Sorry for the delay in getting this posted – work has been kicking my butt this week. We had quite a storm to end our week 8 – peals of thunder and terrific flashes of lightning. Nobody puts on a better light show than Mother Nature! We were so thrilled to see Dot at club again, but she was not pleased to have to try to get out to the car in the rain. Never fear – we take care of our own. After sliding some of the outside patio tables to the side, Jim was able to drive right up under the portico, and Dot was able to navigate into the car without getting soaked. We hope that she was able to get from the car to her house without too much water damage! On this date in 1780, John Hancock became the first Governor of Massachusetts. The colonial Massachusetts native was raised by his uncle, a wealthy Boston merchant. When his uncle died, Hancock inherited his lucrative shipping business. In the mid-1760s, as the British government began imposing regulatory measures to assert greater authority over its American colonies, anti-British sentiment and unrest grew among the colonists. Hancock used his wealth and influence to aid the movement for American independence. He was president of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1777, when the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the United States was born. From 1780 to 1785, Hancock was the first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He was reelected in 1787 and served until his death at age 56 on October 8, 1793. Following an extravagant funeral, he was buried at Boston’s Granary Burying Ground. On October 25, 1955, Tappan sold the first domestic microwave oven. The microwave oven didn't come from humble beginnings. It's an appliance born of the radar systems used in World War II -- and the labs of what is now one of the biggest U.S. defense companies. Raytheon engineer Percy LeBaron Spencer was working on an active radar set a few years later when it accidentally melted a candy bar in his pocket. He figured microwaves could cook food. Spencer then tried popping popcorn and making an egg using microwaves. Raytheon had filed a patent for the microwave cooking process by 1945. Two years later, it built Radarange, the first microwave oven in the world. The Radarange was as large as a refrigerator, but heavier. The tubes in the magnetron had to be water-cooled, so plumbing installation was required. Result: The first microwave oven weighed about 750 pounds and was nearly 6 feet tall. Raytheon then licensed its technology to the Tappan Stove company. Tappan introduced a large 220-volt wall unit as a home microwave oven in 1955. It sold for $1,295 (figure $10,500 today). And apropos of the season, on this date in 1978 "Halloween", directed by John Carpenter, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut, was released. "Halloween" is credited as the first slasher film and began a film franchise. Halloween spawned eight sequels and was rebooted by Rob Zombie in 2007. The first sequel to the original movie, Halloween II was released in 1981, three years after its predecessor. Halloween was produced on a budget of $300,000 and grossed $47 million at the box office in the United States, and $70 million worldwide, equivalent to $250 million as of 2014, becoming one of the most profitable independent films. Unlike many of its imitators, Halloween contains little graphic violence and gore. In 2006, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". With 19 players coming out, we paid out 5 places and two teams. 1st place: Andy Wagner, with a 16/8/+74. Note that Andy had only 1 in the minus spread (thanks to Jerry Gooden) 2nd place: Jennifer Johnson with a 13/6/+73 3rd place: Jeff Raynes with a 12/6/+92 4th place: Frank Abernathy with a 12/6/+75 5th place: Glenn McMahon with a 12/5/+47 1st team: Tom(11) and Jerry (8) 2nd team: Liz (9) and Heather (8) We also has TWO 28 HANDS tonight!! Glenn McMahon and Liz Henderson both had ‘em. I’ve got your certificates created, but have to get your pins from Ivan – as soon as I get them, you’ll get them. Congratulations!!! As always (albeit late) the full results are on the website, though you may have to select "Unofficial" to see them all. Here are the current standings... That's it for me, folks -- y'all stay warm out there, and Happy Halloween! ~ Jennifer
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A nip of fall is finally here in the air in Central North Carolina. We turned off our A/C on Saturday evening and threw the windows open wide to the nice, clean, crisp air! Fall is really the best time for fresh air here in the Triangle, in my opinion. Spring would be nice if not for the pollen clouds. But it was a balmy 65 in my house this morning, so I’ve got on long sleeves today. Know where else they are having nice, clean, crisp air today? Alaska! That’s right, as of when I was writing this, there was even a bite of snow in the air. That’s the best air – just before a snow. The US bought Alaska from Russia on this day back in 1867. We paid a whopping 7.2 million (with an “M”) dollars for the land. Can you imagine? That’s less than two cents per acre. Russia offered to sell Alaska to the United States in 1859. The looming U.S. Civil War delayed the sale, but after the war, Secretary of State William Seward quickly took up a renewed Russian offer and on March 30, 1867, agreed to a proposal from Russian Minister in Washington, Edouard de Stoeckl, to purchase Alaska for $7.2 million. The Senate approved the treaty of purchase on April 9; President Andrew Johnson signed the treaty on May 28, and Alaska was formally transferred to the United States on October 18, 1867. This purchase ended Russia’s presence in North America and ensured U.S. access to the Pacific northern rim. For three decades after its purchase the United States paid little attention to Alaska, which was governed under military, naval, or Treasury rule or, at times, no visible rule at all. Seeking a way to impose U.S. mining laws, the United States constituted a civil government in 1884. Skeptics had dubbed the purchase of Alaska “Seward’s Folly,” but the former Secretary of State was vindicated when a major gold deposit was discovered in the Yukon in 1896, and Alaska became the gateway to the Klondike gold fields. The strategic importance of Alaska was finally recognized in World War II. Alaska became a state on January 3, 1959. One hundred years prior to that, in 1767, the Mason-Dixon line was agreed upon. The Mason-Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by astronomer Charles Mason and surveyor Jeremiah Dixon, and established to end a boundary dispute between the British colonies of Maryland and Pennsylvania/Delaware. Due to incorrect maps and confusing legal descriptions, the royal charters of the three colonies overlapped. It forms a demarcation line between four U.S. states , forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania , Maryland , Delaware , and West Virginia. The Mason-Dixon Line was marked by stones every mile and "crownstones" every five miles, using stone shipped from England. The Maryland side says (M) and the Delaware and Pennsylvania sides say (P). Crownstones include the two coats-of-arms. Today, while a number of the original stones are missing or buried, many are still visible, resting on public land and protected by iron cages. And one hundred years after buying Alaska, in 1967, Walt Disney's animated musical adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book" film is released. The cast featured Bruce Reitherman (Mowgli), Phil Harris (Baloo the Bear), Louis Prima (King Louie), Sterling Holloway (Kaa the Python), and Sebastian Cabot (Bagheera the Panther). The 19th animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon, the film is noted for being, along with The Aristocats (1970), the last film project to be approved by Walt Disney himself, as he died in late 1966, before the film was released. The film stands as one of the most popular Disney movies of all time. In its initial release, the popularity was comparable to that of The Lion King or Frozen, making it a great influence for some of today's biggest names in animation (such as Andreas Deja and Brad Bird). The film grossed over $73 million in the United States in its first release, and as much again from three re-releases. After the film's success, Disney released two live-action remakes and a theatrical sequel. Tonight, we had 21 peggers come out to play. We paid out five places and three teams. 1st place (again): Jerry Gooden with a 15/7/+99 2nd place: Glenn McMahon with a 14/7/-42 3rd place: Bernard Whitfield with a 13/6/-43 4th place: Megan Player with a 12/6/+90 5th place: Al Robinson with a 12/6/+54 1st team: Liz (12) and John (9) 2nd team: Jennifer (10) and Ernie (10) 3rd team: Frank (9) and Joe (8) Full results can be seen on the website (you may have to go to "unofficial" while some dues are still being processed), but here are the standings through week 7: That’s all for today. My brother is arriving in town on Thursday night, then we’ll see most of y’all on Friday for dad’s memorial tournament! We have 54 confirmed for the Main on Saturday. It should be a fun time! ~ Jennifer Columbus Day, held on the second Monday in October, is meant to celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on Oct. 12, 1492. For many Indigenous peoples, Columbus Day is a controversial holiday. This is because Columbus is viewed not as a discoverer, but rather as a colonizer. His arrival led to the forceful taking of land and set the stage for widespread death and loss of Indigenous ways of life. Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrates the history and culture of Native people in the U.S., recognizing them as the first inhabitants of the Americas before Columbus arrived on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. It was instituted in Berkeley, California, in 1992, to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Columbus in the Americas. On October 8, 2021, President Joe Biden became the first U.S. President to formally recognize the holiday, by signing a presidential proclamation declaring October 11, 2021 to be a national holiday. Next weekend, October 22-24, I (along with co-director Megan Player) will be hosting a tournament in honor of my dad. I have 51 people signed up for the weekend’s activities. For our newcomers, an ACC tournament is a bit different than Grass Roots. We play 22 games in this tournament with the top 25% going on to playoff rounds (each match is best 3 of 5 games) until a winner emerges victorious. You definitely need to be able to play a game in roughly 15 minutes to keep the tournament moving. The non-winners have another chance at victory on Sunday with a consolation tournament, which is 9 games (like Grass Roots) with the top 25% again going through a round of playoffs (each match is best 2 of 3 games) until we have a winner. If you feel you’re not ready for that, there is a GrassRoots-like event on Friday night at 7:00 pm (6:30 pm registration) which is 9 games with the top 25% winning a cash prize. You do not have to be a member of the ACC to participate in the tournament events or win prizes. Walk-ins are welcome, but cash is required. I'm putting in my lunch order on Thursday, so if you're not yet registered, and plan to attend (and want lunch) please reach out ASAP. We had 21 peggers last night, October 11, 2021. A warm welcome to newcomer Courtenay Cronin, from Durham. She found us via our website after searching google for cribbage. Courtenay had a great first showing, winning four of her games – Great job, Courtenay! Also, Heather Chilsen took the plunge, and is now an official ACC and Club 58 member! She celebrated by earning her first Grass Roots Points (GRPs) – Congratulations, Heather! Some other cool things, also worth celebrating, took place in days of yore... On this day in 1922, the first woman FBI "special investigator", Alaska Davidson, was appointed by then-director William Burns. She was hired primarily to work on the Mann Act, officially known as the White-Slave Traffic Act, a law Congress had passed in 1910 that made it illegal to transport women over state lines “for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose.” Following training in New York, she went to work in the Washington, D.C. office. Records show that her salary was $7 per day (with an extra $4 when she was traveling). Her term was historically important but short-lived—and after J. Edgar Hoover got his way, the Bureau wouldn’t see any more female special agents until the 1970s. This week in 1971, John Lennon's Imagine was released in the US as a single. An iconic song of hope and peace, it is arguably the best-known work of his solo career. In June 1971, John Lennon sat at an upright Steinway piano in the small studio he had built in his home in England, and recorded an elegant prescription for peace on Earth called “Imagine.” The session was over in minutes. The former Beatle did just three takes of the song, singing and playing the piano accompanied by a bare-bones rhythm section. And in sports, on this day in 1992 Deion Sanders, suited up for games for both the Atlanta Falcons (NFL) & Braves (Baseball). His day started as his Atlanta Falcons traveled to the Orange Bowl for a 1 p.m. ET game against the Miami Dolphins. In that game -- a 21-17 Dolphins win -- Sanders returned two kicks and a punt. Immediately after the game, Sanders boarded a flight to Pittsburgh -- followed by a helicopter ride to Three Rivers Stadium -- to join the Braves for Game 5 of the 1992 NLCS against the Pirates. Sanders did not see the field for that game. Had Sanders appeared in the game, he would have been the first person to play in games of two major American professional sports in the same day. Unfortunately, the 7-1 loss to the Pirates didn't provide any opportunities ripe for Sanders' contributions either as a pinch-runner, pinch-hitter or defensive replacement. He is also the only person to hit a major league homerun and score a TD in the NFL in the same week, and the only person to play in both a World Series game and a Super Bowl (September 10, 1989). OK, back to Cribbage... With 21 players (20 regular and one guest), we had 4 places and three teams: 1st place: Jerry Gooden with an(other) 18/8 card (+157 spread) 2nd place: Jennifer Johnson with a 14/7 +73 3rd place: Bernard Whitfield with a 13/6/+48 4th place: Tom Goeschel with a 13/6/+41 1st team: Heather (12) and Pete (8) 2nd team: Fran (10) and Luther (9) 3rd team: Andy (10) and John (8) You can find the full results on the cribbage.org website, but here's our Top 10... That's all I've got, folks. Have a great week, and see y'all on Monday!
~ Jennifer Welcome to Week 5, and the month of October! On this date in 1883, The Orient Express, a luxury train service, departed on its first official journey from Paris to Constantinople. Around 30 people were invited for the inauguration: officials, diplomats, journalists and railway directors. The host was Georges Nagelmackers, founder of the Wagons-Lits company. In 1868 the young Belgian banker’s son had traveled the US by Pullman sleeper and saw a gap in the European market. After several experiments he reached an agreement with eight railway companies—from France to Romania—in 1883. They provided the rails and locomotives, Wagons-Lits supplied the sleeping and dining cars. In a way, the Orient Express started running a few years too early, as the railway through Serbia and Bulgaria was not yet finished. Construction was delayed due to the political situation in the Balkans and the decline of the Ottoman empire. The last leg to Constantinople had to be made by steamer across the Black Sea. East and West finally were directly connected in 1888—traveling 3,000 kilometers in only 68 hours. The opening of the new Constantinople station in 1890 marked the beginning of the Golden Age of the Orient Express. The direct train between Constantinople and Paris was a fast alternative to boat travel — but only for those who could afford it. Converted to today’s value, a ticket cost around 1,750 euros or just over 2,000 US Dollars. In Sports, in 1906, the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburg Pirates 4-0 to end their MLB season at 116-36 a .763 winning percentage; unmatched since. The Cubs were 60-15 on the road for an .800 winning percentage. Their record put them 20 games ahead of second place, the NY Giants. The 2001 Seattle Mariners also won 116 games, but they did that in 162 games with a .716 winning percentage. And, in 1931, the Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould debuted in the Detroit Mirror. Gould originally wanted to name both the detective and the strip Plainclothes Tracy, but he was overruled by the owner of The Chicago Tribune–New York News Syndicate. The strip ran for forty-six years. Although Gould studied forensics and criminal procedures for authenticity, his improvisations sometimes led to absurd storylines. The strip introduced technology that at the time seemed outlandish—the two-way wrist radio (1946) and the portable surveillance camera (1948). Dick Tracy became a policeman to avenge the murder of Emil Trueheart, the father of Tracy’s longtime love interest, Tess. Tracy was portrayed as an incorruptible plainclothes detective in a Midwestern city that resembled Chicago. He usually wore a fedora, a dark suit, a white shirt, and a necktie. He was relentless in pursuing criminals, who in the 1930s were Prohibition gangsters, robbers, crooked politicians, and criminal defense lawyers. Later his criminal adversaries were grotesque villains of repulsive physiognomy with such self-descriptive names as Pruneface, Flyface, the Mole, and Rhodent. Tracy’s first partner was the comical Pat Patton, and he was later succeeded by Sam Catchem, a professional detective. Week 5 had us welcoming 20 players to Club. We paid out 4 prizes and 3 teams. 1st place: Jeff Raynes with a 15/7/+126 2nd place: Jerry Gooden with a 13/5/+103 3rd place: Andy Wagner with a 12/6/+60 4th place: John Morch with a 12/6/+5 1st team: Frank (10) and Liz (10) 2nd team: Fran (12) and Allan (8) 3rd team: Megan (11) and Jeff S. (9) The night's results have been uploaded to the website, so you can get them there. Here is the current top-10: The tournament I'm holding in honor of my dad is two weeks from this Friday. Anyone who hasn't yet told me they're coming, please get in touch ASAP so I can make sure I have your lunch orders. That's all for today -- have a great week, y'all! ~ Jennifer |
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