Week 14  Day 90 Flag Today  66°/48°                             Wind 15 mph Gusts 37 mph

Active Fire: 310 miles away Risk of fire: Extreme   Nearest Lightning: 398 miles away

Air Quality: Moderate Sunshine Partly Cloudy Windy

Mar. Averages: Temps: 54°\24° Moisture: 12 days

Weekly Observations

3/22-4/4 Passiontide 25-31 National Farm Workers Awareness Week Link Link National Physicians Week  Link

3/29-4/4Holy Week

Daily Observations

Anesthesia Tech Day Link Bunsen Burner Day US Border Control Day Link  Link International Hug A Medievalist Day International Transgender Day of Visibility  Link National Crayon Day Link Link

National "She's Funny That Way" Day National Tater Day  Link Prom Day Link Starbucks Day Terri's Day  Link World Backup Day

Today’s Quotes                                                                 

Today’s Memes

Today’s Thoughts

I’m ready for a new month, I’m tired of the wind.

Watch not what Trump says, watch what he does. He keeps railing against mail-in votes. He says they are riddled with fraud. While he has been in office, every time he has voted, he has done so with a mail-in ballot. I guess what’s bad for the goose is good for the gander. It seems so insane. 

Real Hoaxes

The Great Manure Crisis

A widely repeated story claims 1890s cities faced an unsolvable horse manure apocalypse that would bury streets under feet of waste. The tale cites a supposed 1894 Times of London prediction and a failed conference that ended early in despair.

In truth, historians find no primary source for the dramatic quotes and timelines.

Urban filth was real, but the extreme doomsday framing appears to be a modern exaggeration that grew online. It compresses complex sanitation history into a neat parable that flatters progress narratives about cars saving cities.

The myth persists because it is tidy, vivid, and easy to share.

Careful research shows multiple solutions emerged over time: better street cleaning, changes in stabling, and gradual transport shifts. Electric trams, bicycles, and later motor vehicles reduced reliance on horses, but there was no single dramatic turning point.

The episode is a meta-hoax, reminding us to check citations, not just vibes. When a historical claim includes precise numbers and tidy endings, ask for scans and archives.

Verification beats virality, especially for stories that confirm modern superiority. 

Rare Native American Facts

Ancient Villages Lie Beneath Los Angeles

Most people don't realize that there's an ancient village lying under the streets of modern Los Angeles-yes, really! It's where the Gabrielino-Tongva people used to live and the village dates back thousands of years. Archeologists have found signs that point to these people having quite a sophisticated society, including trade networks reaching as far as Arizona & Baja California.

 

Oklahoma’s Name Comes from Choctaw Words

The state name “Oklahoma” comes directly from the Choctaw language-the word “okla” means “people” and “humma” means “red.” Together, they mean “red people,” and Choctaw Chief Allen Wright first suggested the name during treaty negotiations in 1866. It took until 1890 for the Oklahoma Territory to be established and for the government to officially adopt the name. These days, Oklahoma is home to 39 federally recognized tribes. 

Historic Events

 March in History

 

Birthdays

Shirley Jones (92 years old) American Academy Award-winning actress (Elmer Gantry; Oklahoma!), and singer (Partridge Family), born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Herb Alpert (91 years old) American Grammy and Tony Award-winning jazz trumpeter and bandleader (Tijuana Brass - "This Guy's In Love With You"; Whipped Cream and Other Delights), and record executive (A&M), born in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Barney Frank (86 years old), American politician (Rep-D-MA, 1981-2013), born in Bayonne, New Jersey φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Michael Savage [Michael A Wiener], (84 years old) American talk radio host and commentator, born in The Bronx, New York φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Gabe Kaplan (81 years old), American comedian and actor (Welcome Back Kotter), born in Brooklyn, New York City φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Al Gore (78 years old) 1948 American politician and environmentalist (Vice President: 1993-2001), born in Washington, D.C. φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Rhea Perlman (78 years old), American Emmy Award-winning actress (Taxi - "Zena"; Cheers - "Carla"), born in Brooklyn, New York φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Ed Marinaro (76 years old), American actor (Hill Street Blues - "Ofc Joe Coffey"; Laverne & Shirley, 1980-81 - "Sonny"), and NFL running back, 1972-77 (Minnesota Vikings and 2 other teams), born in New York City φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Angus Young (71 years old) 1955 Scottish rock guitarist (AC/DC - "Highway to Hell"), born in Glasgow, Scotland φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Ewan McGregor (55 years old) Scottish actor (Trainspotting, Star Wars Episodes I, II, III), born in Perth, Scotland φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Chloé Zhao (44 years old) Chinese filmmaker and director (The Rider, Nomadland, Hamnet), born in Beijing, China

René Descartes (1596-1650; @53, pneumonia) French philosopher (he thought, therefore he was), born in Descartes, Indre-et-Loire, France φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750; @65, stroke) German composer (St. Matthew's Passion; Brandenburg Concertos; Toccata and Fugue) [OS 21 Mar], born in Eisenach, Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach, Holy Roman Empire φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Joseph Haydn (1732-1809; @77) Austrian composer of the classical period (The Creation; Trumpet Concerto), born in Rohrau, Austria φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Arthur Griffith (1871-1922; @51, stroke) Irish writer and politician who founded Sinn Féin (President of Ireland 1922), born in Dublin, Ireland, United Kingdom φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Jack Johnson (1878-1946; @68, stroke) American boxer (1st African-American world heavyweight champion 1908-15), born in Galveston, Texas φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Octavio Paz, Mexican poet (Salamandra; Topoemas), writer and diplomat who won the 1990 Nobel Prize laureate, born in Mexico City (d. 1998; @84) φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Henry Morgan, American comedian and TV panelist (I've Got a Secret, Arena), born in New York City (d. 1994; @79, lung cacer) φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Patrick Magee [McGee], Northern Irish actor (A Clockwork Orange; Barry Lyndon), born in Armagh, Northern Ireland (d. 1982; @60, heart attack) φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Cesar Chavez (1927-1993; @66, natural causes) Disgraced American farm labor leader (United Farm Workers), born in Yuma, Arizona φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Gordie Howe (1928-2016; @88) Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame right wing (23-time NHL All Star; NHL: Detroit Red Wings; WHA: Houston Aeros), born in Floral, Saskatchewan φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Liz Claiborne (1929-2007; @78, cancer) American fashion designer, entrepreneur and founder of Liz Claiborne Inc, born in Brussels, Belgium φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Richard Chamberlain (1934-2025; @90) American stage and screen actor (Dr. Kildare (TV series); Shōgun; The Thorn Birds), born in Beverly Hills, California  φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ

 

…The End for today…

               

30 Mar

 

Week 14  Day 89 Flag Today  70°/44°                             Wind 20 mph Gusts 32 mph

Active Fire: 125 miles away Risk of fire: Extreme   Nearest Lightning: 264 miles away

Air Quality: Moderate Sunshine Mostly Cloudy Windy

Mar. Averages: Temps: 54°\24° Moisture: 12 days

Weekly Observations

3/22-4/4 Passiontide 25-31 National Farm Workers Awareness Week Link Link National Physicians Week  Link

3/29-4/4Holy Week

Daily Observations

Doctors Day   Link   Link Grass Is Always Browner On The Other Side Of The Fence Day I Am In Control Day Link International Day of Zero Waste International Laundry Folding Day

Pencil Day Torrents Day Link Virtual Vacation Day  Link World Bi-polar Day Link

Today’s Quotes                                                                 

Today’s Memes

Today’s Thoughts

Spring always brings windy conditions. Today is another day of wind. Ugh…

The religion you follow is somewhat random…depending on where you were born. Here are the top 10 religions by the number of followers:

1. Christianity: With an estimated 2.2 billion followers (31.50% of the global population), Christianity is the most widely practiced religion.
2. Islam: Islam has around 1.6 billion followers (22.32%), making it the second most popular faith.
3. Hinduism: With approximately 1 billion followers (13.95%), Hinduism ranks third on our list.
4. Traditional Chinese Religions: Practiced by about 394 million people (5.50%), Traditional Chinese Religion is a unique blend of beliefs and practices.
5. Buddhism: With an estimated 376 million followers (5.25%), Buddhism rounds out the top five.
6. Ethnic Minority Religions: This category includes faiths like Shintoism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Chinese Popular Religion, practiced by around 300 million people (4.19%).
7. African Religions: As many as 100 million followers (1.40%) practice traditional African religions.
8. Sikhism: With about 30 million followers (0.32%), Sikhism is a significant dharmic religion, primarily practiced in India and North America.
9. Spiritism: Practiced by approximately 15 million people (0.21%), Spiritism is a unique faith that focuses on spiritual communication with the dead.
10. Judaism: With around 14 million followers (0.20%), Judaism completes our list of the world’s most practiced religions.

The part I have trouble with is…why all these religions is that the faith does not help people work together. It does help each faith to gain followers, but each seems to believe that their way in THE way divides people. 

Real Hoaxes

The Hitler Diaries (1983)

In 1983, German magazine Stern announced it had acquired Adolf Hitler’s personal diaries. Handwriting experts and historians initially vouched for them, and the scoop promised unprecedented insight into the dictator’s mind.

The international press covered the story intensely, and serialization deals followed.

Very quickly, forensic testing and inconsistencies exposed the truth: the notebooks were modern forgeries by Konrad Kujau. Paper, ink, and binding materials postdated World War II, and internal content recycled known sources.

The incentives of exclusivity, speed, and prestige had outrun careful verification.

The collapse embarrassed publishers and experts, prompting reforms in document authentication. Labs tightened protocols, and editorial standards added phased tests before public claims.

The diaries remind us that authority signals and partial validations can create a false sense of certainty. If a find promises to rewrite history, insist on blind testing, full provenance, and cross-institutional review.

Extraordinary sources deserve extraordinary scrutiny. That mindset protects both the public record and the credibility of those who report it.

 

The Sokal Affair (1996)

In 1996, physicist Alan Sokal submitted a deliberately nonsensical paper to the journal Social Text. The article used dense jargon and fashionable theory to argue that physical reality was a social construct.

The journal published it, unaware it was a test of editorial rigor.

Soon after publication, Sokal revealed the hoax in another magazine, explaining his intent to highlight lax standards and ideological bias. Supporters praised the exposure; critics argued it caricatured the field and misrepresented peer review practices.

The affair sparked broader debate about expertise, interdisciplinarity, and the boundaries of jargon.

The Sokal Affair endures because it shows how style can mask substance, especially when arguments flatter a journal’s perspective. Today, predatory journals and paper mills present related risks, making screening and replication vital.

For readers and students, the lesson is to look for clear claims, methods, and testable predictions. If prose obscures mechanisms and evidence, demand clarification or withhold judgment.

Intellectual humility and methodological transparency remain the surest guides through complex debates. 

Historic Events

 March in History

Birthdays

John Astin (96 years old) 1930 American actor (I'm Dickens, He's Fenster; Gomez in "The Addams Family"), born in Baltimore, Maryland φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Warren Beatty (89 years old) 1937 American actor (Bonnie & Clyde, Shampoo, Dick Tracy), born in Richmond, Virginia φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Jerry Lucas (86 years old) 1940 NBA center (Olympic gold 1960, NY Knicks), born in Middletown, Ohio φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Eric Clapton (81 years old) 1945 English singer and guitarist (Cream - "Sunshine Of Your Love; Derek & The Dominos - "Layla"; solo -"Tears in Heaven"), born in Ripley, Surrey, England φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Paul Reiser (70 years old), American actor (My 2 Dads, Diner, Aliens, Mad About You), born in New York City φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ MC Hammer [Stanley Kirk Burrell], (64 years old)American rapper (Hammer Time), born in Oakland, California φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Tracy Chapman (62 years old) 1964 American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter ("Fast Car"; "Give Me One Reason"), born in Cleveland, Ohio φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Piers Morgan (61 years old), English newspaper editor and TV personality (Daily Mirror, CNN), born in Newick, England φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Celine Dion (58 years old) Canadian singer ("My Heart Will Go On"; "The Power Of Love"; "Tell Him"), born in Charlemagne, Quebec φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Mark Consuelos (55 years old), American actor (All My Children, 1996-2001 & 2010 - "Mateo Santos"), and husband of Kelly Ripa, born in Zaragosa, Spain φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Norah Jones (47 years old) 1979 American pop and jazz singer and pianist ("Come Away With Me"), born in Brooklyn, New York φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ

Francisco Goya (1746-1828; @82) Spanish romantic painter and printmaker (The Third of May 1808), born in Fuendetodos, Spain φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Maria Reynolds, American mistress of Alexander Hamilton and part of America's 1st political sex scandal (Reynolds Pamphlet), born in New York City, Province of New York, British Empire (d. 1828; @59) φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Robert Bunsen (1811-1899; @88) German chemist who invented the Bunsen Burner, born in Göttingen, Westphalia, Rhine Confederation φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Anna Sewell, English author (Black Beauty), born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (d. 1878; @58, TB) φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890; @37, suicide) Dutch artist, painter and pioneer of Expressionism (The Potato Eaters, Irises, Sunflowers), born in Groot-Zundert, Netherlands φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Frankie Laine [Francesco Paolo LoVecchio], American singer ("Jezebel"; "Rawhide"; "Blazing Saddles"), songwriter ("We'll Be Together Again"), and actor (Bring Your Smile Along), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2007; @93) φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Ingvar Kamprad (1926-2018; @91) Swedish eccentric businessman (founder of IKEA) and author (The Testament of a Furniture Dealer), born in Pjätteryd, Sweden φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Peter Marshall [Ralph Pierre LaCock], American TV game show host (Hollywood Squares), and stage actor and singer, born in Huntington, West Virginia (d. 2024; @98)  φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Richard Dysart, American actor (Leland MacKenzie-LA Law, The Last Days of Patton), born near Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2015; @86) φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Jay Traynor, American pop singer (Jay and the Americans, 1960-62 - "She Cried"), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2014; @70, cancer) φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ Leonid Radvinsky, Ukrainian-American businessman and the owner of OnlyFans (2018-2026), born in Odesa, Ukraine (d. 2026; @43, cancer)  φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ

 

…The End for today…