roll I now have. Too bad I didn’t meet him a couple of operations ago. When I showered last night, I found another one of those heart monitor things on my chest. Pulled it and the hair underneath off. OUCH!!!

Well the new House did what they promised—they got rid of Obamacare. Thankfully it doesn’t really matter at this point. I did check out my representatives reasons for voting to end Obamacare. Basically he is against the new level of bureaucracy that he believes has been added to the health care system. As a dentist, he is against it. When I called his office today his receptionist was not the most informed person, but had a pleasant voice and seems a tad naive. She didn’t know if Gosar had accepted the Congressional Health Care program—the same on I have. I told her that certainly there were parts that needed tweaking, but I didn’t think the whole bill should be repealed. I then asked her what Gosar’s plan was to replace the current law. She said that he was working on that. I asked her to tell her boss that if he didn’t have a better plan, he should not vote to repeal the law. She kindly and sweetly said that she would let Congressman Gosar that I had called. Oh well. I had gotten a robocall from the Dems who asked me to tell Gosar how I felt. They even connected me to his office for free. I did. Oddly, she didn’t ask my name, but did want my address and phone number. I gave her my generic address and told her she didn’t need to have Paul take time out of his busy day to call me so she didn’t get my phone number. My first medical bills are coming in from my ENT. Thank goodness I have decent Health care. On my first visit he stuck a flashlight up my nose and down my throat. To make it worth a medical procedure it was called a Nasopharyngosopy w/ endoscope. He charged $475 for that. I only paid $33.43.

My Android went crazy this morning. When I got up, the battery was at 15%. It should have been fully charged from last night. When I hit contacts, I got a list of all my FB contacts, but no others. I recharged the phone. Same thing. Had to pull the battery to get it back to a usable phone. I keep looking for a ‘refresh’ button when things go crazy. That button doesn’t exist. Technology is great when it works and a pain when it doesn’t. Since it is a ‘smart’ phone,

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∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super-Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 NOTABLE WOMEN
…answers at bottom…
• U.S. News reports an April Gallup survey ranked her as Britain's least popular P.M. since 1938
• The wife of Time magazine's founder, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983
• This long-time rival of Hedda Hopper was one of America's first movie columnists
• Along with Susan B. Anthony, she founded the Nat'l Woman Suffrage Assn. & became its first president
• A founder of the Industrial Workers of the World, her slogan was "Join the union, boys"

*NEW* DID YOU KNOW THAT…
•  Clean two things at one time...next time you mop your kitchen floor, use the trash can as the bucket to hold the suds. After you're finished, rinse out the trash can and it will be as sparkling as the floor - - with no extra effort on your part.
•  Neutralize kitty odors by drying out used tea leaves and sprinkling them into the cat litter. The leaves will absorb odors, and the catechins in the tea will kill germs.

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM… LEXINGTON, N.C.
A 42-year-old man has been arrested and charged with calling 911 to request a hooker, according to an arrest report obtained by the Lexington Dispatch.
Records show Lonnie Michael Felts called 911 three times on Sunday. The first time he called, he requested “a hooker and an escort to get boots,” the arrest report showed, according to the Dispatch.
After an officer warned Felts about misusing the system, he made two more calls, the newspaper reported.
On the third, “Felts called on 911 again for a non-emergency domestic escort,” the Dispatch reported.
According to the arrest report, Felts was under the influence of drugs, alcohol or both when the incident happened.
He's been charged with accessing the 911 system for a purpose other than an emergency communication.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION…
•  42 percent of American professionals say they are "regularly" forced to cancel vacation plans.
•  More than 50 percent of U.S. workers don't use all of their paid vacation time; 30 percent say they don't even take half.

A LITTLE LAUGH…
My wife has not spoken to me in three days. I think it has something to do with what happened on Sunday night when she thought she heard a noise downstairs.
She nudged me and whispered, "Wake up, wake up!"
"What's the matter?" I asked.
"There are burglars in the kitchen. I think they're eating the tuna casserole I made tonight."
"That'll teach them!" I replied.

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS…PLANTS
•  The largest permanent hedge maze is the Pineapple Garden Maze at the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa, Hawaii, USA, which has a total area of 12,745.79 m² (3.15 acres) and total path length of 3.962 km (2.46 miles). The maze opened in 1997 and expanded in size in July 2007.
•  The largest tree to be transplanted was an oak tree (Quercus lobata), aged between 180-220 years and measuring 17.67 m (58 ft) tall, 31.6 m (104 ft) wide (branch-span), weighing approximately 415.5 tonnes (916,000 lb) and with a trunk girth of 5 m (16 ft 2 in). "Old Glory" was moved 0.4 km (0.25 miles) by Senna Tree Company (USA) to a new park in Los Angeles, California, USA on January 20, 2004.
•  The world's tallest amaranthus plant (Amaranthus australis) measured 8.48 m (27 ft 10 in) on 25 October 2007 and was grown by Jesse Eldrid (USA) at his home in Rhinebeck, New York, USA.
•  The tallest rose bush is 5.66 m (18 ft 7 in), grown by Robert Bendel (USA) at his home in Morristown, New Jersey, USA, and measured on 12 October 2009
•  The tallest zinnias have been grown by Everett Wallace Jr. and Melody Wagner. These measured 8 ft 8 in, 9 ft 8 in, 12 ft 6 in, and 12 ft 8. The flowers were measured in 2004 and 2008.

∞CLOSEUP PICTURE
Can you identify this close up picture

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

♫ T V COMMERICALS OF 1960’s♫
Click on Title to see and hear

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DAYBOOK INFORMATION
‡…THIS WEEK…‡
16-22 International Printing Week • Healthy Weight Week • Hunt For Happiness Week • National Activity Professionals Week
17-23 National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week
18-25 Week of Christian Unity
20-30 Sundance Film Festival
‡…TODAY IS…‡
National Buttercrunch Day
Camcorder Day
Get to Know Your Customers Day
National Disc Jockey Day
Women in Blue Jeans Days
Women's Healthy Weight Day
Azerbaijan: Martyrs Day
Bulgaria: Grandmother's Day/Babin Den
Mali: National Army Day
‡…Today’s Births…‡

• AUTHORS
1910 Joy Adamson (Gessner) naturalist, writer: Born Free, Living Free, Forever Free
1894 Harold L Gray creator (Little Orphan Annie)
1884 A[braham P] Merritt US, sci-fi author (Moon Pool, Creep Shadow!)
• ATHLETES
Geovany Soto, 28, baseball (Cubs)
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1820 Anne Jemima Clough English promoter of higher education for women
• ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
1896 George Burns [Nathan Birnbaum] actor/comedian (Oh God)
James Denton, 48, actor (“The Pretender,” “Desperate Housewives”)
1920 Federico Fellini director, screenwriter: Oscar-winning Best foreign-language [Italian] films: La Strada [1956], The Nights of Cabiria [1957], 8 1/2 [1963]
1910 Abram Hill director/playwright/founder (American Negro Theater)
Arte Johnson, 77, comedian, actor (Emmy for “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”)
1920 DeForest Kelley actor (Dr McCoy-Star Trek)
Lorenzo Lamas, 53, actor (“Falcon Crest,” “Renegade”)
1889 Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter blues 12 string guitarist (Rock Island Line)
David Lynch, 65, director (“Twin Peaks,” Blue Velvet), writer, producer
Bill Maher, 55, comedian, television host (“Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher”, “Real Time”)
1937 Dorothy Provine actress: It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Otis Dewey “Slim” Whitman, 87, singer (first country performer to play at the London Palladium)
Rainn Wilson, 43, actor (“The Office,” “Six Feet Under,” The Last Mimzy)
• POLITICIANS
Joe Doherty, 56, Provisional Irish Republican Army member
1837 David Josiah Brewer, U.S. Supreme Court Justice
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, 81, former astronaut, one of first three men on moon
‡…Today’s Obituaries…‡
1900 Richard D Blackmore English novelist (Lorna Doone), chills and loss of energy @ 74
1948 Mahatma Gandhi मोहनदास करमचंद गांधी, India's pacifist, assassinated @ 78
1993 Audrey Hepburn actress (Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday), colon cancer @ 63
1900 John Ruskin English writer/critic (Dearest Mama Talbot), influenza @ 81
1990 Barbara Stanwyck [Ruby Stevens], actress (Big Valley), @ 82
1984 Jackie Wilson rocker, heart attack @ 49
1984 Peter John [Johnny] Weissmuller actor (Tarzan, Jungle Jim), series of strokes @ 79
‡…Today’s Events…‡
• ARTS
1930 1st radio broadcast of "Lone Ranger" (WXYZ-Detroit)
1949 J Edgar Hoover gives Shirley Temple a tear gas fountain pen
• ATHLETICS
1892 1st basketball game played (Massachusetts)
1974 Golfing great Johnny Miller won the Tucson Open Golf Tournament and became the first pro golfer to win four consecutive major tournaments
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1785 Samuel Ellis advertises to sell Oyster Island (Ellis Island), no takers
1885 The roller coaster was patented by La Marcus Thompson of Coney Island, NY
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1805 Lewis and Clark repair Indian tools for food.
1830 Red Jacket (Sagoyewatha) was a Seneca Chief born around 1779. While he was often called a coward in war, he was respected as a great speaker, and for his refusal to adopt white ways. Following the way of many before him, he would eventually become an alcoholic. He would die today.
• POLITICS (US)
1783 Hostilities cease in Revolutionary War
1869 Elizabeth Cady Stanton becomes 1st woman to testify before Congress
1887 US Senate approves the naval base lease of Pearl Harbor
1945 FDR sworn-in for an unprecedented 4th term as President
1986 1st federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr
1988 Arizona committee opens hearing on impeachment of Governor Evan Mecham
• POLITICS (International)
1648 Cornerstone of Amsterdam town hall laid
1944 RAF drops 2300 ton bombs on Berlin
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1809 1st US geology book published by William Maclure

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ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
• U.S. News reports an April Gallup survey ranked her as Britain's least popular P.M. since 1938
Who is Margaret Thatcher?
• The wife of Time magazine's founder, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983
Who was Clare Luce?
• This long-time rival of Hedda Hopper was one of America's first movie columnists
Who was Louella Parsons?
• Along with Susan B. Anthony, she founded the Nat'l Woman Suffrage Assn. & became its first president
Who was Elizabeth Cady Stanton?
• A founder of the Industrial Workers of the World, her slogan was "Join the union, boys"
Who was Mother Jones?
∞ Close up Picture
Yield Sign

• AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW •
Posted by No comments:

Wednesday 1-19-11


HOLY MACKEREL: 1953 - Sixty-eight percent of all TV sets in the U.S. were tuned to CBS-TV this day, as Lucy Ricardo of I Love Lucy gave birth to a baby boy -- just as she actually did in real life -- following the script to the letter! The audience for the program was greater than that watching the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower the following day.


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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

What a great day I had yesterday. First I got to the hospital at 5:45am. Thanks to the drugs, don’t remember anything until about 11:00sm. The biopsy came back negative, so they took about ½ of my thyroid. It certainly was a relief, much more than I expected. I was up and walking about noon and continued do that on and off the rest of the day. I had a little trouble sleeping, so took a pain pill about 12:30. Slept well until about 4:30am. Ate a nice breakfast about 7:30. Doctor came in about 8:30 and released me. I do a follow up next Wednesday. I do have a nice slit on my neck, which should be covered as it is in a place where everyone seems to have a fold. I have a slight sore throat, and am a little tired, but that can be expected. I left the hospital about 10:30a, thanks to Martha who drove in to town to get me. I ate some lunch about noon and slept until about two. I’ve been up ever since. I expect to go to bed early tonight.

It is amazing how smoothly the hospital runs for most peopled and not for others. Martha sat in the waiting room and didn’t get any updates until I was in recovery (about 3 hours), while others in the waiting room were getting updates every 15 minutes. She was able to reiterate what the doctor said…no cancer. That was good to hear, again.

Martha was the only one able to visit me in the hospital as I was out of there before Mary or Cheryl or Jeannie could get over there. Mary, Cheryl and I will do our lunch on Thursday and Jeannie will stop by when she is over her cold. I watched a lot of TV and walked a lot, so the time went fairly quickly. I had some of the same staff I had seen two weeks ago, but only one of them remembered me, on my short visit back then. I am still amazed at the amount of work they do. I was in the ‘get a new body part’ of the hospital this time…a knee, a hip, etc. I was the only person on the floor who was ambulatory without assistance. All the staff talked to me, since I wasn’t in pain, doing it on my own, and not a burden to them. One guy in the room next to me was in pain and made sure the entire floor knew it on a fairly regular basis. I did feel sorry for him, but also for myself, having to listen. They finally closed his door and had someone sitting with him. I am fortunate that I have a very high pain threshold which is good most of the time, but it is hard for me to understand what that poor man was going through. I’ll find out next week if he left enough of my thyroid to produce whatever hormones I need from that gland, or if I will be adding another pill to my regiment.

I have to say, Facebook is amazing. Martha posted on her site that I was OK and cancer free. About 10 people commented, most of them I don’t even know, but their well wishes were greatly appreciated. Of course others commented on my site. It is truly a social network. People can say what they must about privacy but I feel I have enough control. Any information it has, the user gave it to them. Facebook does not add information, you have to give it to them. I did see a good Comedy Central comedian last night doing a bit on Facebook. His theory is that it is a government plot to destroy privacy without us knowing it. He made some good points. One of the funniest was posting a friend’s photo and having FB ask if you want it ‘tagged’, so you tag it “John Smith getting high with me from some good dope we got from Jeff Jones last night”. Then being surprised when they all get busted. That sort of clears up the privacy issue…if you put the information out there, it will be used. Duh…

Game Phone apps are a different story as most have a GPS code so they can tell where you are standing, sitting, laying, or whatever while playing their app. Hmmm. Does anyone really care that I was sitting in my hospital room playing US History Trivia and Bubble Drop on my droid? I guess so.

A couple of AZ legislators have been trying to pass a law for several sessions. The law would allow college faculty and students to carry weapons into class as long as they have a permit. They reintroduced the proposed law again today. It has not had enough support in years past, I hope it is shut down again.

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∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super-Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 BEST SELLERS
…answers at bottom…
• Completes the title of Thomas Harris' 1969 book "I'm OK..."
• "My Life in Three Acts" is the latest volume of memoirs by this First Lady of the American Theatre
• His novel "The Stand" was 1st published in 1978, but an uncut version was released in 1990
• Morley Safer's "Flashbacks" describes a return visit to this country after 25 years
• "An Inconvenient Woman" by this author describes morals & murders in L.A.'s high society
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM-- Ohio
While many law school graduates are all too aware of their accumulating pile of debt, few may realize it can prevent them from practicing law and kill any hopes of paying down their loans. Just ask recent law grad Hassan Jonathan Griffin. The highest court in Ohio denied his bar application because he didn't have a plan to pay back $170,000 in school debt.

The Ohio Supreme Court on January 11 said Griffin lacked a "feasible plan to satisfy his financial obligations." Griffin's debts include $150,000 from law school, $20,000 from his undergraduate studies and $16,500 in credit card debt.

The state's Supreme Court, which regulates admission to the practice of law in Ohio, requires that an applicant be at least 21 years old, have a bachelor's degree and law degree, and pass the Ohio bar examination.

But the state's rules specify that prior to taking the bar exam, applicants must demonstrate they possess "the requisite character, fitness, and moral qualifications for admission to the practice of law."

Griffin, 40, applied in November 2009 for the February 2010 bar exam, but his mounting financial obligations led to an investigation by the state's Board of Commissioners on Character and Fitness.

According to the board's report, Griffin graduated from Arizona State University in 2004 when he was 34 and worked full-time as a stockbroker for over five years before attending The Ohio State University Mortiz College of Law.

Since completing his first year of law school, Griffin has worked 24 to 32 hours a week at the Franklin County Public Defender's Office. Though he graduated from law school in 2008, he has been unable to obtain a full-time job and still earns $12 per hour at the public defender's office.

The board recommended that the court reject Griffin but permit him to reapply for the February 2011 bar exam. Griffin confirmed he is re-applying for the February exam and his attorney said his financial matters are now in better order.

"He has taken some positive steps to address the concerns in that opinion," said Robert Beck, an attorney with Brehm & Associates who is representing Griffin pro-bono.

Beck said he is concerned about public attention from the blogosphere toward his client's case. Beck said Griffin wants to avoid the limelight on himself in order to pursue a career in public service law.

"His parents were both active in civil rights, and so he wants to work in the public defender's office," said Beck. "The work he wants to do is hard work."

"Every member of Brehm & Associates is either a former public defender or a former member of legal aid, and we applaud Jon's desire to represent those in need," wrote Eric Brehm, principal of the law firm representing Griffin. "Jon Griffin does not desire litigation or controversy. [He] merely wants to take the Ohio Bar Examination and serve as an assistant public defender."

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION— Coffee
• The first Espresso machine was introduced in 1822 by the French, but it was the Italians who perfected and distributed it. A cup of drip brewed coffee has about 115 milligrams of caffeine, an espresso (and percolated coffee) about 80mg, while instant coffee has about 65mg of caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee is not totally caffeine free, containing about 3mg of caffeine.

• Coffee is the seed of a cherry from the tree genus Coffea, a tree yielding about two pounds of coffee per year. There are more than 25 species of coffee, the 3 main commercial types (varietals) being Robusta, Liberia and Arabica, the latter representing 70% of total production.

• Caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers, that is why it is found in some medicines. Ironically, caffeine withdrawal also is one of the most common causes of headaches.

• Caffeine is removed from coffee by treating the green beans – large seeds are commonly referred to as beans – with chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents.

• The word “cappuccino” comes from the 16th century Capuchin order of friars, whose hoods were called cappuccinos. A cappuccino is a coffee topped with steamed milk.

A LITTLE LAUGH
A little guy is sitting at the bar staring at his drink when a large, threateningly leering biker steps up next to him, grabs his drink and gulps it down in one swig.
"Well, watcha' gonna do about it?" he says menacingly, as the little guy bursts into tears.
"Aw, come on, man," the biker says, "I didn't think you'd CRY. I can`t stand to see a man crying."
"This is the worst day of my life," says the little guy.
"I`m a complete failure. I was late to a meeting, and my boss fired me.
"When I went to the parking lot, I found my car stolen and I don't have any insurance.
"I called a cab to get home, and when I got to my door, I realized I left my wallet in the cab.
"Inside, I found my wife in bed with the gardener and then my dog bit me.
"So I came to this bar to work up the courage to put an end to it all.
"I buy a drink, I drop a capsule in, and sit here watching the poison dissolve. Then a knuckle-head like you shows up and drinks the whole thing!"

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS—Plant World
• The world record for the most leaves on a clover stem (Trifolium repens L.) is 18 and was discovered by Shigeo Obara of Hanamaki City, Iwate, Japan on May 25, 2002.

• The heaviest apple weighed 1.849 kg (4 lb 1 oz) and was grown and picked by Chisato Iwasaki at his apple farm in Hirosaki City, Japan October 24, 2005.

• The world's heaviest lemon weighed 5.265 kg (11 lb 9.7 oz) on January 8, 2003 and was grown by Aharon Shemoel (Israel) on his farm in Kefar Zeitim, Israel.

• The world's largest jack o'lantern was carved by Scott Cully (USA) from the world's largest pumpkin on October 31, 2005 in Northern Cambria, Pennsylvania, USA. The pumpkin was grown by Larry Checkon (USA) and weighed 666.32 kg (1,469 lb) at the Pennsylvania Giant Pumpkin Growers Association Weigh-off, on October 1, 2005.

∞CLOSEUP PICTURE
Can you identify this close up picture
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

♫ T V COMMERICALS OF 1960’s♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear

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DAYBOOK INFORMATION
‡…THIS WEEK…‡
16-22 International Printing Week • Healthy Weight Week • Hunt For Happiness Week • National Activity Professionals Week
17-23 National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week
18-25 Week of Christian Unity
‡…TODAY IS…‡
National Popcorn Day
Tin Can Day
Tu B'Shvat (Jewish - begins at sundown): New Year of the Trees
Wolf Moon: First full moon of year: for hungry wolf packs that would howl outside the villages of Native Americans. This full moon is also known as the Old Moon or the Moon After Yule.
Ethiopia: Timket (Baptism of Jesus in Jordan River)
Southern US : Robert E Lee Day
US: Texas: Confederate Heroes Day
‡…Today’s Births…‡
• AUTHORS
1809 Edgar Allan Poe author (Pit & the Pendulum)
• ATHLETES
Shawn Johnson, 19, Olympic gymnast
Jeff Van Gundy, 49, coach (Knicks, Rockets); ESPN commentator
• BUSINESS / EDUCATION
1918 John H Johnson US, publisher (Negro Digest, Ebony, Jet)
• ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
Desi Arnaz, Jr, 58, singer, actor
Phil Everly, 72, singer, with brother Don (The Everly Brothers)
Shelley Fabares, 69, actress (“The Donna Reed Show,” “Coach”)
1943 - Janis Joplin singer: with Big Brother and The Holding Company
1922 Guy Madison [Robert Moseley] actor (Wild Bill Hickok)
Dolly Parton, 65, singer (“Jolene”), actress (Nine to Five)
Jean Stapleton, 88, actress (Klute; Emmy for “All in the Family”)
Shawn Wayans, 40, actor (Scary Movie, “In Living Color”)
• POLITICIANS
1807 Robert Edward Lee General-in-Chief (Confederacy)
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1813 Sir Henry Bessemer engineer/inventor (Bessemer engine)
1200 Dogen Kigen Zen teacher, 1st patriarch of the Japanese Soto
0570 Mohammed Islamic prophet (Koran)
1736 James Watt Scottish inventor (steam engine)
1904 James Winston Watts developer (Frontal Lobotomy)
‡…Today’s Obituaries…‡
1669 Leo Allatios Greek/Italian theologist/literary, @ 82
1995 Eugene Fuller polymath/linguist, @ 80
1975 Thomas Hart Benson US artist, @ 85
1954 Sydney Greenstreet actor (Maltese Falcon), diabetes @ 74
1993 Reginald Lewis CEO (Beatrice), brain cancer @ 50
1970 Hal March actor (Atomic Kit, Outrage, Yankee Pasha), game show host, cancer @ 49
1998 Carl Perkins singer/songwriter, cancer/strokes @ 65
‡…Today’s Events…‡
• ARTS
1955 "The Millionaire" TV program premieres on CBS
1955 "Scrabble" debuts on board game market
• ATHLETICS
1903 New bicycle race "Tour de France" announced
1972 Sandy Koufax, Yogi Berra, & Early Wynn elected to Hall of Fame
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1871 1st Negro lodge of US Masons approved, New Jersey
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1847 In Don Fernandez de Taos (now just called Taos, New Mexico), recently installed Governor George Bent is trying to keep Mexican and PUEBLO Indians from revolting (an earlier revolt was prevented). A number of PUEBLO Indians demand the release of some Indians being held in jail. Words are exchanged, and a fight starts. People are killed on both sides. Governor Bent will be attacked, killed, and scalped. The Indians' plan is to kill all of the Americans they can find. Near Mora, 8 Americans are captured, robbed, and shot. Many Mexicans would join the revolt against the Americans who had captured Santa Fe de San Francisco (now just called Santa Fe, New Mexico)
• POLITICS (US)
1770 Battle of Golden Hill (Lower Manhattan)
• POLITICS (International)
1746 Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops occupy Stirling
1806 Britain occupies the Cape of Good Hope
1966 Indira Gandhi elected India's 3rd prime minister
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1840 Antarctica discovered, Charles Wilkes expedition (US claim)
1915 Neon Tube sign patented by George Claude
1922 Geological survey says US oil supply would be depleted in 20 years
1929 Acadia National Park, Maine established
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ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
•Completes the title of Thomas Harris' 1969 book "I'm OK..."
What is ‘You’re OK’?
• "My Life in Three Acts" is the latest volume of memoirs by this First Lady of the American Theatre
Who is Helen Hayes?
•His novel "The Stand" was 1st published in 1978, but an uncut version was released in 1990
Who is Stephen King?
•Morley Safer's "Flashbacks" describes a return visit to this country after 25 years
What is Vietnam?
•"An Inconvenient Woman" by this author describes morals & murders in L.A.'s high society
Who is Dominick Dunne?
∞ Close up Picture
Park sign for Restaurant

• AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW •
Posted by No comments:

Monday 1-17-11




HOLY MACKEREL: 1775 9 old women burnt as witches for causing bad harvests, Kalisk, Poland

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MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
This blog will take a small hiatus while I get my thyroid problem solved. I go in tomorrow morning at 5:30a with surgery at 7:30a. I should be in for a couple of days. When I get out, the blog will return.

I finished up some laundry today. So I am ready to get this over with.

Good news from Tucson, Gabby Gibbons has been upgraded to ‘stable’ condition. How cool. This is still something that is in the news everyday and on our minds even more. Nothing will ever explain what happened. All we can do now is do what we can to prevent it from happening again. The first step is to deal with the mental health system…a brain problem is more complicated than a thyroid problem, but that doesn’t mean that we ignore the issues. The second issue is to make gun purchase and ownership of automatic weapons illegal. Times have changed. Some are saying that the 2nd amendment was to not allow the soldiers of our country from taking over individual’s homes during war time, or even peace time. Well, if the military decided to take over, all the automatic weapons on the planet couldn’t stop them. So wake up and smell the roses, no American needs an automatic weapon that can fire 30+ rounds in seconds. No American needs an automatic weapon that can fire 30+ rounds in a minute. We need leadership in our legislatures at the state level and in our congress at the national level that will think about where we are headed with all these automatic weapons. The Republican run Congress knew this when they passed the ban. Sadly, they put a timeline on it. Now they can fix that. AZ has an open carry law, but any merchant can put a sign at their entrance that prevents open carry. If I see an open carry person in a store, I will now go to the manager and let them know that I will not return to that store until I see the sign that prevents open carry. If everyone did that, the point would be made and the law would change.

We celebrate the life of Martin Luther King today. AZ became one of the last states to recognize the holiday. We voted for it, the governor dismissed the vote, boycotts ensued. The NFL would not let AZ host the Super Bowl, the state voted again and it became a legal holiday in 1992. In 2000 South Carolina made it a state holiday. Prior to 2000 state workers could choose between 4 holidays as a day off: MLK Day or one of three Confederate related holidays. I think AZ got the most publicity partially because of a loud mouthed governor that was eventually impeached, partially because of the NFL action. So now the entire country recognizes the work of King. In many ways I am reminded of Nelson Mandela. King was vilified by the FBI, feared by many for his countrymen, honored by many. King, who was seen for so long as a radical, is now seen as a leader of civility in our country. Over the years of celebrating the King Holiday, I have learned a lot about the man, his message, and the good change he brought to our country.

►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super-Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 JIM HENSON
…answers at bottom…
• While it ran from 1976-81, it was the world's most watched first-run syndicated TV show
• Named for a friend, this soft-spoken character was said to be Henson's alter ego
• Back in the '60s this co. asked Jim to develop characters for its NET production of "Sesame Street"
• As Ernie, Jim Henson was "awfully fond" of this title toy that earned him a hit record
• The Skeksis and the Mystics were saved by the Gelflings in this 1982 fantasy film

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM-- CHELMSFORD, England
A British county's police force said about $100,000 has been spent repairing 332 patrol cars filled with the wrong fuel during the past seven years. Essex police said gas caps playing a recorded reminder not to use anything but diesel fuel failed to stop officers from using regular gasoline on the patrol vehicles at least 332 times in the past seven years, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday. The police department said 222 of the occasions took place in the five years preceding 2008, when the recorded voice reminder system was put in place. However, the system did not stop 110 further incidents during the following two years. "We are constantly reminding staff to ensure they use the correct fuel. However, our staff drive both petrol and diesel vehicles during the course of their work and unfortunately mistakes happen," a police spokeswoman said. "We have around 900 vehicles and do fit devices to prevent wrong fueling. This is not a concern unique to the police service and is a problem nationally."

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—
• During the bloody thirty-eight-year reign of Henry VIII, an estimated 57,000 to 72,000 English subjects lost their heads.
• After victory in battle, Vikings drank blood of vanquished enemies from human skulls, hence the Scandinavian toast, "Skol!"

A LITTLE LAUGH
The boss walked into the office one morning not knowing his zipper was down and his fly area wide open. His assistant walked up to him and said, 'This morning when you left your house, did you close your garage door?' The boss told her he knew he'd closed the garage door, and walked into his office puzzled by the question.
As he finished his paperwork, he suddenly noticed his fly was open, and zipped it up. He then understood his assistant's question about his 'garage door.'
He headed out for a cup of coffee and paused by her desk to ask, 'When my garage door was open, did you see my Hummer parked in there?'
She smiled and said, 'No, I didn't. All I saw was an old minivan with two flat tires..

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS—Fantastic Pets
• The world record for the highest jump cleared by a dog is 172.7 cm (68 in), achieved by Cinderella May a Holly Grey, owned by Kate Long and Kathleen Conroy (both USA) of Miami, Florida, USA, at the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge National Finals, Gray Summit, Missouri, USA on 7 October 2006.
• The world record for the most tennis balls held in the mouth by a dog at one time is five. Augie, a golden retriever owned by the Miller family in Dallas, Texas, USA, successfully gathered and held all five regulation-sized tennis balls on July 6, 2003.
• The world's oldest dove is Methuselah, a white, male collared dove who was born in April 1975 and is owned by Manfred Meller of Harxheim, Germany.
•  The tallest dog living is ‘Giant George’ a Great Dane, who measured 1.092 m (43 in) tall on 15 February 2010 and is owned by David Nasser of Tucson, Arizona, USA.

∞CLOSEUP PICTURE
Can you identify this close up picture

FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’


♫ T V COMMERICALS OF 1950’s♫
Click on Title to see and hear
As I was doing laundry today, I flashed back to my mom who used a washer and an electric wringer before the laundry went onto the line outside. What a difference a six decades make. Or not.


►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
DAYBOOK INFORMATION
‡…THIS WEEK…‡
11-17 Cuckoo Dancing Week:
12-16 National Soccer Coaches of America Week:
15-17 Bald Eagle Appreciation Days:
16-22 International Printing Week • Healthy Weight Week • Hunt For Happiness Week • National Activity Professionals Week
17-23 National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week
‡…TODAY IS…‡
Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral Day
Cable Car Day
Customer Service Day
Hot Heads Chili Day
Kid Inventors' Day
Martin Luther King Day
Poland: Liberation Day
‡…Today’s Births…‡

• AUTHORS
Javed Akhtar, 66, Indian lyricist, poet and scriptwriter
1925 Robert Cormier, American author, columnist and reporter
1914 William Stafford, American poet and essayist
• ATHLETES
Muhammad Ali (Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr), 69, former heavyweight champion boxer
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1899 Al Capone ‘Scarface’: gangster, head of crime empire during Prohibition
Vidal Sassoon, 83, hair-stylist
• ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
1884 Noah Beery US actor (Mark of Zorro, Sea Wolf)
Jim Carrey, 49, actor (Dumb and Dumber, The Truman Show, Ace Ventura), comedian (“In Living Color”)
1925 Rock Hudson actor (McMillian & Wife)
James Earl Jones, 80, actor (The Great White Hope; Roots: The Next Generations)
1927 Eartha Kitt singer/actress (Catwoman-Batman)
1934 Shari Lewis ventriloquist/puppeteer (Lamb Chop)
1932 Sheree North (Dawn Bethel) actress: Marilyn: The Untold Story
Maury Povich, 72, talk show host
1880 Mack Sennett movie creator (Keystone Kops)
Betty White, 87, actress (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Golden Girls”), animal rights activist
1904 Grant Withers Pueblo CO, actor (Oklahoma, Annie)
• POLITICIANS
1853 Alva Vanderbilt Beaumont women's rights advocate & activist
Michelle Robinson Obama, 47, First Lady, wife of Barack Obama, 44th president of the US
1806 James Madison Randolph (Jefferson's grandson) 1st born in White House
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1706 Benjamin Franklin kite flyer/statesman/wit/inventor
1501 Leonhard Fuchs German botanist (History of Plants)
1761 James Hall Scotland, geologist
‡…Today’s Obituaries…‡
1961 Patrice Lumumba African revolutionary, murdered @ 36
1997 Clyde William Tombaugh discoverer (Pluto), @ 90
‡…Today’s Events…‡
• ARTS
1926 George Burns marries Gracie Allen
• ATHLETICS
1795 The Duddingston Curling Society, the oldest club of its kind, was organized in Edinburgh, Scotland.
1916 The Professional Golfers’ Association was formed in New York City.
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1905 Punchboards patented by Charles Brewer & C G Scannell, Chicago IL
1928 1st fully automatic photographic film developing machine patented
1929 Popeye makes 1st appearance, in comic strip "Thimble Theatre"
1989 Gunman opens fire in California schoolyard; 5 students slain, 30 wounded
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1813 As a part of the Detroit campaign, General James Winchester's forces of 700 Kentucky soldiers attack British and Indian forces at Monroe, Michigan, then called Frenchtown, on the Raisin River. They liberate the village. A counter attack will be waged on January 22, 1813.
• POLITICS (US)
1874 Armed Democrats seize Texas government ending Radical Reconstruction
1961 Eisenhower allegedly orders the assassination of Congo's Lumumba
1983 Alabama Governor George C Wallace, becomes governor for record 4th time
• POLITICS (International)
1945 Auschwitz concentration camp begins evacuation
1946 United Nations Security Council holds its 1st meeting
1991 Operation Desert Storm began
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1718 Avalanche destroys every building in Leukerbad, Switzerland; kills 53
1912 English explorer Robert Falcon Scott & his expedition reach the South Pole, only to discover that Roald Amundsen had gotten there 1 month before

►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
•While it ran from 1976-81, it was the world's most watched first-run syndicated TV show
What was ‘The Muppet Show’?
•Named for a friend, this soft-spoken character was said to be Henson's alter ego
Who was ‘Kermit the Frog’?
•Back in the '60s this co. asked Jim to develop characters for its NET production of "Sesame Street"
What was ‘Children’s Television Network’?
•As Ernie, Jim Henson was "awfully fond" of this title toy that earned him a hit record
Who was ‘Rubber Duckie’?
•The Skeksis and the Mystics were saved by the Gelflings in this 1982 fantasy film
What was ‘The Dark Crystal’?
∞ Close up Picture
Padlock

• AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW •
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Sunday 1-16-11



HOLY MACKEREL: 1883 Pendleton Act creates basis of US Civil Service system

►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
MY FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS

Thankfully there was little wind after midnight and through today. We didn’t make the promised 50° but close enough for me. I took a nice little walk in the forest this morning. The forest floor was a little wet, but thankfully not slippery. This was my first forest walk in 2011 and was very relaxing.

I’ve tried for three days to get a haircut from my haircut lady. It was not meant to be. So a new lady cut my hair. I like Terri but can’t play work-tag with her. The new lady did a good job. She will probably not stay a stylist…not because of talent, but because of personality. She happened to be there on two of my three trips looking for Terri. Both times and again today, when I came in she was busy flat-ironing her hair in front of her station. When she called me over, she spoke few words. She seemed very uncomfortable talking to me. I thought maybe I was just an old white guy and she was a student from somewhere who had a bad experience at a boarding school. She wasn’t rude, just non-communicative. Maybe she thought she should only be cutting hair of beautiful young women and buff young men. Or maybe, she is just quiet in a business that doesn’t have many of those types. Whatever, she got a good tip because she did give me a nice haircut.

It has been a week since the shootings in Tucson. I have learned much. It appears that there were several miracles that day. None of the family members of those lost are expressing anger. They are very sad, they are in mourning, they are in shock but don’t come off angry. A congressman has suggested that for the State of the Union address, everyone just sits wherever—rather than the traditional sitting with their party members. What a great way to show unity of the congress. It will be much more difficult to have someone yell out ‘you lied’ during Obama’s speech. It will show the country even when all the Dems stand and applaud that this is part of the democratic process. I sure hope that they at least try it. I am hoping that AZ will rethink its gun policy. Today some 47 year old had a fight with his wife in Phoenix, walked out of the house and shot a pistol into the air. That is illegal in AZ as a few years ago a bullet killed a little girl on New Year’s Eve when a neighbor, some four blocks away shot a celebratory shot into the air. The bullet, like all bullets, was brought back to earth by gravity and hit the little girl who was outside at a party. Anyway, the cops came after a neighbor called 911. The police saw the man returning home in his car. He stopped, opened the door and came out with an AK-47. Cops shot him—in the head—and he is in the hospital. No one in AZ needs an AK-47 for anything. Yet they are legal. This tragedy could have been much worse—an innocent bystander could have been injured by the falling bullets, he could have shot his wife and neighbors and cops. Last week I might have thought differently. In fact I might not have even paid any attention but things have changed.

►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(Super-Jeopardy Answers) from 1990 WORLD TRAVEL
…answers at bottom…
• EPCOT, as in EPCOT Center, is an acronym for "Experimental Prototype Community of" this
• Jasper National Park in this country has special snow coaches for tours of the ice fields
• You have to go to France, not Switzerland, to climb this highest peak in the Alps
• Treetops, the Ark & Mountain Lodge are 3 famous game-viewing lodges in this East African country
• The Algarve is the major vacation area of this European country

UNUSUAL NEWS ITEM-- BUCHAREST, Romania
Dozens of dead starlings found in a Romanian city were not victims of avian flu, as first feared, but were the victims of alcohol poisoning, officials said. Residents found the dead birds on the outskirts of Constanta, BBC News reported this week. Authorities were notified out of concern they might have died from avian flu. Romania has had outbreaks of avian flu in the past, including a March 2010 incident that resulted in some birds being culled. However, local veterinary officials said the starlings died after eating grape pulp left over from wine-making. Analysis of the starlings' gizzards showed they died from alcohol poisoning, the head of the local sanitary and veterinary authority said.

SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—
• In 2002, there were 850 hunting accidents in the U.S.
• Over 400,000 children are taken to the ER for bicycle-related injuries each year.

A LITTLE LAUGH
A little boy and girl are playing in a sandbox. The little boy has to go to take a pee and he was told by his mother to always be polite and don't talk about private matters in public.
At first he holds it in for a little while because he does not know what to say to the little girl to excuse himself. Then he remembers what his Mom had said at the restaurant to excuse herself from the table.
So he turns to the little girl and says, "Will you excuse me I have to go powder my nose."
And saying that he leaps out of the sandbox and runs to the washroom.
When he comes back the little girl looks up at him and asks, "Did you powder your nose?"
"Yes," said the little boy stepping back into the sandbox.
"Well then," says the little girl, "You'd better close your purse because your lipstick is hanging out."

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS—Extraordinary Animals
• The most calves born in a single birth is five, all of whom were born on March 18, 2005 at the Santa Clara Ranch, Congregacion Garza, Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The owners are Mr Guadalupe Olivares Garza & Sons.
• The world's highest ranking law-enforcement camel is Bert, who was accepted as Reserve Deputy Sheriff for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, San Dimas, USA on April 5, 2003 and regulary goes on patrol with his handler Nance Fite (USA).

∞CLOSEUP PICTURE
Can you identify this close up picture
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’

♫ T V COMMERICALS OF 1950’s♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear

►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
DAYBOOK INFORMATION
‡…THIS WEEK…‡
11-17 Cuckoo Dancing Week:
12-16 National Soccer Coaches of America Week:
15-17 Bald Eagle Appreciation Days:
16-22 International Printing Week • Healthy Weight Week • Hunt For Happiness Week • National Activity Professionals Week
‡…TODAY IS…‡
Appreciate A Dragon Day
Golden Globe Awards
Hot and Spicy Food International Day
National Nothing Day
World Religion Day
El Salvador: National Day of Peace
Israel: Flag Day or Magen David Day (Star of David)
Japan
Malawi: John Chilembwe Day (Baptist educator: Hero of Colonization Resistance)
US: Religious Freedom Day
‡…Today’s Births…‡
• AUTHORS
Jim Berry, 79, cartoonist (Berry's World)
• ATHLETES
1911 Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean HOF baseball pitcher (St Louis Cardinals)
Anthony Joseph (A.J.) Foyt, Jr, 76, former auto racer
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1757 Samuel McIntire woodcarver/architect (architect of Salem)
1853 André Michelin France, industrialist/tire manufacturer (Michelin)
• ENTERTAINERS (ACTORS/SINGERS/…)
Debbie Allen, 61, dancer, choreographer, singer, actress (“Fame”)
John Carpenter, 63, movie director (Halloween, The Thing)
David Chokachi, 43, actor (“Baywatch”)
1887 John Hamilton actor (Perry White-Superman)
Marilyn Horne, 77, opera singer
William Kennedy, 83, author (Ironweed, Roscoe)
1908 Ethel Merman stage & screen actress (Anything Goes, Call Me Madam)
Ronnie Milsap, 67, country singer
• POLITICIANS
1901 Fulgencio Batista President/Dictator of Cuba (1933-44, 1952-59)
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1932 Dian Fossey zoologist (Gorillas in the Mist)
1893 Henry C Rümke Dutch psychiatrist (Periods in Man's Life)
‡…Today’s Obituaries…‡
1979 Ted Cassidy actor (Lurch-Addams Family), surgery complications @ 46
1968 Robert R "Bob" Jones founder (Bob Jones University), @ 84
1942 Carole Lombard actress, (Bolero), killed in plane crash (along with her mother & 20 others) @ 32
1938 William Pickering pioneer US stellar spectroscopist, @ 80
1972 David Seville, recorded Alvin and the Chipmunks, heart attack @ 52
1957 Arturo Toscanini Italisn-American conductor, @ 89
‡…Today’s Events…‡
• ARTS
1938 Benny Goodman refuses to play Carnegie Hall when black members of his band were barred from performing
1939 Comic strip "Superman" debuts
1973 NBC presents 440th & final showing of "Bonanza"
1974 "Jaws" by Peter Benchley is published
1995 UPN (Universal-Parmount Network) begins telecasting
• ATHLETICS
1981 Ivan Lendl intentionally loses a match in the Volvo Masters in order to avoid having to play Björn Borg
1988 Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder fired from CBS for racial remarks
• BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1759 British Museum opens in London
1868 Refrigerator car patented by William Davis, a fish dealer in Detroit
1915 Congress authorizes $1 & $50 Panamá-Pacific International Expo gold coin
1951 World's largest gas pipeline opens (Brownsville TX, to 134th St, New York City NY)
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1831 Mushulatubbe ("Determined to Kill") says he will step down as Chief when the removal of the Choctaws to Indian Territory begins. He recommends that Peter Pitchlynn replace him as Chief of the Northeastern District.
1854 Citizens from Yreka, California, confront Shasta Indians over stolen cattle. Four whites are killed. This helps to rekindle the Rogue River War
• POLITICS (US)
1777 Vermont declares independence from NY
1870 Virginia becomes 8th state re-admitted to US after Civil War
1919 Prohibition ratified by 3/4 of the states; Nebraska is 36th
1920 18th Amendment, prohibition, becomes the law of the land
1991 Operation Desert Storm begins
• POLITICS (International)
1493 Columbus returns to Spain on his 1st trip
1944 General Eisenhower took command of Allied Invasion Force in London
1953 Egyptian Premier General Naguib disbands all political parties
1956 Egyptian President Nassar pledges to re-conquer Palestine
1967 1st black government installed in Bahamas
• SCIENCE & RELIGION
1219 Floods in Northern Netherlands after storm, 1,000s killed
1581 English parliament passes laws against Catholicism

►..◄……….►..◄……….►..◄
ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
•EPCOT, as in EPCOT Center, is an acronym for "Experimental Prototype Community of" this
What is TOMORROW?
•Jasper National Park in this country has special snow coaches for tours of the ice fields
What is Canada?
•You have to go to France, not Switzerland, to climb this highest peak in the Alps
What is the Mount Blanc?
•Treetops, the Ark & Mountain Lodge are 3 famous game-viewing lodges in this East African country
What is Kenya?
•The Algarve is the major vacation area of this European country
What is Portugal?
∞ Close up Picture
Snow Shovel
• AND THAT’S ALL FOR NOW •
: Haru-No-Yabuiri (Servants and employees given a day off after working through holidays)
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Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
I retired in '06--at the ripe old age of 57. I enjoy blogging, photography, traveling, and living life to it's fullest.