Awww Monday: The Real Statistics

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  It's easy to participate, just post a picture that makes everyone say, "Awww!"  After all, we could all use a smile on Monday mornings.

Sunday School at the open air ministry, where Pastor M. preaches to the homeless in a downtown parking lot:

We tuck the children in the back corner, so the parents will feel it's safe to leave them.

The lesson was on Advent, and they made wreaths.  Also, we gave them bags with a Christmas book, a treat, and stickers.  The parents, and all who attended, received bags of oranges and bananas and other foods that don't need cooking.

While i agree with Mark Twain, that the three kinds of lies are lies, damned lies, and statistics, sometimes statistics paint the picture best.  If you don't think there are that many homeless families, the statistics say that the average age of a homeless person in the US is 8 (yes, eight).





Today is:

Battle Day -- Falkland Islands

Be Someone's Pillow While You Watch TV Night -- a good idea, i guess, especially if it is cold

Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) -- Buddhism (especially among Zen Buddhists, and in Japan, a celebration of the Buddha's enlightenment)

CARICOM-Cuba Day

Constitution Day -- Northern Mariana Islands; Romania; Uzbekistan(Konstitutsiya Kuni)

Dia de las Playas -- Uruguay (Day of the Beaches, a/k/a Family Day or Blessing of the Waters Day; official opening day of beach season, marked with a ceremonial blessing by a priest, as well as sailing regattas, horse races, and more)

Dita Kombetare e Rinise -- Albania (National Youth Day)

Feast of the Immaculate Conception -- Roman Catholic Holy Day of Obligation; recognized holiday in Andorra; Argentina; Austria; Chile; Columbia; East Timor; Equatorial Guinea(Patrona de Guinea Ecuatorial); Holy See(Vatican City); Italy; Liechtenstein; Macau; Malta; Monaco; Nicaragua(Fiesta de la Griteria); Paraguay; Peru; Portugal; San Marino; Seychelles; Spain; Switzerland; special observances
     Dia de las Playas -- Uruguay (Day of the Beaches, a/k/a Family Day or Blessing of the Waters Day; official opening day of beach season, marked with a ceremonial blessing by a priest, as well as sailing regattas, horse races, and more)
     Festa da Conceição da Praia -- Salvador da Bahia, Brazil (syncretic celebration of Yemanjá, Queen of the Ocean and the Immaculate Conception)
     Festival of Lights -- Lyon

Festival of Tiberinus -- Ancient Roman Empire (guardian of the Tiber River)

Human Rights and Peace Day -- Kiribati

King Tupou I Day -- Tonga

Mother's Day -- Panama

National Chocolate Brownie Day

National Students' Day -- Bulgaria (studentski praznik)

National Tree Planting Day -- Malawi

Popeye Day -- birth anniversary of his creator, Elzie Crisler Segar

Pretend to Be A Time Traveler Day -- although some sites say this day was actually cancelled in 2015, others suggest dressing up as if you are from a dystopian future and running up to people, asking them what year it is, when they answer say, "Then there's still time!" and dash off.  Just don't get arrested if you try it at home, okay?

Santa Marian Kamelen -- Guam (Our Lady of Camarin Day)

St. Kliment Ohirdski -- Macedonia (St. Clement of Ohrid's Day)

Take It In the Ear Day -- a bizarre and unexplainable internet generated holiday; and by the way, your ENT will tell you not to put anything in your ear that is smaller than your elbow

Virgin de Caacupe -- Paraguay (Nuestra Senora de Caacupe/Our Lady of Miracles of Caacupe, patroness of Paraguay)

Winter Flowers Day -- internet generated, a day to find and enjoy whatever flowers are still blooming right now


Anniversary Today:

American Federation of Labor founded, 1886


Birthdays Today:

Ian Somerhalder, 1978
Dominic Monaghan, 1976
Sinead O'Connor, 1966
Teri Hatcher, 1964
Ann Coulter, 1961
Kim Basinger, 1953
Sam Kinison, 1953
Gregg Allman, 1947
Mary Woronov, 1946
Jim Morrison, 1943
"Red" Berenson, 1941
James Galway, 1939
James MacArthur, 1937
David Carradine, 1936
Flip Wilson, 1933
Maximilian Schell, 1930
Sammy Davis, Jr. 1925
Richard Fleischer, 1916
Lee J. Cobb, 1911
James Thurber, 1894
Elzie Crisler Segar, 1894
Diego Rivera, 1886
Jean Sibelius, 1865
Willam C. "Billy" Durant, 1861
Eli Whitney, 1765
Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542
Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus), Roman writer, BC65


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"(Musical), 1949
"Green Grow the Lilacs"(Musical; precursor to "Oklahoma"), 1930


Today in History

Daitokuji temple, Rinzai line, established in Kyoto by Daito Kokushi, 1326
Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room, the second public library of Europe, 1609
The Mexican border town Ciudad Juárez is founded by Fray García de San Francisco, 1659
Margaret Hughes becomes the first actress to appear on an English public stage, playing the role of Desdemona in a production of Shakespeare's play Othello, 1660
Vienna's Ring Theater is destroyed by fire, killing over 600, 1881
The American Federation of Labor is formed by 26 individual craft unions, and Samuel Gompers is elected its first president, 1886
The Japanese military police launch a violent suppression of the religious sect Oomoto, 1935
The Chinese Nationalist government moves from mainland China to Formosa, 1949
John Lennon is murdered, 1980
The leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine sign an agreement dissolving the Soviet Union and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States, 1991
The Cuzco Declaration is signed in Cuzco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations, 2004
Kirsty Williams is elected the first female leader of a political party in Wales, the Welsh Liberal Democrats, 2008
With the second launch of the SpaceX Dragon, SpaceX becomes the first privately held company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft, 2010
Japan's Gvernment apologizes to Canada for the treatment of its POWs during WWII, 2011
Egyptian President Morsi agrees to not expand his powers but declares the referendums on a new constitution will be enacted, 2012
In Kiev, Russia, protestors topple the last surviving monument to Lenin, 2013