Oct 2

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Oct. 2, 2019 Week: 40  Day: 275

86004:   H 65° \ L 33° \ Average Sky Cover: 5% 

Nearest active fire:  82mi.  Nearest lightning:  492mi

Wind:   7mph\Gusts:  16mph  Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 82°[1991]   Record Low: 18°[1971]

Oct. Averages: 63°\32° ( 4 days with moisture)

Today’s Quote

We are all here on earth to help others;

what on earth the others are here for

I don't know.

W. H. Auden

Random Tidbits

At Octoberfest: Beer consumption surpasses 5 million 1-liter mugs. The mugs themselves are a hot item. Security guards annually recover approximately 150,000 from would-be souvenir hunters. Many are not recovered; the Hofbrau tent alone averages 35,000 missing each year. The fine for stealing a souvenir mug: $60!

There are many problems every year with young people who overestimate their ability to handle large amounts of alcohol. Many forget that German beer has 7.5 to 8 percent alcohol, and they pass out due to drunkenness. These drunk patrons are often called "Bierleichen" (German for "beer corpses").

Observances This Month

Adopt A Dog Month Link   Link
Adopt A Shelter Dog Month 
Apple Month Link

Class Reunion Month Link

Dyslexia Awareness Month

Employee Ownership Month Link

Global Diversity Awareness Month

Head Start Awareness Month Link

International Strategic Planning Month
International Walk To School Month  Link
National Bake and Decorate Month

National Cookbook Month

Sausage Month Link

Women Walking In Their Own Shoes Month

Observances This Week

1-5

Trichotillomania, Skin Picking & Related BFRB Awareness Week  Link

National Chimney Safety Week

National Fall Foliage Week  Link 

1-6

International Sand Sculpting Championships  Link

1-7

National Walk Your Dog Week Link   Link
Universal Children's Week
World Dairy Expo

Observances for Today

Balloons Around The World Day:  2
Coffee With A Cop Day  Link
Employee Ownership Month Link

Fast of Gedalya
Guardian Angels Day
International Day of Non-violence
Name Your Car Day Link
National Custodial Worker Day
National Kale Day   Link
National Produce Misting Day Link
National Pumpkin Seed Day   Link
Peanuts (Cartoon) Day
Pet Obesity Awareness Day   Link   
Phileas Fogg Wager Day
Walk To School Day   Link 
World Farm Animals Day

My Rambling Thoughts

Fall has arrived here. I’m wearing long pants and long sleeve shirts whenever I go outside. Only need a jacket if I have on a short sleeve shirt.

“Breaking News: We interrupt this program to let you know there is no new breaking news, stay tuned for more new breaking news if it happens. Since there is no new breaking news, we are replaying the Breaking News Alerts of the last 48 hours, in case you live under a rock.” So tired of Breaking News that isn’t News and isn’t Breaking.

WOW! Thomas Cook Travel Agency collapse still has about 3000 people stranded around the world with 12,000 back in the UK. What a mess. It shut down last week. Former employees are volunteering time to help customers still stranded. They say they feel bad for the customers. WOW!

I started seriously following football this season when the Broncos, The CU Buffs, and the Cardinals started off with wins. Now after week 4 I’m asking myself why I am still following their losses since opening weekend. Hoping for wins in the near future.

October in Navajo is ‘Ghąąji’ meaning the joining of seasons. It is when summer and winter turn and go in opposite directions and various species go underground. It is when the new year begins with the Yei be chai  (Holy Ones) return to this world to heal the sick. October 1 is the Navajo New Year. So Happy New Year to all my Navajo friends.

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of this page

One early morning, a group of friends meets in their favorite café.

Ash, the biggest in the group, remarked:

“Must have been millions of years since we were all together, uh?”

Affie, who was wearing her brand new elephant pants, nodded.

Anthony kept on complaining about the weather back home.

“Yeah, I am glad to be here with you, it is so cold at my place!”

Eugenie, who was saddened by the loss of a friend, was looking at Samuel and Namur, who were arguing about the possible future election of Donald Trump.

“These two are really inseparable”, she said to herself.

Octavia, the smallest among her friends, stood and spoke :

“Guys, I have a surprise for you! We’re going to the opera tonight!”

The waiter, waiting for the orders, wondered why these customers reminded him of something. But all of a sudden, he said:

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I suggest some sliced bread with butter, slices of cheese and ham? We also have croissants and other pastries. And for drinking, is coffee fine? We also have tea, of course, and orange and apple juice for you.”

Which is this group of friends, and what came to the waiter’s mind?

Historical Events

1187 - Saladin captured Jerusalem from Balian of Ibelin.

1950 - Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz was first published.

1955 - Alfred Hitchcock premiered on CBS

1958 - The Huckleberry Hound Show premiered, in syndication

1959 - The anthology series The Twilight Zone premiered on CBS.

1965 - #1 Hit: The McCoys - Hang On Sloopy

1967 - Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African-American justice of US Supreme Court.

1968 - The Tlatelolco massacre took place in Mexico City. 30-300 student protesters and supporters were killed.

1971 - #1 Hit: Rod Stewart - Maggie May / Reason to Believe

1982 - #1 Hit: John Cougar - Jack and Diane

2000 - Triple Play (3 cars) was played for the first time on The Price is Right.

2002 - The Beltway sniper attacks began. Paul LaRuffa, a 55-year-old pizzeria owner, was shot six times at close range - he survived, but 17 other people did not.

2006 - Five school girls were murdered by Charles Carl Roberts in a shooting at an Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania

2010 - #1 Hit: Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are

2017 US scientists Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young awarded Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine for work on the body clock

2018 Saudi American journalist Jamal Khashoggi enters the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, never to be seen again prompting a diplomatic crisis

2018 Nobel prize in Physics awarded to Arthur Ashkin (optical tweezers), Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland ( both for laser beams)

Birthdays Today

Groucho Marx, comedic actor

(d. 1977; @86)

Mohandas Karamchand Ghandi, anti-colonial politician

(d. 1948 @78; assassinated)

Bud Abbott, comedic actor

(d. 1974 @76; cancer)

Don McLean, singer, songwriter “American Pie” (74)

Avery Brooks, actor, director, singer, educator (71)

Sting, pop singer (68)

Johnny Cochran, Lawyer

(d. 2005 @67; brain tumor)

George McFarland, actor ‘Spanky’ in Our Gang

(d. 1993 @64; heart attack)

Lorraine Bracco, actor (65)

Kelly Ripa, actor, TV host (49)

Puzzle answer:

These are the seven continents – Ash (Asia), Affie (Africa), Anthony (Antarctica), Eugenie (Europe), Samuel (South America), Namur (North America), Octavia (Oceania).

Their entire conversation consists of various hints.

In the end, the waiter was thinking about bringing them Continental Breakfast.

Oct 1

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Oct. 1, 2019 Week: 40  Day: 274

86004:   H 64° \ L 39° \ Average Sky Cover: 5% 

Nearest active fire:  82mi.  Nearest lightning:  367mi

Wind:   9mph\Gusts:  15mph  Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 85°[1990]   Record Low: 20°[2009]

Oct. Averages: 63°\32° ( 4 days with moisture)

Today’s Quote

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October."

- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Bonus

Life without liberty is

like a body without spirit.

Khalil Gibran

Random Tidbits

The first Oktoberfest was held in Munich in 1810. It was for the commemoration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The first celebration included a horse race.

Unbelievable, but in the beginning, beer was not available at the Oktoberfest. Alcohol could only be purchased and enjoyed outside of the actual venue. Authorities soon realized that it would make sense to open the Oktoberfest venue to vendors and it was only then that the traditional beerhalls became popular.

Observances This Month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Bullying Prevention Month

Celebrating The Bilingual Child Month

Country Music Month Link

Down Syndrome Awareness Month Link

Fair Trade Month Link

German-American Heritage Month

National Popcorn Poppin' Month

National Stop Bullying Month

Tackling Hunger Month

World Menopause Month

Observances This Week

1-5

Trichotillomania, Skin Picking &

Related BFRB Awareness Week  Link

National Chimney Safety Week

National Fall Foliage Week  Link 

1-6

International Sand Sculpting Championships  Link

1-7

National Walk Your Dog Week Link   Link
Universal Children's Week
World Dairy Expo

Observances for Today

Balloons Around the World Day

CD Player Day
Fire Pup Day
International Coffee Day Link
International Day for the Elderly

International Music Day Link
Model T Day
National Black Dog Day Link
National Book It! Day
National Fruit At Work Day  Link  (First Tuesday)
National Hair Day  Link
National Homemade Cookies Day

National Lace Day Link
National Pumpkin Spice Day

National Walk Your Dog Day Link  Link
Vegan Baking Day
Willy Wonka Day  Link
World Vegetarian Day

My Rambling Thoughts

Finally a day with breezes, not wind. Nice walk this morning, followed by a much needed pedicure. My regular lady was there. She had been in Virginia as she had lost her younger brother to cancer. Sad.

Final Monsoon Numbers for Flagstaff: I knew it was dry, but turns out it was the driest on record…since 1898. We only got 2.08” of precipitation. That is 25% of our normal 8.31”.

Also took some time to clean my computer keyboard, mouse, and screen. Amazing how grungy the keyboard gets. Then I set up a Wi-Fi booster I bought over the internet machine. Took a little longer than the ad said, but is working fine and has sped up my connection, as promised.

What a mess in DC. Whistleblower may testify behind closed doors soon. How to get the person in and out without identifying the person will be a challenge to say the least.

I watched 60 minutes last night. The Saudi Prince said the heinous murder of the journalist hurt him personally. Hmmm, it hurt Jamal Khashoggi a whole lot more. If the Prince had nothing to do with it, prove it.

A friend from Tuba called and needed a place to wait for his vehicle to get fixed. Picked him up and brought him to my place for about 3 hours while he waited for his vehicle. Just dropped him off. All good. Great time catching up.

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of this page

The key to this riddle is only for you

Below are instructions, above this the clue

First strike the one near the head of a year

Then remove he who begins a cheer

Next take away the end of a tunnel

Then let us go to solve this puzzle

What you first took you must now take again

With three you are left, but fret not dear friend

Fattest to front and thinnest to rear

Add in two “eyes” and all becomes clear

Remark: The instructions in this riddle are quite literal.

Historical Events

331 BC - Alexander the Great defeated Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela, bringing about the fall of the Persian Empire.

1843 - London's The News of the World began publication.

1880 - John Philip Sousa, the first recorded popular music star, became the leader of the United States Marine Band.

1908 - For $825 each, Ford's Model T car was put on the market.

1940 - The Pennsylvania Turnpike opened to traffic. It is considered the first US superhighway.

1948 - Over Fargo, North Dakota, WW II pilot George F. Gorman reported 'playing chicken" with a blinking orb of light UFO. It was visually seen by people in the control tower, but did not show up on radar.

1955 - The Honeymooners premiered on CBS

1957 - First appearance of "In God We Trust" on U.S. paper currency, on one dollar bills.

1958 - The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

1971 - Walt Disney World opened near Orlando, Florida.

1977 - #1 Hit: Meco - Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band

1983 - #1 Hit: Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart

1989 - Denmark introduced the world's first legal modern same-sex civil union, called a "registered partnership".

1992 - Cartoon Network begins broadcasting.

1996 - Animal Planet made its debut

2006 - Dexter premiered on Showtime

2010 - Sony launched Sony Movie Channel

2013 - The United States federal government shutdown: (October 1-16) affected many operations for the US government

2015 A gunman kills 8 students and a teacher at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon

2017 Stephen Paddock shoots dead 58 people, injuring 489, at a concert in Las Vegas in the deadliest mass shooting in American history

2018 New trade deal announced between United States, Canada and Mexico (USMCA), replacing NAFTA…still not passed by US Congress

2018 More than 80,000 American died of the flu during 2017-2018 winter, highest in ten years, according to US health officials

Birthdays Today

Jimmy Carter, 39^th US President (95)

Julie Andrews, movie actor (84)

Tom Bosley, actor (d, 2010 @83)

Ip Man, martial arts teacher: Bruce Lee’s teacher

(d. 1972 @79; throat cancer)

Walter Matthau, actor

(d. 2000 @79, heart disease)

Richard Harris, Irish actor, singer

(d. 2002 @72; Hodgkin's disease)

Randy Quaid, actor (69)

Theresa May, British politician (63)

Zach Galifianakis, actor (The Hangover) (50)

Brie Larson,

[Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers], actor, filmmaker (30)

Bonnie Parker, of Bonnie & Clyde fame

 (d. 1934 @23; shot by FBI)

Puzzle answer:

The answer is XVIII, or 18 in Roman numerals.

The key is “only for you” – EXCLUSIVE. Remove “the one near the head of a year” – E. Remove “he who begins a cheer” – C. Remove “the end of the tunnel” – L. Remove “us” – U and S. Remove again E. Now you are left with X, I, V. Arrange them “fattest to front and thinnest to rear” – X > V > I. Add “two ‘eyes'” – I and I, so you get XVIII=18.