4-3-13


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:  Week: 14/ Day: 93   Today: H 58°L 25°
Averages: H  54° L 26° Records: H 72°(1966)L -2°(1975)
Wind: ave:   10mph; Gusts:  33mph  Ave. humidity:  51%

Quote of the Day


Today’s Historical Highlights
1st airplane flight over Mt Everest…1933
1st portable cell phone call is made in New York City, United States…1973
American Old West: Outlaw Jesse James is killed by Robert Ford…1882
Fidel Castro's rebels attacked Havana…1958
Harry Harry Truman signs Marshall Plan ($5B aid to 16 European countries)…1948
North Atlantic Treaty, pact signed by US, Britain, France & Canada…1949
Pony Express began between St Joseph Mo & Sacramento…1860
Revenue Marine Service (US Coast Guard), created…1790
Spanish unemployment reaches record high, youth unemployment stands at 50%...2012

     Happy Birthday To: ♪. ♪   
How many can you identify?…answers in Today’s Birthdays



Free Rambling Thoughts   
A good spring day. Wind gusts were thankfully few and far between.
 
I was reminded today of my life in the 1960’s. Back then, while I was working, I would get a check and deposit into my savings account with some put in my checking account. I would always be reminded by the teller that the money would not be available for about a week. I thought then, that was a little crazy, but, after working as a manager of the grocery store, I sort of understood why. We would get lots of ‘bad checks’, usually for ‘lack of funds’ Today I went to an ATM and deposited two cashier’s checks into the machine. On the receipt it said the money would not be available until April 11. I should have walked inside and deposited them with the teller. Had I done that, and been told the same thing, I would have had someone to argue with. First, they were cashier’s checks and second, it is 2013 and the checks should be able to clear faster than 10 days. Oh well. I’m sure it is just that the computer pops that out on every check deposited and they will clear much faster.
 
Last night I decided to use my DVR to copy Dancing with the Stars. I enjoy the dancing, but don’t watch the ‘story’, the commercials, or the endless babbling. In the past I have jumped between two shows to miss all the stuff I don’t like. So about ½ way through, the Phoenix channels stop working. I was watching another show, but had switched to a Phoenix channel during a commercial. After about 15 minutes it was still off, so I called the cable company. They answered right away…with a recording. I put in my phone number and was told that my cable box wasn’t working and that I could press 1 to schedule an appointment or press 2 to sign up for insurance. Pressing 1 means I pay $40 for a visit, pressing 2 means I pay $4/month with unlimited visits. I could press 3 to talk to a technician. I then had to wait 20 minutes for a techie. Thank goodness I have a speaker phone. The guy has no idea how long the Phoenix stations will be out. I told him I didn’t like the choices, since I knew my cable box was working as I was watching TV. His response was that it was a new system and needed tweaking. He assured me that had I pressed 1, the tech would have called to see if my box was working before coming out and I wouldn’t be charged. Of course if I had pressed 2 I would be charged for ever to the insurance. What a scam. If I didn’t have so many trees, I would have satellite TV.
Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
What's the rebus, here: J, ____ & Titanic

****
Hint: See the first two items (J & ___) in terms of what they look like and not what they are, necessarily, as keyboard characters.

Lifestyle  Substance:     
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

Origins of Phrases
As happy as a clam
Meaning: 
Very happy and content.
Origin: 
Why would clams be happy? It has been suggested that open clams give the appearance of smiling. The derivation is more likely to come from the fuller version of the phrase, now rarely heard - 'as happy as a clam at high water'. Hide tide is when clams are free from the attentions of predators; surely the happiest of times in the bivalve mollusc world. The phrase originated in the north-eastern states of the USA in the early 19th century. The earliest citation that I can find is from a frontier memoir The Harpe's Head - A Legend of Kentucky, 1833:
"It never occurred to him to be discontented... He was as happy as a clam."
The first record that I can find of the 'high water' version is from the Pennsylvania newspaper The Adams Sentinel, August 1844:
"Crispin was soon hammering and whistling away as happy as a clam at high water."
The expression was well-enough known in the USA by the late 1840s for it to have been included in John Russell Bartlett's Dictionary Of Americanisms - A Glossary of Words And Phrases Usually Regarded As Peculiar To The United States, 1848:
"As happy as a clam at high water," is a very common expression in those parts of the coast of New England where clams are found.
Also in 1848, the Southern Literary Messenger from Richmond, Virginia expressed the opinion that the phrase "is familiar to everyone".
Ok, then?


Harper’s Index    
  • Estimated minimum cost to make and market Pert Jackson’s film trilogy adaptation of The HObbitt: $1,000,000,000
  • Amount New Zealand’s tourism board has spent to promote the nation as ‘100 percent Middle Earth’: $8,200,000
Picture of the Day: Rainforest Primates



Unusual Fact of the Day
The city of Austin, Texas, was originally named "Waterloo."
Joke-of-the-day
One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of Chicken Little to her class. She came to the part of the story where Chicken Little tried to warn the farmer. She read, ".... and so Chicken Little went up to the farmer and said, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!"
The teacher paused then asked the class, "And what do you think that farmer said?"
One little girl raised her hand and said, "I think he said: 'Holy Mackerel! A talking chicken!'"
The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes.
Rules of Thumb:   
 PLANNING PARTIES
 Only half of those you invite to a large social gathering, such as a wedding or retirement party, will come. But expect a 90 percent turnout if you're inviting a small, select group of friends or family. If it's a child's party, plan on at least one uninvited brother or sister tagging along.
Yeah, It Really Happened
A flagrantly fragrant New Jersey man was arrested after he allegedly stole $117,000 worth of perfume.Juan Bernal, 52, allegedly employed a 17-year-old boy to help him pull off the haute heist. The two are accused of loading thousands of bottles swiped from Cosmetics Essence Innovations in Holmdel into an SUV, according to Patch.
The unidentified juvenile was reportedly enlisted to help Bernal load the bottles into the back of the SUV, NJ.com reports. It's unclear how the two got caught, but they were both arrested that night.
Bernal was held in the Monmouth County jail on $100,000 bail.
If that's not the weirdest heist of the year so far, this is: in January, two storage workers in Georgia allegedly stole $65,000 worth of chicken wings, just days before the Super Bowl and amid a nationwide chicken wing shortage.
Somewhat Useless Information   
  • Most landfilled trash retains its original weight, volume, and form for 40 years.
  • New Jersey, with 96, is the US state with the greatest number of hazardous waste sites.
  • Quito in Ecuador, South America, is said to have the most pleasant climate in the world. It is called the 'Land of Eternal Spring.' The temperature rarely drops below 46 degrees Fahrenheit during the night, or exceed 72 degrees Fahrenheit during the day.
  • St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest city in the US.
  • Talking on a cellular phone while driving is against the law in Israel.
  • The 1st US zoo was built in Philadelphia, PA, in 1876.
  • The abbreviation 'ORD' for Chicago's O'Hare airport comes from the old name 'Orchard Field.'


Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
31-4/6
National Week Of The Ocean
1-7
The APAWS Pooper Scooper  Week
Explore Your Career Options
Golden RuleWeek 

Laugh at Work Week
Medication Safety Week

Today Is                                                                      
Find A Rainbow Day
Pony Express Day
Tweed Day
Weed Out Hate: Sow The Seeds of Greatness Day
Whole Grain Sampling Day
World Party Day 
National Day of Hope
National Walking Day
Paraprofessional Appreciation Day
Don't Go To Work Unless It's Fun Day

Today’s Events through History  
Egyptian Pres Anwar Sadat 1st meeting with President Jimmy Carter…1977
House of Reps accepts American Creed written by William Tyler…1918
Union forces occupy Confederate capital of Richmond Va & Petersberg…1865
Vic Elliot pocketed 15,780 pool balls in 24 hours in London…1985
Washington receives honorary Ll.D. degree from Harvard College…1776
White settlers have started moving onto SIOUX lands, near New Ulm, Minnesota. 
     In an effort to improve their illegal standing, today, they petition President 
     Lincoln for protection against the Indians…1861

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 90’s
Doris Day, Cincinnati Oh, "girl next door" actress (Pillow Talk) is 91

In their 70’s
Jane Goodall, London England, ethologist (studied African chimps) is 79
Wayne Newton, American singer is 71

In their 60’s
Tony Orlando, NYC, singer (& Dawn-Tie a Yellow Ribbon) is 69

In their 50’s
Alec Baldwin, actor is 55
Eddie Murphy, actor (SNL, 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop, Raw) is 52

In their 40’s
Picabo Street, skier (Olympic-gold-94) ia 42           

Remembered for being born today
Marlon Brando, actor (Superman, Godfather) [1924-2004]
Iron Eyes Cody, actor (Black Gold, Ernest Goes to Camp) [1904-1999]
John Demjanjuk, Ukrainian-born American auto worker, Nazi convicted war 
     criminal [1920-2012]
Bud Fisher, cartoonist (Mutt & Jeff) [1885-1954]
George Jessel, toastmaster general/entertainer (Diary of Young Comic) [1898-1991]
Washington Irving, US writer (Legend of Sleepy Hollow) [1793-1859]
William Macy "Boss" Tweed, corrupt political boss (NYC) [1823-1878]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
Betty Furness, actress/ consumer reporter news (WNBC)…stomach 
     cancer…1994…at 78
Pinky Lee, kiddie host (Pinky Lee Show)…heart attack…1993…at 85
Terence McKenna, American writer and philosopher…brain cancer…2000…at 53
Jean Petitot, Swiss enamel painter…1691…at 84
Sarah Vaughn, jazz singer…lung cancer…1990…at 66

Answer: Brain Teasers
Hook, line and sinker.
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  §

4/2/13


FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!
Flagstaff Almanac:  Week: 14/ Day: 92   Today: H 59°L 29°
Averages: H  54° L 26° Records: H 74°(2011)L 2°(1970)
Wind: ave:   27mph; Gusts:  38mph  Ave. humidity:  51%

Quote of the Day


Today’s Historical Highlights
1st Easter egg roll held on White House lawn…1877
3 day National Conference on Indian Water Rights is convened today in D.C….1975
Cairo-Capetown railway opens…1905
Charles Lindbergh turns over $50,000 as ransom for kidnapped son…1932
London prison for debtors closed…1884
Riots between Moslems & Hindus in Calcutta…1926
US President Johnson ends civil war in Ala, Ark, Fla, Ga, Miss, La, NC, SC, Tn & Va…1866
Velcro was 1st put on the market…1978 
                       
     Happy Birthday To: ♪. ♪   
How many can you identify?…answers in Today’s Birthdays
 Returns tomorrow
Free Rambling Thoughts   
A typical spring day here in Flag…nice temperatures and damning wind. So glad I live in Flag, and not out on the Rez…at least Flag’s wind is not full of sand. We started out with clear blue sky, followed by lots of puffy clouds, followed by lots of wispy clouds.
 
I saw an interesting poll on line today. Fox News was voted the most trusted and least trusted news organization in this country. That sure explains a lot. I was happy to see that NPR was the next most trusted organization.
 
So the April Fools pranks were interesting this year. My three favorites for this year: The You Tube announcement that it was shutting down as planned. They claimed it was a 8 year experiment to find the best video, and now they will shut down and review all the posted videos and in 8 years they will announce the best video. The Google announcement was well done on Google smell, where you can now find a picture, click on the newly added beta version smell button to smell what is in the picture. Finally was a local one where a popular liquor store downtown known for its imported beer was raided as they were running a ‘speak easy’ in the old tunnels under their store. They were ‘found out’ when a case of imported beer in the tunnels exploded from over fermentation and blew poker chips into the streets of Flagstaff. Oh, and one more, Sharon Osborne, Ozzy’s wife, announced on The Talk that at 60 she was pregnant. After lots of hugs from her co-hosts, about 15 minutes later she announced it was an April Fool prank. Gotta love watching TV and listening to news today, wondering if a story is true or a prank. In these crazy times, sometimes it is really hard to recognize a good prank.

Game  Center (answers at the end of post)
Brain Teasers
When you behead a word, you remove the first letter and still have a valid word. You will be given clues for the two words, longer word first. Example: Begin -> Sour, acidic Answer: The words are Start and Tart.
1. A trip through the air -> Illumination; not heavy 2. Travelling through the air -> Not telling the truth 3. True statement -> Part of a play; something done 4. Straightforward; blunt -> Position in a hierarchy 5. Cord for igniting an explosive -> To employ; exploit 6. An example of a number -> Belonging to us 7. To put in as much as possible -> Unwell; sick 8. High body temperature -> At any time; at all times

****
Hint if needed
The shorter words start with these letters:
1. L
2. L
3. A
4. R
5. U
6. O
7. I
8. E


Lifestyle  Substance:     
Found on You Tube with some relevance to today

Origins of Phrases
As Easy as Pie
Meaning
Very easy.
Origin
There are many similes in English that have the form 'as X as Y'. These almost always highlight some property - X, and give an example of something that is well known to display that property - Y; for example, 'as white as snow', 'as dead as a dodo' and, risking a group slander action from our noble friends, 'as drunk as a lord'.
How though are pies thought to be easy? They aren't especially easy to make; I know, I've tried it. The easiness comes with the eating - at least, that was the view in 19th century America, where this phrase was coined. There are various mid 19th century US citations that, whilst not using 'as easy as pie' verbatim, do point to 'pie' being used to denote pleasantry and ease. 'Pie' in this sense is archetypally American, as American as apple pie in fact. The usage first comes in the phrase 'as nice as pie', as found here in Which: Right or Left? in 1855:
"For nearly a week afterwards, the domestics observed significantly to each other, that Miss Isabella was as 'nice as pie!'"
Mark Twain frequently used just 'pie' to mean pleasant or accommodating: In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1884,
"You're always as polite as pie to them."
"So he took him to his own house, and dressed him up clean and nice,... and was just old pie to him, so to speak."
Pie was also used at that time for something that was easy to accomplish; for example, in The US magazine Sporting Life, May 1886:
"As for stealing second and third, it's like eating pie."
Ok, then?


Harper’s Index    
Value of bribes reported through Bribr, a Russian anticorruption app released last Sept: $1,577,127
Picture of the Day: Rainforest Primates



Unusual Fact of the Day
Pringles chips are named after a street in Finneytown, a tiny Cincinnati suburb
Joke-of-the-day
"How was your game, dear?" asked Jack's wife Tracy. 
"Well, I was hitting pretty well, but my eyesight's gotten so bad I couldn't see where the ball went," he answered. 
"But you're 75 years old, Jack!" admonished his wife, "Why don't you take my brother Scott along?" 
"But he's 85 and doesn't play golf anymore," protested Jack. 
"But he's got perfect eyesight. He would watch the ball for you," Tracy pointed out. 
The next day Jack teed off with Scott looking on. Jack swung and the ball disappeared down the middle of the fairway. "Do you see it?" asked Jack. 
"Yup," Scott answered. 
"Well, where is it?" yelled Jack, peering off into the distance. 
"I forgot."  
Rules of Thumb:   
Easy shortcuts to make an ‘educated’ guess
INVITING GUESTS
 If you are giving a party and you live in the suburbs, invite two times the number of people you want to attend. If you live within range of public transportation, invite one and a half times the number of people you want. If you are in the heart of the city, invite one and a quarter times the number of people you want.    
Yeah, It Really Happened
The caretaker of a Pennsylvania mansion is accused of drinking 52 bottles of whiskey appraised at a total $102,400.
Patricia Hill, who purchased the Scottdale mansion in 2012, said caretaker John Saunders, 62, helped her remove and dust off nine cases of Old Farm Pure Rye Whiskey that were apparently concealed in the walls of the home by industrialist J.P. Brennan.
"My guess is that Mr. Brennan ordered 10 cases ... pre-Prohibition," Hill said. "I was told by his family that family members used to greet him at the door each day with a shot of whiskey."
Hill said she discovered after Saunders moved out that he had apparently drank 52 of the 108 bottles of the whiskey, which was bottled in 1912 at the West Overton Distilling Co. She said the missing booze was appraised at a total $102,400 by New York auction house Bonhams.
"This whole experience has shocked me," Hill said. "I was shocked when I found them, shocked to find Mr. Saunders drank them, and shocked when I received the appraisal. I had just planned to preserve them."
Saunders was arrested and is now charged with receiving stolen property and theft. However, he wasn't charged with caretaking under the influence.  
Somewhat Useless Information   
  • The Scottish love April Fools' Day. In fact they love it so much, they celebrate it for two days. In Scotland they call it "hunting the gowk" (the cuckoo), and if you are tricked, you are an "April gowk." The second day, called "Taily Day," is devoted to pranks involving the back side of the body. The "butt" of these jokes may often have a "kick me" sign placed on their back.
  • Kids in France fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their backs. When the victim discovers the fish, the prankster yells "Poisson d'Avril!" (April Fish!)
  • In Portugal, April Fools' Day is actually celebrated on the Sunday and Monday before Lent. The big trick there? Throwing flour at your friend's face.
  • In Poland everyone takes part in April Fools' Day activities, including the media and sometimes public institutions. All serious activities are completely avoided for the day. A favorite joke? Pouring water on people.
  • In certain areas of Belgium, children lock out their parents or teachers and only let them in if they promise to give them sweets. 
  • Depending on where you live in England, instead of a "fool" you could be called a "noodle," "noddy," "gobby" or "gob."

Calendar Information        
Happening This Week:
31-4/6
National Week Of The Ocean
1-7
The APAWS Pooper Scooper  Week
Explore Your Career Options
*Golden RuleWeek 

*Laugh at Work Week
*Medication Safety Week

Today Is                                                                      
International Children's Book Day
Karma Tangible Day (giving of your time, of your love, of your talents, of your “extras”)
National Love Your Produce Manager Day
National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
World Autism Day
~US: Florida: Pascua Florida Day (discovery of Florida in 1513 by Juan Ponce de León)

Today’s Events through History  
1st motion picture theater opens (LA)…1902
1st successful agricultural journal ("American Farmer") begins…1819
Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors," album goes to #1 & stays #1 for 31 weeks…1977
Joseph Dixon begins manufacturing lead pencils…1827
Plans to build Disneyland 1st announced...1954
Pres Wilson asks Congress to declare war against Germany…1917
TV show "Dallas" premieres on CBS (as a 5 week mini-series)…1978

Today’s Birthdays                                                           
In their 60’s
Emmylou Harris, country singer is 66
Linda Hunt, actress, (NCIS, LA) is 68

In their 40’s
Bill Romanowski, NFL linebacker (Eagles, Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32) is 47

In their 30’s
Adam Rodriguez, actor (NCIS, Miami) is 38

Remembered for being born today
Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark, author of 150 fairy tales [1805-1875]
Charlemagne, 1st Holy Roman emperor [742-814]
Walter Chrysler, Wamego, Kansas, founder of car company Chrysler [1875-1940]
Buddy Ebsen, actor (Beverly Hillbillies, Barnaby Jones) [1908-2003]
Dabbs Greer, actor (Gunsmoke, Little House on Prairie) [1917-2007]
Alec Guinness, British actor (Bridge on River Kwai) [1914-2000]
Rodney King, black motorist beaten by LA cops, [1965-2012]
Jack Webb, actor (Joe Friday-Dragnet) [1920-1982]

Today’s Historical Obits                                                           
James Douglas, Scottish physician and anatomist…1742…at 67
Buddy Rich, drummer/orchestra leader (Away We Go)…heart failure…1987…at 69
Samuel Morse developer of electric telegraph…1872…at 80
Ray Teal, actor (Sheriff Roy Coffee-Bonanza)….1976….at 74
Pope John Paul II (Karol Józef WojtyÅ‚a), Polish Roman Catholic Pope…2005…at 84

Answer: Brain Teasers
1. Flight -> Light
2. Flying -> Lying
3. Fact -> Act
4. Frank -> Rank
5. Fuse -> Use
6. Four -> Our
7. Fill -> Ill
8. Fever -> Ever
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  §

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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.