Saturday

339 days so far this year…26 days remain in 2009
20 shopping days remain until Christmas
***Provocative Quote***
"A closed mouth gathers no foot." ~unknown
***Free Ramblings***
I spent this afternoon working on my African trip videos. I’m far from being finished, but I did get some up on Facebook. One is live video of hippos. It was taken several different times, but shows them in the water and amazingly out of the water. One is animal pics including the Big 5 and some of the other animals of the bush. The last one is pics from in and around Cape Town. All have good music to go with them. While in Cape Town, I heard a street band called “Abonwabisi Brothers”. They are 11 guys who sing a cappella at the huge Waterfront Mall. You get to listen to them while watching all the videos. I will be adding some more videos a little later, but figured I could get some up sooner than later. I hope you enjoy them, and feel free to leave comments. They are not Hollywood productions, but they are fun to make. One last thing about the videos, they are much better when viewed ‘full screen’ which is usually a rectangular TV screen at the bottom right of each video.
That pesky high front in Utah kept us pretty cool today. The high of 40° did not feel like 40°. With the gusts that reached 25mph, it felt about 8-10° cooler. When I got up about 6am it was only 12°, much cooler than I enjoy. I am also pretty sure that the high was only there for about 2 or 3 nanoseconds—just enough to move the mercury. Most of the day was in the low 30° range. It is December after all and we are at 7000+ feet, so this shouldn’t sound like complaining. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

± Quotes from Values.com—Commitment
“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” ~Margaret Thatcher


± Unusual News
METHUEN, Mass. - A Massachusetts woman said the rust colored residue she found on the bottom of her clothes iron resembles the face of Jesus Christ. Mary Jo Coady, 44, of Methuen, said she noticed the image on the iron Sunday, weeks after the last time it was used, and it helped to reaffirm her Catholic faith following her split from her husband and economic troubles, the (North Andover, Mass.) Eagle-Tribune reported Monday. "I see his eyes, his nose, his whole face and I was like, 'That's Jesus looking at us,'" Coady said. "It just gave me a sign that life is going to be good," she said. "I think he's listening." Coady said the image even affected her skeptical-minded daughters, Melody, 21, and Alison, 20. "They wouldn't believe this if it hit them in the head, and they were like, 'Mom, that's Jesus looking at us,'" Coady said. Coady said she's retiring the iron the preserve the image and will buy a new one.

± Random Facts on The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
Thurl Ravenscroft, who sang such numbers as "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," was also the voice of Tony the Tiger.
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The story was first published, in slightly different form, in the Ottawa Chronicle.
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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

§ 5 December Observances
National Sacher Torte Day—A decadently rich chocolate cake dessert.
AFL-CIO Day since 1955
Bathtub Party Day
International Volunteer Day for Economic & Social Development
International Ninja Day—Creep like a Ninja Day—since 2003
Skywarn Recognition Day (Hamm radio helps Nat’l Weather Service)

-Belgium, Romania, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and the UK: Saint Nicholas Eve
-Beirut Lebanon : Arbor Day
-Haiti : Discovery Day (1492)
-Netherlands : St Nicholas' Eve
-USSR : Constitution Day (1936)
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~ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1893…1st electric car (built in Toronto) could go 15 miles between charges.

BIRTHS ON THIS DAY
~ The Arts
Margaret Cho in 1968 actress/comedienne
Walter Elias Disney in 1901 Chicago IL, animator (Mickey Mouse)
Jim Messina in 1947 musician: duo: Loggins and Messina
Chad Mitchell in 1936 singer: group: Chad Mitchell Trio
Alvy Moore in 1921 actor (Mr Kimball-Green Acres)
Otto Preminger in 1905 director/producer (Exodus)
Little Richard [Wayne Penniman] in 1932 rocker (Tutti Frutti, Lucille)

~Athletics
Gordon Browne in 1951 football: NY Jets
Roderick Mullen in 1972 NFL defensive back (Packers)
Bill Pickett in 1870 - rodeo cowboy: first to bulldog
Jim Plunkett in 1947 NFL quarterback (New England, Oakland)

~Business / Education / Politics
George Armstrong Custer in 1839 Major General (Union volunteers, of Little Big Horn fame)
[Steve James] Strom Thurmond in 1902 (Senator-D/R-SC)
Martin Van Buren in 1782 8th President first to be born a U.S. citizen
Phillip K. Wrigley in 1894 - corporate executive: Wrigley Gum

~Science / Religion
Clinton Hart Merriam in 1855 American ornithologist
Cecil Frank Powell in 1903 English physicist, Nobel laureate

In Remembrance~
Roone Arledge American sports broadcaster @ 71
Alexandre Dumas writer (The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo), @ 68
Claude Monet French impressionist painter @ 86
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composer rheumatic fever @ 35

Historical Events on this day
1492…Columbus discovers Hispaniola (El Espanola/Haiti)
1766…London auctioneers Christie's hold their 1st sale
1776…Phi Beta Kappa, 1st American scholastic fraternity (William & Mary College), is founded
1835…Today, members of the Georgia Guard will arrest CHEROKEE Principal Chief John Ross at his home. Also arrested in historian John Howard Payne. Payne, the author of the song "Home, Sweet Home", was writing a history of the CHEROKEE people. They are be arrested so they will not be able to attend the "New Echota Treaty" conference.
1861…Gatling gun patented
1876…Daniel Stillson (Massachusetts) patents 1st practical pipe wrench
1887…Stanley's expedition reaches plateau at Lake Albert Congo
1893…1st electric car (built in Toronto) could go 15 miles between charges
1908…1st football uniform numerals used (University of Pittsburgh)
1933..21st Amendment ratified, only amendment adopted to repeal an earlier amendment [18th Amendment (Prohibition)]
1955…AFL & CIO merge, with George Meany as president
1967…Benjamin Spock & Allen Ginsberg arrested protesting Vietnam war
1977…Egypt breaks diplomatic relations with Syria, Libya, Algeria, Iraq & South Yemen
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§ The Black Whole
Complete the following expressions featuring the color BLACK.
1 stout + champagne:
2 spider notorious for devouring her mate:
3 lose consciousness:
4 reject a candidate in a ballot:
5 summons to death received by Billy Bones:
6 name of another pirate from the same book:
7 location of the Admiral Benbow Inn: Black Hill Cove
8 twenty-one:
9 extort money using discreditable information:
10 Fascist:
11 road surfacing material in the US:
12 showing profits:
13 a worse offender citing the guilt of a lesser offender:
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ANSWERS
1 stout + champagne: black velvet
2 spider notorious for devouring her mate: black widow
3 lose consciousness: blackout
4 reject a candidate in a ballot: blackball
5 summons to death received by Billy Bones: Black Spot
6 name of another pirate from the same book: Black Dog
7 location of the Admiral Benbow Inn: Black Hill Cove
8 twenty-one: blackjack
9 extort money using discreditable information: blackmail
10 Fascist: blackshirt
11 road surfacing material in the US: blacktop
12 showing profits: in the black
13 a worse offender citing the guilt of a lesser offender: the pot calling the kettle black