January 1st - Today is the 1st day of the year, with only 364 days remaining in 2006.

New Year's Day - 2006
NEW YEAR'S POEM
The book is closed,
The year is done,
The pages full
Of tasks begun.
A little joy,
A little care,
Along with dreams,
Are written there.
This new day brings
Another year,
Renewing hope,
Dispelling fear.
And we may find
Before the end,
A deep content,
Another friend.


"Universal Time" (UT) which is sometimes referred to, now colloquially, as "Greenwich Mean Time" (GMT)
NEW MOON - Dec 31   3:12 a.m.
FIRST QUARTER - Jan 6   6:56 p.m.
FULL MOON - Jan 14   9:47 a.m.
LAST QUARTER - Jan 22   3:14 p.m.


PREDICTIONS FOR THE YEAR 2050
  -- Florida To Be Readmitted to the Union
  -- Plague of Spotted Owls Threaten Crops and Livestock
  -- Mother Lewinsky Dies - Jewish Girl Who Became Nun and Overcame Lurid Past
  -- Portland Zoo to Receive Rare Cow
  -- George Z. Bush to Run for President
  -- 50 Year Study - Diet and Exercise Key to Weight Loss
  -- Texas Executes Last Remaining Citizen
  -- Pope Phil II Settles Custody Case with Ex-wife
  -- Younger Generation's Music Provokes Outrage from Elders
  -- Upcoming NFL Draft Likely to Focus on Mutants
  -- Baby Conceived Naturally - Scientists Stumped
  -- Authentic 2000 Chad Sells at Sotheby's for $4.6 Million
  -- President "Bonecrusher" Jones to Face Chief Justice "Wahoo" Ortega in Cage Match
  -- Manuel Noriega Released From Prison - Buys Panama Canal
  -- El Salvador Lands First Woman On Uranus
  -- Dow Jones Hits New Low Of -14
  -- Castro Retires - Cuba Blames U.S.
  -- The Internet Celebrates It's One Billionth Web Site


ACTING -
1891 Charles Bickford, Cambridge MA, actor (John-The Virginian, Days of Wine and Roses) [D: 11/09/67]
1909 Dana Andrews, Collins MS, actor (Battle of the Bulge, Laura) [D: 12/17/92]
1940 Frank Langella, Bayonne NJ, actor (Dracula, Diary of a Mad Housewife, 12 Chairs)
1943 Don Novello, Lorain OH, actor/commedian (Father Guido Sarducci-SNL)
1969 Verne Troyer, Sturgis MI, actor (Mini-Me-Austin Powers)

ARTISTIC -
1864 Alfred Stieglitz, Hoboken NJ, photographer-father of modern photography/art dealer (Camera Work) [D: 07/13/46]
1879 E. M. Forster, London England, novelist (A Passage to India) [D: 06/07/70]
1888 Chesley Bonestell, SF CA, special effects/actor/writer (Swiss Family Robinson, War of the Worlds) [D: 06/11/86]
1919 J[erome] D[avid] Salinger, NYC, author (Catcher in the Rye)

HISTORIC -
1735 Paul Revere, Boston MA, silversmith/US patriot (British are coming) [D: 05/10/1818]
1752 Elizabeth Griscom (Betsy) Ross, Philadelphia PA, flag maker [D: 01/30/1836]
1895 J Edgar Hoover, Washington DC, Director of US FBI [D: 05/02/72]
1909 Barry Goldwater, Senator-R-AZ, 1953-65, 69- /Presidential candidate (R) 1964 [D: 05/29/98]

MUSIC -
1900 Xavier Cugat [Francisco de Asís Javier Cugat Mingall de Brue y Deulofeo] Girona Spain, bandleader (married Abbe Lane, Charo) [D: 10/27/90]
1942 Country Joe McDonald, Washington DC, rock guitarist/vocalist (& the Fish- I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag)

SCIENCE -
1864 George Washington Carver, Diamond MO, botanist/300+ uses for the peanut [D: 01/05/43]

SPORTS -
1911 "Hammerin' Hank" Greenberg, NYC, 1st baseman (Tigers/Pirates) Hall of Fame '56 [D: 09/04/86]
1922 Thomas Rocco "Rocky" Barbella, NYC, world Middleweight champion [D: 05/22/90]


45 BC The Julian calendar first takes effect.
1701 Great Britain and Ireland union is in effect, creating United Kingdom.
1776 General George Washington hoists Continental Union Flag.
1808 Importation of slaves into the United States is banned.
1892 Ellis Island opens to begin accepting immigrants to the United States.
1898 New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The four initial boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, are joined on January 25th by Staten Island to create the modern city of five boroughs.
1934 Alcatraz Island becomes a U.S. federal prison.
1984 AT&T's 22 owned Bell system companies divests into 8 companies.
1985 US's first mandatory seat belt law goes into effect (NY).
1985 VH-1 made its broadcasting debut.
1985 The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect.
1995 Last "Far Side" by cartoonist Gary Larson (started 1980).
1998 US Census Bureau estimates population at 268,921,733.
1999 The Euro currency is introduced.
MORE EVENTS

SOURCE: Earth Calendar
Año Nuevo (New Year's Day) - Mexico
Founding of Republic of China- Taiwan
Gantan / New Year's Day - Japan
Gregorian New Year (Christian) - India
Independence Day - Cameroon, Haiti, Sudan
Junkanoo, New Providence and Freeport - Bahamas
Liberation Day - Cuba
Neujahrstag (New Year's Day) - Switzerland
New Year's Day (Ano Nuevo) - Venezuela
Novy rok (New Year's Day) - Czech Republic
St. Basil's Day - Bulgaria
Mary, Mother of God - Vatican City State
World Peace Day - Vatican City State
+ + + + + + + + + +
Chanukkah - Judaism
Ganjitsu / Oshogatsu (New Year's Day) - Shinto


MAY I  BE THE FIRST TO WISH YOU
In the year which now begins, may you get a clean bill of health from your  dentist, your cardiologist, your gastroenterologist, your urologist,  your proctologist, your podiatrist, your psychiatrist, your plumber and the IRS.

May your hair, your teeth, your face-lift and your stocks not fall; and may your blood pressure, your triglycerides and your cholesterol not rise.

May you find a way to travel from anywhere to anywhere in rush hour in less than an hour, and when you get there may you find a parking space.

May you have good friends, including a doctor who keeps you out of the hospital, a lawyer who keeps you out of court, and an accountant who keeps you out of jail.

May you remember to say "I love you" at least once a day to your spouse (or significant other), your child, your parent; but not to your secretary, your nurse, your masseuse or your hair dresser.

May we discover civilized life on Mars, and may we also discover civilized life on Earth.

And may you be aware of God's love in every sunset, every flower's unfolding petals, every baby's smile, every human act of kindness, every lover's kiss, and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of your heart.

And peace on Earth.
====================================

EVERYTHING LOOKS WONDERFUL!
My face in the mirror,
Isn't wrinkled or drawn.
My house isn't dirty,
The cobwebs are gone.
My garden looks lovely
And so does my lawn--
I think I might never
Put my glasses back on!


An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. - Bill Vaughan


HIGH HOLIDAY: New Year's Eve. (WordFoolery)

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