December 13, 2025

14 Dec

 

 

 

 


 

Dec. Averages: Temps: 43°\20° Moisture:4 Days moisture 0.7”

Flagstaff Today 60°: 30° Week 51 Day 348

Wind: 4 mph Gusts 7 mph                    Nearest lightning: 975 miles away

Active Fire: 213 miles away Risk of Fire: High

Air Quality: Moderate Sunshine

 

 

 


Weekly Observations

4-24

Andisop (Meterological Fiddling Link

8-14

Computer Science Education Week Link ) 10-17

Human Rights Week

 

11-1/1/26

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Link 

14-22

Chanukah
14-1/5/26

Christmas Bird Count Week Link 
14-20

Gluten-free Baking Week
14-28

Halcyon Days


Daily Observations

Chanukah begins
Martyred Intellectuals Day 
Link
Monkey Day 
Link
U.S. Park Police Day

Yoga Day Link
Worldwide Candle Lighting Day
(The Compassionate FriendsLink 
World Choral Day
 Link 

Today’s Quotes                                                             


 

Today’s Memes

 



My Thoughts for the day

Clear deep blue sky. Nice!

One of the key Republican beliefs for decades has been smaller government. Trump seemed to believe that until recently. He is ready to go to shut down the Dept. of Education and turn oversight and the rest to the various states. As a retired educator I don’t agree with this plan, as I remember the days before the Dept. of Education when states could decide not to fund integration, not serve Special Needs students, and place restrictions on what history and what science could be taught in schools. Now Trump is saying that the states should not control AI and that the only way to control AI’s advances is through the Federal Government. I just don’t understand the difference. I think the Feds should have oversite on AI.

I had a craving for egg salad this morning, so I did the work and just made a great egg salad sandwich. Tastes very good.

Wild West Myths that never happened…

Saloons Were Always Rowdy and Violent

Movies depict saloons as chaotic places filled with brawls, poker cheats, and shootouts. While saloons did serve alcohol, gambling, and entertainment, most were far tamer than fiction suggests.

Many saloons were simply social hubs where locals gathered to relax after long workdays. They hosted dances, meetings, and even church services in some cases. Violence did happen, but it wasn’t the nightly spectacle we imagine.

Rowdiness was most common in boomtowns during gold rushes, where transient populations created instability. In more established communities, saloons were controlled and often family-run businesses. These establishments were central to social life, not just scenes of chaos. 

Cities that changed their names…

Salisbury → Harare (Zimbabwe)

In 1980, Zimbabwe gained independence after nearly a century of British colonial rule. Two years later, its capital shed the name “Salisbury” and became “Harare,” honoring a local Shona chief who once ruled the region. The new name was more than a gesture; it was the birth certificate of a free nation. Where colonial boulevards once bore imperial names, new streets now celebrate African heroes.
Harare became not just a capital but a declaration of ownership; a city finally calling itself by its own language.
 

Random Thoughts…



Historic Events

1798 - David Wilkinson of Rhode Island patented the nut and bolt machine.

1900 - Professor Max Planck of Berlin University revealed his revolutionary Quantum Theory.
1903 - Orville Wright made the first attempt at powered flight. The engine stalled during take-off and the plane was damaged in the attempt. Three days later, after repairs were made, the modern aviation age was born when the plane stayed aloft for 12 seconds and flew 102 feet.
1911 - Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first man to reach the South Pole. He reached the destination 35 days ahead of Captain Robert F. Scott.
1946 - The U.N. General Assembly voted to establish the United Nation's headquarters in New York City.
1962 - The U.S. space probe Mariner II approached Venus. It transmitted information about the planet's atmosphere and surface temperature.
1981 - Israel annexed the Golan Heights, seized from Syria in war in 1967.
1985 - Wilma Mankiller became the first woman to lead a major American Indian tribe as she formally took office as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of OKlahoma.
1986 - The experimental aircraft Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, took off from California on the first non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world. The trip took nine days to complete.
1993 - A judge in Colorado struck down the state's voter-approved Amendment Two prohibiting gay rights laws, calling it unconstitutional.
1997 - Cuban President Fidel Castro declared Christmas 1997 an official holiday to ensure the success of Pope John Paul II's upcoming visit to Cuba.
2000 - It was announced that American businessman Edmond Pope would be released from a Russian prison for humanitarian reasons. Pope had been sentenced to 20 years in prison after his conviction on espionage charges.
2001 - The first commercial export, since 1963, of U.S. food to Cuba began. The 24,000 metric tons for corn were being sent to replenish what was lost when Hurricane Michelle struck on November 4.
2013 - The Chinese spacecraft Chang'e 3 became the first spacecraft to "soft"-land on the Moon since 1976. It was only the third robotic rover to land on the moon.

Birthdays

Frank Allen, (82 years old)English rock vocalist (Searchers - "Needles & Pins"), born in Hayes, Middlesex, England

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James Comey(65 years old)

American lawyer and former FBI director, born in Yonkers, New York

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Miranda Hart(53 years old)

English comedian and actress (Miranda), born in London, England

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Vanessa Hudgens(37 years old)

 American singer and actress (High School Musical, The Princess Switch), born in Salinas, California

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Tori Kelly(33 years old)

American pop and gospel singer-songwriter ("Dear No One", "Nobody Love"), born in Wildomar, California

 

 

Nostradamus(d.1566; @62)

French astrologist and prophet (Les Propheties), born in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France

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Tycho Brahe(d.1601; @54)

Danish astronomer who set new standards for astronomical observations, born in Knudstrup, Scania, Denmark

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Jimmy Doolittle(d.1993; @96)

American air force general who conducted the raid on Tokyo in 1942, born in Alameda, California

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Frances Bavier, American Emmy Award-winning stage and screen actress (The Andy Griffith Show & Mayberry, RFD - "Aunt Bee"), born in New York City (d. 1989; @86)

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 (Moritz) "Morey" Amsterdam, American comedian, cellist, vaudevillian, and actor (The Dick Van Dyke Show - "Buddy"; This Is Burlesque), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1996; @87)

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Spike Jones [Lindley Armstrong Jones], American bandleader ("Der Fueher's Face", "Cocktails For Two"), born in Long Beach, California (d. 1965; @53, emphysema)

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Don Hewitt, American CBS news executive producer (60 Minutes), born in New York City (d. 2009; @86)

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Charlie Rich, American country-politan vocalist ("Behind Closed Doors"; "The Most Beautiful Girl"), born in Colt, Arkansas (d. 1995; @62, embolism)

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Lee Remick, American actress (Days of Wine and Roses;, Long Hot Summer), born in Quincy, Massachusetts (d. 1991; @55, kidney cancer)

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Patty Duke(d.2016; @69, sepsis)

American Academy and Emmy awarding actress (The Miracle Worker; The Patty Duke Show), and mental health advocate, mother of Sean Astin, born in New York City

 

…The End for today…

           

December 12, 2025

13 Dec

 

 

 

 

Dec. Averages: Temps: 43°\20° Moisture:4 Days moisture 0.7”

Flagstaff Today 59°: 31° Week 50 Day 347

Wind: 4 mph Gusts 7 mph                    Nearest lightning: 946 miles away

Active Fire: 213 miles away Risk of Fire: Moderate

Air Quality: Fair Moderate Partly Mostly Cloudy Overcast Smoky Red Flag Warning Sunshine

 

 

 

 

Weekly Observations

4-24

Andisop (Meterological Fiddling Link

7-13

National Hand Washing Awareness Week Link 
Recipe Greetings For The Holidays Week

8-14

Computer Science Education Week Link ) 10-17

Human Rights Week

11-1/1/26

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Link 

Daily Observations

Gingerbread Decorating Day  
Gingerbread House Day
Gingerbread Man Day
International Shareware Day

National Day of The Horse
National Guard Birthday 
Link
National Wreaths Across America Day  
Link
Pick A Pathologist Pal Day 
Link

Today’s Quotes                                                             


 

Today’s Memes

 



My Thoughts for the day

Another nice fall day.

I headed out this morning for a pedicure. My feet feel much better and look better too. Haha

I’ve been a fan of Celtic Thunder for years. They have done several PBS specials, and I try hard not to miss any of them. This week, PBS introduced me to another group: Celtic Tenors. They did a great special, leaving me wanting to hear more. My High School graduation song was The Impossible Dream from Don Quixote. Every time I hear that song I get pumped up to do my best. In the Celtic Tenors special, they did a fantastic version of that song. I am still pumped.

I need to be clear; I do not want criminals being let into the country…Everyone knows we have enough of our own home-grown criminals. ICE says they are removing the worst of the worst, but there are just too many videos and stories that show they are also rounding up people who have no criminal background and then deporting them. It is time to stop throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Fix the law and get rid of the bad guys. 

Wild West Myths that never happened…

Everyone Carried a Six-Shooter

The image of every man with a revolver strapped to his hip is more fiction than fact. Firearms were expensive, and many settlers relied on rifles or shotguns for hunting rather than pistols for fighting.

Even those who owned handguns didn’t always carry them daily. Gun laws in many towns restricted open carry, and most people had little need for constant weaponry.

Six-shooters became iconic largely because of dime novels and later Hollywood depictions, not because they were universally worn. Their popularity grew more from storytelling than from reality. 

Cities that changed their names…

New Amsterdam → New York (United States)

The story of New York begins with a trade deal. In 1664, the British seized the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam and renamed it after the Duke of York. What followed was an explosion of culture and commerce that would define America’s identity. However, if you walk through Lower Manhattan, street names like “Broad” and “Wall” still echo the old Dutch grid.
The city didn’t just change flags and language; it became something larger.
 

Random Thoughts…

ü  Do you find yourself gazing at the wall and coming up with some weird thoughts? You’re not alone if you’ve ever had a sudden yet striking realization about something completely unrelated. 

ü  These not-so-important and sudden thoughts that appear suddenly can blow your mind and make you think about anything and everything. They are known as weird thoughts and sometimes crazy thoughts as well. 

ü  These thoughts make you think, ponder and contemplate, and whatnot. This is something that we all get when we feel empty or want to spice up our thinking minds. 

Historic Events

1577 - Five ships under the command of Sir Francis Drake left Plymouth, England, to embark on Drake's circumnavigation of the globe. The journey took almost three years.
1636 - The United States National Guard was created when militia regiments were organized by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
1642 - New Zealand was discovered by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman.
1769 - Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire, received its charter.
1862 - In America, an estimated 11,000 Northern soldiers were killed or wounded when Union forces were defeated by Confederates under General Robert E. Lee, at the Battle of Fredericksburg.
1913 - It was announced by authorities in Florence, Italy, that the "Mona Lisa" had been recovered. The work was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris in 1911.
1913 - In the U.S., the Federal Reserve System was established.
1961 - Anna Mary Robertson Moses, "Grandma Moses," passed away at the age of 101.
1964 - In El Paso, TX, President Johnson and Mexican President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz set off an explosion that diverted the Rio Grande River, reshaping the U.S.-Mexican border. This ended a century-old border dispute.
1989 - South African President F.W. de Klerk met for the first time with imprisoned African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela, at de Klerk's office in Cape Town.
1993 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that people must receive a hearing before property linked to illegal drug sales can be seized.
1998 - Puerto Rican voters rejected U.S. statehood in a non-binding referendum.
2000U.S. Vice President Al Gore conceded the 2000 Presidential election to Texas Gov. George W. Bush. The Florida electoral votes were won by only 537 votes, which decided the election. The election had been contested up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which said that the Florida recount (supported by the Florida Supreme Court) was unconstitutional.
2001 - Gunmen stormed the Indian Parliament and killed seven people and injured 18. Security forces killed the attackers during a 90-minute gunbattle.

Birthdays

John Davidson (84 years old), American TV host (Hollywood Squares, That's Incredible), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Ted Nugent (77 years old), American rock guitarist ("Cat Scratch Fever"; Damn Yankees) and right-wing gun advocate, born in Detroit, Michigan

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Wendie Malick (75 years old), American actress (Just Shoot Me), born in Buffalo, New York

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Ben Bernanke(72 years old)

American economist and Chairman of the Federal Reserve (2006-14, 2022 Nobel Prize), born in Augusta, Georgia

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Steve Buscemi(68 years old)

American actor and filmmaker (Fargo; Boardwalk Empire; 30 Rock), born in New York City

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Jamie Foxx(58 years old)

American comedian (In Living Color), Academy Award-winning actor (Ray), and Grammy Award-winning musician ("Blame It"), born in Terrell, Texas

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NeNe Leakes (née Linnethia Johnson) (58 years old), American television personality (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), actress, and fashion designer, born in Queens, New York City

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Taylor Swift(36 years old)

1989 American Grammy and Emmy Award-winning country-pop singer-songwriter ("You Belong To Me"; "Our Song"; "All Too Well"), and Guinness World Record holder, born in Reading, Pennsylvania

 

 

Werner von Siemens(d.1892 @75)

German inventor (siemens electrical conductance unit) and industrialist (Siemens corporation), born in Lenthe, German Confederation

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Mary Todd Lincoln(d.1882; @63, stroke)

American wife of Abraham Lincoln and US First Lady (1861-65), born in Lexington, Kentucky

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Van Heflin [Emmett Evan Heflin Jr], American stage, screen, and radio actor (Johnny Eager; Shane; Madame Bovary; 3:10 to Yuma), born in Walters, Oklahoma (d. 1971; @62 heart attack)

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Archie Moore(d.1998; @84)

American light-heavyweight boxing champion (1952-60), born in Benoit, Mississippi,

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George P. Shultz(d.2021; @100)

American economist, and statesman (Secretary of State, 1982-89; Secretary of the Treasury, 1972-74), born in New York City

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Dick Van Dyke(100 years old)

American Emmy, Tony, and Grammy Award-winning actor, singer, and dancer (The Dick Van Dyke Show - "Rob Petrie": Bye Bye Birdie; Mary Poppins; The Comic; Diagnosis: Murder), born in West Plains, Missouri

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Christopher Plummer(d.-2021;@ 91)

Canadian Emmy, Tony, and Oscar winning actor (Sound of Music; Cyrano; Beginners), born in Toronto, Ontario

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Richard Darryl Zanuck, American Academy Award-winning film producer, born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2012; @77, heart attack)

 

…The End for today…