Our Own Paper Chase

Little Girl has had a sudden welcome into the world of military paperwork.  In triplicate.

Two days before her 12th birthday, #2 Son built a bike ramp and enticed his sister to go over it.  She did, and broke her arm.

We took her to the ED at St. SoAndSo Hospital, where they put it in a sling, gave us a pain prescription, and told us to go to Dr. Frye, a pediatric orthopedic doctor associated with the hospital, as soon as we could.

Dr. Frye ended up having to do surgery and put pins in her arm, and she had physical therapy.  In the end, her arm was back to completely normal, and she has no hitch in it at all.

Try telling that to the Army National Guard.

They told her that she had to have her medical records to prove that all is well.  This should be easy, right?  Dr. Frye is still practicing in the same office right next to St. SoAndSo Hospital.

She went to get her records, and that's when the fun began.  The hospital could find the original chart of her visit to the ED, but said she would have to go to Dr. Frye's office over at The Bone Doctor Clinic to get the rest of her records.

Except that The Bone Doctor Clinic didn't have any record of her being a patient there.

For two weeks, The Bone Doctor Clinic and St. SoAndSo Hospital sent her back and forth, as we tried everything to work our way around it.  She was even X-rayed again and seen by Dr. Frye, who wrote her up a new paper saying all was well, she has no restrictions in activity.

That, for the Army National Guard, is not good enough, unless you can also provide a letter saying that the clinic, or the hospital, can't find the original records.

The Bone Doctor Clinic says she was never a patient there before, so they can't give you such a letter.  St. SoAndSo Hospital doesn't give out such a letter unless you sue them for it.

Then one day last week i went to the Bone Doctor Clinic to see if i could get to the bottom of why this was all happening.  By G-d's grace, the office manager had come back in town and gotten a handle on the situation.

It seems that St. SoAndSo Hospital owns the building in which The Bone Doctor Clinic is housed.  At the time Little Girl was Dr. Frye's patient, he wasn't working for The Bone Doctor Clinic, but was an employee of St. SoAndSo Hospital Pediatric Group At The Bone Doctor Clinic.  St. SoAndSo Hospital was subleasing part of its own building back from The Bone Doctor Clinic.

Eventually, St. SoAndSo Hospital decided to end having its own group in that way, and so Dr. Frye went back to working for simply The Bone Doctor Clinic, where he had been before.

So her records belonged to a clinic that no longer existed, and the records had been returned to St. SoAndSo Hospital, which has outsourced all of its record keeping.  The group to which it had been outsourced, RecordPort, had sub-outsourced the specific records from that clinic to DataTrappers.

The lady at DataTrappers finally found the chart, and said she would only send it to the now non-existent St. SoAndSo Hospital Pediatric Group At The Bone Doctor Clinic.  The office manager at The Bone Doctor Clinic called and yelled at a few people at St. SoAndSo Hospital, and those people got the lady who wouldn't believe the group no longer existed to send the chart to RecordPort's office at St. SoAndSo Hospital, where we were finally able to get it.

All is finally well, and Little Girl is still excited about joining the Army National Guard.  She now realizes, i think, that she has only just begun to fight the paper tiger that can be the military.

Today is:

AFL-CIO Day (date of merger in 1955)

Bartender Appreciation Day -- with a guide to help you show your appreciation to the Heroes Behind the Bar 

Bathtub Party Day -- celebrate how much fun it is to take a nice, long, hot bath in these days when showers prevail; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Boycott Day -- commemoration of the city bus boycott begun this day in 1959 in Birmingham, AL, US in response to the arrest of Rosa Parks

Caldwell Country Christmas Parade & Fireworks -- Colombia, LA, US

Cape May Christmas Candlelight House Tours -- Cape May, NJ, US (tours of homes, b&bs, guesthouses, hotels, and churches for 3 consecutive Saturdays)

Chester Greenwood Day Parade and Celebration/Ear Muff Day -- Farmington, ME, US (celebration of Farmington's most famous resident, the inventor of the ear muff!)

Christmas Candlelightings -- Coshocton, OH, US (Roscoe Village opens for Christmas fun for 3 consecutive Saturdays)

Constitution Day -- Sudan

Coats and Toys for Kids Day -- ME, US (charity drive across the state; even if you aren't in that state, there is probably a charity near you that would love to have your help)

Day of the Ninja -- sponsored by Ninja Burger! with its own website 

Dingle-Fritter, Gooseberry Humple, Tiger-Get-By, LoneFolding, and Zimbor-Quattor's (Multiple Squishing of) Celebration -- Fairy Calendar

Discovery Day -- Haiti

Holiday Happiness -- Upper Arlington, OH, US (Christmas fun for the family at the local public library)

Hollywood Beach Candy Cane Parade -- Hollywood, FL, US

International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development -- UN

Jane Addams Day -- Hull House Museum, Chicago, IL, US (sponsored by the American Association of University Women-Illinois) 

King's Birthday -- Thailand, also National Day and Father's Day (for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birth anniversary, the founder and "father" of the nation)

Live: Family Christmas at the Benjamin Harrison Home -- Indianapolis, IN, US (Christmas as it would have been during the life of the 23rd US President)

Natchitoches Christmas Festival Parade -- Natchitoches, LA, US (the biggest day in the Festival of Lights in Natchitoches, parade day and the first fireworks of the season)

National Day -- Myanmar

National Sacher Torte Day

Nones of December -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also observed
     Faunalia -- rural festival of Faunus

Norskedalen's Old-Fashioned Christmas -- Coon Valley, WI, US (log home Christmas and fun for all; through tomorrow)

Repeal Day -- US (celebrating the repeal of Prohibition)

Shaker Christmas Fair -- Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, New Gloucester, ME, US (traditional holiday church fair)

Shalako Festival -- Hopi and Zuni Native Americans (dates of main festivals and dance ceremonies vary by area, but usually the weekend nearest the 49th day after the 10th full moon)

SKYWARN Recognition Day -- National Weather Service, NOAA, and Amateur Radio Operators, working together to report dangerous weather conditions

St. Bassus of Nice's Day (Patron of Nice, France)

St. Nicholas' Eve  -- Belgium; Czech Republic; Hungary; Netherlands; Romania; Slovakia; parts of the UK; special observances include
      Avond -- Leewvarden, West Friesland (St. Nicholas visits and, if you are good, promises to return with trinkets and candies, which are left in waiting shoes)
      Bonhomme Noel -- France (Celebration of "Goodman Christmas")
      Klausjagen -- Arth and Kussnacht, Switzerland (with a procession of mitre-wearing figures by the Lake of Four Cantons)
      Krampuslauf -- Austria (St. Nicholas celebration, which begins the evening before the Saint's day, involving chasing and throwing snowballs at the Krampus, the imp who travels with St. Nick to punish the bad children)
      Zwarte Piet -- "Black Peter", the companion of St. Nicholas who keeps track of the good and bad children, arrives in many areas tonight

Swap a Christmas Cookie Recipe Day -- because it's fun to try new ones

Tamale Festival -- El Centro, CA, US (tamales and arts and crafts, a fun way to holiday shop; through tomorrow)

Tinsel Day -- remember when this stuff used to contain lead?

World Soil Day -- International Union of Soil Sciences 


Birthdays Today:

Frankie Muniz, 1985
Margaret Cho, 1968
Gary Allan, 1967
John Rzeznik, 1965
Art Monk, 1957
Morgan Brittany, 1950
Jim Messina, 1947
Jose Carreras, 1946
Jeroen Krabbe, 1944
J.J. Cale, 1938
Chad Mitchell, 1936
Calvin Trillin, 1935
Joan Didion, 1934
Little Richard, 1932
Otto Preminger, 1906
Strom Thurmond, 1902
Walt Disney, 1901
Bill Picket, 1870
George Armstrong Custer, 1839
Christina Rossetti, 1830
Martin Van Buren, 1782


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Catskills on Broadway"(Revue), 1991
"I Do! I Do!"(Musical), 1966
"Band on the Run"(Album), 1973 (US release date)
"The Dark at the Top of the Stairs"(Inge play), 1957
"The Abbot and Costello Show"(TV), 1952
"Dragnet"(TV), 1951
"Kejser og Gililaer/Emperor and Galilean"(Ibsen play), 1896
"Symphonie Fantastique"(Berlioz symphony), 1830

Today in History:

Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations, BC63
An earthquake in Naples leave about 35,000 dead, 1465
All Jews are expelled from Portugal by order of King Manuel I, 1496
London auctioneers Christie's hold their first sale, 1766
Henry Knox begins the transport of Fort Ticonderoga artillery to Cambridge, Massachusetts, a key to later forcing the British Fleet out of Boston Harbor, 1775
C F Schoenbein obtains patent for cellulose nitrate explosive, 1846
President Polk confirms that gold has been discovered in California, triggering the next year's "Gold Rush", 1848
Daniel Stillson of Massachusetts patents the first practical pipe wrench, 1876
The first automated telephone switching system is patented, 1879
The first electric car makes its debut; it could go 15 miles between charges, 1893
University of Pittsburg makes the first use of numbers on football jerseys, 1908
The American League for Physical Culture is founded in NYC, the first US nudist organization, 1929
The 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition, is ratified, 1933
Sister Elizabeth Kenny's new treatment for infantile paralysis receives approval, 1941
A cold fog descends upon London, combining with air pollution and killing at least 12,000 in the weeks and months that follow, 1952
The United Nations General Assembly adopts Pakistan's resolution on security of non-Nuclear States, 1976
Shuttle Atlantis launches world's 1st nuclear-war-fighting satellite. 1988
The Civil Partnership Act comes into effect in the United Kingdom, and the first civil partnership is registered there, 2005

Feline Friday: Backtalk

Feline Friday is hosted by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.

Feline Friday is simple to join. All you have to do is..

1) post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute)
2) go to Steve's page, linked above, then on the menu bar click on the Feline Friday tab to get the code
3) paste the code under your cat picture
4) add your name and link

That’s all there is to it! Be sure to check back every so often and visit all the Feline Friday bloggers. Also, please leave a nice comment on their blogs. Nasty comments will be deleted!

These kittens remind me of children -- they talk back!

Hey, quit with the paparazzi imitation while I'm drinking, okay!

Today is:

Christmas Walk and House Tour -- Geneva, IL, US (with appearances by St. Lucia and Santa Claus, lighting the tree in the Courhouse Square, home tours, and special events sponsored by local businesses; through tomorrow)

Day of Shango -- Yoruba/Santería religion (various Carribean islands; ceremony for the Defender against Evil)

Day of the Artisans -- internet generated day to honor all who work

Dickens on the Strand -- Galveston, TX, US (a Victorian Christmas presented by the Galveston Historical Foundation; through Sunday)

Extraordinary Work Team Recognition Day -- created in 2000 by QPC Inc., encouraging recognition of teams that "consistently work extraordinarily well together to produce significant results for their companies or organizations."

Farmers' Day -- Ghana  

Faux Fur Friday

Festival for Minerva -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Flag Day -- Saba Island, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba

Grange Day -- US Grange (Order of the Patrons of Husbandry) founded, 1887

Gospel Day -- Marshall Islands (Kamolol, a day of Thanksgiving)

National Cookie Day

National Dice Day -- get together with friends and play a game today (instructions are here)

Navy Day -- India; Italy

Rake Leaves into the World's Largest Pile Day -- just so you can jump in, of course

Ribbons and Wrap Day -- according to the Elf Forum, which no longer exists; i'd suggest making sure you have enough now, anyway

Santa's List Day -- he completes the lists today, according to some people; which one are you on?

St. Barbara's Day (Patron of ammunition workers/bomb technicians/explosives workers/ordnance workers, architects, armourers, artillerymen, boatment/mariners/sailors/waterman, brass workers, brewers, builders, carpenters, construction workers, dying people, firefighters/fire prevention, fireworks, fireworks manufacturers, fortifications, foundry workers, geologists, gravediggers, gunners, hatmakers/hatters/milliners, martyrs, masons, mathematicians, military engineers, miners, prisoners, safety from storms, saltpetre workers, smelters, stone masons, tilers, warehouses; Amaroni, Italy; Barbara, Italy; Colleferro, Italy; Montecatini Terme, Italy; Paterno, Sicily; Rieti, Italy; Santa Barbara, CA; Syria; Toa Alto, Puerto Rico; against death by artillery, explosions, fire, impenitence, lightning, mine collapse, storms, sudden death)
     A young woman may place the twig of a cherry tree in a glass of water today. If it blooms by Christmas Eve, the girl is certain to marry in the following year.
     Barborka -- Poland (where Barbara is best known as Patron of Miners, thus "Miners' Day)
     Eid il-Burbara -- Lebanon; Palestine; Syria (where Barbara is celebrated with a holiday similar to Western Halloween)

St. Maruthas' Day (Patron of Iran; Persia)

Thai Environment Day -- Thailand

Wear A Beard of Bees Today Day -- a supremely silly internet generated one, if you ask me, and only for the bold and fearless, and not allergic!

Wear Brown Shoes Day -- internet generated, by someone tired of wearing black shoes all the time most likely

Wildlife Conservation Day -- US

Wind Whirling Bacchanalia -- Fairy Calendar

Winterfest -- Luverne, MN, US (winter fun for all, through Sunday)


Anniversary Today:

Mission Santa Barbara is founded as a Franciscan Mission in California, 1786


Birthdays Today:

Tyra Banks, 1973
Fred Armisen, 1966
Marisa Tomei, 1964
Jozef Sabovcik, 1963
Cassandra Wilson, 1955
Patricia Wettig, 1951
Jeff Bridges, 1949
Dennis Wilson, 1944
Chris Hillman, 1942
Max Baer, Jr., 1937
Stewart Rawlings Mott, 1937
Wink Martindale, 1934
Victor French, 1934
Helen M. Chase, 1924
Deanna Durbin, 1921
Francisco Franco, 1892
Lillian Russel, 1861
Crazy Horse, 1840
Samuel Butler, 1835
Thomas Carlyle, 1795


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Broadway Bound"(Simon play), 1986
"Falcon Crest"(TV), 1981
"Beatles for Sale"(Album), 1964
"Tobacco Road"(Play), 1933
"Whoopee"(Musical), 1928
Ten Commandments(Film), 1923*


Today in History:

Upon the death of Carloman, Karel the Great (Charlemagne), his brother, becomes king of all France, 771
The Syrian harbor city of Saida (Sidon) surrenders to the Crusaders, 1110
After 18 years, the Council of Trent holds its final session, 1563
Father Marquette begins to build the first dwelling in what is now Chicago, 1674
Britain's Observer, oldest Sunday newspaper in world, first published, 1791
Britain abolishes the practice of the "suttee" in India, 1829
The American Anti-Slavery Society is founded in Philadelphia by Arthur Tappen and William Lloyd Garrison, 1833
Oliver Hudson Kelley founds The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, (the Grange), 1867
"Boss" Tweed escapes from jail, 1875
The first edition of the Los Angeles Times is published, 1881
Lucille Atcherson becomes the first woman legation secretary in the US Foreign sService, 1922
*Cecil B. DeMille's first version of "The Ten Commandments" (the one in which he flooded Hollywood Blvd. without permit 3 times to get the Red Sea Scene right, and had to bail his crew out of jail 3 times, too!) premiers, 1923
The first Burger King is opened in Miami, Florida, United States, 1954
Suriname joins the United Nations, 1975
The Unity Module, the second module of the International Space Station, is launched, 1998
An adult giant squid is caught on video for the first time by Tsunemi Kubodera near the Ogasawara Islands, 1,000 km (620 miles) south of Tokyo, 2006
Political pressure and cyber attacks against WikiLeaks are condemned by Reporters Without Borders, 2011
In Koblenz, Germany, nearly 45,000 people wait to return home while bomb squads defuse WWII bombs still hidden under the Rhine River, 2011
In Egypt, a hundred thousand people gather to protest President Morsi's proposed constitutional amendments, 2012
A new island is discovered in the Arctic Ocean's Laptev Sea and initially called Yaya, 2013

Six Sentence Story: Lie

"Hello and welcome, what bring you in today?" Lenny asked with a smile as i breezed through the door in the middle of the afternoon, an unusual time for me to show up at the mechanic shop.

About an hour ago, i was heading from work to the bank to cash a check, and when i signaled for a left turn, it started making the noise that tells you a bulb is burned out -- shoot, it even gave me a message on the dash that said, 'rear left turn signal out.'

"Yep, those cars are smarter than we are," he said, shaking his head, then added, "take it around back to the first bay, Kevin is back there and will tell Luke to take care of it."

Swinging around into the first bay, i saw Kevin grinning at me; he and Lenny always seem so amused to see members of my family, i guess because they know they are in for a treat of a story about another problem, and possibly a good bit of work.

As Luke went into action by grabbing a new bulb and wielding a screwdriver, i told Kevin with a wry look that i was glad it had just happened at a time when i was between work and errands and could take care of it, as i was so sure if i got stopped and told the officer that signal light had just burned out an hour ago, of course he would believe me.

Everyone laughed as Kevin said, "Of course the officer would believe you, since no one ever tells that lie, but since I believe you, no charge!"

Linking up with Uncharted Blog and Six Sentence Stories, where the cue is Lie.

Today is:

Advocate's Day -- India

Bizarre Bazaar -- Richmond, VA, US (Christmas shop until you drop; through Sunday)

Christmas Festival at St. Olaf -- St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, US (600 student musicians perform sacred and folk songs from around the world; through Sunday)

Day of Remembrance for Bogatir (Great hero) Svatogor -- Asatru/Pagan Slavic Calendar

Fairy and Goblin Taunt-and-Tease Saturnalia -- Fairy Calendar

Festival for Bona Dea -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of chastity, fecundity, the earth, and fertility; a women's festival)

Festival for Serket/Selket -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (scorpion goddess, who healed from their sting; date approximate)

International Day of Persons with Disabilities -- UN

International Day of the Basque Language

Make a Gift Day -- internet generated, and go ahead, 'tis the season

National Apple Pie Day

National Christmas Tree Lighting -- Washington, D.C., US

National Ice Cream Box Day -- internet generated, for those who love ice cream that comes in the rectangular box, and being the first to dig in

National Roof-Over-Your-Head Day -- be grateful you have one

Pompaia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (procession dedicated to Zeus; date approximate)

Reinvigorate Your Brain by Reading Something Day -- internet generated, and good to do every day, don't you think?

St. Francis Xavier's Day (Patron of African missions, foreign missions, missionaries, navigators, parish missions, Agartala, India; Ahmedabad, India; Alexandria, LA; ) related observance
     San Francisco Javier -- Navarre, Spain (special observances)

Takata no Inoko -- Sakurai, Japan (offerings for peace and good harvests)

Telescope Day -- marking its invention by Galileo in 1621


Anniversaries Today:

Illinios becomes the 21st US State, 1818


Birthdays Today:

Alicia Sacramone, 1987
Amanda Seyfried, 1985
Bruno Campos, 1974
Holly Marie Combs, 1973
Bucky Lasek, 1972
Brendan Fraser, 1968
Katarina Witt, 1965
Daryl Hannah, 1961
Julianne Moore, 1961
Julianne Moore, 1960
Rick Ravon Mears, 1951
Ozzy Osbourne, 1948
Jaye P. Morgan, 1932
Jean-Luc Godard, 1930
Andy Williams, 1927
Ferlin Husky, 1927
John Backus, 1924
Nino Rota, 1911
Carlos Montoya, 1903
Joseph Conrad, 1857
Charles Alfred Pillsbury, 1842
Gilbert Charles Stuart, 1755


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Camelot"(Musical), 1960
"Troilus and Cressida"(Opera), 1954
"A Streetcar Names Desire"(Play), 1947
Alka-Seltzer, 1931


Today in History:

Sir Thomas Herriot introduces potatoes to England, 1586
In an uprising over mining licenses, which came to be called the rebellion at the Eureka Stockade, more than 20 goldminers at Ballarat, Victoria, Australia are killed by state troopers in what many claim to be the birth of Australian democracy, 1854
The trial of Jefferson Davis starts with the first blacks on a US trial jury, 1868
Settlers arrive at Petach Tikvah, Israel, 1878
The Jovian moon Himalia is discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine, 1904
Neon lights make their public debut at the Paris Auto Show, 1910
The Quebec Bridge, after almost 20 years of planning and construction, opens, 1917
The first successful Technicolor movie, "Tall of the Sea," premiers in NYC, 1922
Chinese refugee ship "Kiangya" explodes in E China Sea, killing 1,100, 1948
Paul Harvey begins his national radio broadcast, 1950
At Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, a transplant team headed by Christiaan Barnard carries out the first heart transplant on a human, 1967
Pioneer 10 sends back the first close-up images of Jupiter, 1973
In one of the worst industrial disasters ever, a methyl isocyanate leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, kills thousands and injures hundreds of thousands, 1984
In Ottawa, Canada, representatives from 121 countries, not including the US, Russia, or China, sign The Ottawa treaty prohibiting manufacture and deployment of anti-personnel landmines, 1997
XCOR Aerospace makes first manned rocket aircraft delivery of US Mail in Mojave, California, 2005
The Nissan Leaf, one of the first mass marketed electric cars, is launched, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: Saute in Olive Oil, Yum!

My favorite winter/holiday vegetable:

Brussels Sprouts! Aren't they funny, growing on the stalk!

Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.

Today is:

Arba'in-e Hosseini -- Iran (40th day after Ashura)

Chichibu Yomatsuri -- Chichibu shrine, Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, Japan (one of Japan's most impressive night parties; through tomorrow) 

Christmas on the River -- Demopolis, AL, US (celebrations Southern style, including a Barbecue Cook-off; through Sunday)

Festival of the Finger Stalls -- Fairy Calendar

Holiday Ale Festival -- Portland, OR, US (beer, outdoors, in the cold, in December, but it is seriously good beer and worth it; through Sunday)

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery -- UN

National Day -- Laos; United Arab Emirates (trad.)

National Fritters Day

National Mutt Day -- US (because mixed breeds need an extra chance)

Oshiroi Matsuri -- Fukuoka, Japan (Face Paint Festival, to ask for good harvest next year)

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting -- NY, NY, US

Safety Razor Day -- the first disposable razor blades were patented by King Gillette this day in 1901

Special Education Day -- US (anniversary of the first US special education law in 1975)

Special Kids Day -- a day to make sure special needs kids get to visit Santa with whatever accomodations they require

St. Bibiana's Day (Patron of epileptics, mentally ill people, single laywomen, torture victims; against epilepsy, hangovers, headaches, insanity, mental illness; and, appropriately considering the aforementioned list, Los Angeles, CA)

Walter Plinge Day -- UK (the British equivalent to George Spelvin, a name used to disguise the fact that an actor is playing more than one part in a production, but Walter was based on a real pub owner who was generous to actors)


Birthdays Today:

Britney Spears, 1981
Nelly Furtado, 1978
Monica Seles, 1973
Lucy Liu, 1968
Randy Gardner, 1958
Dennis Christopher, 1955
Dan Butler, 1954
Stone Phillips, 1954
Cathy Lee Crosby, 1948
T. Coraghessan Boyle, 1948
Gianni Versace, 1946
William Wegman, 1943
Julie Harris, 1925
Maria Callas, 1923
Randolph Hearst, 1915
Charles Ringling, 1863
Georges Seurat, 1859


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Naked Gun(Film), 1988
"Mystery of Edwin Drood"(Musical), 1985
"Imus in the Morning"(Radio), 1961
Dancing Lady(Film), 1933 (first appearance of Fred Astaire)
"The Adventures of Charlie Chan"(Radio), 1932
Model A Ford, 1927 (first sold on this date, for $385)
"Sie Versunkene Glocke/The Sunken Bell"(Hauptmann play), 1896
"Samson et Dalila/Samson and Delilah"(Saint-Saens opera, Op. 47), 1877
"La Favorite/The Favorite"(Donizetti opera), 1840


Today in History:

The University of Leipzig opens, 1409
Dedication of the Touro Synagogue, in Newport, Rhode Island, the first synagogue in what became the United States, 1763
Napoleon defeats the Russians and Austrians at Austerlitz, 1805
The first Savings bank in the US opens, the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, 1816
US President James Monroe declares his "Monroe Doctrine", 1823
US President James K. Polk declares it is the "Manifest Destiny" of the US to expand into the West, 1845
Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the US, in NYC, 1867
King Camp Gillette patents the safety razor, 1901
Pu Yi (Hsuan-T'ung) became China's Last Emperor at age 2, 1908
Following 19 years of Ford Model T production, the Ford Motor Company unveils the Ford Model A, 1927
A team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, 1942
Riots break out in Jerusalem in response to the approval of the 1947 UN Partition Plan, 1947
The Granma yacht reaches the shores of Cuba's Oriente province and Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement disembark to initiate the Cuban Revolution, 1956
Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, and Umm Al Quwain form the United Arab Emirates, 1971
Benazir Bhutto is sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of an Islam-dominated state, 1988
A coalition led by Chancellor Helmut Kohl wins the first free all-German elections since 1932, 1990
The United Kingdom devolves political power in Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Executive, 1999
NASA announces finding an arsenic based life form on Earth, 2010

Tuesday Coffee Chat: So Many Ways to Help

Rory Bore of Ink Interrupted hosts the Tuesday Coffee Chat, where the topic this week is Giving Tuesday, and whether and how we are planning to participate.

Giving is a delight.  This past weekend, i gave time at the church for the homeless, and bought the toys for the Angel Tree child. 

Angel Tree Ministries allows you to give back to your community by purchasing a gift in the name of an incarcerated parent and delivering it to the child in that parent's name.  The parent this time wanted his 12-year-old son to have some sports equipment, so i got the boy both a basketball and a football, and a pump with spare needles to keep them in good shape.  My thinking on that was whichever he doesn't want to play with at the moment he can let his little brothers have so they will leave him in peace!

A friend and i are splitting an Angel Tree family between us this year, since with Sweetie still looking for work things are a bit tight, i couldn't do a whole family by myself.  The friend is going to arrange the meeting, and if i'm not working, i'll be there to help deliver the gifts.

Our church is also gathering toys for the church for the homeless, to make sure all of those kids have gifts.  Since i have a church ladies meeting today, i will take the toys i've gotten up there with me, and we will have a wrapping party this coming Sunday.

The Malachi Dads (men in prison who are learning how to become good fathers so that when they get out, they can go home and do right by their families) need toothpaste and socks and soap and such things, so i will take some of those items up to the church today, too.

Our local grocery stores have paper bags filled with holiday foods that you can simply purchase the whole bag for $10 and put in the food bank barrel.  All they have to do is add the turkey or ham, and a local family that qualifies for food assistance has all they need for a good Christmas meal.  Next time i'm at the grocery, i'll take advantage of that opportunity to help.

Through the month, i will have a few other things i will do, and the children will help with some of it.  We already sent a Christmas gift to the child we sponsor in Kenya.

A scientific study i once read about proved that money buys happiness if you are giving the money away, and i believe it.  The most fun we have is giving, and if Sweetie were still working, we would give even more.  Maybe next year, but we're going to do what we can now, even if it's less than we want.

Today is:

A Colonial Christmas -- Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg, VA, US (through Dec. 31; enjoy 17th- and 18th-century Christmas traditions, comparing those of England and the Colonies)

Antarctica Day -- celebrating the Continent of Peace and Science 

Barbes Diena -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (celebrates the fertility of sheep)

Basketball Day -- commonly seen as the day Dr. James Naismith invented the game; while we know it was early in December, 1891, i cannot find any credible source that says it was on this date

Becky Thatcher Day -- birthday of Laura Hawkins, in 1836, who inspired the character in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Bifocals at the Monitor Liberation Day -- if you can't see, feel free! sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Carnival of Celendonia -- Fairy Calendar (Celendonia is the Fairy City all Fairies want to retire to, by the way.)

Chia Pet Hunting Season begins

Christmas in Old Appalachia -- Clinton, TN, US (an old fashioned country Christmas; through Christmas Eve)

Christmas New Orleans Style -- New Orleans, LA, US (a full month of Christmas celebrations as only NOLA can do it)

Civil Air Patrol Day -- US (date of establishment in 1941; the US Coast Guard rescues you from peril on the water, the CAP on land)

Cookie Cutter Week begins -- sponsored by the Cookie Cutter Collectors Club

Crossing of the Cattle at Diafarabe -- Mali (celebrated through the month)

Damrong Rajanubhab Day -- Thailand (anniversary of the prince's death)

Day of the First President -- Kazakhstan

Dia de la Abolicion del Ejercito -- Costa Rica (Miliary Abolition Day; yes, really, they abolished the military after the 1948 revolution, are one of Central America's oldest democracies, and has only the Police Guard forces)

Eat A Red Apple Day

Freedom and Democracy Day -- Chad

Fullveldisdagurinn Islendinga -- Iceland (Self-governance Day)
     University Students' Celebration Day

Giving Tuesday -- after celebrating Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, be part of the international giving movement 

International Prisoners for Peace Day -- a day to remember imprisoned conscientious objectors

Kalends of December -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also observed
     Festival for Neptune -- promiscuous god of the sea
     Festival for Pietas -- goddess of devotion, duty, and honor

Mindfulness Day -- Zen Buddhism (a day to mindfully see and act with compassion toward the poor and oppressed)

My Husband's Strung the Christmas Lights and Now I Can't Open the Garage Door Day -- commemorating an alleged real event, be glad this isn't your husband

National Pie Day

National Stress-Free Family Holidays Month -- sponsored by Parenting Without Pressure

National Transit Tribute to Rosa Parks Day -- American Public Transportation Association, on the anniversary of her arrest

Operation Santa Paws -- toy/treat/care drive to help local animal shelters, until the 21st; sponsored by Haute Dogs 

Proclamation of the Republic -- Central African Republic

Restoration of Independence -- Portugal(1640)

Rosa Parks Day -- anniversary of her arrest in 1955

St. Eligius' Day (Patron of agricultural workers/farmers, blacksmiths/ horseshoe makers, boilermakers, cab drivers/taxi drivers, carriage makers, cartwrights, clock makers/watch makers, coin collectors/neumismatists, craftsmen, cutlers, farriers, garage workers and gas station workers -- because most of us don't use horses any more, gilders, goldsmiths, harness makers, horses/sick horses, jewelers, jockeys, knife makers, laborers, locksmiths, metal collectors/precious metal collectors, metalsmiths, miners, minters, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, saddle makers, tool makers, veterinarians, wheelwrights)

Surf Life Saving Summer Appeal -- New Zealand (Formerly National Jandal Day, now a three month campaign to raise money to support the Surf Lifeguards who keep you safe) 

Teachers' Day -- Panama

World AIDS Day -- WHO; related observance
     Day With(OUT) Art -- annual remembrance of the impact of AIDS on the visual arts, sponsored by Visual AIDS

Ziua Unirii -- Romania (National Day)


Anniversaries Today:

Yukon Order of Pioneers founded, 1894
US National Weather Service established, 1870
Napoleon marries Josephine, 1804



Birthdays Today:

Nestor Carbonell, 1967
Reggie Sanders, 1967
Carol Alt, 1960
Treat Williams, 1952
Bette Midler, 1945
John Densmore, 1944
Richard Pryor, 1940
Lee Trevino, 1939
Woody Allen, 1935
Lou Rawls, 1933
David Doyle, 1925
Mary Martin, 1913
Charles Finney, 1905
Robert Welch, 1899
Cyril Ritchard, 1897
Rex Stout, 1886
Julia A. Davis Moore, 1847
Anna Maria Grosholtz Tussaud (Madame Tussaud), 1761
Oliver Wolcott, 1726
Louis VI of France, 1081


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Happy XMas(War is Over)"(Single release), 1971
"Promises, Promises"(Musical), 1969
"Flower Drum Song"(Musical), 1958
"Candide"(Operetta), 1956
The Great Train Robbery(First Western film), 1903
Sherlock Holmes, in "A Study in Scarlet"(Published in Beeton's Christmas Annual), 1887 
Dr. Pepper, 1885 (recognition by US Patent Office of first day of sale)


Today in History:

Henry V of England enters Paris, 1420
Pasha Muhammad ibn Farukh, governor, driven out of Jerusalem, 1626
Portugal regains independence from Spain, 1640
Massachusetts becomes first colony to give Statutory recognition to slavery, 1641
The first American school to offer manual training courses opens in Maryland, 1750
Charles and M.N. Roberts ascend 2,000' in a hydrogen balloon, 1783
Erie Canal closes for a month due to cold weather, 1831
Hans Christian Andersen publishes his first book of fairy tales, 1835
The first chartered mutual life insurance company opens, 1843
The first certified public accountants receive their certificates in New York, 1896
The first Israeli kibbutz is founded, Deganya Alef, 1909
Ford Motor Company introduces the first moving assembly line, 1913
The first drive-up gasoline station opens in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 1913
Lady Nancy Astor is sworn in as the first female member of the British Parliament, 1919
The New York Daily News reports the news of Christine Jorgenson, the first notable case of sexual reassignment surgery, 1952
Opening date for signature of the Antarctic Treaty, which sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve and bans military activity on the continent, 1959
Malawi, Malta and Zambia join the United Nations, 1964
Lambda Theta Phi is established as the first Latino fraternity, in New Jersey, 1975
Angola joins the United Nations, 1976
The AIDS virus is officially recognized, 1981
At the University of Utah, Barney Clark becomes the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart, 1982
Channel Tunnel sections started from the United Kingdom and France meet 40 metres beneath the seabed, 1990
Representatives from more than 150 countries gather at a global warming summit in Kyoto, Japan, and over the course of the next ten days forge an agreement to control the emission of greenhouse gases, 1997
The Treaty of Lisbon comes into effect,  which amends the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community, which together comprise the constitutional basis of European Union, 2009
In ceremonies held at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, the USS Enterprise, the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is officially inactivated after a 51-year career, 2012