Thursday, November 30, 2006

Holiday Question of the Day

In the Bible how many wise men/magi/kings were listed as giving gifts to the baby Jesus?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: He lived in Myra in Lycia a province of Asia Minor, which is now in Turkey.

Holiday Gift Giving Guide

  • Here are some ideas for gifts for the history and/or mystery lover in your life. (Note: We at Weird News B.N.I. already own all of these books, so if you are a friend or family member to the editors, do not get us this, look on our Amazon wish list for ideas. It’s the one that doesn’t look like it’s for a 2 year old.)
  • “Hemlock at Vespers: Fifteen Sister Fidelma Mysteries” By: Peter Tremayne Historic Fiction/Mystery/Short Stories 393 pages, 10th grade reading level, 1st printed 2000

This book is a collection of short stories of Sister Fidelma mysteries, a seventh century nun in the Celtic Church. The mysteries range from missing items to murder investigations. And the history of that time is a very important part of the story line. The writer is a Celtic scholar, and one learns much of that time in Ireland from the ancient law system still in place to the differences between the Celtic and Roman Churches at that time. He has also written many novels with the same characters, so if one loves this book, there are many more to read.

  • “A Pawn for a Queen” By: Fiona Buckley Historic Fiction/Mystery 359 pages, 10 th grade reading level, 1st printed 2002

This book is actual the 6th in the series of Ursula Blanchard Mysteries, but one does not have to read any other book to enjoy this one. The book takes place during the rein of Queen Elizabeth I in England and Queen Mary in Scotland. Ursula is a spy for Queen Elizabeth who is asked by her family to help bring back her cousin from Scotland, where he has gone to help Queen Mary in her attempt to take over England. She arrives too late, and must find his killer, as she works out where her loyalty truly lies.

  • “Maisie Dobbs” By: Jacqueline Winspear Historic Fiction/Mystery 294 pages, 8th grade reading level, 1st printed in 2003

This book stars Maisie Dobbs a British detective during the time between WWI and WWII. She solves mysteries big and small through out the book, while dealing with the aftermath of WWI and how the war changed live for the people that fought in it forever. It also has many flash backs to what life was like before and during the war. This book is the first in a series.


For the Junior Mystery and History Lover

  • “Shadows on the Wall” By: Phyllis Reynold Naylor Children’s Historic Fiction/Mystery 165 pages 5th grade reading level, 1st printed in 1980

    This book is 1st in “the York Trilogy”. And one needs to read all three books. It is a story of a teen age boy who travels back in time to learn the story of his family. It takes place in modern times, and in Medieval England.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Holiday Question of the Day

Most of you know that St. Nicholas was the source for Santa Clause and that he didn’t live at the North Pole, but where did he live?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: 184 Although in families that give gifts on the 12 days of Christmas they have 1 gift per day, much like with Hanukkah. (Also telling you parents it’s still Christmas on Jan 4th will not get you more presents in families that only give presents on 1 day.)

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Little Known Facts on the Song “White Christmas”

  • Irving Berlin the writer of the song did not celebrate Christmas as he was Jewish.
  • It was originally recorded in May of 1942 by Bing Crosby.
  • That master recording was used so much that it had to be rerecorded in March of 1947.
  • The 1947 recording is the one that is heard now.
  • It was introduced to the world in the 1942 musical Holiday Inn.
  • It was the theme song for the 1954 musical with the same name.
  • Bing Crosby’s version of “White Christmas” is the best selling single of all time with an estimated 50 million copies.
  • Other singers and groups to record the song include: Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, The California Raisins, Perry Como, Crash Test Dummies, Neil Diamond, Hanson, Billy Idol, Elton John, MercyMe, The Partridge Family, Elvis, LeAnn Rimes, Ringo Starr, the Temptations, and Twisted Sister.

Holiday Questin of the Day

In the song "The 12 Days of Christmas" how many birds would you get if you recieved all the gifts as sung in the song?

Answer to Yesterday's Question:
4. Chanuokkah
9. Kanukco
13. Khanukkh
(and the makers of spell check often don't have the more uncommon words in it that you really need it for.)

Monday, November 27, 2006

Holiday Question of the day.

There are many ways to spell Hanukkah in English. Which 3 ways are not considered correct spellings? (And why doesn't spell check know what one's are real?)
1.Channuka
2.Channukah
3.Chanuko
4.Chanuokkah
5.Hannuka
6.Hanuka
7.Hanukah
8. Kanukkah
9.Kanukco
10. Khannuka
11.Khanuka
12. Khanukkah
13.Khanukkh
14.Xanuka

Answer to yesterday's question.

Gold, Frankencense and myrrh

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Dreidels

What is a dreidel?

The dreidel is a four sided top that is used in a game often played during Hanukkah. On it is writen the first letter for each word in Hebrew for the saying "Ness Gadol Haya Sham" or in English " A great miracle took place there." Or if from Israel "A great miracle took place here." And it is meant to remind one of the story of Hanukkah. According to many stories it was made up during a time when it was illeagal to teach Judaism. People would gather in small groups to study their religion, and if anyone came in they would play with the dreidel as if it was only for gambling.

Lyrics to the Dreidel Song (I have a little Dreidel)

I have a little dreidel,I made it out of clay. And when it’s dry and ready, Oh dreidel I shall play.(Chorus)Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay; And when its dry and ready,Then dreidel I shall play.It has a lovely body, With legs so short and thin. And when it gets all tired, It drops and then I win.(Chorus)

Lyrics to Dreidel, Spin, Spin, Spin

Dreidel, spin, spin, spin!Chanukah is a good holiday;Chanukah is a good holiday - Dreidel, spin, spin, spin!
It's a happy holiday for the people;A great miracle happened there;A great miracle happened there - It's a happy holiday for the people.

Holiday Question of the Day

What were the 3 first Christmas presents?


Yesterday's Answer:Other federal holidays are: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Black Friday

As you may know, today is what is called Black Friday in retail. It’s the biggest shopping day of the year, and the start of the Christmas holiday shopping. (We know it started like 5 weeks ago, but now its official.) Anyway it is also the start of the Weird News B.N.I. Holiday Issue. (which is mainly about Christmas with some Hanukkah, Chanukkah, Chanukah, Hanukah and Kwanzaa things mixed in.) So with only 31 (22,32) shopping days left, get shopping!

Holiday Question of the Day

There are 10 federal holidays, Christmas is one, name 5 more.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Quotes on Turkey

“It was dramatic to watch [my grandmother] decapitate [a turkey] with an ax the day before Thanksgiving. Nowadays the expense of hiring grandmothers for the ax work would probably qualify all turkeys so honored with “gourmet” status.” - Russell Baker


“A turkey is more occult and awful than all the angels and archangels. In so far as God has partly revealed to us an angelic world, he has partly told us what an angel means. But God has never told us what a turkey means. And if you go and stare at a live turkey for an hour or two, you will find by the end of it that the enigma has rather increased than diminished” – G. K. Chesterton

“It has been an unchallengeable American doctrine that cranberry sauce, a pink goo with overtones of sugared tomatoes, is a delectable necessity of the Thanksgiving board and that turkey is uneatable without it.... There are some things in every country that you must be born to endure; and another hundred years of general satisfaction with Americans and America could not reconcile this expatriate to cranberry sauce, peanut butter, and drum majorettes.” - Alistair Cooke

“We recommend that no one eat more than two tons of turkey—that’s what it would take to poison someone.” - Elizabeth Whelan, Amer Council on Science and Health

Start looking at Friday's Sales

Here is a web site we heard about in Parents magizine, It has listings for lots of companies sales. And on the freebie board is a link to sales for Friday.
Click Here to view page.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Bombeck on Thanksgiving

  • What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving? ~Erma Bombeck, "No One Diets on Thanksgiving," 26 November 1981
  • Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence. ~Erma Bombeck

How Long to Cook a Turkey

As 95% of Americans will be eating turkey on Thanksgiving here’s how long to cook it. (Apparently 5% of Americans are vegetarians) And remember to let it rest 20-30 minutes to allow for carry over cooking and to let the juices redistribute.

Roasting at 325

weight (lbs) unstuffed (hrs) stuffed (hrs)
10 to 18 : 3 to 3 1/2 4 to 4 1/2
18 to 22 : 3 1/2 to 4 4 1/2 to 5
22 to 24 : 4 to 4 1/2 5 to 5 1/2

Grilling

Whole unstuffed 10 to 18 lbs turkey: 2-4 hours
Turkey breast 3 to 9 lbs. : 1 ½ to 3 hours

Deep fried
Whole unstuffed 10 to 18 lbs turkey at 375-400: 4 minutes per pound.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

How Much to Make

If you are like most people cooking Thanksgiving Dinner, or bringing a dish to one you don’t often cook for more then 4 or 5 people at a time. So we have looked up about what one needs to make to feed a dozen people. This is based off of 12 adults: if you’re feeding children you will need less, if you feeding teenage boys, well count each one as two people. We have also included about what 1 person will eat. The amounts being based off a dinner with an average number of foods and little to no leftovers. If you have everything we’ve listed they will eat less of each if you only have turkey and rolls you’ll need a lot more.


Food

12 people
per person








Turkey

12 lbs

1lbs


Stuffing

9 cups

3/4 cup


pies

3 pies

2 slices


Whipped topping
1/2 pint

2 T


rolls

24

2


butter

2 sticks

1 T


Mashed potatoes
9 cups

3/4 cup


Gravy

6 cups

1/2 cup


coffee

24 cups

2 cups


Lemonade
6 Qts.

2 cups


wine

4 bottles

1 glass


Cranberry sauce
3 cups

1/4 cup


corn

6 cups

1/2 cup


grbean casserole
9 cups

3/4 cup


sw.potato cass.
9 cups

3/4 cup


Jell-O

6 cups

1/2 cup


rice

9 cups

3/4 cup


fruit salad
12 cups

1 cup


cheese, sliced
24 oz.

2 oz


Crackers
72-96

6 to 8


cheese, dip
1 1/2 cups
3 T


soup

18 cups

1 1/2 cups

dessert breads
1-2 loaves
1 slice


squash

6 lbs.

1/2 lbs.


mixed veggies
6 cups

1/2 cup


nuts

4 cups

1/3 cup


cookies

2 dozen

2


salad

12 cups

1 cup


salad dressing
1 1/2 cups
3 T

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Franklin on Turkey

"I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country.....The turkey is a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America."
Benjamin Franklin

Friday, November 17, 2006

Things for sale on E-bay right now

Mini Turkey soap mold
A 1914 Map of Newark, New Jersey
Rubber Chickens
Self Hypnosis CD set
Lego Heads in Jars
Rubles
Bullet proof vest
Loaded Dice
Yellow Signal Flag
Heater control for ’03-’06 Chevy or GMC truck
Antique Wicker Funeral Basket Casket
A Late Victorian Pulpit Stand
Appaloosa Gelding Horse
1971 AMC Gremlin X in green
Real Working Time Machine???

Thursday, November 16, 2006

An Actual Report of a Book – The Scarlet Letter

A Weird News B.N.I. Please don’t steal this report
On American Lit.

The Scarlet Letter by: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Historic fiction 221 pages (hard cover), 9th grade reading level, 1st printed in 1850

The “Scarlet Letter” is a book about adultery that has absolutely no sex in it. (Although they do say breast a few times, it is only used in a non sexy way.) It is only about the human psychological reaction to sin and its effects. It is rich with symbolism. Even the names of most of the characters are symbolic. The book is literally surrounded with the scarlet letter as both the first and last chapter start with a large capital A like that of the scarlet letter. It also attempts to be a look into Puritan life; however it fails horribly at it. For starters Hester Prynne the main character lives on the edge of town with only her daughter. This would be illegal at that time, as no one was allowed to live in a house without at least 2 people not counting babies and small children. Mistress Hibbins is not only a known witch, but doesn’t hide it and is allowed to live for years before being killed for practicing witchcraft.

Characters

Hester Prynne – The only main character who’s name is not symbolic. She is the wearer of the scarlet letter, a big letter A worn across her chest to let everyone know that she is an adulteress. This forced openness about her sin causes her to live separate from the community and spend her time doing giving to others to make up for her past.

Pearl – She is the daughter of Hester and how the town found out about Hester’s affair. This name is symbolic, and even the book points out how. She is named after the Pearl of great price in the Bible, (Matt 13:44-46.) because Hester gave up everything for her. She is also possible the first character in a book with autism, in a milder form like Asperger syndrome, as she displays many of the symptoms of the disorder; lack of social skills, delayed language skills, inflexibility about changes, persistent preoccupation with one interest, etc. Including ones that would not only be caused by her isolation from her peers, but is able to go on to live a least somewhat normal life in adulthood. (If any body has read the book, and has studied autism, we would love to hear your thoughts on it.)

Roger Chillingworth – He is the actual husband of Hester, who doesn’t want people to know it, and so changes his name and makes her promise not to tell people. He as his name states is the sinister character of the book. He lives only to make the man that slept with his wife miserable, even thought he doesn’t love her and married her to be a housekeeper and cook.
Reverend Dimmesdale – Pearl’s father. The towns beloved minister, who even when he tries to tell people what a horrible man he is no one believes. Whose life like his name, is dimming from hiding his sin.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Harvest Rice

Serves 4

1 ½ C. water
1 C. Apple Cider
2 C. instant brown rice
1/2 C. Craisins
1/3 C. raisins
1/3 C. dried apricots – Chopped
1 t. cinnamon
1/3 C. chopped almonds

Add liquids and fruit to a sauce pan. Heat to boiling and then add rice and cinnamon. Cover and turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Let sit 5 minutes or until water is absorbed. Stir in almonds and fluff rice.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Some random facts on John Smith

As we learned from history class John Smith was a great leader of the Jamestown colony, who may or may not have had his life saved by Pocahontas (who was so much younger then in the movie.) But what else do you know about him. Here are some random facts on John Smith.

  • John Smith was born in 1580 and died in 1631.
  • John Smith fought in the Dutch Wars and was captured by the Turkish.
  • John Smith was a leader of the Virginia Colony.
  • John Smith named New England.
  • John Smith was captured by pirates.
  • John is the 18th most popular boys name in the USA as of 2005 and Smith is the most common last name and the US and Great Britain.
  • According to Yellowbook.com there are 153 John Smiths in New York City.
  • If you Google (John Smith) you get 211,000,000 results
  • John Smith wrote the tune used in “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
  • John Smith has been the governor of Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maryland.
  • John Smith was both an uncle and nephew of the founder of the Mormon Church.
  • John Smith was a member of The A-Team.
  • John Smith is currently coaching football at Michigan State.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Quick & Tasty Creamed Corn

Serves 4 - 6

1 can corn
1 can cream style corn
½ C. heavy cream
2 t. brown sugar
¾ t. cinnamon
½ t. allspice
1 t. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together in a small sauce pan and heat on medium low until warm, do not let it boil.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Thanksgiving Day Football

  • "at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Armes, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted…” Edward Winslow, 1621
  • It is possible that the Pilgrims played an early form of ”football” on the 1st Thanksgiving. But as they were in North America it would be better known as soccer.
  • The earliest form of American football was started around the 1840’s and was already being played at colleges.
  • Collage football was mostly outlawed at the start of the 1860’s for fear of violence caused by tensions between the North and South.
  • In 1876 the Intercollegiate Football Association was formed and all schools involved agreed to play by the rules used at Harvard.
  • That year it was also decided that there would be a championship game each year on Thanksgiving.
  • This Thanksgiving Day Championship game grew in popularity and was featured in national magazines.
  • As it grew in popularity it also grew in violence. In 1896 helmets were introduced, but it was not until 1905 that the rules were changed to reduce violence and increase sportsmanship. This was done after President Theodore Roosevelt meet with schools after a year in which 18 players were killed and many more were badly injured.
  • In the start of the 20th century colleges throughout the U.S.A. formed regional football conferences, keeping the traditional Thanksgiving Day game.
  • In 1939 a few New Yorkers were the 1st to see football on TV. By 1950 the tradition of watching the Thanksgiving Day football game on TV was started.
  • Pro. Football started in 1920 with the 1st pro football game being played on Thanksgiving.
  • The 1st game of football to be broadcast on radio was a 1934 game on Thanksgiving between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions. (Detroit of course lost, but amazingly only by 3 points.)

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Saturdays

We at Weird News B.N.I. would like to let you know that the paper will be not sending out a new blog on most Saturdays, as we picked it as our day off at the paper. But enjoy the paper the rest of the week.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Would there even be a Thanksgiving with out beer?

A Weird News B.N.I. Please don’t steal this Report
On American History

We all know that the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in the winter of 1620 but the question that many have asked is why? They were going to have landed in Virginia Colony much earlier in the year.
The answer to why they ended up in America so late in the year has always been easy to answer. The Pilgrims for all their “Holier then Thou” ways were not a patience group. See they were planning to take two ships with them, the Mayflower and the Speedwell. So they started out in both boats from England in August. (Not that August is a great month to leave either, but at least they would have had a few weeks to built houses before it stated snowing.) Anyway the Speedwell started leaking and they couldn’t fix it, so they decided, “Let’s all cram into the Mayflower and keep going, we should get to America in time to not celebrate Christmas” By this time it was September. And the time of some of the stormiest weather in the Mid-Atlantic. So the only logical thing to do would be to winter over in England and start again next year, maybe in May or June when you could get to America in time to prepare for winter. But the impatience Pilgrims sailed on. The answer to why they ended up in icy cold New England instead of nice, warmer, inhabited by the English Virginia has long been a question of Historians. Historically many felt that the pilgrims were blown off course and didn’t know that they weren’t in Virginia. Newer thought has been that they ended up out the jurisdictions of their patent in order to be outside of the English law that they so hated. That it was done on purpose in order to create their own government. But in either case the real reason that they build houses there for the winter was that they were running out of beer. Back then beer was often the drink of choose being safer to drink then water in many places. And on ships special “ship’s beer” was used as it was able to make the long trip across the ocean safely, but was not of a high enough proof that everyone was drunk all the time. So after spotting land, knowing that they were running low they quickly scouted out a couple locations and picked where they would winter over. As to why after spending a winter there and having half of their people die they stayed, well once again one answer might be beer, or lead poisoning, maybe plan insanity it’s hard to tell.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

The oldest city in America

We are W.N.B.N.I. promised to talk about all the colonies of America we could, and so we would like to talk today about America’s forgotten colony of Florida. Although Florida changed from Spanish, to British, to Spanish, to American it was oddly all done be treaties, and not warfare. Florida is home to the longest continuously occupied European city in the United States. It is also most likely the oldest continuously occupied city in the U.S. today, as we know of no Native American cities in use that have been around longer. We are talking of course about St. Augustine, Florida that was founded in 1565. Before that a few colonies were attempted. These include Pensacola colony in 1559 and Fort Caroline in 1564. Both were also in Florida. St. Augustine was founded 21 years before the lost colony of Roanoke and 42 before Jamestown was founded in part to find the lost colony of Roanoke (and to paint with wind, i.e. grow “hemp”.) The 1st European born in what would become the U.S., Martin de Arguelles, was born here in 1566. (The 1st English baby born in America was Virginia Dare in 1587.)

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Odd Colonial Laws

  • In the 1600’s Pilgrims and Puritans outlawed the celebration of Christmas.
  • In Jamestown, Virginia it was illegal to gamble, be drunk, or be lazy. It was also illegal to wear gaudy clothes.
  • In Massachusetts one could be punished for eavesdropping, smoking, dancing, playing cards, and pulling hair.
  • In Albany, New York police could destroy any sleds that they found kids sledding on.
  • While never actual used, it was punishable by death if a 16 or older teen to rebelled against their parents.
  • It was illegal in Massachusetts to live alone.
  • Only rich people could wear fancy clothes made of fine materials, or with gold buttons.
  • If you bathed more than once in a month in Philadelphia you could be jailed.
  • In New England if a woman got married in her nightgown her new husband was not responsible for any depts. She incurred before the wedding.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Election Day

Today is the day of the midterm elections. So remember to go out in vote today. Remember voting is a privilege that our forefathers and foremothers worked had to win, so that after the election you would have the right to complain about how the other guy won, or how this guy isn’t following threw on their promises. Keep in mind, if you don’t vote it’s your fault that the government sucks, if you do then it’s their fault.

The President Pardoned that Turkey?

In 1861 President Lincoln received a live turkey to be used for Christmas dinner. His then 8 year old son Tad soon became attached to the turkey and begged his father not to kill the bird. Lincoln being a rather indulgent father, especially for that time, not only let the boy keep the bird, (that was given the name Jack, and became a family pet.) but issued the turkey a presidential pardon. This started the custom of the president pardoning one turkey a year that continues to this day. With it now being before Thanksgiving that the bird is pardoned. (There was no Thanksgiving then. Lincoln didn’t start a national Thanksgiving until 1863.)

Monday, November 06, 2006

An Actual Report of a Book - The Puritan Dilemma

The Puritan Dilemma The Story of John Winthrop – Second Edition Edited by: Oscar Hanlin
History 190 pages, 9th grade reading level, printed 1999

First we would like to say that we picked this book for part of our Thanksgiving edition of W.N.B.N.I. And that we know that there is a difference between Puritans and Pilgrims. Pilgrims believed that the Church of England was no longer a true church and separated themselves from it in order to create a “pure” church. First by leaving England for Holland then by coming to the new world. Puritans were not separatist (at least in Massachusetts Bay) and came to America in order to create the closest to perfect society possible and did not try to sever connections with England, and in fact worked to reform England using proper governmental channels. But there is only so much interesting things about the Puritans and so we will talk about all of colonial America (or at least most well known groups.) That being said here is our report.

This book is a great look into the puritan mindset using the works of one of their most important leaders in America. It uses lots of original sources which can make the reading hard (their was not the standardized spelling that we us today.) But it also lets the people talk for themselves, instead of only having the author’s and other authors’ thoughts. It is both a good look of Puritanism and how America started out. It also talks in-depth about such famous people in colonial history as Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, and Cotton Mather. And it shows the dichotomy of Puritanism that only helped to give it the negative connotations it has today. It was a religion where one was to spend their life seeking salvation, but as strict Calvinist believed that one would only be saved if God had predestined it. One was to try to not sin, while believing it was impossible to do anything but sinful things. One was to work hard, but not enjoy the fruits of ones labor too much. One believed that God would punish countries that didn’t obey Him, but one had to obey the king. In short one could easily see why puritans aren’t known for being happy go lucky people. But this book also shows then to not be as somber as we think of them. They did enjoy some pleasures like hunting, feasting, and drinking in moderation.
For more information on Puritans click here.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Recipe - Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

Makes 2 loaves

Dry Ingredients
4 C. flour
1 ½ C oatmeal
2T. baking power
1t cornstarch
1 ½ t baking soda
½ t salt
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1 T. cinnamon
1 t five spice powder
½ t ginger

Wet Ingredients
¾ C. oil
¼ C. brown sugar
1 T. vanilla
5 eggs
2 T. molasses
1 ½ C. craisins
4 C. pumpkin puree

Topping
1/2 C. brown sugar
½ C. craisins
¼ C. oatmeal



Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients together in one bowl. Mix wet ingredients together in different bowl. Pour wet ingredients on top of dry and mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Spray loaf pans with nonstick spray. Divide batter evenly between the two pans. Cover with oatmeal, then craisins and lastly brown sugar. Bake for about 50-60 minutes until done.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Fill in the Blanks

1. Name of person
2. Noun
3. noun
4. government body
5. number
6. adjective
7. noun
8. verb (ing)
9. noun
10. animal (s)
11. Name of person
12. verb (ing)
13. number
14. verb (ing)
15. noun
16. noun
17. noun
18. noun




Quotes of Fillerness

"Therefore, the good of man must be the end of the science of politics." - Aristotle

"It is as hard and severe a thing to be a true politician as to be truly moral." - Francis Bacon

"What is a democrat? One who believes that the republicans have ruined the country. What is a republican? One who believes that the democrats would ruin the country. " - Ambrose Bierce

"Since a politician never believes what he says, he is surprised when others believe him. " - Charles De Gaulle

"Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. " - Ronald Reagan




Political Ad – This is possible almost the same form the actual politicians us.

I would like to take a moment to talk about (1). They say that they are for (2) (3), but look at their record. In the past term of (4) they have missed (5) votes. And they voted for (6) (7). Is that the kind of person you want speaking for you in government. And let’s not forget the night they spent in a Mexican prison for (8) a (9). Or their history of kicking (10) and drowning kittens. (11) is different. They grew up in a small (12) village. They worked (13) jobs to support their mother and siblings after their father died in that tragic (14) accident. They support your values. They know what this country needs. They want to raise the minimum (15). And lower (16). They want everyone to have free (17). So, when November 7th comes around make sure you tell (1) what you think of their policies by voting for (11).
This ad paid for by the (18) to elect (11).

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Upcoming Holidays

November 4th Candy Day
November 5th Doughnut Day
November 6th Halfway Point of Fall
November 7th Election Day
November 11th Veterans Day
November 12th Birth of Baha’u’llah
November 13th World Kindness Day
November 18th Teddy Bear Day
November 21st World Television Day
November 23rd Thanksgiving
December 1st Rosa Parks Day
December 3rd Start of Advent
December 4th International Hug Day
December 5th International Volunteer Day
December 6th St. Nicholas Day
December 7th Pearl Harbor Day
December 8th Feast of The Immaculate Conception
December 10th Human Rights Day
December 12th Our Lady of Guadalupe Day
December 12th Poinsettia Day
December 13th Cocoa Day
December 13th Santa Lucia Day
December 14th Opposites Attract Day
December 15th Start of Hanukkah
December 18th Mother Goose Day
December 22nd Winter Solstice
December 22nd Yule
December 25th Christmas
December 26th Kwanzaa Starts
December 26th Boxing Day
December 26th St. Stephen’s Day
December 27th Fruitcake Day
December 31st Eid ul-Adha
December 31st New Year’s Eve

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

All Saints Day

Today is All Saints Day which as you may or may not know is a day to honor all the people up in Heaven that have not officially been named a saint. This makes them hard to write about, so instead we have made a list of patron saints with unusual and not so unusual causes. (A note on patron saints: Basically a patron saint is a saint connected with something who is often who one would go for help in that area. Just like in day to day life, your car breaks down you ask a mechanic for help not a cook because they know more about cars. What one becomes a patron for is based on their lives. Some choices are obvious; St. Joseph is the patron for carpenters, because that’s what he did in life. Some are not; St. Clare is the patron of television because she had visions which are kind of like TV if you think about it and TV is new so there aren’t any saints who actual worked in television.) So here is our list of people you can ask to pray for you wither you’re an actor or a waiter.
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Actors/Actress St. Genesius
Addicts St. Maximilian Kolbe
AIDS Patients St. Peregrine Laziosi
Air Travelers St. Joseph of Cupertino
Alcoholics St. Monica
Astronauts St. Joseph of Cupertino
Bee Keepers St. Ambrose
Booksellers St. John of God
Boy Scouts St. George
Bull Riders St. Mary *
Cab Drivers St. Fiacre
Comedians St. Vitus
Compulsive Gambling St. Berbard of Siena
Computers St. Isidore of Seville
Death Sts. Joseph, Michael, Gabriel & Raphael
Disasters St. Genevieve
Dogs St. Roch
Fire Prevention St. Catherine of Siena
Fireworks St. Barbara
Funeral Directors St. Joan of Arc
Gravediggers St. Anthony the Abbot
Hairdressers St. Martin de Porres
Homeless St. Benedict Joseph Labre
Horses St. Martin of Tours
Infertility Sts. Rita of Cascia & St. Philomena
Insanity St. Dymphna
Internet St. Isidore of Seville
Juvenile Delinquents St. Dominic Savio
Lost Items St. Anthony of Padua
Medical Technicians St. Albert the Great
Paralysis St. Osmund
Pawnbrokers St. Nicholas#
Poisoning St. Benedict
Politicians St. Thomas More
Postal Workers St. Gabriel
Public Relations St. Bernardine of Siena
Race Relations St. Martin de Porres
Radio St. Gabriel
Scientist St. Albert the Great
Secretaries St. Genesius
Skaters St. Lidwina
Skiers St. Bernard
Television St Clare of Assisi
Undertakers Sts. Joseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus
Waiters/Waitresses St. Martha

*Unofficially
# Yes that’s Santa Claus. The 3 circles on the sign of a pawnshop are actual meant to represent the 3 bags of gold he secretly gave to a family for dowries for their 3 daughters so they didn’t have to become prostitutes, which has forever linked him with Christmas gift giving.

For more information on these Patron Saint or to learn about others click here.