Pearl Harbor Day

The attack took place on December 7, 1941.

Although the aerial attack was very successful, the submarines failed to finish off any wounded ship inside the harbour.

The attack's success surprised the Japanese as much as the Americans.

The last part of the decoded Japanese message stated that U.S. relations were to be severed.

The Japanese attack force was under the command of Admiral Nagumo.

Japansese force consisted of six carriers with 423 planes.

At 6 a.m. the first Japanese attack wave of 83 planes took off.

Nickname for Pearl Harbor is "Gibraltar of the Pacific."

Eighteen U.S. ships were hit.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy," in reference to the attack.

Three prime targets escaped damage, the U.S. Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers, the Lexington, Enterprise and Saratoga. They were not in the port when the attack took place.

Another target, the base fuel tanks also escaped damage.

Casualties included 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians.

1178 people were wounded.

The day after the attack the U.S. and Britain declared war on Japan.

Today is also Letter Writing Day.

Music History 101: December 7th, 1964 on a flight between Houston and Los Angeles, one of the passengers had a nervous breakdown. It would be a long time before he’d fly again and he decided to quit touring with the band he created: the Beach Boys – it was Brian Wilson.

The 101 number one song of the day has the distinction of having the most ancient lyrics of the rock era. They go all the way back to the Old Testament.  The song was written by the legendary Pete Seeger who adapted the words from the Book of Ecclesiastes. It was recorded by a group that consisted of Jim McGuinn who would later change his first name to Roger and David Crosby who would later quit the group because he couldn’t get along with McGuinn. And the making of this record was not an easy process: it took more than 50 takes to produce the track that was released as the single. But once it hit the airwaves it steadily rose to number one where it stayed for three weeks. It was number one on December 8, 1965 for the Byrds (Turn, Turn, Turn)

 

The Dona Ana County Humane Society presents the Critter Christmas this Saturday night from 6 – 9 pm at the Historic Amador Hotel.  It will feature a silent auction, a wide variety of hors d’oeuvres and a bar with entertainment of Megan McQueen.  The tickets are $50 a piece and the event benefits the Spay/Neuter Action Program (SNAP) and the Friends of the Animal Services center of the Mesilla Valley

Have you ever ‘caught a yawn’ from someone else? They yawn – you yawn. Science has never really been able to explain the phenomenon – but new research out of England finds infants and children under five…do not catch yawns. They think it has something to do with brain development. They say kids under five don’t find yawns contagious until age five – and they don’t fully catch them until about the age of 11.

Have you yawned during this item?

Here’s the latest fitness craze that has people going to the gym six times a week. It’s called ‘muscle confusion’. It involves lifting weights – but never the same amount of weight or the same number of reps. The idea is your body becomes accustomed to repetitive training and adapts. By confusing your body – and your muscles – they say you get a much better workout.

The holiday season has arrived and with it brings the many questions of tipping. Do I need to tip? Who should I tip? How much should I tip? Nelson Barber, associate professor of hospitality management at the University of New Hampshire, has advice for the confused. Barber advises that when setting your tipping strategy, prioritize your most important service providers by considering those who have provided you services and the extent of interaction with them, particularly those who may not be that obvious, even if you may not have tipped them regularly. Some suggestions for tipping are:

· Day care provider: $25 and a gift from your child

· Doorman: $25 or a gift

· Parking garage attendants: $30 or a gift

· Housekeeper: no more than one week’s pay or a gift

· Nanny: no more than one week’s pay or a gift from you and your child

· Newspaper carrier: $20 or a gift

· Package carrier: a gift of no more than $20

· Home caregiver: no more than one week’s salary or a gift

· Pet groomer: the cost of one session or a gift

· Trash collectors: $20

· Baby sitter: no more than one evening’s pay

· Hairstylist for women: no more than the cost of one visit

· Hairstylist for men: the cost of one haircut

FYI: Mail carriers working for the United States Postal Service may not accept cash gifts, checks, gift cards, or any other equivalent.