Good Morning All!
I hope you are keeping your spirits up in the face of the continuing virus challenge! Stay steady, be of good courage and encourage others along the way! We’ll get through this and be better for it on the other side, for sure.
My son-in-law’s company, Keytronic, was featured on the front page of our city’s newspaper this morning. They are offering to gear up to manufacture ventilators that are sorely needed to help coronavirus patients who need respiratory assistance. If they move ahead with this, David will be one busy guy, as he is the Vice President of Quality Control for Keytronic. Here’s to Keytronic and all of the companies who are stepping forward to “fill the gap” in defense of the coronavirus challenge!
Happy Birthday wishes go to movie reviewer Gene Shalit, who turns 94 today (unbelievable!); to astronaut James (Jim) Lovell of “Apollo 13” fame, who is 92 today; and to singer/songwriter Sir Elton John of “Rocket Man” & “Lion King” fame, who turns 73 today. Here’s to all of you!
It looks like Congress is finally going to get off its behind and pass a meaningful relief package for individuals and businesses. Let’s hope its geared to get the money in the hands of the people who really need it…direct aid and assistance is what is needed now…not funding more government bureaucracy and complicated rules and regulations governing how the money is to be distributed. The legislation looks to be somewhere around $2 Trillion in assistance….WOW!…it used to be that a billion dollars was a lot of money…$2 Trillion is hard to get your head wrapped round. I read the other day that, as of 2017, every American would have to contribute $43,503 to pay off the U.S. national debt. That’s pretty mind boggling as well! Once we get back up on our feet, we’re going to need political leaders who will move us toward tackling this mound of debt. Otherwise, it will be a huge encumbrance to future generations. That’s assuming that the American people will start to live more responsibly when it comes to their own household budget…so many people seem to be living on the edge, even in times when the economy was doing so well. Time will tell if we collectively have what it takes to do what is right, no matter that it may come at some additional cost and/or changes to the way we have been doing things. Hopefully, this virus challenge will teach us some invaluable lessons that can be used for good going forward…
Speaking of money, here are some interesting things about the $100 bill:
A Massachusetts company, Crane & Co., has made the paper for all American money since 1879. The company started out in 1770 as the Liberty Paper Mill. It even produced the paper used by Paul Revere to print the paper money used by the first American colonists. The company not only makes paper for money, but also produces the paper used for passports and other official documents as well as making premium quality stationery. Older $100 bills show a picture of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and the time on the clock shows 4:10. Newer bills have Independence Hall featured on the back as well, but the time is 10:30. Both images were done in the 1920s by engraver J.C. Benzing, and no one seems to know why the times are different. It costs 12.5 cents to produce a $100 bill. Production of $100 bills is still much higher than it was before 2003 when they cost a nickel to produce. The increase in price is because of the changes made to foil counterfeiters. A vertical blue stripe now appears next to Benjamin Franklin’s head. A gold inkwell was also added, and it carries an imprint of the Liberty Bell. Additionally, the Liberty Bell appears to move if one looks at it in different ways. Last but not least, the $100 bill lasts longer than any other bill…that’s because it’s not handled as much…big surprise! And now you know!
Here are some thoughts for the day:
“To be loved, be loveable.”
—Ovid, Roman poet (43 B.C. – 17 A.D.?)
“Nothing is stronger than habit.”
—Ovid, Roman poet (43. B.C. – 17 A.D.?)
“There are times when I think we do not desire heaven; but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have ever desired anything else…It is the secret signature of each soul, the incommunicable and unappeasable want, the thing we desired before we met our wives or made our friends or chose our work, and which we shall desire on our deathbeds, when the mind not longer knows wife or friend or work.”
—C.S. Lewis, “The Problem Of Pain”, as quoted in “C.S. Lewis’ Little Book of Wisdom” (2018)
Here’s to a great Wednesday and lots of love always!
Press on,
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, etc.)