I like walking the beach. It’s good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.
As an early riser, I wanted to start today with a morning beach walk all by myself to see the sunrise with the sand and water touching my feet. A different start to the day, but the day is special – February 17th – my birthday.
Natural biorhythms awakened me 30 minutes ahead of the sun’s appearance. I looked out the window to the disappointment of a light fog – but I still went to the beach because it was my day.
Down nine flights of stairs, through the lobby, and across the sand straight to the water’s edge. Looking left then right, the lit pre-dawn sky allowed me to notice the beach was all mine. Nobody in sight. Birds weren’t even in the sky.
I walked to the east with an eye on the horizon for the approaching event with the calm water rolling across my feet. I ponder about my life – people, places, events, highs and lows – all are thoughts worthy of separate walks.
A small wave ahead of me washes a small crab toward the shore. I see it fighting to return to the sea – and then the backwash helps deliver its wish and not for me to see again.
Looking ahead I note a Great Blue Heron as joined me and stands alone staring across the water. Probably hoping for a morning meal, or at least waiting for a fisherman to arrive.
It’s time – the sun starts rising – but the clouds block its appearance – so I continue walking to the east until I see the sun.
The seagulls are now soaring in the sky above the water – but I haven’t seen any sandpipers, pelicans, or my favorites – the frantic sanderlings.
I look ahead – there it is – the sun appearing out of a cloud. My day has started! I enjoy the moment, smile, and then reverse course.
People are now in sight. I encounter my first person of my day. She smiled and said “Good Morning” as we pass.
A flock of seagulls are now gathered on the beach. Without flying away, the squawk as I pass as if they were singing “Happy Birthday” to me. I smiled, and then they immediately stopped.
The heron still stands and stares – but this may be may favorite picture of our time on the coast.
A good way to start my day – and already over 4000 steps – but the rest of the day is unknown. After all, that’s what life is.
No matter the time of day or the day of the week, walking the beach is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.
A salute to 65 – also known as sixty five, sessanta cinque, Šedesát pět, Šešiasdešimt penki, Kuusikymmentä viisi, Lixdan shan, Hatvanöt, LXV, and more
In Mathematics
65 – an integer, a whole number, semiprime number, octagonal number, Cullen number, a deficient number
65 – composed of two prime numbers (5 and 13) multiplied together
65 – divisible by 1, 5, 13, and 65
65 – the magic constant of 5 by 5 normal magic square
65 squared equals 4225
65 square root equals 8.0622577483
In Science
The atomic number of terbium, a lanthanide element whose neutral atom containing 65 protons and 65 electrons
Messier object M65, in the constellation Leo
NGC 65, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Cetus
Star Gliese 530 is 65 light years away
In Entertainment
65th Precinct – the setting to the classic TV series Naked City (1958–63) – which was commonly referred to as “the 65”
The 65th Academy Awards – held on March 29, 1993 with winners included Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Al Pacino, and Marisa Tomei associated with movies as Unforgiven, Howards End, Scent of a Woman, and My Cousin Vinny
65th episode of Seinfeld – “The Mango” – the first episode of season 5 – aired 16 Sept 1993 – George is upset when his girlfriend suggests she hasn’t had an organism with him, then later appears to have one while eating risotto.
Channel 65 – A television station in 10 US locations; including El Paso, Orlando, Pittsburgh, and San Jose
In Music 65 Love Affair by Paul Davis (1982)
I Can Drive 65 – Sammy Hagar re-recorded a previous hit when the speed limit changed from 55 to 65 miles per hour
65 – an abbreviation for the Sheffield, UK, post-rock band 65daysofstatic
In Literature Sonnet 65 – one of 154 sonnets written by William Shakespeare
What Really Happened to the Class of ’65? – a non-fiction book by Michael Medved and David Wallechinsky
Sixty Five Hours by N.R. Walker
In Sports
65 – the retired number of Elvin Bethea (NFL Titans)
65 – the NASCAR vehicle that never won in 94 races with 35 different drivers (Carl Adams the most)
65 – the retired number in MotoGP honoring driver Loris Capirossi
65th Baseball World Series Champions – Detroit Tigers (defeating St. Louis Cardinals, 1968)
65th Grey Cup – Won by Montreal Alouettes (1977)
In Geography
65th parallel north – intersects Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russia, United States, Canada, Greenland, and Iceland
65th parallel south – intersects an Antarctic peninsula claimed by Argentina, Chile, and United Kingdom
65th meridian west – intersects Canada, Greenland, US Virgin Islands, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Antarctica
65th meridian east – intersects Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Antarctica
Interstate 65 is the Interstate Highway connecting northwestern Indiana and southmost Alabama
In Culture
65 – the traditional age for retirement in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Canada, and several other countries.
65 – the age in the U.S., at which a person is eligible to obtain Medicare
65 – the number commonly used in names of many dishes of South India cuisine, for instance Chicken 65
65th anniversary – the sapphire jubilee.
Psalm 65 – the 65th psalm from the Book of Psalms that Jews recite on Yom Kippur
65 – the age of Mahalalel (great-great-grandson of Adam) and Enoch when they had their first son
65th Sura of the Qur’an is the At-Talaq
Rule 65 – Any use of the word “irony” on the internet is incorrect
In Numerology
65 – the natural desire to be cooperative, in harmony, and cooperative
65 – the number representing the energy in relationships
Angel number 65 – symbolizes love from one’s home and family
In Business
Sixty Five Chinese Restaurant is in Chicago
65 Roses is a Cystic Fibrosis national fundraising initiative
65th Avenue and Broadway in Sacramento is a Starbucks, but in New York City one will find the Julliard School of Music and the Lincoln Center
Bar SixtyFive at the Rainbow Room – located on the 65th floor of Rockefeller Center in New York City provides a good view of the Empire State Building
In Technology
65 – the decimal value representing the letter ‘A’ in the ASCII code
The Commodore 65 – a prototype computer
The HP-65 – the first magnetic card-programmable handheld calculator (1974)
In History
AD 65
A common year starting on Tuesday
The first official reference to Buddhism made in China
The first Christian community in Africa is founded by Mark
Death of Lucan, Roman poet and philosopher
Year 65 BC – known as the Year of the Consulship of Cotta and Torquatus
65th Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece was King Edward IV of England (1442-1470)
In US History
The 65th Infantry Division—nicknamed the “Battle-axe”—a World War II infantry division of the United States Army that my dad served
Only James Buchanan entered the presidency at age 65, but Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Taylor left office at age 65
65th Congress served the 5th and 6th years of the Woodrow Wilson administration (1917-1919)
Miscellaneous
65 miles per hour, a common speed limit on many USA highways
65 Red Roses is a 2009 documentary film about a young woman with cystic fibrosis
65 – the number of private foundation universities in Turkey
65 – the code for international direct dial telephone calls to Singapore
CVN-65 is the designation of the U.S. Navy’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise
65-pound cardstock is a commonly grade of heavier paper
65 is the minimum grade or average required to pass an exam, or a class, in some schools
65th day of an ordinary year is March 6th, which also marks 300 days remaining in the year – but March 5th is the 65th day in a leap year
The previous post celebrated my 65th birthday with a look at a date in history – so this continues my tradition of saluting the number. Join the celebration by listening to one of my favorite songs … so please tell me your choice. Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world to celebrate.
It’s been a long time since I dedicated a post to a number, so today is as good as day as any to celebrate Sixty Factoids about 60.
In Mathematics
1) 60 is a composite number, unitary perfect number, an excessive number, a Harshad number, a semiperfect number
2) Divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60
3) An icosidodecahedron has 60 edges
4) In geometry, 60 minutes in a degree
5) A number system with base 60 is called sexagesimal, which the Babylonians and the Mali Empire used
In Science
6) Neodymium has the atomic number 60, whose neutral state consists of 60 protons and 60 electrons (and they make interesting magnets)
7) Number in Earth years between Great Conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn
8) Appropriately for today, 60 Aquarii is the Flamsteed designation for a star in the equatorial constellation of Aquarius
9) The first fullerene (buckyball) discovered was buckminsterfullerene C-60 – an allotrope of carbon with 60 atoms in each molecule, arranged in a truncated icosahedron (appearing like a soccer ball)
In Religion
10) In the Bible, the number 60 is the age of Isaac when Jacob and Esau were born, and the number of warriors escorting King Solomon
11) In the laws of kashrut of Judaism, 60 is also the proportion (60:1) of kosher to non-kosher ingredients that can render an admixture kosher post-facto
12) In the Koran, Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, created Adam in His own image with His length of sixty cubits
In Entertainment
13) TV shows include 60 Minutes, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Sixty Minute Man, and 60 Minute Makeove
14) Movies include Gone in 60 Seconds (Nicolas Cage & Angelina Jolie), Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold, and 60 Second Assassin
15) Songs include Sixty Seconds to Kingdom Come (U2), Sixty Years On (Elton John), Sixty Minutes Man (Billy Ward and the Dominoes), Zero to Sixty (Aaron Watson), and 60 – a set of etudes for the classical guitar (Matteo Carcassi )
16) Books include the Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers (Lilian Jackson Braun), Sixty Things to Do When You Turn Sixty, and Totally MAD: 60 Years of Humor, Satire, Stupidity, and Stupidity
In Sports
18) Although not the record, Babe Ruth 60 home runs in 1927 remains a standard
19) At League Park (Cleveland), a home run to right field (only 290 ft away) had to clear a 60 ft wall,
20) Baker Bowl (Philadelphia) had a 60-foot wide foul ground surrounding the field of play
21) The only professional sports jerseys retired is Chuck Bednarik (Eagles, NFL)
22) The Hamilton TIger-cats won the 60th Grey Cup on December 3, 1972 by defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders13-10, which was also the last Grey Cup played in December
23) In 341 NASCAR races, car #60 has won once (Bill Rexford, driver)
24) In darts, 60 (treble-twenty) is the highest score which can be achieved with a single dart
In Standards
25) The infield in softball is smaller than in baseball; each base is 60 ft
26) Bowling alley is 60 ft from foul line to termination
27) 60 metres hurdles is a distance in an indoor hurdling race
28) In time, 60 seconds in a minute, and 60 minutes in an hour (a legacy of the Babylon?)
29) 60 hertz is the electrical utility frequency in western Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and several other countries in the Americas
30) 60 feet in the standard measurement tool to evaluate an automotive launch on a dragstrip
31) The time required an automobile accelerates to from rest to 60 miles per hour is a standard measurements of performance
32) The 1 in 60 rule is a rule of thumb used in air navigation, and states that if a pilot has travelled sixty miles then an error in track of one mile is approximately a 1° error
In Geography
33) Alabama’s Natural Bridge formation is 60 ft high
34) The upper falls of Alabama’s DeSoto Falls drop 60 meters
35) 60th parallel South does not cross any land
36) 60 Parallel North crosses Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, United States, Canada, Greenland, and Scotland
37) 60 Meridian West crosses Greenland, Canada, Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Falkland Islands, South Shetland Islands, and Antarctica,
38) 60th Meridian East crosses Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran, but no land in the southern hemisphere.
39) The Great Crack is an eight-mile-long, 60 feet (18 m) wide and 60 feet (18 m) deep fissure in the island, in the district of Kau (big island of Hawaii)
40) The 60th Street Tunnel carries the N Q R trains of the New York City Subway under the East River and Roosevelt Island between Manhattan and Queens
41) Highway/route 60 is found in 5 Canadian provinces, Chile, Europe (Euro route from France to Romania), Israel, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, and the UK. In the US, there is a federal highway, 30 states, and 2 territories
In World History
42) The Battle of Hill 60 was the last major assault of the Battle of Gallipoli in the Middle Eastern theatre of WW I
43) Nippon Airways (ANA) Flight 60 was a Boeing 727-81 aircraft that crashed on February 4, 1966. All 133 passengers and crew died
44) In 60 BC (also known as Chinese calendar 2577/2637 to 2578/2638, Thai solar calendar year 484, Holocene calendar year 9941), Gaius Julius Caesar conquers all of Lusitania, the Han Dynasty government (China) establishes the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and Prince Ptolemy of Egypt, later Pharaoh Ptolemy XIV of Egypt is born
45) In 60 AD (also known as Assyrian year 4810, Berber year 1010, Buddhist year 604), Emperor Nero sends an expedition to explore the historical city Meroë (Sudan), Paul of Tarsus journeys to Rome, but is shipwrecked at Malta, and Hero of Alexandria writes Metrica, Mechanics, and Pneumatics.
In US History
46) Alexander Hamilton wrote Federalist Paper #60
47) Sixtieth United States Congress met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1907 to March 4, 1909, during the last two years of Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency
48) The Sixty Years’ War (1754–1814) was a military struggle for control of the Great Lakes region in North America, encompassing a number of wars over several generations
In Potpourri
49) Other ways to write sixty: LX, 1111002, Zestig, Soixante, Sessanta, Sześćdziesiąt, Altmış, Seksti
50) The National Assembly for Wales and the Grand and General Council (San Marino’s parliment) are each composed of 60 members
51) 60 is the retirement age for Men in Belarus, China, India, Pakistan, Russian, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, …. for women in India, Pakistan, and Malta
52) 60 years of marriage is the diamond wedding anniversary
53) The maximum number of marbles (game pieces) in Chinese checkers
54) The code for international direct dial calls to Malaysia
55) Miss Sixty is a women’s apparel brand
56) The total number of cards in the game Rack-O
57) 60 kilometers per hour is a common speed limit in Russia’s urban areas
58) One giant squid specimen that washed ashore in 1878 in Newfoundland reportedly measured 60 ft (18m)
59) Baby boomers are members of the 60s generation
60) There are many more items associated with 60, but on this day, it’s only sixty.
December 22 is a special day to honor history, science, military, cars, and some oddities. This post starts in 1962.
On December 22, 1962
First British band reaches #1 on US single’s chart: Telstar by the The Tornados
USSR performs a nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR
1,000,000th NBA point scored
Ralph Fiennes (actor) and John Erickson (blogger) born as twins from different mothers
All knitted out with new khakis and a rucksack, John Erickson voted cutest baby in nursery
December 22, 1963: Official 30-day mourning period for President John F Kennedy ends so people can celebrate John Erickson’s first birthday
December 22, 1964: Comedian Lenny Bruce is convicted of obscenity while celebrating John Erickson’s second birthday
December 22, 1965: Vowing to never let John Erickson speed, Great Britain sets maximum speed at 70 MPH
December 22, 1966: WCVW-TV channel 57 in Richmond, Virginia (PBS) goes live by broadcasting John Erickson’s 4th birthday celebration
December 22, 1968: Julie Nixon weds Dwight David Eisenhower to celebrate John Erickson’s 6th birthday
December 22, 1970: SS Commander Franz Stangl of Treblinka, sentenced to life in prison to celebrate John Erickson’s 8th birthday
December 22, 1978: Deng Xiaoping reverses Mao-era policies to allow Chinese to celebrate John Erickson’s 16th birthday
December 22, 1980: So its crew can celebrate John Erickson’s 18th birthday, USS Eisenhower returned to Norfolk, Virginia after a 251-day deployment
December 22, 1982: Having memorized all three seasons of Star Trek, John sends a fan letter to William Shatner at his new T.J. Hooker TV show, promising to adore him forever. Bill returns a heartfelt letter saying, “Go ‘way kid, yah bother me! Why don’t you go bug Yeoman Janice?”
December 22, 1984: Board of Elections discovers John Erickson voted for Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley three times, despite the fact Daley died in 1976
December 22, 1985: To honor a Star Trek enthusiast’s 23rd birthday, NASA moves STS 51-L (space shuttle) to Launch Pad 39B
December 22, 1988: To celebrate his 26th birthday, John Erickson orders 2 robbers wearing police uniforms to rob armored truck in NJ of $3 million
December 22, 1989: Romanians celebrate John Erickson’s 27th birthday by ousting Nicolea Ceausescu
December 22, 1989: To honor John Erickson’s 27th birthday, Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate re-opens after nearly 30 years, effectively ending the division of East and West Germany.
December 22, 1990: Poles celebrate John Erickson’s 28th birthday by swearing-in their first popularly elected president, Lech Walesa
December 22, 1997: To help John Erickson, FDA approves Merck’s baldness pill for men
December 22, 1998: Courts order Microsoft to stop blocking Blue Mountain Arts so John Erickson can receive birthday cards
December 22, 2005: To honor John Erickson’s 41st birthday, astronomers hail his proctologist by announcing the discovery of two more rings encircling the planet Uranus
December 22, 2007: Medically induced financial exile forces John and his long-suffering wife to move to eastern Ohio – Local Amish organize strong protest
December 22, 2010: For nothing to do with John Erickson besides his 48th birthday, President Barack Obama signed a law allowing gays for the first time in history to serve openly in America’s military – thus repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy
December 22, 2012: John Erickson – blogger; Trekkie; enthusiast of WW II, anything military, certain cars, and general nonsense; Clutch Cargo fan, and friend of many bloggers – turns 50
Other Sharing John Erickson’s Birthday
Diocletian, Roman Emperor (244)
Roger II, King of Sicily (1095)
James Oglethorpe (1696) English founder of Georgia (US)
Giacomo Puccini, composer (1858)
Minor Watson, Guadalcanal Diary actor, (1889)
Grote Reber, first radio astronomer (1911)
Lady Bird Johnson, American First Lady (1912)
Barbara Billingsley, actor (1915)
Gene Rayburn, game show host (1917)
Diane Sawyer, broadcast journalist (1945)
Brothers Gibb, Robin and Maurice, Bee Gees (1949)
Coco, first gorilla bred in captivity (1956)
Yuri Malenchenko, Russian astronaut (1961)
Dina Meyer, Starship Troppers actor (1968)
Greg Biffle, NASCAR driver, (1969)
Many people have a soft spot for animals. As strays come to doors, some shoo them away, others offer temporary help, and some even take them in. In late 2010/early, someone saw my comment about being in Ohio – and shortly thereafter I received a visit. The best I can determine, John Erickson first commented here on January 3, 2011 – and he’s been not only hanging around here ever since, but he has also worked his way into many of your lives.
John always provides an interesting quip, and at times, I admit writing something to set up his comment. Most of us got to know John through his visits because he didn’t host a blog as he does now. To John, I present the Commentator Award.
I’ve never met (in person) any bloggers, but this past October I drove 3.5 hours to meet John – and I had a wonderful day with hopes that I return in the spring. Happy birthday John … and a video for you below.
Today is the one day that many non-Irish wear green, drink green beer, attend St. Patrick’s Day parties, and maybe attend parade dedicated to Ireland’s patron saint. For those planning to celebrate, enjoy the event, and be safe.
FYI: A popular Cincinnati institution is serving green spaghetti today!
Although I imagine green will work into our day, our heritages of Italian and Swedish-German will temper the day. On the other hand, today we celebrate a birthday of the woman I love – my beautiful and wonderful wife.
When she was growing up, I’m sure she received more than her share of green birthday cards. Since those early days, she’s received non-green birthday cards, e-cards, and birthday greetings via Facebook; but today, she receives her first-ever blog post dedicated to her on her actual birthday … and hopefully greetings from bloggers.
Regular readers realize my wife and I enjoy ballroom dancing. Although others say we dance well and encourage us to compete and participate in shows, we stick to social dancing. Because waltz is one of favorite dances, here’s a video I know she will enjoy – a waltz from the Blackpool Professional Ballroom Championships (2010).
Happy Birthday to my long-time friend and love …the other angle, my supplementary and complementary angle. How about green spaghetti for lunch?
