January 5th - Today is the 5th day of the year, with only 360 days remaining in 2006.

National Bird Day
"National Bird Day" is not only a good day to take time to appreciate the native wild birds flying free outside our windows, it is also a perfect time to reflect on how we treat the native birds of other countries. While we have enacted laws to protect our native birds — such as blue jays, cardinals, and crows — from commercial exploitation, we fail to recognize the inconsistency in allowing the pet industry to exploit the birds of other countries.


"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.


From the Home Office in Wahoo, Nebraska, it's the Top Ten List for October 26, 2005
TOP TEN DUMB GUY TIPS FOR AVOIDING THE BIRD FLU
10. "Before eating chicken, soak it in Lysol"
9. "Don't lick unfamiliar pigeons"
8. "Frighten birds by constantly meowing"
7. "Stay away from basketball great Larry Bird"
6. "Anti-bacterial smoothies"
5. "Move to a place where there are no birds, like the moon"
4. "Avoid birds that look like they're up to something"
3. "Go back to the old Y2K bunker, start drinking"
2. "Fill birdfeeder with Sucrets"
1. "If you have a chicken, check for swelling in the McNuggets"
©MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.


ACTING -
1914 George Reeves [George Keefer Brewer], Woolstock IA, actor (Superman) [D: 06/16/59]
1931 Robert Duvall, San Diego CA, actor/director (Great Santini, Taxi Driver)
1942 Charlie Rose, Henderson NC, newscaster (CBS Night Watch)
1946 Diane Keaton, LA CA, actress (Annie Hall, Something's Gotta Give)
1948 Ted Lange, Oakland CA, actor (Isaac-Love Boat, Mr T & Tina)
1953 Pamela Sue Martin, Westport CT, actress (Nancy Drew, Fallon-Dynasty)
1967 Ricky Paull Goldin, SF CA, actor (Doug-Hail to the Chief, Another World)
1975 Bradley Cooper, Philadelphia PA, actor (Jack-Kitchen Confidential, Zack-Wedding Crashers)
1980 Garette Patrick Ratliff, Burbank CA, actor (Guy-Mighty Ducks, Return to Blue Lagoon)

ARTISTIC -
1904 Jeanne Dixon, Medford WI, psychic (Gift of Prophecy) [D: 01/26/97]

HISTORIC -
1779 Zebulon Montgomery Pike, Lamberton NJ, soldier/explorer (Pikes Peak CO) [D: 04/27/1813]
1855 King Camp Gillette, Fond du Lac WI, developed disposable razors [D: 07/09/32]
1928 Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale, Ceylon MN, 42nd US Vice President (1977-1981)

MUSIC -
1923 Sam Phillips, Florence AL, musician/record company founder (Sun) [D: 07/30/2003]
1930 Richard Hayes, Brooklyn NY, singer/emcee (Name That Tune)
1949 George Brown, rock drummer (Kool & the Gang-Celebration)
1949 Chris Stein, Brooklyn NY, rock guitarist (Blondie-Heart of Glass, Call Me)
1969 Marilyn Manson (Brian Hugh Warner), Canton OH, singer/musician

SCIENCE -
1859 DeWitt B Brace, inventor (spectrophotometer) [D: 1905]
1906 Dame Kathleen Kenyon, London England, first person to place date on remains of Jericho [D: 08/24/78]
1930 Edward Galven Givens Jr, Quanah TX, Major USAF/One of the 19 astronaut chosen in 1966 [D: 06/06/67]

SPORTS -
1932 Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll, Cleveland OH, coach (Steelers 69-91) Hall of Fame 1993
1938 James Edwin Otto, Wausau WI, AFL center (Oakland Raiders) Hall of Fame 1980
1967 Ray Crockett, Dallas TX, NFL defensive back/TV-Radio Host (Denver Broncos-Super Bowl XXXII)


1531 Pope Clemens VII forbids English king Henry VIII to re-marry.
1759 George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis.
1781 Richmond, VA is burned by British naval forces led by Benedict Arnold.
1896 An Austrian newspaper reports that Wilhelm Roentgen discovered a type of radiation later known as X-rays.
1914 Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a day's labor.
1948 Warner Brothers shows the first color newsreel (Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl).
1957 Dodgers' Jackie Robinson retires rather than be traded to New York Giants.
1959 "Bozo the Clown" live children's show premieres on TV.
1968 Dr Benjamin Spock indicted for conspiring to violate draft law.
1970 Soap Opera "All My Children" premieres on ABC.
1972 President Nixon signs a bill for NASA to begin research on manned shuttle program.
1980 Hewlett-Packard announces release of its first personal computer.
1993 Reggie Jackson elected to Hall of Fame.
MORE EVENTS

SOURCE: Earth Calendar
Dia de la Toma - Spain
Twelfth Night - United States of America


BANDING TAGS
Who says people from Arkansas can't follow directions ... According to the Knight-Ridder News Service, the inscription on the metal bands used by the U.S. Department of the Interior to tag migratory birds has been changed. The bands used to bear the address of the Washington Biological Survey, abbreviated "Wash. Biol. Surv." until the agency received the following letter from an Arkansas camper:

Dear Sirs:
While camping last week I shot one of your birds. I think it was a kind of crow. I followed the cooking instructions on the leg tag and I want to tell you it was horrible.

The bands are now marked, "Fish and Wildlife Service."


There's an unseen force which lets birds know when you've just washed your car. - Denis Norden


BIRD SANCTUARY: Down town. (WordFoolery)

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