Saturday, May 25, 2013

Today is Sunday, May 26. There are only 186 days until Thanksgiving. If you start now,the turkey should be defrosted enough to cook dinner by then. Today celebrates the natal anniversaries of John Eigenhuis, John Wayne and Pam Grier. In 1781 the Bank of North America was incorporated in Philadelphia; in1805 Lewis and Clark first saw the Rocky Mountains and in 1977 the movie  "StarWars" debuted. In Guyana today isIn dependence Day. In the US tomorrow is Memorial Day.

Let's take some time to discuss this holiday. I mentioned it briefly a couple weeks ago and promised to revisit it. The day was originally designated as Decoration Day and was created to commemorate the soldiers who died in the Civil War. It was officially observed for the first time on May 30, 1868. According to folklore, the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of abattle. Ceremonies were held in cemeteries where graves of soldiers were decorated with flowers.

The name changed gradually from Decoration Day to Memorial Day, with the first use being in 1882. Interestingly, it was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which moved several holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday to create three-day weekends. Many businesses observe the holiday becauseit serves as the unofficial start to the summer.

Some groups advocate returning Memorial Day to the original date. The VFW once stated in a Memorial DayAddress:

   "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekendshas undermined the very meaning
     of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public's nonchalant 
     observance of Memorial Day."

This is a day that recognizes the extreme sacrifice made by thousands of people throughout the years, including two world wars, the Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq. These people died serving their country. Is it asking too much for everyone to take amoment to remember their sacrifice? Havewe become so jaded that it has become all about parties and barbecues andgetting a head start on summer and the true meaning of the holiday has beenforgotten? If that is so, then shame on us. These people gave their lives for their country. Let us give a small amount of time to remember them.

If your town or a town near you has a Memorial Day observance, take time out to go and participate. Do not be afraid to be proud of your country and its Armed Forces. Do not be ashamed to stand and shed tears as we remember those who died on our behalf. Remember that we are talking about men and women in their late teens and early twenties. People who gave up their hopes and dreams to protect our way of life. Honor them and remember them. They deserve that much.

Having said that, let me now come down off my soap box and discuss something completely different. I have noticed something in the super market that I find interesting. In the bread aisle I have seen bread products from a company that Ithink should give some thought to changing their name. Normally I do not use specifics, but I think it is necessary. The name of the company is Bimbo. On their label, when you get close enough to see it, they tell you it is pronounced "Beembo."  Most people only see the name, chuckle and move on. I am not sure if I would want my company to be named Bimbo, no matter how you pronounce it. That would be like having a chocolate company named Manure (pronounced  Man oo ray).

However, if people stop and look at the products being offered, they will see a real time-saver. This company sells packages of toast. Toast! Do you realize the time you can save in the morning?   Instead of coming to the table and having to wait for your bread to finish in the toaster, all you have to do is open a package of toast and you are ready to go. Of course, if you like your toast warm so that the butter will melt, you will probably want to run it through themicrowave. But that should not take anywhere near the time it would take to toast it. And then there is also the benefit that it will make the toast slightly rubbery, making it more interesting to eat. M-m-m-m, M-m-m-m good. I would rather put the bread in the toaster and do it myself, but that's just me.

I know you have been waiting with bated breath for the weekly fact and I will give that to you shortly. First I want to discuss the phrase "bated breath."  The meaning of the phrase is breathing that is subdued because of some emotion or difficulty. The earliest known citation of the phrase is from Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice" in 1596. It turns out that bated is simply a shortened form of "abated", meaning to bring down, lower or depress. So there you have it. Now you don't have to wonder about that anymore.The fact of the week - Acorns were used as acoffee substitute during the American Civil War. I wonder if that is where the phrase "actingsquirrelly" came from? Hey, have a nice Memorial Day and a good week. See you in June.

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