In keeping with our recent cartoon theme (if you missed it, you can see yesterday’s post here), today there’s a couple of weather-related items. Oh, and also this: The key to a successful marriage is proper division of labor. You can say you heard it here first. Unless you already saw it online. Thanks, New Yorker!
“I’ll shovel the walk and scrape the car if you’ll research property for sale in Ecuador.”
Earlier this year, cartoonist George Booth passed away. You can see a tribute to him at the tail end of one of my prior posts, here. I think it’s fitting that the New Yorker has chosen his work for their current cover. It’s called, “Believe.”
“Believe,” by George Booth. The artist’s daughter talks about humor, grieving, and her late father’s love of the holiday season. A link to the interview with her is here.
If you can’t get behind the paywall to read this story, then I suggest you ask Santa for a New Yorker subscription. But please remember, subscriptions to dewconsulting.net are always free. That’s my continuing gift to you, and you’d better believe it, buddy.
Some days, the news is all good. Take today, for instance…
1. The Russians have agreed to a prisoner swap of some rogue arms dealer named Viktor Bout for WNBA star Brittney Griner. I don’t exactly know how this will affect the war in Ukraine, but I can guarantee you we’ll now kick their asses in a 3-on-3 co-ed pick-up game. The CBS news report is here.
Welcome home, girl. We missed you.
2. The original Declaration of Independence has been returned to the National Archives by The Trump Organization. Full deets from Andy Borowitz, here.
Hey, it was an honest mistake, OK?
3. My contract with Universal Music Group (UMG) to maintain their Legacy Physical Supply Chain System has been extended to the end of June 2023. Not to put too fine a point on it, but never believe IT project managers when they say they’ll implement something on time. Not. Ever.
4. Previously unavailable in the state of Colorado, the Mustang Mach E is now ready for a test drive in Denver. Friday, 1 PM, Groove Ford. Be there or be square. Oh, and regarding the discretionary spending power necessary to purchase same? Please see #3 above.
Mach E – from 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds. Groovy!
Bonus humor for a day in which the news is all good.
We are NOT, however, committed to good spelling. Maybe next year. If yer good. And if the stars align. Hey, I said, “MAYBE.”
When I first posted This Day in History for this day four years ago (you can read all about the end of the line for the AMC Pacer, here) I didn’t realize what depth of riches history held for this particular date. But now? I do. And here at dewconsulting.net we’re always willing to admit our mistakes. And not only that, but to correct them as well. So, without further ado, here are just a few of the earth-shattering events from December 3rd through the years….
1947 – Stella!
A Streetcar Named Desire premiered on Broadway, starring Marlon Brando as Stanley Kowalski and Jessica Tandy as Blanche Dubois. You can read all about it, here.
1776 – Washington Crosses the Delaware.
Iconic artistic renderings aside, I really love this meme.
Washington Crossing the Delaware… “Americans: They’ll cross an icy river, in the middle of the winter, in the dark, to kill you in your sleep. On Christmas.”
1992 – First SMS text message sent.
There may have been a time when this kind of news was not big. But trust me folks, it’s definitely earth-shattering now. Read all about it, here.
Neil Papworth, a 22-year-old engineer, uses a personal computer to send the text message “Merry Christmas” via the Vodafone network to the phone of a colleague.
1967 – First Human Heart Transplant.
Dr. Christiaan Barnard performs the first human heart transplant on 53-year-old Louis Washkansky, a grocer dying from chronic heart disease, at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Full story is here.
1984 – Worst Industrial Accident in History.
An explosion at a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India leads to the worst industrial accident in history. At least 2,000 people died and another 200,000 were injured when toxic gas enveloped the city.
All the gory details are here, just in case you thought the Exxon Valdez plus a few oily fish and birds were bad in Prince William Sound (March 24, 1989).
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So there you have it. I challenge anyone to find another day of the year with this much important stuff happening. Go ahead, I’ll wait… And btw, let’s not forget about the demise of the AMC Pacer: Tragic stuff, that.
When our son Ben (now 33) was much younger, he used to call Christmas tree ornaments “ordaments.” (For what it’s worth, he also referred to the midnight service before Easter – known in Anglican circles as “The Great Vigil of Easter” – as the Easter “Vidual.”) I don’t bring any of this up to embarrass him, but rather to say that, for both of these holidays, his childhood locutions have become an integral part of family lore as well as indelibly imprinted in my brain.
A much younger Ben climbing rocks in Garden of the Gods.
Fifty-some-odd years ago when I was about Ben’s age in the shot above, my Mom ordered Christmas ornament kits that we assembled together. I still remember how sore my thumbs got pushing all those little pins through all those tiny beads into those Styrofoam balls, and how proud I was of the finished product. It’s a great craft project for anyone with OCD, or for those addicted to IKEA. You get the picture.
My mom, keeper of family lore.
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For 50+ years running, the “ordaments” are now out and mostly up. And I for one am happy to admit that, in addition to inheriting my Mom’s OCD streak, I’ve also passed along a penchant for colorful language to the next generation.
My favorite of all the “ordaments.” Because, well, Santa. Plus, I did this one all by myself.
