FYI: Any blue
text is a link. Click to check it out!
‡‡‡‡
12.22.16 Week: 51 \ Day: 357
December Averages: 44°\17°
86004 Today: H 60° \
L 31° Average Sky Cover: 75%
Wind ave: 6mph\Gusts: 14mph Visibility: 10 mi
Record High: 64°[1901] Record Low: -16°[1968]
‡‡‡‡
Quote of the Day
People may hear
your words, but they feel your attitude.
~John C. Maxwell
‡‡‡‡
Observances Today
Be A Lover of Silence Day
National
Haiku Poetry Day
‡‡‡‡
Observances This Week
14-1/5 Christmas
Bird Count Week Link
14-28 Halcyon
Days (Always 7 days before and 7 days after the Winter Solstice)
16-24 Las Posadas
(Mexico 12/16-24)
17-23 Saturnalia: ancient Roman festival honoring Saturn, God
of Agriculture
18-24 Gluten-free
Baking Week Link
‡‡‡‡
Today’s Significant US Historical Events
▼ Today’s Significant
International Historical Events
▼1689 Heavy
earthquake strikes Innsbruck
1772 Moravian missionary constructs 1st schoolhouse
west of Allegheny
1775 Continental navy organized with 7 ships
▼1790 Supposedly
impenetrable Turkish fortress of Izmail stormed and captured by Suvorov and his
Russian armies during the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792)
1807 US Congress passes Embargo Act, prohibiting
American ships from trading in all foreign ports, as a result of involvement in
hostilities between France and Britain.
▼1814 Samuel
Marsden of the Church Missionary Society arrives in the Bay of Islands, New
Zealand to establish the country's first mission station; Sheep, cattle, horses
and poultry are introduced
▼1849 The
execution of Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky is called off at the last second
1877 "American Bicycling Journal" begins
publishing (Boston, Mass)
1882 1st
string of Christmas tree lights created by Thomas Edison
1894 United States Golf Association forms (NYC)
▼1894 French
officer Alfred Dreyfus court-martialed for treason, triggers worldwide charges
of anti-Semitism (Dreyfus later vindicated)
1932 "The Mummy" directed by Karl Freund
and starring Boris Karloff is released in the US - 1st Mummy horror film
1937 Lincoln Tunnel (NYC) opens to traffic
▼1942 World
War II: Adolf Hitler signs the order to develop the V-2 rocket as a
weapon.
1943 Manufacturers get permission to use synthetic
rubber for baseball core
▼1956 Last
British & French troops leave Egypt
1958 "Chipmunk Song" reaches #1
1962 1,000,000th NBA point scored
1963 Official 30-day mourning period for President John
F. Kennedy ends
1964 Comedian Lenny Bruce is convicted of
obscenity.
1965 "Doctor Zhivago" based on the novel
by Boris Pasternak, directed by David Lean and starring Omar
Sharif and Julie Christie premieres in NYC
1969 Pete Marovich sets NCAA record of hitting 30
of 31 foul shots
▼1971 UN
General Assembly ratifies former Austrian President Kurt Waldheim as
Secretary-General
▼1973 OPEC
Gulf Six decides to raise the posted price of marker crude from $5.12 to $11.65
per barrel effective January 1, 1974
1975 US President Gerald Ford signs the
Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA)
1980 US President-elect Ronald Reagan appoints
J Kirkpatrick (UN) & James Watt (Interior)
1984 Madonna's
"Like a Virgin" single goes #1 for 6 weeks
1989 Cold
wave: -4°F in Oklahoma City, -6°F in Tulsa, -12°F in Pitts, -18°F in Denver,
-23°F in KC Mo, -42°F in Scottsbluff Nebraska -47°F in Hardin Mont & -60°F
in Black Hills South Dakota
▼1990 Lech
Walesa sworn in as Poland's 1st popularly elected president
▼1997
Acteal massacre: Attendees at a prayer meeting of Roman Catholic activists for
indigenous causes in the small village of Acteal in the Mexican state of
Chiapas are massacred by paramilitary forces.
▼2006 Australian
archaeologist Sue O'Connor finds first evidence of modern humans in Jerimalai
cave, near Lene Hara cave in East Timor
2010 Repeal
of the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, 17-year-old policy banning homosexuals
serving openly in the US military, signed into law by President Barack
Obama
‡‡‡‡
My Rambling Thoughts
And
the beat goes on…last night I got a phone call from the Franchise Board in CA,
regarding my supposed taxes I owe. Got some information, but they would not
mail it to me. Huh? Went to H&R Block with the new information. They are
now investigating. What a long and frustrating process…I’ve been dealing with
this since mid-Sept. and still have no answers…only more questions. I’m sure I
will eventually prevail.
Finished
up my necessary Christmas shopping and will be packing tomorrow. I had been
using a very old…like 10 years old… suitcase and after my last trip both of the
wheels didn’t make the whole trip. Tossed it, but didn’t buy a new one. I still
have a couple of duffle bag type bags I used on my African Safaris and decided
I would be using that at Christmas. Then I was at Marshall’s yesterday and saw
a nice big bag with a 10 year warranty for a mere $70. The tag said the price was $250 and since I
have been looking around, that seemed about right. So now I have a new green
bag for my trip. Hopefully it will actually stay together for my international
travel.
Taking
a break from this posting until after Christmas. Happy holidays to all and hope
you are able to spend it with friends and/or family.
‡‡‡‡
Brain Teasers
(answers
at the end of post)
What's
in a Name? 2
Some
people's names (such as "Will Power") suggest a certain personality
or career choice. Given below are some last names and professions (in no
particular order). For each last name, your task is to think of a common first
name, such that it suggests one of the given professions. Each last name and
profession must be used just once.
Example: Sonny Day would suggest a meteorologist.
Last Names: Burr, Lee, Oakey, Poole, Schauer, Shaw
Professions: Biologist, Cabdriver, Farmer, Lumberjack, Meteorologist, Singer
‡‡‡‡
Today’s Trivia Hive
(answers
at the end of post)
Who
is the artist behind the famous painting of "Dogs Playing Poker"?
‡‡‡‡
…Harper’s Index…
1/2→Portion of US teenagers who thing they are addicted
to their mobile devices
‡‡‡‡
2 jokes for the day
At
the vending machine, a man put in his coins and watched powerlessly while the
cup failed to appear. One nozzle sent coffee down the drain while another
poured cream after it.
“Now that’s real automation!" he exclaimed. “It even drinks for you."
‡‡‡‡
A
little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. As her dad donned his
tuxedo she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn’t wear that suit.”
“And why not, darling?” he asked.
“You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning.”
‡‡‡‡
Yep, It Really Happened
*-
Florida woman sells Positive Pregnancy Tests -*
A
Florida woman said she is paying her way through college by selling her
positive pregnancy tests and urine on Craigslist. The ad on the
Jacksonville-area Craigslist page offers "positive pregnancy tests or
urine" in an "absolutely no questions asked type of deal." The
woman, who is three months pregnant, is selling the positive tests or urine for
$30 each, but the Craigslist post says customers traveling more than 60 miles
can get two positive tests for $35. The post reads: "Very self explanatory
I am 3 months and I am providing a product in which the consumer is able to
purchase positive pregnancy tests or urine for your own use. Whether you are
using it for your own amusement such as a prank, or to blackmail the ceo of
where ever who you are having an affair with I DONT CARE AT ALL this is an
absolutely no questions asked type of deal tell me what you need I provide it
for monetary exchange." The woman said she using the money to fund her
college education.
‡‡‡‡
Somewhat Useless Information
The
whole reason we have seasons is because the Earth rotates on a tilted axis
around the sun. But even though the solstice is the shortest day of the year,
the coldest week of winter usually takes place the third or fourth week of January.
That's because the planet is so big, it takes several weeks to fully react to
the loss of daylight.
***
The
solstice is considered astronomical winter. Meteorological winter is a three
month period that runs from December 1st to the end of February. It is the
coldest three month period of the year in the northern hemisphere.
***
Today
the sun is at its lowest point in the sky at noon. If you look at the distance
of the sun above the horizon at solar noon, or 11:42 a.m., it will only be 24.2
degrees above the horizon - that is as high as it gets all day. That is
comparable with about 7:30 a.m. on the first day of summer.
***
We
have lost a lot of daylight since the first day of astronomical summer back in
June - six hours of it. The speed at which we gain and lose daylight increases
towards the equinoxes, and then slows down at the solstices.
***
There
is only around nine hours of possible daylight this time of year. We will only
gain a few seconds of it each day for the rest of the week. But we will be
gaining a minute a day by the end of January's first week, and two minutes a
day by the fourth week.
***
Stonehenge,
the prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire, is carefully aligned on a
sight-line that points to the winter solstice sunset. Archaeologists believe it
was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC and it is thought that the winter
solstice was actually more important to the people who constructed Stonehenge
than the Summer solstice.
‡‡‡‡
Origin of Some Christmas Traditions
Wreaths
Since
classical antiquity, the wreath has been used as a symbol of power and
strength. In Rome and Greece, kings and emperors often wore laurel wreathes as
crowns – a practice they themselves borrowed from the Etruscans, who predated
them. The Greeks and the Romans connected the laurel wreath to their sun god,
Apollo, and considered the crown to embody his values.
Harvest
wreathes – the predecessors to our modern decorations – were used in rituals
for good harvests, and predate even written history. Ancient European animists
often used evergreen in their wreathes to symbolize strength and fortitude, as
an evergreen will live through even the harshest of winters. As for the
connection to Christianity, since wreathes symbolized tenacity and everlasting
life, they were often used in funerals of important people, specifically in the
burials of saints and martyrs.
Christmas
Tree
The
modern Christmas tree differs greatly from its roots; today, we decorate an
everlasting, artificial construct with bright lights and dazzling ornaments,
while traditionally, the tree was of course, real and more importantly,
decorated with edibles such as apples and nuts. The tradition, as with that of
the wreath, started with the elements symbolized by evergreens in pre-Christian
winter festivals: immortality and fortitude.
The
evergreen was also known to have represented the same values to a variety of
cultures, including the Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. The worship of trees
was also very common in European druidism and paganism. In Christian tradition,
trees were often put up in December to serve the dual purpose of warding off
the devil and allowing a perch for whatever birds still remained. Evergreen
trees decorated with apples and wafers were also used in Christmas Eve plays
during the Middle Ages to represent the tree from which Adam and Eve at the
forbidden fruit. As for decoration, the first evidence for decorated Christmas
trees comes from German craftsman guilds during the Renaissance. After the
Protestant Reformation, trees enjoyed a surge of popularity among Protestant
households as counterparts to the Catholic nativity scene.
Caroling
Christmas
carols grew out of the first Christmas hymns, which developed in 4th century
Rome. While these Latin hymns were sung in church for generations, the first
true carols developed in France, Germany, and Italy in the 13th century. These
carols, written in the vernacular language of the area they were composed, were
enthusiastically sung at community events and festivals. They were not composed
specifically as Christmas carols, but rather as conglomerate holiday songs that
were sung at many separate festivals and celebrations.
Later
on, the songs would become associated primarily with Christmas and sung in
numerous churches. Carols in Protestant churches were much more numerous, since
the Protestant movement encouraged the arts, especially music. The modern practice
of going door-to-door caroling likely has something to do with the root word
for carol, “carole” or “carula” which both mean a circular dance. The practice
may have developed out of the public ceremonies that created the first carols.
‡‡‡‡
Birthdays Today
§→ indicates age at death
§96→ Connie Mack [McGillicuddy], East
Brookfield, Massachusetts, HOF baseball executive/manager (Philadelphia A's
1900-1950), (d. 1956)
§94→ Barbara Billingsley, American actress (Leave it to
Beaver), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2010)
§88→ James Oglethorpe, England, General/author/colonizer
(Georgia)[d1785]
§81→ Doris Duke, heiress (American Tobacco Co), born in
NYC, New York [d1993]
§81→ Gene Rayburn, Christopher Ill, TV game show host
(Match Game) [d1999]
§81→ Larry Stevenson [Richard], skateboard innovator
(kicktail), born in Santa Monica, California (d. 2012)
§80→ Frank Kellogg, US Secretary of
State (1925-29), tried to outlaw war (Nobel 1929), born in Potsdam, New York
(d. 1937)
80- Hector Elizondo,
actor (American Gigolo, Young Doctors in Love), born in NYC
71- Diane Sawyer,
Glasgow Ky, newscaster (60 Minutes, ABC Prime Time)
§65→ Giacomo Puccini, Lucca Italy
opera composer (La bohème, Tosca, Madame Butterfly), (d. 1924)
§62→ Robin Gibb, Douglas Isle of
Man, rocker (Bee Gees-Saturday Night Fever), (d. 2012)
54- Ralph Fiennes,
English actor (Schindler's List, The English Patient), born in Ipswich, Suffolk
§53→ Maurice Gibb, Douglas Isle of
Man, rocker (Bee Gees-Saturday Night Fever) [d2003]
46- [Rafael Edward]
Ted Cruz, US Politician (Senate-R-Texas 2013-), born in Calgary. Alberta
§36→ Wiley Post, Texas, aviation pioneer [d1935]
27- Jordin Sparks,
American singer and American Idol winner, born in Phoenix, Arizona
‡‡‡‡
Historical Obits Today
@83-1989 Samuel Beckett, Irish/French
writer (Molloy, Nobel 1969)
@78-1997 John Pinkerton,
English computer scientist who designed the first business computer in England,
the LEO computer
@77-1979 Darryl F Zanuck,
film producer (20th Century Fox), jaw cancer
@77-1943 Beatrix Potter, English
children's writer and illustrator ("The Tale of Peter Rabbit") pneumonia
@76-1993 Don DeFore, actor
(George Baxter-Hazel), cardiac arrest
@70-2014 Joe Cocker, English rock
musician (With a Little Help from My Friends), lung cancer
@61-1828 Rachel Jackson,
wife of 7th US President Andrew Jackson, heart attack
‡‡‡‡
Brain Teasers Answers
Brock
Lee - Farmer (broccoli)
Gene Poole - Biologist (gene pool)
April Schauer - Meteorologist (April shower)
Rick Shaw - Cabdriver (rickshaw)
Tim Burr - Lumberjack (timber)
Carrie Oakey - Singer (karaoke)
‡‡‡‡
Trivia Hive
Answers
C.M.
Coolidge
Actually,
Coolidge produced multiple paintings of dogs playing poker. The one you're
probably thinking of is called "A Friend in Need" and shows a sneaky
pit bull passing an ace to his buddy. Over the years, the paintings became
surprisingly popular and have led to many imitators, as well as paintings of
dogs playing various sports and games. Who knew? Despite this, getting your
pets together to gamble is most likely not a good idea. Source: Mental Floss
‡‡‡‡
Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.
All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with
at least one other source, but I have learned that every site contains mistakes
and sadly once the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is
therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian
calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.
☼☼☼☼…And
That Is All for Now…☼☼☼☼
No comments:
Post a Comment