Friday, February 22, 2013

Today is George Washington's Birthday

     
Tucson Weather Today

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The TV weather forecasters were right day before yesterday. It snowed at 12 noon on Wednesday February 20, 2013 here in the city of Tucson, Arizona. not just on the mountains at the higher elevations as is the usual case in winter. And it was cold enough (at freezing) that the snow stuck to the ground and accumulated. I donned my cap and jacket, picked up my trusty little Canon Power Shot A-510, and went out onto the front porch and snapped a few shots of this unusual occurrence.


Facing East




 Zoomed In




Facing West

 (Toward The Heated Swimming Pool)

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HISTORICAL CLIP


On this day. February 22, in 1732, George Washington is born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, the second son from the second marriage of a colonial plantation owner. An initially loyal British subject, Washington eventually led the Continental Army in the American Revolution and became known as the father of the United States.

In 1775, the Continental Congress unanimously chose Washington to command the new Continental Army. Part of his success in the Revolutionary War was due to his shrewd use of what was then considered the ungentlemanly, but effective, tactic of guerrilla warfare, in which stealthy hit-and-run attacks foiled British armies used to close-formation battle-line warfare.

In 1789, in part because of the leadership skills he displayed during the war, the Continental Congress elected Washington as the first American president.

On December 14, 1799, Washington died of a severe respiratory ailment. He humbly identified himself in his will as George Washington, of Mount Vernon, a citizen of the United States.

More at: HISTORY

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WORD FOR TODAY

lacuna
noun
1. An empty space or a missing part; a gap:
   example: "self-centered in opinion, with curious lacunae of astounding ignorance"
2. (Anatomy) A cavity, space, or depression, especially in a bone, containing cartilage or bone cells
3. (manuscripts), a missing section of text

A lacuna is a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or a musical work. Weathering, decay, and other damage to old manuscripts or inscriptions are often responsible for lacunae -- words, sentences, or whole passages that are missing or illegible.

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BORN ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY


George Washington
 Born Feb 22, 1732
Died Dec 14, 1799

George Washington
was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, serving as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He also presided over the convention that drafted the Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution established the position of President of the republic, which Washington was the first to hold. More here...



 Born Feb 22, 1975
Age:   37 years old

Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer, and model. She is a descendant of the Drew family and Barrymore family of iconic American stage and cinema actors, and she is the granddaughter of film legend John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old.

Barrymore made her film debut in Altered States in 1980. Afterwards, she starred in her breakout role in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and endeared herself to film audiences of every generation.


Following a turbulent childhood which was marked by recurring drug and alcohol abuse and two stints in rehab, Barrymore wrote the 1990 autobiography, Little Girl Lost. She successfully made the transition from child star to adult actress with a number of films including Poison Ivy, Bad Girls, Boys on the Side, and Everyone Says I Love You. Subsequently, she established herself in romantic comedies such as The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates.



 Born Feb 22, 1907
Died  Jan 10, 1997

Sheldon Leonard was a pioneering American film and television producer, director, writer, and actor. Leonard specialized in playing supporting characters, especially gangsters or "heavies", in films such as It's a Wonderful Life (1946), To Have and Have Not (1944), Guys and Dolls (1955), and Open Secret (1948). His trademark was his especially thick New York accent, usually delivered from the side of his mouth.


But he is better known today as the producer of hugely popular television series, including The Danny Thomas Show (aka Make Room For Daddy) (1953–64), The Andy Griffith Show (1960–68), The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–66), and I Spy (1965–68).

His name served as a namesake for the characters Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter in the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory, as the writers are fans of his work.



 Born Feb. 22, 1962
Died   Sept. 4, 2006

Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin, nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian wildlife expert, television personality, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted with his wife Terri. Together, the couple also owned and operated Australia Zoo, founded by Irwin's parents in Beerwah, about 80 kilometers (50 mi) north of the Queensland state capital city of Brisbane.

Irwin died on 4 September 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming an underwater documentary film titled Ocean's Deadliest. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship MY Steve Irwin was named in his honor.


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Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth.
--George Washington

And . . .

The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good.
--George Washington

And . . .

Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
--George Washington
 

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