February 17, 2016

Feb 18

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2.18.16 Week: 07 \ Day: 49
February Averages: 46°\19°
86004 Today: H 62° \ L 28° Average Sky Cover: 10% 
Wind ave:   7mph\Gusts:  19mph
Ave. High: 46° Record High: 66°[1996] Ave. Low: 19° Record Low: -8°[1956]
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Quote of the Day 

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Observances Today                           
National Battery Day (Volta's birthday)
Cow Milked While Flying In An Airplane Day
Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day Link
The Great American Spit Out  Link
National Drink Wine Day Link
National Hate Florida Day Link
Pluto  Day (Planet is Discovered by Clyde Tombaugh)  

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Observances This Week
14-20-Random Acts of Kindness Week Link 
          International Flirting Week
          Love a Mensch Week

14-21-National Condom Week Link
           National Nestbox Week
           NCCDP Alzheimer's & Dementia Staff Education Week
18-20-The Simplot Games Link
18-21-American Birkenbreiner Race

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US Historical Highlights for Today
1685 
Fort St. Louis is established by a Frenchman at Matagorda Bay thus forming the basis for France's claim to Texas.
1688 
Quakers conduct 1st formal protest of slavery in Germantown, Pa
1834 
1st US labor newspaper, "The Man", published, NYC
1856 
The American Party (Know-Nothings) convenes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to nominate its first Presidential candidate, former President Millard Fillmore.
1861 
Confederate President Jefferson Davis inaugurated at Montgomery, Alabama (US Civil War)
1885 
Mark Twain publishes the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in the US
1908 
1st US postage stamps in rolls issued
1908 
The American ambassador to Japan is given a note by the Japanese in which they agree to restrict Japanese emigration to the US; this becomes known as the 'Gentlemen's Agreement'

1922 

The Capper-Volstead Act allows farmers to buy and sell co-operatively without the risk of prosecution under antitrust laws
1929 
The first Academy Awards are announced.
1930 
US astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto
1953 
Premiere of 1st 3-D feature film,"Bwana Devil" (NYC)
1954 
The first Church of Scientology is established in Los Angeles, California.
1960 
8th Winter Olympic games open in Squaw Valley, California
1972 
California Supreme Court abolishes death penalty
1973 
54-kg octopus measuring 7m across captured in Hood Canal, Wash
1977 
Kiss play their first concert in Madison Square Garden (NYC)
1978 
1st Iron Man Triathlon (swim, bike ride, marathon) held, Kona, Hawaii
1994 
Dan Jansen skates world record 1000m (1:12.43)
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World Historical Highlights for Today
1129 
Jerusalem re-taken by Christians in peace treaty between Holy Roman Emperor Frederik II and Egyptian ruler Al-Kamil
1332 
Amda Seyon I, Emperor of Ethiopia begins his campaigns in the southern Muslim provinces.
1503 
Henry Tudor created Prince of Wales (later Henry VIII) 
1678 
John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" is published in Holborn, London, by Nathaniel Ponder
1745 
Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops occupy Inverness, Scotland
1804 
1st US land-grant college, Ohio University, Athens Ohio, chartered
1857 

Chinese residents in the fledging state of Sarawak rebel against the "White Rajah" James Brooke
1876 
Direct telegraph link established between Britain & New Zealand
1879 
Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi is awarded a patent for his design for the Statue of Liberty
1896 
Cave of Winds at Niagara Falls goes almost dry for first time in 50 yrs
1902 
Opera "Hunchback of Notre Dame" premieres in Monte Carlo
1932 
Sonja Henie wins her 6th straight World Women's figure skating title
1968 
10th Winter Olympic games close at Grenoble, France
1979 
Snow falls in Sahara Desert
2013 
$50 million worth of diamond is stolen in an armed robbery at Brussels Airport, Belgium
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My Rambling Thoughts
Another great spring like day…windows open to let in the fresh air. Cooler temps are just around the corner with wind and rain expected tomorrow.
Continued my quest for a sound bar for my TV. I’ll find something I like soon.
Michigan is in the political news on NPR. Two years ago they passed a law to set up a fund for firefighters who get work related cancer. Stats were scary as to the number of firefighters who get various cancers linked to running into those burning buildings. So last year the first firefighter who was diagnosed with work related cancer applied for the insurance he discovered that while the legislature did pass the bill, they did not fund it. In the current budget it still isn’t funded. OK so Michigan is in bad shape as the steel belt turned into the rust belt. And yes, they have huge suits coming from Flint for trying to save money and instead, poisoned the entire community with lead. For me the really sad part is that the firefighters believed they would get help if they got work-related cancer and they won’t…and that was a lie.
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Brain Teasers
(answers at the end of post)
Rhyme Time II
Language brain teasers are those that involve the English language. You need to think about and manipulate words and letters.
Answer the clues with a pair of rhyming words.
(plump feline = fat cat)

1. Moby Dick fan letter
2. Stream cove
3. Medieval soldier competition
4. Extra couple
5. Metal drain plug

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…Business Facts…
The first Ronald McDonald was Willard Scott in 1963.

In October 1997, when Internet Explorer 4.0 was released, some Microsoft employees left a giant "From the IE team... We Love You" on Netscape's lawn.
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…Hard to Believe…
29. If you take all the molecules in a teaspoon of water and lined them up end to end in a single file line, they would stretch ~30 billion miles.
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…Harper’s Index…
1.5-Factor by which the children of immigrants to EU Nations are more likely than other EU Natives to be unemployed.
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…Mistaken History you learned in grade school…
Christopher Columbus discovered America
Christopher Columbus is so well remembered in America that he still has his own national holiday (Columbus Day on October 12th), along with numerous universities and cities that bear his name. What you might not know is that nearly 500 years before Columbus made his way to the "New World," Norse explorers discovered and set up a colony there. Around 1000 CE, Norse explorers venturing from their bases in Greenland and Iceland discovered a rich new world full of plenty. After a few years, they returned, named the land "Vinland" (literally Vineland), and settled in for the long haul. Unfortunately (or fortunately), they didn't last long, and Norse settlements were thought to be a myth until the 1960s when evidence of a Norse settlement was discovered.
NOTE: This is talking about Europeans ‘discovering’ the continent which was inhabited by millions.
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…Instagram Photo of the Day… 

earthpix Budapest, Hungary lit up at night | Photo by @wonguy974
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2 jokes for the day
After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Walmart. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse.
Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Walmart.

Dear Mrs. Woolf,
Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against your husband, Mr. Woolf, are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras:

1. June 15: He took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they weren't looking.

2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. July 7: He made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.

4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away'. This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her Supervisor that in turn resulted in management getting involved causing management to lose time and costing the company money.

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to reserve a bag of chips.

6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children shoppers they could come in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department - to which twenty children obliged.

8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?' Emergency Medics were called.

9. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

10. September 10: While handling guns in the Sports department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

11. October 3: Darted around the Store suspiciously while loudly humming the ' Mission Impossible' theme.

12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.

13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'

14. October 22: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed the fetal position and screamed "OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!"

And last, but not least:
15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, and then yelled very loudly, "Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!" One of the Staff passed out.
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As the bus stopped and it was her turn to get on, she became aware that her skirt was too tight to allow her leg to come up to the height of the first step of the bus. 

Slightly embarrassed and with a quick smile to the driver, she reached behind her to unzip her skirt a little, thinking that this would give her enough slack to raise her leg. She tried to take the step, but only to discover that she couldn't. 

With a little smile to the driver, she again reached behind to unzip a little more and again was unable to take the step. 

After becoming quite frustrated and embarrassed, she once again attempted to unzip her skirt more in order to allow more leg room to get on the first step of the bus. 

About this time, a large Texan who was standing behind her picked her up easily by the waist and placed her gently on the step of the bus, 

She went ballistic and turned to the would-be Samaritan and yelled "How dare you touch my body! I don't even know who you are!" 

The Texan smiled and drawled "Well ma'am, normally I would agree with you but after you unzipped my fly three times I kinda figured we were friends."

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Yep, It Really Happened
Valentine's Balloons Knock Out Power to 5,000
LOS ANGELES - A California utility company said Valentine's Day balloons elicited emotions other than love when they struck lines and knocked out electricity to 5,000 customers. Southern California Edison said a bundle of runaway Mylar Valentine's Day balloons collided with power lines in South Los Angeles Monday evening. "Metallic balloons look harmless, but there's no way to overstate how dangerous they can be when released outside," Paul Jeske, SoCal Edison's director of corporate health and safety, said in a statement. The utility released a warning prior to Valentine's Day asking customers to avoid releasing the balloons outdoors or tying them to a person's wrist, as that poses an electrocution risk. 
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Somewhat Useless Information
The Grammy Awards
The award statues are made by Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado.

The Grammys were originally called the Gramophone Awards, hence the shape of the statue.

Santana and Michael Jackson are tied for winning the most Grammy Awards in one night. Santana won eight in 2000 and Jackson won eight in 1984.

Only six artists have won Record, Album and Song of the Year in one night: Paul Simon in 1971, Carole King in 1972, Christopher Cross in 1981, Eric Clapton in 1993, The Dixie Chicks in 2007 and Adele in 2012.

Producer, arranger, composer and musician Quincy Jones has won the most Grammy Awards with 79.

The Beach Boys didn't win a Grammy until 2013 when their album "Smile" won for Best Historical Album.

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Birthdays Today
“()” indicates age at death
94- Barbara Hale, actress (Della Street-Perry Mason)
91- George Kennedy,
NYC, actor (Cool Hand Luke, Airport, Blue Knight)
(90) Helen Gurley Brown, Green Forest, Arkansas, American author/publisher and editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan (d. 2012)
 (87) Jack Palance, [Walter Palanuik],
Lattimer Pa, actor (City Slickers) (d.2006)
83- Yoko Ono Lennon, [Mrs John Lennon],
Tokyo Japan, singer and artist
(82) Alessandro Volta,
Como, Italy, Italian physicist and inventor of the 1st battery, (d. 1827)
(79) Jacques Cassini,
French astronomer (rings of Saturn) (d.1756)
(74) George Peabody,
South Danvers Mass, merchant/philanthropist (d.1869)
(70) Bill Cullen,
Pittsburg, TV game show host (over 20 different games) (d.1990)
66- Cybill Shepherd, actress (Moonlighting, Last Picture Show), born in Memphis, Tennessee
64- Juice Newton, [Judy Cohen], Virginia, vocalist (Angel of the Morning)
62- John Travolta,
Englewood NJ, actor (Welcome Back Kotter, Pulp Fiction)
59- Vanna White, [Rosich],
N Myrtle Beach SC, TV host (Wheel of Fortune)
(52) Wendell Wilkie,
American Presidential candidate (R-1940)/author (One World), (d. 1944)
52- Matt Dillon,
New Rochelle NY, actor (Flamingo Kid, Tex, Kansas)
51 Dr. Dre, [Andre Romelle Young],
Compton, California, American rapper and record producer
47- Molly Ringwald,
Roseville California, actress (16 Candles, Pretty in Pink)
(42) Mary I Tudor, [Bloody Mary],
Greenwich, queen of England (1553-58) (d.1558)
(25) George "The Gipper" Gipp,
football star (Notre Dame) (d.1920)
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Historical Obits Today
@88-1564 Michelangelo Buonarroti,
Italian sculptor/painter (David)
@78-1294 Kublai Khan,
Mongol Emperor
@75-1906 John Batterson Stetson,
American manufacturer (b. 1830)
@72-1915 Frank James,
American outlaw (member of the James-Younger gang)
@71-1977 Andy Devine, [Jeremiah Schwartz],
actor (Andy's Gang), leukemia
@62-1967 Robert Oppenheimer,
creator of atomic bomb, throat cancer
@62-1546 Martin Luther,
biblical scholar/religious reformer, stroke
@49-1957 Joseph Hamilton,
American Physician who was a pioneer of using radioactive isotopes in disease treatment and diagnosis, dies of radiation induced leukemia
@49-2001 Dale Earnhardt,
American race car driver car crash at Daytona 500 race
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Brain Teasers Answers
1. Whale mail
2. Brook nook
3. Knight fight
4. Spare pair
5. Copper stopper

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Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.
All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site contains mistakes and sadly once the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.
♥♥♥♥And That Is All for Now ♥♥♥♥

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