Wednesday

336 days so far this year…29 days remain in 2009
23 shopping days remain until Christmas
***Provocative Quote***
"Every Titanic has its iceberg." ~unknown

***Free Ramblings***
   I did some basic cleaning today, in preparation for putting up Christmas. I just have way too much stuff. I really need to get rid of some of it, but every time I start to toss, I think, “I may need that”. I really should finish that sentence with…”someday, for one time, in the next two decades.” I can feel a ‘toss out’ day coming and none too soon. My other choice seems to be to clean out one of the rooms I have, load it with shelving, and put the ‘good’ stuff on the shelves so I can enjoy it. Maybe then I can ‘toss’ some of the ‘not-so-good’ stuff. Over the years I collected a lot of art from the many schools where I worked. It is all unique. It is all ‘folk-art’ and while not being extremely valuable, it sure reminds me of the great time I had while I worked at each school. I enjoy looking at it. It just needs to take up a lot less room.
   Obama finally made his decision on Afghanistan. We will continue to send young soldiers into harm’s way. It is so hard for me to understand how this is going to change anything. The Taliban is not a country. In fact, Afghanistan is hardly a country. Many have tried for years to make Afghanistan a country. No other country has been able to accomplish this. No person has risen from the populous to lead this land area. It is still run by local leaders who want to keep their own valley, and don’t want another valley. From what I can tell, the local valley leaders don’t like the Taliban. They threaten the peace in their valley. Many of these leaders don’t like us either, because we also bring harm to their valley. It seems to me that until some local leader rises to grab the attention of everyone in the many valleys, the fighting will continue.
   After listening to Obama, I have to wonder what will happen in the next months. Our Military is currently made up of volunteers. I am sure that if the military was made up by draftees, our country’s response would be much different. Obama did not, and cannot, put a face on the Taliban. They are fighters from many countries who are not that well organized. They are also volunteers. They are willing to lay down their lives for their perceived cause. Our military—along with other militaries—seem to be doing the same. And let us not forget, it was not Afghanistan, the country, that attacked us. It was the rowdies, the crazies, the messed up. Wherever they live, wherever they plot and plan, wherever they kill, they do need to be stopped. Finding them is the problem. They don’t wear a uniform, they don’t march in parades, and they don’t have a tattoo that identifies them. Our military must be very careful not to kill innocents, not to torture, and not to intimidate the locals. Otherwise all the healing that Obama has brought to this country and all he has done to repair our world image will be lost. If our military under Obama’s watch does any of these things, I doubt that the world be ready to trust us—ever again. Tonight’s speech will change many people’s lives. It is not what I thought I would hear when he was elected. Time will tell if this means that he will be a one-term President. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

± Quotes from Values.com
“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” ~Maya Angelou

± Unusual News
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Til death do us part? The vow would really hold true in California if a Sacramento Web designer gets his way. John Marcotte wants to put a measure on the ballot next year to ban divorce in California. The effort is meant to be a satirical statement after California voters outlawed gay marriage in 2008, largely on the argument that a ban is needed to protect the sanctity of traditional marriage. If that's the case, then Marcotte reasons voters should have no problem banning divorce.
    "Since California has decided to protect traditional marriage, I think it would be hypocritical of us not to sacrifice some of our own rights to protect traditional marriage even more," the 38-year-old married father of two said.
   Marcotte needs 694,354 valid signatures by March 22, a high hurdle in a state where the typical petition drive costs millions of dollars. Even if his proposed constitutional amendment made next year's ballot, it's not clear how voters would react. Nationwide, about half of all marriages end in divorce. Prentice said proponents of traditional marriage only seek to strengthen the one man-one woman union. "That's where our intention begins and ends," he said.

± Random Fact
Porcupines float in water.
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§ December Month Long Observances
Birthstone: Blue Topaz…Flower of the Month: Narcissus
Colorectal Cancer Education and Awareness Month + Hi Neighbor Month + National Write A Business Plan Month + National Tie Month + Rising Star Month + Safe Toys and Gifts Month + Spiritual Literacy Month + Stress Free Family Holiday Month + Universal Human Rights Month + Read A New Book Month+ World Aids Month

§ Week of 1 December
Cookie Cutter Week ~ Tolerance Week ~ Recipe Greetings for The Holidays Week ~ Operation Santa Paws Week ~ Hand Washing Awareness Week

§ 2 December Observances
Full moon at 2:30am EST It’s the ‘Cold Moon’ to the Celts and the ‘Bitter Moon’ to the Chinese
Special Education Day—since 1975 Federal Legislation
Pan American Health Day
UN Internat’l Day to Abolish Slavery

-Cuba: Landing of Granma, the boat carrying Castro and revolutionaries
-UAE : Independence Day (from Britain 1971)
-Laos: National Day (since 1975)
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~ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1927 1st Model A Fords sold, for $385

BIRTHS ON THIS DAY
~ The Arts
Maria M Callas in 1923 soprano
Britney Jean Spears in 1981 singer
Gianni Versace in 1946 fashion designer
Ray Walston in 1914 actor (My Favorite Martian)

~Athletics
Willie Brown in 1940 Pro Football Hall of Famer
Monica Seles in 1973 tennis star
Bob E Smith in 1942 PGA golfer

~Business / Education / Politics
Alexander Haig Jr in 1924 US Secretary of State
Randolph Hearst in 1915 newspaper publisher
Stone Phillips in 1954 news host
Charles Ringling in 1863 circus entrepreneur

~Science / Religion
Peter Carl Goldmark in 1906 developed color TV & LP records

In Remembrance~
Desi Arnaz actor (Ricky Ricardo-I Love Lucy), cancer @ 69
John Brown US abolitionist, hanged @ 59
Aaron Copland composer @ 90
Marty Feldman comedic actor (Young Frankenstein), heart attack @ 49
Odetta American singer @78
Roxie Roker actress (Helen Willis-Jeffersons)/mother of Lenny Kravitz, cancer @ 66
Marquis de Sade writer, @ 74
Sabu Sabu actor (Jungle Book, Drums), heart attack @ 39
Cardinal Francis Spellman archbishop of NY @ 78

Historical Events on this day
1697…St Paul's Cathedral opens in London
1802…English sell Suriname to Dutch
1816…1st savings bank in US opens (Philadelphia Savings Fund Society)
1823…President James Monroe declares his "Monroe Doctrine"
1887…Charles Dickens' 1st public reading in US (New York NY)

1927…Near Honolulu the faithful have been making pilgrimages to a sacred stone called the Wahawa, which natives claim has healing powers.
1929…1st skull of Peking man found, 50 km out of Peking at Tsjoe Koe Tien
1939…New York's LaGuardia Airport ( dedicated as New York Municipal Airport )located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay is opened
1942…A self sustaining nuclear chain reaction was demonstrated for the first time at a racquets court below the bleachers of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago
1952…1st human birth televised to public (KOA-TV Denver CO)
1954…The US Senate votes to condemn Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, R Wis., for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute".
1970…Environmental Protection Agency begins under President Nixon
1999…In Northern Ireland, a power-sharing cabinet of Protestants and Catholics sit down together for the first time.
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§ Are you Red-y?
Complete the following expressions featuring the color RED.

1. it is shown to the ejected player by the referee
2. trivial sum; smallest coin.
3. brothel neighborhood
4. international relief organization
5. topic thrown into a discussion in order to mislead
6. highly exciting
7. a day that is pleasantly noteworthy
8. in the act of committing a crime
9. embarrassed
10. beef or lamb
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ANSWERS
1. it is shown to the ejected player by the referee: red card
2. trivial sum; smallest coin: one red cent
3. brothel neighborhood: red light district
4. international relief organization: Red Cross
5. topic thrown into a discussion in order to mislead: red herring
6. highly exciting: red hot
7. a day that is pleasantly noteworthy: red letter day
8. in the act of committing a crime: red-handed
9. Embarrassed: red-faced
10. beef or lamb: red meat