Today is...

[Spanky]

Thanks Ice,

For recognizing and celebrating my decrepitude.  At 67, I see old people, ha.  Some days I feel I am at that "new 50" you hear about, others it's the new 87.  My experience is that old people are more congenial, less hurried.

Early homo sapiens sapiens were, as the description said, by necessity omnivores, eat anything they could to stay alive.  If you lose your taste buds from med treatment they almost always come back.  The first to come back is bitter.  The theory is that bitter was most important in letting you know not to eat something.  Young monkeys who have not been taught still fall dead from trees from eating the wrong stuff.  Vegetarianism is a sort of modern choice--though grains have been the staple of history--and doubtless you, with modern nutritional knowledge, you can live well or better than meat eaters.  I take the fifth, with mustard, onions, and chili, but most often meatless. 

I have a coffee thought too, as I just bought a new stove-top percolator for $13.00 yesterday.  Don't have room for a machine in the RV, and if dry camping, no electric, so I use an old fashioned stove-top percolator.  I like to see the color change in the little glass bulb on top.  Problem is, all the "on sale' hermaphroditically sealed coffees are drip, and a lot of the major brands, and the grind is so fine, a lot of coffee silt ends up in my cup, so I have to use the expensive "grind these beans" machines and set them to perc.  I'm going to look online and find some cheaper deals on perc grind.. 

Good ones Ice,

Spankster

[Tbaronfl]

Thanks Ice,

For recognizing and celebrating my decrepitude.  At 67, I see old people, ha.  Some days I feel I am at that "new 50" you hear about, others it's the new 87.  My experience is that old people are more congenial, less hurried.

Early homo sapiens sapiens were, as the description said, by necessity omnivores, eat anything they could to stay alive.  If you lose your taste buds from med treatment they almost always come back.  The first to come back is bitter.  The theory is that bitter was most important in letting you know not to eat something.  Young monkeys who have not been taught still fall dead from trees from eating the wrong stuff.  Vegetarianism is a sort of modern choice--though grains have been the staple of history--and doubtless you, with modern nutritional knowledge, you can live well or better than meat eaters.  I take the fifth, with mustard, onions, and chili, but most often meatless. 

I have a coffee thought too, as I just bought a new stove-top percolator for $13.00 yesterday.  Don't have room for a machine in the RV, and if dry camping, no electric, so I use an old fashioned stove-top percolator.  I like to see the color change in the little glass bulb on top.  Problem is, all the "on sale' hermaphroditically sealed coffees are drip, and a lot of the major brands, and the grind is so fine, a lot of coffee silt ends up in my cup, so I have to use the expensive "grind these beans" machines and set them to perc.  I'm going to look online and find some cheaper deals on perc grind.. 

Good ones Ice,

Spankster

Spanky - know how it goes in an RV. Space is a premium and you learn to innovate, go old school etc. But it's great to be free!

[IceWizard]

Sunday 2 Oct 2016

International Day of Non-Violence



This world has seen its share of bloody wars that ended countless lives and filled many more with grief. No matter what country you go to, there are stories of how someone’s greed or lust for power resulted in the killing of innocent people and the destruction of beautiful cities.

Even wars that were fought for a good cause, like the Civil War of the United States of America, that resulted in slavery being abolished, have been responsible for a great many deaths.

Fortunately, however, there are people in this world who have gone about making the changes they thought necessary without violence or pure brute force, and these are the people that the International Day of Non-Violence celebrates.

No matter where you live, there’s no denying that a day celebrating non-violent ways of making a statement and bringing about change is long overdue, and that these peaceful strategies for fighting injustice more than definitely deserve their own day.

The History of the International Day of Non- Violence

The International Day of Non-Violence is observed on October 2nd in honor of the birthday of Mahatma Ghandi, one of the most influential political activists of all time.

Ghandi used nonviolent civil disobedience to eventually overthrow the British, who ruled India at the time.

Despite being thrown in jail numerous times, but nothing ever caused him to abandon his peaceful approach, which eventually resulted in India finally gaining the independence they’d wanted for years.

The independence of his country was not the only issue Ghandi found important, however; he was also keenly interested in building good relationships between people of different religions and ethnicities, expanding women’s rights, and reducing the amount of poverty.

Even though he was assassinated by a Hindu nationalist in 1948, he has never been forgotten, and is called “the father of the nation” by most Indians.

On June 15th, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly voted to make the anniversary of Mahatma Ghandi’s birth the International Day of Non-Violence. The day is mostly dedicated to spreading the message of non-violence to as many people as possible in all countries of the world.



And]



Custodial Worker Day



Custodial Worker Day is an annual celebration where people get together to pay tribute to and give their thanks to those men and women who work tirelessly to clean and maintain the many buildings that are used for all kinds of reasons on a daily basis.

The purpose is to show these maintenance workers that all they do is recognised and appreciated, and to prevent them feeling like what they are doing is an otherwise thankless job.

The day is particularly celebrated within organisations which rely heavily on custodial workers to ensure that everything is up to scratch, keep their buildings looking pristine and to create an enjoyable working space for their staff and clients.

Schools are educational institutions are also amongst those who are most reliant on custodial workers, and school kids, teachers and staff are encouraged to show their thanks and celebrate Custodial Worker Day too.

Celebrations include holding custodial worker themed parties and gatherings as well as giving cards and gifts to custodial workers.

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October 2 Birthdays


Mahatma Gandhi - (1869-1948)



Sting - 65



Kelly Ripa - 46



Groucho Marx - (1890-1977)






October 2nd

2004: During a Pearl Jam concert in Toledo, OH as part of the Vote for Change tour, Neil Young and Peter Frampton made surprise appearances to perform “All Along the Watchtower”, “Act Of Love”, “Cortez The Killer”, and “Rockin’ in the Free World” with Pearl Jam.

1998: Cheap Trick was inducted into Hollywood’s Rockwalk. The induction was hosted by Los Angeles DJ Jim Ladd and all members of the band added their handprints except for singer Robin Zander who wasn’t feeling well.

1995: Journey announced that the Escape-era lineup had reunited. The following year they released Trial by Fire, but by 1998 Steve Perry and Steve Smith had left Journey.

1994: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch performed with the group for the last time at Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit Concert in Mountain View, CA.

1982: Peter Gabriel joined Genesis onstage for the first time since leaving the band in 1975 at the WOMAD benefit in the U.K. during an encore of “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)”.

1982: Dire Straits reached the top of the U.K. Album Chart for the first time with their fourth album Love Over Gold which went on to spend four weeks at number one.

1978: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss’ solo albums were each certified Gold and Platinum by the RIAA.

1976: Joe Cocker was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. While Cocker performed “Feelin’ Alright” John Belushi came out onstage and duets with Cocker.

1967: Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan and Bob Weir were arrested for marijuana possession following a police raid at their house. The charges would later be dropped on a technicality as the police failed to obtain a search warrant.



Birthdays:

Eddie Cochran born in 1938 Mike

Rutherford - Guitarist for Genesis born in 1950

Sting born in 1951

[IceWizard]

Monday 3 Oct 2016

World Day of Bullying Prevention



Bullying has been a growing problem in schools, especially in past years. While some consider hazing and the abuse that some children take in school to be a typical part of the adolescent experience, rising suicide rates and violence in school has led officials to start taking a hard, zero-tolerance stance on bullying.

If you were picked in school as a kid, or maybe it continued into your college and adult years, World Day Of Bullying Prevention is bringing attention to your plight, and the plight of others who experienced this incredibly difficult, and dangerous, part of many children’s lives.

History of World Day Of Bullying Prevention

Bullying has existed probably as long as humans have, but in 2007 two young men by the names of David Shepherd and Travis Price decided that they’d simply had enough.

On the first day of school, a day like any other as you may imagine, a student by the name of Jadrien Cota had made a vital error for a young boy starting off a school year.

This mistake?

He’d worn a pink shirt. It took almost no time at all for a group of bullies to notice the color of his shirt, and they immediately started giving him a hard time about it.

Observing this, David and Travis decided to take a stand. They went home and purchased 50 pink shirts and handed them out at school the next day, encouraging everyone to take a stand against bullying.

It didn’t take long for this practice to catch on and start to spread around the world, in 2008 Gordon Campbell, the Premier of British Columbia, proclaimed a provincial anti-bullying day.

It continued to spread until 2012, when the United Nations took this celebration and pushed it one step further, turning it into an Anti-Bullying campaign on a global scale.



And



World Habitat Day



When we hear the word habitat, we often think of places like the rainforest and broad open forests, the places that wild animals live and that are all too often endangered.

Rarely do we consider that we ourselves are animals, and that we also have habitats, though mostly we call them homes. Habitat for Humanity has been working to ensure that people everywhere have homes to call their own, especially in those places where the environment is either harsh or dangerous.

History of World Habitat Day

It’s been 3 decades since the United Nations General Assembly announced to the world that it is a human right to have a decent place to live.

So it was that they created the most important holiday for those without proper homes, World Habitat Day. Habitat for Humanity works side by side with their global partners to work to provide homes for everyone who needs one, and encouraging people to work towards a better future for themselves and the world.

The story of Habitat for Humanity started in 1976, and has since spread all over the world to bring together volunteers, investors, and businesses to build homes and provide shelter for those in need.

Homes give a family a sense of strength, self- reliance, and stability, valuable treasures in an ever-changing world. Habitat for Humanity has worked closely with the United Nations to continue the fight for proper housing for everyone, and 2016 saw the arrival of the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, aimed at addressing the continuing trend of people moving from rural to urban areas.

This new trend requires new concepts of urbanization to help maintain it in a sustainable way, and Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to seeing the future urban centers be full of decent housing.

[IceWizard]

October 3 Birthdays


Gwen Stefani - 47



Tommy Lee - 54



Stevie Ray Vaughan - (1954-1990)



Chubby Checker - 75



Al Sharpton - 62



Lindsey Buckingham - 67






October 3rd

2006: Former Kiss guitarist Vinnie Vincent lost a Supreme Court appeal in a dispute with former bandmates over royalties for his contributions in the group’s 1983 album Lick It Up.

2000: Benjamin Orr, bassist and one of the vocalists for The Cars died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Atlanta, GA. He was 53 years old.

1991: Texas governor Ann Richards proclaimed this day Stevie Ray Vaughan Day. An annual motorcycle ride and concert was held on this day and every October 3rd to benefit the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Scholarship Fund.

1981: Seventeen years into their career, The Kinks performed at Madison Square Garden for the first time.

1980: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off their tour in support of The River at the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, MI. Springsteen forgot the lyrics of “Born to Run” and Bob Seger joined Springsteen onstage for a duet of “Thunder Road”.

1978: Aerosmith bailed thirty fans out of jail after they were arrested for smoking pot during an Aerosmith concert at the Fort Wayne Coliseum in Fort Wayne, IN.

1970: Creedence Clearwater Revival peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” which was their ninth top ten single in the U.S.

1970: Rare Earth peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with their cover of “(I Know) I’m Losing You” which was their second top ten single in the U.S.

1967: Bob Dylan’s mentor Woody Guthrie died after suffering from Huntington’s Chorea disease for almost ten years. He was 55 years old.



Birthdays:

Lindsey Buckingham - Guitarist for Fleetwood Mac born in 1949

Stevie Ray Vaughan born in 1954

Tommy Lee - Drummer for Motley Crue born in 1962

[IceWizard]

Tuesday 4 Oct 2016

World Animal Day



While he may be rolling in his grave to discover that he was not the first person to be able to talk to animals, Doctor Doolittle would almost certainly be a keen advocate of World Animal Day which takes place on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, October 4th.

Started in 1931 in Italy, this annual celebration of all things furry is now a popular day in which we remember the important role that animals have to play in our world, as well as the people who devote their lives working to protect and care for them.

To get into the festive mood on October 4th you are encouraged to ditch the fur fabrics, refuse to buy products tested on animals and – probably of greater concern to the majority of folk – convert to vegetarianism.

Was St Francis a meat eater?

Answers on a postcard…



And



Ship in A Bottle Day



If you have ever admired the craftsmanship and beauty of a traditional ship in a bottle, you will be pleased to hear that this clever piece of art has its own annual day.

Ship in a Bottle Day celebrates the centuries-old skill of creating a miniature, fully-rigged ship that sits magically inside a glass bottle.

The secret lies in assembling the ship with the masts and sails hinged and lying flat so that it will fit through the neck of the bottle and once it is inside, gently pulling on strings to bring the pieces of the model ship upright until it fits inside the bottle.

Sailors originally made these ships to pass the time on long voyages and today, many people around the world still practice the skilled art.

Ship in a Bottle Day is held on the birthday of Jack Hinkley, the founder of the Ship in Bottle Association of America.

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October 4 Birthdays


Alicia Silverstone - 40



Russell Simmons - 59



Susan Sarandon - 70



Charlton Heston - (1923-2008)



Rutherford B. Hayes - (1822-1893)



Buster Keaton - (1895-1966)






October 4th

1999: It was announced that Jimi Hendrix’s sister Janie was planning to exhume Jimi’s body and move it to a pay-to view mausoleum. Other plans included a chance for fans to buy burial plots around Jimi’s new resting place.

1999: Ozzy Osbourne issued a press release asking the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to remove Black Sabbath from the ballot. Black Sabbath was later inducted in 2006.

1996: Van Halen announced that former Extreme singer Gary Cherone would be replacing Sammy Hagar. Cherone only sang on one album, 1998’s Van Halen III.

1986: Dan Rather was mugged by two men asking “Kenneth, what’s the frequency?” This incident would later influence the R.E.M. song “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” which was on their 1994 album Monster.

1980: Queen reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for the second and final time with “Another One Bites the Dust” which began a three week run at number one.

1975: Pink Floyd reached number one on the Billboard 200 Album Chart for the second time with Wish You Were Here which spent two weeks on top of the chart.

1973: During a Stephen Stills concert at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, Graham Nash and David Crosby joined Stills onstage. Neil Young later joined which was Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s first performance in two years.

1970: Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose at the Landmark Motor Hotel in Los Angeles. She was 27 years old.

1968: Cream began their farewell tour at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA.



Birthdays:

Jim Fielder - Bassist for Blood, Sweat and Tears born in 1947

[Spanky]

Tuesday 4 Oct 2016

World Animal Day



While he may be rolling in his grave to discover that he was not the first person to be able to talk to animals, Doctor Doolittle would almost certainly be a keen advocate of World Animal Day which takes place on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, October 4th.

Started in 1931 in Italy, this annual celebration of all things furry is now a popular day in which we remember the important role that animals have to play in our world, as well as the people who devote their lives working to protect and care for them.

To get into the festive mood on October 4th you are encouraged to ditch the fur fabrics, refuse to buy products tested on animals and – probably of greater concern to the majority of folk – convert to vegetarianism.

Was St Francis a meat eater?

Answers on a postcard…



And



Ship in A Bottle Day



If you have ever admired the craftsmanship and beauty of a traditional ship in a bottle, you will be pleased to hear that this clever piece of art has its own annual day.

Ship in a Bottle Day celebrates the centuries-old skill of creating a miniature, fully-rigged ship that sits magically inside a glass bottle.

The secret lies in assembling the ship with the masts and sails hinged and lying flat so that it will fit through the neck of the bottle and once it is inside, gently pulling on strings to bring the pieces of the model ship upright until it fits inside the bottle.

Sailors originally made these ships to pass the time on long voyages and today, many people around the world still practice the skilled art.

Ship in a Bottle Day is held on the birthday of Jack Hinkley, the founder of the Ship in Bottle Association of America.

---

---

October 4 Birthdays


Alicia Silverstone - 40



Russell Simmons - 59



Susan Sarandon - 70



Charlton Heston - (1923-2008)



Rutherford B. Hayes - (1822-1893)



Buster Keaton - (1895-1966)






October 4th

1999: It was announced that Jimi Hendrix’s sister Janie was planning to exhume Jimi’s body and move it to a pay-to view mausoleum. Other plans included a chance for fans to buy burial plots around Jimi’s new resting place.

1999: Ozzy Osbourne issued a press release asking the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to remove Black Sabbath from the ballot. Black Sabbath was later inducted in 2006.

1996: Van Halen announced that former Extreme singer Gary Cherone would be replacing Sammy Hagar. Cherone only sang on one album, 1998’s Van Halen III.

1986: Dan Rather was mugged by two men asking “Kenneth, what’s the frequency?” This incident would later influence the R.E.M. song “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” which was on their 1994 album Monster.

1980: Queen reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for the second and final time with “Another One Bites the Dust” which began a three week run at number one.

1975: Pink Floyd reached number one on the Billboard 200 Album Chart for the second time with Wish You Were Here which spent two weeks on top of the chart.

1973: During a Stephen Stills concert at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, Graham Nash and David Crosby joined Stills onstage. Neil Young later joined which was Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s first performance in two years.

1970: Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose at the Landmark Motor Hotel in Los Angeles. She was 27 years old.

1968: Cream began their farewell tour at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA.



Birthdays:

Jim Fielder - Bassist for Blood, Sweat and Tears born in 1947

Hi Ice,
Don't know why you have to stir the pot, "Was St. Francis a meat eater?"  Ha, I'm kidding.  But sent me googling.  Turns out it's still a heated debate among church scholars and the vegan faithful.  Those who literally celebrate the spirit of St. Francis insist he was vegan, and cite a symbolic interpretations of any suggestions or scripture or dogma to the contrary.  Other equally worthy theologians talk about a passage that finds St. Francis assigning double rations of "meat for the brothers, and hay for the animals" and talk about the miracle of the fishes, and the fact that several apostles were fishermen, so probably not vegan.  It's a blistering debate, and seems there is no proof that St. Francis was or wasn't a vegan or vegetarian.  I don't invite the debate here, was just curious.  The question remains the same, can you love the animals--of which we are one--and eat them too?

Spanky

[Charon]

I checked on catholic web site and the female whom insists its biblical to be a vegan/veggetarian was banned.

From what i saw, he talked of eating meat at christmas. Some claim he abstained from lamb as Jesus became the Lamb of God in Roman Catholic theory.

However, in the bible, when Peter was upset about eating certain foods that as jewish he could not eat before, JC said: All things are permissible for a christian. However, not all things are beneficial. And, man, have I learned that is true.

Back on topic, Ice.

[IceWizard]

Wednesday 5 Oct 2016

World Teacher's Day



Teachers’ Day aims to raise awareness of the importance of the role played by teachers all over the world. The responsibility for educating future generations is not a light one by any means, so show your support for these dedicated and important people not just on Teachers’ Day, but throughout the whole year.



And



Country Inn Bed and Breakfast Day[/b]



This year, why not celebrate ‘Country Inn Bed and Breakfast Day’ by choosing one of the world’s finest rural retreats and enjoying a relaxing weekend getaway.

‘Country Inn Bed and Breakfast Day’ is an occasion that originated a good while ago in the west, and thousands of hostelries now make a special effort every year to welcome visitors by providing special events, information and entertainments.

Ways that you could celebrate ‘Country Inn Bed and Breakfast Day’ could include cooking your family a traditional fried breakfast, if you are unable to get away for the occasion, perhaps with some specialties of your region, or researching the history of country inns and bed and breakfasts.

There are thousands, and quite a few have been the scene of thrilling historical moments. Why not make a bucket list of famous country inns that you would love to visit?

[IceWizard]

October 5 Birthdays


Kate Winslet - 41



Bernie Mac - (1957-2008)



Brian Johnson - 69



Larry Fine - (1902-1975)






October 5th

2003: Ted Nugent’s reality show Surviving Nugent premiered on VH1. The show took city dwellers to Nugent’s Michigan ranch to survive “backwoods” activities including building an outhouse and skinning a boar.

2002: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were the musical guest on the season premiere of season 28 of Saturday Night Live.

2000: The Beatles Anthology book, which was twenty years in the making was published in the U.S.

1999: Roger Daltrey announced that The Who was reforming for good. Since first splitting up in 1982, there were one-off reunion tours in 1989 and 1996.

1991: Guns N’ Roses made history entering the Billboard 200 Album Chart at numbers one and two with Use Your Illusion II and Use Your Illusion I respectively. Use Your Illusion II spent two weeks at number one and was the band’s second and last number one album in the U.S.

1991: Ozzy Osbourne debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with No More Tears which went on to sell four million copies in the U.S. Alongside Blizzard of Ozz it is Osbourne’s highest selling album in the U.S. as a solo artist.

1969: The Who made their first and only appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

1966: Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding played together for the first time. The Jimi Hendrix Experience was formed shortly thereafter.

1962: The Beatles released their first single “Love Me Do” in the U.K. where it reached number 17. When it was first released in the U.S. in 1964, it reached number one.



Birthdays:

Steve Miller - Singer and guitarist for The Steve Miller Band born in 1943

Brian Johnson - Singer for AC/DC born in 1947

Brian Connolly - Singer for Sweet born in 1949

“Fast” Eddie Clarke - Guitarist for Motorhead born in 1950

Bob Geldof - Singer for The Boomtown Rats born in 1954