November 6, 2020
On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States over a deeply divided Democratic Party, becoming the first Republican to win the presidency. Lincoln received only 40 percent of the popular vote but handily defeated the three other candidates: Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge, Constitutional Union candidate John Bell, and Northern Democrat Stephen Douglas, a U.S. senator for Illinois. The announcement of Lincoln’s victory signaled the secession of the Southern states, which since the beginning of the year had been publicly threatening secession if the Republicans gained the White House. 160 years later we wait for the announcement of who has been elected president in our deeply divided nation.
👉 In view of that last sentence above, it may be appropriate that today is National Love Your Lawyer Day. If you don’t feel like celebrating that, maybe one of these holidays will strike your fancy: Basketball Day, Fountain Pen Day, Medical Science Liaison Awareness and Appreciation Day, Marooned Without a Compass Day, Nachos Day, Saxophone Day, and one I may celebrate, National Jersey Friday. The day was started in 2015 by the National Football League Players Association, to bring fans together, and to build a sense of community. Here we go Steelers! Here we go!
👉 Another game which has received a request to appear in the Quarantine Blog is “Perfection.” Originally produced by the Pennsylvania company Reed Toys, Perfection is now marketed by the Milton Bradley company. The rules are simple: put all the pieces into matching holes on the board – with the pop-up tray pushed down – before the time limit runs out. When time runs out, the board springs up, causing the pieces to fly out. Scoring is also simple: whoever puts all of their pieces into their appropriate places before time runs out is the winner.
The original version also included red “block-out” squares that were used one of two ways. For beginners and younger players, a chosen number of holes were covered and their corresponding shapes were removed. For advanced players, a chosen number of holes were covered, but all shapes were kept in play. In 1975 the red block-out squares were removed. I could not find out why the change was made, but the old version had more pieces, so it was more expensive to produce.
Here is the world record, set by Super Nova Nana – 31 seconds – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7l76pdINFc&list=PLsxXx__lUylKlo5S62cdIW3CkBegGaW1e.
The image above is of the Hallmark Christmas ornament version, available for the first time this year, and only $19.99.
👉 Many years ago Art Linkletter had a show called, “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” The Quarantine Blog has a department called, “People Do the Dumbest Things.” Today’s entry is the Wisconsin driver who transported a snowmobile by strapping it to the roof of his Toyota Corolla. A trooper pulled over the driver on Sunday afternoon after seeing the snowmobile perched sideways on top of the sedan. The 23-year-old driver, who said he was on his way to show a friend his new purchase, was issued a warning about the hauling technique and cited for failing to buckle up. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation tweeted a photo of the car with the Polaris topper on Monday with a message: “Folks, don’t try this at home.”
👉 In Augusta, the Masters Value Cinemas 7 reopened a few weeks ago, and closed again this week. The Riverwatch Luxury Cinemas were offering a “rent a theater” option – for $100 you could have a whole theater to yourself, and you could invite 19 friends. But they decided to reopen with regular stuff. Beyond that, I have no idea what is going on in the movie world in Augusta, but if it wasn’t a Star Trek or Star Wars movie, I probably wouldn’t have gone anyway. I do enjoy it when theaters will bring back old classics to the big screen, and have seen several of those. All of this movie nostalgia was spurred by reading an article at https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2020/08/13/15-things-we-miss-most-about-going-movie-theaters/3360921001/ about the 15 things we miss most about going to the movies. The article was first released in August, but not much has changed. Here are my top 4 from the list, with my memories about them, and one that should have been on their list and wasn’t.
1. Absurdly large containers of popcorn. I always get the biggest size, and sometimes go back for the free refill. When the JAMM Kids all lived at home and we’d go to the movies, I’d buy a bucket of the refillable, and once seated, empty it into a large ziplock bag and then go back for the refill.
2. Debating the coming attractions. I remember when they were called “previews” instead of today’s “trailers” (and it seems silly to me to call something a trailer when it does not trail, but comes first). After the clip has been shown, I whisper a “yes,” or “no.” And I try to remember what previews we saw because someone who hasn’t yet seen the film will ask about them.
3. The collective spontaneous reaction. For movies like my favorites, it’s always best to go to the first show on opening day and be surrounded by like-minded fans. The laughs and cheers at the scenes are always the best for that first viewing. One of my all-time favorites was watching Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and wondering what ship Captain Kirk and crew would receive (Kirk had blown up the old Enterprise to keep the Klingons from getting it). They first sailed towards the Excelsior (a.k.a. “the pregnant guppy”) and there was a collective groan from the audience and a few shouts of “No!” Then the shuttle pod topped the ugliest vessel in Star Fleet and we were rewarded with our first view of NCC-1701A, the Enterprise reborn. The cheer from us Trekkers and Trekkies was loud and sustained. Good times.
4. Sticking it out to the bitter end. You don’t just get up and leave after the last scene has played out. You stay until all of the credit have rolled to see if there is an “Easter egg” – a playful bit about the movie just watched or a clue to what may be coming in the next installment.
5. This one wasn’t on the USAToday list, but it’s personal from me to you: seeing a movie in 3-D. I think I am the only one in my family who likes 3-D movies, but I’ve always enjoyed the experience. I remember going to them in days gone by and receiving a set of cardboard glasses with one green lens and one red lens. We went to see a movie about exploring the Titanic and receiving a helmet to put on. It’s just good fun to see things round and lifelike instead of flat. And there is a certain thrill about dodging an arrow launched in your direction or ducking a runaway boulder.
👉 Today’s close is from Adrian Rogers.
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12:5 NIV).
I belong to you; you belong to me, and we owe loyalty to one another. Hebrews 10:25 says we’re not to “forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is.”
With apologies to the Rev. Mr. Rogers, I added this clip: Here is the church https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H3E33o4URc.
Do you know what’s happening in America? People who claim to be Christians, who claim to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, don’t belong to and aren’t faithful to a local fellowship. Such a thing was unheard of in the Bible. To be a Christian meant you were faithful to the fellowship. When they gathered, you were there.
People say, “Well, I believe in Christianity, but I’m not a member of a local church. I’m a member of the universal church.” That’s like saying, “I’m a football player.” I ask, “What team do you play for?” “Well, I’m just a part of the NFL.” You’re not part of any team! I mean, it’s foolish.
We need to be faithful to a local body of believers. It’s the way we stay plugged in to the needs of the body of Christ. It’s the way we show honor to Him in worship. It is simply the way.
What do you have on your schedule this week that’s more important than being a part of the blood-bought body of the Lord Jesus Christ, the visible expression of His body, the church?
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