Jan 23

FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!

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Jan 23, 2018 Week: 04\ Day: 23

86004 Today: H 34° \ L 5° \ Average Sky Cover: 5% 

Wind ave.:   9mph\Gusts:  0mph Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 61°[1970]   Record Low: -15°[1937]

Jan Averages: 50°\23°

Jan Records: H: 66° (1971) L: -30° (1937)

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Today’s Quote

Harper’s Index

1000 Number of years humans had last year to colonize another planet or risk extinction, according to Stephen Hawking

100 That humans have this year, according to Hawking’s projection

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Observances This Week

17-23

National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week

National Soccer Coaches of America Week

18-25

Week of Christian Unity

18-28

Sundance Film Festival

20-28

International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week Link

Hunt For Happiness Week

National Activity Professionals Week

National CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists) Week

National Handwriting Analysis Week

22-26

Clean Out Your Inbox Week

National Medical Group Practice Week

23-26

International Hoof-Care Week Link  

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Observances for Today

Measure Your Feet Day  Link

National Pie Day

Snowplow Mailbox Hockey Day

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Today’s Significant US Historical Events

Today’s Significant International Historical Events 

900’s                                            

971 War elephant corps of the Southern Han defeated at Shao by crossbow fire from Song Dynasty troops; Southern Han state forced to submit to the Song Dynasty. 1st regular war elephant corps in Chinese army

1300’s                                          

1368 In a coronation ceremony, Zhu Yuanzhang ascends to the throne of China as the Hongwu Emperor, initiating Ming Dynasty rule over China that would last for three centuries.

1500’s                                          

1552 2nd version of Book of Common Prayer becomes mandatory in England

1600’s                                          

1647 Scottish Presbyterians sell captured Charles I to English parliament

1656 French philosopher and theologian Blaise Pascal publishes the first of his Lettres provincials

1700’s                                          

1789 Georgetown, 1st US Catholic college, founded

1800’s                                          

1849 Elizabeth Blackwell becomes 1st woman in the US to earn a medical degree

1859 Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii begins an eruption that lasts 300 days

1870 173 Blackfoot (140 women & children) killed in Montana by US Army

1879 US National Archery Association forms in Crawfordsville, Indiana

1897 Elva Zona Heaster is found dead in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Resulting murder trial of her husband perhaps only case in US history where the alleged testimony of a ghost helped secure a conviction.

1900’s                                          

1907 Charles Curtis of Kansas becomes 1st Native American US senator

1916 Temperature falls from 44°F (7°C) to -56°F (49°C) night of 23-24, Browning MT

1930 Clyde Tombaugh photographs planet Pluto

1933 20th amendment, which changed the date of US presidential inaugurations to 20th January, is ratified

1948 Huston's "Treasure of Sierra Madre" starring Humphrey Bogart opens

1950 Israeli Knesset resolves Jerusalem is capital of Israel

1957 Wham-O Company produces the 1st Frisbee disc (originally called the "Pluto Platter" until 1958)

1961 Supreme Court rules cities & states have right to censor films

1964 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution ratified, barring poll tax in federal elections

1968 Spy ship USS Pueblo & 83-man crew seized in Sea of Japan by North Korea

1972 Entire population of Istanbul under 24 hour house arrest

1973 US President Richard Nixon announces an accord has been reached to end Vietnam War

1975 "Barney Miller" premieres on ABC TV

1977 Mini-series "Roots" premieres on ABC

1983 "A-Team" with Mr T premieres on NBC

1983 Bjorn Borg announces his retirement from tennis

1986 1st induction of Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame (Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Domino, Everly Bros, Buddy Holly, J L Lewis & Elvis Presley)

1991 World's largest oil spill, caused by embattled Iraqi forces in Kuwait

2000’s                                          

2001 The Chinese Communist Party stages a self-immolation in Tiananmen Square to frame Falun Gong and escalate the persecution.

2005 "Numbers", starring Rob Morrow and David Krumholtz, debuts on CBS

2015 Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is crowned King of Saudi Arabia, on the death of this half-brother King Abdullah

2016 Blizzard delivers record snow to 80 US states, New York 30 inches of snow. Washington 28 inches at least 15 killed

2016 Zika virus outbreak in Brazil prompts Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica to recommend women delay pregnancies for up to 2 years

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My Rambling Thoughts

Snow continues to melt, slowly as it ain’t very warm outside. Roads are dry. Life is good.

Still trying to figure out why Congress stopped pay to our active troops during this silly partial shutdown. Really? In the past, active troops were considered ‘essential.’ Not in this crazy administration. Sad.

Another CR. Great. I quit playing kick the can in my early teen years.

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Birthdays Today

@-  indicates age at death

80’s

85- Chita Rivera,

American actress (West Side Story, Sweet Charity),

born in Washington, D.C.

@81- Gertrude B. Elion,

American biochemist and drug researcher

developed groundbreaking leukemia and herpes drug treatments

(Nobel 1988),

born in NYC

(d. 1999)

70’s

75- Gil Gerard,

actor (Buck Rogers in 25th Century),

born in Little Rock

60’s

68- Richard Dean Anderson,

actor (MacGyver, Emerald Pt NAS),

born in Minneapolis, Minnesota

50’s

@56- John Hancock,

American merchant and statesman

1st to sign the Declaration of Independence,

born in Braintree, Massachusetts

failing health(d. 1793)

54- Mariska Hargitay, American actress (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), born in Santa Monica

40’s

44- Tiffani Theissen,

American actress (Saved by Bell, 90210),

born in Long Beach, CA

@43- Django Reinhardt,

Belgium born Romani-French jazz guitarist

composer considered the most significant European Jazz musician,

born in Liberchies, Pont-à-Celles, Belgium

stroke (d. 1953)

@42- Ernie Kovacs,

comedian (Ernie Kovacs' Show),

born in Trenton, NJ

auto accident (d. 1962)

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Historical Obits Today

90’s

@96-2011 Jack LaLanne,

American fitness and nutritional expert

80’s

@84-1989 Salvador Dali,

Spanish surrealist artist (Crucifixion)

@80-1944 Edvard Munch,

Norwegian painter (The Scream),

bequeathing all of his work to the city of Oslo

70’s

@79-2005 Johnny Carson,

American television host

emphysema

@77-1976 Paul Robeson,

American singer (Old Man River), actor

civil rights activist,

stroke

@77-1803 Arthur Guinness,

Irish brewer

philanthropist

60’s

@61-1997 Richard Berry,

lyricist (Louie Louie),

respiratory failure

40’s

@49-1931 Anna Pavlova,

Russian prima ballerina and choreographer 

(Diaghilew, Dying Swan),

pneumonia

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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 contains mistakes and sadly once 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…☼☼☼☼

Jan 22

YI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!

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Jan 22, 2018 Week: 04\ Day: 22

86004 Today: H 40° \ L 11° \ Average Sky Cover: 2% 

Wind ave.:   6mph\Gusts:  0mph Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 62°[1970]   Record Low: -30°[1937]

Jan Averages: 50°\23°

Jan Records: H: 66° (1971) L: -30° (1937)

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Today’s Quote

Harper’s Index

-83 Estimated percentage change in the number of glaciers in

Glacier National Park since its founding

857 Minimum number of animal species that are NOT officially

extinct but have not been observed for the last 10 year

184 For at least one hundred years

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Observances This Week

17-23

National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week

National Soccer Coaches of America Week

18-25

Week of Christian Unity

18-28

Sundance Film Festival

20-28

International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week Link

Hunt For Happiness Week

National Activity Professionals Week

National CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists) Week

National Handwriting Analysis Week

22-26

Clean Out Your Inbox Week

National Medical Group Practice Week

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Observances for Today

Answer Your Cat's Questions Day

National Bible Sunday Link  

National Blonde Brownie Day

Roe vs. Wade Day

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Today’s Significant US Historical Events

Today’s Significant International Historical Events 

1500’s                                          

1506 The first contingent of 150 Swiss Guards arrive at the Vatican

1600’s                                          

1690 Iroquois tribes renew allegiance to British against French

1700’s                                          

1771 Spain cedes Falkland Islands to Britain

1800’s                                          

1816 Lord Byron completes poems "Parisina" and "Siege of Corinth"

1879 Zulu warriors attack British Army camp in Isandhlwana, South Africa

1881 Ancient Egyptian obelisk "Cleopatra's Needle" erected in Central Park, New York

1900’s                                          

1938 "Our Town", Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer-winner of small-town life in Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, premieres (NJ)

1946 US president Harry Truman sets up the Central Intelligence Agency

1947 1st commercial TV station west of Mississippi opens in Hollywood, California

1953 Arthur Miller's "Crucible" premieres in NYC

1968 "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" premieres on NBC

1973 Roe vs Wade: US Supreme Court legalizes most abortions

1982 75% of North America is covered by snow

2000’s                                          

2002 Kmart Corp becomes the largest retailer in United States history to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

2006 Evo Morales is inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country's first indigenous president

2017 Chile declares a State of Emergency and requests international assistance as wildfires rage out of control

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My Rambling Thoughts

Blue sky greeted my home, snow is rapidly melting. Never got the 5” we hoped for, but did get a couple of inches and had a real day of snow. Nice.

Light housekeeping before the games. Sunday news programming caught me up. Sunday local paper was some news and a whole lot of ads. Most of the ads went directly into the recycle bin, just don’t tell the advertisers…without the ads we wouldn’t have a small town local paper.

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Birthdays Today

@-  indicates age at death

80’s

86- Piper Laurie, [Rosetta Jacobs],

actress (Twin Peaks),

born in Detroit

@85- Beatrice Potter Webb,

English sociologist, economist 

(founded London School of Economics)

writer (My Apprenticeship),

born in Standish (d. 1943)

81- Joseph Wambaugh,

American police writer ("The Onion Fields"),

born in Pittsburgh

70’s

@79- George Balanchine,

Russian-American ballet composer and choreographer

founded the New York City Ballet,

born in St. Petersburgh, Russian Empire

(d. 1983)

77- John Hurt,

English actor (Elephant Man, Alien, Midnight Express),

born in Chesterfield

pancreatic cancer (d. 2017)

@73- D.W. Griffith,

American film director and producer (Birth of a Nation, Intolerance),

born in LaGrange, Kentucky

stroke (d. 1948)

60’s

69- Steve Perry,

vocalist (Journey-Open Arms, Oh Sherry)

@65- Francis Bacon,

statesman/essayist (Novum Organum),

born in London, England pneumonia

(d. 1626)

@65- U Thant,

Burmese politician

3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations (1961-72),

born in Pantanaw, Myanmar

lung cancer (d. 1974)

@61- Albert Neisser [Albert Ludwig Sigesmund Neisser],

German physician who discovered the bacteria that cause

gonorrhea and leprosy

septicemia (d.1916)

50’s

@59- Bill Bixby,

actor (Incredible Hulk, My Favorite Martian),

born in San Francisco

prostate cancer (d. 1993)

59- Linda Blair,

American actress (Exorcist, Chained Heat, Savage St),

born in St Louis

50- Guy Fieri,

chef

40’s

@47- William Kidd,

Scottish pirate legend,

born in Greenock (or Dundee), Scotland

executed (d. ±1701)

30’s

@36- Lord Byron [George Gordon Byron],

English romantic poet (Don Juan),

born in London

sepsis from ‘medical bleeding’(d. 1824)

@33- Sam Cooke,

soul singer (You Send Me),

born in Clarksdale Mississippi

shot (d. 1964)

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Historical Obits Today

100’s

@104-1995 Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy,

mother of pres JFK, RFK, & Ted

80’s

@85-2012 Joe Paterno,

disgraced American college hall of football coach (Penn State)

Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of 1986

@81-2003 Bill Mauldin, 

American cartoonist famous for his World War II cartoons depicting

American soldiers (Pulitzer-1945, 59)

@81-1901 Victoria, [Alexandrine],

Britain's Queen (1837-1901)

70’s

@72-1994 Telly Savalas,

American actor (Kojak),

prostate cancer

60’s

@68-1900 David Edward Hughes,

British-American inventor (microphone, teleprinter)

@64-1973 Lyndon B. Johnson,

36th US President (Democrat: 1963-69),

heart attack

20’s

@28-2008 Heath Ledger,

Australian-American Actor (Brokeback Mountain, The Dark Knight),

OD

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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 contains mistakes and sadly once 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…☼☼☼☼

Jan 21

FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!

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Jan 21, 2018 Week: 04\ Day: 21

86004 Today: H 35° \ L 14° \ Average Sky Cover: overcast/snowing 

Wind ave.:   6mph\Gusts:  17mph Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 60°[1944]   Record Low: -24°[1937]

Jan Averages: 50°\23°

Jan Records: H: 66° (1971) L: -30° (1937)

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Today’s Quote

Harper’s Index

2050-Projected year in which cargo ships will be able to pass directly

            over the North Pole.

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Observances This Week

17-23

National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week

National Soccer Coaches of America Week

18-25

Week of Christian Unity

18-28

Sundance Film Festival

20-21

Bald Eagle Appreciation Days

20-28

International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week Link

Hunt For Happiness Week

National Activity Professionals Week

National CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists) Week

National Handwriting Analysis Week

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Observances for Today

Celebration of Life Day 

National Hugging DayLink  

National Sanctity of Human Life Day (or Pro-Life Day)   Link

Squirrel Appreciation Day

Stephen Foster Day

World Religion Day Link 

World Snow Day  Link

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Today’s Significant US Historical Events

Today’s Significant International Historical Events 

1600’s                                          

1677 1st medical publication in America (pamphlet on smallpox), published in Boston

1700’s                                          

1749 Verona Philharmonic Theatre destroyed by fire. Rebuilt 1754.

1789 1st American novel, WH Brown's "Power of Sympathy" is published

1800’s                                          

1813 Pineapple introduced to Hawaii 

1813 Spaniard Don Francisco de Paula y Marin plants coffee in Hawaii - 1st record of coffee growing in Hawaii

1846 1st edition of Charles Dickens' newspaper "The Daily News"

1863 City of Dublin leases part of Cattle Market for 100,000 years

1887 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) forms

1899 Opel manufactured its first automobile.

1900’s                                          

1935 The Wilderness Society is founded by conservationists

1949 1st inaugural parade televised (Harry Truman)

1976 Supersonic Concorde has its 1st commercial flights

1977 US President Jimmy Carter pardons almost all Vietnam War draft evaders

1983 President Reagan certifies El Salvador human-rights abuses have decreased making country eligible for US military aid

1987 B.B. King donates his 7,000 record collection to the University of Mississippi

1990 John McEnroe becomes 1st ever player to be expelled from the Australian Open

1991 CBS News correspondant Bob Simon captured by Iraqis in Persian Gulf

1998 Pope John Paul II visits Cuba

2000’s                                          

2008 Black Monday in worldwide stock markets. FTSE 100 had its biggest ever one-day points fall, European stocks closed with their worst result since 9/11, and Asian stocks drop as much as 15%.

2017 More than 2 million people protest worldwide in the 'Women's March' against Donald Trump, with 500,000 marching in Washington D.C.

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My Rambling Thoughts

The first ‘real’ snow of the season…got about an inch in 2 hours and it should be 5” before it’s over. So peaceful and relaxing. Have nowhere I have to go, so I can just enjoy its beauty.

We are now in the midst of our 8^th Federal government shutdown. They started during the Reagan administration. There is always a big buildup with a late night, elected officials standing around is tiny groups waiting for yet another vote. Then midnight arrives. The government shuts down, the elected officials continue to stand in their tiny groups attempting to find a solution into the early hours.

I was a teacher during the first two. The hardest part was getting the announcement that we had been furloughed and had to leave the campus within the hour. Why were we furloughed? Because Congress decided that we were ‘non-essential’ employees. Quite an ego blow. How can you run a school when all the teachers, aides, cooks, dorm staff, counselors, and administrators are sent home as being ‘non-essential’? We went home about 1p and were back at work the next day at 8a. Crazy. For all the other shutdowns I was an administrator and our forward-thinking brilliant BIA leaders in DC figured out a way to get us ‘forward funding’ meaning that when the government shutdown, the BIA schools remained open with no lost time, money, and suddenly we felt more ‘essential’.

From my viewpoint, all these shutdowns are simply political power struggles. In every shutdown to date, employees learn they are ‘non-essential’ to the functioning of the Agency they work for. While there are many positive things about being a Civil Servant, during and after a shutdown, the realization that you are ‘non-essential’ is a difficult pill to swallow. In the end, workers get pay as if they had worked, unless they were on leave. If they were on leave during the shutdown, they get paid, but also have to use that leave. As with all shutdowns, this one leaves employees wondering how long they will be furloughed and if they will still get paid. History says the furlough will be short and they will get paid, but with our current administration, one never knows. The frustration of this insane political shutdown continues.

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Birthdays Today

@-  indicates age at death

80’s

@86- Paul Scofield,

English actor (A Man for All Seasons, Train),

born in Hurst, England

(d. 2008)

70’s

78- Jack Nicklaus,

golfer (Player of Yr 1967,72,73,75,76),

born in Columbus, Ohio

@77- J. Carrol Naish,

American actor (Charlie Chan-Adv of Charlie Chan),

born in NYC, New York

emphysema (d. 1973)

76- Mac Davis,

American country music singer-songwriter,

actor (Mac Davis Show, North Dallas 40),

born in Lubbock, TX

@73- Karl Wallenda,

German acrobat 

high wire fall (d. 1978)

@72- Telly Savalas,

American actor (Kojak),

born in Garden City New Jersey,

cancer (d. 1994)

@72- Richie Havens,

American folk singer (Here Comes the Sun),

born in Brooklyn, New York

(d. 2013)

71- Jill Eikenberry,

Actress (Ann Kelsey-LA Law, Manhattan Project),

born in New Haven, CT

60’s

@68- Benny Hill [Alfred Hawthorn Hill],

British comedian (The Benny Hill Show),

born in Southampton, Hampshire, England

heart attack (d. 1992)

68- Billy Ocean, [Leslie S Charles],

Trinidad, singer (Caribbean Queen)

67- Eric Holder,

American lawyer and judge

(1st African American US Attorney General 2009-2015),

born in The Bronx

65- Paul Allen,

American entrepreneur, co-founder of Microsoft,

born in Seattle

50’s

@57- Wolfman Jack [Robert Weston Smith],

American disk jockey (Midnight Special),

born in Brooklyn

heart attack (d. 1995)

55- Hakeem Olajuwon,

Nigerian-American NBA center (Houston Rockets, 

Olympic gold 1996),

born in Lagos, Nigeria
@52- Christian Dior,

French fashion designer (New Look),

born in Granville, France

heart attack (d. 1957)

40’s

@47-Grigori Rasputin,

Russian mystic

murdered (d. 1916)

30’s

@39- Stonewall Jackson [Thomas Jonathan],

Confederate general during the American Civil War,

born in Clarksburg, Virginia

pneumonia (d. 1863)

@33- Horace Wells,

dentist (pioneered use of laughing gas)

suicide (d. 1848)

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Historical Obits Today

80’s

@87-1997 Col. Tom Parker [Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk],

Dutch-born talent manager (Elvis Presley)

@81-1985 James Beard,

American chef and author

@81-1926 Camillo Golgi,

Italian physician and medical researcher (Nobel Prize in Medicine-1906)

70’s

@77-1998 Jack Lord,

American actor (Hawaii FIVE-O),

Alzheimer's, heart failure

@77-1959 Cecil B. DeMille,

American filmmaker (The Ten Commandments, Samson and Delilah),

heart failure

50’s

@55-2016 Bill Johnson,

alpine skier (first American to win alpine Olympic gold - 1984),

complications of previous ski accident

@53-1924 Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov Lenin,

Russian Revolutionary leader and Premier,

stroke

40’s

@46-1950 George Orwell,

British author (Animal Farm, 1984),

burst artery

30’s

@38-1793 Louis XVI,

French King (1774-93),

beheaded during the French Revolution

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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 contains mistakes and sadly once 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…☼☼☼☼