15 Jan

 

January 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 3 Day 15 \ Ave. Sky Cover 30% \ Visibility 19 miles Flagstaff Today 52° \29°  Wind 3mph \ Gusts 14mph 
Air Quality: \Very Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 599mi \ Nearest Lightning 552mi
Jan Averages for Flagstaff: 44° \ 16° \5 Days of moisture
Sunshine with clouds building

Today’s Quote

 

Weekly Observations

14-22
International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week
15-21
Healthy Weight Week
Hunt for Happiness Week
Idiom Week
National Activity Professionals Week
Sugar Awareness Week

Daily Observations

Alpha Kappa Alpha Day
Bald Eagle Appreciation Days

Humanitarian Day
National Bagel Day  Link 
National Fresh Squeezed Juice Day
National Hat Day
National Sanctity of Human Life Day (or Pro-Life Day) Link
Strawberry Ice Cream Day 
Thank Your Mentor Day Link
World Religion Day Link 
World Snow Day Link

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

I’m ready for the upcoming storm. Now the weather guy is saying a foot of snow tonight…with during the day Sunday and Monday. I’m hoping it will be less than predicted, but still wet. Only time will tell.

I was happy to read that Coconino County, AZ, where I live, is the prettiest county in AZ. The same article said that Larimer County, CO is the prettiest in Colorado. I’m guessing because of the Grand Canyon in AZ, and Estes Park NP is Colorado.

A local reporter did a video walk-thru of the newly opened state run Veteran’s Home. It was approved years ago, then just as construction was to begin, Covid stopped everything. It is a very nice facility for our Vets. Good job.

Kari Lake, the losing Republican MAGA candidate for Governor here in AZ made an interesting press release recently. She believes that if she is not made Governor, America will turn into Venezuela.  That brought me to tears…from laughing.

I worked at a grocery store during my high school and college days. I have never had trouble finding things at a store…until now. The newly developed Walmart makes little sense to me. I only shop for some stuff there, but every time I go in…about every 2 weeks, I have to find someone or just not search. I can’t figure out the reasoning behind certain items being placed where they are. For example, distilled water, for my CPAP, is in the infant section and not with all the other waters. Lemon juice bottles are now with cranberry juice. The salad topping of dried fruits and candied nuts in individual packets are no longer with either the salad dressing or the fresh produce. It is all beyond me.

The Big 5 of Africa…lions, leopards, elephants, African buffalo, & rhinoceroses

Facts…

Human eyes actually produce three types of tears, all with different purposes. Basal tears help to clean and lubricate the eyes, while reflex tears are a response to our environment (they appear when we cut onions). Emotional tears are the only kind we have some control over, and they have a slightly different chemical composition with more protein that may help them better stick to our faces — confirming to others that we’re truly happy, or just sat through a two-hour tearjerker.

Many researchers once thought that only humans exhibited glee through laughter, though a 2021 study from UCLA found that more than 65 different animal groups may also laugh, or at least exhibit what researchers called “vocal play behavior,” when feeling playful. Some of the chuckling critters include ones you might expect, such as primates and dogs, along with a few unusual contenders, such as foxes, seals, and mongooses. However, laughter across the animal kingdom doesn’t always sound the same as human giggles. Take, for example, rats, who researchers believe may enjoy being tickled, though their laughs are inaudible to humans thanks to their high frequency, and can only be heard with the help of specialty microphones. 

Slang Origins

1965: Flower power

Meaning: the use of peaceful protest to advocate against war

Coined by Beat poet and activist Allen Ginsberg, “flower power” became the hallmark of the hippie generation's anti-Vietnam war advocacy. The philosophy “make love, not war” led the hippies' counter-cultural movement to join with other leftist protests across the country.

UNESCO sites…

Quito Was the First City to Be Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site

A select few cities and towns are so full of cultural experiences and landmarks that their entire area has been named a World Heritage Site. Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, is one such cultural treasure. Part of the first group to be named World Heritage Sites in 1978, the city was founded in the 16th century on Incan ruins, and it remains one of the best-preserved and least-altered historic cities in South America. The art and architecture of the “Baroque School of Quito” — with Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish, and indigenous influences — is present in monasteries and churches across the city. The checkerboard cobblestone streets still preserve the original layout dating back to 1734, despite numerous earthquakes over the centuries.

Historical Events

1559 – Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London
1947 – The body of Elizabeth Short was found in Los Angeles. The killer was never found. #BlackDahliaMystery
1967 – The inaugural Super Bowl was simulcast on CBS and NBC.
1943 – The construction of The Pentagon in Washington DC was completed.
2001 – Wikipedia went online.

Birthdays Today

96 – Phyllis Coates, American actress (Lois Lane on original Superman)
@95 – Edward Teller, Hungarian-American physicist (d.2003)
@80 – John O’Connor, American cardinal (d.2000)
72 – Charo, pop singer
66 – Mario Van Peebles, America actor
@64 – Gene Krupa, American drummer, composer, actor (d.1973; cancer)
56 – Lisa Lisa (Lisa Velez ), American R&B singer
55 – Chad Lowe, America actor
@51 (baptized) – Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin), French actor and playwright (d.1673; TB)
Those whose conduct gives room for talk
Are always the first to attack their neighbors.~ Molière
44 – Drew Brees, American football player
42 – Pitbull (Armando Christian Pérez), American rapper and producer
In any country when you throw something in somebody’s face, it’s disrespectful.– Pitbull
39 – Ben Shapiro, American author, commentator
35 – Skrillex (Sonny John Moore), American DJ, producer
@39 – Martin Luther King, Jr., American minister and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (d.1968)
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.– Martin Luther King, Jr.
19 – Grace VanderWaal, American singer-songwriter

 

14 Jan

 

January 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 2 Day 14 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 19 miles Flagstaff Today 48° \18°  Wind 3mph \ Gusts 7mph 
Air Quality: Fair \Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 280mi \ Nearest Lightning 1918mi
Jan Averages for Flagstaff: 44° \ 16° \5 Days of moisture
Sunshine

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

14-22
International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week

Daily Observations

Bald Eagle Appreciation Days
Caesarean Section Day
Eagle Day
International Kite Day
National Dress Up Your Pet Day
National Gluten-Free Day
National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
National Vision Board Day
Organize Your Home Day Link
Ratification Day
World Logic Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Yesterday was very busy. I had lunch with our retirement group. Great food and great conversation. Then I had my quarterly phlebotomy. It went well...after some paperwork issues. The actual procedure only took 15 minutes, but waiting for the ultrasound person and the paperwork issues, I had to wait almost an hour.  

The weather guy says that there will be 2 big storms here in the very near future. The first comes in Saturday evening and may drop about a foot of snow. Then the second one comes in Sunday afternoon and may drop another 6-10”. I got my groceries today and will pick up a few other things tomorrow. Gas tank is full, I’m retired, so I can just enjoy the storm inside my nice warm townhouse. I know the weather bureau usually overestimates the amount of snow, but better safe than sorry.

Arizona may get open primaries to allow all registered to vote in primary elections regardless of party. The proponents say this will prevent radical candidates from getting the party nod for an office. That is exactly what happened here. The Republicans were the losers in most statewide elections last year. Many believe that this is because many of the Republican candidates were  MAGA people that the state didn’t want running our state. If primary voting is open, I am seriously considering registering as an Independent.

I’ve been retired for so many years that I just realized that I have to look at my watch to see what day of the week it is. Not a bad thing, just different for me.

Waterfalls around the world

Facts…

Humans are the only known animal that cries from emotion.

Most animals with eyes produce tears, but only one releases them in moments of sorrow and joy: humans. Creatures throughout the animal kingdom also feel emotion, but humans are the biological anomaly for being able to stream tears down our faces during times of emotional upheaval or relief — and scientists remain perplexed about exactly why.

Unusual theories have cropped up over time: Aristotle believed the act of crying was simply to help clear our minds from suppressed feelings. Some have believed tears help cleanse the body of toxins. In the 1600s, it was common to think that our feelings heated the heart, which produced water vapor to cool itself that escaped through our eyes. Danish scientist Niels Stensen’s 1662 discovery of the lacrimal gland — located at the outer corner of each eye, and the origin point of our emotional tears — helped disprove that theory, though Stensen believed tears only moisturized our eyes. Even famed British naturalist Charles Darwin considered emotional tears to have no real benefit, though today’s scientists have a competing idea, believing that crying may provide a social cue to other humans that we need help; after all, babies cry an astounding amount and need round-the-clock attention. 

Slang Origins

1964: Bogart

Meaning: to take an unfair amount of something instead of sharing; to bully or force

Humphrey Bogart became one of the biggest actors of the 1940s, after starring in “The Maltese Falcon” (1941) and “Casablanca” (1942). Though he passed away in 1957, his movies enjoyed a critical and cultural renaissance during the 1960s. Slang immortalized his career by associating his name with the type of character he was best known for playing: a tough guy with a cigarette between his lips.

Historical Events

539 – Spain annexes Cuba.
1907 – An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica killed more than 1,000 people.
1952 – NBC’s Today Show premiered, hosted by Dave Garroway.
1954 – The Hudson Motor Car Company merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation forming the American Motors Corporation.
1967 – The Human Be-In began in San Francisco, at California’s Golden Gate Park, launching the Summer of Love.

Birthdays Today

@100 – Hal Roach, American director, and producer (d. 1992)
Dolphins : Animals that are so intelligent that, within a few weeks of captivity, they can train a man to stand on the edge of their pool and throw them food three times a day.– Hal Roach
@92 – Andy Rooney, American journalist, critic, and television personality (d. 2011)
@90 – Albert Schweitzer, physician, philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
Not one of us knows what effect his life produces, and what he gives to others; that is hidden from us and must remain so, though we are often allowed to see some little fraction of it, so that we may not lose courage.– Albert Schweitzer
85 – Jack Jones, American singer, actor
82 – Faye Dunaway, American actress
80 – Holland Taylor, TV actor
@77 – Mark Goodson, created Family Feud and The Price Is Right (d. 1992; cancer)
@75 – Julian Bond, American academic and politician (d. 2015; vascular disease)
The humanity of all Americans is diminished when any group is denied rights granted to others.”– Julian Bond
75 – Carl Weathers, American football player and actor
@60 – Benedict Arnold, American-British general (d. 1801; dropsy)
59 – Shepard Smith, American television journalist
55 – LL Cool J (James Todd Smith), American rapper and actor
Dreams don’t have deadlines. I’m thinking of doing bigger and better things and having more fun with it.– LL Cool J
54 – Dave Grohl, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and drummer
Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that’s the most important thing for people to do. It’s not about being perfect, it’s not about sounding absolutely correct, it’s not about what goes on in a computer. It’s about what goes on in here [your heart] and what goes on in here [your head].– Dave Grohl
@53 – Marcus Antony, Roman general, politician (d. 30 BCE; suicide)
Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.– Mark Antony
33 – Grant Gustin, American actor

 

12 Jan

 

January 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 2 Day 12 \ Ave. Sky Cover 5% \ Visibility 22 miles Flagstaff Today 45° \20°  Wind 6mph \ Gusts 10mph 
Air Quality: Fair\Very Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 319mi \ Nearest Lightning 1149mi
Jan Averages for Flagstaff: 44° \ 16° \5 Days of moisture
Sunshine

Today’s Quote

 

Weekly Observations

6-Feb 21
Carnival Season
7-14
National Personal Trainer Awareness Week
8-14
Home Office Safety and Security Week  
National Mocktail Week
11-17
Cuckoo Dancing Week
11-20
Take A Friend Snowmobiling Week Link

Daily Observations

Curried Chicken Day
Kiss A Ginger Day Link (Red Heads)
National Hot Tea Day
National Kiss a Ginger Day
National Marzipan Day
Pharmacist Day
National Hot Tea Day
National Kiss a Ginger Day
National Marzipan Day
Pharmacist Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Last night’s storm brought about 1” of wet snow. Now it is sunshine from the rest of the week. Roads are wet.

I can’t believe the price of a dozen eggs. If this continues, people will be using potatoes to hide at Easter.

An FAA computer glitch grounded all flights in the US for several hours this morning. This is just after the Holiday travel delays are returning to normal. The issue is being blamed on outdated infrastructure.  Hmmm, where have I heard that before….roads, bridges, dams, and now flights. Ugh.

Local NY politicians are calling for Santos to resign after his ‘unique’ biography. I wonder if this will actually happen.

Prince Harry says that he is a ‘spare.’ This is not a term I had heard in that context before, but it makes sense. He means a ‘spare’ King is something happens to his older brother. Now that I think about it, Prince Andrew was also a ‘spare’ for King Charles. Maybe that explains his rather bizarre behavior over the years.

Waterfalls around the world

Facts…

The earliest known full-sized electric car was designed by Robert Anderson, a Scottish inventor who built his version in the 1830s, though that car (and many of its successors) didn’t go very far; at the time, batteries were rudimentary and couldn’t be recharged. It would take about three decades for electric car batteries to improve, and starting in 1881, battery-operated buses began ferrying passengers in Paris, Berlin, London, and New York. A few years later, Iowa chemist William Morrison applied for a patent for his electric carriage, which could travel around 50 miles on one charge at a top speed of 20 miles per hour. By 1897, the top-selling car in the U.S. was powered by battery, though electric vehicles would hold the market for a relatively short time. By 1913, manufacturer Henry Ford had fine-tuned the mass production of gas-powered cars, dropping their price and helping to usher in a new era of private transportation. 

Slang Origins

1963: Bummer

Meaning: a huge disappointment

Another word popularized by hippies, “bummer” had a much different meaning in the previous century. Coming from the German slang word “bummler,” it once meant a loafer or idle person before taking on the meaning we know today.

Historical Events
1991 – Congress authorized the use of military force against Iraq.
1932 – Hattie W. Caraway (D Arkansas) was the first female United States Senator.
2004 – The world’s largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, made its maiden voyage.

Birthdays Today

@87 – Kreskin (George Joseph Kresge), American mentalist
@67 – Joe Frazier, American boxer (d. 2011; liver cancer)
@87 – Ray Price, American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
@75 – Charles Perrault, French author, academic (d. 1703)
73 – Sheila Jackson Lee, American politician
@71 – Kirstie Alley, American actress (d. 2022; cancer)
Through history, people look for something spiritual. The greatest scientists in the world were men of religion and faith, too.– Kirstie Alley
71 – Ricky Van Shelton, American country singer-songwriter
@70 – Rush Limbaugh, American talk show host (d. 2021; lung cancer)
69 – Howard Stern, Radio personality
@68 – Edmund Burke, Irish philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 1797)
Whenever a separation is made between liberty and justice, neither, in my opinion, is safe. ~
– Edmund Burke
@68 – Tex Ritter, American actor and singer (d. 1974)
They say that Virginia is the mother of Texas. We never knew who the father was, but we kinda suspected Tennessee.– Tex Ritter
@64 – Jan Baptist van Helmont, Flemish chemist physician (d. 1644)
@61 – John Winthrop, English lawyer, 2nd Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (d. 1649)
59 – Jeff Bezos, American businessman, founded Amazon.com
58 – Rob Zombie (Robert Bartleh Cummings), American singer-songwriter
49 – Melanie C (Melanie Jayne Chisholm), English singer-songwriter, Spice Girls
43 – Amerie, American singer-songwriter
@44 – Tim Horton, Canadian ice hockey player, founded Tim Hortons (d. 1974; car crash)
@40 – Swami Vivekananda, Indian philosopher (d. 1902; reached Mahāsamādhi)
To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will. “I will drink the ocean”, says the persevering soul; “at my will mountains will crumble up”. Have that sort of energy, that sort of will; work hard, and you will reach the goal.– Swami Vivekananda
@40 – Jack London, American novelist, journalist (d. 1916; dysentery?)
I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
– Jack London
38 – Issa Rae, American actress
30 – Zayn Malik, English singer-songwriter, One Direction
@32 – Ira Hayes, American soldier (d. 1955; exposure/alchohol)
How could I feel like a hero when only five men in my platoon of 45 survived, when only 27 men in my company of 250 managed to escape death or injury?– Ira Hayes