I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.
FREE RAMBLING THOUGHTS
It was a wet and windy day. I was just about to get ready for my last Christmas Open House before leaving for Chicago. Luckily I checked the invite and it is on Sunday. Messed up my schedule, but was not embarrassed by ringing the doorbell a day early. In years past they have always had it on Saturday, but since the host is also celebrating his 70th birthday, they moved it to his actual birthday. That is nice. That makes two of my friends who have reached 70 in 2010 and one who made 80.
Landmark legislation today. Back in 1778 the first soldier was kicked out of the army for performing an act of sodomy. During WWII soldiers had to take a psychological review and if they were found to be homosexual they were given a ‘blue’ discharge. In 1982 the DOD issued Directive 1332 that stated that homosexuality was clearly incompatible with military service. Pres. Clinton tried to get that directive overturned. He lost. His compromise was “Don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue” and later ‘don’t harass was added. All of these laws and directives were aimed at ‘engaging in homosexual activities’. Our own Senator McCain had seemed a few years ago to come out with an anti-DADT belief. He stated on many occasions that he would follow the military leader’s desires with any change in the law. It turns out this was a political ploy. The military leaders said that things would work if gays were openly in the military; McCain demanded, and got, a survey of active military on their feelings. That alone was so anti-military. Since when do the military ask the soldiers about any directive? The soldiers said it didn’t matter. McCain continued to make excuses for not voting for what the military and the American people wanted. Even today, as the vote was taken in the Senate, John was up there spouting his current belief that this would end the world as we know it, and not for the better. The majority of senators said that DADT’s days were over. Thankfully people are beginning to see the difference between the LGBT community and predators. Ignorance has been dealt a much deserved severe blow.
“You don't have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight.” Barry Goldwater. I saw this posted several times on FB today. I was never a Barry-fan. While his quote sounds profound, coming from a very conservative political figure; I have to wonder if he would have pulled a John McCain when push came to shove. I guess I’m just getting a little cynical in my old-er age.
I had to run to the grocery store this afternoon and the store wasn’t overly busy, but the mall was packed. This sure looks like a great Christmas for the merchants. Of course they are having big sales, but believe me, they are still making money. That is good for them, good for their employees, and good for the country.
HOLY MACKEREL: 1904 The Dawson City (Yukon) hockey team begins 9 day walk to get a boat to Seattle to catch a train to Ottawa to play in the Stanley Cup on January 13 1905
∞ JEOPARDY PUZZLE—(SuperJeopardy Answers) from 1990 Literature
∞This encyclopedia originated as part of the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century
∞The girls who were part of "The Group", by Mary McCarthy, attended this college
∞As James Jones could tell you, this completes Kipling's line from "Gentlemen-Rankers", "Damned from..."
∞Her poem "I Never Saw A Moor" didn't refer to her missing a production of "Othello"
∞Among his "Mosses From An Old Manse" is "Rappachini's Daughter"
SOMEWHAT USELESS INFORMATION—Stamps
∞Bhutan, an Asian nation in the Himalayan Mountains, issued a group of postage stamps that were actually phonograph records. These stamps, issued in 1973, had native folk songs recorded on one side and could be played on a record player.
∞Sometime before 1883 advertising for various products was printed on the back of U.S. three-cent stamps.
∞In 1693, letters were held in front of a candle to determine the postage rate. The less the light shone through, the more costly the rate. This was known as candling.
UNUSUAL NEWS ITEMS
∞In Wisconsin a postal carrier said he simply wanted to cheer up a woman on his rounds who seemed "stressed out" so he decided to deliver her mail naked.
He even told her he was going to do it. As a prank, I suppose. But whether she took him seriously or not, there was no doubting his sincerity when he showed up at her office wearing only a smile and his mail bag.
The 52-year-old was arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior several days later.
∞In Scarsdale, New York A woman named Nicola Briggs was minding her own business on the train when she noticed a man standing unusually close to her.
When she looked down she noticed he had his penis out and was trying to rub it up against her.
Instead of doing what a lot of women would do and just walk (or run) away, she called him out, loudly, and recruited the other passengers in the car to make sure he didn't leave until the police could be called.
In the ensuing minutes every single passenger with a camera phone was taking video of the dumb bastard. One of the videos which made it onto Youtube more than 800,000 hits before it was taken down. The 51-year-old Queens man, was sentenced to four months in jail for forcible touching. But the best part is that the woman was awarded a diamond necklace from the Professional Women of Westchester organization for standing up to the pervert.
A LITTLE LAUGH
We were eating at one of the trendier restaurants in town when my friend pointed to the menu and told the waitress, "I'll have the 24."
"Uh, Jim," I whispered, "that's the price, not the meal number."
"Oh," he said. "In that case give me the 12."
FOUND ON ‘YOU TUBE’
It says Top 20 Christmas Songs of All Time but is talking about pop culture—still some memories!
DAYBOOK INFORMATION
♦ THIS WEEK ♦
14-28: Halcyon Days: The seven days where there are no winter storms
16-24: Posadas:
17-23: Saturnalia
19-25: Gluten-free Baking Week
♦ TODAY IS… ♦
Oatmeal Muffin Day
Day for South-South Cooperation (since 2003) Developing Nations promoting and implementing technical cooperation
Goa: Liberation day (1961 when Nehru defeated Portuguese in Goa )
Hawaii: Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop's Birthday (1831-last surviving heir of King Kamehameha I
♫ Academy Awards Best Original Song ♫
Click on Song Title to see and hear
1980 "Fame" — Fame
Note: Never realized that this may have been the beginning of all those currently popular ‘impromptu mall happenings’
♦Today’s Births♦
ARTS
Lil’ Jimmy Dickens, 90, country singer (Grand Ole Opry)
1885 F S Flint translator/poet (imagist movement)
1901 Oliver [Hazard Perry] La Farge anthropologist/novelist (Laughing Boy)
1940 - Phil Ochs folk singer, songwriter
1944 - Zal Yanovsky musician: guitar, singer: group: The Lovin’ Spoonful: Do You Believe in Magic
► ◄ Actors
Jennifer Beals, 47, actress (“The L Word,” Flashdance)
Jake Gyllenhaal, 30, actor (Brokeback Mountain, Jarhead, Donnie Darko)
Alyssa Milano, 38, actress (“Charmed,” “Melrose Place”)
Tim Reid, 66, actor (“Frank’s Place,” “WKRP in Cincinnati”)
Cicely Tyson, 71, actress (Emmy for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman; Sounder)
1946 Robert Urich actor: Spenser: for Hire
ATHLETICS
Kevin Edward McHale, 53, Hall of Fame basketball (Celtics)
1961 Reggie White football: Green Bay Packers DE
BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1849 Henry Clay Frick built world's largest coke & steel operation
1894 Yoshida Isoya architect (modern sukiya style)
1836 Maria L Sanford pioneer educator (PTA)
1920 David Susskind TV host (Open End, David Susskind Show)
POLITICS
1906 Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev 1st Secretary of the Community Party/President of the USSR (1964-82)
1926 Jeanne Kirkpatrick US ambassador to UN
SCIENCE & RELIGION
Richard E. Leakey, 66, anthropologist
♦Today’s Obituaries♦
Alois Alzheimer German neurologist (first described Alzheimer's Disease), heart failure @ 51 in 1915
Michael Clarke drummer (Byrds), liver failure @ 49 in 1993
Mel Fisher underwater treasure hunter / film maker, bladder cancer @ 76 in 1998
Masaru Ibuka co-founder (Sony Corp), @ 89 in 1997
Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni actor (8½, Assassin, Family Diary), pancreatic canter @ 72 in 1996
Raymond Massey actor (Dr Gillespie-Dr Kildaire), @ 87 in 1983
Robert A Millikan US physicist (Nobel 1923), heart attack @ 85 in 1953
Norman Thomas founder (ACLU)/Socialist Party (1926-55), @ 84 in 1968
♦Today’s Events♦
ARTS
1957 Meredith Willson’s The Music Man begins 1375 show run: Majestic Theatre NYC.
1971 CBS airs "Homecoming - A Christmas Story" (introducing the Waltons)
1971 Stanley Kubrick's X-rated "A Clockwork Orange" premieres
ATHLETICS
1987 Gari Kasparov becomes world chess champion
BUSINESS & EDUCATION
1854 Allen Wilson of Connecticut patents sewing machine to sew curving seams
1871 Albert L Jones (New York NY), patents corrugated paper
1918 Robert Ripley began his "Believe It or Not" column (New York Globe)
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1675 Narragansetts under Chief Canonchet battle with Plymouth Governor Josiah Winslow with 970 men from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Plymouth. Statistics of the fight are: colonists lose 70-80 men, 150 wounded, Indians lose 600 dead, half of them warriors.
1813 A combined force of Indians warriors and British soldiers will attack, and capture Fort Niagara, in New York. The American defenders will sustain 60 fatalities and 350 will be captured. Later, the victorious Indians would also capture nearby Lewiston.
POLITICS (US)
1776 Thomas Paine published his 1st "American Crisis" essay, in which he wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls"
1777 Washington settles his troops at Valley Forge PA for the winter
1795 1st state appropriation of money for road building, Kentucky
1823 Georgia passes 1st US state birth registration law
1941 US Office of Censorship created to control info pertaining to WWII
POLITICS (International)
1788 Chinese troops occupy capital Thang Long Vietnam
1950 General Eisenhower named NATO commander
1950 Tibet's Dalai Lama flees Chinese invasion
SCIENCE & RELIGION
1891 1st Negro Catholic priest ordained in US, Charles Uncles, Baltimore
1928 1st autogiro (predecessor of helicopter) flight in US
1949 Luxury passenger ship Aquitania demolished in Garelock Scotland
1958 1st radio broadcast from space (recorded Christmas message by President Eisenhower: "To all mankind, America's wish for Peace on Earth & Good Will to Men Everywhere")
1972 Apollo 17 (last of Apollo Moon landing series) returns to Earth
2000 A volcano outside Mexico City spewed a fiery fountain of ash and rock in its most spectacular eruption in more than a millennium.
ANSWERS
∞ JEOPARDY
∞This encyclopedia originated as part of the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century
What is Encyclopedia Britannica?
∞The girls who were part of "The Group", by Mary McCarthy, attended this college
What is Vassar?
∞As James Jones could tell you, this completes Kipling's line from "Gentlemen-Rankers", "Damned from..."
What is ‘Here to Eternity’?
∞Her poem "I Never Saw A Moor" didn't refer to her missing a production of "Othello"
Who was Emily Dickinson?
∞Among his "Mosses From An Old Manse" is "Rappachini's Daughter"
Who is Nathaniel Hawthorne?
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