NANOSNET

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Jade S. Schiffman MD, FAAO, FAAN

Co-Director of Neuro-Eye Clinical Trials, Inc. 

Co-Director Neuro-ophthalmology of Texas, P.L.L.C.

Adjunct Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences, UH College of Medicine

Former Professor of Ophthalmology and Neurology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Lest you think that I am being rude, I replied to John privately. Deb

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68

Happy Friday!

It's hard to believe that this is the last Friday of 2025! I hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful holiday and anyone celebrating Kwanzaa, which starts today, enjoys the holiday. (Boxing Day is in my archives, available on request.)

There are so many things that happened in history on December 26, it is hard to choose what to write about. So here is a sample for your reading pleasure.

Today is National Thank You Note Day, appropriately timed for the gift-giving and receiving of the season.

1966: The first year that Kwanzaa was celebrated. The 7-day holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates African and African American culture focusing on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

1991: The Soviet Union was officially dissolved marking the end of the cold war. This resulted in 15 republics, including Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

1996: In the still unsolved "cold case", JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty pageant queen, was found murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

1791: You think the computer is new? Today is the birth anniversary of Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor who is credited for inventing the first automatic digital computer. He founded the Analytical Society, Astronomical Society and Statistical Society and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He designed the "Difference Engine", a digital device that operated on discrete digits (0-9) that were represented on toothed wheels. It could perform calculations to 20 decimal points (he had already made a small calculator that went to 8 decimal points) and was the size of a room. It was not built during his lifetime because the machinist responsible for building it walked off the job when pre-payment was not forthcoming. Babbage then designed the "Analytical Engine" in the mid-1830s. It was based on instructions from punch cards (yikes, that brings back memories of long nights at the computer center) and was the forerunner of the modern digital computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be steam-driven and run by an attendant.  It was not completed either until 1991, when it was built to Babbage's specifications and confirmed to be accurate to 31digits. Babbage's design included a larger storage capacity for any computer built before 1960. He also helped to establish the modern postal system in England, compiled the first actuarial tables, invented a speedometer and the locomotive cowcatcher!

1831: Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, starting the trip that would lead to his theory of evolution.

1065: The original Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated and opened.

1901: Birth anniversary of Marlene Dietrich, one of the world's most glamorous movie stars. Notable quotes from her:

"Friendship is a precious gift that can't be bought or sold. Its value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift, be thankful if he sends not diamonds or peals but the love and trust of friends."

"It is the friends that you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."

"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs."

"I do not think that we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks."

"Words can bruise and break hearts, and minds as well. There are no black and blue marks, no broken bones to put in plaster casts, and therefore no prison bars for the offender."

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich". (P.S., we did not win the $1.8+ billion Power Ball on Wednesday night but are still rich in many ways.)

Enjoy the rest of 2025. Wishing everyone joy, good health, prosperity and valuable friendships in 2026.

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16PaowSV68