February 17, 2019
Dearest readers, thank you for visiting today. 

We apologize for not producing this feature the past few days. We were getting some quality work in on our novel Katy and Markie: All the Things. Now, we are committed to Morning Coffee, however, nothing takes precedence over a novel. It has to be that way: if a novelist is not completely consumed by their latest project they are not writing, they are typing,

Have a good day,
xoxoxo
Kaitlyn

THE ALMANAC
On This Date:
In 1964 – The United States Supreme Court rules that Congressional districts have roughly the same population. The case was Wesberry v Sanders and began in Georgia when one James Wesberry sued because his Congressional district had two to three times the people of other districts in the state. The case had been dismissed at the district level. The number of people in each district is based on the census and currently each of the 435 congressional districts should represent 711,000 people.

In 1974 – Army Private First Class Robert Preston lands a stolen helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House. About 2am, Preston had stolen an army helicopter from Fort Meade, Maryland and had actually hovered for a few minutes before landing near the West Wing and then taking off again. At the time, neither President Nixon nor his wife Pat were in the White House, and Preston would serve a year in prison, including a couple of months at hard labor, before being discharged. Preston had recently washed out of helicopter training and was anxious to show the army his skills.

Top of the Charts
#1 songs on this date in 1962:
Hot 100 – Duke of Earl…Gene Chandler (1st of three weeks)
Soul Chart – Duke of Earl…Gene Chandler (1st of five weeks)
Country Chart – Walk On By…Leroy Van Dyke (11th of 13 weeks)
Album Chart (Mono) – Blue Hawaii…Elvis Presley (10th of 20 weeks)
Album Chart (Stereo) – Breakfast at Tiffany’s Soundtrack…Henry Mancini (2nd of 12 non-consecutive weeks)
– Chart data courtesy of Billboard.

Numbers Racket
10,649: the continuous number of days the US has been at war.
22.022: the number of dollars, in trillions, of America’s national debt. – Source: usdebtclock.org
632: days until Election Day 2020.

Philosophy 101
Progress, once started, is endless…We proceed because we must.
Gore Vidal
Empire

Progress is an interesting animal because almost by definition anything can be progress: merely waking up in the morning means we have progressed from one day to the next and we don’t even have to get out of bed to claim this progress, either. Most progress, however, takes work. Advancement at work takes education and furthering skill. A lasting, happy marriage needs progress and progressing in the life we were meant to live takes work, too. Progress is not inevitable. Merely marking off another of the long procession of days doesn’t mean we’ve advanced; it merely means we’ve survived.

True progress, the type of progress that is measurable, is not accomplished by accident: you will not climb Mount Everest while wandering around the Gobi Desert. You must have a plan to climb Mount Everest and the courage to execute that plan and the patience to put up with the inevitable reverses that attend any great effort.

Our individual lives are no different. We must have a plan to scale the mountains we have set before us. This involves looking inside to see what our hearts are calling us to do and to go and try to climb those mountains. When we climb our mountains with diligence and courage we will find ourselves living the life we were meant to live, life’s great prize.

Gore Vidal (1925-2012) was an American writer. 

February 13, 2019
Dearest readers, thank you for visiting today. 

Today, The Almanac’s chronicle of mankind visits Galileo and a North Korean assassination, Top of the Charts looks at the top songs from this date in 1982 and Gore Vidal provides the anchor for today’s Philosophy 101 lesson.

Have a good day,
xoxoxo
Kaitlyn

THE ALMANAC
On This Date:
In 1633 – Galileo, an Italian astronomer – among other things – arrives in Rome for his trial before the Roman Inquisition, which was sponsored by the Catholic Church. Galileo was tried for promulgating assorted theories that had the nerve to contradict Catholic Church doctrines, such as the earth and other planets revolving around the Sun. Galileo was found guilty by the Inquisition and sentenced to prison, which was later changed to house arrest, in which he remained until his death in 1642 at age 77.

In 2017 – Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, is murdered in Malaysia when two North Korean agents apply a nerve agent to his face. Jong-nam had been traveling under the alias Kim Chol, a name he also used on Facebook and for email, which made it pretty easy for North Korean agents to find him. His backpack held $100,000 in US currency and four North Korean passports under the Chol name.

Top of the Charts
#1 songs on this date in 1982:
Hot 100 – Centerfold…J. Geils Band (2nd of six weeks)
Soul Chart – Call Me…Skyy (2nd of two weeks)
Country Chart – Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight…Eddie Rabbit (only week)
Album Chart – Freeze Frame…J. Geils Band (2nd of four weeks)
– Chart data courtesy of Billboard.

Numbers Racket
10,645: the continuous number of days the US has been at war.
22.009: the number of dollars, in trillions, of America’s national debt. – Source: usdebtclock.org
636: days until Election Day 2020.

Philosophy 101
If you follow a straight road, who will follow a crooked one?
Gore Vidal
Creation

Creation is a historical novel and today’s quote is attributed to Confucious, one of several historical figures who appear in this wonderful, profound book. It comes from a sequence when Confucious is holding court with followers on the topic of leadership, Confucius making the point that a leader who follows a straight path will compel followers to do the same.

History has shown, however, people will follow leaders regardless of the path they take. Two good examples of this come from World War II: Adolf Hitler and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Hitler got large numbers of people to follow him despite being as evil a person as our species has produced. FDR brilliantly read the mood of the country and equally brilliantly marshaled America’s resources into the production juggernaut that won World War II. He may well have been the only person who could have done so.

This principle applies to us mortals, too, because even if we are not sentenced to live down the ages we can hold sway over others, too, simply by living the life we were meant to live. Having the wisdom to know the life we are meant to live, the courage to go and live that life and patience to see it through to the very end will provide a splendid example for everyone who crosses our path.

Gore Vidal (1925-2012) was an American writer. 

February 12, 2019
Good morning dearest readers.

Today The Daily Almanac visits England in 1554 and Washington, D.C. in 1999 while Top of the Charts is from 1983 and Philosopy 101 is anchored by a quote from Benjamin Franklin about putting our abilities to work for us.

Many thanks for stopping by, and have a good day.
xoxoxo
Kaitlyn

THE DAILY ALMANAC
On This Date:
In 1554 – Lady Jane Grey, all of 17, is beheaded after being convicted of treason. A year earlier Jane had reigned as queen of England for nine days following the death of Edward VI and was succeeded by Mary I. Jane was buried at a nearby chapel though no stone was erected at her grave.

In 1999 – President of the United States Bill Clinton is acquitted in his trial by the United States Senate. Previously, the House of Representatives had issued one article of impeachment against Clinton for perjury and another for obstruction of justice, both stemming from his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Clinton was the second president to be tried by the Senate. In 1868 Andrew Johnson was acquitted on eleven articles of impeachment.

Top of the Charts
#1 songs on this date in 1983:
Hot 100 – Down Under…Men at Work (4th of four non-consecutive weeks)
Soul Chart – Billie Jean…Michael Jackson (1st of nine weeks)
Country Chart – Till I Gain Control Again…Crystal Gayle (only week)
Album Chart – Business as Usual…Men at Work (14th of 15 weeks)
– Chart data courtesy of Billboard.

Numbers Racket
10,644: the continuous number of days the US has been at war.
21.972: the number of dollars, in trillions, of America’s national debt. – Source: usdebtclock.org
637: days until Election Day 2020.

Philosophy 101
I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities may work great changes, if he first forms a good plan, and makes the execution of that same plan his sole study and business.
Benjamin Franklin
Autobiography

One of the myths of our human experience is that you need an awful lot of talent to succeed at something. Sure, you must have a knack for what you are doing, but if you are listening to your heart as it tells you where to go this will never be a problem, because our hearts will never show us a path that goes against our grain.

Yours truly is a good example of this. You are reading Morning Coffee w/ Kaitlyn because writing is what we have a knack for. We are not out training to run sprints in the Olympics because we have neither a knack for nor an interest in sprinting in the Olympics.

Some resiliency helps and, as we discussed yesterday, you must have confidence in yourself. Those that get on in this world genuinely believe that success is, was, there for the taking. All they had to do was pursue it with diligence and courage.

It’s the same with us. The wisdom to know what we are about, some courage to go and live the life we were meant to live and the patience – and no small measure of it – to see our paths through to the very end, and the success we want will be there for the taking, too.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) was, among other things, an American statesman, inventor and diplomat. 

February 11, 2019
Good morning dearest readers.

Thank you for tolerating our few days off. Writing is an interesting activity. It is not physically taxing, but every now and the mind needs a rest, too.

It’s good to be back, though. Today the Almanac visits two events in the 1990s and Top of the Charts is from 1978. Philosophy 101 has some drivel about believing in yourself.

Many thanks for stopping by, and have a good day.
xoxoxo
Kaitlyn

THE DAILY ALMANAC
On This Date:
In 1990 – Nelson Mandela is released from a South African prison, after 27 years of captivity for having the nerve to protest racist conditions in his country.  Mandela earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was president of South Africa from 1994-99. He died in 2013 and his full name was Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, with the middle name meaning ‘troublemaker’ in Xhosa.

In 1999 – Pluto – after 20 years inside of Neptune’s orbit – crosses the orbit of Neptune and once again becomes the farthest planet from the sun. The planets are not in any danger of colliding, however, as they travel on different planes and will never be in the same place at the same time. Pluto will again duck inside Neptune’s orbit in 2227.

Top of the Charts
#1 songs on this date in 1978:
Hot 100 – Stayin’ Alive…The Bee Gees (2nd of four weeks)
Soul Chart – Theme from Which Way is Up…Stargard (2nd of two weeks)
Country Chart – I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love…Larry Gatlin (only week)
Album Chart – Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack…Various Artists (4th of 24 weeks)
– Chart data courtesy of Billboard.

Numbers Racket
10,643: the continuous number of days the US has been at war.
21.971: the number of dollars, in trillions, of America’s national debt. – Source: usdebtclock.org
638: days until Election Day 2020.

Philosophy 101
…never think that you are not good enough yourself…My belief is that in life people will take you very much at your own reckoning.
Anthony Trollope

There is no substitute for confidence: you must believe you have what it takes. It doesn’t matter the endeavor, either. It could be a tryout for the church choir or making a quilt for the county fair next summer or preparing for the Olympic Trials. Sometimes the difference between champion and runner-up is the champions deep-seated believe in himself. Nobody – and nobody means no one – will believe in you as much you do. Your mother and a good spouse will try but, really, no one believes in you as you do.

Now, we must confuse confidence with cockiness. The former is earned, born deep inside and forged in the fire of experience. The latter is mere conceit, born of arrogance and forged in ignorance and does neither you or me any good.

People will take us often how we take ourselves. How many times have you drawn conclusions about someone based on how they conducted or presented themselves? Probably a lot. Perhaps it was an opponent or someone you were interviewing for a job, how they projected themselves gave you a first impression, one that was probably pretty accurate. It’s the same for us. If we’re confident, if we look the part, if we exude energy and purpose people will sense that. If we’re slouched, or unenthusiastic or otherwise giving the impression of not being interested or caring, people will sense that, too.

Those that get on in this life put themselves in a position to succeed, and a big part of being in a position to succeed is believing you will succeed.

Anthony Trollope (1815-82) was an English writer. 

February 6, 2019
Good morning dearest readers. Many thanks for stopping by today. 

In the Almanac, the first Sunday is recorded and Elizabeth II takes charge, we visit 1971 for Top of the Charts while a quote from Don Quixote provides the text for today’s Philosophy 101 lesson.

THE DAILY ALMANAC
On This Date:
In AD 60 – This is the earliest date for which a day of the week is known. Some graffiti on a wall in Pompei, Italy gives the day of the week for February 6, 60 as a Sunday, though in modern reckoning it would have been a Wednesday. 

In 1952 – Princess Elizabeth becomes queen of England, immediately upon the death of her father, King George VI. Elizabeth is in Kenya, in a tree house, of all places, at the immediate moment of succession. She would be 0fficially crowned on June 2, 1953, and Elizabeth II still reigns, with today being the 24,473rd day of her reign.

Top of the Charts
#1 songs on this date in 1971:
Hot 100 – Knock Three Times…Dawn (3rd of three weeks)
Soul Chart – (Do The) Push and Pull…Rufus Thomas (1st of two weeks)
Country Chart – Joshua…Dolly Parton (only week)
Album Chart – All Things Must Pass…George Harrison (6th of seven weeks)
– Chart data courtesy of Billboard.

Numbers Racket
10,638: the continuous number of days the US has been at war.
21.966: the number of dollars, in trillions, of America’s national debt. – Source: usdebtclock.org
643: days until Election Day 2020.

Philosophy 101
Fortune is guiding our affairs better than we ourselves could have wished.
Miguel de Cervantes
Don Quixote

We cannot control every aspect of our lives. We can dream and plan and scheme, but there are an awful lot of us on this planet and we are all leading more or less random lives and those who attempt to micromanage their own lives as well as manipulate others often find matters do not work out like they had hoped. However, those who surrender to what their hearts tell them to do, regardless of what that may be, and have the patience to see it through to the end, are generally those who are enjoying lives well spent.

Leaving matters to fortune is simultaneously difficult and easy. It’s difficult because it involves shedding the safety of the familiar and the roles others may have assigned us. On the other hand, it’s easy because all there is to do is follow our hearts, which tell us where to go and trust our instincts, which tell us how to get there.

Fortune has the life we want waiting for us for only the price of the wisdom to recognize our talents, the courage to get the most out of them and the patience to see our journey through to the very end. When we do this, when we shed outside influences and live from the inside out, we allow Fortune to take us where we were meant to go.

Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) was a Spanish writer. The word ‘quixotic’ has worked its way into the worldwide lexicon, meaning something that is foolishly impractical or exceedingly idealistic.

Many thanks for reading, and have a good day.
xoxoxo
Kaitlyn

February 5, 2019
Good morning friends. We are glad you made it today. 

On tap for you, we have the Almanac spotlighting the end of History’s longest war, Top of the Charts is from 1966 and Philosophy 101 talks about accepting responsibility for our lives.

THE DAILY ALMANAC
On This Date:
In 1971 – Apollo 14 lands on the moon, man’s third visit to the lunar surface. Commanded by Alan Shepard and also manned by Edgar Mitchell and Stuart Roosa, it was the first Apollo mission following Apollo 13’s aborted lunar mission and had been delayed four months. Shepard and Mitchell spent nine-and-a-half hours walking on the moon and Apollo 14 is mainly remembered for Shepard hitting a couple of golf balls and for being the last crew to be quarantined after returning to Earth.

In 1985 – The Third Punic War officially comes to an end when the mayors of Carthage and Rome meet in Tunis. The war was conducted over three years a century-and-a-half before Christ and ended with a Roman victory over Carthage. A peace treaty, however, was never signed, Rome merely took possession of and rebuilt Carthage and at 2,1,31 years the Third Punic War remains the longest war in history.

Top of the Charts
#1 songs on this date in 1966:
Hot 100 – My Love…Petula Clark (1st of two weeks)
Soul Chart – Uptight (Everything’s Alright)…Stevie Wonder (3rd of five weeks)
Country Chart – Giddyup Go…Red Sovine (5th of six weeks)
Album Chart – Rubber Soul…The Beatles (5th of six weeks)
– Chart data courtesy of Billboard.

Numbers Racket
10,637: the continuous number of days the US has been at war.
21.965: the number of dollars, in trillions, of America’s national debt. – Source: usdebtclock.org
644: days until Election Day 2020.

Philosophy 101
Neither age nor size makes a man…It is the willingness to accept responsibility.
Louis L’Amour
The Lonesome Gods

The Lonesome Gods is mainly about alpha males doing alpha male things so it would follow the reference in the quote is for a man. We forgive Mr L’Amour for this, though because few provide the insights into our human experience that he does and L’Amour, one of our more thoughtful if not most technically brilliant writers, can be excused for singling out men.

Today’s quote applies to everyone: male, female, young, old, everyone. Those that get on in this world all accept responsibility, the responsibility for making your time on this planet serve you, instead of merely marking time or serving a sentence.

It is not always easy to do this because this usually involves going against society’s grain. It is very easy to settle for the road most traveled: it’s a well-trod path with few bumps and fewer successes or failures. However little of what we want in this life can be found on a well-worn path. We must blaze our own path in this world.

We must know what we are about and then we must have the courage to toss society aside to go live the life we were meant to live.  We cannot merely pass the years breathing everybody else’s air. We must accept the responsibility for making the most out of the time we spend on this planet. When we do that life’s great prize, living the life we were meant to live, awaits.

Louis L’Amour (1908-88) was an American writer. 

Many thanks for reading, and have a good day.
xoxoxo
Kaitlyn