What You Could Buy If You Won The Mega Million Jackpot

Here's How Many Taylor Swift Tickets, Iphones and Private Jets You Could Buy If You Won The Mega Million Jackpot

Kate Murphy · Reporter  Yahoo News  Updated Fri, December 27, 2024

The Mega Millions jackpot is more than $1 billion. Here's how many Taylor Swift tickets, iPhones and private jets you could buy if you won. The grand prize drawing will be held Friday at 11 p.m. ET.

The Mega Millions jackpot shot to $1.22 billion this week — the seventh time in Mega Millions history that the jackpot has surpassed the billion-dollar mark.

While a sizable tax bill would knock down the jackpot’s amount considerably, we took a look and opted to use $1 billion to illustrate the full scope of the prize.

Several Stadiums' Worth Of The Most Expensive Taylor Swift Tickets

Ticket prices for Taylor Swift’s "Eras Tour" varied by location and date. When the tour went live in Glendale, Ariz., in 2023, the average ticket price there was $529. But at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the average ticket expense was $3,071, making it the most expensive location, according to USA Today. At that average ticket price, the Mega Millions jackpot winner could afford to buy 325,626 tickets, or buy out the 70,000-seat stadium 4.7 times.

More Arizona Iced Tea Cans Than Jackpot Dollars

A $1 billion jackpot could buy more than 1 billion cans of AriZona tea. You read that right. For more than three decades, the company has consistently kept the brand’s 23-ounce cans at 99 cents. The founder, Don Vultaggio, spilled the tea on the consistent price in an interview with NBC’s Today show earlier this year.

"We're successful, we're debt free, we own everything," Vultaggio said. "Why have people who are having a hard time paying their rent pay more for our drink? Maybe it's my little way to give back."

However, retailers and business owners have the right to set their own prices. That’s why you may pay more than the can’s suggested 99-cent price at a place like a gas station.

TO READ MORE:  https://finance.yahoo.com/news/keep-quiet-heres-know-win-232828281.html

Merry Christmas from The Dinar Recaps Team

All of us at Dinar Recaps would like to wish all our Readers a Very Merry Christmas.

We wish that all your dreams and wishes come true this coming year. 

Due to the holiday, we plan to have new posts off and on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Please check our  BLOG PAGE  for all new posts. 

On (Tuesday) Christmas Eve, we plan to have 10am and 6pm email Newsletters (no 10pm (ET)

On (Wednesday) Christmas Day we plan to have 11am and 6pm (ET) email Newsletters (no 10pm (ET). 

Have a happy and safe holiday.  The Dinar Recaps Team

Picture from Viktor Hanacek at Picjumbo.com

"Christmas 1881" Posted by Mot at TNT

TNT:

Mot:  Christmas 1881

Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their
means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were
genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him
that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.
 
It was Christmas Eve, 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the
world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy
me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that
night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we
could read in the Bible.

After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the
fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling
sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read
Scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up again and
went outside.

I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the
chores. I didn't worry about it long though, I was too busy wallowing in
self-pity.
 
Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in
his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out
tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for
Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason
that I could see.

We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of
anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I
knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them
to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat,
and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave
the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what.
 
Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the
work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going
to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We
never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was
already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him.
The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy.
 
When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of
the woodshed. He got off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high
sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a
bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever
it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high side boards on.
 
After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came
out with an armload of wood - the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down
from the mountain, and then all fall sawing into blocks and splitting. What
was he doing?

Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you
doing?" "You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow
Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or
so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure,
I'd been by, but so what?
 
Yeah," I said, "Why?"
 
"I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in
the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." That
was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for
another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I
began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it.
 
Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smoke house
and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and
told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying
a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in
his left hand. "What's in the little sack?" I asked. Shoes, they're out of shoes.

Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he
was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy
too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."
 
We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to
think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards.
Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was
still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split
before we could use it.

We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that,
but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and
candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer
neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern.
 
We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as
quietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door.
We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?"
"Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt... could we come in for a bit?"
 
Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped
around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting
in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat
at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.
 
"We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of
flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had
the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out, one pair
at a time.

There was a pair for her and one for each of the children -
sturdy shoes, the best... shoes that would last. I watched her carefully.
She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her
eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she
wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out.
 
"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said,
"Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size
and heat this place up."
 
I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had
a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears
in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around
the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her
cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak.

My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before, filled my
soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had
made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of
these people.
 
I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids
started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen
looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long
time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the
Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send
one of his angels to spare us."
 
In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up
in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but
after Widow Jensen mentioned it, I could see that it was probably true. I
was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started
remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many
others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.
 
Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed
when they all fit, and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then
I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord, that the Lord would make
sure he got the right sizes.

 
Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to
leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. ... They
clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their
Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine.
 
At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to
invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey
will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if
he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about
eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here,
hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest... my two
brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away.
 
Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to
say, may the Lord bless you, I know for certain that He will."

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't
even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said,
"Matt, I want you to know something. Your Ma and me have been tucking a
little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for
you, but we didn't have quite enough.

Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your Ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a
little candy for those children. I hope you understand."
 
I understood alright... and my eyes became wet with tears again. I
understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle
seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He
had given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her
three children.
 
For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a
block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I
felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a
rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.
 
Don't be too busy today... share this inspiring message. Merry Christmas
and God bless you!

When Massachusetts Banned Christmas

When Massachusetts Banned Christmas

Christopher Klein

Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch had nothing on the 17th-century Puritans, who actually banned the public celebration of Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay Colony for an entire generation.

The pious Puritans who sailed from England in 1630 to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony brought with them something that might seem surprising for a group of devout Christians—contempt for Christmas.

In a reversal of modern practices, the Puritans kept their shops and schools open and churches closed on Christmas, a holiday that some disparaged as “Foolstide.”

A Puritan governor disrupting Christmas celebrations.

After the Puritans in England overthrew King Charles I in 1647, among their first items of business after chopping off the monarch’s head was to ban Christmas. Parliament decreed that December 25 should instead be a day of “fasting and humiliation” for Englishmen to account for their sins.

The Puritans of New England eventually followed the lead of those in old England, and in 1659 the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony made it a criminal offense to publicly celebrate the holiday and declared that “whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way” was subject to a 5-shilling fine.

Why did the Puritans loathe Christmas? Stephen Nissenbaum, author of “The Battle for Christmas,” says it was partly because of theology and partly because of the rowdy celebrations that marked the holiday in the 1600s.

In their strict interpretation of the Bible, the Puritans noted that there was no scriptural basis for commemorating Christmas.

“The Puritans tried to run a society in which legislation would not violate anything that the Bible said, and nowhere in the Bible is there a mention of celebrating the Nativity,” Nissenbaum says. The Puritans noted that scriptures did not mention a season, let alone a single day, that marked the birth of Jesus.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.history.com/news/when-massachusetts-banned-christmas

A NEW CHRISTMAS STORY . . .

A NEW CHRISTMAS STORY . . .

This story is better than any greeting card.

The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been
anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to
him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate.

He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last
hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless
man stepped through.

Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his
customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank
you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy,
I'll just go."

"Not without something hot in your belly." George said.

He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger.
"It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew ... Made it myself. When you're
done, there's coffee and it's fresh."

Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me,
be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy.
Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked.

"Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent."My wife is with
child and my car is broken."  George opened the hood. It was bad. The block
looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead.

"You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.

"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George
as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old
truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the
garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was
waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever
looked at, but she runs real good."

George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into
the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the
truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new ."George
thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos
was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he
got something in his belly," George thought.

George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It
cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the
truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do.
Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the the block hadn't
cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can
fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on.

"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the
snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't
going to drive the car anyway.

As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a
police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left
shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."

George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had
received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention.
"Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been
there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct
tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said,
trying to make the policeman feel at ease.

"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for
his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the
policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance."

The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there
talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone
into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.

He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the
officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the
area."

George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the
Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check
for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya.
Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your
gonna be right as rain."

George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked.

"None for me," said the officer.

"Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no
donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.

The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun.
"Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was
shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this
before. "That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.

"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon
away. Somebody else might get hurt."

The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now
give me the cash!"

The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to
the cop, "we got one too many in here now."

He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you
need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that
pea shooter away."

George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man,
reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released
his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good
at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he
went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last
week."

George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now
and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we
can."

He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from
the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup
of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in
here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort
this thing out."

The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot
you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer."

"Shut up and drink your coffee " the cop said.

George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an
ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn.
"Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.

"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"

"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the
other cop asked as he approached the young man.

Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just
dropped his gun and ran."

George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.
"That guy work here?" the wounded cop continued.

"Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."

The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man
leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"

Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks
for everything."

"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve
some of your problems."

George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a
ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha
would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."

The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw.
"I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."

"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories.
That's all I need."

George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared
next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's
something for that little man of yours."

The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old
man had handed him earlier.

"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that
too," George said. "Now git home to your family."

The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in
the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."

"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."

George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you
come from? I thought you left?"

"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger."You say
you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"

"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother
was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin'
cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and
besides I was gettin' a little chubby."

The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the
holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold
and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great
doctor.

The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by
terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and
not take any for himself. "That is the spirit of the season and you keep it
as good as any man."

George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know
all this?" asked the old man.

"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when
your days are done you will be with Martha again."

The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have
to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."

George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the
stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill
the room.

"You see, George ... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."

George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus"

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOD BLESS!

13 Habits of Highly Effective Risk-Takers

13 Habits of Highly Effective Risk-Takers

By Nate Silver   GEAR Newsletter   DEC 19, 2024 4:00 AM

From poker players to venture capitalists, there’s a mindset to making the most of opportunities, and engineering the odds of success.

I played poker professionally before I ever wrote about politics or built an election model. What really fascinates me about gambling is the mindset that drives this behavior—a way of thinking that unites a cohort I call “the River.”

The River is a sprawling ecosystem of like-minded people that includes everyone from low-stakes poker pros to crypto kings and VC billionaires.

 It is a way of thinking—analytical, abstract, competitive, contrarian—and a mode of life. Most “Riverians” aren’t rich and powerful, but rich and powerful people are disproportionately likely to be Riverians.

I call the following the “13 Habits of Highly Effective Risk-Takers.” The quantitative risk-takers of the River and those who take physical risks—astronauts, deep-sea explorers, NFL players—have these traits in common. Based on my research, I hold the view that there is something hardwired in people who seek out risk and wrangle it successfully. How many do you share with them?

Successful Risk-Takers Are Cool Under Pressure

Being calm when other people lose their shit is a rare quality—and one that’s essential for a winning gambler. It doesn’t matter how well you execute in everyday situations—you’ll never reach the top of your craft if you choke when the pressure is on.

They Have Courage

In poker and sports betting, the vast majority of players lose money. To be at the very top requires a careful balance. Overconfidence can be deadly in gambling, but playing poker against the best is not for the faint of heart.

They Have Strategic Empathy

They put themselves in their opponent’s shoes—but don’t mistake this for the touchy-feely kind of empathy. In psychological studies, there’s a negative correlation between systematic thinking—what Riverians are skilled at—and empathetic behavior. Strategic empathy comes up a lot in poker—which is very much both a mathematical game and a people game.

They Are Process Oriented, Not Results Oriented

They play the long game. “Don’t be results oriented” is a mantra ingrained in many poker players. Yes, in the long run, results are what count, but one good thing about the River is that our compensation ultimately depends on objective measures.

TO READ MORE: LINK

Today is Giving Tuesday, Celebrated in 90 Countries!

Today is Giving Tuesday, Celebrated in 90 Countries!

The Dinar Recaps Team believes in giving back to the helpers who make our world a better place, one community at a time. Nonprofit (NPO) and Nongovernmental (NGO) organizations work on the front lines every day, to make a difference for those in need, to celebrate arts, culture, healthy living, and education for all, among many other causes.

This year, Dinar Recaps has chosen Rise and Share (an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) charity) as our 2024 Giving Tuesday charity of choice!

As a charitable organization that serves other nonprofits, all donations to Rise and Share will support their expansion campaign to serve 100 additional nonprofits by the end of 2025. A gift to Rise and Share is a great choice for our readers who care about multiple causes, from animal welfare to youth service, from chronic illness to the arts, from the military to programs for the aging and in underserved communities.

To maximize a matching gift offer from an anonymous donor, we humbly invite our Dinar Recaps family to join us in supporting Rise and Share this Giving Tuesday. Any donation, no matter how small or large, is invaluable and very much appreciated. And to keep you updated on cause-related news, look for #GivingEveryTuesday posts throughout the new year. Donations may be made at this link: CLICK HERE (or use this QR code on your phone.)

While we wait... let’s think about other ways each of us can help in our local communities, volunteering or donating goods and funds, sharing our talents and championing the causes we care about.

What is Giving Tuesday?

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement that unleashes the power of radical generosity around the world.

GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past nine years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

GivingTuesday strives to build a world in which the catalytic power of generosity is at the heart of the society we build together, unlocking dignity, opportunity, and equity around the globe.

GivingTuesday’s global network collaborates year-round to inspire generosity around the world, with a common mission to build a world where generosity is part of everyday life.

What is radical generosity?

While many call on philanthropists, policymakers and grantmakers to repair broken systems, GivingTuesday recognizes that we each can drive an enormous amount of positive change by rooting our everyday actions, decisions and behavior in radical generosity—the concept that the suffering of others should be as intolerable to us as our own suffering. Radical generosity invites people in to give what they can to create systemic change.

When is Giving Tuesday?

Every day, although the annual celebration event will take place this year on December 3, 2024!

Who organizes GivingTuesday?

GivingTuesday is an independent nonprofit organization that is dedicated to unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. The movement is organized in partnership with GivingTuesday’s global network of leaders, partners, communities and generous individuals.

Giving Tuesday’s ultimate goal is to create a more just and generous world, one where generosity is at the heart of the society we build together, unlocking dignity, opportunity, and equity around the globe.

What is a GivingTuesday COUNTRY movement?

GivingTuesday is hosted in 90 countries by leaders who are passionate about growing radical generosity. They rally nonprofits, businesses, and individuals throughout their countries. To get involved in GivingTuesday in your country, CLICK HERE https://www.givingtuesday.org/global/.

What is a GivingTuesday COMMUNITY movement?

GivingTuesday Communities come together around a common geography (e.g., city, state, region) or issue area (e.g., Military, Women/Girls) to collaborate, innovate, transform, and inspire their communities to make a difference. These Community campaigns find creative ways to mobilize their networks, host volunteer events, raise funds for their local nonprofits, spark waves of kindness, and much more. CLICK HERE to find and connect with a local GivingTuesday community group where you live.

Who can participate?

Everyone! GivingTuesday has been built by a broad coalition of partners, including individuals, families, nonprofits, schools, religious organizations, small businesses and corporations. There are people and organizations participating in GivingTuesday in every country in the world.

Participating in GivingTuesday is about joining a movement for generosity, and there are so many ways to do that. Whether you give your voice, goods, your time, or your money, being generous is a way to fight for the causes you care about and help people in need.

What do you do on GivingTuesday?

On GivingTuesday, millions of people all around the world, use their power of radical generosity to change the world. They volunteer at homeless shelters, organize food drives, fill their community fridges, donate to mutual aid funds, spread messages of solidarity and hope.

Here are some ideas you might consider:

·      Give your voice to a cause that matters to you - sign and share a petition, send an email to your elected officials

·      Volunteer virtually or share your talents

·      Give your voice to a cause that matters to you

·      Discover a local fundraiser, community drive or coordinated event to join others in your area or with your same interests in giving back — they need your help.

·      Give to your favorite cause or a fundraiser to help those in need.

·      Talk about giving and generosity using the hashtag #GivingTuesday - share local organizations doing good on your social media pages

So, how will YOU spread radical generosity in your community? Tell us in the comments below!

Share this post with your contacts to spread the word about GivingTuesday!!

Central Bank Of Iraq Is Pleased To Present The Iraqi Banknotes In Circulation

 Central Bank Of Iraq Is Pleased To Present The Iraqi Banknotes In Circulation
 
This technical leaflet highlights the security features and aims to be a guide to the public as well as to companies and commercial banks handling cash on a daily basis. In addition to the enhanced security features, the banknotes include raised printings to facilitate tactile recognition of the denominations by visually impaired users.

We encourage you to take your time to familiarize yourself with our banknotes and share the information with those around you. The current series of banknotes will be in circulation alongside the old banknotes, and there is no intention to withdraw the older banknotes from circulation.

CLICK HERE for the CBI PDF

 https://cbi.iq/static/uploads/up/file-173304177261220.pdf
 
https://cbi.iq/news/view/2724 

Thanksgiving Quotes to Share With Your Loved Ones

70 Best Thanksgiving Quotes to Share With Your Loved Ones on Turkey Day

"There is always, always something to be thankful for."

Country Living Staff  Nov 25, 2019

Of course, your Thanksgiving menu is important, but the holiday is so much more than just piling our plates with mashed potatoes. Thanksgiving Day is also a time to show your gratitude for your friends, family, and all that you have in life.

These best Thanksgiving quotes will remind everyone of the reason for the fall season! This list is full of thoughtful words that would make for a great holiday toast or even as a nice Thanksgiving Instagram caption.

The day can be quite hectic, especially if you're hosting this year's festivities—so make sure you read these Thanksgiving quotes for friends and family before November 28, and then save them to read aloud to your guests on Thanksgiving Day.

Or when your day starts to get stressful (and you realize just how many stores are closed on Thanksgiving just as soon as you run out of pumpkin pie ingredients!), just take a moment to scroll through this roundup. We especially love the thankful quote: "Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life.

Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have," which was said by Catherine Pulsifer. It reminds us to be mindful and thankful of all we do have.

We also love these words by Daniel Humm: "What I love about Thanksgiving is that it’s purely about getting together with friends or family and enjoying food. It’s really for everybody, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from." That quote truly encompasses how special the holiday is.

Nora Ephro   “The turkey. The sweet potatoes. The stuffing. The pumpkin pie. Is there anything else we all can agree so vehemently about? I don’t think so.”

Jonathan Safran Foer   "Thanksgiving is the meal we aspire for other meals to resemble."

Johannes A. Gaertner    “To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.”

Randy Pausch   "Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other."

Henry Van Dyke   "Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.”

Hausa Proverb   "Give thanks for a little, and you will find a lot."

Robert Caspar Lintner   "Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day."

Gerald Good   "If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.

J.A. Shedd   "He who thanks but with the lips thanks but in part; the full, the true Thanksgiving comes from the heart."

Catherine Pulsifer   "Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have."

Margaret Cousins   "Appreciation can change a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary."

 Franz Grillparzer   "Drink and be thankful to the host! What seems insignificant when you have it, is important when you need it."

Daniel Humm   "What I love about Thanksgiving is that it’s purely about getting together with friends or family and enjoying food. It’s really for everybody, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from."

Unknown   "There is always, always something to be thankful for."

Anne Frank   "No one has ever become poor by giving."

Joyce Giraud   "Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year because it reminds us to give thanks and to count our blessings. Suddenly, so many things become so little when we realize how blessed and lucky we are."

Yogi Bhajan   "An attitude of gratitude brings great things."

John F. Kennedy   "We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives."

Charles Dickens   "Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."

Maya Angelou   "Be present in all things and thankful for all."

Amy Leigh Mercree   “Thanksgiving is a joyous invitation to shower the world with love and gratitude.”

Wilbur D. Nesbit   “Forever on Thanksgiving the heart will find the pathway home.”

Norman Vincent Peale   “The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.”

Willie Nelson    “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”

James E. Faust    “The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us.”

Maya Angelou   “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”

Charlie Brown   “What if today, we were just grateful for everything?”

W. Clement Stone   “If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.”

Bruce Wilkinson   “A moment of gratitude makes a difference in your attitude.”

David Steindl-Rast   “It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.”

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g2059/thanksgiving-quotes/

“Bits and Pieces” Posted by Mot at TNT

TNT:

.Mot:......... I said “Mum I’m too old for a teddy bear.”

"My hero is Mom. When I got my own police station she knitted me a teddy bear. I was hoping for a coffee mug.

I said “Mum I’m too old for a teddy bear.”

She said 'Firstly, you’re not. No one is. Secondly, it’s not for you. It’s a trauma bear, for any kid you think needs it.'

Three months later I’m asking a little boy to do a big job. There was a scared bear in my police truck that needed looking after. And, while his world dissolved in sirens and lights that boy kept that bear safe and took him home.

Mum has made hundreds of things since. Trauma bears for victims of crime, quilts to warm rehabilitating drug addicts during the chill of withdrawal, booties and mittens for premature babies. There’s something in the stitching, a kind of grandma magic I suppose.

The photo is me dropping off some more bears and quilts. Mum’s my hero and, since she’s not on Facebook, if you message me I’ll pass it on."

Credit - original owner

Mot: The Origin of America’s Favorite Nursery Rhyme: ((( Bet Ya Didn't Know This un!!!! ))) Rock a bye baby

The Origin of America’s Favorite Nursery Rhyme:

Davy Crockett's older sister, Effie Crockett was invited to help some mothers in the Muskogee Tribe. Once she arrived in camp, Effie laughed at what she saw. The Muskogee Tribe had a custom of cradling their pappooses among the swaying branches of birch trees. This protected their babies from ground insects, the sun, and wild animals.

After first finding it funny, she soon learned all the great reasons for this practice and marveled at the beauty of it.

Effie watched the swaying and soothing motion of the topmost branches of the trees. She loved how each baby enjoyed nature, how they listened to the songbirds, observed every ladybug, and smiled at the colors of a butterfly, every little breeze was felt and enjoyed by these young ones; each babe seemed perfectly content.

One of the Tribal mothers began to sing a song to the children in her native tongue. As the Muskogee mother sang, Miss Effie observed a small tear running down the mother’s cheek.

Lulu se pepe i le pito i luga o le laau,

A agi le matagi e luluina le moega pepe,

A gau le lala e paʻu ai le moega pepe,

Ma o le a sau i lalo pepe, moega pepe ma mea uma.

Effie translated the words and kept the tune. She shared it with everyone and it soon became a wildly popular nursery rhyme among the Colonies.

The English translation:

Rock-a-bye baby on the tree top,

When the wind blows the cradle will rock,

When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,

And down will come baby, cradle and all.

Why did the Muskogee mother cry?

A “bough” is simply a tree branch, and its breaking was used by the Muskogee mothers as an analogy of their little baby growing up.

Their little baby would soon outgrow his cradle. With each gently rocking wind, time was passing. One day, little baby would no longer need the protection of his mother. One day, the “branch” would break because her little baby had become too heavy. The “cradle” would fall to the earth – the child, no longer a baby, would dust himself off and grow into a man.

The now famous lullaby was first printed in Mother Goose’s Melody.

The rest is history.

Labor Day, The First Continental Congress Meets In Philadelphia

Labor Day, The First Continental Congress Meets In Philadelphia

September 5, 2022 | by NCC Staff

On September 5, 1774, the first Continental Congress in the United States met in Philadelphia to consider its reaction to the British government’s restraints on trade and representative government after the Boston Tea Party.

The group of colonial luminaries didn’t meet in Independence Hall (which, at the time, was called the Pennsylvania State House). Instead, delegates selected by colonial legislatures met next door in Carpenters’ Hall, which had just been constructed. The State House was already occupied by the Pennsylvania provincial assembly.

The delegates gathered on the morning of September 5 at Philadelphia’s City Tavern, near Benjamin Franklin’s home. Franklin had remained in England, and he would deliver a petition from the First Congress to King George III in late 1774. The group then walked over to Carpenters’ Hall to inspect the meeting room.

“They took a view of the room, and of the chamber where is an excellent library… The general cry was, that this was a good room, and the question was put, whether we were satisfied with this room? and it passed in the affirmative,” said John Adams.

In all, 56 delegates from 12 colonies came to Philadelphia for the meeting to address the Coercive or Intolerable Acts. The laws were meant as punishment for the activities of the Boston Tea Party, but they affected all colonies. Neither Franklin nor Thomas Jefferson attended, but in addition to Adams, the delegates included Patrick Henry, Roger Sherman, John Jay, John Dickinson, Richard Henry Lee,  George Washington, and John Adams’ cousin, Samuel Adams.

Thomas Jefferson’s cousin, Peyton Randolph, was named as the first president of the Continental Congress. Randolph was another prominent Virginia leader and Washington’s close friend.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-first-congress-meets-in-philadelphia