1 Dec

 

	Dec. Averages: Temps: 43°\20° Moisture:4 Days moisture 0.7” Flagstaff Today 46°: 22° Week 49 Day 335 Wind: 6 mph Gusts 14 mph Air Quality: Moderate Sunshine Active Fire: 213 miles away Risk of Fire: Low Nearest lightning: 1278 miles away

Monthly Observations

Adopt A Turkey Month Link  Link (October thru December)
Bingo's Birthday Month
Buckwheat Month Link
Car Donation Month  Link

Weekly Observations

National Deal Week: 11/25-12/1

1-5 Older Driver Safety Awareness Week Link  1-7 Cookie Cutter Week Link

Daily Observations

Antarctica Day Basketball Day Bifocals at the Monitor Liberation Day Link Cider Monday Cyber Monday Civil Air Patrol Day Clark Kent's Birthday (Superman)  Link

Day With(out) Art Day International Maratheftiko Day Link Meteorlogical Winter (Temperature) Playboy Day Rosa Parks Day World Aids Day  Link

Today’s Quotes                                                             

Today’s Memes

 

My Thoughts for the day

I’m happy to welcome December. I can’t believe the great weather we are having.

I am watching the Cards play Tampa Bay. Teams seem evenly ranked. Maybe the Cards will pull out a victory. Then tonight on Sunday Night Football I get to watch the Broncos live. Nice!

As a student in high school and college, I wondered how the citizens Germany could have a dictator that was removing rights and imprisoning its Jewish citizens. Our neighbors were a German couple who fled after the war. They said they didn’t know what Hitler was doing. They were good neighbors and when they had twins, I helped name them. Now over 50 years later, I do believe that they didn’t know because I am seeing similar behavior in this country with many not seeing what is happening.

My brother and SIL have posted lots of photos of their Thanksgiving and their Left-over feast. They fed over 100 at the dinner and I think about 40 on the Left-over feast on Friday. As expected, it was spectacular! The hacienda is a terrific venue for events and these two know how to make every event outstanding.

History that is not true…

Rome was one of history’s largest empires

The Roman poet Virgil described Roman dominion as "empire without end," but in fact its limits were pretty well-defined. At its largest in AD 117, the empire’s borders cut a line across central and eastern Europe, running through the modern-day countries of Germany, Austria, Romania, and Hungary. In North Africa, the Romans controlled the Mediterranean coast but rarely ventured into the Sahara, while in the east their mastery ended with the deserts of Arabia and the armies of the Parthians in modern-day Iran.

Rome was surely one of history’s most influential civilizations, but for sheer size its 1.9 million-or-so square miles put it comfortably outside the top 20.
In case you were wondering, the British, Mongol, and Russian empires were history’s largest – covering 26%, 18%, and 17% of the world’s land respectively – but far less famous dominions also outrank Rome. The sprawling grasslands of the Xiongnu confederation, the rapid conquests of the Umayyad Caliphate, the ancient imperium of Persia, and the colonial possessions of the Portuguese all covered more ground. Rome wasn’t even the largest empire of its day (thanks to the Chinese Han dynasty) and would be smaller than six modern-day countries.

Myths people still believe about Native Americans…

Native Americans were primitive

Nature societies were democratic, had gigantic cities, and agricultural innovations that laid the groundwork for the modern world. Native farming gave rise to crops such as corn, potatoes, and cacao, the precursor to chocolate.

The primitive label supported the idea of colonization by depicting the Native people as requiring European civilization.

Random Thoughts…

A corn maze is a maze of maize. 

They don’t let you smile in passport photos because they want you to look the same as if you were standing in line at customs for an hour.

Watching TV made me think that soufflés being ruined would be a more frequent problem.

No one has ever been in a fully empty room. 

Historic Events

Click here for 1 December history

Birthdays

Lee Trevino(86 years old) American golfer (British Open 1971-72; US Open 1968, 71; US PGA 1974, 84), born in Dallas, Texas Bette Midler(80 years old) 1945 American singer ("The Rose"; "Wind Beneath My Wings"), and actress (Ruthless People; Beaches), born in Honolulu, Hawaii Rick Scott (73 years old), American politician (Senator-R-Florida 2019-, Governor of Florida 2011-19), born in Bloomington, Illinois Charlene Tilton, (67 years old) American actress (Lucy Ewing - Dallas), born in San Diego, California Sarah Silverman(55 years old) American actress and comedian (The Sarah Silverman Program, I Smile Back), born in Bedford, New Hampshire Zoë Kravitz(37 years old) American actress (Big Little Lies), daughter of Lisa Bonet & Lenny Kravitz, born in Los Angeles, California Robert Irwin, (22 years old) Australian zookeeper and television personality (Crikey! It's the Irwins), son of Steve Irwin, born in Buderim, Australia

@93…Francesco Stradivari, Italian violin maker and son of Antonius, born in Cremona, Duchy of Milan, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1743) @88…Madame Tussaud(1761-1850) French founder of Madame Tussaud's wax museum, born in Strasbourg @88 Rex Stout, American mystery writer (Nero Wolf novels), born in Noblesville, Indiana (d. 1975) @76…Mary Martin(1913-1990; cancer) American actress (Peter Pan) and Larry Hagman's mom, born in Weatherford, Texas @67…David Doyle, American actor (Charlie's Angels, Rugrats), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 1997) @63…Dick Shawn [Richard Schulefand], American character actor and comedian (Producers, Maid to Order, Angel), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1987; heart attack) @72…Lou Rawls, American soul singer-songwriter and producer ("You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", "Natural Man"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2006; cancer) @65…Richard Pryor(1940-2005; heart attack) American Emmy and 5X Grammy Award-winning comedian (Live on the Sunset Strip), actor (Silver Streak; Stir Crazy), and screenwriter (Blazing Saddles), born in Peoria, Illinois @44…Pablo Escobar(1949-1993; shot) Colombian drug lord, born in Rionegro, Colombia @71…Treat Williams, American actor (Flashpoint; Hair; Everwood), born in Rowayton, Connecticut (d. 2023; motorcycle accident)

…The End for today…

           

30 Nov

 

Nov. Averages: Temps: 53°\25° Moisture: 4 Days Ave. 1.6” Flagstaff Today 51°: 33° Week 49 Day 334 Wind: 2 mph Gusts 4 mph Air Quality: Moderate Sunshine Active Fire: 213 miles away Risk of Fire: Low Nearest lightning: 1347 miles away

Weekly Observations

National Deal Week: 25-12/1

Daily Observations

Blue Beanie Day Link Cider Monday Cyber Monday Cities for Life Day  Link Computer Security Day Day of Remembrance of All Victims of Chemical Warfare

National Mason Jar Day  Link National Meth Awareness Day Link National Personal Space Day Native Women's Equal Pay Day Link Stay Home Because You're Well Day  Link

Today’s Quotes                                                             

Today’s Memes

 

My Thoughts for the day

A nice fall day with nary a cloud in the nice blue sky.

Pistachios and Peanut Brittle have always been a Christmas snack. Thanks to Sam’s Club, I’ve been eating them since early November. Yes, I think I’m addicted to their unique tastes and shelling the pistachios is always fun.

Memory: on the Navajo Rez Thanksgiving is called Keshmish Yazhi, or ‘Little Christmas’. In earlier days that was the first time kids came home from Boarding School for Thanksgiving Break. This was usually their first trip home since school started in September.

The BIA and other Feds built many offices, a school, and housing along Main Street in Tuba City. The buildings along Main Street were red sandstone brick buildings. There were office buildings and houses for the employees. Main Street was lined with Elm trees on the BIA land. This started in the 1930’s with WPA and continued until the 1960’s. In the past 5 years about 95% of those buildings have been demolished with no plan of what to do with the empty land. Some of the Elm trees had Dutch Elm Disease, so in true BIA fashion, all the Elm trees were removed along Main Street. Anyone living in TC today has seen so many memories erased by bulldozers that leave behind flat dirt.

History that is not true…

Cleopatra was Egyptian

This is a controversial subject, but we can say with confidence that Cleopatra was not an ancient Egyptian in the way that many imagine. When the Greek king of Macedon, Alexander the Great, conquered much of the Mediterranean and Near East in the 330s and 320s BC, he kickstarted a three-century period of Greek-speaking dominion known as the Hellenistic Age.

He left no immediate heirs – his last words were supposedly, "to the strongest" – and his empire splintered after his death. Egypt was quickly scooped up by one of his Macedonian generals, Ptolemy, who established a dynasty that would rule until the age of Rome.

Twelve generations later, Cleopatra claimed the throne in 51 BC as co-ruler with her underage brother. She was ethnically Macedonian Greek (the dynasty made sure of this with generations of in-breeding), and her first language was Greek – though she was perhaps the only Ptolemaic ruler to bother learning the local Egyptian tongue too. She was born in Egypt and ruled it by birthright – whether that makes her 'Egyptian' is up for debate – but she was not an ancient pharaoh in the mold of Tutankhamun or Ramesses the Great.  

Myths people still believe about Native Americans…

The first Thanksgiving was a peaceful celebration 

The 1621 Pilgrim-Wampanoag feast was not a friendship dinner, but a diplomatic one. King Philip’s War, one of the bloodiest wars in American history, disintegrated the region within 50 years.

The myth of Thanksgiving does not take into consideration the violence, land expropriation, and cultural annihilation that Native people had to suffer with the arrival of the Pilgrims.

Random Thoughts…

During a nuclear explosion, there is a certain distance from the radius where all the frozen supermarket pizzas are cooked to perfection.

Salt is the only rock that is socially acceptable to eat

Have you ever said, “Hey, stranger,” to someone you didn’t know? 

Humans advocate not judging a book by its cover, but also glorify love at first sight. 

Historic Events

Click here for 1 November history

Birthdays

90…Woody Allen American film director and actor (Zelig, Annie Hall), born in Brooklyn, New York 88…Ridley Scott English film director (Alien, Blade Runner), born in South Shields, England 78…David Mamet American playwright (Speed the Plow, House of Games), born in Chicago, Illinois 73…Mandy Patinkin American stage and screen actor (Yentl; The Princess Bride; Homeland), and singer (Sunday in the Park with George; Evita), born in Chicago, Illinois 63…Bo Jackson American College-Pro Football HOF running back (Heisman Trophy 1985, Auburn; Pro Bowl 1990, LA Raiders) and baseball outfielder (MLB All Star 1989, KC Royals), born in Bessemer, Alabama 60…Ben Stiller American actor (Ben Stiller Show, Next of Kin, Cable Guy), born in New York City 54…Kristi Noem, American politician, Governor of South Dakota, Sec of HLS, born in Watertown, South Dakota 47…Clay Aiken, American pop singer-songwriter (American Idol, 2003; "This Is The Night"), television personality, and human rights activist, born in Raleigh, North Carolina 40…Chrissy Teigen  American model (Sports Illustrated) and TV personality, born in Delta, Utah 40…Kaley Cuoco American actress (The Big Bang Theory), born in Camarillo, California

@78…Jonathan Swift(d.1745) Irish author and satirist (Gulliver's Travels, A Modest Proposal), born in Dublin, Ireland @70…Oliver Winchester, American politician and rifle maker (Winchester Repeating Arms Company), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1880) @85…Theodor Mommsen(d. 1903) German historian and scholar (A History of Rome) who won the 1902 Nobel Prize in Literature, born in Garding, Duchy of Schleswig @74…Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)(d.1910; heart attack) American author (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), born in Florida, Missouri @45…John McCrae(d.1918; pneumonia) Canadian physician, soldier and poet (In Flanders Fields), born in Guelph, Ontario @67…Lucy Maud Montgomery(d.1942; heart attack) Canadian author (Anne of Green Gables), born in Clifton, Prince Edward Island @90…Winston Churchill(d.1965) British Prime Minister (Conservative: 1940-45, 1951-55) during World War II, and writer (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1953), born in Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England @93…1912 Gordon Parks, American film pioneering black director, photographer and author (Learning Tree), born in Fort Scott, Kansas (d. 2006) @95…Efrem Zimbalist Jr, American actor (77 Sunset Strip; Scruples; The F.B.I.), born in New York City (d. 2014) @84…Virginia Mayo [Jones], American actress (The Best Years of Our Lives, Out of the Blue, White Heat), born in St Louis, Missouri (d. 2005) @48…Allan Sherman, American parody singer and songwriter ("Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1973; respiratory failure) @80…Shirley Chisholm(d.2005) 1st African American congresswoman (Rep-D-NY) and presidential candidate, born in Brooklyn, New York @76Richard Crenna, American actor (Rambo, Summer Rental, Sand Pebbles), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2003; heart failure) @82…Dick Clark(d. 2012) American radio and television personality (American Bandstand), born in Mount Vernon, New York @90…G. Gordon Liddy, American Watergate felon and radio host, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2021) @88…(Beryl) "Jack" Sheldon, American jazz trumpeter (Merv Griffin), singer (Schoolhouse Rock), and actor (Run Buddy Run), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2019) @75…Bill Walsh(d. 2007; leukemia) American Pro Football HOF coach (Super Bowl 1981, 84, 88; NFL Coach of the Year 1981; SF 49ers; Stanford University 1977–78), born in Los Angeles, California @52…Abbie Hoffman, American political activist, co-founder of the Yippies and author (Steal this Book), born in Worcester, Massachusetts (d. 1989;suicide) @70…Paul Westphal, American Basketball Hall of Fame guard (NBA C'ship 1974; NBA All-Star 1977–81; Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns) and coach (Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, Sacramento Kings), born in Torrance, California (d. 2021; brain cancer)

…The End for today…