16 Dec

 

`Flagstaff Almanac

Week 50 Day 350   Flag Today  59° \23°	Sky Cover 5% Wind 9mph Gusts 20mph
Active fire: 264miles Risk of fire: Moderate	Near Lightning: 2226mi
Air Quality: Fair Sunshine	Dec. Averages: Temps: 44° \ 17° Moisture 5 Days

Today’s Quote

Weekly Observations

4-24 Andisop (Meteorological Fiddling)  Link 10-17 Human Rights Week 14-1/5  Christmas Bird Count Week Link  14-28 Halcyon Days

15 - 1/1/24   Arrive Sober or Get Pulled Over Link  15-21 15-21 Gluten-free Baking Week 16-24 Posadas

Daily Observations

Stupid Toy Day  Barbie and Barney Backlash Day Link National Chocolate-covered Anything Day  Link

Pinot Meunier Day Link Posadas- Thru 24 Zionism Day

Today’s Thoughts

Late yesterday there were 2 small fires on the highway to Page/Tuba City. Thankfully both were put out quickly. I headed out this morning to find some gifts for Laura’s sister and husband and something for the dogs…now 12 rescues and Micho. Only some success so I’ll try again tomorrow. Any civilian deaths in any military action are horrific. Friendly fire is even worse. This morning Israel’s IDF killed 3 Israel hostages in Gaza. Now comes the finger pointing from each side. Countdown clock for my trip has ticking fast. I leave Wednesday at 5:40am. Getting excited like a little kid.

 Enjoy

Important inventions…

1956: Hard Drive IBM releases the first computer hard disk drive, the 2,000-pound-plus, refrigerator-size IBM 305 RAMAC, which introduces magnetic disk storage. Up until then, files were either kept on spools of magnetic tape or on good old-fashioned paper, with no way to jump right to the record you wanted to pull up. With the RAMAC, a mechanical arm would retrieve data by storing data at a particular magnetic orientation. This technology goes on to be used (at a smaller size) in laptops and computer servers everywhere.

States with similar size to countries around the world.

9. Oregon – Ecuador The ninth-largest state is Oregon, totaling 98,379 square miles of area in the Pacific Northwest. At 99,112 square miles, the Central American country of Ecuador is closest in size to Oregon. There are approximately 4.2 million residents living within Oregon’s borders, a number that pales in comparison to Ecuador’s total population of around 18.2 million. Oregon’s largest city is Portland, with 619,000 residents, just ahead of its capital and second-largest city, Salem (182,000). Ecuador’s capital city of Quito is its second-most populous city with 1.4 million people — Guayaquil is slightly larger with a population approaching 2 million residents.

Historic Events

1773 – The Boston Tea Party: Members of the Sons of Liberty, disguised as Mohawk Indians, dumped hundreds of crates of tea into Boston harbor as a protest against the Tea Act. 1944 – The Battle of the Bulge 1947 – William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain built the first practical point-contact transistor. 1950 -US President Harry S. Truman declares a state of emergency after Chinese troops enter the fight in support of communist North Korea.

Birthdays with some quotes

@90 – Arthur C. Clarke, British science fiction writer (d. 2008) “Perhaps it is better to be un-sane and happy, than sane and un-happy. But it is the best of all to be sane and happy. Whether our descendants can achieve that goal will be the greatest challenge of the future. Indeed, it may well decide whether we have any future.” 82 – Lesley Stahl, American journalist 77 – Benny Andersson, Swedish singer-songwriter, ABBA @73 – Noël Coward, English actor, playwright, and composer (d. 1973; heart failure) “People are wrong when they say opera is not what it used to be. It is what it used to be. That is what’s wrong with it.” “The higher the building the lower the morals.” @76 – Margaret Mead, American anthropologist, author (d. 1978; cancer) 62 – Shane Black, American actor, director, and screenwriter 60 – Benjamin Bratt, American actor “The one thing for an actor that is death, is if you’re bored. The boredom will show in your work. It’s an amazing blessing to do something you love.” @59 – Hans Bol, Flemish artist (d. 1593) @56 – Ludwig van Beethoven, composer (d. 1827) @52 – Philip K. Dick, American writer (d. 1982; stroke) 42 – Krysten Ritter, American actress “Law school teaches you one thing above all: how to speak while saying absolutely nothing.” @41 – Jane Austin, Novelist (d. 1817) 36ish – Hallee Hirsh, American actress @32 – Bill Hicks, American comedian, and musician (d. 1994; cancer) “Fear… can make you do more wrong than hate or jealousy. If you’re afraid you don’t commit yourself to life completely; fear makes you always, always hold something back.” 26 – Zara Larsson, Swedish singer, and songwriter

…The End for today…