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Can you feel it?
Summer...it's here. It's early bloom. With it the joys it brings. The beach. The park. Shorts and summer dresses. BBQs and cold beer. Late night walks, the sweet smell of lilacs, driving with the windows down and the tunes at 11. Poetry on the lawn, Shakespeare in the Park, ice cream sodas with old boy friends and ice tea on the porch with the partner you married in '71.
Then there's the June, "This Just In..."
We were doing so well....
Enjoy. Please.
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….Or A Punch In The Throat | |
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Some idiot carved his or her initials into the oldest living pine tree in No. America. I know what I’d want to do to, but here’s a much less violent and a so much better reaction. It’s by acclaimed poet Matthew Olzmann.
Tell me what it’s like to live without
curiosity, without awe. To sail
on clear water, rolling your eyes
at the kelp reefs swaying
beneath you, ignoring the flicker
of mermaid scales in the mist,
looking at the world and feeling
only boredom. To stand
on the precipice of some wild valley,
the eagles circling, a herd of caribou
booming below, and to yawn
with indifference. To discover
something primordial and holy.
To have the smell of the earth
welcome you to everywhere.
To take it all in, and then,
to reach for your knife.
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You’ll Tank Us For This. (had to do it) | |
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There’s nothing worse than being a day late in replacing your oil tank.
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Been in your home for 15-20-25+ years? You’ve probably replaced your heating or a/c system, windows, deck, new appliances and more. But, how about that old oil tank?
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If your outdoor tank is 15 years old – or your basement tank is nearing 30 years old or more - today is the day to consider upgrading to a new one. | |
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Daniels Energy Has New Oil Tanks For Every
Home Solution.
Daniels can replace it with industry leading brands including - Granby or Roth oil tanks – PLUS - during June & July get $250 off!
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We can handle transferring the fuel oil in your existing tank, removal of the old and installation of the new. We can usually do this in one (sometimes, two) days. | |
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If you see rust on your old tank…if you see wet, greasy spots on your basement floor –
it may well be time to replace that tank and…Let Daniels Do It.
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The summer promises to offer a few nice days to sit in the shade and read a good book. Maybe…just thinking here….maybe pick up the 21,730 page OED or… just this 256 page book which explains what kind of human tries to read the whole darn thing!
Here are a few words from the OED you may not be familiar with:
Agathokakological. “made up of both good and evil.”
Ambisinistrous “having two left hands; clumsy. The opposite of “ambidextrous.” How I feel when I have a tool in my hand.
Apricity – “the warmth of the sun – in winter” Not sure there is a better feeling.
Atrate- one “dressed in black.” Think Steve Jobs
Balaamite- “one who is religious for the sake of monetary gain
Bayard- “a person armed with the self-confidence of ignorance.” Oh, this opens up such an opportunity for snark, but not today
Gobemouche- “one who believes anything, no matter how absurd.” Think bigfoot affecidanos.
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You know the face….but who is she? (Hint: Think big worms) Tell us here and you may win an Amazon gift card just like Jack M, Candyce K and Maureen M did last month when they (and 166 0f you) identified the proper Arthurs in order (IFBAJDECHG) Margaret S and Ed C knew the two towers belonged to the red city of Italy – Bologna! | |
Extended Through June 15* | |
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LEMON BUTTERMILK SHAKE
Makes about 3½ cups
| Lemon and buttermilk are both tangy, and you might think that two tangs would be overkill. But then the vanilla ice cream works its sweet magic, pulling the whole concoction into a gentle, intriguing balance. A few fresh raspberries or blueberries, or sliced strawberries, or a thin slice of fresh lemon make a lovely garnish. | |
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½ cup cold whole or lowfat buttermilk (about 4 ounces)
1 tablespoon honey
4 medium scoops vanilla bean or original vanilla ice cream (about 1 pint), softened until just melty at the edges
4 medium scoops lemon sorbet (about 1 pint), softened until just melty
Place the buttermilk and honey in a blender and blend to mix thoroughly, about 15 seconds.
Add the ice cream and sorbet pulse several times to begin breaking them up. With the blender motor off, use a flexible spatula to mash the mixture down onto the blender blade.
Continue pulsing, stopping, and mashing until the mixture is well blended, thick, and moves easily in the blender jar, roughly 30 to 90 seconds.
Pour into a chilled glass or glasses, and serve at once.
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The Straw Hat Riot of 1922
Starting from the 1900s, men started wearing breathable straw hats during the summer months. Initially, they were worn only during sporting events such as boating, and these hats came to be called boaters. Eventually, the summer head-wear was deemed acceptable to be paired with any attire and even professionals wore them to work.
However, there was an unwritten rule that men had to retire their straw hats once summer was over. Although summer typically ends between September 21 and 24, the date that was chosen for this change was September 15. Anybody who wore straw hats past that date risked losing their headgear to any street urchin, who would knock it off the wearer’s head and stomp it with their feet.
| A sea of straw hats at a Yankee game back in the day. | |
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Some instances of hat-snatching became violent that others. The Pittsburg Press, in an article dated September 15, 1910, described an incident where the police had to interfere in “more than one instance to protect straw-lidded pedestrians.”
While chalking up the organized demonstrations against straw hats up to the “sheer exuberance of youth”, the Press foresaw dangerous consequences if things were taken too far: “It is all right for stock brokers on the exchanges to destroy one another’s hats if they like, on the principle that everything goes among friends.
But no man likes to have his hat snatched from his head by somebody he has not yet been introduced to, and if the informality should become general there will sure to be a number of obstinate gentlemen (most likely with English blood in their veins) who will coolly proceed to treat the fun-making as a physical assault and defend themselves in a manner which will spoil the fun for all concerned.”
The article warned: “The best time to prevent such an outcome is now, before it happens.”
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The Pittsburg Press’s observation came true twelve years later, in 1922. It began when a few kids decided to jump start on the tradition two days in advance, and began snatching hats off some factory workers and stomping on them. When the gang tried to pull the same stunt on a bunch of dock workers, the men retaliated and a brawl ensued.
The brawl got so bad that it stopped traffic on the Manhattan Bridge. Police eventually broke up the fight and arrested a few people. But the hat snatching – and fights – continued for more than a week! Keep your hat on – there’s more to this story. More, if you’d like here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_Hat_Riot
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His father was famous.
He was famous.
His daughter is famous.
His son is famous
He made some famous stuff.
Who exactly is he?
Tell us here and win a $25 Amazon gift card!
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Sing it along with me. 68c for a postage stamp?!
It’s what? Going up to .73c in July? WTHeck?
However….the OIG compared the U.S. to 30 other nations that were selected by country size and postal service revenue, as well as the ability to source reliable data.
The list includes much of the European Union, along with countries such as Canada, Japan, Brazil and Russia. In raw numbers, only four countries had cheaper stamps than the U.S.
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"The price of a [USPS] stamp increased by 26 percent from June 2018 to Dec. 2023 ($0.50 to $0.68)," the inspector general report states, "which is less than half of the average increase for our sample size (55 percent) during that period."
When the OIG adjusted its analysis for purchasing power parity — a currency conversion rate used to compare the relative affordability of goods in different countries — the U.S. had the lowest stamp price of the 31 postal services. And so…it STILL hurts!
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Where Are You On The …”ist” Scale? | |
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You’re breathing this stuff.
It’s dust, mites, pollen, insects, mice droppings…we could go on, but you get the idea. If you haven’t cleaned your home’s ducts in the last 3-5-omg-10 years it’s time to call Daniels.
We’ll bring an experienced crew to clean and seal your ducts so that you can breathe easy.
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For those of you who own ductless a/c systems – you need to clean those systems as well. Ever notice this: | |
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This is what happens when your ductless system’s filter clogs. Condensation fills up the unit’s condensation tray with water which can overflow and drip – down your newly painted wall.
It’s a mess and the only way to be sure that it won’t happen is to make sure the system is cleaned properly.
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And yes – this is exactly what a Ductless Head Cleaning is all about. So…with ducts or ductless – to keep you’re a/c systems running efficiently – and cleanly – clean them up with Daniels
This is especially important if you have chronic breathing concerns including asthma, allergies, bronchitis, and auto immune issues.
So call us and Let Daniels Do It!
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There are Temples and Then There are Dragon Temples | |
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The Wat Sam Phran Temple (the Dragon Temple) outside of Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Sam Phran is a Buddhist temple that was officially registered in 1985.
The temple is notable for its 17-story tall pink cylindrical building with a gigantic red-and-green dragon sculpture curling around the entire height.
The interior of the dragon feature is hollow and contains a spiraling flight of stairs, which has however deteriorated to a poor condition in places.
It also contains a huge Buddha statue as well as many additional Buddhist statues. The Wat Samphran is 80 meters high because Buddha died at the age of 80 years old.
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On certain rare occasions, ordinary people in the midst of an average day have changed history.
In 1947, Muhammad edh-Dhib, a young Bedouin shepherd, discovered a hidden cave that contained the Dead Sea Scrolls, the earliest known version of most of the Hebrew Bible.
Making his rounds one night in 1972, Frank Willis, a Washington, D.C., security guard, exposed the Watergate break-in, ultimately leading to the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon.
But neither of them shaped as many lives as directly as Maureen Flavin, a postal clerk on a remote stretch of the northwest Irish coast who, in 1944, on her 21st birthday, helped determine the outcome of the Second World War.
The events that led Ms. Flavin to her unforeseeable moment of global consequence began in 1942 when she saw an ad for a job in the post office of the coastal village of Blacksod Point.
In 1942 she got a job at post office in the coastal village of Blacksod Point. She learned that it also served as a weather station. Her duties included recording and transmitting weather data. She did that work diligently, never knowing where her weather reports were going. As it turned out – they were going to the Allied Command.
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Ireland’s position on Europe’s northwestern edge gave it an early sense of weather heading toward the continent. Blacksod Point was just about the westernmost point of the coast.
Weather reports were critical as part of the two years of meticulous planning to send more than 160,000 troops, nearly 12,000 aircraft and nearly 7,000 sea vessels to invade a 50-mile stretch of beach along the Normandy region of the French coast. It was June 6, 1944 – D-Day.
The Allies settled on June 5, 1944, which promised a full moon, aiding visibility, and low tides, granting easier access to the beach.
A successful invasion would also depend on clear skies for the Allies’ aerial assault and calm seas for their landing. And the relatively primitive technology of the day — no satellites, no computer models — meant that the Allies would only have a few days’ warning about the weather.
On her birthday, June 3, she had a late-night shift: 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. Checking her barometer, she registered a rapid drop in pressure indicating a likelihood of approaching rain or stormy weather.
The report went from Dublin to Dunstable, the town that housed England’s meteorological headquarters. Suddenly there were calls about her work. Please check again. And again. She did. Resent the information, assured that it was correct.
General Eisenhower and his advisers were appraised of her findings that bad weather was expected. On the strength of that report General Eisenhower postponed the invasion by a day.
June 5 saw rough seas, high winds and thick cloud cover.
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Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, left, confers with Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery of Britain, far right, on June 7, 1944, the day after Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy.Credit...Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
By noon on the 6th, the skies cleared. The Allies endured thousands of casualties, but they won a European beachhead.
“We owe a lot to Maureen of the west of Ireland, us who invaded France on D-Day,” Joe Cattini, a British D-Day vet said “because if it hadn’t been for her reading of the weather we would have perished in the storms.”
She married Mr. Sweeney, the lighthouse keeper, in 1946. When his mother, the postmistress, died, Ms. Sweeney succeeded her in the job. She passed in 2021 at age 100.
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This is a….wait for it….hand-carved oak wood floor designed as a rug, by mind-bendingly talented Spanish artist Selva Aparicio. No. Really. Look again! | |
The Pros and Cons of Hurling a Candelabra at Your Detractors | |
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