Politics and Funnies, a Random and Happy Word Counters Post

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It's time once again for a random and happy Tuesday, linking up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked and Sandee at Comedy Plus.  

Part of today’s post is also a writing challenge. This is how it works: one of the contributing bloggers picked a number between 12 and 74. The submitted number is a challenge to participating bloggers to write at least one piece using that exact number of words. 

This month, the word count number is: 17

It was submitted by:  Diane

 

Links to the other Word Counters posts:

Baking In A Tornado                    

On the Border                                  

Current events reminded me of something that happened to Grandpa years ago, one of his favorite stories.

It's proof that things in politics never change, and i am working it into 17 word sentences.

Grandpa received a call from a locally famous person asking for "a few minutes of your time."

Asked what it was about, he said, "Some friends and I have business to discuss with you."

Grandpa answered that he always made phone calls during lunch hour, they could have fifteen minutes then.

They came, all well known in the area, but Grandpa has never told anyone who they were.

They stunned Grandpa by saying, "We've studied the demographics, we want you to run for Parish President!"

(Please note that a Parish in Louisiana is the equivalent of a County in the other states.)

Grandpa responded with, "Gentlemen, I'm not a politician, I'm a physician, I wouldn't know what to do."

Their answer?  "Everyone knows you are an honest man and good doctor, we could get you elected."

He asked, "Then what?" and they said, "We'd tell you how to run the parish!" Oy vey!

Grandpa told them his first love was medicine and he could not neglect his patients for politics.

They were quite disappointed, but he was very tactful and they left and never mentioned it again.

He went home and told Grandma the whole thing, without names, of course.  He's wise that way.

Her response was, "As soon as you go into politics, you're getting a divorce, too!"  Case closed!

 All right, how about some of the fun stuff Grandma passes on to me:

Have a blessed and beautiful day, everyone!

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Today is:

Annual Visit of the Poe Toaster -- the mysterious person who, for almost 75 years, dressed in black with a wide brimmed hat and scarf, annually visited Poe's grave on his birthday, leaving roses and cognac; has not been seen since 2009

Brew A Potion Day -- internet generated, no reasons given

Confederate Heroes Day -- Texas, US 

Feast of Sultan (Sovereignty) -- Baha'i

Horror Novels Are Horrendous Day -- for Poe's birth anniversary

La Tamborrada -- San Sebastian, Spain (begins in the evening, a 24 hour drum jam session and the city's biggest fiesta)

Little Ricky Day -- marking the date of his arrival on "I Love Lucy"

National Popcorn Day

Neon Sign Day -- patented this day in 1915

Rid The World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day -- always the Tuesday of Healthy Weight Week and includes the announcement of the Slim Chance Awards, highlighting the worst fad diets of the prior year     

Sacrifices to Apollon -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

Santos Tour Down Under -- Adelaide, Australia (professional cycling's first event of the UCI World Tour for this year; through the 26th)

St. Canute's Day a/k/a St. Knud (Patron of Denmark)

St. Henry of Uppsala's Day (Patron of the Catholic Cathedral of Helsinki; Finland; against storms)

Theophany/Epiphany -- Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christians who still follow the Julian Calendar

     Timket -- Ethiopian Orthodox Christian (with huge, colorful festivals through the whole country)

     Blessing of the Waters -- Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sophia, Bayswater, London, UK

Tin Can Day -- patented this day in 1825

Birthdays Today:

Shawn Johnson, 1992

Jodie Sweetin, 1982

Frank Caliendo, 1974

Drea de Matteo, 1972

Shawn Wayans, 1971

Wendy Moniz, 1969

Junior Seau, 1969

Paul McCrane, 1961

William Ragsdale, 1961

Thomas Kinkade, 1958

Simon Rattle, 1955

Desi Arnaz, Jr., 1953

Dewey Bunnell, 1952

Robert Palmer, 1949

Paula Deen, 1947

Dolly Parton, 1946

Shelley Fabares, 1944

Janis Joplin, 1943

Michael Crawford, 1942

Phil Everly, 1939

Richard Lester, 1932

Robert MacNeil, 1931

Tippi Hedren, 1931

Fritz Weaver, 1926

Jean Stapleton, 1923

Guy Madison, 1922

John H. Johnson, 1918

Lester Flatt, 1914

Edgar J. Helms, 1863

Paul Cezanne, 1839

Edgar Allan Poe, 1809

Robert E. Lee, 1807

James Watt, 1736 (O.S. date)

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"48 Hours"(TV), 1988

"The Millionaire"(TV), 1955

"Woman of the Year"(Film), 1942

"Il Trovatore"(Verdi Opera), 1853

"Faust Part I"(Goethe tragic play), 1829

Today in History:

Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy, 1419

San Agustin Church in Manila is officially completed; it is currently the oldest church in the Philippines, 1607

The second group of ships of the First Fleet arrives at Botany Bay, 1788

The United Kingdom occupies the Cape of Good Hope, 1806

Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett obtain a patent for a process of storing food in tin cans, 1825

Goethe's Faust Part I premiers, 1829

Verdi's Il Trivatore preniers in Rome, 1853

The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jersey, 1883

Ibsen's play The Master Builder premiers in Berlin, 1893

Georges Claude patents the neon discharge tube for use in advertising, 1915

The US Senate votes against membership in League of Nations, 1920

Coopers Inc. sells the world's first briefs, 1930

For the only time in recorded history, snow falls in Miami, Florida, 1977

The last VW Beetle made in Germany leaves the plant, 1978

United States and Iranian officials sign an agreement to release 52 American hostages after 14 months of captivity, 1981

The Apple Lisa, the first commercial personal computer from Apple Inc. to have a graphical user interface and a computer mouse, is announced, 1983

Czech Republic and Slovakia join the United Nations, 1993

The New Horizons probe is launched by NASA on the first mission to Pluto, 2006

Calcium deposits are discovered on Mars by NASA’s Curiosity Rover, 2013

American skier Lindsey Vonn wins her 63rd World Cup, setting a new record, 2015