The Siuslaw Pioneer Museum in Florence, Ore., USA! I spent a few days last month exploring the central Oregon coast and happened upon the museum as I rambled through town. If anyone knew the answer, congratulations! You won bragging rights! Click here to learn more about the museum.
Category Archives: Trivia
Gives B&B a whole new meaning
I love staying at a bed and breakfast when traveling, commonly known as a B&B. But this sign gives a B&B a whole new meaning! Any ideas where I took the picture? The answer on tomorrow’s blog! Hint … it’s somewhere in the state of Oregon, USA.
“Litterly”
Note to Youngest Niece: It’s “literally.” And that book that you can look up words is a “dictionary.” These college freshmen! What can you do?!
Day 8: Food and eating
Today was the first Saturday in a long time that I didn’t think about food all day. It seems like boredom is another emotional eating trigger. Today wasn’t boring. Thanks to a Zipcar I hit garage and yard sales around town, and finally found a writing/computer desk and chair for my home office-ette. More about that later. I also took a sack of clothes, a toaster, and a mini-heater to the Salvation Army donation center. And during the day a phrase kept running through my head: “Nothing changes if nothing changes.” Thank you, TK, for those words of wisdom! They are becoming my mantra. Day 8: one day at a time.
Ah, history
“If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.” Pearl Buck
Vitamin D
Today is shaping up as another fine time to soak in some natural vitamin D. That’s right. The sun is out and shining! Remember the sun? That yellow/orange ball in the sky that exudes warmth? It hasn’t gone away. It was just taking a nap behind the clouds. A long nap.
Year of the (Valentine) Tiger
Now here’s something that even those of us without a Valentine can celebrate on February 14: Chinese New Year. It was news to me, but apparently Valentines Day and Chinese lunar year 4707 — the Year of the Tiger — fall on the same day in 2010. (Credit goes to Fort Wayne Monthly, a magazine from my original home town for pointing out these facts.)
Let’s all count!
Here’s an interesting bit of trivia gleaned from the latest magazine published by my alma mater, Portland State University. I knew about the first two points, but was not familiar with the third. And I’ve even been to the Middle East! The article introduces Peter Bechtold, the new director of the university’s Middle East Studies Center. “To signify the number one, Americans use the index finger, says Bechtold. Europeans use the thumb, and people from the Middle East begin counting on their little finger.” (Melissa Steineger, “Homecoming: Middle East Studies graduate brings his expertise back to Portland State,” Portland State Magazine (Winter 2010): 13-14.)
Hmmm, I wonder how many international incidents have occurred because of such simple cultural misunderstandings? I don’t recall reading those statistics any where.
Veterans Day 2009
Today is Veterans Day in the United States. Did you know that until 1954 November 11 was Armistice Day? And that Armistice Day commemorated the end of World War I? It was with Proclamation No. 3071 that President Dwight D. Eisenhower affirmed an act of Congress and declared that November 11 be known as Veterans Day in the United States. Click here to read the proclamation as printed on page 6545 of The National Archives’ Federal Register from 1954.
On a personal note, I’d like to recognize my late father for his service in the Korean War, a friend at work for his service in the Vietnam War, and the son of another friend at work who is currently serving overseas. To all veterans and future veterans: Thank you.
© J. L. Bates and chezjlb.wordpress.com, 2009. See Copyright Page for complete information.
Cite the source
This is one of my pet peeves: people who don’t cite their sources in written material. It doesn’t matter if the written material is a blog, a Facebook entry, an essay paper, or a business presentation. Citing other folks’ work is the honorable thing to do. And by other folks’ work I include books, songs, and movies in that category. So you like including a phrase from a movie on your Facebook wall? Fine, just include what movie it’s from. How about including a line or two from a song on your Facebook wall? Okay, just include the name of the artist/band or the song. It’s not that hard. Come on. If you know how to use Facebook you are smart enough to find and cite a source.
© J. L. Bates and chezjlb.wordpress.com, 2009. See Copyright Page for complete information.
