Today my wife and I went with our daughter, her husband and their 3 children to the brand new OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale, Arizona. Actually I think it’s on the Indian Reservation next to Scottsdale. But it was a beautiful place. Well planned, built and with lots to see. We had a wonderful time.
Looking at all the different fish, I was reminded of Benjamin Franklin’s experiment with a faddish vegetarian diet. He had given up eating meat for a season. On a trip across a harbor on a boat, the wind stopped and the boat became becalmed. It couldn’t reach the shore. So the crew made the most of their time by fishing off the bow.
bookstore long ago. This bookstore sold used books and I bought this one. I don’t remember where or when. The book is “Ben Franklin’s Almanac of Wit, Wisdom and Practical Advice” with the sub title “Useful Tips and Fascinating Facts for Every Day of the Year” by the Eidtors of The Old Farmer’s Allmanac.”
Benjamin Franklin had seen so much trouble and even despair caused by drinking that he advised against it. His childhood friend borrowed some money from Ben, then disappeared to Barbados. Ben never saw him again.
When you get a chance to visit Jefferson’s home at Monticello, be sure you make the most of it. The home is just chock full of the most interesting items, collections, and inventions. But not only that, Thomas has given space to many of those he deemed to be great individuals.
We don’t give much attention to Thomas Paine these days. He was from England and had tried to make a living alternatively as a grocer, a Methodist preacher, an excise officer, an English teacher and a writer. He wasn’t much of a businessman as you can see, and he had a difficult time relating to others. However, he was a creative and imaginative literary mastermind.
However, the original Patriots didn’t play football. Football hadn’t even been invented yet. Those original Patriots played for keeps and they created a new nation. The first one ever to be of the people, by the people and for the people.