November 19, 2013

Today we celebrate:

American Made Matters Day – This is a day that is a “Call-to-Action” for American consumers. We can change our economy for the better if more of us buy American made products than imported products. The goal is to encourage everyone to buy at least one American made product today so check those tags and look for American made products when you are shopping.

Equal Opportunity Day (aka Gettysburg Address Day) – On this day in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. Now considered one of the greatest speeches of all time, at THAT time it was just another speech that was thankfully short.

International Men's Day – Begun in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago, this is a day to focus on Men's health (when I say 'men', I mean all males whatever their age), gender equality and promoting positive male role models. We need to celebrate their achievements in life and particularly their importance to their communities and families.

Rocky and Bullwinkle Day – An animated television series that began on this day in 1959 and was originally called Rocky & His Friends. For those too young to remember or have seen the reruns, this is a show that featured a flying squirrel named Rocky and a moose named Bullwinkle who was his best friend. It was big on puns and satire and was enjoyed by adults as well as children.

World Toilet Day – This is a day to focus on the lack of clean toilets in the world. More than a billion people do not have a toilet at all and more than 2 billion do not have a clean toilet. That's a lot of people living in unsanitary conditions that spread disease.

To celebrate today, read the Gettysburg Address to your children. Try to do it with President Lincoln's vocal intonations to make it more real for them. Then encourage the males in your house to go get a checkup at the doctor's office. When you use your toilet today, think about how many people cannot do that and be thankful for what you have. If you are so moved, do some research to find a reputable group that works to fix this issue and consider donating some money to them. Then go buy an American made television on which you can watch Rocky and Bullwinkle.

I am grateful for the interested you have all shown in reading my blog.  Today, I'd like to give a special shout out to all my readers in Hong Kong.