ON THIS DAY

In 1775, the colonists organized a Continental Navy fleet. It was a cool thing to do, as long as you didn't end up being one of the rowers.

On this date in 1807, Congress passed the Embargo Act, which cut off all trade with Europe. Not to be confused with the Escargo Act, which resulted in a line of salt being drawn around the entire U.S.

In 1864 during the Civil War, Union General William T. Sherman sent a message to President Lincoln from Georgia, saying, "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah."
  • Of course, the toughest part was finding that much wrapping paper. 
  • Lincoln responded with, "Do you have anything smaller? You know, like theater tickets? 
  • Talk about taking a chance! How awkward would that one have been to exchange. 

On this date in 1882, Ed Johnson switched on the first Christmas Tree with electric lights in his home in New York City. So blame him.
  • Ed also had the privilege of discovering that when one goes out, the rest don't stay lit. 
  • The cork-popping sound that followed was from down at the electric company. 
  • It was a beautiful, beautiful site... for 17-seconds until the first bulb burned out. 
  • Next time you're way up on that ladder and looking for someone to curse, think fondly of Ed. 
  • Several hours later, after figuring out which bulbs were burned out, the lights came on! 

On this date in 1982, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco was closed for two hours due to a severe storm and high winds. On that same day, Tony Bennett's heart was blown from San Francisco over to Oakland.

In 1989, Romania's hard-line president, Nicolae Ceausescu, was toppled from power in a popular uprising. Those tend to be much more effective than unpopular uprisings.



TODAY IS

Meghan Trainor is all about that bass and 24 today.

Actress and writer Heather Donahue turns 43 today. She gave us "The Blair Witch Project" and refuses to take it back. She didn't really die in that movie. However, her career did.

Ralph Fiennes turns 55 today. He spells it Ralph Fee-enus but it's Ray Fines. He was "Old No Nose Guy" -- Voldemort -- in the Harry Potter movies and the latest "M" in the bond movies.

Luther Campbell of '2 Live Crew' turns 57 today. (BEEP)-in' birthday to you, (BEEP)-in' birthday to you.

First Full Day Of Winter -- The National Energy Commission says to winterize your home this winter make sure you check for air leaks, check your insulation & weather stripping and don't forget to check your heating system. That's great advice for most of the country, but what about those warmer climates like Southern California and Florida? 

Make sure you have enough SPF-30 handy for those "brrrr" 75 degree sunny days.
A supply of clean, long sleeve t-shirts for those chilly winter days.
Keep your lawnmower sharpened... that "dead, dormant" lawn will still need to be mowed twice a month.
Fuzzy head covers to keep your driver and 3-wood warm during those frigid 65-degree days on the golf course.
Charcoal, cold beers and blue & gold board shorts to wear at those NFL tailgate parties.
Ladies, you may have to drop the hem an inch or so on your mini-skirts to stay warmer at those outdoor happy hours.
Make sure your strappy sandals straps are at least 3/8" wide. You'll need the extra "warm" toe-coverage when partying on Saturday nights, and those 5-inch stilettos may need to come down to 4-inches... with the occasional sprinkle you won't want to slip and fall on those treacherous sidewalks.
And most importantly... try to locate the extra sheet for your bed to keep "toasty warm" at night.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fall Book Discussion and Movie Series

Book discussion group to meet

City Page Survey