The Friday Post for 25th August 2017

Happy last Friday of August, this year!  There are exactly 122 days until Christmas.  There.  I said it.  I’ve put up with it being said over the last couple of weeks and I’ve finally said it myself.  It’s scary when I think about it.  So ….  I’m not going to.

Instead, let’s find out together about what happened on this day in history, shall we?

Ready?  OK, let’s go…

1768 – James Cook begins his first voyage.

1830 – Stephenson’s locomotive ‘Northumbrian’ took a trial run to prepare for the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, Great Britain. . Actress Fanny Kemble rode on the footplate, the first woman to do so.

1835 – The New York Sun perpetrates the Great Moon Hoax. “The Great Moon Hoax” was a series of six articles that were published in the New York Sun beginning on August 25, 1835 about the supposed discovery of life on the Moon. The discoveries were attributed falsely to Sir John Herschel, perhaps the best-known astronomer of his time.  You can read more about this here:  Wikipedia; Great Moon Hoax.  (it will open in another window for you.).

1910 – Yellow Cab is founded. The original Yellow Cab Company based in Chicago, Illinois is one of the largest taxicab companies.  Independent companies using that name (some with common heritage, some without) operate in many cities in a number of countries. Many firms operate with drivers as independent contractors. In some cities, they are operated as cooperatives owned by their drivers.

Related companies include The Hertz Corporation, Yellow Roadway and the Chicago Motor Coach Company, which was acquired by the Chicago Transit Authority.

1916 – The United States National Park Service is created. The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. It was created on August 25, 1916, by Congress through the National Park Service Organic Act in order to protect areas designated as national parks.

It is an agency of the United States Department of the Interior, which is a Cabinet Office of the executive branch, overseen by a Secretary nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Most of the direct management of the NPS is delegated by the Secretary to the National Park Service Director, who must now also be confirmed by the Senate. The NPS oversees 391 units, of which 58 are designated national parks.

1917 – The Order of the British Empire (OBE), and the Companion of Honour (CH), were awarded for the first time

1919 – The world’s first international daily air service began between London and Paris.

1940 – The RAF made the first air raid on Berlin.

1942 – The Duke of Kent, youngest brother of King George VI, was killed in a plane crash during a war mission to Iceland. He was the first member of the Royal family to be killed on active service.

1944 – Paris was liberated as the Germans surrendered. General Charles de Gaulle entered the capital of France after French and US troops forced a German surrender. BBC News Report plus video footage of the news

1967 – The leader of the American Nazi party, George Lincoln Rockwell, was shot and killed by a sniper at a shopping centre in Arlington, Virginia. George Rockwell was known as the “American Hitler”. Minutes after the shooting a man was arrested and charged with his murder. BBC News Report on the day

1986 – Britain staged its first street motor race – along roads around the centre of Birmingham – Englands second city (London being it’s first).

Born on this Day

1930 – Sean Connery, Scottish actor

1938 – Frederick Forsyth, English author

1946 – Charles Ghigna (Father Goose), American poet and Children’s Author

1949 – Gene Simmons, Israeli-born musician (Kiss)

1954 – Elvis Costello, English musician

1958 – Tim Burton, American film director of (amongst many other things) two Batman films, Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Nightmare Before Christmas

1961 – Billy Ray Cyrus, American singer and actor

1970 – Claudia Schiffer, German model

And here’s a new addition to The Friday Post …

Thought for the Day

I had a conversation recently, with a much-loved friend who is a ‘non-believer’.  An Atheist.  Our conversation went from belief to non belief and back again, as we talked and chatted over our personal view points, until we came to death and what happens when you die.

Now my own experience of death is very limited.  I haven’t yet left this earth – I’ve only sat with others as they’ve done it (although I did technically ‘die’ on the operating table once – but that’s a story for another time).  But, it’s interesting that, when they ‘go’,  people who ‘die’ leave their bodies behind.

You see, to me, this suggests that existence cannot be a purely physical phenomenon.  What makes the difference between a human being and a human shell?

Breath.  Plain and simple.

And what drives that breath?

Well, some people call it heart, and some call it soul.  Some call it energy and some call it spirit.  But whatever it is – it has no weight, no mass, no size, and no visibility.  Therefore it has no time.

So in that case . . .  how can it ever die?

Like I’ve always believed:  …. you can’t die for the life of you.

There’s something to think about over the weekend, eh?  🙂

Well that about wraps up this weeks offerings of educationalmalisation . . .  EXCEPT …. every good school has play time.  Time out in the world, breathing in and out and having a little fun.  So … in order to accommodate this bit of play time, I’m sharing with you a game that I’ve played on and off for years.

Now I don’t know if I play it for the beautiful sounds of the bubbles popping – aww, so gentle and SO musical – or if I just try to beat the game.  (Because I do like a challenge).  However  here it is, and I encourage you to have a few plays with it until you get the feel of it and begin to enjoy it.  BOOMSHINE  is the game’s name.  (the link is the name).  When the page loads (in another window), simply click on ‘Play’ and the bubbles will load within that little screen.  They float about in various different colours and all you have to do is click somewhere on the screen where you’ll score the most bubbles bursting.  Each time you get over the required amount the screen back colour will change to a pale silver colour.  The opening page each time, will tell you how many bubbles you need to get – or how many you scored.  And … while the bubbles begin bursting, there is a little counter down in the left hand corner.  Do enjoy.

Have a truly lovely Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Sending squidges from my house to yours.