~★~♥~♥~★~ EL MONO ~ ♥~★~★~♥ ~
JUNE 28TH

★~Today’s Quote: Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. Gilda Radner

★~ Paul Bunyan Day:

Today, we honor America’s tallest folk hero, who hung out with a blue ox named Babe and wore size XXXXXXXXXXL plaid shirts. Paul Bunyan started out as an advertising campaign for a logging company in the early twentieth century and, over time, his legend caught on and gained popularity. Various towns across the country now display massive Paul Bunyan statues, and tourists come from far and near to check out his magnificent beard. I suggest celebrating today by thinking BIG.

★~ International Caps Lock Day:

Speaking of Big–Use your BIG LETTERS TODAY. Today is international Caps Lock Day. This holiday began as a parody. It was intended to poke fun at those individuals who unnecessarily capitalize letters, words, and phrases. International Caps Lock Day just happens to coincide with the anniversary of the death of Billy Mays, the SHOUTING INFOMERCIAL KING. Today, use your BIG LETTERS –you aren’t shouting; you are celebrating INTERNATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY-!

★~ National Tapioca Day:

Tapioca–it’s not just for pudding! Tapioca is a root starch derived from the cassava–or yucca–plant, which is native to South America and the West Indies. The thick, fibrous roots of the plant were first harvested by the Mayans and are now used in a variety of forms: bread flour, laundry starch, an alcoholic brew, and of course, tapioca pudding.

Processed yucca roots are used to make raw materials for crackers, toothpaste, paper, and textiles. Cassava roots are also perfect for making poison blow darts, since they contain cyanide. The ever-resourceful Mayans figured out how to extract this poison for their blow darts, while leaving the uncontaminated roots free for eating–I would suggest that you don’t try making Tapioca from scratch. Buy it at your local store if you want to celebrate Tapioca Day.

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1951 – An old favorite of radio audiences made the switch to TV. Amos ’n’ Andy moved to CBS-TV. Two years later, a protest by the NAACP forced the network to drop the show

♥~ 1968 – The Uniform Holiday Bill was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The law moved the celebration of Washington’s Birthday to the third Monday in February; Memorial Day to the last Monday in May; and Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. Johnson said, “The bill that we sign today will help Americans to enjoy more fully the country that is their magnificent heritage. It will also aid the work of Government and bring new efficiency to our economy.”

♥~ 1979 – Billie Jean King defeated Linda Siegel with a first at the 102-year-old Wimbledon tennis championships. Not only did King defeat Siegel, but in an embarrassing moment, Siegel, wearing a plunging neckline tennis top became partly naked when the neckline plunged too far.

♥~ 1985 – Route 66- the 59-year-old highway of 2,200 miles of blacktop was decertified as a U.S. highway

★~Born Today:

♥~ 1926 – Mel Brooks (Kaminsky) director, actor: Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, The Producers; comedy writer: Your Show of Shows, Get Smart; Broadway producer: The Producers

♥~ 1946 – Gilda Radner Emmy Award-winning comedienne, actress: Saturday Night Live [1977-78]; Haunted Honeymoon [w/husband Gene Wilder]; died May 20, 1989

♥~ 1948 – Kathy Bates Academy Award-winning actress: Misery [1990]; Fried Green Tomatoes, Home of Our Own, Prelude to a Kiss

♥ ~ 1965 – Jessica Hecht actress: Friends, At Last, The Forgotten, Sideways, Seven Girlfriends, Harvey, Intimate Betrayal, The Heidi Chronicles, The Single Guy, Dan in Real Life

♥ ~ 1966 – John Cusack actor: Money for Nothing, The Player, True Colors, Bullets over Broadway, The Grifters, Say Anything

★~ Did You Know:

♥~ Route 66 started in Chicago, Illinois and continued into Santa Monica, California.

♥~ According to most sources Route 66 is 2448 miles long. However, this is a rough approximation as the road has had many different alignments through the years.

♥~ Route 66 crosses 8 states and 3 time zones. The states that the Mother Road runs through are: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

♥~ Because of a change in alignment of Route 66 in 1937, there is an intersection where Route 66 crosses itself at Central Avenue and 4th Street in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here, you can stand on the corner of Route 66 and Route 66.

♥~ In 1985 Route 66 was officially decommissioned as a federal highway. However, daily use of the road had been gradually replaced in earlier years by the Interstates. The road was decommissioned due to public demand for better transportation as the old road deteriorated after World War II

♥~ Route 66 is also know as “Mother Road“, “The Main Street of America” and “The Will Rogers Highway”. John Steinbeck in his novel, Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939, was the first to refer to Route 66 as “Mother Road.”

♥~ 85% of  Route 66 still drivable. Arizona has the longest stretch of the historic highway still in use today.

★~ Today’s Giggle:

Tech support: Your password is the small letter a as in apple, a capital letter V as in Victor, the number 7.

Customer: Is that 7 in capital letters?

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Not one of El Morno’s best days…. Easy tie in between Paul Bunyan and BIG LETTERS but tapioca?  Even the pictures of tapioca are unappealing and bland; does anyone really like tapioca pudding?  I had hopes of saving today’s El Morno with Route 66 but when I read that today is the day Route 66 was decertified as a highway –I heaved and a big old sigh. Have you ever had an adventure on Route 66? Maybe you can defend Tapioca or have patted Paul Bunyan’s beard? If you have a morno moment leave a comment and help brighten this rather dull day….Odd Loves Company.

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