Nov 24

 

Thanksgiving Week129411

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Nov 24, 2020  Week: 48 Day: 329  

Local:  H 56°\ L 28°\Average Sky Cover: 5%

Wind:   11mph\Gusts:  19mph                       

Nearest lightning:  1291mi.; active fire:  59mi

Low Risk of Fire          

Visibility:  10mi

Record: 69°[2017]   Record: -7°[1902]              

Nov Averages: 53°\23° (3 days with moisture)

 

Today’s  Quote

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.

Henry Ward Beecher

 

Random Tidbits

 In the late 90's an underwater search party stumbled across a century old shipwreck containing 2,000 bottles of this French champagne which now sells for $25,000 per bottle.

 

A little humor

When I say, "The other day," I could be referring to any time between yesterday and 15 years ago.

 

True Things

An environmental nonprofit in Florida said a volunteer walking on a beach discovered what seemed to be a macabre scene -- but turned out to be a washed-up store mannequin. Ocean Hour, a Florida nonprofit that organizes beach clean-up events, said a volunteer named Kathleen was walking the beach on the intercoastal side of Perdido Key when she came across what initially seemed to be human body that was missing its head. The nonprofit said another witness on the scene called 911, but Kathleen took a closer look and discovered the barnacle-encrusted form was a headless store mannequin that had apparently spent a good amount of time in the water before washing up on the beach. "We are glad it wasn't a real body," Ocean Hour said in a Facebook post.

 

Observations This Week

Nat’l Seat Belt Reinforcement Week: 9-29 Link

Church/State Separation Week: 22-28  
GERD Awareness Week: 22-28  
Link

Nat’l Farm-City Week: 19-26

Nat’l Bible Week: 22-29 
Nat’l Family Week: 22-28 
Nat’l Game & Puzzle Week: 22-28 

InterNat’l Games Week: 21-28

Better Conversation Week: 23-28 

 

Observations for Today

All Our Uncles are Monkeys Day

Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day

D.B. Cooper Day

Evolution Day

National Sardines Day
Shopping Reminder Day

 

My Rambling Thoughts

My week is starting off windy and cooler. It’s OK, it is fall after all.

I couldn’t watch the game, but glad to see the Broncos have another win.

The National Zoo had a contest to name its newest Panda. Xiang Qi Ji, Little Miracle, is the winner. There is something about Pandas and Polar Bear cubs that are so enjoyable to watch. I remember the twin polar bears at the Denver Zoo.

As a retired Federal employee, I am aware of the importance of language. As a reminder, ‘the apparent winner’ releases the transition funds.

Good news: There are now 3 vaccines almost ready to help with Covid.

After working with many junior high students in my career, I learned that athletics can really help many students, and especially those with discipline issues. I also learned that the coach plays huge role in teaching athletes how to win or lose gracefully. This was true across the sports spectrum, but especially with wrestlers. Many times the rowdy students were drawn to wrestling. Every wrestling coach I worked with had the ability to get them to mature and recognize it was their effort that was important, not if they won or lost a match. A wrestler who gave 100% during the match, was always a winner.

I wish Trump had been a wrestler.

 

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of the page

If you drop me, I’m sure to crack, but give me a smile and I’ll always smile back. What am I?

 

Historical Events

1639 – First observation of the transit of Venus by Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree – helped establish the size of our Solar System.

1859 – Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species. A first printing sells for around $100,000 today.

1874 – The patent (#157,124) for barbed wire was issued to Joseph F. Glidden of DeKalb, Illinois.

1877 – Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty was published.

1896 – The first US absentee voting law (voting via mail) was enacted by Vermont.

1903 – The patent (#745,157) for an automobile electric self-starter was issued to Clyde J. Coleman of New York City. Prior to that, they were hand-cranked.

1932 – The FBI Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory (better known as the FBI Crime Lab) officially opened.

1950 – Storm of the Century – A snowstorm, took shape on this date before paralyzing the northeastern United States and the Appalachians the next day, bringing winds up to 100 mph and sub-zero temperatures. 353 people died as a result of the storm.

1954 – Air Force One, the first US Presidential airplane, was christened. It was the third of three C-121 Constellation airplanes, the “Columbine III.”

1953 – An incident where Eisenhower’s aircraft was “Air Force 8610” and an Eastern Airlines plane was “Eastern 8610” created the need to devise a unique call sign.

1962 – The influential British satirical television program That Was the Week That Was was first broadcast.

1964 – For the first time since 1800, residents of Washington, DC were permitted to vote.

1971 – Dan “DB” Cooper parachuted from a Northwest AL 727 with $200,000 in ransom money, somewhere over the Cascade Mountains, possibly over Woodland, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest area. He was never heard from again.

1982 – Orioles’ Cal Ripken was named AL Rookie of Year. In his career, he compiled 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, and 1,695 runs batted in. From May 30, 1982, to September 19, 1998, he played 2632 consecutive games, another MLB record.

1988 – Mystery Science Theater 3000 premiered on KYMA, in Minneapolis, Minnesota

2012 – Gangnam Style became the most viewed youtube video surpassing 808 million views. As of late 2016, it was over 2.6 billion views.

2013 – Iran signed an interim agreement with the P5+1 countries, led by Barak Obama and the United States, limiting its nuclear program in exchange for reduced sanctions.

2019 Data leaked from Chinese high-security Muslim Uighur security camps, housing 1 million people, show systematic brainwashing in western Xinjiang region

2019 Hong Kong pro-democracy candidates overwhelmingly win district council elections in strong rebuke to Hong Kong leaders

 

Birthdays Today

@82 – William F. Buckley, Jr., American publisher, and author, founded the National Review (d. 2008)

79 – Pete Best, Indian-English drummer and songwriter

@66 – Dale Carnegie, American author, educator (d. 1955; Hodgkin's disease)

@65 – Zachary Taylor, American general and politician, 12th President of the United States (d. 1850; dysentery)

@60 – Walter Burley Griffin, American architect, and urban planner, designed Australia’s Canberra (d. 1937; peritonitis)

@48 – Scott Joplin, American pianist, and composer (d. 1917; syphilis)

42 – Katherine Heigl, American actress, and producer

 

Puzzle Answer

A mirror. 

Enjoy the Holiday

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Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
I retired in '06--at the ripe old age of 57. I enjoy blogging, photography, traveling, and living life to it's fullest.