20 March

 

20 March 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 12 Day 79 \ Ave. Sky Cover 60% \ Visibility 15 miles Flagstaff Today 58° \25°  Wind 7mph \ Gusts 13mph 
Air Quality: Fair \Very Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 249mi \ Nearest Lightning 1733mi
Mar. Averages for Flagstaff: 51° \ 23° \6 Days of moisture
Mostly cloudy

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

  22-4/8
  Lent
 19-4/16
  National Cherry Blossom Festival Link  
19-25
  American Chocolate Week Link
  National Agriculture Week
  National Animal Poison Prevention Week Link  Link
  National Inhalant and Poisons Awareness Week  Link   Link
  National Poison Prevention Week Link
  National Protocol Officer's Week
  World Folktales & Fables Week
20-26
  Act Happy Week
  International Teach Music Week
  National Fix A Leak Week  Link
  National Fragrance Week Link
  Shakespeare Week Link
  Wellderly Week

Daily Observations

  Alien Abduction Day
Bed-in For Peace Day (Beatles - John and Yoko)
Day of Happiness
Earth Day
Great American Meat Out Day Link
International Astrology Day
International Day of Happiness Link  Link
French Language Day Link
National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Link
Ostara (Spring Equinox)
Proposal Day Snowman Burning Day
Ravioli Day
Spring (Vernal Equinox) 5:24 pm EDT
Well-Elderly or Wellderly Day
World Flour Day Link
World Frog Day Link
Won't You Be My Neighbor Day
World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People Link
World Sparrow Day  Link
World Storytelling Day Link 

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Getting ready to have my taxes done. Getting paperwork together.  

Welcome spring! It’s been a long winter and I’m ready for warmer weather with no snow. I’m sure our town will be a little more snow, but hoping for the best.

I’m starting to follow the French opposition to raising the retirement age. After 36 years in the Federal Civil Service, I was able to retire at 59 with a decent pension. Workers need to be able to be in a pension program that allows them to work hard, earn money to live on, and be able to retire so they can enjoy their life. My dad’s career as an accountant at  meat packing companies, always paid into a decent pension. In his career he worked for at least 4 different meat packers and was able to collect a pension from each one. He and my mom had a great retirement, and my mom was taken care of the rest of her long life after he passed. It is possible today too. Instead of having the profit be the bottom line, employees should be at the top of the list.

I’m tired of the ‘will he or won’t he be arrested?’ news coverage. Our justice system still works, no matter what the answer to the question.

Enjoy…

Facts…

Platypuses look funny and cute, but they can poison you with a spur on their feet. 

More Slang origins…

Far out

If something is far out or "out of sight," it's meant as a compliment. You approve of it. But only in the figurative sense.

Beauty in our 50 states…

29. Maryland

It's hard to say anything necessarily bad about Maryland since it's got all the aspects of scenery you look for in a state. The mountainous west is almost an extension of West Virginia with dramatic green hills and blooming fall colors. Along the Atlantic beaches and the tributaries of Chesapeake Bay, the state has 600 miles of coastline—almost double what Texas has on the Gulf of Mexico—while the pastoral farmland and vineyards along the eastern shore in Talbot County rounds out the idyll.

Historical Events

1760 – The Great Boston Fire of 1760 destroyed 349 buildings, but no reported deaths.
1916 – Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity was published in Annalen der Physik.
1923 – The Arts Club of Chicago hosted the opening of Pablo Picasso’s first US showing.
Typically the March equinox falls on this date when both day and night are of equal length.

Birthdays Today

@103 – Vera Lynn, English singer, actress (d. 2020)
@98 – Carl Reiner, American actor, director, producer, screenwriter (d. 2020)
“Writing is the basis of all, because creating something that didn’t even exist before is like taking an empty canvass. It is a wonderful thing to make something out of nothing. You’ve got an empty page, you’ve got an idea, and then you start typing and that is the most thrilling thing of all. And then if it becomes a movie or something else that’s a plus, but the original writing of it is what’s very exciting.”– Carl Reiner
@91 – Hal Linden (Harold Lipshitz), American actor
@76 – Edgar Buchanan, American character actor (d. 1979; stroke)
75 – Bobby Orr, Canadian ice hockey player
@74 – Fred Rogers, American children’s television host (d. 2003; cancer)
“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”– Fred Rogers
@71 – Jerry Reed, American singer-songwriter, actor (d. 2008; emphysema)
@69 – Ozzie Nelson, American actor, bandleader (d. 1975; liver cancer)
@66 – Jack Barry, American game show host, producer (d. 1984)
66 – Spike Lee, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
“I believe in destiny. But I also believe that you can’t just sit back and let destiny happen. A lot of times, an opportunity might fall into your lap, but you have to be ready for that opportunity. You can’t sit there waiting on it. A lot of times you are going to have to get out there and make it happen.”– Spike Lee
65 – Holly Hunter, American actress
“In some ways, it would be nice to stay younger, but I feel pretty happy about growing older… Personally, I don’t have a lot of the regular hand-ups with getting older that some people do. I’ve never tried to disguise my age. People find out anyway.”– Holly Hunter
@61 – Ted Bessell, American actor and director (d. 1996; aneurysm)

 
 

19 Mar

 

19 March 2023

Daily Almanac for Flagstaff
Week 12 Day 78 \ Ave. Sky Cover a% \ Visibility 18 miles Flagstaff Today 45° \21°  Wind 10mph \ Gusts 11mph 
Air Quality: Moderate \ Low Risk of fire \ Nearest active fire 249mi \ Nearest Lightning 684mi
Mar. Averages for Flagstaff: 51° \ 23° \6 Days of moisture
Sunshine

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

  22-4/8
  Lent
  13-19
  International Brain Awareness Week Link
  19-4/16
  National Cherry Blossom Festival Link  
  19-25
  American Chocolate Week Link
  National Agriculture Week
  National Animal Poison Prevention Week Link  Link
  National Inhalant and Poisons Awareness Week  Link   Link
  National Poison Prevention Week Link
  National Protocol Officer's Week
  World Folktales & Fables Week

Daily Observations

  Absolutely Incredible Kid Day
Chocolate Carmel Day
Client's Day Link
Goddess of Fertility Day 
International Read To Me Day Link
Let’s Laugh Day
Mothering Sunday Link 
National Backyard Day Link
National Certified Nurses Day  Link
National Chocolate Caramel Day Link
National Poultry Day Link
Operation Iraqi Freedom Day
Poultry Day Swallows Return to San Juan Capistrano Day

My Sometimes-Long-Winded Thoughts

Spring arrives later this week, so today I flipped the mattress, changes linens, and cleaned up the bedroom. I am ready for spring.

Politics has certainly changed a lot in the last decade or so. Here is a questions that used to be easy to answer, and now not so much: Is there a political incentive to do good or is the incentive to get re-elected?   The voters need to speak up and state that it is ‘to do good’. The Constitution does not address the idea that politicians should remain in office for ever. Nor does it address the huge amounts of money that are needed to win an election. I hope we figure this out very soon.

Enjoy…

Facts…

We have no idea why the ABCs are in that order, but they've been that way for thousands of years. 

More Slang origins…

Peepers

It's as if everybody who puts on a pair of glasses suddenly becomes one of Jim Henson's muppets. Seriously, doesn't Peepers sound like an adorable monster who lives next to Mr. Snuffleupagus?

Beauty in our 50 states…

30. South Carolina
Arguably, the most picturesque part of South Carolina is also the most popular: Charleston. But since this is a ranking of natural beauty, not charming colonial architecture, the highlight of the state is the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, home to the 420ft Raven Cliff Falls in Caesars Head State Park and some of the best scenic overlooks in the South. The coastal beaches are pleasant and calming as well, and you cannot beat a sun-dappled drive through the low country under a canopy of moss-draped live oak.

Historical Events

1279 – A Mongol victory at the Battle of Yamen ended the Song dynasty in China. Over 100,000 people died in the sea battle.
1918 – US Standard Time Act established standard time zones in the United States.
1962 – Bob Dylan released his first album, Bob Dylan, for Columbia Records.
1993 – Operation Iraqi Freedom began.

Birthdays Today

87 – Ursula Andress, Swiss model, actress
@80 – Wyatt Earp, American police officer (d. 1929)
@83 –Earl Warren, American jurist, US Chief Justice (d. 1974)
“When the rights of any individual or group are chipped away, the freedom of all erodes.”– Earl Warren
@81 – Moms Mabley [Loretta Mary Aiken], comedian, singer (d. 1975)
“If you don’t want your children to know the truth about life don’t send ’em to the theater to see Moms ’cause I’m gonna tell them THE TRUTH, hear?”– Moms Mabley
@80 – Patrick McGoohan, Irish-American actor (d. 2009)
“It was a place that is trying to destroy the individual by every means possible; trying to break his spirit, so that he accepts that he is No. 6 and will live there happily as No. 6 forever after. And this is the one rebel that they can’t break.”– Patrick McGoohan
76 – Glenn Close, American actress
68 – Bruce Willis, German-American actor
“Everybody, no matter how old you are, is around 24, 25 in their heart.”– Bruce Willis
@65 – William Jennings Bryan, American lawyer and politician (d. 1925’ apoplexy)
“Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”– William Jennings Bryan
@60 – David Livingstone, Scottish missionary, explorer (d. 1873; malaria)

 
 

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