May 17

FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!

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May 17, 2017 Week: 20 \ Day: 137

86004 Today: H 59° \ L 33° Average Sky Cover: 90% 

Wind ave:   12mph\Gusts:  -mph Visibility: 10 mi

May Averages: 68°\34°

May Records: H: 89° (2002) L: 7 (1915)

Record High: 82°[2009]   Record Low: 20°[1943]

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‡‡Quote of the Day‡‡

I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.

Albert Einstein

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‡‡Observances Today‡‡

International Day Against Homophobia,

     Transphobia and Biphobia  Link

National Employee Health & Fitness Day Link 

Pack Rat Day

Turn Beauty Inside Out Day  

Same Sex Marriage Day

Syttende Mai

World Hypertension Day  Link

World Telecommunications and Information

     Society Day  Link

World Neurofibromatosis Day (NF Day)  Link

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‡‡Observances This Week‡‡

14-20

Food Allergy Awareness Week Link

National Eosinophil Awareness Week Link  

National Medical Transcription Week  Link

National Nursing Home Week 

National Police Week 

National Return To Work Week 

National Transportation Week 

National Women's Health Week Link

Reading is Fun Week Link  

Root Canal Awareness Week Link 

Salute to Moms 35+ Week 

Work At Home Moms Week

15-21

American Craft Beer Week Link

National Bike to Work Week Link  

International Coaching Week Link

National Foul Ball Week

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‡‡Today’s Significant US Historical Events‡‡

«  Today’s Significant International Historical Events 

░░░<§>1600’s<§>░░░

«  1620 1st merry-go-round seen at a fair (Philippapolis, Turkey)

░░░<§>1700’s<§>░░░

«  1733 Great Britain passes Molasses Act, putting high tariffs on rum & molasses imported to the colonies from a country other than British possessions

1792 24 merchants form New York Stock Exchange at 70 Wall Street

░░░<§>1800’s<§>░░░

1804 Lewis & Clark begin exploration of Louisiana Purchase

1865 The International Telegraph Union (later the International Telecommunication Union) is established.

1871 Indian fighter General William T. Shermanescapes from Comanches in an ambulance

1883 Buffalo Bill Cody's 1st wild west show premieres in Omaha

1884 Alaska becomes a US territory

░░░<§>1900’s<§>░░░

«  1904 Maurice Ravel's "Shéhérazade" premieres in Paris

«  1916 British Summer Time (Daylight Savings) introduced

«  1928 9th modern Olympic games opens in Amsterdam

1943 The United States Army contracts with the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School to develop the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer).

1944 General Eisenhower sets D-Day for June 5th

1954 US Supreme Court unanimously rules on Brown v Topeka Board of Education reversed 1896 "separate but equal" Plessy v Ferguson decision

«  1961 Castro offers to exchange Bay of Pigs prisoners for 500 bulldozers

«  1968 European Space Research Org launches 1st satellite

1973 Stevie Wonder releases "You are the Sunshine of my Love"

1975 NBC paid $5M for rights to show "Gone with the Wind" one time

«  1984 Prince Charles calls proposed addition to the National Gallery, London, a "monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend," sparking controversy on the role of the Royal Family and course of modern architecture.

░░░<§>2000’s<§>░░░

«  2000 In the Philippines an explosion rocks Glorietta 2 injuring 13 persons, mostly teenagers. According to local authorities, the homemade bomb was placed in front of a toilet beside a video arcade.

2001 US President George W. Bush calls for reduced regulations to encourage more oil, gas, and nuclear production

2004 Massachusetts becomes the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage

«  2007 Trains from North and South Korea cross the 38th Parallel in a test-run agreed by both governments. This is the first time that trains have crossed the Demilitarized Zone since 1953.

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‡‡My Rambling Thoughts‡‡

Breezy, cooler, cloudy…not the kind of spring day I was hoping for.

Nice to see that the finches have returned to our area. These small, but colorful birds, are great to see around the bird feeders.

Many believe that our little town has two seasons: winter and construction. Seems true. On the main road through our town, near the mall, there is a divided highway. Been there for quite a few years. There are small trees in each section. No one knows if they are there for beauty or to block headlights of oncoming traffic at night. Whatever it is, the city or state or Feds have been beautifying a section for the last three weeks. It is a road with 2 lanes (sometimes 3) in each direction. The center lane has been closed during the day while workers are digging, putting in a sprinkler system, and now finally planting. I only complain because very few drivers follow the signs and most wait until they get to the blockage to change lanes, with little or no respect for those of us who change lanes early. GOM (grouchy old man)

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‡‡Today’s Trivia Hive‡‡

(answers at the end of post)

What new feature does Google Maps now offer to car owners?

Tells jokes                                                                       Reveals police speed traps

Remembers where you parked                         Provides coupons

 73.8% taking the internet quiz got it correct.

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‡‡Harper’s Index‡‡

1/2→Portion of new US parents who have taken a lower-paying job because it offered better family benefits.

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‡‡ Joke For The Day‡‡

When a customer left his cell phone in my store, I scrolled through his saved numbers, stopped at "Mom" and pushed send. His mother answered, and I told her what happened.

"Don't worry," she said, "I'll take care of it."

A few minutes later, the cell phone rang. It was "Mom."

"Martin," she said, "you left your cell phone at the convenience store."

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‡‡Somewhat Useless Information‡‡

Hansen Gregory, an American ship captain, is the man credited with inventing the classic hole-in-the-middle shape of the modern doughnut in 1847 by simply punching out the middle. Other versions of the story describe Gregory piercing the middle of the doughnut on the ship's steering wheel so he could use both hands to steer.

In 1963 when President John F. Kennedy announced in Berlin, "Ich bin ein Berliner," he did not say, as is commonly believed, that he was a jelly doughnut. While there was a popular jelly donut called a 'Berliner', the phrase Kennedy used would not only have been understood by the German audience, but it is probably the best way to express what the president had intended to say. To state, "Ich bin Berliner" would imply that he was born in Berlin, whereas the word 'ein' implied he was a Berliner in spirit.

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‡‡Birthdays Today‡‡

@  indicates age at death

░░░<§>90’s<§>░░░

@92- Archibald Cox,

special prosecutor (Watergate)

(d. 2004)

░░░<§>80’s<§>░░░

@87- Maureen O'Sullivan,

Boyle Ireland, actress (Tarzan, Pride & Prejudice)

(d. 1998)

@87- Birgit Nilsson,

Karup Sweden, operatic soprano (Elektra, Salome)

(d. 2005)

@84- Joseph Norman Lockyer,

discoverer (Helium)/founder (Nature magazine)

(d. 1920)

80- Hazel R. O'Leary,

United States Secretary of Energy

░░░<§>70’s<§>░░░

75- Taj Mahal (Henry Saint Clair Fredericks,),

American singer/songwriter (Real Thing), born in NYC, New York

@73- Edward Jenner,

English physician, father of immunology, pioneered smallpox

vaccinations, born in Berkeley

(d. 1823)

░░░<§>60’s<§>░░░

@61- Bill Paxton,

actor (True Lies, Big Love), born in Fort Worth, Texas

(d. 2017)

61- Bob Saget,

comedian (Full House, America's Funniest Home Video),

born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

61- Sugar Ray [Charles] Leonard,

Rocky Mount North Carolina, boxer (Olympics-gold-76)

░░░<§>50’s<§>░░░

56- Enya [Eithne Ní Bhraonáin],

Irish singer and songwriter (A Day Without Rain), born in Gweedore,

County Donegal, Ireland

55- Craig Ferguson,

Scottish actor, writer and comedian, born in Glasgow, Scotland

░░░<§>40’s<§>░░░

44- Sasha Alexander,

American television actress

░░░<§>30’s<§>░░░

32- Derek Hough,

American dancer and singer

░░░<§>20’s<§>░░░

27- Ross Butler,

TV actor

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‡‡Historical Obits Today‡‡

░░░<§>80’s<§>░░░

@89-1992 Lawrence Welk,

conductor/accordionist (Lawrence Welk Show)

@83-1829 John Jay,

American statesman, 1st US Chief Justice

@82-1886 John Deere,

American blacksmith and manufacturer of agricultural equipment who

founded Deere & Company

░░░<§>60’s<§>░░░

@65±-1510 Sandro Botticelli,

Florentine Renaissance painter (Birth of Venus)

@63-2012 Donna Summer,

American singer (Love to Love You Baby), lung cancer

░░░<§>50’s<§>░░░

@54-1875 John C. Breckinridge,

Vice President of the United States, liver damage from war

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‡‡Trivia Hive  Answers‡‡

Remembers where you parked

Google sure is helpful, isn't it? If it's not telling you who starred in that obscure 1980s movie you just thought of, it's helping you figure out what to order at fancy restaurants where every item on the menu is in a language you don't speak. Now, Google helps you remember where you parked your car! Yes, thanks to the Google Maps app on your smartphone, you now have one less thing to worry about on your next night out in the big city! Source: CNN

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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…☼☼☼☼