This post ran on December 10, 2018. Since the anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival is approaching, I thought preparing would be a good idea.
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The pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. If you were there, here is a list to help you stay out of trouble.
Top Ten Things Not to Do Landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620
10 If you land with the Pilgrims, do not suggest a beach party once reaching land. If you do, at best, no one will understand you. At worst, there will be a realization on the part of the elders that you are possessed. ( You might as well confess, Gabriele. They won’t stop the water board treatment until you do. Of course, confession may lead to an old-fashioned stake burning. Tough decision.)
9 If you land with the Pilgrims, do not try to beat Tiny, the WWF champ, to a long boat. If you do, at best, you’ll trip and miss your chance. At worst, you’ll find yourself in the boat sitting next to Tiny, and he doesn’t look happy. (You’ll soon learn, Gadiel, that Tiny promised his mom that he would be the first to get into the boat and onto land. Now that he has missed his number one promise, it looks like you are about to be tossed overboard. If so, give that anchor he gave you to hold back to Tiny before you go.)
8 If you land with the Pilgrims, do not start telling everyone about planting a fish with the corn. If you do, at best, you will be laughed out of town. At worst, since it is December and the ground is frozen solid, you might be taken for crazy. (Of course, you meant in the spring, Gair. The guys with that ball and chain could care less.)
7 If you land with the Pilgrims, do not mention anything about a turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. If you do, at best, you’ll have to go hunting. At worst, the elders will quiz you closely about why you are thankful. It is cold, wet, and miserable. ( Now that they mention it, Galchobhar, you may have tipped your hand about time travel. This can only lead to the thought that you are a devil. That thought never gets anyone anything.)
6 If you land with the Pilgrims, do not start talking about forming a football team named the Pilgrim Patriots. If you do, at best, no one ever heard of football. At worst, you will immediately be accused of rule violations and forever curse the team to public scorn. (So there is where all this New England Patriot controversy comes from, Galterieo. Might as well label it Pilgrimgate.)
5 If you land with the Pilgrims, do not wear your “I love Pope Paul V” sweatshirt. If you do, at best, no one will notice it under your black tunic. At worst, William Brewster will catch a glimpse and reach an apocalyptic state of the highest order. (Good thing you were able to talk your way out of that one, Galvyn. I’m not sure anything Catholic would be welcome here.)
4 If you land with the Pilgrims, do not make jokes about the native tribe called Wampanoags. If you do, at best, the Native Americans will not hear you. At worst, Massasoit, their leader, will take offense. ( Now we have another fine kettle of fish, Ganesh. The pilgrims need Indian assistance, and the leader is mad at you. Guess who will be eliminated in this standoff?)
3 If you land with the Pilgrims, do not try to convince people to dig up clams for food. If you do, at best, most will simply say, “No, thank you.” At worst, you will be declared a food crank and banished. (You have to remember, Garbhach, that the idea of digging up something in the water and then eating it is not what most people think is normal.)
2 If you land with the Pilgrims, do not insist on building a split-level ranch home with a bay view. If you do, at best, you’ll have to do it alone. At worst, the leadership will put you at the bottom of the priority list. (Nice move, Gared. You’ll be in this lean-to for another year at best.)
1 If you land with the Pilgrims, do not discuss your recipe for the perfect margarita with anyone. If you do, at best, someone will report you. At worst, you’ll be asked to prepare a batch, and there is no tequila or limes anywhere. (How do these stocks feel, Garred? You only have thirty days to go.)
Today, we are traveling to Lakeway City Hall, where the 2024 Lakeway Photo Festival winners are displayed. The Festival is sponsored by The Lakeway Arts Committee and is an annual event. We are catered by This Too Shall Pass of Austin. Our entertainment is Paul Simon singing Kodachrome.
Also, all the photos are behind glass and illuminated with spotlights. To get a photo of the photo, I have had to take some unusual angles to avoid glare and reflection. I intended to get a clear photo and not worry about the frames. The angles will be a little uncomfortable to highly qualified photographers. The following are the category winners.
Iconic Golfball Tower
Framed
Don’t Wake the Lion
A Rose by Any Other Dark Name.
Life Emerging
Oh Deer
Got Any Nuts?
Woodhouse Scrub Jay
Sharing Sweet Nectar
The Mother Ship
Celebrate America
Misty Morning
Runners -up
Runners up
Well, that is the tour. It is time to relax with food and music. I hope you have a great weekend.
How cool is this? My coffee was waiting for me when merely approaching the machine. How that happened is anybody’s guess, but it seemed like a nice thing to have happened. After the first sip, the time travel clock came to mind. The time is set to November 30th, 1924. The place is Cleveland Ohio and the duration is for an hour. The plunger is pulled, and we find ourselves at the headquarters of the National Football League. We are hear for the announcement of the 1924 champions.
The 1924 NFL season officially ended with the Cleveland Bulldogs as champions based on having the best record (7-1-1) for a .875 winning percentage. Second place went to the Chicago Bears (6-1-4 or .857), whom Cleveland had defeated, 16 to 14, in the Bulldogs’ first game on October 5.
The league was founded in 192o. Joseph Carr, the commissioner, announces the standings.
NFL standings
Team
W
L
T
PCT
PF
PA
STK
Cleveland Bulldogs
7
1
1
.875
229
60
W2
Chicago Bears
6
1
4
.857
136
55
W3
Frankford Yellow Jackets
11
2
1
.846
326
109
W8
Duluth Kelleys
5
1
0
.833
56
16
W1
Rock Island Independents
5
2
2
.714
88
38
L1
Green Bay Packers
7
4
0
.636
108
38
L1
Racine Legion
4
3
3
.571
69
47
W1
Chicago Cardinals
5
4
1
.556
90
67
L1
Buffalo Bisons
6
5
0
.545
120
140
L3
Columbus Tigers
4
4
0
.500
91
68
L1
Hammond Pros
2
2
1
.500
18
45
W2
Milwaukee Badgers
5
8
0
.385
142
188
L2
Akron Pros
2
6
0
.250
59
132
W1
Dayton Triangles
2
6
0
.250
45
148
L6
Kansas City Blues
2
7
0
.222
46
124
L2
Kenosha Maroons
0
4
1
.000
12
117
L2
Minneapolis Marines
0
6
0
.000
14
108
L6
Rochester Jeffersons
0
7
0
.000
7
156
L7
As the champagne is being served, the alarm goes off, and we are on the couch. A test has arrived from Linda Hill. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “cool.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
After a pod of more than 30 pilot whales were stranded on a New Zealand beach, over a thousand volunteers and professionals organized to save them by carrying them back out to sea on sheets.
The sheets were suspended from the prow of a boat operated by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DoC).
The stranding happened on Ruakākā Beach near the city of Whangārei in New Zealand’s north island, a particularly prolific stranding location for pilot whales. DoC agents routinely survey the beach and ask the public to report any whales coming too near.
Rescue efforts saw almost all of the pilot whales survive, while three adults and one calf perished. A Māori ceremony was held to honor their spirits, as the Māori believe the animal to be a sacred cultural treasure.
“It’s amazing to witness the genuine care and compassion people have shown toward these magnificent animals,” Joel Lauterbach, a Department of Conservation spokesperson, said in a statement. “This response demonstrates the deep connection we all share with our marine environment.”
The good news in this story is seeing folks pull together to save other Earth residents. The JohnKu talks about thinking of others as more than just animals. I hope you have a super weekend.
This post ran on November 25, 2019. I thought it would be fun to reread it since this is Thanksgiving week here in the US.
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George Washington proclaimed November 25 as a day of Thanksgiving in honor of the new constitution. This day has been used to set Thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November. Although the first Thanksgiving might have been held with the pilgrims and native Americans much earlier, George established the date. As a side note of interest, it wasn’t until 1863 that a national day of Thanksgiving was held. I’m sure you would like to go to George’s house and help him and Martha celebrate the day. Here is a list of things not to do to keep history intact.
Top Ten Things Not to Do at the George Washington Proclamation of Thanksgiving in 1789.
10 If you go to George’s place, do not bring a box of stovetop stuffing as your contribution to the dinner. If you do, at best, no one will know what it is. At worst, someone may feed it to the horses. (Now you have a problem, Josephe. George wants to know who brought the stuff that gave his horses the colic)
9 If you go to George’s place, do not hand Tiny the WWF champ a dollar for holding the door for you. If you do, at best, Tiny will need the money. At worst, Tiny just left his self-esteem discussion group and believes he is a close friend of George Washington. (So now you have made Tiny feel like the help, Josue. Don’t worry that step over toe hold never works to take off the toe. Of course, there is always the first time.)
8 If you go to George’s place, do not suggest a game of Monopoly after dinner. If you do, at best, you’ll get some stares. At worst, George will think it a fun idea. (Now ymust to construct the whole game out of paper and a quill pen, Jourdan. Good luck making the tokens.)
7 If you go to George’s place, do not bring up politics as a dinner discussion item. If you do, at best, everyone will ignore you. At worst, you’ll pick a fight with Aaron Burr. (The instructions are correct, Jovan. You walk 25 paces, turn and fire. Yes, I think Aaron has done this before.)
6 If you go to George’s place, do not tell George the turkey is tough when he asks. If you do, at best, he won’t hear you. At worst, he’ll hand you a musket. (He politely suggests you go out and shoot your turkey, Jozsef. Maybe next time, you’ll just say it is excellent.)
5 If you go to George’s place, do not suggest to Martha that the sweet potatoes would be better with marshmallow bits. If you do, at best, Martha will be too busy to hear you. At worst, Martha will think your suggestion is a good one and hand you a ten-pound bag of sweet potatoes. (Well, now you are in a pickle, Judd. You must figure out how to make sweet potatoes and marshmallow bits.)
4 If you go to George’s house, do not ask for jelly-cranberry sauce. If you do, at best, you have created a discussion topic. At worst, the chef had just reached the end of his rope. It seems there have been several menu changes, Julito. Yours is the straw that broke the camel’s back. That knife looks pretty big from here. I think a good before-dinner run is in order.)
3 If you go to George’s house, do not decide to give a toast to the new constitution. If you do, at best, there will be too many in line before you. At worst, George will ask you about one of the articles. (So as a product of public education, Jullien, have you ever read the constitution, let alone know what is in the section? I thought not. Just say you need the outhouse and be gone.)
2 If you go to George’s house, do not stare at George’s teeth. If you do, at best, he’ll think you are looking at something else. At worst, he will catch on. (So now that you have made your host uncomfortable, Junien. I think you better cut your losses by saying something like, “Are those mahogany?” Or I guess you could say you were looking at his nose. Either way, I hope you have a horse standing by.)
1 If you go to George’s house, do not ask if you can try on a powdered wig. If you do, at best, you’ll be told no. At worst, someone will plop a wig on your head. (Lucky you, Jurgen. You are now wearing the lice and bedbug infected wig that remained after the last redcoat left Washington. Maybe setting your hair on fire will save you. In any case, you have got to find some alcohol fast.)
Today, we are on a quest to find any Thanksgiving decorations available in the neighborhood. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is somewhat ignored in terms of decorating, so we are off to see if we can find any. We are catered by Caroline of Austin. Our entertainment is Nat King Cole.