Nov 25

 

Thanksgiving Week129411

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

Nov 25, 2020  Week: 48 Day: 330	Local:  H 50°\ L 22°\Average Sky Cover: 5%
Wind:   2mph\Gusts:  3mph	Nearest lightning:  500mi.; active fire:  59mi
Low Risk of Fire	Visibility:  10mi
Record: 73°[2017]   Record: -8°[1906]	Nov Averages: 53°\23° (3 days with moisture)

 

Today’s  Quote

I work very hard, and I play very hard.

I'm grateful for life.

And I live it - I believe life loves the liver of it.

I live it.

Maya Angelou

 

Random Tidbits

 The Heintzman Crystal Piano was made in Beijing this 9 foot piano was recently purchased at auction by a private bidder for $3.22 million.

 

A little humor

I remember being able to get up without making sound effects.

 

True Things

An elementary school in France put up a pair of posters outside their fence with an unusual request for parents: Don't throw late students over the closed gate. The Trillade school in Avignon put up signs outside its gate showing a cartoon of a parent sending a small child airborne to get over the fence. The text on the sign asks parents not to throw their children, and instead wait for the gates to be opened again at 10 a.m. or 3 p.m. Principal Sanaa Meziane told La Provence that parents "literally threw their children" over the gate when they arrived to find it closed. Meziane said there were only a few scattered incidents, and no reported injuries, but there were enough tossed children to inspire school officials to take action and post the warnings as a "reminder."

 

Observations This Week

Nat’l Seat Belt Reinforcement Week: 9-29 Link	Church/State Separation Week: 22-28   GERD Awareness Week: 22-28  Link
Nat’l Farm-City Week: 19-26	Nat’l Bible Week: 22-29  Nat’l Family Week: 22-28  Nat’l Game & Puzzle Week: 22-28
InterNat’l Games Week: 21-28	Better Conversation Week: 23-28

 

Observations for Today

Blase'Day

Cake Day

Internat’l Day For the Elimination of Violence Against Women Day

Internat’l Hat Day

Shopping Reminder Day

National “Eat with a Friend” Day

National Jukebox Day

National Parfait Day

National Play With Dad Day

National Tie One On Day

Spitegiving

Tie One On Day

 

My Rambling Thoughts

It has chilled down quite a bit…time to start getting ready for winter.

Better late than never…GSA ascertainment acknowledged. For those who might have forgotten the Hayes-Tiden election in 1876 was not settled until 2 days before the inauguration in March, 1877.

Anyone who has taught in a school knows that many don’t listen. It helps to keep repeating important stuff, hoping they will get it. The same is true about masking up and staying home during the pandemic. I remember my first Thanksgiving without family around. It was difficult for sure. I had friends around and had a nice meal, but it wasn’t the same. The important thing is I survived it. Lots of travelers aren’t listening. Sad as travel numbers increase…that will lead to more infections.

As a former Fed employee, I am happy to see Biden putting government experience into his cabinet and in other positions. My only concern is that many will see this as just an Obama 3^rd term and our country will have a harder time becoming united again. Biden’s greatest challenge, after Covid, is to bring us together to make a better country.

 

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of the page

I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I? 

 

Historical Events

1792 – The Old Farmer’s Almanac first published by Robert B. Thomas. He added “Old” to the title in 1832 because there was so much competition in the Farmer’s Almanac business.

1884 – The patent (#308,422) for the process of evaporated milk was issued to John Meyenberg, of St Louis, Missouri.

1920 – The Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade is the oldest in the US, starting on this date.

1937 – World’s Fair of Paris (Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne – International Exposition dedicated to Art and Technology in Modern Life) closed, with 31.2 million visitors.

1940 – Woody Woodpecker debuted with the release of Walter Lantz’s Knock Knock. He was actually the antagonist to Andy Panda (already established character) in the cartoon.

1963 – John F. Kennedy was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. The flags in Arlington National Cemetery are flown at half-staff from a half-hour before the first funeral until a half-hour after the last funeral each day. Lee Harvey Oswald is buried in Fort Worth, Texas.

1973 – Maximum speed limit was cut to 55 MPH as an energy conservation measure in the US.

1979 – Pat Summerall and John Madden broadcasted an NFL game (Vikings vs Buccaneers) together for the first time.

1984 – Band-Aid which was founded by Bob Geldof to help raise money to assist famine-stricken Ethiopia, recorded the single Do They Know It’s Christmas in a London studio.

2009 – Wikileaks – Information about the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon were distributed online, with more than 500,000 intercepted pager messages, mainly from US officials posted by WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange.

2009 Flooding in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; powerful storm brings 3 years worth of rain in 4 hours, killing over 150 people and sweeping thousands of cars away during Hajj

2014 Protest erupt across US after a decision by Missouri grand jury not to bring charges against a white policeman who shot dead a black teenager…Missouri Governor Jay Nixon orders hundreds more US National Guard troops to the town of Ferguson to prevent a second night of rioting and looting

2015 Pope Francis begins his trip to Africa, visiting Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic

2019 Priceless royal jewelry stolen from Dresden Green Vault, in Germany, from one of Europe's greatest treasure collections

2019 Louis Vuitton (LVMH) buys jeweler Tiffany & Co. for over $16 billion

 

Birthdays Today

@95 – Noel Neill, American actress (Lois Lane), (d. 2016)

@88 – Ricardo Montalbán, Mexican-American actor Kahn on Star Trek, Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island (d. 2009)

@84 – Joe DiMaggio, American baseball player and coach (d. 1999)

@83 – Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American businessman, philanthropist (d.1919)

@73 – Percy Sledge, American singer (d.2015; liver cancer)

76 – Ben Stein, American actor, performer (“Bueller? Bueller?”)

73 – John Larroquette, American actor

@64 – Carrie Nation, American Prohibition activist known for attacking bars with a hatchet, (d. 1911)

60 – Amy Grant, American Singer/Songwriter

49 – Christina Applegate, American actress, singer, dancer, and producer

@38 – John F. Kennedy, Jr, American lawyer and publisher (d. 1999)

 

Puzzle Answer

An echo

Enjoy the Holiday

Nov 24

 

Thanksgiving Week129411

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

Nov 24, 2020  Week: 48 Day: 329	Local:  H 56°\ L 28°\Average Sky Cover: 5%
Wind:   11mph\Gusts:  19mph	Nearest lightning:  1291mi.; active fire:  59mi
Low Risk of Fire	Visibility:  10mi
Record: 69°[2017]   Record: -7°[1902]	Nov Averages: 53°\23° (3 days with moisture)

 

Today’s  Quote

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.

Henry Ward Beecher

 

Random Tidbits

 In the late 90's an underwater search party stumbled across a century old shipwreck containing 2,000 bottles of this French champagne which now sells for $25,000 per bottle.

 

A little humor

When I say, "The other day," I could be referring to any time between yesterday and 15 years ago.

 

True Things

An environmental nonprofit in Florida said a volunteer walking on a beach discovered what seemed to be a macabre scene -- but turned out to be a washed-up store mannequin. Ocean Hour, a Florida nonprofit that organizes beach clean-up events, said a volunteer named Kathleen was walking the beach on the intercoastal side of Perdido Key when she came across what initially seemed to be human body that was missing its head. The nonprofit said another witness on the scene called 911, but Kathleen took a closer look and discovered the barnacle-encrusted form was a headless store mannequin that had apparently spent a good amount of time in the water before washing up on the beach. "We are glad it wasn't a real body," Ocean Hour said in a Facebook post.

 

Observations This Week

Nat’l Seat Belt Reinforcement Week: 9-29 Link	Church/State Separation Week: 22-28   GERD Awareness Week: 22-28  Link
Nat’l Farm-City Week: 19-26	Nat’l Bible Week: 22-29  Nat’l Family Week: 22-28  Nat’l Game & Puzzle Week: 22-28
InterNat’l Games Week: 21-28	Better Conversation Week: 23-28

 

Observations for Today

All Our Uncles are Monkeys Day

Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day

D.B. Cooper Day

Evolution Day

National Sardines Day
Shopping Reminder Day

 

My Rambling Thoughts

My week is starting off windy and cooler. It’s OK, it is fall after all.

I couldn’t watch the game, but glad to see the Broncos have another win.

The National Zoo had a contest to name its newest Panda. Xiang Qi Ji, Little Miracle, is the winner. There is something about Pandas and Polar Bear cubs that are so enjoyable to watch. I remember the twin polar bears at the Denver Zoo.

As a retired Federal employee, I am aware of the importance of language. As a reminder, ‘the apparent winner’ releases the transition funds.

Good news: There are now 3 vaccines almost ready to help with Covid.

After working with many junior high students in my career, I learned that athletics can really help many students, and especially those with discipline issues. I also learned that the coach plays huge role in teaching athletes how to win or lose gracefully. This was true across the sports spectrum, but especially with wrestlers. Many times the rowdy students were drawn to wrestling. Every wrestling coach I worked with had the ability to get them to mature and recognize it was their effort that was important, not if they won or lost a match. A wrestler who gave 100% during the match, was always a winner.

I wish Trump had been a wrestler.

 

Today’s Puzzle

Answer at the bottom of the page

If you drop me, I’m sure to crack, but give me a smile and I’ll always smile back. What am I?

 

Historical Events

1639 – First observation of the transit of Venus by Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree – helped establish the size of our Solar System.

1859 – Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species. A first printing sells for around $100,000 today.

1874 – The patent (#157,124) for barbed wire was issued to Joseph F. Glidden of DeKalb, Illinois.

1877 – Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty was published.

1896 – The first US absentee voting law (voting via mail) was enacted by Vermont.

1903 – The patent (#745,157) for an automobile electric self-starter was issued to Clyde J. Coleman of New York City. Prior to that, they were hand-cranked.

1932 – The FBI Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory (better known as the FBI Crime Lab) officially opened.

1950 – Storm of the Century – A snowstorm, took shape on this date before paralyzing the northeastern United States and the Appalachians the next day, bringing winds up to 100 mph and sub-zero temperatures. 353 people died as a result of the storm.

1954 – Air Force One, the first US Presidential airplane, was christened. It was the third of three C-121 Constellation airplanes, the “Columbine III.”

1953 – An incident where Eisenhower’s aircraft was “Air Force 8610” and an Eastern Airlines plane was “Eastern 8610” created the need to devise a unique call sign.

1962 – The influential British satirical television program That Was the Week That Was was first broadcast.

1964 – For the first time since 1800, residents of Washington, DC were permitted to vote.

1971 – Dan “DB” Cooper parachuted from a Northwest AL 727 with $200,000 in ransom money, somewhere over the Cascade Mountains, possibly over Woodland, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest area. He was never heard from again.

1982 – Orioles’ Cal Ripken was named AL Rookie of Year. In his career, he compiled 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, and 1,695 runs batted in. From May 30, 1982, to September 19, 1998, he played 2632 consecutive games, another MLB record.

1988 – Mystery Science Theater 3000 premiered on KYMA, in Minneapolis, Minnesota

2012 – Gangnam Style became the most viewed youtube video surpassing 808 million views. As of late 2016, it was over 2.6 billion views.

2013 – Iran signed an interim agreement with the P5+1 countries, led by Barak Obama and the United States, limiting its nuclear program in exchange for reduced sanctions.

2019 Data leaked from Chinese high-security Muslim Uighur security camps, housing 1 million people, show systematic brainwashing in western Xinjiang region

2019 Hong Kong pro-democracy candidates overwhelmingly win district council elections in strong rebuke to Hong Kong leaders

 

Birthdays Today

@82 – William F. Buckley, Jr., American publisher, and author, founded the National Review (d. 2008)

79 – Pete Best, Indian-English drummer and songwriter

@66 – Dale Carnegie, American author, educator (d. 1955; Hodgkin's disease)

@65 – Zachary Taylor, American general and politician, 12th President of the United States (d. 1850; dysentery)

@60 – Walter Burley Griffin, American architect, and urban planner, designed Australia’s Canberra (d. 1937; peritonitis)

@48 – Scott Joplin, American pianist, and composer (d. 1917; syphilis)

42 – Katherine Heigl, American actress, and producer

 

Puzzle Answer

A mirror. 

Enjoy the Holiday