A New Christmas Story.....

A NEW CHRISTMAS STORY . . .

This story is better than any greeting card.

The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been
anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to
him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He
was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last
hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless
man stepped through.

Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his
customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank
you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy,
I'll just go."

"Not without something hot in your belly." George said.

He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger.
"It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew ... Made it myself. When you're
done, there's coffee and it's fresh."

Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me,
be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy.
Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked. "Mister can you
help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with
child and my car is broken." George opened the hood. It was bad. The block
looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead.
"You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.

"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George
as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old
truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the
garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was
waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever
looked at, but she runs real good."

George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into
the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the
truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new ." George
thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos
was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he
got something in his belly," George thought.

George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It
cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the
truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do.
Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the the block hadn't
cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can
fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on.

"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the
snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't
going to drive the car anyway.

As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a
police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left
shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."

George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had
received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention.
"Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been
there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct
tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said,
trying to make the policeman feel at ease.

"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for
his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the
policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance."

The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there
talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone
into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.

He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the
officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the
area."

George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the
Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check
for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya.
Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your
gonna be right as rain."

George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked.

"None for me," said the officer.

"Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no
donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.

The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun.
"Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was
shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this
before.
"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.

"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon
away. Somebody else might get hurt."

The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now
give me the cash!"
The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to
the cop, "we got one too many in here now."

He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you
need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that
pea shooter away."

George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man,
reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released
his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good
at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he
went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last
week."
George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now
and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we
can."

He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from
the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup
of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in
here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort
this thing out."

The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot
you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer."

"Shut up and drink your coffee " the cop said.

George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an
ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn.
"Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.

"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"

"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the
other cop asked as he approached the young man.

Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just
dropped his gun and ran."

George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.
"That guy work here?" the wounded cop continued.

"Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."

The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man
leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"

Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks
for everything."

"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve
some of your problems."

George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a
ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha
would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."

The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw.
"I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."

"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories.
That's all I need."

George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared
next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's
something for that little man of yours."

The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old
man had handed him earlier.
"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that
too," George said. "Now git home to your family."

The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in
the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."

"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."

George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you
come from? I thought you left?"

"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say
you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"

"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother
was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin'
cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and
besides I was gettin' a little chubby."

The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the
holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold
and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great
doctor.

The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by
terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and
not take any for himself. "That is the spirit of the season and you keep it
as good as any man."

George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know
all this?" asked the old man.

"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when
your days are done you will be with Martha again."

The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have
to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."

George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the
stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill
the room.

"You see, George ... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."

George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus"

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOD BLESS!

A Brief History of How Nutcracker Dolls Became A Christmas Symbol for the Ages

A Brief History of How Nutcracker Dolls Became A Christmas Symbol for the Ages

12 | 14 | 2020   

Around the start of December, it’s not unusual to see decorative nutcrackers on store shelves, arranged on mantelpieces, hanging from Christmas trees, and even decorating holiday sweaters. For some, their colorful outfits, hand-painted faces, and tufts of white hair are the very definition of Christmas cheer. But have you ever wondered how these nutcrackers got to be so popular, and why people usually only bring them out at Christmastime? The answer involves German literature, a Russian ballet, and lots of generous American G.I.s.

From Basic to Beautiful

Humans have been using tools to crack nuts for thousands of years.

The earliest designs were merely two pieces of wood joined by leather or a metal hinge, but as the centuries progressed, artisans started to create figurative designs for nutcrackers, such as brass crocodiles in India and cast-iron squirrels in England.

Wood remained a popular material, and by the 18th century, carvers in Switzerland, Austria, and northern Italy were making fanciful wooden nutcrackers that looked like human and animal heads, sometimes with moving lower jaws.

The nutcrackers best known in America today come from Germany. In fact, they often come from a particular region in Germany, the Erzgebirge — a mountain range near the border with the Czech Republic. Erzgebirge is German for “ore mountains,” and for many years the region was home to rich deposits of silver, tin, uranium, and more. Starting around the early 1700s, as some of the deposits ran out, miners began crafting nutcrackers, toys, and glass ornaments as a way of supplementing dwindling mining income.

By around 1800, the earliest versions of the toy nutcracker dolls so familiar to us today started to appear in Erzgebirge workshops. It’s said that the woodcarvers chose figures of authority for these dolls — soldiers, policeman, politicians — because the common people enjoyed putting toy versions of their overseers  “to work” by having them crack the “hard nuts of life.”

Originally, these nutcrackers had no specific association with Christmas, and it’s not clear exactly when such a link began. But the seasonal significance makes some sense when you consider they were created in workshops alongside toys and games that were often given as gifts. Some have also suggested that a link arose because nuts are an important component of German holiday baking.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.triviagenius.com/a-brief-history-of-nutcrackers/X9egyuv_UAAGBswc

Wealthy Or Rich? Is There A Difference?

Wealthy Or Rich? Is There A Difference?

By Billy B | Mind, Money

There is a massive difference between being rich and being wealthy.  They are as different as living with, and without a heart.  They may look like identical experiences on a spreadsheet, or from the outside looking in, but being rich and being wealthy, are two drastically different experiences.

I can remember the moment when I first noticed the difference between the two lifestyles, and the moment I chose the goal of building wealth in my life.  I was at a Christian networking event I had been invited to.  I am a sales person in my day job, so after engaging in small talk with a few strangers and looking for business, I found a table and waited for the speaker to take the stage.

My mind began to wander as I sat in the crowd, and I asked God: “Is selling all I am supposed to be doing with my life?  Is sales my ultimate purpose in life?  Are paychecks and weekends to be free all there is? Or is there more?”  I had no idea the speech I was about to hear would impact my views on the meaning of wealth forever.

As the room filled to capacity, the speaker grabbed a microphone and finally walked up on the stage.  His hair was grey, and he faced the crowd with the same smile I have when I feel humble and confident at the same time.  I identified with him immediately.  His speech began describing the early career years of his career.    

 “When I was younger, cockier, and didn’t know any better, I was so power hungry that I missed out on all the things I deem important to experiencing a fulfilling now.”

I liked the way he spoke.  He was calm and confident.  I felt his motivation was to teach and help, and not sell.  I leaned back in my chair and listened deeper, like I was watching a theater performance unfold just for me.

“In my 20’s, through my 30’s, I only paid attention to the things I had to do to be promoted in the companies I worked for.  I spent the majority of my young career competing against my peers and comparing my job status to the people I met.  My entire self-worth was found in how high I was on the corporate ladder, and how many zeros were on my paycheck.”

“All my energy was solely focused on creating opportunities for bigger promotions, and inflating the ego that drove me.  My entire life became a warped fantasy where I could one day stand on the mountain peak of power and prestige, and stare down at the world like I was above everyone else.  This fantasy became the only happiness I knew.  Being rich, and better off than everyone else, was the only dream I knew.”

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.wealthwelldone.com/differences-wealthy-rich/

One Way China Could Make Its Digital Yuan Go Global: Pay People To Use It

One Way China Could Make Its Digital Yuan Go Global: Pay People To Use It

Future of finance

New technology is upending everything in finance, from saving to trading to making payments.

By Mary Hui  Reporter  December 3, 2020

The digital yuan is the most advanced of all current central bank digital currencies projects worldwide. Over 2 billion digital yuan has been spent so far in pilot schemes across the country, and there are even counterfeits of the virtual currency.

But China’s ambitions go far beyond that. Its leader Xi Jinping recently spoke of (pdf) the need to “accelerate the construction of the digital economy,” including by shaping its international rules. That reflects Beijing’s broader strategy of setting the world’s technical standards—international norms that define how the global economy operates.

A key way for Beijing to elevate its role in international trade and global financial markets is to “internationalize” the renminbi, the yuan’s official name. That means increasing the yuan’s share of global transactions and currency reserves, both of which are currently dominated by the US dollar. Challenging the greenback’s dominance would also help shield Beijing from US sanctions.

But here’s the rub: the digital yuan will struggle to gain traction worldwide so long as the yuan isn’t widely used in the global financial system. Though the thinking in China is that the digital yuan could help internationalize the yuan by offering a new and efficient way for countries to settle cross-border payments, it isn’t technology that pushes people to use a currency. What would ultimately draw users to the yuan is confidence that the currency is stable, freely convertible, and backed by a sound, transparent economy.

Short of drastically reforming the yuan and lifting all currency controls, some experts have suggested setting a special discounted exchange rate for the digital yuan in order to attract more users in the short term.

This idea is laid out in a recent article (link in Chinese) by Ju Jiandong, a professor of finance at Beijing’s Tsinghua University. In order to undercut Swift, the world’s primary system for cross-border transactions that itself is dominated by the US dollar, Ju writes, China can initially subsidize transactions with a preferential exchange rate on the digital platform, giving “certain conversion discounts to companies or individuals who purchase digital renminbi for payment and settlement…to increase the demand for digital renminbi.”

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://qz.com/1937703/china-could-subsidize-its-digital-renminbi-currency/?utm_source=YPL

35 Thanksgiving Quotes That Capture the True Meaning of the Day

35 Thanksgiving Quotes That Capture the True Meaning of the Day

By Annie O’sullivan And Kelsey Hurwitz  Nov 19, 2020

When it comes to Thanksgiving, a lot of emphasis gets put on the food; and, rightfully so. Between the juicy turkey, savory sides, and sweet desserts, there are a lot of edible elements to focus on come Thanksgiving Day. But as you make your way through the day, it’s important to practice gratitude and give thanks for the good that’s come your way. (Yes, even in a year filled with a lot of bad.) One way to do that is to read a Thanksgiving quote — aloud or to yourself — that captures the true meaning of the holiday.

Now, to be clear, the origins of the holiday have dark historical roots that have more to do with colonization than appreciation. But over the years, Thanksgiving has become synonymous with thanks (I mean, it’s right in the name.) So make sure to take a moment from your busy day to give thanks.

These Thanksgiving quotes emphasize the role gratitude can play in your life — and not just one day a year. Even in the darkest of times, there is so much to be thankful for, and in a year that has included global pandemic and continued racial injustices, Thanksgiving can be a day to remember all of the good things, big and small. And make sure those in your life are doing the same.

Consider writing on of these quotes in a Thanksgiving card or incorporating them into your Thanksgiving centerpieces to bring a little extra gratitude to your meal.

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” — Maya Angelou

“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” — Voltaire

“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.” — Tecumseh

“For my part, I am almost contented just now, and very thankful. Gratitude is a divine emotion: it fills the heart, but not to bursting; it warms it, but not to fever.” — Charlotte Bronte

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” — Epictetus

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.womansday.com/life/g1973/thanksgiving-quotes/

4 Common Thanksgiving Myths And The Real Facts Behind Them

VERIFY: 4 Common Thanksgiving Myths And The Real Facts Behind Them

Author: VERIFY, Terry Spry Jr.
Published: 4:08 PM EST November 23, 2020

The VERIFY team separated fact from fiction on 4 popular Thanksgiving myths including who started the turkey pardoning tradition and how Black Friday got its name.

Thanksgiving is almost here and with the annual festivities also comes years upon years of myths that have developed around one of the biggest holidays of the year for Americans. The myths, misconceptions and legends around Thanksgiving predate the internet, yet have persisted in the digital world all the same. Here are four common Thanksgiving myths, all of which are false, and the truth behind the holiday weekend’s various stories.

MYTH: Thanksgiving has been celebrated every year since the nation’s founding

According to the National Archives, George Washington issued a proclamation that named Thursday, November 26, 1789 as a "Day of Publick Thanksgivin".

At that point, however, Thanksgiving wasn’t codified into law as an annual holiday. It was up to the sitting president to declare a day of “Thanksgiving and Prayer” and set the day and month for the holiday. And there were some years where no such day was declared.

For example, Thomas Jefferson opted against it while president. Monticello says Jefferson was against it because of his beliefs in separating religion from the government. Back then, Thanksgiving days were more religious-focused holidays. Thanksgiving was established as one of the first four federal holidays in 1870, when Congress passed the Holiday Act. That law established Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day and Independence Day as holidays, but Thanksgiving was the only one where the president had the discretion to set the date each year.

By that time, Thanksgiving already had an informal date. Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation set Thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November and subsequent presidents had followed that precedent.

However, Thanksgiving would have fallen on the last day of the month in 1939, so Franklin Roosevelt moved it to the month’s second-to-last Thursday because he worried a shortened Christmas season would dampen the nation’s recovery from the Great Depression. Some states defied the president’s move and made it state law that Thanksgiving was the last Thursday and so Congress sought to set a fixed date for the holiday to combat the confusion. A law was passed in 1941 that set Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday of November.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/verify/verify-tackling-common-thanksgiving-myths/507-e580ed91-8abc-47e0-8ffa-2b93a357bbeb

9 Bizarre Money Superstitions People Actually Believe

9 Bizarre Money Superstitions People Actually Believe

By Emily Guy Birken 

When I was about eight years old, my grandmother gave me a purse. Inside the purse was a dollar bill, which I tried to give back to her. I thought she had left it in there by mistake.  "No, no. That must stay in there," she told me. "You can't give a purse with no money in it, or else it will never have money in it. Money attracts money!"

That was my first introduction to the odd world of money superstitions. Grandma's belief that purses and wallets should always have at least a little money in them, especially if they are given as gifts, had been passed down to her from her Russian grandmother — although it is a superstition that can be found in many countries around the world. I have since met many people who follow this custom, including a small retail business owner who would place a penny in every wallet and purse she sold.

Money superstitions can run the gamut from the slightly lucrative to the silly to the downright bizarre, but they are always fun to hear. Here are nine common money superstitions that people take pretty seriously. (See also: Why Superstition Makes You Buy Insurance)

1. Itchy palms mean you are about to gain or lose money

According to the Palmistry and Hand Analysis website, an itchy right palm is a good thing, because it means you are about to receive money. Don't scratch that itch, or it will stop the money from coming into your life.

An itchy left palm, on the other hand (ha!), means you are about to lose money. To relieve the itch and protect your assets, you can rub your left palm on a piece of wood. This superstition is said to have originated from the Saxons — German tribes who settled in Great Britain during the Middle Ages. They believed you could cure diseased skin by rubbing silver on it.

2. Do not place your purse on the floor

This superstition is considered to be bad feng shui, because your purse is seen as a symbol for your wealth. Putting it on the floor is therefore a sign of great disrespect and disregard for your money.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.wisebread.com/9-bizarre-money-superstitions-people-actually-believe

Last Lecture Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Last Lecture Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

November 9, 2020 by Jim Wang

Every few years, you’re reminded about things that have shaped the arc of your life.

Just last week, something popped up on the homepage of Hacker News that was like meeting an old friend again. It was a link to Youtube to Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture and it’s amazingly powerful to watch. It marked one of the first times I really thought about how I did things, rather than the thing itself.

The lecture was given in September 2007… it was no small coincidence that I’d quit my job and be working for myself by January of 2008.

I had the pleasure of going to Carnegie Mellon and I even tried to take Randy Pausch’s course, Building Virtual Worlds, but never made it off the waitlist (it was the first few years it was available and everyone wanted to be in it… and there were far more deserving students than me). Sometimes I wish I had tried harder to get in the class but that’s the benefit of hindsight.

If you’ve never heard this lecture before, I’m excited for you.

https://apexmoney.com/last-lecture/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo&feature=emb_logo

Saving Happiness

Saving Happiness

Jiab Wasserman  Humble Dollar  November 4, 2020

RESEARCHERS HAVE spent decades probing the connection between money and happiness. For instance, a much-cited 2010 study by academics Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton found that folks tend to feel happier the more money they make—but only up to a point, which they estimated to be about $75,000 a year.

But using only income to measure the link between money and happiness is incomplete. Another study, entitled “How Your Bank Balance Buys Happiness,” analyzed the connection to people’s “cash on hand.” The researchers found that having more money in checking and savings accounts was associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. But similar to the income studies, so-called liquid wealth appeared to be subject to diminishing returns, with the impact on life satisfaction tapering off as folks have more.

Which brings me to tennis. We recently moved from Granada, Spain, to Alicante, which is about 220 miles to the east and right on the Mediterranean. Alicante has milder weather that’s conducive to outdoor sports all year round, so most apartment complexes have tennis courts. My husband Jim accused me of looking for our new apartment based on the condition of the tennis courts first and the apartment second. Yes, I love playing tennis.

I also have a fondness for tennis analogies. I think saving money is like playing good tennis defense, while making more money is like playing offense. There are plenty of YouTube videos of the best winning shots, but relatively few that focus on the defensive skill that’s needed to keep the ball in play. Playing defense isn’t flashy. Yet Novak Djokovic, arguably the world’s top player, is renowned for his defensive play and for his ability to turn defense into offense.

Along the same lines, making more money, moving up the corporate ladder and building your own business are all exciting. People love to talk about such successes and to show off what this money has bought them, whether it’s the new car or the bigger house. But they never pull out their latest portfolio statement and say, “Look at my balance.” There’s nothing showy about saving money. We often celebrate a pay raise, a promotion or a business success, but we seldom celebrate when we’ve maxed out our 401(k) plan or reached a financial milestone.

In tennis, playing defense is mostly about limiting your mistakes, while waiting for the opportunity to strike. In football, it’s said that “defense wins championships.” Isn’t it the same in life? Progress—and ultimate success—are typically achieved through hundreds of smart, boring, stay-the-course decisions, rather than through flashy gambles.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://humbledollar.com/2020/11/saving-happiness/

Weird Stuff Tonight… 2020 Halloween Stats!

 Weird stuff tonight… 2020 Halloween Stats!

Posted on October 31, 2020

Today is Halloween!

FOX 46 Charlotte

SPECTACULAR  It hasn’t happened in decades! For the first time since the 1940s, Halloween will receive some spooky ambiance from a full moon this year. Thanks to Myles Gelbach Photography for sharing   MORE https://bit.ly/2HSMBKb

And there’s some weird stuff going on tonight…

– There’s a full moon tonight! This hasn’t happened on Halloween since 1944. So cool!

– Despite the pandemic and huge financial difficulties, Americans will still spend $8.05 Billion this year on Halloween decorations, candy, and costumes. 

– 53% of people plan to decorate their homes this year (although only 4% of people plan to walk around and admire other people’s houses)

– 18% of all pets will wear costumes tonight. That’s roughly 33 million dogs and cats who will have funny photos posted on FB and Insta tonight!

– 72% of parents plan to steal their kids candy after they fall asleep tonight.

– Silly string is still banned in Hollywood… Except the penalty for using silly string has now risen to $1023, because of inflation.

– 12% of people will dress in a superhero costume tonight.

– President Trump plans to go as Batman. Melinda will be dressing as Princess Elsa.

– The White House is still holding their annual trick-or-treating party where all of the house-maids, gardeners and security guards will come and ring the front door bell and yell “trick or treat”! Last year, Trump ran out of candy to give out so a couple of the staff members decided to play a trick… They let off a big fart bomb in the white house ball room and it took 3 days to get the smell out! Trump was not happy… But since everyone was in costume, they never caught the culprits and they still work today. Rumor has it they are planning another prank tonight!

Happy Halloween, y’all! Have fun whatever you get up to!

– Joel & Coops

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

And here are last year’s 2019 stats if you’re interested

http://5amjoel.com/weird-stuff-tonight-2020-halloween-stats/

Lots of Overnight Tragedies, No Overnight Miracles

Lots of Overnight Tragedies, No Overnight Miracles

by Morgan Housel  Oct 20, 2020

“History is the record of man’s steps and slips. It shows us that the steps have been slow and slight; the slips, quick and abounding.” – B.H. Hart

An important thing that explains a lot of things is that good news takes time but bad news happens instantly.

Real GDP per capita increased eight-fold in the last 100 years. America of the 1920s has the same real per-capita GDP as Turkmenistan does today. Our growth over the last 100 years has been unbelievable. But it averages 2% per year, which is easy to ignore in any given year, decade, or lifetime. Americans over age 50 have seen real GDP per person at least double since they were born. But people don’t remember when they were born. They remember the last few months, when progress is always invisible.

Bad news is not shy or subtle. It comes instantly, so fast that it overwhelms your attention and you can’t look away.

Dwight Eisenhower ate a hamburger for dinner on September 24th, 1955. Later that evening he told his wife the onions gave him heartburn. Then he began to panic. The president had a massive heart attack. It easily could have killed him. If it had, Eisenhower would have joined more than 700,000 Americans who died of heart disease that year.

What’s happened since has been extraordinary. But few paid attention.

The age-adjusted death rate per capita from heart disease has declined more than 70% since the 1950s, according to the National Institute of Health.  So many Americans die of heart disease that cutting the fatality rate by 70% leads to a number of lives saved that is hard to comprehend.

Had the rate had not declined over the last 65 years – if we hadn’t become better at treating heart disease and the mortality rate plateaued since the 1950s – 25 million more Americans would have died from heart disease over the last 65 years than actually did.

25 million!

Even in a single year the improvement is incredible: more than half a million fewer Americans now die of heart disease each year than would have if we hadn’t made any improvements since the 1950s. Picture the population of Atlanta saved every year. Or a full football stadium saved every month

How is this not a bigger story?  Why are we not shouting in the streets about how incredible this is and building statues for cardiologists?

I’ll tell you why: because the improvement happened too slowly for anyone to notice.

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https://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/lots-of-overnight-tragedies-no-overnight-miracles/