‘Tis the Season
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Dec 15, 2020
Week: 51 Day: 350 |
Local: H 43°\ L 16°\Average Sky Cover: 5% |
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Wind: 6mph\Gusts: 15mph |
Nearest lightning: 1491mi.; Active fire: 59mi |
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Moderate Risk of Fire |
Visibility:
10mi |
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Record: 63°[1929] Record: -14°[1939]
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Nov Averages: 44°/\17° (5 days with moisture) |
Today’s Quote
A gem cannot be
polished without friction,
nor a man perfected
without trials.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Random
Tidbits
When most people think of
rainforests, they picture massive jungles filled with trees and critters.
However, somewhere in the Sargasso Sea sits the so-called "floating
rainforest" that consists not of dense vegetation on land, but of seaweed
under water.
A
little humor
All my passwords are
protected by amnesia.
True
Things
A mysterious monolith was
found outside a Texas shopping center, just days after similar discoveries in
Utah, Romania and California. Visitors to The Substation shopping center in El
Paso snapped photos of the silver-colored metal structure spotted next to the
road. The monolith's origins were unknown. The structure appeared in the wake
of similar monoliths that were discovered -- and subsequently removed -- in
Utah, Romania and California. It was unclear whether El Paso city officials
would have the monolith removed.
Observations
This Week
|
Human Rights Week:………………………………….. |
10-17 |
|
Gluten-free Baking Week:……………………………
|
12-18 |
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Cookie Exchange Week:……………………………… |
13-17 |
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Christmas Bird Count Week Link………………… |
14-1/5 |
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Halcyon Days…………………………………………….. |
14-28 |
Observations
for Today
Cat Herders Day Link
Chocolate Covered Anything Day
International Tea
Day Link
National Cupcake Day
National
Gingerbread Latte Day
National Lemon Cupcake
Day
National Wear Your Pearls Day Link
Pythagorean Theorem Day
Zamenhof Day (Esperato
Literature Day) Link
My
Rambling Thoughts
I ran over to Kohl’s for my last Christmas shopping. I went early,
only saw 2 customers and a bunch of salespeople. I found just what I needed for
the in-laws who will be visiting from NYC in Mexico.
I was happy to see that both the Broncos and the Cards won yesterday. I
watched the Cards but had to see internet updates for the Broncos game.
There are more than enough jerks in the world and way too many media
outlets that push their crazy ideas. Surprised to see the WSJ publishing some
crazy guy’s idea that Dr. Jill Biden is not really a Dr. because her Doctorate…and
her two Master’s…are not in Medicine but in Education. Tiny, illiterate mind at
work. Turns out the Greeks were the first to use the Doctor term and first used
it to recognize great educators. Oops.
Hackers are still at work. Some, associated with ‘cozy bear’, have
hacked into the Commerce Dept. and the Treasury Dept. ‘Cozy Bear’ has been
tracked to the Russian Federation Gov’t. I’m glad they were caught. I’m glad it
somehow leaked out, so we all know to be aware.
Who would have ever thought that CNN and others would send video crews
to almost every state to show the Electoral College voting? While I’m not
watching every second, it is a very good Civics lesson for all to see in
action. Not expecting any surprises. While the results end the election
process, according to the US Constitution, I don’t expect this to be the end in
the media.
Today’s
Puzzle
Answer at the bottom of the page
A gunman hangs up his hat, turns
around and walks 5000 meters, then turns around and shoots his gun, putting a
hole right through his hat. How did he do it?
Historical
Events
1827 – The city of Boston, Massachusetts, the School Committee voted
to require, effective 1 Mar 1828, that public school students show that they
had been vaccinated against smallpox prior to the school entrance. Certificates
to the board of health were to be issued where necessary for free vaccination.
This initiative came just three decades after Edward Jenner’s discovery of a
method to immunize against smallpox. The state of Massachusetts passed the
first school vaccination law in 1855, followed by New York (1862) and
Connecticut (1872).
1836 – A fire destroyed the US Patent Office, erasing the records of
most of the first 9,957 US patents’ records.
1890 – Native American Sitting Bull (Tatanka Iyotake) was shot and
killed by Indian police over a political misunderstanding.
1933 – The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
repealed the Eighteenth Amendment.
1939 – Gone with the Wind premiered at Loew’s Grand Theatre in
Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
1944 – Bandleader Glenn Miller’s plane disappeared over the English
Channel. One of the largest pop stars of his day, he was the first of many who
died in an airplane mishap.
1970 – Soviet spacecraft Venera 7 successfully landed on Venus. It is
the first successful soft landing on another planet.
1973 – The American Psychiatric Association voted 13-0 to remove
homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders.
1978 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced that the United States
would recognize the People’s Republic of China and sever diplomatic relations
with Taiwan.
1984 USSR launches Vega 1 for rendezvous with Halley's Comet
2001 The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000
to fortify it, without fixing its famous lean
2013 China successfully lands its moon rover on the moon
2015 Mayor of Flint, Michigan declares state of emergency over
contaminated water supplies amid calls for a criminal investigation
2018 Egyptian Archaeologists announce discovery of 4,400 year old tomb
of Fifth Dynasty priest in Saqqara pyramid complex near Cairo
2019 Protests against India's new citizenship bill that excludes
Muslims, erupt across major cities, killing at least five
Birthdays
Today
@91 – Alexandre Eiffel,
French engineer, Eiffel Tower (d. 1923)
@85 – Tim Conway,
American comedian and actor (d. 2019)
@83 – J. Paul Getty,
American-English businessman, founder of Getty Oil (d. 1976)
@78 – Uziel Gal,
German/Israeli inventor of the Uzi submachine gun (d. 2002; cancer)
71 – Don Johnson,
American actor
67 – J. M. DeMatteis, American author, comics [Justice League
Inernat’l]
41 – Adam Brody, American
actor
@30 – Nero [Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus], Roman emperor (d.68; suicide by attendant)
Puzzle
Answer
He hung up the hat on his gun.
Enjoy the Holiday
