30 November

As my sister pointed out to me earlier today, tomorrow is December. WOW! Time flies. Did you know 'time flies' was first expressed by Virgil (70-19 B.C.), who wrote in the 'Aeneid': Fugit inreparabile tempus' (Time is flying never to return)? Interesting fact.

On this day:
1835- Samuel Langhorne Clemens, otherwise known as Mark Twain, was born. He wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (2 of my favorite books) and The Prince and the Pauper. Mark Twain was known for his wit. On seeing his obituary in a newspaper, he famously said, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated". He died on 21 April 1910.
1981- ABBA's eighth and last album, The Visitors, was released.
1667- Jonathan Swift, Irish satirist and clergyman was born in Dublin. He wrote Gullivers Travels. Jonathan Swift died in 1745.

Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.
Mark Twain

All generalizations are false, including this one.
Mark Twain

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled, and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or a ragout.

Jonathan Swift

November 29

It's getting closer to Christmas.

I got back from camp on Sunday, and it was great fun, though I got very sunburnt.

I finished John Flanagan's new book The Outcasts today, and it's really good. I can't wait to see what happens next! I've read the first 10 Ranger's Apprentice books, and I think The Outcasts is just as good.

On this day:
1832- Louisa May Alcott was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on her father's birthday. She published over 30 books and collections of stories, but is best known for her book, Little Women, and its sequels, Little Men and Jo's Boys.
2000- The Blue Mountains were listed as a World Heritage Area. It consists of six national parks and four wilderness areas, covering 1 million hectares of sandstone cliffs, deep gorges, rivers, and eucalyptus forests.

My Father had a profound influence on me. He was a lunatic.
Spike Milligan

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao Tzu

November 25

Did you know it's only a month until Christmas? The shops around here are already crowded.

I'm going on camp this afternoon, and it should be awesome fun. It'll last the whole weekend.

Today:

By resolution 54/134 of 17 December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and invited governments, international organizations and NGOs to organize activities designed to raise public awareness of the problem on that day. Women's activists have marked 25 November as a day against violence since 1981. This date came from the brutal assassination in 1960, of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, on orders of Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961).

On 20 December 1993 the General Assembly, by resolution 48/104, adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women.

“Violence against women and girls takes many forms and is widespread throughout the globe. […] On this International Day, I urge governments and partners around the world to harness the energy, ideas and leadership of young people to help us to end this pandemic of violence. Only then will we have a more just, peaceful and equitable world.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message for the International Day for the
Elimination of Violence against Women
25 November 2011

My sister has just informed us that your thigh bone is stronger than concrete. My brother would like to test that.In my opinion, that is something only a boy would say. Why any boy would want to test if their thigh bone is stronger than concrete, or even how they would test, is unknown to me.

A thought

24 November

It is very hot and muggy here, not nearly as hot as yesterday, which was a maximum of 34 degrees Celsius, but still hot, especially because it's been raining, which doesn't sound logical, but is still true. Anyway, it is really hot. My sister is practicing on the keyboard again. She and I will be doing a duet at our end of year concert, me singing and her playing on keyboard and singing.

Music expresses that which cannot be said
and on which it is impossible to be silent.
~Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885) ~

23 November

Normally I would put in something about what happened today in history, but I can't find anything that happened that I'm interested in.

Christmas is coming very soon, at least it feels like it. I haven't bought any Christmas presents this year, although I have got some ideas in mind.

Today is 23 November. I finish school for the year on December 7. But what are good things to do during the holidays. I'm not Phineas and Ferb, I don't come up with something new every day. However, I am a good reader, so I'll probably read: a lot. And there is a whole lot of end of year activities, like different group break ups, and Christmas parties.

Who out there would so love to buy chocolate at a dollar a kilo? I think that would sort out a few Christmas presents, but only if it was good chocolate.

As a final thought for today...

November 22

"Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness."- James Thurber


Today is November 22, and my sister is singing "Frosty the Snowman", while practicing it on the keyboard. An interesting choice, as we live in Queensland, Australia, and its been incredibly hot this week. Nothing close to snow.

On this day:
1712- English pirate, Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was killed in battle with a boarding party led by Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard.
1963- American President John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 46. 99 minutes later, Vice President Lyndon B Johnson was sworn in as President.
1943-Lebanon achieved independence from France, and now celebrates with a national holiday.


"Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else's life forever." - Margaret Cho

Funny Quotes

"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it."

- Groucho Marx

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives."

- Author Unknown

21 November

Today is November 21. It's also Monday.
On this day:
1995- Toy Story, the first full length feature film created wholly by computer generated imagery, was released.
1920- Bloody Sunday in Dublin.
1991- Gerard d'Aboville rowed across the Pacific Ocean.
1904- Motorised buses began replacing Paris' horse-drawn carriages.

"When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water." - Author Unknown

November 18

What are you doing today? I'm getting ready for the end of the year. It's coming, coming, coming, closer, closer, closer...

On this day:
1840- The Eden, the last convict transport to Sydney, unloaded 267 men.
320- Pappus of Alexandria, a Greek philosopher, sees an eclipse of the sun and writes a commentary on The Great Astronomer.
1928-New Zealand's Harold Williams, foreign editor for the London Times, spoke 58 languages. He was one of the greatest linguists of all time.
1867- United States takes possession of Alaska after buying it off Russia for $7.2 million.

Alligator Problem

If an excavator
excavates
and a motivator
motivates
and a rotivator
rotivates
and an operator
operates
and an indicator
indicates
and an investigator
investigates,
what does an alligator do?

Michael Rosen

November 17

17 November. Today is, at least in my part of the world, Thursday, 17 November. Is it different where you are? For that matter, where are you?

On this day:
1869: The Suez Canal was opened ceremoniously.
1913: Louise became the first vessel to use the Panama Canal.
1603: Sir Walter Raleigh goes on trial for treason.
1800: The Unites States Congress has its first session at Washington DC.

Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn't exist and never shall. ~ Christopher Paolini

Clouds

I love clouds. Clear blue skies are great for some people, and generally look good on a weather report, but clouds are so much more diverse, sometimes mean a storm is coming, and cut down some of the heat. So here are some cloud photos.







Look at the second photo. It looks like rain is coming, and I think it looks truly glorious!