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.

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.)

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.)

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

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.

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.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Fun links

Useless Quizzes: #1, #2
Movie info: click here
Free E-Cards: #1, #2
Free Games: #1, #2, #3
Song Lyrics: Click Here
Useless trivia and information: #1, #2,
Just uselessness: Click here

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.

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.

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

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

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???

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.