Dec 17

 

‘Tis the Season

FYI: Any Green text is a link. Click to check it out!

Dec 17, 2020  Week: 51 Day: 352	Local:  H 46°\ L 21°\Average Sky Cover: 5%
Wind:   6mph\Gusts:  9mph	Nearest lightning:  1507mi.; Active fire:  59mi
Moderate Risk of Fire	Visibility:  10mi
Record: 65°[`1980]   Record: -14°[1928]	Nov Averages: 44°/\17° (5 days with moisture)

 

Today’s  Quote

Mystery creates wonder and wonder

is the basis of man's desire to understand.

Neil Armstrong

 

Random Tidbits

Despite their incredibly scary reputation, it turns out that tarantulas have a bite that is about as painful and as venomous as a bee sting. And according to Burke Museum, "None of the North American species or those commonly kept as pets are considered to pose even a mild bite hazard."  

 

A little humor

 

Q: Why was baby Superman the only kid at the playground? The sign said SUPERVISION REQUIRED.

According to this BMI chart I am too short

 

 

True Things

The father of a Wisconsin woman hurriedly reported to authorities in late November that she sent him a text saying she was being stabbed. The Winnebago County dispatch center contacted Menasha police, and eight officers were sent to the woman's apartment. But there was one little problem.

"He indicated that his daughter was being stabbed, possibly by a live-in boyfriend. He provided an address to check on," said Officer Nick Oleszak. "Meanwhile, we tried to call her dad back and tried to reach his daughter, but were unable to reach her."

Officers were positioned outside the apartment, when - to everyone's surprise - the woman showed up. It turned out that she hadn't been stabbed after all. She wasn't feeling well and went to a clinic in Neenah to be tested for COVID-19. She sent a text to her dad to let him know she was being swabbed.

But she sent it without noticing that autocorrect changed "swabbed" to "stabbed."

"She said she was fine and it was all a misunderstanding," Oleszak said. Oleszak said the woman apparently saw the text message while she was at the clinic and learned that police were outside the apartment.

 

Observations This Week

Human Rights Week:…………………………………..	10-17
Gluten-free Baking Week:……………………………	12-18
Cookie Exchange Week:………………………………	13-17
Christmas Bird Count Week Link…………………	14-1/5
Halcyon Days……………………………………………..	14-28
Posadas……………………………………………………..	16-24
Saturnalia…Roman Festival for Saturn……….	17-23

 

 

Observations for Today

A Christmas Carol Day (Story) [1843]
Clean Air Day
National Maple Syrup Day

National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day Link 
Underdog Day 
Wright Brothers Day

National Maple Syrup Day

 

My Rambling Thoughts

Midweek and still chilly. No complaints.

I made a quick run to Sam’s to pick up a few things I need before leaving for Christmas. Happily, I found a favorite…Claxton Fruit Cake. It comes in logs and is mostly fruit. It has been a couple of years since I’ve seen it. Happy camper.

All those storms in the Northeast may slow the vaccine to them. Hoping it does not affect my sisters-in-law’s sister and her hubby in their trip to Mexico.

Good news from Tuba City…the hospital has received 650 doses to begin vaccinating Health workers. More is on the way.

I was all for the first round of PPP for small business. I did not expect it to be so abused. Joel Osteen’s mega-church got $4.4million…what about separation of church and state? He was not alone. More than 1000 churches in Texas got a combined millions. This is the first time in American History that any religious group got direct financial assistance from the Federal government. Also, over 120 Foundations linked to the wealthiest Americans got millions in PPP funds. The House is claiming that such issues have been addressed in the second-round proposals. I’ll just wait and see. 

 

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of the page

You do not want to have it. But when you do have it, you do not want to lose it.  What is it?

 

Historical Events

497 BC – The first Saturnalia festival was celebrated in ancient Rome.

1538 – Pope Paul III excommunicated England’s Henry VIII.

1790 – The Aztec Stone (‘Sun Stone’) was excavated in the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City. It is about 12 feet across and weighs about 24 tons.

1835 – The Great Fire of New York took place in New York City in 1835, destroying hundreds of buildings and killing two people.

1843 – Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol novella was published by Chapman and Hall. It is one of the most well-known books and stories of all time.

1865 – First performance of the Unfinished Symphony by Franz Schubert.

1880 -The Edison Electric Illuminating Company was incorporated to provide electric light to New York City.

1892 – First issue of Vogue magazine was published.

1903 – Orville piloted the gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane he made with his brother Wilbur, which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its inaugural flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

1933 – The Chicago Bears beat the New York Giants 23-21 in the first NFL Championship game.

1957 – The United States successfully launched the first (Atlas) InterContinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

1969 – Tiny Tim married Miss Vicky (Victoria May Budinger) on The Tonight Show.

1979 – The first rocket automobile vehicle to break the sound barrier on land was driven by Stan Barrett who reached 739.7 mph (speed of sound: 761.2) on a 3-mile test-strip at Rogers Lake, Edwards Air Force Base, CA.

1989 – The Simpsons television series first premiered on television with the episode “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”.

2000 – In addition to a 17-0 victory by the San Francisco 49ers over the Chicago Bears, San Francisco’s wide receiver Terrell Owens set a new NFL record of 20 catches in a single game.

2011 – Kim Jong Il, ‘Beloved, Brilliant, Perfect, Wise, Unique and Dear’ Leader and Father of the People of North Korea, Died. He was also referred to as the Superior Person, Sun of the Communist Future, and The Shining Star of Paektu Mountain. #RIP

2014 – The United States and Cuba re-established diplomatic relations.

2017 Set of ink-brush paintings by Qi Baishi sells at auction for 931.5m yuan ($US140m) in Bejing, a record for Chinese paintings

2019 Australia has its hottest day ever with average temperature of 40.9C [120F] across the country

 

Birthdays Today

@84 – Arthur Fiedler, American conductor (d. 1979)

@54 – Burt Baskin, co-founded Baskin-Robbins (d. 1967; heart attack)

84 – Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio), Argentinian priest, elected Pope on March 13, 2013

45 – Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress

42 -- Manny Pacquiao, Philippine boxer

 

Puzzle Answer

A lawsuit.

Enjoy the Holiday