The Light Going Off

"How could you do that?" Craig, a friend of #1 Son, was yelling into his phone.

As he kept up the conversation, from what i could hear, he was not very happy with his brother.

Finally, he hung up and looked at me.  "My brother," he said, "is a lot like a black light.  It glows, is sometimes fun to have around, but it's not too bright and mostly useless!"

Knowing his brother, that's about correct.

Speaking of light, how many baby sitters does it take to change a light bulb?  None, they don't make diapers small enough.

It's supposed to be back to work for me today, and i hope at least some of the children are feeling better.


Today is:

Ides of November -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also
     Epulum Iovis -- Festival of Feronia, Juno, Minerva, and Jupiter
     Fortuna Primigenia -- Fortune of the Firstborn

Lhabab Duechen -- Buddhism (Descending Day of Lord Buddha)
     a public holiday in Bhutan

National Indian Pudding Day

National Reread Old Letters and Magazines Day -- internet generated sentimentality

Runic Half Month Nyd begins (necessity)

St. Brice of Tours' Day (Patron against stomach diseases)

St. Homobonus' Day (Patron of business people, cloth workers/garment workers/tailors, cobblers/shoemakers, merchants)

St. Stanislaus Kostka's Day (Patron of aspirants to the Oblates of Saint Joseph, last sacraments; against broken bones)

Tooth Collection Days begin -- Fairy Calendar

World Kindness Day -- promoting a more compassionate world, on the anniversary of the first  World Kindness Movement® conference  (www.randomactsofkindness.org  http://www.kindness.com.au/)
     Kindness Day UK -- http://www.kindnessuk.com/


Anniversaries Today:

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated, 1982
The Holland Tunnel opens, 1927


Birthdays Today:

Monique Coleman, 1980
Gerard Butler, 1969
Steve Zahn, 1968
Tracy Scoggins, 1959
Jimmy Kimmel, 1967
Vinny Testaverde, 1963
Chris Nth, 1957
Whoopi Goldberg, 1955
Chris Noth, 1954
Shella E. Frazier, 1948
Joe Mantegna, 1947
Jean Seberg, 1938
Gary Marshall, 1934
Madeleine Sherwood, 1922
Oskar Werner, 1922
Nathaniel Benchley, 1915
Louis Brandeis, 1856
Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850
Edwin Thomas Booth, 1833
James Clerk Maxwell, 1831
Edward John Trelawney, 1792


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Lion King"(Play), 1997
"As the Girls Go"(Musical), 1948
Fantasia(Disney animated film), 1940
"Grand Hotel"(Drake play), 1930


Today in History:

English king Æthelred II orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St. Brice's Day massacre, 1002
Lady Jane Grey and Bishop Cranmer are accused of high treason, 1553
Patriot revolutionary forces under Col. Ethan Allen attack Montreal, Quebec, defended by British General Guy Carleton, 1775
Benjamin Franklin says, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” 1789
The first US anti-slavery party, the Liberty Party, convenes in New York, 1839
James Braid first sees a demonstration of animal magnetism, which leads him to study the subject and come up with what he later calls hypnosis, 1841
The Denny Party arrives at Alki Point, becoming the first settlers of what would become Seattle, Washington, 1851
The first shipment of canned pineapple leaves Hawai'i, 1895
French cyclist Paul Cornu flies the first helicopter, 1907
Russia completes development of the AK-47, one of the first proper assault rifles, 1947
A 150-mph tropical cyclone hits the densely populated Ganges Delta region of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), killing an estimated 500,000 people in one night. This is regarded as the 20th century's worst natural disaster, 1970
The Double Eagle V becomes the first hot air balloon to make it across the Pacific Ocean, 1981
Xavier Suarez is sworn in as Miami, Florida's first Cuban-born mayor, 1985
The High Court of Australia rules in Dietrich v The Queen that although there is no absolute right to have publicly funded counsel, in most circumstances a judge should grant any request for an adjournment or stay when an accused is unrepresented, 1992
In a referendum voters in Sweden decide to join the European Union, 1994
NASA announces that water has been discovered on the moon, 2009