January 17th - Today is the 17th day of the year, with only 348 days remaining in 2006.

Benjamin Franklin Day ... how shocking!
Benjamin Franklin, one of the most prominent of Founders and early political figures and statesmen of the United States. Born 1706 in Boston, MA, Franklin became a newspaper editor, printer, merchant, scientist/inventor, politician, linguist and national hero.


"Universal Time" (UT) which is sometimes referred to, now colloquially, as "Greenwich Mean Time" (GMT)
FULL MOON - Jan 14   9:47 a.m.
LAST QUARTER - Jan 22   3:14 p.m.
NEW MOON - Jan 29   2:15 p.m.
FIRST QUARTER - Feb 5   6:28 a.m.


BENJAMIN FRANKLIN QUOTES
A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one.
A light purse is a heavy curse.
An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.
God heals, and the doctor takes the fees.
Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.
Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.
Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.
Many have quarreled about religion that never practiced it.
More than an end to war, we want an end to the beginnings of all wars.
The use of money is all the advantage there is to having money.
To find out a girl's faults, praise her to her girl friends.


ACTING -
1884 Noah Beery Sr., Kansas City MO, actor (Mark of Zorro, Sea Wolf) [D: 04/01/46]
1922 Betty White, Oak Park IL, actress (Mary Tyler Moore Show, Golden Girls)
1927 Eartha Kitt, singer/actress (Catwoman-Batman (TV), C'est Si Bon)
1931 James Earl Jones, Arkabutla MS, actor (Darth Vader, Exorcist II, Soul Man)
1939 Maury Povich, Washington DC, TV host (Current Affair, Maury)
1942 Nancy Anne Parsons, St Paul MN, actress (Beulah-Porky's, Sudden Impact) [D: 01/05/2001]
1949 Andy Kaufman, NYC, comedian/actor (Latka Gravas-Taxi) [D: 05/16/84]
1962 Jim Carrey, Ontario Canada, actor (Living Color, Dumb & Dumber, Mask, Fun with Dick and Jane)

ARTISTIC -
1820 Anne Brontë, Yorkshire England, novelist/poet (Tenant of Wildfell Hall) [D: 05/28/1849]
1857 Eugene Augustin Lauste, Montmartre France, The Father of Sound on Film[D: 01/27/35]
1899 Nevil Shute (Norway), London, novelist (On the Beach, Town Like Alice) [D: 01/12/60]
1928 Vidal Sassoon, London England, influential hair stylist of the mid-1960s
1934 Shari Lewis, Bronx NY, ventriloquist/puppeteer (Lamb Chop) [D: 08/02/98]

HISTORIC -
1806 James Madison Randolph, (Jefferson's grandson) first child born in White House
1811 Joshua Norton, England, self-proclaimed "Emperor of these United States and Protector of Mexico" [D: 01/08/1880]
1899 Alphonse Gabby May Capone, Naples Italy, Chicago's most notorious crime figure [D: 01/25/47]
1954 Robert F Kennedy Jr, Washington DC, attorney (Natural Resources Defense Council)

MUSIC -
1948 Mick Taylor, Welwyn Garden City England, rock bassist (70-75 Rolling Stones-Brown Sugar)
1959 Susanna Hoffs, Newport Beach CA, singer (Bangles-Manic Monday)

SCIENCE -
1943 Daniel Charles Brandenstein, Watertown WI, astronaut (STS 8, 51-G, 32, 49)

SPORTS -
1942 Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay Jr.), Louisville KY, heavyweight champ boxer (1964-7 74-8)


1773 Captain James Cook becomes first to cross Antarctic Circle (66º 33' S).
1861 Flush toilet (with separate water tank and a pull chain) patented by Mr Thomas Crapper.
1871 First cable car patented, by Andrew S Hallidie (begins service in 1873).
1916 First PGA Championship Jim Barnes at Siwanoy Country Club, Bronxville NY; Professional Golfer Association (PGA) forms.
1926 George Burns marries Gracie Allen.
1929 Popeye makes first appearance, in comic strip "Thimble Theatre".
1946 United Nations Security Council holds its first meeting.
1955 Submarine USS Nautilus begins first nuclear-powered test voyage.
1970 Sporting News names Willie Mays as Player of the Decade for the 1960s.
1984 Supreme Court rules (5-4) private use of home VCRs to tape TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal copyright laws.
1987 President Reagan signs secret order permitting covert sale of arms to Iran.
1990 Who, Simon & Garfunkel, 4 Seasons, 4 Tops, Hank Ballard, Platters & Kinks inducted into Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
1997 NBA suspends Dennis Rodman indefinitely/$25,000 for kicking cameraman.
MORE EVENTS

SOURCE: Earth Calendar
AtiAtihan Festival - Philippines


BOOK PRICING
One day a gentleman walked into one of Ben Franklin's book stores. As one of the clerks went to assist him, the gentleman asked the clerk the price of the book he wished to purchase. The young clerk looked at the price posted on the book and said, "That book is one dollar, sir."

The gentleman began to haggle with the clerk over the price.

The clerk assured him that the correct price for the book was one dollar and no lower. As the man realized that his efforts to haggle with the clerk were going nowhere, he insisted on speaking with Ben Franklin directly.

Franklin stopped his work, walked out to the storefront and the gentleman asked, "What is the price of this book?"

Franklin answered, "One dollar and a quarter."

The gentleman was confused and replied, "Your clerk just said it was a dollar."

Franklin looked at the book again and answered, "Yes, it was a dollar. But now you're wasting my time."


People will accept your ideas much more readily if you tell them that Benjamin Franklin said it first. - Unknown


ATM MACHINE: Electric bankette. (WordFoolery)

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