December 3rd Show
Proudly Sponsored by
Woodward, Pires & Lombardo, PA
On today's show:
DECEMBER
Life with Moxie
Moxie Creed
&
Special Guest, Author Travis Langley, author of Doctor Who Psychology: Madman with a box.
&
All things December
LISTEN HERE!
Today, December 3rd in History
1762 France cedes to Spain all lands west of the Mississippi–the territory known as Upper Louisiana.
1847 Frederick Douglass and Martin R. Delaney establish the North Star, and anti-slavery paper.
1915 The United States expels German attaches on spy charges.
1965 The National Council of Churches asks the United States to halt the massive bombings in North Vietnam.
1989 Presidents George H. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev announce the official end to the Cold War at a meeting in Malta.
1997 Representatives of 121 nations sign the Ottawa Treaty prohibiting the manufacture or deployment of antipersonnel landmines; the People’s Republic of China, the US and the USSR do not sign.
Birthdays
1948 Ozzy Osbourne, singer, songwriter, actor; member of the influential rock band Black Sabbath; an MTV reality show, The Osbournes, followed the lives of the singer and his family (2002-05). 68 today
1960 Daryl Hannah, actress (Blade Runner, Steel Magnolias). 56 today
2005 Prince Sverre Magnus, third in line of succession to the Norwegian throne. 11 today.
Life with Moxie
Patrick and I walk through the what Life with Moxie is and how it came to be. A long, interesting, winding journey that drove me to create Life with Moxie and then, to creating Moxie Creed that offers Moxie Skin, our first skincare line. You can find Moxie Creed at Thanks for listening!
DOCTOR WHO PSYCHOLOGY:
Madman with a box
Travis Langley, author of
Doctor Who Psychology: Madman with a box.
What a fun interview! Travis, a lifetime fan of Doctor Who, walked us through so many interesting nuances of the characters, what they mean to and why. We touched on several topic areas from the book and what to look for when you watch the show next! Enjoy!
Travis Langley, PhD, editor of The Walking Dead Psychology: Psych of the Living Dead, and Star Wars Psychology: Dark Side of the Mind, is a psychology professor who teaches course on crime, media, and mental illness at Henderson State University. He speaks regularly on media and heroism at universities, conferences, and popular culture conventions including San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic Con, and Wizard World conventions throughout the world. Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics and other films have featured him as an expert interviewee, and the documentary Legends of the Knight spotlighted how he uses fiction to teach real psychology. Psychology Today carries his blog, “Beyond Heroes and Villains,” and he is one of 10 most popular psychologists on Twitter with over 100,000 followers: @superherologist. You can also keep up with Travis and the rest of the book’s contributors through Facebook.com/ThePsychGeeks.
Birth Flower
December's birth flower is the narcissus. (amaryllis) family. Various common names including daffodil. The exact origin of the name Narcissus is unknown, but it is often linked to a Greek word for intoxicated (narcotic) and the myth of the youth of that name who fell in love with his own reflection. native to meadows and woods in southern Europe and North Africa. Long celebrated in art and literature, narcissi are associated with a number of themes in different cultures, ranging from death to good fortune, and as symbols of spring.
Birthstone
December's birthstones are the turquoise, zircon, and tanzanite.
Tanzanite Tanzanite is still only found on a few square miles of land in Tanzania, near majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. Its price and availability are directly tied to mines in this region. Tanzanite is the exquisite blue variety of the mineral zoisite that is only found in one part of the world. Named for its limited geographic origin in Tanzania, tanzanite has quickly risen to popularity since its relatively recent discovery.
Zoisite had been around more than a century and a half before this rare blue variety was found in 1967. Trace amounts of vanadium, mixed with extreme heat, cause the blue color – which ranges from pale blue to intense ultramarine with violet undertones.
Zircon: Zircon is an underrated gem that’s often confused with synthetic cubic zirconia due to similar names and shared use as diamond simulants. Few people realize that zircon is a spectacular natural gem available in a variety of colors. Zircon from Australia dates back 4.4 billion years. Australia still leads the world in zircon mining, producing 37 percent of the world’s supply. Other sources include Thailand, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Cambodia, Canada and the United States.
Since the Middle Ages, people have believed that zircon can induce sleep, ward off evil and promote prosperity.
Turquoise: Admired since ancient times, turquoise is known for its distinct color, which ranges from powdery blue to greenish robin’s egg blue. It’s one of few minerals to lend its name to anything that resembles its striking color.
The word turquoise dates back to the 13th century, drawing from the French expression pierre tourques, which referenced the “Turkish stone” brought to Europe from Turkey.
Ancient Persia (now Iran) was the traditional source for sky blue turquoise. This color is often called “Persian blue” today, regardless of its origin. The Sinai Peninsula in Egypt was also an important historical source.
The U.S. is now the world’s largest turquoise supplier. Nevada, New Mexico, California and Colorado have produced turquoise, but Arizona leads in production by value, as well as quality. The stone’s popularity here makes it a staple in Native American jewelry.
Turquoise is found in arid regions where rainwater dissolves copper It adorned everything from jewelry to ceremonial masks to weapons and bridles – granting power and protection, particularly against falls. In the soil, forming colorful nodular deposits when it combines with aluminum and phosphorus. Copper contributes blue hues, while iron and chrome add a hint of green.
Observations
Month-long observations
National Egg Nog Month (United States)
National Impaired Driving Prevention Month (United States)
First Friday: December 2
Farmer's Day (Ghana) celebrating local farmers.
First Sunday: December 4
Good Neighborliness Day (Turkmenistan)
Winter Solstice: December 21
Iranian festival celebrated on the "longest and darkest night of the year," that is, in the night of the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice. when friends and family gather together to eat, drink and read poetry (especially Hafez) until well after midnight. Fruits and nuts are eaten and pomegranates and watermelons are particularly significant. The red color in these fruits symbolizes the crimson hues of dawn and glow of life.
