12-21-11 Taking a break

FYI: Blue text is a link… click on any blue text for more information!

Today’s “Geez“

• 103 Mayflower pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock in 1620 
• 1st crossword puzzle (with 32 clues) printed in NY World in 1913 
• 1st group hospital insurance plan offered (Dallas TX) in 1929 
• Dallas Cowboys hire coach Tom Landry (stays until 1988) in 1959
• Fox signs Shirley Temple, 5, to a studio contract in 1933
• Soviet Union formally dissolves 11 of 12 republics sign treaty forming Commonwealth of Independent States in 1991

♪♪ Happy Birthday To:♪♪                        

  Returns with next blog

Free Rambling Thoughts   

This blog is taking a break. It will resume when I return from Chicago around Dec. 27^th .

I decided I had to take a checked bag and give the damn airlines another $50. When I looked at all the gifts, I wish I had mailed them early…live and learn. Since I will be changing planes, the less I have to carry the better. Weather looks good for all flights to Chicago and I only hope they are as good coming back. Getting excited to see family. Not so much for the cold. If the weather channel is right, it will be mild—high in the 40’s and lows in the 20’s…sounds like Flag except for the wind and humidity.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (answers at the end of post)

Each answer is a familiar two-word phrase. The first word starts with H-A and the second word starts with T. For example, given the clue "a brand of tanning lotion," the answer would be "Hawaiian Tropic."

1.     President who said ‘the buck stops here’:

2.     Skimpy article of apparel for women:

3.     It may hang on a rod over a sink:

4.     Part of a mountain road where it doubles back on itself:

5.     Olympic event with a 16lbs attached to a wire:

6.     Difficult surfing move:

7.     Traditional luxury wool cloth for sports jacket:

8.     Period in autumn when crops are brought in:

9.     When you give constantly razz someone, giving him a _____ :

10.  Theme song for Roy Rogers and Dale Evans:

11.  Not a lie, not the whole story:

12.  Quickly responding to the situation with anger:

13.  GI Joe, Mr. Potato Head, Lincoln Logs:

14.  Female abolitionist :

Wuzzles  What concept or phrase do these suggest?

   

Rules of Thumb   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

• You can approximate the size of your brain by putting your fists together so that your wrists touch and your thumbnails face you side by side.

Hmmmmm           

• Percentage increase since last year in roadside calls to AAA from drivers who have fun out of gas: 14

Somewhat Useless Information   

• Approx. $700 million in pies (approx. 186 million units) are sold in grocery stores every year. This does not include restaurants, only grocery stores. If you lined up the number of pies sold at U.S. grocery stores in one year, they would circle the globe and then some.
• Pie just isn't for after-dinner dessert. Thirty-five percent of Americans say they've had pies for breakfast.

Yeah, It Really Happened                 

Geneva - A Swiss museum has taken the drastic step of replacing the horns of its rhinoceroses with fake ones to deter thieves fuelling a lucrative global trade, curators said on Tuesday.

Staff at Bern's Natural History Museum cut off the horns of its six display animals and put crude wooden ones in their place amid concerns they would be targeted.

Curators acted after hearing of horn thefts at museums across Europe, including in Britain, France and Germany.

Rhinoceros horn is prized in Asia where many consider it to have aphrodisiac and disease-fighting properties.

In recent months prices have soared, and they currently fetch between 30 000 and 250 000 Swiss francs (€25 000 and €200 000), according to the museum.

"On the black market, rhinoceros horns are more valuable than gold," it said in a statement.

Though a relatively new phenomenon, museum thefts have noticeably increased recently, it added.

A Laff or at least smile     

Never criticize someone unless you walk a mile in his or her shoes, and then when you criticize them you'll be a mile away and have their shoes!

Bonus

It was very crowded and noise in this Restaurant and this blond girl asks the waiter where the restroom was.

 And he says: “I can’t hear you!”

So she gets close to his ear and asks again: “Can you please tell me where the ladies room is?”

And he replies: “On the other side! “

So she turns around and gets close to his other ear, and asks: “Can you please tell me where the ladies room is, please!”

Found on YouTube          

Hang 10 surfing and more

Daybook Information        

…Happening This Week:

15-29

Halcyon Days 

16-24

Posadas 

17-23

Saturnalia 

18-24 

Christmas Bird Count Week 

Gluten-free Baking Week:  25-31

It's About Time Week 

26-1/1

Kwanzaa

Today Is                                                                       

• Ann & Samantha Day: honoring Anne Frank [wrote during WWII] and Samantha Smith [wrote letter to Yuri Andropov—killed in plane crash at 13]
• Crossword Puzzle Day
• Forefathers Day: commemoration of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in Plymouth
• Hamburger Day
• Humbug Day 
• Look On The Bright Side Day
• National Flashlight Day
• National French Fried Shrimp Day
• National Haiku Poetry Day
• National Homeless Persons' Remembrance Day
• Phileas Fogg Wins A Wager Day
• World Peace Day/
• Winter Solstice: Longest night in N. Hemisphere
• Yalda: Persian Winter Solstice Celebration; this night is the night of the birth of Mithra, Persian angel of light and truth

Today’s Events                                                              

Arts

1st feature-length silent film comedy, "Tillie's Punctured Romance" released. (Marie Dressler, Mabel Normand & Charles Chaplin) in 1914

Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers, 1st joint movie (Flying Down to Rio ) in 1932 

1st feature-length color & sound cartoon premieres (Snow White) in 1937 

Frank Capra's  "It's a Wonderful Life," premieres in 1946

Athletics

Vince Lombardi coaches his last football game, losing [overall record 96-34-6] in 1969

Business

1st stone arch Railroad Bridge in US dedicated, Baltimore in 1829 

Education

1st junior high school established (Berkeley CA) in 1909 

Indigenous People

Conference covering peace and the resumption of trade is held for the next 8 days between representatives of the British in North Carolina and the Cherokee in 1759

The 2 treaties the Cherokee signed with Return Meigs are sent to the Senate today for consideration. The Cherokee will give up over four million acres for almost $20,000 [2010US $286,782] in 1804

Cheyennes, Arapho's, Sioux:  Fetterman Massacre in 1866 

Politics [International]

Dutch 1st Chamber accept sovereignty of Indonesia in 1949 

UN General Assembly passes a resolution declaring 1979-Year of Child in 1976

Politics [US]

J Edgar Hoover deports anarchists/feminist Emma Goldman to Russia in 1919 

John Jay becomes 1st US secretary of state (foreign affairs) in 1784 

Supreme Court rules labor injunctions & picketing unconstitutional in 1921 

Religion

--

Science

Scientists Pierre & Marie Curie discovers radium in 1898 

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

Artists: [Authors, Composers]

Werner von Trapp, member of the Trapp Family Singers in 1915

Athletes

Chris Evert Lloyd Mills, tennis pro 'Miss Pokerface' is 57

Josh Gibson, pro baseball player, "Negro Babe Ruth" (hit 800+ HRs) in 1911

Florence Griffith Joyner, LA Calif, runner (Olympic-3 gold-1988) in 1959

Joe Paterno, football coach (Penn State, SI Sportsman of 1986) is 85

Entertainers [Actors, Singers…]

Andy Dick, comedian is 46

Phil Donahue, talk show host is 76

Jane Fonda, activist, actress, fitness guru is 74

Paul, [Ray Hildebrand], singer (Hey Paula) is 71

Samuel L Jackson, actor (Amos & Andrew, White Sand, Pulp Fiction) is 63

Jane Kaczmarek, actor (Malcolm in the Middle) is 56

Ray Romano, actor (Ray Barone-Everybody Loves Raymond) is 54

Paul Winchell,ventriloquist (Jerry Mahoney, Knucklehead Smith) in 1922

Frank Zappa, rocker (Mothers of Invention, Catholic Girls) in 1940

Entrepreneurs & Educators

--

Political Figures

Benjamin Disraeli, (Tory) British PM in1804 

Fred M Vinson, US Supreme Court Justice (1946-53) in 1890

Kurt Waldheim, Nazi/4th UN Sec-Gen (1972-81)/Austrian pres (1986-92) in 1918

Roger Williams, English theologian and colonist in 1603

Scientists & Theologians

Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury in 1117

Jean Henri Fabre, France, entomologist (insects & spiders) in1823

Thomas Graham, British chemist and father of colloid chemistry in 1805

Today’s Obits                                                           

Rod Cameron, actor (Santa Fe Passage, Stampede), dies at 73 in 1983

 ‘Doubting’Thomas, dies in 72 the Apostle speared to death in Madras, India in 72

F Scott Fitzgerald, author (Zelda), dies of a heart attack at 44 in 1940

Richard Long, actor (Nanny & Professor), dies of multiple heart attacks at 47 in 1974

George S Patton, US General (Sicily/Normandy), dies in car crash at 60 in 1945

Margaret E Rey, author of children's books, dies at 90 in 1996

Dean Rusk, US Sect of State, dies at 85 in 1994

Dick Schaap, American sports journalist dies of surgery complications at 67 in 2001

Answers                                                                                                                                            

NPR Sunday Puzzle

1.     President who said ‘the buck stops here’: Harry Truman

2.     Skimpy article of apparel for women: halter top

3.     It may hang on a rod over a sink: hand towel

4.     Part of a mountain road where it doubles back on itself: hairpin turn

5.     Olympic event with a 16lbs attached to a wire: hammer throw

6.     Difficult surfing move: Hang 10

7.     Traditional luxury wool cloth for sports jacket: Harris tweed

8.     Period in autumn when crops are brought in: harvest time

9.     When you give constantly razz someone, giving the a : hard time

10.  Theme song for Roy Rogers and Dale Evans: Happy Trails

11.  Not a lie, not the whole story: half truth

12.  Quickly responding to the situation with anger: hair trigger

13.  GI Joe, Mr. Potato Head, Lincoln Logs: Hasbro toys

14.  Female abolitionist : Harriett Tubman

Wuzzle

• Stereotyped
• The bottom of the barrel
• Turned upside down

Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site has mistakes and sadly once out the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.

§     And That Is All For Now     §

12-20-11

FYI: Blue text is a link… click on any blue text for more information!

Today’s “Geez“

• 1st Japanese bombing of Calcutta : 1942 
• Cardiff is proclaimed the capital city of Wales, United Kingdom : 1955 
• Ethiopia becomes socialist one-party state: 1974 
• "Harvey," starring James Stewart, premieres in NY:  1950 
• Louisiana Purchase formally transferred from France to US for $27M: 1803 
• Richard the Lionhearted captured in Vienna: 1192 

♪♪ Happy Birthday To:♪♪                        

 

Free Rambling Thoughts   

Countdown to Chicago has started. I leave on the 21^st…at 10pm. I keep thinking I leave on Thursday cause that’s when I get into Chicago, and I am crossing either the prime meridian or the International Dateline. Oh well. Picked up my last few stocking stuffers. Tomorrow I’ll deal with figuring out the packing situation.

Just saw a crappy story on the news. I discovered Simply Orange about 9 months ago—not from concentrate, fresh orange juice. Then last week I saw an article that said Minute Maid Fresh OJ won a taste test over Simply Orange. They are both more expensive than OJ that is made from concentrate, but the taste is much better. Now, sadly, I know why. It’s true that it isn’t made from concentrate, but they squeeze the oranges, and put them in million gallon vats—sometimes for months. Then just before they package it, they add ‘orange essence’ from new oranges to give it the fresh taste. Since they are adding orange to orange, the brilliant FDA says it’s still fresh OJ, not from concentrate. Seems a little odd to me and really dis-tasteful. Guess it’s time to get out the juicer, where I know the juice is fresh.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (answers at the end of post)

Every answer is a seven-letter word in which the middle five letters are the letters in the word "inset" in some order. For example, given the first letter F and the last letter S with the clue "what physical exercise promotes," the answer would be "fitness."

1.     DT--tooth doctor:

2.     UL--fork knife, spoon:

3.     JG--making jokes:

4.     DD--stretch as the stomach:

5.     AR--more on edge:

6.     DY--fate :

7.     DY--compactness:

8.     WS--a person who may give testimony:

9.     MR--a large or important church:

10.  [2 words] WD--limit of one’s sanity:

Wuzzles  What concept or phrase do these suggest?

   

Rules of Thumb   

Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess

• Avoid setting type columns to lines less than 35 characters long. Shorter lines cause sentences to be so broken they are hard to understand.

Hmmmmm           

• Chances that a retiree reports spending more savings than planned to meet basic expenses last year: 1 in 3

Somewhat Useless Information   

• Mint was no doubt one of the earliest herbs discovered. It has been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 1000 BC and has been part of the Chinese pharmacopoeia even longer.
• The early Romans believed eating mint would increase intelligence. The scent of mint was supposed to stop a person from losing his temper and royal ambassadors carried mint sprigs in their pockets. It was also used to sweeten the often rank smell of medieval halls.
• One drum of oil (weighing about 400 pounds) can be used to flavor approximately five million sticks of chewing gum or 400,000 tubes of toothpaste.
• The United States produces more than 70% of the world's supply of peppermint and spearmint.
• Recent research conducted at the University of Cincinnati has shown that sniffing mint improves concentration; several Japanese companies now pipe small amounts through their air conditioning systems to invigorate workers and improve productivity.
• The genus Mentha is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean basin. Mint or Mintha, is named after the Greek nymph Minthes, who was turned into a mint plant by Proserpine, the jealous wife of Pluto, for casting covetous eyes on the philandering god of the underworld.

Yeah, It Really Happened                 

BBC-UK "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, made a very tasty pâté ..." That's far from the traditional version of the song, but the prospect of turning Dasher or Dancer into a snack had animal-rights activists in the U.K. seeing red. The group Vegetarians International Voice for Animals launched a campaign against upscale department store Harvey Nichols for selling cans of reindeer pâté.

VIVA's website urges supporters to "politely complain" to the store, claiming that the process of harvesting the venison is traumatic to the animals. Admittedly, the packaging of the pâté seems designed to tweak delicate sensibilities, claiming the product is a "farm-raised relative of Rudolph" and "an indulgent Christmas treat." The pâté includes cognac and spices as well as its signature ingredients, ground meat and fat.

In a statement, the retailer defended the its choice to stock reindeer pâté, saying, "reindeer is growing in popularity in the U.K. … The reindeer we stock is farmed in Sweden and complies to EU legislation."

At £15 for 190 grams (around $23 for 6.7 ounces), it's a pricey snack. Even so, adventurous eaters are probably out of luck; it's listed as unavailable on Amazon.com and on the website of manufacturer Edible. It's also no longer available at Harvey Nichols stores or online — not because the retailer yanked it from its inventory at activists' request, according to a spokeswoman, but because the publicity led to a spike in sales.

"[O]ur online stock has sold out due to the publicity and demand we've received," spokeswoman Constance Cooper said via email. "It's a seasonal product and stocks are limited so we will not be restocking prior to Christmas." Until next year, foodies with a taste for the wild side will have to content themselves with Harvey Nichols' other edible oddities like green curry crickets or toasted ants.

A Laff or at least smile     

Two buddies are fishing, but they haven’t caught anything all day. Then, another fisherman walks by with a huge load of fish. They ask him "excuse me, but where did you get all those fish?"

 The other fisherman replies,” If you just go down the stream until the water isn't salty, there are a ton of hungry fish."

They thank him and go on their way. 15 minutes later, one fisherman says to the other "fill the bucket up with water and see if the water is salty."

He dips the bucket in the stream and drinks some. "Nope. Still salty." 30 minutes later, he asks him to check again.

"Nope, still salty." One our later they check again. "Nope. Still salty."

 "This isn't good," the fisherman finally says. "We have been walking for almost two hours and the water is still salty!"

 "I know," says the other. "And the bucket is almost empty!"

Found on YouTube          

•  Bob Hope Interview

Daybook Information        

…Happening This Week:

15-29

Halcyon Days 

16-24

Posadas 

17-23

Saturnalia 

18-24 

Christmas Bird Count Week 

Gluten-free Baking Week: 

Today Is                                                                       

• Cathode-Ray Tube Day: used in early TV’s and computer monitors
• Games Day: first and foremost a celebration of the Games Workshop hobby—with multimedia
• Hanukkah: Festival of Lights—Jewish; begins at sundown and continues for 8 days
• International Human Solidarity Day
• Mudd Day: Dr. Mudd helped JW Booth hide

Today’s Events                                                              

Arts

Ian Anderson & Glenn Cornick form rock group Jethro Tull [ Bungle in the Jungle]: 1967

Phileas Fogg completes around world trip, according to Verne: 1892 

"Graduate", starring Dustin Hoffman & Anne Bancroft, premieres: 1967 

Bob Hope became an American citizen:  1920

Peter, Paul & Mary's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" reaches #1: 1969 

Elvis Presley given draft notice to join US Army for National Service: 1957 

Neil Simons "Sunshine Boys," premieres in NYC: 1972 

Athletics

NBC broadcasts NY Jets' 24-17 win over Dolphins without audio: 1980 

Nancy Lopez/Miller Barber wins LPGA Mazda Golf Championship: 1987

Business

1st successful US cotton mill to spin yarn (Pawtucket, RI) : 1790 

1st international dogsled mail leaves Minot, Maine for Montreal, Quebec : 1928 

Animal rights terrorists fire-bomb Harrod's dept store, London : 1988 

Education

--

Indigenous People

Sacagawea, Shoshone interpreter for Lewis & Clark, dies at 24 in 1812 [oral Shoshone history is that she died at 96 in 1884]

Politics [International]

England declares war on Netherlands : 1780 

14 republics form Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics (USSR) : 1922 

World War II: First battle of the American Volunteer Group, better known as the "Flying Tigers" in Kunming, China : 1941

Trial against 21 camp guards of Auschwitz begins: 1963

NATO begins peacekeeping in Bosnia: 1995

The first same sex civil partnerships in Scotland are celebrated: 2005

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II becomes the oldest ever monarch of the United Kingdom, surpassing Queen Victoria, who lived for 81 years, 7 months and 29 days: 2007 

Politics [US]

Virginia Company settlers leave London to establish Jamestown VA: 1606 

1st jury trial in Delaware; Marcus Jacobson condemned for insurrection & sentenced to flogging, branding & slavery : 1669 

US House of Representatives restricts immigration: 1919

US troops invade Panama & oust Manuel Noriega, but don't catch him: 1989

Religion

Missouri imposes a $1[US2010$:15.39]bachelor tax on unmarried men between 21 & 50: 1820 

1st state anti-lynching statue approved, in Georgia: 1893 

Science

Pneumatic automobile tire patented, Syracuse, NY : 1892

Today’s Birthdays                                                           

Artists: [Authors, Composers]

David Bohm, American-born physicist, philosopher, and neuropsychologist in 1917 

Sidney Hook, anticommunist philosopher (Paradoxes of Freedom) in 1902

Athletes

Tim Hauck, NFL safety (Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks) is 45

Entertainers [Actors, Singers…]

Robert Colomby, rock drummer (Blood Sweat & Tears-And When I Die) is 67

Uri Geller, Israel, psychic (bends forks) is 65

Jonah Hill, actor is 28

Larry Willis, rock keyboardist (Blood, Sweat & Tears) is 71

Entrepreneurs & Educators

Harvey S Firestone, Industrialist, where the rubber meets the road in1868 

Political Figures

Charles Edward Stuart, [Bonnie Prince Charlie/Young Pretender] in 1720 

Scientists & Theologians

Samuel A Mudd, doctor, convicted of giving medical aid to JW Booth in 1833 

Today’s Obits                                                           

Vincent Ciccone, inventor (Blow-Pops candy), dies at 81 in 1997

Bobby Darin, singer (Mack the Knife), dies of heart failure at 37 in 1973

Richard J Daley, (Mayor-D-Chicago), dies at 74 in 1976

James Hilton, English author (Lost Horizon), dies of liver cancer at 54 in 1954

Steve Landesberg, American actor and comedian [Dietrich--Barney Miller], dies at 74 in 2010

Max Robinson, 1st black network (ABC) TV anchor, dies of AIDS at 49 in 1988

Artur Rubinstein, pianist (Chopin - Heroic Polonaise Op. 53), dies in Geneva at 95 in 1982

Dean Rusk, US Sect of State (1961-69), dies at 85 in 1994

Carl Sagan, scientist (Contact), dies of pneumonia at 62 in 1996

Answers                                                                                                                                            

NPR Sunday Puzzle

1.     DT--tooth doctor: Dentist

2.     UL--fork knife, spoon: utensil

3.     JG--making jokes jesting

4.     DD--stretch as the stomach: distend

5.     AR--more on edge: antsier

6.     DY--fate :destiny

7.     DY--compactness: density

8.     WS--a person who may give testimony: witness

9.     MR--a large or important church: minster

10.  WD--limit of one’s sanity: wit’s end

• Wuzzle
• An error in judgment
• Tripoli
• Stereotyped

Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site has mistakes and sadly once out the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.

§     And That Is All For Now     §