Thursday Thirteen

I'm resurrecting a post from last year.

Below are some important events from the year of my birth:  1965.

1. On January 16, the TV show "Outer Limits" ended.

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2. The Byrds recorded the song "Hey Mr. Tambourine Man" on January 20.

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3. On February 1, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and 700 fellow activists were arrested in Selma, Alabama.

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4.  The Sound of Music was released on March 2.  It starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.  The Sound of Music won the Academy Award for best picture the following year.  It's still one of my favorites.

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5. On March 15, the first TGI Fridays restaurant opened in New York City.

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6. The first baseball game at the Astrodome (The 8th Wonder of the World) was held April 9.  Houston beat the Yankees 2-1 even though Mickey Mantle had his first indoor home run.

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7. On May 16th, SpaghettiOs came out.

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8. The Rolling Stones released "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" on June 6.  It hits #1 on the charts July 10.

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9. Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States signed the Voting Rights Act on August 6.  The Act prohibited voting discrimination against minorities.

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10.On September 13, the "Today Show" was broadcast in color for the first time.

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11.The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri was completed on October 28.  It stands 630 feet tall.

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12.On November 8, "Days of Our Lives" premiered on television.

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13.December 9, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" premiered.

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Random Tuesday

I'm going to keep it short tonight.  Short and sweet.  And short and sad.

My short and sweet - Rockets won tonight!  Harden's streak of games with 30 or more points came to an end with the total number in a row - 32.  He only had 28 tonight.  And he probably could've hit it at the buzzer, but he's a classy dude.

This sweet friend whose life was cut short too soon getting a kiss from her nephew.

My short and sad - I heard some tragic news yesterday.  A teacher who worked across the hall from me for about 8 years lost her daughter in an accident Sunday night.  I taught her daughter when she was a sixth grader.  Her beautiful daughter was a 20 year old sophomore at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.  A drunk driver in a truck smashed into the car where she was a passenger.  They pronounced her dead at the hospital.  The other young lady is in serious condition.  The driver of the pick-up truck is in custody charged with intoxication manslaughter.

This breaks my heart.  It reminds me of when my daughter lost her best friend in a freak ATV accident at age 15.

Parents... tell your children every day how much you love them, even if they are grown.  No, especially if they're grown.  Hug them often.  Pray for them ceaselessly.  There, but for the Grace of God, go I.

Have a good week. And don't  forget to link up with Stacy for more random thoughts.

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Sunday Synopsis

Kiss of the Sun by R.K. Jackson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I read the first Martha Congington Book, The Girl in the Maze, and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed this one until I was about one-third through it.. Then it became too predictable and too far fetched. I kept expecting Sheldon Cooper to pop up and say, "Bazinga!" (I think I felt this way about another book I read not too long ago.)

Martha is living on Shell Heap Island off the coast of Georgia at the beginning of the book. She has recently written and published a book about the Geechees, descendants of slaves who settled on the island. Their belief in healing herbs has fascinated Martha, and she begins to adopt some of their beliefs. The relaxed lifestyle of the island helps her deal with her schizophrenia. In fact, she hasn't had an "episode" in a while.

When an elderly couple from Atlanta asks for her help in finding their grandson Peavy. Martha, believing she may have psychic abilities, she heads to Atlanta. She once again teams up with Jarrell, who has become a law student (surprise! completely out of character from book one) and - no surprise - they end up walking straight into the danger of a huge conspiracy.

As much as Martha wanted to believe she could sense what happened, I could sense what was about to happen throughout the book, and I wasn't wrong.. If I wanted a story about an every-day super-hero, a secret group of psychopaths, or a medical melodrama, I would read one, but I was hoping for an edge-of-your-seat, mysterious thriller when I chose this book.

View all my reviews

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Random Tuesday

I'm linking up with Stacy for some random nonsense.

Have you ever wanted to have your DNA tested?  I have thought about it a time or two, but I've never done it.  What keeps me from doing it is not the cost, which can run anywhere from $80 to $200 for a simple DNA test.  That's not it.  It's the possibility that my information could fall into someone else's hands.

There is a company here in my home town called Family Tree DNA that is in the news for sharing data with law enforcement.  A statement from the company said, "...law enforcement is capable of uploading genetic files and searching for DNA "relatives," to assist them in their efforts to identify the remains of deceased individuals and suspected killers and perpetrators of sexual assault." (ABC13)

Not only that, but apparently, companies such as 23 And Me and Ancestry sell your information to drug companies.  According to Business Insider, "...pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline announced it was acquiring a $300 million stake in 23andMe."

Who knew it could be such a risk?  I guess I did!

New topic:  I'm wondering how many of you out there are retired.  I'd love if you would leave a comment letting me know if you are, and from what industry.  I'm in my 30th year of teaching.  It would be 31 if I hadn't take a year off.  I have changed a lot as far as my career goes, as have students, technology, and so on.  I think I'm ready to retire, but I'm not sure my finances are!  I would love to pursue one of my other interests or have a part-time job of some kind in addition to my retirement.  Just a thought.

And now...

And I saved the best for last

Have a great week!

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Random Tuesday

I'm linking up with Stacy for some random fun!

My husband and I went camping this weekend.  We made the reservations a while back not knowing that it was going to be freezing!  It had been 70 2 days prior to our trip, and it was 70 by the time we got home after our trip, but we dealt with temps in the low 30's to low 40's.  But we stuck it out and ended up having fun and enjoying our time together.  This is our camper.

Yesterday at work, I was almost demolished by the screen I use to project.  I was pulling it down (gently as usual), and on side of it came crashing down breaking one of my lamp shades.  It was a near miss with my head!

Later, I had a student throw his binder and hit an innocent young lady in the head.  He also called me a very inappropriate name.  Soooo, I'm glad Monday is over.  Plus I started and ended my day with meetings.  Such a waste of time!

My husband and I have agreed NOT to purchase anything for Valentine's Day this year.  My DH thinks it could be a trap, but I'm serious.  Not a card, nor candy, nor a flower!  I'm not falling for Hallmark's hyped holiday.  This will be a first for us, though.  We have eaten at Whataburger in years past due to the extreme crowding at restaurants.  What are your plans?

And now...

Awwwww!

That's it!  Have a geat week!

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Random Tuesday

I'm linking up with Stacy for some random nonsense.

Have you ever had one of those days?  Yeah, you have.

Today wasn't really a typical "one of those days."  It started with a meeting with my boss first thing this morning.  It wasn't productive.  I'm so frustrated, angry, and unappreciated.  It set the tone for the whole day, and I can't shake the morose feeling I have.  I want to quit my job, but obviously, I can't.  The littlest thing at home made me cry. Thankfully, tomorrow is a new day.  I'll just get to some funnies to cheer both of us up (although some of them may have a sarcastic tone)!

And just because it's cute...

Have a great week!