THEY'RE STILL ON TRACK!

 

     FRIDAY, JANUARY 17TH., 2025
        THEY'RE STILL ON TRACK!

     I want to tell you about a guy
with a lot of pull! You see today is
"Cable Car Day!"
    Andrew Smith Hallidie is the guy! He
got tired seeing horses falling over, sometimes
dying, while trying to pull trolleys up the
steep streets of the City by the Bay!
    So he got a patent for a moving cable to
pull the cars along. And, by the way, for a
number of years the cables that did the job
were manufactured in Sunbury, Pennsylvania!
    I got a chance to ride the Cable Cars back
in 2007 when my wife and I hosted a train
trip out to San Francisco.
     A guy directing the cars at a turn around
point pulled one aside especially for our tour
group and off we went!
     I got to stand at the right front of the car
which allowed me to get some great video...
but also had me ducking out of the way of
trucks parked along the tracks. Their mirrors
were at just the right height to knock any
inattentive passenger half way to the stars!
     Since we don't have any Cable Cars
around here maybe you can head out to
one of the ski slopes and ride the lift all
day. It's just another version of Hallidie's
idea and no horses are at risk!
     Hopefully that "Golden Sun" will shine
on you and all your NEWS will be good!

NEWTON'S LAW OF HOLIDAYS!

 

     THURSDAY, JANUARY 16TH., 2025
     NEWTON'S LAW OF HOLIDAYS!

      January 16th is "National Fig Newton Day!"
         It is dedicated to Fig Newtons –
cookies filled with fig paste that are a
trademarked version of the fig roll
manufactured by Nabisco. I always liked
these tasty snacks!
        Contrary to what some believe, they
are not named after English physicist Sir
 Isaac Newton. I don't believe he even has
a day named after him. Fig Newtons were
named after the town of Newton, Massachusetts.
         Anyway I just thought you should know
there's plenty of reason to celebrate today!
Hope all your Newtons......I mean...News...
is good!   

REALLY?

 

   MONDAY, JANUARY 13TH., 2025
                       REALLY?

     You may find this hard to believe but
January 13th is "International Skeptic's
Day!"
      I already wonder if this unusual day
is really observed around the world. Or
along the world for those who question
whether the earth is truly round.
      I know there are those who don't
believe the date since the first Friday
of the year and October 13th are also
listed as "Skeptic's Day."
       I have been a skeptic for many
years. Remember, my role as a news
reporter frequently had me asking
questions to, and hearing answers from,
people in politics.
        Of course there's nothing wrong
with some skepticism. If more people
were skeptics far fewer would have
bought the Brooklyn Bridge or sent
money to that guy who emailed to
say the dough was needed to free up
your inheritance discovered in South
Africa!
          So celebrate by raising an
eyebrow when you're given "the
facts" by anyone today and don't
hesitate to carry an umbrella if the
forecaster is promising sunshine!
           Meanwhile if you're interested

in a bridge between Brooklyn and

Manhattan  I can give you a good

deal! Hope you're you'll take it off 
my hands and that all your NEWS
is good!

THE CAT'S OUT OF THE BAG!

      SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2025

     THE CAT'S OUT OF THE BAG!

    For hours leading up to this day I just

knew there was something brewing. As

though there was an elephant in the room!

Then I realized...we're half way into "Idiom

Week!" It's time to let the cat out of the bag!

My wife has often suggested I was an Idiom.

Or something like that! Idioms, of course, are

words and phrases not to be taken literally.

I mean it never actually rains cats and dogs!

But how do we observe this week? I'm up in

the air about that. And not knowing is like having

a monky on your back!  Guess I'll just hit the hay

and think on it before I fly off the handle! Hope

you're thinking too and that all your NEWS is

good!

GOT MILK FRIENDS?

     SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 2025

                         GOT MILK?

         January 11th is "National Milk Day!"

I like milk! I've been drinking it since I

was a babu. As it happens the first home

delivery of milk in glass bottles took place

on this very day in 1878. Milk has changed

a bit throught the years. You can still find

it in glass bottles. But you're most likely

see it in plastic containers at most stores

these days/ You'll also find a choice of 1%, 2%, 

and whole milk. I like whole milk. But our

grandson has pretty much grown up on

Almond milk. (I still haven't learbed how

one milks an almond!  But my favorite

milk product only comes around a couple

times of year. I just picked up a bottle

yesterday. It's called Egg Nog and it's

probably good that it isn't available

all the time. It's got about as many

calories in one glass as a double cheeseburger!

Think I'll have a sip right now! Hope you've

"got milk" and that all your NEWS is good! 

THIS MAY COME AS A SHOCK TO YOU!

 

    THURSDAY, JANUARY 9TH., 2025
THIS MAY COME AS A SHOCK TO YOU!

    Christmas is over!
    Russian Christmas is over.
    New Year's Eve has come and gone.
    But don't despair. There's always a
holiday to be celebrated. And that
includes today.
     Just in case you didn't know January
9th is "National Static Electricity Day!"
I thought you'd get a charge out of that
shocking fact!
     It's a day to recognize, if not
celebrate, that sudden little electrical
zap you get when reaching for the door
knob after dragging you feet along the
carpet.
     Or that interesting hairdo that
develops after rubbing a balloon over
your curly locks.
     Winter is prime time for static
electricity.
      There's a scientific reason for the
creation of static electricity. It involves
atoms and protons and neutrons.
       If I could explain it I wouldn't
have spent all those days on the road
as a reporter standing outside in the
cold or rain or snow chasing bad
guys or describing horrible driving
conditions. Or writing a blog!
        Since I can't I just thought I'd
make you aware of this holiday.
        I can tell you you'd be wise to
ground yourself before you kiss your
significant other goodbye!
        Hope I've sparked your interest
and that all your NEWS is good!

NO NEWS ISN'T ALWAYS GOOD!

    WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2025

     NO NEWS ISN'T ALWAYS GOOD!     

    The title to my daily blog presentation

is taken from an old saying.."No news is

good news." But that's not always true.

And this very date in history proves my

point/ It was on January 8th of 1815 that

then General Andy Jackson led a force

of Americans, and volunteer pirates,

against the British in what has become

know as the Battle of New Orleans! Johnny

Horton did a song about that epic fight in

the War of 1812. The Americans won the

day but both sides lost a lot of men during

the battle. And here;s the thing, the battle

was fought on January 8th of 1815. But the

war actually ended in December of 1814!

The soldiers never got the news about the

end of the war until after their battle had

ended. In their case, no news was basically

a disaster for those who lost their lives! It;s

far better t know my friends! Hope you're

top on things and that all your NEWS is

good!