December 21 2024 -  A solstice is an event in which the earth’s poles are most extremely inclined toward or away from the sun, at about 23.5 degrees. Solstices happen twice a year, June and December, marking the change of seasons to summer and winter. During the December solstice, the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at noon and it marks the Northern Hemisphere's astronomical beginning of winter with the shortest period of daylight. In the Southern Hemisphere, it marks the beginning of astronomical summer with the day having the longest period of daylight of the year. More 

It has been reported that 11,000 Political Groups have spent $14.7 Billion to Influence the 2024 U.S. Election. What can we do? ...We can allow to be persuaded by all the disinformation, or we can let our conscience be our guide and vote for the candidate who we would be proud to invite into our homes, talk to our family and inspire our children or grandchildren. Anything else is a compromise we cannot afford.

There are only two moments each year when the Sun lies directly above Earth’s equator. These moments are the equinoxes, when, at any location, the lengths of day and night are roughly equal. The March equinox happens sometime between March 19 and 21. The September equinox occurs sometime between September 21 and 24.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox marks the beginning of Spring and the September equinox the beginning of Fall. The reverse takes place in the Southern Hemisphere.

"If you’ve ever attended one of the free lectures at the Elger Bay Institute of Aesthetic Enlargement, you know that continuing education flourishes on the erudite South End. For those of you who have cable TV, you probably feel like you don’t need to take advantage of the Institute’s seminars, tutorials and lectures offered to the public, not when you can get every episode of every series made since Milton Berle brought enlightenment to America through the magic of television"..... More at The Skeeter Daddle Diaries ➜

"I guess since all my cronies are throwing in the towel and taking retirement on schedule, it’s only reasonable I’ve been getting calls from the Mabana Financial Services asking if I’d like to come on down to their lavish offices overlooking the Port of Mabana and discuss fiscal strategies for my upcoming Golden Years. Ho ho, would I ever? Course, like I tell Ben, the head honcho down at MFS, it’s a little like saddling up the horse that ske-daddled when I left the barn door open back in my earning years. Earning years. Old Ben loves expressions like that". More at The Skeeter Daddle Diaries ➜

Gee, I don’t know. Imagine calling Donald Trump and his gang of goofballs weird. What, them? Elon Musk and his X platform of misinformation? C’mon, we all know he’s as normal as you and me and the potted plant in the room with us. So what if he plans to colonize Mars in our lifetime, probably not a bad plan at all, maybe start with Don and JD? Matt Goetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene? How about Lauren Boebert? Rudy, America’s mayor? Nothing strange about those nice people, right?..... More at The Skeeter Daddle Diaries ➜

"I went to apply for my State Park Annual Permit yesterday, what used to be free to us citizens, but now costs us taxpayers because the State doesn’t have enough tax dollars for what it used to have enough for so the budget needs to be balanced. Now the poor can pay what the guy launching his 25 foot Bayliner pays for a permit, same way he does at the gas station for the gas tax, same as he does at the drug store, same as he does just about everywhere he buys something. This is what we call Recessive Taxation. No breaks for the indigent. You know, folks we now refer to as Takers...... More at The Skeeter Daddle Diaries ➜

"Here’s some good news for you beleaguered gun right advocates: now you can buy your ammo from a vending machine. No need to haul down to your local gun dealer for bullets, just wheel up to the conveniently placed dispenser in your local chain grocery store. Course, at this time the only states where they’re located is Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama but you can rest assure American Rounds, the distributor, will expand exponentially until it reaches your very own Safeway". ...More at The Skeeter Daddle Diaries ➜

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence to announce the colonies' separation from the Kingdom of Great Britain, bringing a new nation into the world. Although the Constitution provides the legal and governmental framework for the United States, the Declaration, with its eloquent assertion “all Men are created equal,” is the founding document of the United States.
It is now up to us, as our laws evolve in fact and interpretation, to remain vigilant and not allow anyone, to exploit our natural differences, beliefs, opinions and backgrounds to divide us for their own selfish benefit.   More

Memorial Day honors all service members who lost their lives while in service to the United States, during peace and war. It is a time to reflect on those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

            Immortality

   Do not stand 
        By my grave, and weep.
   I am not there,
       I do not sleep—
I am the thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints in snow
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle, autumn rain.
As you awake with morning’s hush,
I am the swift, up-flinging rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight,
I am the day transcending night.
    Do not stand
        By my grave, and cry—
     I am not there,
          I did not die.

Poem by Clare Harner, The Gypsy, December 1934 (page 16). The poem is often attributed to anonymous or incorrect sources. Read more about Memorial day:  U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs   -   National Museum of American History

"When I first arrived on the South End, my biggest concern was finding a job. I’ve always maintained, and still do, that the only thing worse than work is looking for work. The best days of my life are those where I quit or gave notice or just walked off. The worst were the days following when it dawned on me I would now have to go searching for another dead end minimum wage position". More at The Skeeter Daddle Diaries ➜

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 since 1970. It is a time to demonstrate support for environmental protection and an important reminder that we all have a role to play in protecting the planet. For Earth Day 2024 on April 22nd, EARTHDAY.ORG is reinstating its unwavering commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of ALL plastics by 2040

 Credit for the Earth Day idea goes to Gaylord Nelson, an American politician from Wisconsin and leading figure in the fight against environmental degradation and social injustice. Rachel Carson, a marine biologist and best-selling author provided the spark for this movement with the 1962 publication of her book, "Silent Spring" which showed the devastating effects of modern pesticides on the natural world.