Dec 9

 

‘Tis the Season

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Dec 9, 2020  Week: 50 Day: 344	Local:  H 52°\ L 26`°\Average Sky Cover: 5%
Wind:   5mph\Gusts: 15 mph	Nearest lightning: 1435mi.; Active fire:  59mi
High Risk of Fire	Visibility:  10mi
Record: 62°[1977]   Record: -9°[2013]	Nov Averages: 44°/\17° (5 days with moisture)

 

Today’s  Quote

I believe things cannot make themselves impossible.

Stephen Hawking

 

Random Tidbits

The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, President Roosevelt appeared before a joint session of Congress and declared, "Yesterday, December 7, 1941--a date which will live in infamy--the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." After a brief and forceful speech, he asked Congress to approve a resolution recognizing the state of war between the United States and Japan. The Senate voted for war against Japan by 82 to 0, and the House of Representatives approved the resolution by a vote of 388 to 1. Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war against the United States, and the U.S. government responded in kind.

Some new information discovered in the last year or so, is that on the morning of December 7th, 1941, the Wickes-class destroyer USS Ward attacked and sank a Ko-hyoteki-class midget submarine near the entrance to the harbor, making it not only the first shot fired on that day, but the first official American shots in the War. The Japanese sub's periscope was spotted above the water by the minesweeper Condor, which alerted the crew of the Ward, who opened fire on the intruder.

 

A little humor

Becoming a vegetarian Is a big missed steak

Q:What do you get when you cross an apple with a superhero?        CiderMan

 

True Things

Police in Middlesbrough, England, are asking for the public's help in locating those involved in an apparent egg fight at a local Tesco supermarket during the two minutes of silence meant to honor fallen servicemembers on Nov. 8. Most shoppers at the store on Remembrance Sunday stood still and quiet for the observance, but one customer continued shopping and talking, reported Metro News, and objected when asked to be quiet. "We were all stood still, observing the two minutes' silence when we heard lots of screaming and shouting," one witness said. Police noted "a man allegedly assaulted two women ... following a verbal altercation."

 

Observations This Week

Clerc-Gallaudet Week…………………………..	3-10
Andisop (Meterological Fiddling)………….	5-24  Link
National Hand Washing Awareness Week…	5-11 Link
Recipe Greetings For The Holidays Week…	5-11
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week……..	5-11 Link
Computer Science Education Week:………. (Always week with 12/9. Birthday of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper.)	6-12  Link

 

 

Observations for Today

Christmas Card Day
Cremation Day
International Anti-corruption Day
International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of The Victims of

The Crime of Genocide and The Prevention of This Crime
National Pastry Day

Weary Willie Day Link
World Techno Day Link

 

My Rambling Thoughts

A nice ‘warm’ day, time for a nice walk.

I sent off my Tahiti registration…hoping for sure that the third time is the charm. It will be a great adventure once it happens.

Months ago the Administration decided not to order more of the Pfizer vaccine. Now it is too late to order more before Q2-2021. I guess this is a live and learn scenario.  

60 minutes did an interesting report on ‘secondary sports’ at Universities. Two big issues are football and Title IX. Sadly, many university athletic directors use Title IX to cut programs for male athletes. For instance, a powerhouse football university may have over 100 scholarship athletes on the football team. Title IX means that 100 women athletes must also play on various teams. They will cut the Men’s gymnastic program to meet the Title IX requirements. During the current pandemic 30 universities have abolished 100 teams in secondary sports. Football hasn’t been cut at any of those schools. It is a sad commentary on sports, budding athletes, and really effects Olympic teams from numerous countries. 

 

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of the page

A woman lives alone in a farmhouse. Two prison escapees intend to kill whoever they see in the farmhouse that night and hideout there. That night, the attack happened but the woman survived. How is that possible?

 

Historical Events

1531 – The Virgin of Guadalupe first appeared to Juan Diego at Tepeyac, Mexico City.

1851 – The first YMCA in North America opened in Montreal, Canada.

1872 – P.B.S. Pinchback (Republican) became the first African-American governor of a US state, Louisiana.

1884 – The US patent (#308990) for ball-bearing roller skates, was issued to Levant M. Richardson.

1907 – Christmas Seals, an outreach from the American Lung Association, went on sale for the first time, in a Wilmington, Delaware, post office.

1935 – The Downtown Athletic Club Trophy (now the Heisman Trophy) was awarded for the first time. The winner was halfback Jay Berwanger from the University of Chicago.

1958 – In Indianapolis, the John Birch Society formed.

1960 – The Sperry Rand Corporation demonstrated the UNIVAC 1107 computer; the first to use thin-film magnetic technology. The secret was the few millionths of an inch of iron-nickel alloy.

1962 – The Petrified Forest National Park was established in Arizona.

1965 – A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered on CBS.

1975 – President Gerald R. Ford signed a $2.3 billion loan authorization to prevent New York City from having to default on its debts.

1993 – Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Endeavor completed repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope.

2009 – A Russian SLBM RSM-56 Bulava failed mid-flight causing a very unusual light formation over Norway.

2008 The Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, is arrested by federal officials for a number of alleged crimes including attempting to sell the United States Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama's election to the Presidency

2015 German Chancellor Angela Merkel named Time Magazine's Person of the Year, for her handling of debt and refugee crises

2019 White Island / Whakaari volcano, a tourist attraction in New Zealand erupts killing 16

 

Birthdays Today

@103 – Kirk Douglas, American actor (d. 2020)

@89 – Buck Henry, American actor, and screenwriter (d. 2020)

86 – Judi Dench, English actress

@85 – Grace Hopper, American admiral, and computer scientist, designed COBOL (d. 1992)

@83 – Joseph Pilates, German-American fitness expert, developer of Pilates (d. 1967)

@81 – Thomas Phillip ‘Tip’ O’Neill, lawyer, 55th Speaker of the House of Representatives (d. 1994)

79 – Beau Bridges [Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III ], American actor, director, producer

@68 – Redd Foxx, American actor (died in 1991)

@65 – John Milton, English writer, and philosopher (d. 1674; consumption)

63 – Donny Osmond, American singer, and actor

58 – Felicity Huffman, American actress

 

Puzzle Answer

The two escapees attacked and killed each other.

Enjoy the Holiday