Thanksgiving Facts and Trivia...

Happy Thanksgiving to All

• The Wampanoag Native American Indians shared an autumn harvest feasts with the Plymouth colonists in 1621 that is known today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations.

• In the middle of the Civil War, 16th President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day to be a national holiday.

• Contrary to popular belief, even though wild turkeys were around during the first Thanksgiving feast, they were not served.  

By Long Island Press on November 24th, 2010


THANKSGIVING TRIVIA:

1. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States.
2. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada.
3. The Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate the Thanksgiving.
4. The pilgrims arrived in North America in December 1620.
5. The Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach North America.
6. The pilgrims sailed on the ship, which was known by the name of 'Mayflower'.
7. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day in the fall of 1621.
8. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
9. The drink that the Puritans brought with them in the Mayflower was the beer.
10. The Wampanoag Indians were the people who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land.
11. The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in the year 1621 and invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians also to the feast.
12. The first Thanksgiving feast was held in the presence of around ninety Wampanoag Indians and the Wampanoag chief, Massasoit, was also invited there.
13. The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.
14. President George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation in the year 1789 and again in 1795.
15. The state of New York officially made Thanksgiving Day an annual custom in 1817.
16. Sarah Josepha Hale, an editor with a magazine, started a Thanksgiving campaign in 1827 and it was result of her efforts that in 1863 Thanksgiving was observed as a day for national thanksgiving and prayer.
17. Abraham Lincoln issued a 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving. Whereas earlier the presidents used to make an annual proclamation to specify the day when Thanksgiving was to be held.
18. President Franklin D. Roosevelt restored Thursday before last of November as Thanksgiving Day in the year 1939. He did so to make the Christmas shopping season longer and thus stimulate the economy of the state.
19. Congress passed an official proclamation in 1941 and declared that now onwards Thanksgiving will be observed as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November every year.
20. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States. But it was Thomas Jefferson who opposed him. It is believed that Franklin then named the male turkey as 'tom' to spite Jefferson.
21. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920's.
22. Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.
23. When the Pilgrims arrived in North America, the clothing of the Native Americans was made of animal skins (mainly deer skin).
24. On December 11, 1620 the first Pilgrims (or Puritans, as they were initially known) landed at Plymouth Rock.
25. By the fall of 1621 only half of the pilgrims, who had sailed on the Mayflower, survived. The survivors, thankful to be alive, decided to give a thanksgiving feast.

By Long Island Press on November 24th, 2010

WE GO UPDATE FROM UDOT

Here is an update with the Flex Lane project at 5400 South. Please make sure and observe the Do Not Turn on Red Signal to avoid head on crashes. Have seen many cars demolished so far since this has gone into effect so be careful and drive defensively!

5400 South Flex Lanes

UPDATE:

Sunday work on the 2200 West and 5400 South intersection has been canceled due to expected bad weather.

The WE GO! Public Information Team

1-877-550- WEGO(9346)

www.udot.utah.gov/wego

wego2010@gmail.com

Secret Teaching

To live in the world without becoming aware of the meaning of the world is like wandering about in a great library without touching the books.

               ...The Secret Teachings of All Ages

Explanation of Loan Modification

What Is A Loan Modification, And Who Qualifies.

Have you been hearing a lot about loan modifications? The term seems to pop up everywhere these days. But what really is a loan mod, and who can qualify for one? 

A loan modification is an agreement that is negotiated with your lender that changes the terms of your current loan. It can alter the characteristics of the loan term, rate, balance, and penalties. Lenders can be willing to negotiate when you are facing financial difficulties and can not find other financing alternatives. You must be able to show your lender why it would be in their best interest to agree to a modification.

A lender may be willing to reduce the interest rate, monthly payment or change other terms. It is important to understand that a loan modification is not reported to the credit agencies and will not have an adverse impact on your credit scores. Today lets take a look at what characteristics the banks are looking for when reviewing your loss mitigation case with the lender. Every lender is different, so there is no exact science to determine if you truly qualify for a loan mod. Based on information we retained from the e-book Loan Mods done right, below is a list of potential reasons why the lenders will allow a loan modification.

Someone who no longer qualifies for a refinance

Someone currently in an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM)

Someone who is behind on their mortgage (it is always recommended to make all mortgage payments as agree when able)

Someone whose mortgage payments have become high

Someone who has experienced a hardship

Someone who is self employed during tough economic times

Someone who has no equity in their home or is “upside down”

Someone who is about to go into foreclosure

Are you one of these someone? The more of these categories that apply to you the better. The government is forcing the lenders to negotiate and modify Thousands of these loans, so they are picking and choosing who get a mod, and who doesn’t. So why are the lenders doing this? With the housing market in total disarray, the lenders loosing money, and the economy on a huge downturn, the banks would rather modify your loan terms then take on another Foreclosure. Equity in homes has all but disappeared and in many area’s become negative, leaving homeowners upside down on their loans. Banks would rather reduce the payments and/or balance than foreclose on another property. The banks and lenders are not in the real-estate business, and they don’t want to start now. The fact that banks are willing to negotiate lower payments brings about this part of the real estate cycle know as “The Modification Period”.

Although extremely rare, during these periods, both the bank and the borrowers are deemed powerless. Both face tough times ahead and only as a team can the banks and borrowers pull out of this deep real-estate tailspin. They must work together to keep Americans in their homes but also to begin to turn this recession around. Loan modification often equates to immediate financial losses for our banking institutions, but the long term gain will well outweigh the short term loss.

By slowing future foreclosures through loan modifications, the banks will begin to firm up soft markets. This in turn will offer relief to the homeowner’s upside down on their loans. Slowing the foreclosure crisis right now is the first step to jump starting the housing markets again. So if you think you are a potential customer for a loan mod, the time to act is now!!! You can attempt a loan modification yourself, or you can hire a company.

By: Mike Dunn

Mike Dunn is a Senior Wholesale Mortgage Executive who specializes in loan modifications. He is the author of loan mods done right. The website http://www.loanmodificationbookstore.com is one of the best deals on the internet. His Loan mod e-book is one of the best deals on the market. It’s a $209.00 value for only $19.99. Order yours today.

Updates on 5400 South & Bangerter Hwy CFI

Here is the latest information on the 5400 South Flex Lanes and the Bangerter Highway CFIs at 5400 South and 4700 South.

5400 South & Bangerter Hwy CFI

New Impact:

On Sun. Nov. 14, from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m., crews will remove the old lane and crosswalk striping at the intersection of 5400 South and Bangerter Highway. Traffic will be controlled by police officers. Motorists can expect intermittent stop-and-go traffic and delays.

New Information:

Crews will be working on the following:

* Placing seed and top soil

* Completing the concrete center barrier

4700 South & Bangerter Hwy CFI

New Information:

Crews will be working on the following:

* Installing curb and gutter

* Finishing stamped concrete in the center median

* Installing signs

5400 South Flex Lanes

New Impact:

On Sun. Nov. 14, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., crews will install new traffic signal arms at the intersection of 3200 West and 5400 South. Traffic will be controlled by flaggers. Motorists can expect intermittent stop-and-go traffic and delays.

This schedule is subject to change due to bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

The WE GO! Public Information Team
1-877-550- WEGO(9346)
www.udot.utah.gov/wego
wego2010@gmail.com

Here is the latest information on the Bangerter Highway CFIs.

4700 South & Bangerter Highway CFI:

On Sun. Nov. 7 from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., the intersection will be down to one lane in all four directions as crews prepare to switch the intersection over to the Continuous Flow Intersection (CFI) configuration.

The CFI is expected to be in operation Sunday night.

While the CFI will be in operation, work to complete the project will continue through the upcoming weeks.

Click here to view the CFI simulation video.

This schedule is subject to change due to bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

ksl.com - Loan modification program leads Utahns into deeper trouble

ksl.com - Loan modification program leads Utahns into deeper trouble

Water Shortages in US

We have heard for decades or even centuries that some parts of the United States are running low on water. However, the water problem is worse than most people realize, especially in several large cities which are occasionally low on water and with certainty will face shortfalls in a few years. Apparently this is true if the change in global weather patterns has substantial change in rainfall amounts in some areas of the US.

24/7 Wall St. looked at an October 2010 report on water risk by environmental research and sustainability group Ceres. Another comprehensive July 2010 report from the Natural Resources Defense Council was considered, which mapped areas at high risk of water shortage conflict. With 24/7 Wall St. also researching its own analysis of water supply and consumption in the largest US cities, the goal was to identify potential conflicts in regions that might have disputed rights over large supplies of water and the battles that could arise from these disputes.

From these studies ten cities likely to face severe shortages in the relatively near-term future. 

Listed below are the ten largest cities by population that have the greatest chance of running out of water.

10. Orlando, Fla.

Major Water Supply: Floridan Aquifer

Population (U.S. rank): 235,860 (80th)

Population Growth Rate: 26.8% since 2000

Average annual rainfall: 48.35 in.

9. Atlanta

Major Water Supply: Lake Lanier, Ga.

Population (U.S. rank): 540,922 (33rd)

Population Growth Rate: 29.9% since 2000

Average annual rainfall: 50.2 in.

8. Tucson, Ariz.

Major Water Supply: Local ground water

Population (U.S. rank): 543,000 (32nd)

Population Growth Rate: 20% since 2000

Average Annual Rainfall: 12.17 in.

7. Las Vegas

Major Water Supply: Lake Mead/Colorado River

Population (U.S. rank): 567,000 (28th)

Population Growth Rate: 18.6% since 2000

Average Annual Rainfall: 4.5 in.

6. Fort Worth, Texas

Major Water Supply: Multiple

Population (U.S. rank): 727,577 (17th)

Population Growth Rate: 36.1% since 2000

Average annual rainfall: 34.01 inches

5. San Francisco Bay Area

Major Water Supply: Various, including Lake Hetch Hetchy

Population (U.S. rank): San Francisco: 815,359 (12th), Oakland: 409,189 (44th), San Jose: 964,695 (10th)

Population Growth Rate: 20% since 2000

Average annual rainfall: 20.4 in.

4. San Antonio, Texas

Major Water Supply: Various ground water sources

Population (U.S. rank): 1,373,668 (7th)

Population Growth Rate: 20% since 2000

Average annual rainfall: 30.24 in.

3. Phoenix

Major Water Supply: Colorado River Basin

Population (U.S. rank): 1,593,659 (5th)

Population Growth Rate: 21.2% since 2000

Average annual rainfall: 8.3 in.

2. Houston

Major Water Supply: Jasper Aquifer, Lake Houston, Lake Conroe

Population (U.S. rank): 2,257,926 (4th)

Population Growth Rate: 15.6% since 2000

Average annual rainfall: 53.34 inches

1. Los Angeles

Major Water Supply: Colorado River Basin

Population (U.S. rank): 3,831,868 (2nd)

Population Growth Rate: 3.7% since 2000

Average annual rainfall: 14.77 in.

Article edited by Shirlee McGarry® Realtor and  freelance writer and published author who lives in Utah
Pictures - Fotosearch stock photos

Based on article By Charles B. Stockdale, Michael B. Sauter, Douglas A. McIntyre

To view complete article, click here

Mt. Rainier Puts on a Show With God as the Director!!!

Spectacular and Incredible Cloud Formations Captured over Mt. Rainier Last Friday

These are called "Lenticular clouds" 

They're caused when the winds are 

just right so when they flow over 

Mt. Rainier, the air gets pushed upward where it cools and

condenses into clouds. 

 

Depending on the winds, you can get some amazing clouds formations as was seen on Friday 

last week.

 

                                                                                                      Gig Harbor 

Here is more information on what causes them: 

It's usually a sign of rain within 24 hours because typically the moist flow that precedes a storm around here is the perfect set up for these clouds.

received in email from a Blog By Scott Sistek