June 2024: The Strange Files Newsletter
Welcome to June, the Start of Hurricane Season, National Accordion Awareness Month, and the First Presidential Debate
I'm not sure who started Accordion Awareness Month, but thank you. Although as far as I'm concerned it should be Accordion Bewareness Month. I've hated them since childhood.
Why? I have this vestigial memory of being in a dusky room where a grizzled old man, a relative, maybe an uncle, was playing the accordion and my grandmother forcing me to sit on the floor by his feet during what he no doubt believed was a mesmerizing recital.
I wanted to scream and run away. Actually, I'm pretty sure I did.
It's a terrible thing to hate a musical instrument. I also have a similar dislike for mimes -- I can't defend that, I just do. They give me the creeps.
But while researching this segment of the newsletter I ran across some information about Marcel Marceau, perhaps the most famous mime ever. And I was going to say something snide about him, being a mime and all, then I discovered that during the Nazi occupation of France he joined the Jewish Resistance and was responsible for saving the lives of thousands of children.
So, I take it back. Now, if someone has something heroic to say about accordions, I'll reconsider that, too.
But nobody has anything nice to say about hurricanes, especially those of us living in the tropics, so let's move on to the next item in the newsletter ...
June is the Start of Hurricane Season
Meteorologists are warning that this year's hurricane season, which begins on June 1 and runs through November, could be among the worst in decades with 17 to 25 tropical storms and eight to 13 of them likely to become hurricanes.
“This season is looking to be an extraordinary one,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration director Rick Spinrad announced, noting that Atlantic Ocean will become a massive hot tub, a consequence of global warming caused by manmade greenhouse gases.
In Florida, where I live, we usually don't get too torqued about hurricanes until August, which is when the major storms begin boiling across the Atlantic. But June has had its share of storms, too, as you can see from the above map. They usually spin up in the Gulf of Mexico giving us little warning.
How worried should we be? Some people (yes, Marjorie Taylor Greene, I'm talking about you) argue that a warming planet is good for us. Some people are wackadoodle. Check out her quote in the "They Said It" feature later in the newsletter.
Speaking of Windy Events ...
The first of two scheduled 2024 presidential debates between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump is (as of this writing) set for June 27 and will be broadcast live on CNN. A second debate is scheduled for Sept. 10 on ABC. The first debate is much earlier than usual. So early, in fact, that it will take place before either party's nominating convention and before Trump's scheduled July 11 sentencing in his 34-count election interference conviction for covering up his tryst with a porn star.
June Day-by-Day
We start June's day-by-day calendar with National Dare Day. What is it? On Dare Day, do something you have never done before like bungee jumping, alligator wrestling, or flossing. Doesn't have to be dangerous or tedious. You could do something as simple as forwarding this email to a friend. Double dog dare you.
June 2 is National Bubba Day. Yes, this is a really stupid holiday. We're supposed to recognize people nicknamed Bubba, a term of endearment in some parts of the country (particularly where ominous banjo music can be heard in the hinterlands). It was founded and originally celebrated by comedian T. Bubba Bechtol on May 1 but he moved it to June 2 in honor of his wife, Bubbalicious.
Bicycle Day is June 3. Strange Fact: German baron Karl von Drais created the first steerable, two-wheeled contraption in 1817 called a velocipede. June 3 is also Repeat Day. Repeat Day. Repeat Day ...
Hug Your Cat Day is June 4. If you don't happen to have a cat, you're welcome to give this guy a hug. We've named him Robert. (Or possibly Roberta.) He/She prowls our back yard, which is adjacent to a small nature preserve. Now that I think about it, this could also be an item for National Dare Day.
Hot Air Balloon Day is celebrated on June 5. Strange Fact: Did you know that Star Trek's Enterprise started out as a blimp? Were it not for the intervention of a visitor from outer space, Kirk and Co. might never have been created. (More on this later.)
Remember those stunning auroras in May? Well, they could be making a comeback starting June 6. They are the result of emissions from a monster sunspot smacking into the Earth's magnetosphere. Since the sun rotates on its axis every 27 days, May's sunspot will be making a return engagement in the first week of June. The further north you live, the more visible it will be. Read more here.
June 6 also marks the anniversary of D-Day, when American and Allied troops under the leadership of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower stormed the beaches of Normandy in 1944, the beginning of the end of Adolph Hitler's fascist nightmare. Yep, these troops were the original Antifa.
Pat Sajak's last spin at Wheel of Fortune comes June 7. The iconic host of the popular game show is calling it quits after four decades. Ryan Seacrest will take over when taping begins for Season 42 and he will be joined by Vanna White who told interviewers she thought about retiring after Sajak's announcement but decided "I wasn't ready yet."
June 8: Name Your Poison Day
June 9: Donald Duck Day.
June 10: Ball Point Pen Day
June 11: National Corn on the Cob Day
June 12: National Jerky Day
June 13: Pigeon Appreciation Day
Flag Day is June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the American flag on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress, which stated: " ... the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." The flag is to be flown with the field of stars on top, as in the above picture, not upside down like at Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito's house.
June 15: National Prune Day.
Father's Day is June 16. It was the brainchild of a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd who in 1910 having learned of the newly created Mother's Day decided dads needed their own special day, too. This was wildly popular with shareholders of the Hallmark company and tie manufacturers, although neckties have fallen out of fashion a bit.
Strange Sidebar: Neckties had a shot at a comeback with the popularity of the dressy TV series "Suits." But we'll never know if it could have made a lasting impact. Two reasons: 1. The show was abruptly cancelled after season seven when one of the stars, Meghan Markle, decided to run off and marry the Prince of England. 2. Covid. People started working in their pajamas.
The 77th Tony Awards will air live on Sunday June 16 starting at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS. This year's nominees for Best Play are:
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Mary Jane
Prayer for the French Republic
Stereophonic
And the nominees for Best Musical are:
Hell’s Kitchen
The Outsiders
Complete list of nominations here.
June 16 is also Cannoli Day. And while The Strange Files Newsletter doesn't print paid product endorsements (because nobody has offered to pay us yet), I have to say that if you are ever in Boston you MUST visit Mike's Pastry in the city's North End. They have the best cannoli in the world. Hands down. I was there covering a political convention once and decided to bring back a box. Let me tell you what a struggle it was getting it past the TSA guys and gals all of whom insisted they sample the goods to make sure they were safe.
June 17: Eat Your Vegetables Day
June 18: International Panic Day
June 19 is Juneteenth, a federal holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It is celebrated on June 19 because that's the day in 1865 that Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for slaves in Texas.
The first day of summer is June 20. They call D-Day "The Longest Day," but really it's the summer solstice. How much daylight you receive on this day depends on your latitude. The further north you are, the longer the day. For instance, we'll get about 14 hours of sunshine where I live in South Florida. Up on the Canadian border, it will be more than 16 hours. Find yourself above the Arctic Circle on this day, there will be no sunset at all.
June 21: Take Your Dog to Work Day
June 22: National Onion Ring Day
June 23: National Pink Day
June 24: International Fairy Day
June 25: National Columnists Day (Yay!)
June 26: National Canoe Day
June 27: Sun Glasses Day
June 28: International Body Piercing Day
June 29: Waffle Iron Day
June 30: Meteor Day
June is also LGBTQ Pride Month. It traces its origins to the Stonewall Riots, protests in1969 that erupted after a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Lower Manhattan. It's an important milestone in the gay liberation movement.
Other June events include: Effective Communications Month and Fight the Filthy Fly Month (whatever that is -- find an effective communicator and ask them.)
The last week of June is Lightning Safety Week. Strange Fact: The National Weather Service notes that the odds of being struck by lightning in the U.S. over the course of a year are 1 in 1.2 million. But that's an average of people hiding in their basements and morons holding one irons aloft in a thunderstorm.
June Sports Events
June is a busy month in sports including the NBA and Stanley Cup finals, the U.S. Open golf tournaments, and the final leg of the Triple Crown.
The NBA Finals schedule begins with game one on Thursday June 6 at 8:30 p.m.
Game 2: June 9
Game 3: June 12
Game 4: June 14
Game 5*: June 17
Game 6*: June 20
Game 7*: June 23
* if needed (best of seven)
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are continuing with the final game scheduled to be completed sometime in June. Check listings here.
The U.S. Men's PGA Open golf championship runs June 13 through June 16 at Pinehurst, N.C. The women's LPGA Open continues through June 2 at Lancaster Country Club, PA.
The Belmont Stakes will be run on Saturday June 8. in Saratoga instead of Belmont Park, which is undergoing renovations. As a consequence, this year's third leg of horse racing's Triple Crown will be a quarter-mile shorter than usual. Post time is 6:41 p.m. EDT.
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Great News
My latest novel, Strange Timing, was recently named a finalist in the national Next Generation Indie Book Awards. And now it is out as an audiobook. Narrated by Nathan Agin (who also read the fifth book in the Strange Files series, Mister Manners), you can get your copy on Audible. Check out the link below to order.
Once upon a time, Summer was an entertainment drought on TV. No longer. A riot of new shows will premier this month including one of our faves, the long-awaited return of the PBS hit Grantchester, which introduces yet another vicar to help with crime solving. Complete list of shows here.
They Said It About Climate Change ...
“People are not affecting climate change. You’re going to tell me that back in the ice age, how much taxes did people pay, and how many changes did governments make to melt the ice?”
-- U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
"The climate crisis is both the easiest and the hardest issue we have ever faced. The easiest because we know what we must do. We must stop the emissions of greenhouse gases. The hardest because our current economics are still totally dependent on burning fossil fuels, and thereby destroying ecosystems in order to create everlasting economic growth."
-- Greta Thunburg
"The global warming hoax, it just never ends."
-- Donald Trump
“It’s the number one issue facing humanity. And it’s the number one issue for me.”
-- Joe Biden
Who Is This
Blue Dog?
Could he have been the inspiration for Star Trek? His real name is unpronounceable, but you can call him Scribbles. He's out of this world. And he's coming to your inbox soon.
Readers Write...
Dear J.C.
Uh, that thing you say we're getting in our inbox? Are my eyes tricking me or is that a blue tick hound in a space suit?
N. Ayers
Your eyes are just fine.
Dear J.C.
OK, so it's a dog in a spacesuit. Aren't you barking up the wrong tree? I mean, I realize it's a dog-eat-dog world out there, but this sounds like the start of a shaggy dog story to me.
C. Birch
You could be right. Here's the scoop: Normally when I write one of my novels, I hunker down for 90 days of writing one thousand words a day until I have a 90,000-word first draft. Then I spend weeks, sometimes months, revising. There are plotters and there are pantsers. Plotters, as the name suggests, are writers like James Patterson who write their stories from meticulous outlines. Then there are pantsers (as in writing from the seat of your pants) who just dive in and see where the story takes them. (Think Lee Child. And me.) That blue dog -- Scribbles -- is an experiment. I will be writing a chapter at a time and posting each one on Substack as it is completed. My hope is that eventually I will have a full novel. But this is a bit of a high wire act. Because it will all be out there in real time, unrevised, as I am writing. Will it hold together and become a coherent story? Or will it be garbage? I'll let you decide.
Dear J.C.
Wow. So we get to see the writing process at work in real time, fleas and all, huh?
K. Barron
I kennel tell a lie. Fleas and all. Space fleas.
Dear J.C.
Wait! There are fleas in space?
Morty S.
Everything's in space, Morty.
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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 also writes this free monthly newsletter. He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and Florida, and was recently awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the Lightgate Institute of Extranormal Studies, which he totally made up for his book Strange Timing.
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