15 Dec

 

 

Flag Today  56°/19°   Week 50  Day 350 Air Quality: Fair Mostly Cloudy  Sunshine Wind 2 mph Gusts 10 mph  Light Breeze Active Fire: 132 miles away Risk of fire: Moderate Nearest Lightning: 2447 miles away Dec. Averages: Temps: 45°\18° Moisture:  5 Days

Weekly Observations

14-1/5/25 Christmas Bird Count Week Link  14-28 Halcyon Days: 14-28 (Always 7 days before and 7 days after the Winter Solstice)

4-24 Andisop (Meteorological Fiddling) Link 9-15 Computer Science Education Week Link ( Always week with 12/9. Birthday of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper.) 10-17 Human Rights Week

Daily Observations

Bill of Rights Day Cat Herders Day  Link  Link National Lemon Cupcake Day

National Cupcake Day  National Wear Your Pearls Day Zamenhof Day (Esperato Literature Day) Link

Today’s Seasonal Quote                                                                

 

Today’s Meme

 

Thoughts for the day

It’s cloudy but no moisture in the forecast.

The NJ/NY Drone sightings remain a mystery. Feds say it is nothing, locals are getting spooked. All in all, it is just weird.

I have FEP Blue Cross and Medicare. Overall, I’m satisfied with my coverage. I wish it had better dental. Medicare helps but has lots of hoops everyone must jump through. It is hard to jump when you are not feeling well.

One thing I learned while working for the Feds…bureaucracy seems to always grow and never seems to get easier. I could go for a change that makes the bureaucracy run smoother for its employees and the citizens of the US.

Trivia Time

 

Christmas Traditions

 Waiting for Befana the witch

In Italian folklore, Befana is an old woman who delivers gifts to children on the night of January 5. Befana visits on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany to fill good kids’ socks with candy and presents. The naughty kids are gifted with a lump of coal or black rock candy.

Random Thoughts…

TV Quotes… “The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat” (Jim McKay) on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

A group of Insects is called a Horde or Nest or Swarm or Rabble or Plague.

Phones have an asterisk and pound sign because when Bell Labs designed the first touch-tone phone, their system had two tones that were not assigned values. So, they threw in * and #.

Although Mercury is closest to the sun, it is not the hottest planet in our solar system. Venus is hotter due to its atmosphere trapping the heat.

Ancient Roman Life

Ancient Meals and Methods

Ancient Roman cuisine was a mix of cereals, vegetables, fruits, and legumes tailored to societal status. Commoners mainly consumed staples like bread, beans, lentils, peas, and vegetables. Meat, a luxury for the wealthy, included hares, snails, and birds, with beef less favored. Seafood was diverse, reflecting Rome’s expansion and trade. Cooking primarily involved boiling and frying, particularly in olive oil, with sauces and spices enhancing flavors. Garum, a fermented fish sauce, was particularly popular.

Historic Events

Dec 15 History

Birthdays

Ronnie Radke, 41 Rock Singer Adam Brody, 45  TV Actor Daniel Ezra, 33 TV Actor Charlie Cox, 42 Movie Actor Don Johnson, 75 TV Actor Dave Clark, 85,English drummer

@91 – Alexandre Gustav 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) @43 – Alan Freed, American radio host (d. 1965; cirrhosis)   @30 – Nero, Roman emperor (d. 68; suicide?)

…The End for today…