January 3, 2019
Dearest Readers,
Today our Earth makes its closest point of approach to Mr Sun, getting as close as 91,403,556 miles, a phenomenon known as perihelion. If we are so close, how come it will be ten below today? In July we will reach aphelion, when we are the farthest away from the sun.
MORNING BRIEFING
Here are some things you may find interesting to know:
Newsmaker Line
Border Patrol agents are now shooting tear gas across the Mexican border in an attempt to keep people from coming across the border illegally.
This is wrong.
You know, we appreciate secure borders as much as you do. We also appreciate the benefits of a robust immigration policy because anyone who denies the influence immigrants have had here over the centuries have either forgotten their history lessons or never learned them in the first place because unless your last name is Tonto we’re all descended from immigrants.
But we should be better than throwing tear gas across the border.
Almanac
In 1521 – Pope Leo X issue what is known as a Papal Bull – a really official proclamation – excommunicating Martin Luther from the Catholic Church. Luther had had the nerve to question assorted Church teachings and practices.
In 2000 – The final daily Peanuts comic strip runs. It featured Snoopy sitting on top of his dog house with a typewriter and a note from creator Charles M Schulz announcing his retirement. The Sunday strip ran for a few more weeks, the final running on February 13th and it was probably not a coincidence Schulz had died the day before.
Your Hit Parade
#1 songs on this date in 1970:
Hot 100 – Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head…B.J. Thomas (1st of four weeks)
Soul Chart – Someday We’ll Be Together…Diana Ross and the Supremes (4th of four weeks)
Country Chart – Baby, Baby (I Know You’re a Lady)…David Houston (1st of four weeks)
– Chart data courtesy of Billboard.
Numbers Racket
10,607: the continuous number of days the US has been at war.
$21.909: the number of dollars, in trillions, of America’s national debt. – Source: usdebtclock.org
671: days until 2020 election.
Philosophy 101
It is not possible to run a course aright when the goal itself has not been rightly placed.
Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
English philosopher
A lot of this world is knowing where you are going. As we heard somewhere you are not going to climb Mount Everest wandering about the Gobi Desert and those that get on in this life do so because they have a plan for it. It’s a plan that stems from deep inside, telling them the life they are meant to lead. Successful people then have the courage to and live that life and the patience to see their paths through to the very end. They ensure their goals are rightly places, and they live the lives they were meant to live, life’s great prize.
Have a good day, and many thanks for reading.
Kaitlyn