November 8, 2024

REMINDER: YOUR SUBMISSIONS ARE ENCOURAGED

Overview for this week.

1. This weekend the Dusk music, art, and food festival returns to Tucson at the Jacome Plaza. This will be the seventh year my daughter Violet has participated as a featured artist.

2. Monday, the 11th is Veterans Day. I want to honor and thank America's veterans and the veterans of the Allied Forces who have fought together with us and respect their service on Remembrance Day.

3. in The Heavens, I look at what NASA has to say about one of the great mysteries of deep space, black holes.

4. There was a 4.8 magnitude earthquake off the southeastern coast of the Big Island of Hawai'i. There has not been any significant impact reported at this point, but scientists are keeping an eye on Kilauea and Mauna Loa.

5. In the Kid’s Corner, I'm featuring the award-winning Executive FUNction book series by former educator, Bryon Smith that teaches children practical life skills.

6. In Performing Arts, I have a pair of local performances to get you, and your family primed for the holiday season.

7. This weekend the Dusk music, art, and food festival returns to Tucson at the Jacome Plaza.

7. In Wellness, I have a reader suggested comparison of two protein rich dietary supplements, collagen and gelatin.

8. This week we saw Donald J. Trump elected as our 47th president in the 60th presidential election since George Washington was elected our first president in 1789.

9. Cita Scott’s cat Oliver checks in with us this week in the Pet's Corner.

Now, to this week's Flock.

Tap to view past issues.

The Dusk Music Festival returns to Tucson this weekend featuring music, food, and art. This will be the seventh year my daughter Violet has participated as a featured artist. I'm so very proud.

From: News 4 Tucson, by: Sarika Sood, November 6, 2024

Dusk Music Festival returns to Jacome Plaza this weekend!

Dusk has a reputation for its diverse and inclusive lineup, as well as Tucson's best food, drinks and art. 

The lineup for the 8th annual year showcases artists such as electronic, R&B, Afropop, reggae, alternative, pop, indie, hip hop, rock, and folk.

Dusk creates unforgettable experiences throughout the intimate, urban venue with the best food and beverage Southern Arizona offers and an interactive art experience on the grandest scale for its fans.

DUSK MUSIC FESTIVAL OFFICIAL SITE

This coming Monday, November 11th is Veterans Day. Veterans Day was originally celebrated as Armistice Day, first observed in 1919 to commemorate the end of WWI and honor the soldiers who served during the war. After the end of WWII, Armistice Day was officially changed to Veterans Day in the United States, and its scope expanded to include all veterans. Thank you for your sacrifices and hard work in service to our country.

From: The National WWI Museum and Memorial

What is Veterans Day?

Fighting ended on the Western Front of the First World War on Nov. 11, 1918. Celebrations of the end of war soon turned solemn, in remembrance of all who were lost. Armistice Day, officially recognized by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, began to be observed throughout the world, honoring those who brought about the end of the “Great War.”

Armistice Day continued to be an important part of national identity and global memory, even as the world entered another war in 1939. In the aftermath of World War II, the day took on additional meaning. British Commonwealth countries adopted the name “Remembrance Day” or “Remembrance Sunday,” commemorating all soldiers who died, not just those of World War I.

When did Armistice Day become Veterans Day?

In 1954, after the return of service personnel from both World War II and the Korean War, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill rededicating Nov. 11 as Veterans Day, encouraging Americans to commit themselves to the cause of peace and to honor America’s veterans for their courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice

As part of the Armistice Centennial on Nov. 11, 2018, wreaths were laid in honor of the lives lost from each continent that served, represented by service members from Canada, Belgium, United States, Rwanda, Japan, Australia and Brazil.

In the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth after the end of WWII, Armistice Day was changed to Remembrance Sunday, the Sunday closest to November 11th, and Remembrance Day celebrated on the 11th.

From: The Royal Household

What happens on Remembrance Day?

The King and other Members of the Royal Family join political leaders, current and ex-members of the Armed Forces and World War veterans at the foot of the Cenotaph memorial. As the bells of Big Ben toll eleven, and a single gun on Horse Guards Parade is fired, two minutes of complete silence is held in remembrance of all lost in war. Once a further round of gunfire signifies the end of the silence, the bugle call 'The Last Post' is played. His Majesty and others, including High Commissioners from the Commonwealth, lay wreaths of poppies at the foot of the Cenotaph.

I always wondered, and still do, what exactly a black hole is. They are an enigma that still challenges our best scientific minds to decipher. I can always rely on NASA for concise explanations of the mysteries of the cosmos.

From: NASA Science

Black holes are among the most mysterious cosmic objects, much studied but not fully understood. These objects aren’t really holes. They’re huge concentrations of matter packed into very tiny spaces. A black hole is so dense that gravity just beneath its surface, the event horizon, is strong enough that nothing – not even light – can escape. The event horizon isn’t a surface like Earth’s or even the Sun’s. It’s a boundary that contains all the matter that makes up the black hole.

There is much we don’t know about black holes, like what matter looks like inside their event horizons. However, there is a lot that scientists do know about black holes.

Finding Black Holes

Black holes don’t emit or reflect light, making them effectively invisible to telescopes. Scientists primarily detect and study them based on how they affect their surroundings:

• Black holes can be surrounded by rings of gas and dust, called accretion disks, that emit light across many wavelengths, including X-rays.

• A supermassive black hole’s intense gravity can cause stars to orbit around it in a particular way. Astronomers tracked the orbits of several stars near the center of the Milky Way to prove it houses a supermassive black hole, a discovery that won the 2020 Nobel Prize.

• When very massive objects accelerate through space, they create ripples in the fabric of space-time called gravitational waves. Scientists can detect some of these by the ripples’ effect on detectors.

• Massive objects like black holes can bend and distort light from more distant objects. This effect, called gravitational lensing, can be used to find isolated black holes that are otherwise invisible.

What is a Black Hole?

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook the southeastern shore of the Big Island of Hawaiʻi this week. Luckily, there were no injuries or significant damage. If you live in an area that is prone to seismic activity, you should review the earthquake preparedness guide I posted in the September 2023 issue after the devastating earthquake in Morocco.

From: Hawaii News Now, November 5, 2024

Some Hawaii Island residents felt a jolt early Tuesday morning because of an earthquake just outside of Pahala.

The 4.8-magnitude quake shook the area just after 1:40 a.m. and was centered about 3 miles southwest of the town.

Officials said it’s part of an ongoing swarm of activity that’s been happening since 2019.

Hundreds of residents have filed reports with the USGS that they felt the quake with some reports coming as far away as Oahu.

Aftershocks may be possible in the coming days.

It doesn’t appear there was any impact on either Kilauea or Mauna Loa.

The Executive FUNction series is a set of books meant to teach young student practical life skills. The sauthor of the Counselor's Choice Award winnng series, Bryan Smith is an education professional who has worked as an Elementary School Teacher and School Counselor. He uses this experience in his writing to teach students life skill and direct them to success.

By Bryan Smith

Illustrated by Lisa M. Griffin

From: BoysTown Press

Brothers Braden and Blake are the central characters in the Executive FUNction picture book series. One is quick to turn the smallest setbacks into the biggest life-shattering disasters while the other is so unorganized, he creates chaos wherever he goes. The stories deal with flexible thinking, resiliency, controlling impulses, emotional balance, planning and prioritizing, and learning to how to focus on a task. Complex skills are described in simple behavioral steps, making it easier for kids to learn how to prioritize, plan and, ultimately, prosper in the classroom and at home.

Each storybook includes helpful tips and advice for parents and educators to help teach students in grades K through 5 how to plan, organize, manage time and maintain self-control. There are also downloadable activities available to partner with each story!

Here's a great way to get int the holiday spirit, Arizona Theatre Company's musical adaptation of a classic Christmas tale.

Tucson: November 3 - 30

Tempe/Phoenix: December 7 - 28

Returning from its blockbuster first season for an encore, ATC’s holiday musical extravaganza “Scrooge!” celebrates the season with the beloved story of Ebenezer Scrooge joined by a distinguished cast of more than 24 actors, live musicians, and an all-star creative team. With songs by the illustrious Oscar- and Grammy-winning and Tony-nominated composer Leslie Bricusse (“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”), this unique rendition exclusively brought to life by ATC is quickly becoming a cherished holiday tradition to share with your entire family.

Looking for a more refined holiday primer, how about a High Tea and Ballet.

University of Arizona Grand Ballroom

December 8 - 2 - 4pm MST

Kick off your holiday celebrations with a magical event features sensational performances, an awe-inspiring selection of holiday gifts, truly delectable fare, and more!

The regal elegance and glamour of the Sugar Plum Fairy herself are captured in this High Tea event that is fun for the whole family.

A Flock reader from Taipei, Taiwan suggest this comparison of collagen and gelatin for this week’s wellness post. Both are loaded with amino acids and are beneficial for skin, joint, and bone health. The biggest difference is how each might fit into your diet.

From: Healthline, By: Ariane Lang, BSc, MBA, September 25, 2020

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, while gelatin is a cooked form of collagen. As such, they share multiple characteristics and benefits.

However, their uses and applications vary significantly. Therefore, they may not be used interchangeably, and you may have to choose one over the other depending on your needs.

This article reviews collagen and gelatin’s main differences and similarities to help you decide which to choose.

Similar nutritional profile

As the most abundant protein in your body, collagen accounts for approximately 30% of your protein mass. It’s mostly found in connective tissues like skin, joints, bones, and teeth, and it provides structure, strength, and stability to your body.

On the other hand, gelatin is a protein product created by partially degrading collagen using heat — for example by boiling or cooking animal skin or bones.

Main differences

Most of collagen and gelatin’s differences have to do with their chemical structures.

In its natural form, collagen is formed by a triple helix comprised of 3 chains with over 1,000 amino acids each.

In contrast, as a degraded form of collagen, gelatin has undergone partial hydrolyzation or breakage — meaning that it’s comprised of shorter amino acid chains.

This makes gelatin easier to digest than pure collagen. However, collagen supplements are mostly made of a completely hydrolyzed form of collagen called collagen peptides, and these are easier to digest than gelatin.

Also, collagen peptides dissolve in both hot and cold water. In contrast, most forms of gelatin only dissolve in hot water.

On the other hand, gelatin can form a gel that thickens when cooled due to its gelling properties, a property that collagen peptides lack. This is why they cannot be used interchangeably.

You may find collagen and gelatin supplements in both powder and granulated forms. Additionally, gelatin is sold in sheet form.

photo: Cita Scott

Oliver on jewelry watch

This week Donald J. Trump was elected the 47th president in the 60th presidential election since George Washington was elected the first president of the United States in 1789. We dispute differences, march on as a nation united for the common good of the land we care about. We are the home of the brave and support freedom for all.

Happy 249th Birthday Marine Corps!

These Flock regulars are always here for you:

In coming weeks: we'll be sharing more investigative articles from our roving reporter William George, original writing from Flock favorite Dino DeConcini.

Don't Be Shy: Share Your Stories!

I'm looking forward to sharing more of your personal stories - oral, written, or otherwise, as we enter our third year. I'd so love to present them to The Flock, hit a mailbox below to share your story.

Holualoa Ed Fit Wellness & Culture 2

520-818-4433

View as Webpage