Daily Thoughts & Issues

IN THIS ISSUE:

DECEMBER 6

Days left until the next millennium 01.01.3001

Photo of the Week
Scott Spiker/Adventure Photo & Film
Achieve Your Dreams

 

December 6 - Christian feast of Old St. Nicholas/Sinterklass/Santa Claus who leaves gifts for all good children.(Catholic) (Orthodox) (Folk) The Mystic's Wheel of the Year He was one of the most venerated saints of both eastern and western Christian churches, of whose life little is known, except that he was Bishop of Myra (in what is today's Turkey) in the fourth century, and that from early times he has been especially noted for his charity. Santa Claus and the presentation of gifts is said to derive from Saint Nicholas. According to tradition, St. Nicholas leaves gifts for good children on the night of December 5. It is catching on in the US as well. Bringing the legend of Santa Claus to life acknowledges the giving part of Christmas while de-emphasizing its commercial aspects. * Tonight at 6 p.m. you can join men, women, boys and girls around the world as we remember the women who were murdered in Montreal in 1989 and all the other victims of violence. We must ensure that their deaths continue to inspire us to make the world a safer place for our daughters, wives, women and men. * The 13th Amendment was ratified abolishing slavery in the US (1865). Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude save as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the US or any place subject to their jurisdiction. * A free concert featuring performances by the Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and the Flying Burrito Brothers turned into tragedy. The "thank-you" concert for 300,000 fans was marred by overcrowding, drug overdoses and the fatal stabbing of a spectator by a member of the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang, who had been hired as security guards for the event. The concert was held at the Altamont Speedway, Livermore, CA, (1969). * Gerald Ford was sworn in as vice-president under Richard Nixon following the resignation of Spiro Agnew who pled no contest to a charge of income tax evasion (1973). * More than 1650 people were killed at Halifax, Nova Scotia when the Norwegian ship Imo plowed into the French munitions ship Mont Blanc which was loaded with 4,000 tons of TNT, 2,300 tons of picric acid, 61 tons of other explosives and a deck of highly flammable benzene, which ignited and touched off an explosion. which caused a tidal wave that washed much of the city out to sea. (1917). * New Madrid, Missouri had the most prolonged series of earthquakes in US history. (1811). They lasted until February 12, 1812. There were few deaths because of the sparse population. This was the most severe earthquake in the contiguous US. Those higher on the Richter scale have all occurred in Alaska. * In the first radio broadcast of a presidential address, President Coolidge addresses a joint session of Congress (1923). * Independence Day in Finland. * Birthdays: Ira Gershwin, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Claude Renoir, Stephen Wayne (Steve) Bedrosian, Dave Brubeck, Otto Graham, Tomas Hulce, James Naughton, Walter Ray Perkins, Steven Wright.

DAILY THOUGHTS

Feast Day of Saint Nicholas. Also called Santa Nikolaus or Santa Claus, this saint's feast day is today, although he is now commonly associated with Christmastide. The Dutch Kris Kringle is another version, but all are patron saints of children. The Old Farmer's Almanac

Boy-Bishop. In some English cathedrals, the rule of the boy-bishop, which often drew waves of laughter from the congregations due to its solemn intent, began on this day and ran until Innocent's Day on the 28th. During the Middle Ages, the custom grew up of allowing the choristers of cathedrals to choose yearly one of their number of act the part of a bishop. Forgotten English

On this day in 1949, blues legend Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter dies. African American History

A great foreplay technique is to hula-hoop naked. - Brooke, 28 Best of 1001 Sex Secrets Every Man & Woman Should Know

One father is worth more than a hundred schoolmasters. - George Herbert. Dr. Buff's 365 Day Parenting Calendar

In other cultures death is often accepted and colorfully ritualized as a natural part of the cycle of life. Not so in America's youth culture, where death is viewed as a failure, as something private and almost shameful that should be hushed up. Our general attitude toward death is to deny it. Yet somehow we have to incorporate the reality of our own death and move beyond it. New Passages

Never let work drive you; master it and keep it in complete control. - Booker T. Washington. Achieve Your Dreams

Things to Be Happy About: Almanac forecasts. Pasting quotes, dreams, pictures into a journal. Towns with a sense of history. 14,000 Things to Be Happy About

Feels a lot colder when you'/re shoveling snow tan when you're building a snow fort. Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me

Feelings, by definition, don't make sense. If Life is a Game, These are the Rules

Which old-time comedian appeared on a December 1995 episode of the Roseanne television how wearing drag and catching the bridal bouquet at a gay marriage ceremony? (Answer below.) Gay & Lesbian Calendar

So often the problem is in the system, not in the people. If you put good people in bad systems, you get bad results. You have to water the flowers you want to grow. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Go to your closet and take out ten items you haven't worn in the past year. Schedule ten minutes into your day tomorrow to take them to your nearest thrift shop, Good Will or Salvation Army. Simplify Your Life

The Safe Way to Sled:  To safeguard your child, make sure the sledding course is obstacle-free and doesn't lead into a street or driveway. Also, teach them how to ride a sled correctly - feet first. This way the feet, not the head, will take the brunt of the impact in the event of a collision. Parents Tips & Tricks

Create comforting feelings at home before going to bed at night by reading out loud to your partner, child, yourself - even your pet.  Stress Busters

For Your Kids: Pamper your pet with a Christmas stocking! Take a piece of felt. Fold t in half. Cut out a stocking shape. Glue two edges together, leaving the top open. Use a marker to draw stripes or sports. Fill with chew bones or other pet toys!.  To Do Today

Success only breeds a new goal. - Bette Davis Win the Day!

"Statistics show that teen pregnancy drops off significantly after age 25."  Mary Anne Tebedo, Republican state senator from Colorado Springs.

La musiquilla. (muhseeKEEyah) Jingle. Se me ha pegado la musiquilla del anuncio. I couldn't get that jingle out of my head. Living Language

Answer: Milton Berle.

TODAY'S ISSUE: TOLERANCE

I never started a fight, but I never pulled back from a fight either. - Billy Martin.

Sometimes we walk around with chips on our shoulders. We're like a tightly wound spring ready to jump at the slightest trigger, when other times we would let the same event go unnoticed. We even say self-righteously, "I didn't start it."  Now that we are becoming more responsible for ourselves we are owning our part in relationships. Maybe we have a problem with being like a spring ready to jump. When we are like that, we are difficult to live with or be around.

We can change by getting in touch with our pain. We need to explore our feelings. Perhaps we need to be honest with ourselves about low self-esteem, about feelings of loneliness or fear. Then we must talk with another person or our group about our feelings and continue to talk about them. In this way we become reconciled to ourselves and to our friends around us. Touchstones

Hey Man: Did you make a difference yesterday? Let us know at Contact Us. God, help me accept my own pain, and help me be tolerant of my friends' mistakes. Touchstones Want to make a difference but you don't know where to start?

 

BOOK OF THE WEEK

If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay: How to know if your child's injury or illness is really an emergency by Lara Zibners. As an emergency room pediatrician, the author has seen it all. She's cared for some of the twenty-five million children in the United States who are taken to the ER each year - and she knows that more than 50 percent of these visits may be unnecessary. In this book, she shows parents when they may need to take action and when they may be able to just go back to bed and call their doctor in the morning. No more frantic, late-night searchers through the "what to buy," "how to diaper," or "what to feed him" section s found in other childcare books to find out if little Franny needs to go to the ER. This book focuses on the essential questions, like how to keep her from electrocuting herself in the first place. Not every child has a pediatrician with specialized emergency room experience living in the home. But this book just might be the next best thing. Wellness Central, www.HachetteBookGroup.com, 2009, ISBN 978-0-446-50880-3

SPECIAL URLs

 

MENSTUFF COLUMNS BY AUTHOR

  • The Advice Diva - The Advice Diva - relationship and sexuality issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/advicediva/archive.html
  • Peter Alsop - Song of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/alsop/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - A Man Overboard - Interview of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/overboard/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - Poetry - poetry read on YouTube - www.menstuff.org/columns/baer/archive.html
  • Molly Barrow - Shrink About This - www.menstuff.org/columns/barrow/archive.html
  • Peter Baylies - At Home Dads - on at-home-dad issues that impact fathers who stay at home to raise their kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/baylies/archive.html
  • Tom Blake - Middle-Age Relationships - from an expert on dating after 50. www.menstuff.org/columns/blake/archive.html
  • Mark Brandenburg - Great Fathers - on fathering issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/greatfathers/archive.html
  • Ted Braude - BoysWork - a columnist in the The Detroit Free Press "Body and Mind" section www.menstuff.org/columns/braude/archive.html
  • Armin Brott - A Father's Guide - hosts "Positive Parenting" on radio www.menstuff.org/columns/brott/archive.html
  • Dan Bulf - Get Real - weekly pod cast on men's issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/bulf/archive.html
  • Ken Byers - Transition - on men's life transitions - www.menstuff.org/columns/byers/archive.html
  • Sandra L. Caron - Sex Talk - college students get answers to their questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/sextalk/archive.html
  • Neil Chethik - Relationships - www.menstuff.org/columns/chethik/archive.html
  • Otto & Susie Collins - Susie and Otto - relationship issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/susie&otto/archive.html
  • David Copeland - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Layne & Paul Cutright - Powerful Partnerships - relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/cutright/archive.html
  • Ron DesMarais - Cavemen in the Kitchen - great recipes for men - www.menstuff.org/columns/desmarais/archive.html
  • Jed Diamond - Irritable Male Syndrome - www.menstuff.org/columns/diamond/archive.html
  • Doc Love - Women Don't Lie, Man Don't Listen - answers to relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/doclov/archive.html
  • Barry Durdant-Hollamby - Creating Change - creating change in your life - www.menstuff.org/columns/durdant/archive.html
  • Irv Engel - The Real Deal - www.menstuff.org/columns/engel/archive.html
  • Nancy Fagan - Expert Dating Advice - with Nancy Fagan - www.menstuf.org/columns/fagan/archive.html
  • Warren Farrell - Men's Issues: Facts and Perspectives www.menstuff.org/columns/farrell/archive.html
  • Leonard Felder - Wake Up or Break Up - www.menstuff.org/columns/felder/archive.html
  • Marty Friedman - Strong Men, Strong Marriage - www.menstuff.org/columns/friedman/archive.html
  • Kim Garretson - Mansgland - using humor to encourage prostate exams - www.menstuff.org/columns/mansgland/archive.html
  • Lion Goodman - How to get Women to Love You - www.menstuff.org/columns/goodman/archive.html
  • Liz Halliday - In a Man's World - www.menstuff.org/columns/halliday/archive.html
  • Tim Hartnett - Daddyman Speaks - being a father www.menstuff.org/columns/daddyman/archive.html
  • John Hershey - Blood, Phlegm & Bile: Parenting with Humor - He writes a syndicated biweekly humor column about parenting and family life. www.menstuff.org/columns/hershey/archive.html
  • Gary Hoeber - Psychotherapy as Soul Work, www.menstuff.org/columns/hoeber/archive.html
  • Patrick Houser - Fathers Make a World of Difference, www.menstuff.org/columns/houser/archive.html
  • Paul Joannides - The Guide to Getting It On - on sex - www.menstuff.org/columns/getiton/archive.html
  • Jack Kahn - NOMAS Boston - www.menstuff.org/columns/kahn/archive.html
  • Patrick Kennedy - Seniors - www.menstuff.org/columns/kennedy/archive.html
  • Joe Kort - Gaydar - to increase understanding between gay and het men - www.menstuff.org/columns/kort/archive.html
  • David Kundtz - David Kundtz - presents seminars, workshops, retreats, and conference presentations in the areas of men's emotional health, stress management, and spirituality. www.menstuff.org/columns/kundtz/archive.html
  • Bruce Linton - Dr. Dad - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/drdad/archive.html
  • Ron Louis - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Wendy McElroy - Wendy McElroy on Feminism, www.menstuff.org/columns/mcelroy/archive.html
  • Robert N. Minor - Minor Details - on GBT sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/minordetails/archive.html
  • Robert L. Moore - Man & Mythology - www.menstuff.org/columns/moore/archive.html
  • Dennis W. Neder - Being a Man - general questions about men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/neder/archive.html
  • Marty Nemko - Worklife - general questions about men and work - www.menstuff.org/columns/nemko/archive.html
  • Eli Newberger - Eli Newberger - general information on men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/newberger/archive.html
  • Linda Nielsen - Embracing the Father - working with the father/daughter relationship. www.menstuff.org/columns/nielsen/archive.html
  • Kathy Noll - Bullies and Youth Violence - working with schools, teachers and parents to end school violence - www.menstuff.org/columns/noll/archive.html
  • Mark Phillips - Stay-at-Home-Dads - helping men maintain that which makes us men, instead of becoming hairy Mom-substitutes - www.menstuff.org/columns/phillips/archive.html
  • Carey Roberts - Socialism & Feminism - is a social commentator on political correctness. www.menstuff.org/columns/roberts/archive.html
  • Perry Rose - Dating, Relationship, Sex
  • Glenn Sacks - His Side - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/sacks/archive.html
  • Trudy Schuett - Domestic Violence - serving the under-represented www.menstuff.org/columns/schuett/archive.html
  • Carl J. Schutt - Circumcision - social commentator on circumcision - www.menstuff.org/columns/schutt/archive.html
  • Hugo Schwyzer - A Pro-feminist's Response - www.menstuff.org/columns/schwyzer/archive.html
  • Michael Shaffran - Men's Issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/shaffran/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • George Simons - Bellicose Veins - is a US specialist in intercultural and gender communication who hangs out in Mandelieu - la Napoule, France, as well as in Santa Cruz, CA. www.menstuff.org/columns/simons/archive.html
  • Andy Smith - Hard Hat Brotherhood - www.menstuff.org/columns/hardhat/archive.html
  • David B. Smith - Fighting Father Dave - www.menstuff.org/columns/smith/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • Reena Sommer - Custody - is an internationally recognized relationship and divorce consultant. www.menstuff.org/columns/sommer/archive.html
  • R. Don Steele - Don Steele - relationship questions answered -
    www.menstuff.org/columns/steele/archive.html
  • David Steinberg - Comes Naturally - on sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/steinberg/archive.html
  • Mary Lou St Lucas - A Mother's Love - www.menstuf.org/columns/stlucas/archive.html
  • Surprise - Surprise Author - From a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Steven Svoboda - Fatherhood, Activism and the Law www.menstuff.org/columns/svoboda/archive.html
  • Michael Taylor - A New Conversation with Men - www.menstuff.org/columns/taylor/archive.html
  • Bruce Van Horn - Yoga for Men - issues around the health benefits of yoga for men - www.menstuff.org/yoga/archive.html
  • Michael Webb - Secrets of Blissful Relationships - on relationship - www.menstuff.org/columns/bliss/archive.html
  • Stuart Wilde - Spirituality - www.menstuff.org/columns/wilde/archive.html
  • Dr.Williams - Sex Health - on sexual health - Dr. Williams, www.menstuff.org/columns/sexhealth/archive.html
  • KC Wilson - On Gender Politics is a social commentator and author. www.menstuff.org/columns/wilson/archive.html

Plus

  • Health Tips - on general health - www.menstuff.org/columns/healthtips/archive.html
  • Independent Means - resources for raising financially fit kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/independentmeans/archive.html
  • Numbers - www.menstuff.org/columns/numbers/archive.html
  • Questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/q&a/archive.html
  • Surprise - from a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Words Can Heal - helping children grow up healthy - www.menstuff.org/columns/wordscanheal/archive.html
  • Wuzup?! - National or international events happening this month - www.menstuff.org/columns/whassup/archive.html

AWARENESS EVENTS THIS MONTH

December is Kidstuff month. Also check Toy Safety and Happy Holidaze. Holiday Designated Driver, Colorectal Cancer Education and Awareness; Hug-A-Week for Hearing Impaired; International Calendar Awareness; *National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention; National Stress-Free Family Holidays; Safe Toys and Gifts; Universal Human Rights Month.

11/1-12/13: Merlin's Snug Hugs for Kids, 11/27-12/26: Ramadan. 11/1/00-01/01/01: Tie One on the Safety; 11/4-12/4: Jewish Book Month. 11/26-12/25: Operation Blessing International's 30 Days of Holiday Hope. 12/1-7: National Aplastic Anemia Awareness; Tolerance; 12/10-16: *Human Rights Week. 12/15-21: International Language Week 12/16-24: Posadas.. 12/17-23: Tell Someone They're Doing a Good Job Week. 12/22-29: Chanukah. 12/25-31: It's About Time Week. 12/26-1/1: Kwanzaa. 12/1: Day without Art/*UN World AIDS Day; 12/2: Pan American Health; International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, Advent/Festival of Lights. 12/3: UN International Day of Disabled Persons. 12/5: Bathtub Party; International Volunteer Day for Economy and Social Development Day. 12/7: *National Pearl Harbor Remembrance; UN International Civil Aviation Day. 12/9: UN Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948). 12/10: * Human Rights; International Shareware; UN Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination Day. 12/12: Poinsettia Day. 12/15: *Bill of Rights; Underdog; One Day. 12/17: End Violence Against Sex Workers (International) *Pan American Aviation; Wright Brothers Day. 12/20: Louisiana Purchase; Mudd Day. 12/21: Forefathers'; Humbug; Phileas Fogg Wins a Wager; World Peace Day. 12/25: Christmas, A'phabet Day. 12/26: National Whiner's; Boxing Day. 12/28: Holy Innocents Day. 12/29: UN International Day for Biological Diversity Day. 12/31: Namahage (Japan); Make Up Your Mind Day. World Peace Meditation.

* Means a Presidential Proclamation has been made.

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Men are so competitive that we even "out-die" women in all 15 of the major causes of death in the U.S. Most of these deaths are preventable with a positive change in life-style, eating habits, and/or general health care. Let's not strive so hard to hold on to this record. See what you can change now to live a healthier life.
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