It's November, a Month to be Thankful for a Whole Lot of Reasons
Why all the gratitude? Read on and be the smartest person in the room -- or the Zoom!
November. Finally. I’m so thankful, and here’s why:
There’s the headline holiday of the month, of course—Thanksgiving. This year Turkey Day arrives on Nov. 28.
Which means Black Friday, the start of Christmas binge-buying and the busiest shopping day of the year, is the next day. It’s also the day when Santa begins opening his mail, so don’t delay in getting your wish list off to the North Pole.
Earlier in the month, Daylight Saving Time ends. Whether you’re thankful for that will depend on how you feel about setting your clocks back in the fall and forward in the spring. Personally, I wish they’d just leave it all alone.
Election Day is Nov. 5. Most places, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. I’m sure many of us will be thankful to get this over with, although the outcome will determine just how happy we are with the results. My only hope is that our democracy survives it.
There’s also Veterans’ Day, Nov. 11, a somber holiday recognizing the sacrifices that members of our armed forces have made to ensure our freedom, and we are all grateful for that.
And for those of us living in the Gunshine State, we love the eleventh month of the year because Nov. 30 marks the end of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. Good riddance Helene, Milton, and the rest.
Big News on the Book Front
I sent out an email blast on this already, but in case you missed it, I want to share that the latest novel in The Strange Files series has received another batch of literary honors. It had already earned accolades in the Florida Book Awards, the Florida Authors and Publishers Association, and the national Indie Book Awards.
Now, Strange Timing has been named Book of the Year in the Royal Palm Literary Awards sponsored by the Florida Writers Association. It also won Gold Medals in two of the fiction categories—Thrillers and Suspense novels and Science Fiction novels.
I’ve received numerous inquiries from people asking about the sequence of the six-book series and whether they need to read the novels in order. I’ve written them so that they stand alone and can be read in any order. That said, there are continuing characters and locations, so I would suggest taking them in sequence starting with the eponymous first book in the series, The Strange Files.
You can read summaries of the books (and find links to order them) by clicking on the button below or scanning the QR code. And don’t forget: Books make great Christmas presents. And just in time for holiday shopping, I’ve reduced the e-book prices on all six novels on Amazon.
Mark Your Calendar
Since one of the goals of the Essential News Letter is to make you the smartest person in the room, check out this calendar of events and impress your friends (or annoy your frenemies) with your amazing knowledge:
November is Native American Heritage Month. It’s also Movember, the point of which is for men to grow moustaches to raise awareness for men’s health issues, primarily prostate cancer. Other November month-long observances include Peanut Butter Lovers Month and the very important National Novel Writing Month.
Nov. 1—It’s National Author’s Day. It is traditional on this day to buy a book from your favorite author. Need I make a suggestion?
It’s also Hello Kitty’s 50th birthday, which apparently is a big deal although I personally have no clue. Here’s a link if you’re a fan.
Nov. 2—Pumpkin Destruction Day. The idea is to have fun mutilating your Jack-o-Lanterns now that Halloween is over. Why this is supposed to be amusing eludes me, but here at the Essential News Letter we do not judge. There’s room on this planet for Hello Kitties, whatever they are, and pumpkin smashers, too.
Nov. 3— Fall back. Yep, Daylight Saving Time ends, disrupting your circadian rhythm and forcing you to adjust your analog clocks, if you have any.
Nov. 4—Check Your Blood Pressure Day. If you have some, that’s good. If you have too much, you might want to check in with your doctor. Pro tips: There is no cure, per se, for high blood pressure, but there are ways it can be treated. In addition to medication, the consensus advice online is:
Eat a healthy diet.
Exercise.
Lose weight.
Reduce salt.
Limit alcohol.
Don’t smoke.
Get enough sleep (yeah, I know, all this clock switching doesn’t help).
Nov. 5—Election Day. Every vote counts. It really does.
Nov. 6— Saxophone Day. So named for the inventor of the musical instrument, Antoine Joseph Sax.
Nov. 7—Why is the elephant the mascot of the Republican Party? Because Thomas Nast used a pachyderm to symbolize the GOP in a cartoon on this day in 1874.
Nov. 8—National S.T.E.M. Day, designed to promote the teaching of science, technology, engineering, and math.
Nov. 9—Chaos Never Dies Day. Sounds like the title of a James Bond film, but it’s one of those phony-baloney holidays the point of which is that life is always going to be crazy so just go with it.
Nov. 10—Happy Birthday Marine Corps. It was founded on this day in 1775.
Nov. 11—Veterans Day. It’s a federal holiday. Schools may be closed depending on where you live.
Nov. 12—National Pizza With the Works Except for Anchovies Day. Important life advice: Just say NO to anchovies.
Nov. 13—Sadie Hawkins Day. When girls invite the boys out, a twist on traditional roles, which is quaint and also really out of step with modern life. Interestingly, Sadie Hawkins Day is celebrated on other days too including the first Saturday in November and Feb. 29 in leap years.
Nov. 14—Loosen up, Lighten Up Day. A lot like Chaos Day, its purpose is to encourage you to enjoy life, as if you didn’t already think that was a good idea.
Nov. 15—Beaver Moon. It’s a full moon with a funny name, this one in recognition of all the dam-building rodents in North America. (I’ll have more on this later in the month in my Florida Weekly column, links to which I share with newsletter subscribers.)
Nov. 16—National Fast Food Day. But maybe not quarter-pounders with cheese.
Nov. 17—National Unfriend Day. Conceived by Jimmy Kimmel, it’s a day to go through your social media friends lists and clean them up.
Nov. 18—American Education Week begins today. Go hug a teacher.
Nov. 19—Have a Bad Day Day. If you’re sick of being told, “Have a nice day,” this day is for you.
Nov. 20—Name Your PC Day. Have you given your desktop computer a name? If not, why not? I’m thinking about naming my iMac Maurice.
Nov. 21—False Confession Day.
Nov. 22—Love Your Freckles Day.
Nov. 23—Eat a Cranberry Day.
Nov. 24—All Our Uncles Are Monkeys Day. OK, I had to look this one up. Kind of clever. It’s a day to recognize that all of us primates are related. Also known as Evolution Day.
Nov. 25—International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Violence against women and girls remains one of the most prevalent human rights violations around the world. This day is the start of the UNiTE campaign. #NOEXCUSE. More here:
Nov. 26—Casablanca. On this day in 1942, the greatest movie ever made premiered. Yes, that’s right, even better than Animal House. (As a personal aside, the one time I caught Covid, it was a couple of years ago at Rick’s Cafe Casablanca.)
ALSO: Unless things change, this is the date Donald Trump is scheduled to be sentenced after being found guilty of 34 felony counts in his hush money/election interference trial in New York.
Nov. 27—Tie One On Day. No, it doesn’t mean go on a bender. You’re supposed to bake some cookies and deliver them to a friend wrapped in an apron. How you find a friend wrapped in an apron, I don’t know.
Nov. 28—Thanksgiving. Here’s the history of the holiday: The 53 survivors of the Mayflower celebrated their first harvest in the so-called New World in October 1621. They were joined by 90 Native American Wampanoag people. It started badly when, in celebration, the Pilgrims began firing guns in the air. This alarmed the native people, who gathered for battle, Instead, they shared a meal. Cool bit of trivia: It is unknown if turkey was served.
Nov. 29—Black Friday. According to retailers, the best-selling items are electronics, toys, and games.
Nov. 30—Hurricane season ends.
On the Silver Screen
There are boatloads of movies coming out this month, including the highly anticipated Wicked. Here’s a look at the complete lineup:
Readers Write
Dear. J.C.
Are you really naming your computer Maurice? I mean, why not Mac since it’s an Apple PC and all?
B. Evergreen
OK, I’ll confess, I just made that up while writing this column. It’s not named anything. I honestly can’t think of a good name. Suggestions welcomed.
Dear J.C.
At the top of this column you referred to getting our Christmas wish lists off to Santa right away. I didn’t know he started reading his mail on Black Friday. Or did you just make that up too?
P. Minstix
Of course not. The Essential News Letter is dedicated to making you the smartest person in the room, so it has to be true. What’s also true is that Santa’s home could be in trouble due to global warming. Alexander Strange has something to say about that in Strange Timing.
Dear J.C.
P. Minstix? B. Evergreen? Are those actual letters from real people? Names seem very odd.
S. Upatree
You know perfectly well they are. You and your fellow elves deserve recognition, so here’s the official list of Santa’s North Pole helpers:
Alabaster Snowball
Bushy Evergreen
Pepper Minstix
Shinny Upadtree
Sugarplum Mary
Wunorse Openslae
Dear J.C.
How do you know all these amazing facts?
W. Openslae
I rely on a worldwide network of researchers. And Google. And speaking of going online, here’s an interesting tidbit you can use to impress your friends: Internet commerce, which we all know is huge, is expected to grow by about 40 percent over the next four years to reach a whopping $8 trillion in sales by 2027.
And some of the most convenient items to buy online are books, which make fantastic Christmas presents.
And now you’re probably wondering, “But what books should I buy as gifts this year?”
Lucky you! I have an answer. Stick to award-winning novels, such as:
And did I mention that just because the readers of this newsletter are my very favorite people, I’ve reduced the prices on all e-book versions of The Strange Files series on Amazon? Check it out!
Parting Shot
J.C. Bruce is a journalist and author of The Strange Files series of mysterious novels (available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, other online booksellers, and at selected libraries). He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and Florida, and was recently awarded an honorary doctorate from Miami’s Lightgate Institute of Extranormal Studies, which he totally made up for his book Strange Timing.
Sponsored by TROPIC PRESS, publisher of The Strange Files Series of Mysterious Adventures.
