18 Mar

 

March 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 11 Day 77 \ Ave. Sky Cover 60% \ Visibility 17 miles Flagstaff Today 49° \19°  Wind 4mph \ Gusts 5mph 
Air Quality: Fair \Very Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 249mi \ Nearest Lightning 1204mi
Mar. Averages for Flagstaff: 51° \ 23° \6 Days of moisture
Sunshine

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

  22-4/8
  Lent
12-18
  Campfire USA Birthday Week
  Girl Scout Week Link , Link
  Teen Tech Week
13-19
  International Brain Awareness Week Link
19-4/16
  National Cherry Blossom Festival Link  

Daily Observations

Awkward Moments Day
Biodiesel Day
Forgive Mom and Dad Day
Global Recycling Day Link
International Sports Car Racing Day Link 
Kiss Your Fianc e Day
National Biodiesel Day
National Corn Dog Day 
Kiss Your Fianc e Day
National Biodiesel Day
National Corn Dog Day Link  Link 
National Public Defense Day 
National Public Defense Day Link
National Quilting Day
National Sloppy Joe Day  Link
National Tequila Day   Mexico Link (On July 24th in US)
Oatmeal Cookie Day
Play The Recorder Day 
Save The Panther Day
Supreme Sacrifice Day
Worldwide Quilting Day Link

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

I was going to get a haircut today, but when I called for an appointment I learned that the great lady who has been cutting my hair for a couple of years is no longer there. I’ll start looking for someone next week.

My doctor’s office called after my physical and it was time to get a new shingles shot and the diphtherias et.al shot.  I had shingles about a decade ago. I then took 2 shots to get immunized. Well, now there is another 2-shot regiment. The pharmacist said this one is 80% effective and that one I had gotten was only 40% effective. So, now I’m 1 shot away from being up-to-date…at least till a new vaccination comes out. And I’m up-to-date on the other one.

There was yet another train derailment…this one near Lake Havasu, AZ…about 200 miles from our little mountain town. It was first reported as  a hazardous derailment, but it turned out the cargo was Corn Syrup. I guess it was a’ little’ hazardous as too much corn syrup in your diet is not good.

The AZ legislature is considering a bill that would ban municipalities from banning gun shows. The proponents are saying it is in the 2^nd Amendment. Those opposed say that municipalities should be able to ban events that may have the discretion to decide what kinds of businesses use their facilities, especially when there are safety concerns.

Enjoy…

Facts…

Shakespeare invented a ton of words, like "gossip" and "lonely." 

More Slang origins…

Hunk of junk

When your car has a few too many miles on the odometer, and the engine sounds like a two-pack a day smoker, it may be on the fast track to the junkyard.

Beauty in our 50 states…

31. Kentucky

Culturally, this state can never decide whether it's part of the Midwest, the South, or Appalachia. Geographically, it doesn't care, because it rocks the highlights of all those regions: the pocky hollers and mountain views in the east, 400-mile-long Mammoth Cave, and an abundance of rolling, grassy hills. You can still find family tobacco farms on the back roads, but the most distinct part of the landscape is that symbiosis between horses and luminous pastures. People here swear they can see the grass glint blue (hence—you guessed it—bluegrass). Whatever color, it all makes you want to stop and marvel.

Historical Events

1874 – Hawaii signed a treaty with the United States granting exclusive trade rights.
1925 – The Tri-State Tornado hit the Midwestern states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 people.
1937 – The New London School explosion in New London, Texas, killed over 300 people, mostly children.
1965 – Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, left his spacecraft Voskhod 2, for 12 minutes, becoming the first person to walk in space.

Birthdays Today

@88 – Lillian Vernon, German-American, founded the Lillian Vernon Company (d. 2015)
@86 – Charley Pride, country music singer, musician (d. 2020)
@83 – Peter Graves, American actor (d. 2010)
78 – Michael Reagan, American journalist, radio host
@76 – George Plimpton, American writer (d. 2003; heart attack)
“Art has something to do with the arrest of attention in the midst of distraction.”– George Plimpton
@76 – John Updike, American novelist, short story writer, and critic (d. 2009; cancer)
“Dreams come true. Without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them.”– John Updike
@71 – Grover Cleveland, American politician, 22^nd; 24th President (d. 1908; heart attack)
@71 – Neville Chamberlain, English politician, Prime Minister UK (d. 1940; cancer)
72 – Will Durst, American journalist, actor
@67 – Edgar Cayce, American mystic, psychic (d. 1945; stroke)
@64 – Wilson Pickett, American singer-songwriter (d. 2006; heart attack)
@63 – Irene Cara, American singer-songwriter (d. 2022; heart disease)
60 – Vanessa Williams, American model, actress, and singer
“The wiser you get, the more experience you have, and the more you see people for who they are as human beings, as opposed to figures you have to fight against.”– Vanessa L. Williams
@59 – Kicking Bear, Native American tribal leader (d. 1904)
@55 – Rudolf Diesel, German engineer, invented the Diesel engine (d. 1913; drowned)
53 – Queen Latifah, American rapper and actress
“You have to stand for what you believe in and sometimes you have to stand alone.”– Queen Latifah
51 – Dane Cook, American comedic actor
“Losing my mind sounds so pessimistic. I prefer the term winning my insanity.”– Dane Cook
34 – Lily Collins, English-American actress
26 – Ciara Bravo, American actress

 
 

17 Mar ♣♣

 

♣ 17 March 2023 ♣

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 11 Day 76 \ Ave. Sky Cover 60% \ Visibility 13 miles Flagstaff Today 53° \24°  Wind 6mph \ Gusts 7mph 
Air Quality: Fair \Very Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 249mi \ Nearest Lightning 735mi
Mar. Averages for Flagstaff: 51° \ 23° \6 Days of moisture
Sunshine

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

  22-4/8
  Lent
  11-17
  Turkey Vultures Return to the Living Sign
  12-18
  Campfire USA Birthday Week
  Girl Scout Week Link , Link
  Teen Tech Week
  13-17
  Native American Awareness Week Link
  13-19
  International Brain Awareness Week Link

Daily Observations

Campfire Day
Green Beer Day
St. Patrick's Day Link
Submarine Day 
Transit Driver Appreciation Day Link
World Sleep Day Link

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Rain with only a dusting of snow overnight.

I had a decent physical. I am cutting down on one thyroid medicine. Doing well otherwise.

Last night about 8pm I got a phone alert that there were flashfloods in many areas around Sedona that put a number of residents in ‘GO’ status, as it was still raining and the proverbial creek was rising. This morning, the main road from Flag to Sedona is still closed due to flooding.

I had lunch with Mary and Mike this afternoon. They brought me some great, huge, juicy oranges from their trees in Phoenix. Excellent! I also had a great Corned Beef Ruben Sandwich, to honor St. Patrick

St. Patrick’s Day facts

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated every year on March 17th. It is a national holiday in the Republic of Ireland as well as the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

St. Patrick’s Day was a religious holiday, dedicated to Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, until 1903 when it became public by the Bank Holiday Act of 1903. The Irish Member of Parliament, James O’Mara, later introduced a law that all pubs be, wait for it, closed on March 17th. Surprisingly this law stuck around until the 1970s, when people finally realized that St. Patrick’s Day is all about drinking, drinking, drinking.

Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick was born around the end of the fourth century A.D. in Britain. Although his father was a Christian deacon, their family was not a very religious one. At 16, Saint Patrick was taken into slavery by a group of Irish thieves who took over his home village. During his time in captivity, he spent a lot of time alone and in this time turned to God, becoming more religious. After six years, Saint Patrick escaped and went to Gaul where he studied in a monastery for 12-15 years. After being ordinated as a priest, Saint Patrick was sent to Ireland to be a minister as well as convert the non-Christian Irish. His mission lasted for 30 years.

The Parade

The first St. Patrick’s Day Parade was actually held in New York City in 1962. It consisted of Irish soldiers serving in the English military Marching the streets of the city. “Each year, nearly three million people line the one-and-a-half mile parade route to watch the procession, which takes more than five hours. Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Savannah also celebrate the day with parades including between 10,000 to 20,000 participants.” – The History Channel

Traditions

The traditional meal of Saint Patrick’s Day is corned beef, boiled potatoes, and mashed cabbage, as well as Guinness Beer.

The shamrock is a special part of the holiday; in ancient Ireland, it symbolized the rebirth of spring. Since then, the shamrock has become a symbol of Irish nationalism and pride. It is also said that Saint Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock to demonstrate the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The color green is associated with the holiday for a few, obvious reasons. The first is because of the shamrock, which the Irish hold close to their culture. Also, green is on the national Irish flag, where is represents all the green pastures of the country.

Facts…

We see, use, and drink the same water the dinosaurs did. 

More Slang origins…

Bust a gut

The LOL of its time. Because sometimes you laugh, and sometimes you laugh so hard, it feels like your stomach is going to explode

Beauty in our 50 states…

32. New Hampshire

If we’re being honest, New Hampshire lost its most glorious sight a few decades back when the Old Man of the Mountain collapsed. (No, we’re still not over it.) Yet its profile remains relatively strong: it’s home to the White Mountains' grand Presidential Range, dramatically carved flume gorges, notches, big lakes like Winnipesaukee, and sprawling valleys of farmland near the Canadian border. It's just a shame that the southern part of the state looks so much like suburban Connecticut, but with fewer liquor stores.

Historical Events

1910 – The Camp Fire Girls organization was founded.
1941 – The National Gallery of Art was officially opened in Washington, DC.
1958 – The United States launches the first solar-powered satellite, Vanguard I.

Birthdays Today

79 – John Sebastian, American singer-songwriter
74 – Patrick Duffy, American actor
68 – Gary Sinise, American actor
@60 – Shemp Howard (Samuel Horwitz), Stooge #4 (d. 1955; heart attack)
59 – Rob Lowe, American actor
“Can someone explain the vitriol whenever Ayn Rand comes up? ‘Atlas’ is the greatest motivator for the individual that I can imagine.”– Rob Lowe
56 – Billy Corgan, American singer-songwriter
“I think a spiritual journey is not so much a journey of discovery. It’s a journey of recovery. It’s a journey of uncovering your own inner nature. It’s already there.”– Billy Corgan
@54 – Rudolf Nureyev, Russian-French dancer and choreographer (d. 1993; AIDS)
“When I miss class for one day, I know it. When I miss class for two days, my teacher knows it. When I miss class for three days, the audience knows it.”– Rudolf Nureyev
51 – Mia Hamm, American soccer player
@45 – Nat King Cole, American singer, pianist, and television host (d. 1965; cancer)
“Critics don’t buy records. They get ’em free.”– Nat King Cole
33 – Hozier, Irish singer-songwriter
“Art and music are the vehicles for the zeitgeist.”– Hozier
31 – John Boyega, English actor

 
 

16 Mar

 

16 March 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 11 Day 75 \ Ave. Sky Cover 90% \ Visibility 3 miles Flagstaff Today 50° \32°  Wind 4mph \ Gusts 8mph 
Air Quality:  \Very Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 249mi \ Nearest Lightning 315mi
Mar. Averages for Flagstaff: 51° \ 23° \6 Days of moisture
Raining

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

  22-4/8
  Lent
  10-16
  Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Week
11-17
  Turkey Vultures Return to the Living Sign
12-18
  Campfire USA Birthday Week
  Girl Scout Week Link , Link
  Teen Tech Week
13-17
    Native American Awareness Week Link
13-19
  International Brain Awareness Week Link

Daily Observations

Artichoke Hearts Day
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day
Curlew Day
Everything You Do is Right Day
Freedom of Information Day
Goddard Day Link, Link
Panda Day
Lips Appreciation Day
National Farm Rescuer Day Link 
National Panda Day
No Selfies Day
St. Urho's Day 
National Panda Day
No Selfies Day

St. Urho's Day Link, Link

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

A rainy day…unusual for this high desert. Still appreciated.

I have my annual physical tomorrow. I’ll try to keep a straight face as they ask those Medicare questions about depression.

The US is claiming that Russia was reckless when one its jets hit one of our drones. Hopefully neither side wants any escalation. Let the diplomats work this out.

NAU, the local university is raising tuition again. The good news is that new students are the only ones paying the increase. At NAU when one enrolls as a full-time student, they are promised that tuition will not raise during their 4 year pursuit of the degree. The bad news is that this does not include mandatory fees, dorms, or meals. In-state students will pay $11,253 per year; non-residents will pay $27,600, international undergrads will pay $28,600. These prices are a bit higher than when I got my degree at Univ. of CO.

Enjoy…

Facts…

Paul Revere didn't finish his midnight ride, but Sybil Ludington, a 16-year-old girl, did. Legend says she rode for 40 miles alerting people of a British attack in 1777. 

More Slang origins…

Don't flip your wig

We're not sure what toupees were like in our grandfather's time, but, apparently, they were loose-fitting enough that there was a constant danger of them flying off their heads, especially during moments of excitement or agitation.

Beauty in our 50 states…

33. Georgia

If you live in Florida, the most beautiful sight you'll ever see is when you cross the state line into Georgia and see gas prices drop a buck a gallon. Past that? There ain't much. Aside from the quaint Southernness of trees draped in Spanish moss and untouched beaches in the southern part of the state, the scenic highlight is the "mountains" north of Atlanta. Which seem downright towering when you've been driving through Florida, but still don't measure up to the Smokies or the Appalachians a few hours down the road.

Historical Events

1802 – The Army Corps of Engineers was established to found and operate the United States Military Academy at West Point.
1865 –The Thirteenth Amendment was officially ratified.
1926 – Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn, MA.
1968 – The My Lai Massacre involved the killing of 3000 noncombatant Vietnam citizens.
1995 – Mississippi formally ratified the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery.
2020 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 2,997.10, the single largest point drop in history and the second-largest percentage drop ever, at 12.93%.

Birthdays Today

@91 – Henny Youngman, English-American violinist and comedian (d. 1998)
“I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to stop going to those places.”– Henny Youngman
@91 – Jerry Lewis, American actor and comedian (d. 2017)
“I have a loyalty that runs in my bloodstream, when I lock into someone or something, you can’t get me away from it because I commit that thoroughly. That’s in friendship, that’s a deal, that’s a commitment. Don’t give me paper – I can get the same lawyer who drew it up to break it. But if you shake my hand, that’s for life.”– Jerry Lewis
@87 – Mercedes McCambridge, American actress (d. 2004)
@85 – James Madison. 4^th President (d. 1836)
82 – Chuck Woolery, American game show host and television personality
@72 – Conrad Nagel, American actor (d. 1970; heart attack)
74 – Erik Estrada, American actor
“Respect other people regardless of the level they are at… or the level you are at. When you hand out respect, you get it back.”– Erik Estrada
69 – Nancy Wilson, American singer-songwriter, Heart
@67 – Josef Mengele, evil German physician (d. 1979; stroke while swimming)
@65 – Georg Ohm, German physicist, mathematician (d. 1854)
64 – Flavor Flav, American rapper and personality
56 – Tracy Bonham, American singer
54 – Judah Friedlander, American comedic actor
“You jump on a bike and start peddling. You fall down and you get up again. I’ve always been a ‘learn by doing’ kind of guy.”– Judah Friedlander
52 – Alan Tudyk, American actor
36 – Alexandra Daddario, American actress
“As a child, I loved fantasy books, I loved Harry Potter and the idea that there is something ‘out there’ is inspiring to kids and inspiring to me. It’s exciting and I think people can relate to it. Even if things are difficult or bad for you, the idea that there is something special within you is positive and true.”– Alexandra Daddario