CHRISTMAS 2020: ELF ON THE SHELF

Photo:  Source
 

If you do Elf on the Shelf for your children at Christmas something like this would show the not even the Elf on the Shelf is exempt for self-quarantine and wouldn't need to start moving him around until December 15th.

MAP OF POWER SOCKET TYPES IN EUROPE

 

Source

I didn't realize when I went to Germany years ago that they didn't have the same electrical plugs that we do in the US.which dashed my hopes of hot rollers and big hair that was popular then.  

You now can purchase converters but before you travel find out what is being used where you are going beforehand.  As the above map shows there are 6 different types in different parts of Europe alone.

CHRISTMAS: 2020 CHRISTMAS DECOR

 

Source

This would be something to craft and give to that person on your Christmas list that already has everything...except possibly a face mask holder as we didn't need that until this year.

Christmas: 2019 vs. 2020

 

Source

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

Turkey See, Turkey Do?

  The man is enjoying gobbling then have all of the turkey's repeat, but from an article on Wideopenspaces.com about what turkey sounds means:

"This sound is an indication that a tom, or jake, is excited and wants a hen. It is used to attract hens but also to deter other toms and jakes.

Jakes sometimes can fool you into thinking they are a tom when they gobble, however sometimes will yelp in response to your calling until they actually can gobble."

That's a formidable army ngl from r/funny

Cinnamon Roll Turkeys

Screenshot from video below

Some people say bacon makes everything better and in this case, it is combined with a cinnamon roll to use as tail feathers to make a turkey.

The link with the instructions and the video below from Delish Kids shows how these can be made with some dairy case cinnamon rolls, candy eyes, candy corn, and some crispy bacon.

I have not tried this combination myself, but I can say when I made Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies they were a big hit as the salty bacon offsets the sweet for a burst of flavors melding in your mouth.

 Cinnamon Roll Turkey instructions here.

Video:

UNUSUAL RECIPES: THANKSGIVING IN A BUCKET

 

Photo:  Source

This was a suggestion on Buzzfeed to save space on your table and serve something interesting my making Thanksgiving in a bucket.

It suggests starting with a clear plastic ice bucket and layer the items as follows:

• Stuffing
• Mashed Potatoes
• Brussel Sprouts
• Sweet Potatoes
• Turkey and Gravy
• Cranberry Sauce

It advises the best way to take out of the bucket for serving would be with two long cake spatulas and it would result in something like this on the plate.

Photo:  Source

2020: HURRICANES. WILDFIRES AND FLOODING, OH MY - RECORD-BREAKING NATURAL DISASTERS

A running list of record-breaking natural disasters in 2020 https://t.co/qwdeVF4cm5 pic.twitter.com/UJNuZNLqEP

— Scientific American (@sciam) November 17, 2020

As if the Coronavirus was not bad enough, natural disasters are also breaking records this year.

The list from Scientific American:

"So far this year, the U.S. has had 16 natural disasters (including wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes and drought) that each caused at least $1 billion in damage, tying the record set in both 2011 and 2017—with several months left to go. Such statistics have been compiled since 1980."

Below are the Hurricanes listed:

"This is only the second time that the official alphabetical list of hurricane names has been used up, meaning forecasters have had to move to the supplementary list of Greek letter names.

• The 2020 season has surpassed 2005 as the one with the most named storms on record: 29. (Named storms are those that reach at least tropical storm strength, with winds of 39 to 73 miles per hour.)
• Twenty-six of the 29 storms that formed so far this season were the earliest of their storm number to do so. For example, Delta was the earliest 25th named storm of any season, beating out Tropical Storm Gamma, which formed on November 15, 2005.
• When Tropical Storm Eta made landfall on Florida’s island of Lower Matecumbe Key on November 8, it became the only 12th named storm to hit the U.S. in a single season. It broke the record set just weeks earlier by Hurricane Zeta and Hurricane Delta before it. Prior to 2020, the season with the most landfalls was 1916, which had nine.
• Hurricane Zeta was the sixth hurricane to hit the U.S. this year, tying 1886 and 1985 for the most continental U.S. hurricane landfalls in a single season.
• Zeta was the record fifth named storm to hit Louisiana in a single season.
• Delta’s landfall was the first time a Greek-alphabet-named hurricane has made landfall in the U.S.
• Hurricane Eta became the strongest Greek alphabet-named storm in the Atlantic on Nov. 2, with sustained winds of 150 mph.
• September, which falls within the peak of the hurricane season, saw a record 10 named storms form within the month. (The previous record was eight.)
• In mid-September, there were five storms churning around the Atlantic Ocean simultaneously for only the second time on record.
• September 18 marked the second time on record that three named storms—Wilfred, Alpha and Beta—all formed on the same day. The only other time this was known to happen was on August 15, 1893, before hurricanes received official alphabetical names.

(The Atlantic hurricane database, managed by the National Hurricane Center, extends back to 1851. The lists of alternating male and female hurricane names have been in use since 1979.)"

 For the complete article visit Scientific American

PLACES: RED SQUARE, MOSCOW, RUSSIA

 

Although it looks cold, it also looks almost ethereal with all of the snow coming down.

COFFEE ART: CAT AND AN EXPLOSION

 

Photo:  Source

There needs to be a class that teaches you how to do this.

UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE: EIFFEL TOWER, PARIS FRANCE

 

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A post shared by Europe | europestyle_ (@europestyle_)

While the Eiffel Tower has been photographed millions of time, this is a unique perspective with being shot from the ground with the fallen Fall leaves and with buildings on each side. 

REPURPOSED: Old Grocery Store to Temporary Library

Photo:  Source

While I pondered if "Frozen" was in the frozen section, other commenters on Redditors posted:

"PorkfatWilly

​

1.4k points·8 hours ago

The reference section in the frozen food aisle, because it's cold hard facts."

"mauldin8302

45 points·4 hours ago

Or suspense novels because they are chilling."

Another quipped"

"TDIsideHustle

​

5.6k points·8 hours ago

2

All they had to do was remove the “B” from the bread sign!." 

For other comments, visit the post here. 

ANIMALS: PUPPY RIDING ON A ROOSTER

 

Screenshot from video

This is something to file under "Here is something you don't see everyday" or "Animal cuteness" depending on your view of a puppy riding on a chicken.  Short video from Twitter below.

pic.twitter.com/t1Rza1KkMQ

— Unusual Videos 🤔 (@UnusualVideos) November 11, 2020

PLACES: PARK AVENUE, MANHATTAN, NYC

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Sunday morning on Park.

A post shared by Sidney C.📍New York City (@212sid) on Nov 8, 2020 at 5:58pm PST

When A Homicide Detective Babysits...

 

Photo:  Source

Babies sleep a lot and sometimes in the middle of playing and it looks like the sitter was bored.

WEATHER: MASSIVE FLOODING IN THE PHILLIPINES DUE TO TYPHOON ULYSSES

 

Photo:  Source

By seeing the comparison of the before and after of the flooding is staggering and reminds me photos of when Hurricane Katrina hit the US.

The pictures and videos are from Reddit and Philstar.com reported:

"MANILA, Philippines (3nd update 9:36 a.m.) — Typhoon Ulysses' destructive winds whirled through the main island of Luzon overnight as the cyclone made its way to the capital region and Calabarzon on Thursday morning, dumping heavy rainfall and triggering flash floods across Metro Manila.

In Marikina, the river rose to 21.8 meters by 9:04 a.m., the highest water level seen since 2009 when Typhoon Ondoy hammered the city. Back then, rains carried by the cyclone inundated villages, destroying homes and properties and affecting nearly 900,000 people in the worst known flood disaster in memory."

Please keep those affected by this tragedy in your prayers. 

Photo:  Source

11/12/20 Typhoon Ulysses, Marikina, Philippines. The Marikina River overflowed from r/CatastrophicFailure

SELFIE POSES

 

Source: Daniel LaBelle

The video (below) from Daniel LaBelle Youtube channel is for comedy but captures many common poses that you see on social media. 

The above picture is "Facebook Mom" that is shot from above and overexposed and blurred.

VETERAN'S CEMETARY

 

Photo:  Source

This photo was posted under Confusing Perspective on Reddit by u/ltearth due to it looking like two different pictures which it actually is not; it just looks that way due to the perspective the photo was taken.

As today is Veteran's Day, I wish to thank all Veterans, past and present, who have served and the sacrifices they have made, some with their lives.

UNUSUAL VINTAGE ADS: 1944 SPAM BIRDS

 

Photo:  Source

My mother grew up during the Depression and WWII and although I don't know if the ever celebrated a Thanksgiving with SPAM bird like this, it was a popular product as it didn't require refrigeration and it was a way to add some sort of way to add a bit of a meat product to the table without having to go out and kill a chicken.

The "points" it is referencing is that food was rationed and families were given a specific number of points to purchase items.  In the ad above it also said not to blame your grocer if he is out of SPAM as it was shipped to the Armed Forces.

As you can probably find a can nowadays on your grocer's shelf, you too could make SPAM Birds.

From the brief description in the ad, to make SPAM Birds it indicates you cut SPAM into slices, put the stuffing of your choice in the center then fold together and secure with toothpicks to hold it together then pop it in the oven to crisp up the SPAM.  

I did find a video on Youtube where a version is made but she makes the stuffing then fries the SPAM in a pan the combines together.

INTERESTING FIND: FLUFFY MUFFIN

 

Photo:  Source

It never ceases to amaze me of the unusual places cats will curl up and how they contort themselves to fit; although this looks like a fluffy muffin, it actually is a cat in a glass bowl (note the toe beans on the left side of the bowl.

UNIQUE ANTIQUE: OIL LAMP HEAT POWERED FAN

Source:  Modern Mechanix

It seems odd that a fan can be powered by heat, but in older times, and still today in some countries without electricity, there are oil lamp powered fans.

The above is from the November 1956 Modern Mechanix magazine

It appears the oldest lamps date back to 1845 by East India Company.  An article on Dusty Old Thing indicates:

"The fan, made with a fan guard that you could easily fit your hand in (it was another era), was made in 1845 by the East India Company, 13 years before the First War of Independence in India. At the time the East India Company had an army twice the size of the official British military presence in India, and they ruled and traded using their military upper hand. However, the company name comes from their previous excursions to the Dutch East Indies, known today as Indonesia. “The Company” as it was known traded in opium, ambergris, spices, and even issued their own currency- such was their power.

While the history of the East India Company had many gruesome twists and turns, it’s interesting to note that at least some of their products were built to last. We looked up the 1845 fan and you can buy it, of all places, on Amazon– which has been offering used items and antiques for years now."

Below is a video of one of the fans in action.

Pre-Electric Fan from r/InterestingVideoClips

PLACES: TIMES SQUARE, NY

 

Photo:  Source

This was from a post by Successful Flow on perfectly timed pictures.  

Some commenters think there may be some photoshop involved, but still it is an interesting perspective.

FOOD: BACHELOR'S SPECIAL

 

Photo:  Source

Redditor Green-Z posted the above pic indicating the local grocery store marketed the steak, potato and two cans of Bud Light as "The Bachelor Special".

LITTLE FREE LIBRARY: KFC VERSION

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This #LittleFreeLibrary is charter 96911 and styled after a famous KFC restaurant in the Atlanta, Georgia area! Repost @littlefreelove. #littlefreelibrariesofinstagram #littlefreelibraries #littlelibrary #sharebooks #bookstagram #freelittlelibrary #lfl

A post shared by Little Free Library (@littlefreelibrary) on Aug 26, 2020 at 1:54pm PDT

Places: Windsor, Ontario with Reflection

 What a stunning picture of the city of Windsor, Ontario by stevebiro on Instagram with the reflection captured on the water.

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Hi everyone, I took this pic on the way to work early this morning. It was nice to the water so still and I'm not one to pass up a good chance to get a reflection image. The colours may seem a luttle more vibrant than normal as this was shot using the in camera HDR settting. It's time for me to call it a night, really hope you all have a great one, cheers!

A post shared by steve biro (@stevebiro) on Sep 25, 2020 at 6:53pm PDT

CURRENT EVENTS: Mike Pence and The Fly

I didn't watch the Vice Presidential Debate, but after the fact what I heard most about was not the issues discussed, but a fly landing on Mike Pence's head.

Currently, there is an entire SubReddit called MikePenceFly and yes, you guessed it, there were many visual jokes posted.

Here are 5 of them:

..... from r/MikePenceFly

The Fly Starring Mike Pence from r/MikePenceFly

Who wore it better? from r/MikePenceFly

Super Fly from r/MikePenceFly

This is pretty fly, hah from r/MikePenceFly

UNIQUE HALLOWEEN COSTUME: MIKE PENCE & THE FLY

mike pence and the fly ; a love story from r/Halloween_Costumes

I Don't Want A Birthday Cake...

 

To not have a birthday cake from r/therewasanattempt

There is always that person that will text you saying they don't want a cake for their birthday; now you know what to make for them😁

Screenshot from video