Drain Spice

 

57: ATM

 

57 years ago today (September 2, 1969) the first Automated Teller Machine (ATM) was used in the United States.

It was only 2 months since the Americans put the first Men on the Moon and it was at a time when American Women had to have Male Permission for everything from Getting their Own Passport to opening a Bank Account.

Unmarried Women had to have their Father or Brother’s permission and Married Women had to have their Husband’s permission.

Chemical Bank (now part of JP Morgan) installed a prototype ATM in the US at its branch in Rockville Centre, New York.

 The first ATMs were designed to dispense a fixed amount of cash when a User inserted a specially coded card.

A Chemical Bank advertisement boasted "On Sept. 2 our Bank will open at 9:00 and never close again.”

ATMs turned Banking from a 9 am to 3 pm chore (at a time when 99% of Americans used cash to buy things) to a 24/7 service.

The only catch was that ATMs only accepted Cards from their own Bank.

It wasn’t until the late 1970s that you could use your Card in any ATM regardless of which Bank owned it.

There are currently 330,535 ATMs across the US and 4.2 Million around the World.

V-J Day

 

Travel Bubble

From the BBC:

“Zelensky says airlines should avoid Russian airspace as Ukraine escalates drone operations”

Ukraine's president has told airlines that Russian airspace will be "effectively closing" as his country escalates its drone strikes. "We want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, everyone who still uses key Russian airports: the Russian sky is becoming completely dangerous," Volodymyr Zelensky said. Ukraine has since formally notified the UN of the risks to civilian aviation. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the comments amounted to a "declaration of state terrorism".

Most Western commercial airlines do not fly over Russia because of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, but carriers in countries like Turkey and China do. Explaining the elevated airspace risk in his nightly video address on Tuesday, Zelensky said that "Ukraine does not threaten civilian aviation as such - not a single civilian aircraft" and did not want the loss of innocent lives.

"There will simply be drones in Russia's skies on a scale that has to be taken into account," he said. Zelensky directed the warning to airlines continuing to operate flights to Russian airports, especially in major cities like St Petersburg and Moscow. In a statement on X, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine had officially notified the International Civil Aviation Organization that Russian airspace was not safe for civilian aviation. "We want to prevent unintended incidents," he said, adding: "The war is returning home to Russia."

On Wednesday afternoon, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed many planes flying over Russia, including arriving and departing from the two main airports, which had some delays, but few cancellations.

Several airlines that fly through Russia told the BBC that they were carefully monitoring the situation. Qatar Airways, which flies into Moscow and travels through Russian airspace to get to the US west coast, said its flight planning was "guided by rigorous and continuous monitoring of airspace security, safety assessments, and geopolitical developments". Turkish low-cost airline Pegasus cancelled its flights to Russia on Tuesday and Wednesday, citing "technical and operational reasons", but said future flights "are operating as scheduled". FlyDubai, an Emirati government-owned carrier, told the BBC that it would "closely monitor the evolving situation in the region and adjust our flight schedules and routings as necessary".

Ukraine has targeted energy facilities deep inside Russian territory and there have been repeated attacks on depots belonging to Russia's two biggest online retailers, Wildberries and Ozon.

Its drone attacks have for months led to disruption at some of Russia's biggest airports, especially in Moscow where at times all four major airports have been forced to halt arrivals and departures.

Several cancellations were reported on Wednesday. Ukraine does not have to target airports to cause disruption. Under Russia's air defence "Kovyor" (carpet) plan, flights are suspended if a drone is detected in the relevant area. Aviation risk advisory firm Osprey Flight Solutions said in an alert to clients that while the majority of Ukraine's drone and missile strikes were likely to occur within 300km (186 miles) of the border, daily attacks deeper inside Russia were almost certain to continue this year.

 "There is also a realistic possibility that the frequency of Ukrainian strikes will continue to increase in the short term deep inside Russian territory," the alert added. "It is assessed that miscalculation and/or misidentification is likely in areas related to the Ukraine conflict." Speaking to reporters at the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, Putin said: "They are asking us to resume negotiations... but you don't negotiate with terrorists." His comments come as Russia's attacks on Ukraine continue, with heavy strikes killing 12 people on Tuesday and further attacks on Odesa, Sumy and Kyiv on Wednesday. Russia's military has said it is preparing to carry out "massive" strikes on Ukrainian power stations.

The Ukrainian capital and its surrounding region have come under attack for seven days in a row. A few weeks ago, Zelensky said Russia was attacking Ukraine every day, and Ukraine's military had "begun the process of bringing the war back to Russia". At the weekend he said the same, that Russia had to feel the war was "returning to where it came from". Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian strikes had damaged infrastructure inside Russia, while insisting that "only 10%" of oil refineries were left to repair.

Chinese, Turkish and Gulf state airlines are among those using Russian airspace, with savings in time and fuel on routes between Asia and Europe. Other carriers have largely avoided the eastern European region since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February, 2022. Ukraine has closed its airspace to civilian aircraft throughout that period. The risks of civil aviation during a war are clear. A few months after war broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014 between Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian military, a Russian-made missile brought down a passenger plane, killing all 298 people on board. Last year, the UN aviation agency ruled that Russia was responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014. The Kremlin has always denied any responsibility for the air disaster. In 2024, Putin apologised to the president of neighbouring Azerbaijan over the downing of a commercial airliner in Russian airspace, in which 38 people were killed.He said the "tragic incident" had occurred when Russian air defence systems were repelling Ukrainian drones. A thin, grey banner promoting the News Daily newsletter. On the right, there is a graphic of an orange sphere with two concentric crescent shapes around it in a red-orange gradient, like a sound wave. The banner reads: “The latest news in your inbox first thing.”

^Anyone (Russian or Foreigner) flying into, through or out of Russia should be very worried that their plane will be hit by a Ukrainian Drone.

Ukrainian Airspace has been closed since Russia started its War in February 2022.

Now it's time for those in Russia to feel the effects of their War not through Russian Government Controlled Media, but by bombings of Military Targets disruptions in Air Travel, Fuel Rationing and Shortages throughout Russia.

Russians don't care how many of their Boys and Men are being killed and wounded in Ukraine (over a Million and counting) but they do care about not being able to live in the safety bubble they created for themselves.

It's time for Ukraine to burst that bubble. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9v9yydy2wvo

Holiday travel

 

148 Million Americans are expected to travel this Labor Day Weekend (Friday September 4^th-Monday September 7^th.)

131 Million Americans will drive by Car.

17 Million Americans will fly by Plane.

Bram Asscher

Bram Asscher

Abraham “Bram” Asscher was born on August 28, 1924 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

He was the Son of Eliazer Asscher (1878-1935) and Stephanie Fischer (1895-unknown).

He had an older Brother, Isaäc Jacques Asscher (1916), and a younger one, Jacob (Jeannot, Jean) Asscher (1925).

His Father was a Diamond Merchant and a Brother of Abraham Asscher (1880-1950), one of the two Presidents of the German-Appointed Jewish Council (Dutch: Joodse Raad and German: Judenrat) during the German Occupation of the Netherlands.

Bram’s Father died in 1945 in Paris, France.

The Germans invaded and occupied the Netherlands on May 10,1940.

The Germans forced all Jewish Children to leave Dutch Schools and were only allowed to attend a Jewish School.

Bram went to the Jewish Lyceum in Amsterdam for the 1941-1942 School Year.

It was in Class 4B2 that Bram met Margot Frank (the older Sister of Anne Frank.)

Margot had been a Student at the Jeker School in Amsterdam, but the Anti-Jewish Laws created by the Germans in the Netherlands forced her to the Jewish Lyceum.

In March 1941 Bram’s Mother married Dirk Leendert Tollenaar, a Gentile (ie. Non-Jewish.)

According to the German Anti-Jewish Laws she was now in a Mixed Marriage and had an Exemption from Deportation.

Her Children, however, were considered to be Full Jews since both their Parents were Jewish,

Bram’s Oldest Brother Jacques fled German-Occupied the Netherlands in April 1941.

He traveled by Train to Brussels, Belgium, Paris, France, then to Spain (which was Neutral during World War 2) and to Portugal (which was Neutral during World War 2) where he went to the United States (which was Neutral during World War 2 from September 1, 1939-December 8, 1941) to Canada and then arrived in Scotland, the United Kingdom in 1942 in order to fight with the Free Dutch Military against the Germans.

Together with his Brother Jacob, Bram was transported to the Westerbork Transit Camp in northern German-Occupied the Netherlands on September 29, 1943.

Bram was in the “Free’ Section of Westerbork, but met up with Margot (who was in the Punishment Section of Westerbork because she had been found in Hiding.)

Bram was allowed to write 1 Letter to his Mother every 14 days.

On August 25, 1944 Bram wrote his Mother that Margot, Anne and their Parents (who Bram’s Mother also knew) were in the Punishment Section of Westerbork.

In the Letter he wrote:

'Mama, do you know that Margot is here? That friend of Trees. You remember her, don't you? She's in the S with her Parents and Sister. Very sad!'”

Bram’s Letter is one of the few Personal Sources that refer to the Frank Family at Westerbork.

Also in his letters from Westerbork, Bram often wrote about his Fiancée Trees Lek, who was held at the Camp Vught together with her two Sisters, and her Parents, who were with him in Westerbork.

On September 3, 1944 Margot and her Family were deported on the last Cattle Car Train from Westerbork to the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland.

On September 13, 1944 Bram and his Brother Jacob were deported from Westerbork to the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in Germany.

On April 9, 1945 (9 days before Bergen-Belsen was liberated by the British) Bram and his Brother (along with 2,500 other Prisoners) were forced out of the Camp and made to walk 6 miles to the Train Station in Celle, Germany where they were put on a Train headed to the Theresienstadt Ghetto in German-Occupied Czechoslovakia.

On April 13, 1945 the Train stopped near Magdeburg, Germany and was liberated by the Allies.

After the War, he returned to the Netherlands.

Margot and Anne Frank and their Parents arrived at the Auschwitz Death Camp 3 days after their left Westerbork.

Of the 1,019 Passengers, 549—including all Children younger than 15—were sent directly to the Gas Chambers and murdered.

 The Men were separated from the Women. It was the last time Margot and Anne saw their Father.

Margot was forced to haul rocks and dig rolls of sod by day; by night, they were crammed into overcrowded barracks. Being outside all day she regularly saw People walking to their deaths in the Gas Chambers.

In October 1944 their Group was selected to leave Auschwitz and go to the Leibau Labor Camp, but Anne had contacted Scabies and so went to the Camp’s Hospital instead.

 Margot and their Mother volunteered to stay in Auschwitz to care for Anne.

On October 28, 1944, after recovering from Scabies, Anne, Margot and Mrs. Van Pels left Auschwitz and went to the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in Germany.

Around March 1945, Anne died from Typhus at 15 years old a few days after her Sister, Margot who was 18 years old.

They were both buried in an unknown Mass Grave.

Sad Dog

 

25: Canada

25 Years ago (September 11, 2001) during the Terrorist Attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in the Field in Pennsylvania Canada stood with the United States in many ways.

(Gander International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada with 38 Airliners, totaling 6,122 Passengers and 473 Crew, as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon on 9-11-01.)

Not only did the Canadian Military help protect American Airspace under NORAD, but Canadian Airports took in Hundreds of Planes with Tens of Thousands of Passengers including Thousands of Americans that were headed towards the United States from Europe and Asia.

It was called Operation Yellow Ribbon (French: Opération ruban jaune.)

After the US FAA closed all of American Airspace at 9:45 Eastern Time Transport Canada enacted Operation Yellow Ribbon under SitCen.

The SitCen is Transport Canada's Emergency Operations Centre (EOC.)

As Personnel staffed the SitCen, key Organizations such as Nav Canada, the Department of National Defence, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), and Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) were also involved in SitCen Operations.

After learning that the FAA had closed down U.S. Airspace, David Collenette, the Canadian Transport Minister, gave orders that Canadian Airports be open only for outgoing Police, Military, and Humanitarian Flights, and incoming U.S. Bound International Flights that were passed the “point of no return” over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  

This was the first unplanned closure of Canadian Airspace.

SitCen focused on keeping in contact with every plane (to make sure there were no more Hijacked Planes), where to land all the Aircraft and how to deplane, screen and clear Tens of Thousands of Passengers through Canadian Immigration and Customs.

Planes were entering Canadian Airspace at a rate of 2 Planes every Minute.

238 Planes with 45,000 Passengers and Crew en-route to the United States were re-routed to 17 Canadian Airports.

Gander International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada is the first North American Airport on the Transatlantic Flight Route.

Gander Airport took in 38 Wide-Body Airplanes with 6,122 Passengers and Crew.

The Total Population of Gander at the time was 9,000 People and there were only 500 Hotel Rooms in the City.

Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien stated that in the span of a few hours the Population of Gander jumped by more than 50%.

The People of Gander opened Schools, Community Centers and their Own Homes to house these Stranded People (including American.)

The People of Gander also donated Food, Clothes, Bedding, etc, to them.

Here are the other Canadian Airports that also took in American-Bound Airplanes:

Halifax International Airport in Nova Scotia handled 45 Flights

St. John's International Airport in Newfoundland handled 27 Flights

Winnipeg International Airport in Manitoba handled 15 Flights

Toronto Pearson International Airport in Ontario handled 14 Flights

Calgary International Airport in Alberta handled 13 Flights

Greater Moncton International Airport in New Brunswick handled 10 Flights

Montréal–Mirabel International Airport in Quebec handled 10 Flights

Stephenville International Airport in Newfoundland handled 13 Flights

Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay in Newfoundland handled 7 Flights

Montréal-Dorval International Airport in Quebec handled 7 Flights

Edmonton International Airport in Alberta handled 6 Flights

Hamilton International Airport in Ontario handled 4 Flights

Whitehorse International Airport in Yukon handled 2 Flights

Deer Lake Airport in Newfoundland handled 1 Flight

Yellowknife Airport in the Northwest Territories handled 2 Flights

Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia (the only major Canadian Airport on the West Coast capable of handling the large Aircraft used for Transpacific Flights took in 34 Planes with 8,500 Passengers and Crew.

After the Planes were diverted and landed and the Passengers and Crew were deplaned and went through Canadian Immigration and Customs the Canadians then had to house and feed all 45,000 Men, Women and Children.

Federal, Provincial, Territorial and Local Canadian Governments worked with Canadian Citizens to feed and house all 45,000 People for 5  days until they could go into the United States,

Operation Yellow Ribbon was the largest Emergency Operation in Civilian Aircraft History.

Canada did not have to endanger their own Citizens by allowing these Planes and People into their Country on 9-11.

They did it because they are a good, kind and caring People.

25 years later we should remember what the Canadians did for us Americans.

September 1st

 

87: WW 2

 

Ber Months

 

We have now entered the - Ber Months!

Or as we say up here: Buuuuuurrrrrrrrrr!

The Cold is here.

85: Star of David

85 years ago today (September 1, 1941) the Germans required Jews in Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia  to wear a Yellow Star of David with the German Word “Jude” for “Jew.”

(A Jewish Girl in German-Occupied Croatia forced to wear a Star of David with the Ž for “Židov”, English: “Jew” on it.)

Every Man, Woman and Child over the age of 6 had to buy these Badges (using their own Clothing Ration Coupons) and have them clearly visible on their outer clothing (including a coat) so that they could easily be identified and discriminated against for being Jewish.

When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939 they required Jews there to wear a White Armband with a Blue Star of David for the same purpose.

(Jewish People in German-Occupied Belgium forced to wear the Star of David with the J (for "Jude" in German, "Juif" in French and "Jood" in Dutch.)

Parts of Poland had different Badges. In German-Occupied Warsaw Jews had to wear the Armband and in German-Occupied Lodz Jews had to wear the Yellow Star (because that part of Poland was illegally annexed into Germany.)

(A Jewish Man in German-Occupied Poland forced to wear the Star of David Armband.)

In every European and North African Country/Territory that Germany occupied during World War 2 the Jews there had to wear similar Identifying Badges with the local name for “Jew” on it (French: “Juif”, Dutch: “Jood”, Croatian: Ž for “Židov”, English: “Jew” for the British Channel Islands which Germany occupied, etc.)

Failure to not wear the Armband or the Star or to “hide it” and not have it clearly visible resulted in instant death.

This requirement was on top of every Jewish Man, Woman and Child having to carry an Identity Card with a large “J” on it – since 1938 in Germany and every German Jewish Man, Woman and Child having to add either “Israel” for Men or “Sara” for Women to their Names to be “more easily recognizable as Jews” – since 1936.

The Germans wanted to first identity the Jews and then to murder them.

Knowledge Day

 

Today (September 1st) is Knowledge Day (День знань) in Ukraine.

It is the first day of the new School Year. After almost 3 years of War here is how this Knowledge Day is different from others.

For Ukrainian Children Forced to Flee Ukraine: They have to go to a new School, meet new Friends, learn a new Language in a new Country.

For Ukrainian Children in Ukrainian-Held Ukraine: They have their classes in bombed-out schools. They have to run to the Air Raid Shelter when the Russians bomb them.

For Ukrainian Children in Russian-Occupied Ukraine: They have their classes in bombed-out schools. They have to run to the Air Raid Shelter when the bombs fall. They are forced to use the Russian Language and learn the Russian Nazi Curriculum. They are punished severely if they use the Ukrainian Language.

Millions of Ukrainian Children have been killed or wounded by the Russians and those that haven’t continue to be traumatized by Russian Bombs, Bullets and Soldiers on a daily basis.

Holidays

Daily September 2026 Calendar with Holidays

 

September Monthly Celebrations

Baby Safety Month

Chicken Month

Better Breakfast Month

Classical Music Month

Fall Hat Month

Happy Cat Month

Hispanic Heritage Month

Honey Month

International Square-Dancing Month

Little League Month

National Blueberry Popsicle Month

National Courtesy Month

Mushroom Month

National Piano Month

Self Improvement Month

National Sewing Month

World Beach Month

Whole Grains Month

 

Weekly Events in September

National Payroll Week – The first week of September.

National Indoor Plant Week – The third week of the month.

 

September Daily Holidays 2026 Calendars Special, Wacky Days

September 1

Emma M. Nutt Day, the first woman telephone operator

National Cherry Popover Day

National Tofu Day (UK)

September 2

National Beheading Day

Pierce Your Ears Day

VJ Day, WWII

September 3  Skyscraper Day 

September 4

Bring Your Manners to Work Day

Newspaper Carrier Day

September 5

Be Late for Something Day

Cheese Pizza Day   

International Bacon Day

National Tailgating Day –

World Beard Day

September 6

Fight Procrastination Day

National Coffee Ice Cream Day

Read a Book Day 

September 7

Labor Day

National Salami Day

Neither Rain nor Snow Day

September 8

Date Nut Bread Day

International Literacy Day

National Ampersand Day

Pardon Day

Star Trek Day

September 9

International Sudoku Day

National Chrysanthemum Day

Teddy Bear Day

September 10

National TV Dinner Day

Sewing Machine Day

Swap Ideas Day

September 11

911 Remembrance

Make Your Bed Day

No News is Good News Day

Rosh Hashanah – Begins at sundown.

September 12

Chocolate Milk Shake Day 

National Day of Encouragement

National Video Games Day

September 13

Defy Superstition Day

Fortune Cookie Day

Grandparent’s Day

Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day

National Peanut Day

Pet Memorial Day

Positive Thinking Day

Uncle Sam Day

September 14

International Crab Fest Day

National Cream-Filled Donut Day

National Eat a Hoagie Day

September 15

Make a Hat Day

Felt Hat Day

National Creme de Menthe Day

September 16

American Legion Day

Collect Rocks Day

Step Family Day

Mayflower Day

Mexican Independence Day

Working Parents Day

World Play-Doh Day

September 17

Citizenship Day

Constitution Day

National Apple Dumpling Day

September 18

Cheeseburger Day 

National First Love Day

National POW/MIA Recognition Day

World Bamboo Day

September 19

International Red Panda Bear Day

International Talk Like A Pirate Day

National Butterscotch Pudding Day

National Dance Day

Oktoberfest begins in Germany

September 20

Fried Rice Day

National Punch Day

National Women’s Friendship Day

Pepperoni Pizza Day

Wife Appreciation Day

Yom Kippur – It begins at sundown.

September 21

International Peace Day

Miniature Golf Day

World Gratitude Day

September 22

Autumn Equinox – Fall begins!

Business Women’s Day

Elephant Appreciation Day

Hobbit Day

September 23

Checkers Day / Dogs in Politics Day

International Day of Sign Languages

September 24

National Cherries Jubilee Day

National Punctuation Day

UK’s National Fitness Day

September 25

Chinese Moon Festival

National Comic Book Day

National Quesadilla Day

Native American Day

Sukkot– The holiday beings at sundown.

World Dream Day

September 26

Breakfast in Bed Day

Hunting and Fishing Day

International Rabbit Day

Johnny Appleseed Day

September 27

Crush a Can Day

National Chocolate Milk Day

September 28

National Good Neighbor Day

National Public Lands Day

September 29 Confucius Day

September 30  National Mud Pack Day

https://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/september.htm

September

 

Hilarious

 

American Winter

 

Canadian Winter

 

Cute

 

1 Minute

That Elderly Lady working at Wal-Mart probably had a good job for Decades and then Retired and has to go back to work to make ends-meet.

That Child wearing Thrift Store Clothes is probably just grateful to be warm.

That Veteran sitting on the bench once risked their life for all of us and is now feeling forgotten and abandoned.

That Homeless Man picking up cans to return for 5 cents each just wants to do something by themselves to earn some money for food.

Everyone has a story that none of us really knows.

It takes 5 minutes to be mean and only 1 minute to be nice.