Carol H Tucker Passionate about knowledge management and organizational development, expert in loan servicing, virtual world denizen and community facilitator, and a DISNEY fan
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beladona Memorial Be warned:in this very rich environment where you can immerse yourself so completely, your emotions will become engaged -- and not everyone is cognizant of that. Among the many excellent features of SL, there is no auto-return on hearts, so be wary of where your's wanders...
Today is the 2nd day of the 4th month and the 93rd day of 2016:
Every Day is Tag Day
International Children's Book Day
International Pillow Fight Day
International TableTop Day
National Ferret Day
National Love Our Children Day
National Love your Produce Manager Day
National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
Reconciliation Day
Tangible Karma Day
World Autism Awareness Day
In 1513 the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León first sighted Florida. In 1917, Woodrow Wilson asked the US Congress to declare war against Germany, saying, "The world must be made safe for democracy." WWI was also known as "the war to end all wars" so that was a double fail, neh?
So today I turned 66 and have been granted the privilige of starting another trip around the sun. It is unusual for me to have my birthday off, usually I am in the office struggling with EOM / EOQ reports and reconciliations, but today is Saturday so I get to lollygag. Other than the fact that I can -- and don't plan to -- enroll for Social Security now, the only other thing that strikes me about the age is that I am now the same age Frank was when he died twelve years ago, and still working. Mucking about online, I discovered that my Sabian symbol is a flock of geese, which apparently confirms I have an idealistic approach to my understanding of the universe. And the journey continues....
Unless you live under a rock somewhere, it is a pretty sure bet that you know today this 1st day of the 4th month is April Fool’s day. It is also the 92nd day of 2016 and:
American Crossword Puzzle Day[s] -- actually goes through the 3rd
Boomer Bonus Day
Edible Book Day
Fossil Fools Day
Hospital Admitting Clerks Day
International Fun at Work Day
International Tatting Day
Kha b-Nisan, the Assyrian New Year
Library Snap Shot Day
Lupus Alert Day
Myles Day
National Atheist's Day
National Fun Day
National Love for our Children Day
National One Cent Day
National Sourdough Bread Day
National Walk to Work Day
Poetry and the Creative Mind Day
Reading is Funny Day
Sorry Charlie Day
St. Stupid Day
Student Government Day
US Air Force Academy Day
In 286 the Romans were shuffling emperors around and celebrating Veneralia [which didn’t make it to the modern Gregorian calendar].
End of month / end of quarter. Frantically scrambling to get those last minute adjustments in and the reconcilements done. Still sniffling, snuffling, sneezing, coughing. Didjados abound. And Kit never forgets to send flowers…..
Today is the 3st and last day of the 3rd month and the 91st day of 2016:
César Chávez Day
Dance Marathon Day
Eiffel Tower Day
International Hug A Medielvalist Day
International Transgender Day of Visibility
National "She's Funny That Way" Day
National Bunsen Burner Day
National Clams on the Half Shell Day
National Crayola Crayon Day
National Farm Workers Day
National Prom Day
National Tater Day
Terri's Day
World Backup Day
@NASAVoyager is now 18 hrs 35 mins 27 secs of light-travel time from Earth (2016:091:120000:1L). Seems like there was a whole lot of religion battling going on today: In 307 Constantine divorces his wife and marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Maximian. In 627 Muhammad undergoes a 14-day siege at Medina by Meccan forces. In 1146 Bernard of Clairvaux preaches a famous sermon in a field at Vézelay urging the necessity of a Second Crusade and persuading Louis VII to join up. In 1492 Queen Isabella of Castille issues the Alhambra Decree, ordering her 150,000 Jewish and Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity or face expulsion.
Yesterday I spoke about limits and acknowledged that whether or not I am happy with it, apparently some form of disconnect exists in my gray matter when it comes to some mathematical functions. That got me to thinking about the limits we all have in life, and how learning what they are and accepting them as part of who we are is part of the life journey. Now I am not talking about self-imposed limits – for example, I am a couch potato and about as non-athletic as one could find, but I accept that it is my choice to be thus.
I was always the clumsy one in the gym class, the last chosen for games and teams, the one who couldn’t climb those blasted ropes, the one who came in at the tail end of any run, the pudgy short one over on the sidelines. When the high school gym teacher put up the bar for jumping that day, the lovely slender gals and the jock types jumped over like gazelles. The bar kept getting raised, and suddenly the group started murmuring and the teacher began to look surprised because in the midst of the gals who were expected to be jumping was me. Yup, I wasn’t looking graceful, but each time I was clearing the bar with ease. I remember that day, the feeling of rightness in my legs, the sun, the absolute certainty that I could jump thatt. At the end, the bar was just under 5’ and I was the only one still jumping to the silent astonishment of everyone. I ignored them, but at 5’ I suddenly caught my foot after making it over and the bar went down. The teacher put it back up and the same thing happened – I was over but then dragged my right foot. I begged for another chance, but the period was ending and the teacher, still looking quite bemused, pointed out that I was more tired than I realized and we all headed for the showers. Of course I was unable to duplicate that feeling of rightness the next gym period, failing to even clear 3 ½ feet and promptly giving up.
What I learned from that incident was twofold. First I finally got an understanding of the joy of sports, something that had eluded me up to that point. That feeling when I leapt, that absolute rightness and enjoyment of performing, those things could’ve been mine if I had wanted to train and develop that part of me – I had found something that clicked and I could empathize with the devotion others had to their sports. Second, I learned about the power of choices to change my identity. From that point forward, I accepted it was my choice to be who I am -- I honestly didn’t want to be athletic, because it wasn’t fun for me -- I just didn’t enjoy it enough to make myself good at it.
Today is the 30th day of the 3rd month and the 90th day of 2016. The moon is in the last quarter and the day is also:
Grass is Always Browner on the Other Side of the Fence Day
Manatee Appreciation Day
National Doctors Day
National I am in Control Day
Pencil Day
Take a Walk in the Park Day
Torrents Day
Turkey Neck Soup Day
World Bi-polar Day
You want to know what kind of day it is today? In history, this is what I found: “ In 598 the Avars lift the siege at the Byzantine stronghold of Tomis. Their leader Bayan I retreats north of the Danube River after the Avaro-Slavic hordes are decimated by the plague. “ That sentence tells me absolutely nothing. Nada. I am sure there is information that is contained in there, but my head just isn’t processing why it is of note or why I [or anyone else] should care that the barbarians are storming the gate then getting sick.
Along the same lines are a couple of things we are doing at work – specifically, my nemesis of the MRRA [maintenance and repairs reserve account]. These accounts caused me the worst problem I have faced in years and years of loan servicing as I mis-read how they were to be calculated and caused some issues here at work, a problem that literally took months to resolve to bossman’s satisfaction. We found the issue back in the early fall of 2014 and I have been struggling valiantly with it ever since. I just cannot get my mind wrapped around the accounting for these reserves; it just doesn’t make any blasted sense to me. I have read the loan documents. I have listened to bossman. I have made calculations. I’m sure that everything is in English, but almost two years later, I STILL don’t completely get it! Realized that when I tried to explain it to a borrower this afternoon and bossman had to step in – I’ll be danged but I swear he said the exact same thing that I did. And yet the conclusion he agreed to when the borrower repeated it was totally different than the one that I had reached! Obviously I haven’t grasped something and I will need to circle back and figure it out.
Of course today, I am not terribly sanguine about my ability to assimilate information. Reminds me of back in the day when I tried to interpolate logarithms, something that we faced after we hit trigonometry. I had enjoyed trig, but logs? I didn’t get it. I heard every single word. I could repeat what the teacher said back to him. I could write the process down. But then ask me to do the calculation…. . And I blew it every single time. For two terms. Only D that I ever got on my report card. The teacher met with my mother and told her that I had done everything he asked – put in extra time, done extra homework, gotten tutoring, walked through it in front of the whole class, but there was a simple basic disconnect that was so profound that he couldn’t even figure out why I always got the wrong answer. It was the inglorious end of my progress in mathematics, physics, and engineering
Today is the 29th day of the 3rd month and the 89th day of 2016:
Knights of Columbus Founders Day
National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day
National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day
Niagara Falls Runs Dry Day -- on this day back in 1848, ice blockages caused rivers to run dry and Niagara Falls’ 3,160 tons of water per second flow came to a halt.
Smoke and Mirrors Day
Texas Love the Children Day
Vietnam Veterans Day – in 1973, the United States formally left South Vietnam
I know that many people like penguins, but thanks to Burgess Meredith, I have never been particularly fond of them…..
Easter Monday [AKA Little Easter for those who are lucky enough to have it off]
Eat an Eskimo Pie Day
National Black Forest Cake Day
National Hot Tub Day
National Something On a Stick Day
Mule Day
Virtual Advocacy Day
Weed Appreciation Day
White House Easter Egg Roll
In 37, the Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate [the actual tiles were princeps senatus and princeps civitatis ("first amongst the senators" / "first amongst the citizens")] from the Senate and enters Rome to wildly rejoicing throngs of supporters. It is said that 160,000 animals were sacrificed during three months of public rejoicing to usher in the new reign, which has been described in the first seven months as completely blissful as he focused on political reforms.
This time last week the cold was just starting to settle in -- and I didn't think it was going to be too bad, a little coughing, a little sniffling, and then all gone. HAH! I have been a snot-filled sneezing, snuffling, coughing joy to be around for days, and I can't get warm it would seem but I am not running a high enough fever to be considered sick. Wearily I start wondering if some sort of mutant virus has taken hold -- and yes, thank you very much, I realize it is just this kind of errant thought process that makes my daughter inform me that I am being over-dramatic ((Sheesh, where does she think her and her brother got their imaginations from anyway?)) This is now WEEK 2 of this cold that will not quit, and I am reminded that Captain Trips started just this way [insert lots of googling here on RSV and killer cold viruses]. And today I wake up with my very first case of raging pink eye, call off from work and call the doctor. Not that there is much that can be done -- both eyes are involved, the discharge is clear or white, cold compresses work much better than warm, and I hadn't been taking antihistamines because I was trying to take decongestants. So the odds are extremely high that it is a viral or allergic conjunctivitis, not bacterial, which means the doctor isn't going to prescribe antibiotic eyedrops [which are hard to find and pricey because I'm allergic to penicillan this days]. And no, knowing that both are "going around" isn't helping me feel any better at all.
When the kids were little and got sick, I would call Dr Wall [an old-fashioned pediatrician who actually gave me his home phone number, this being before the day and age of cell phones] and tell him the kid's temp was over 102 and I was starting the cool down routine [alternate baby aspirin and baby tylenol every two hours and a cool bath]. He would ask about the accompanying symptoms [sneezing, sniffling, throwing up, diarrhea, et al] and then sigh and inform me that it was going around and I would join the list of anxious parents who would get a call back the next day to see how they are doing. I would grumble that they caught every single thing "going around" and we coped. Someday, I thought, we wouldn't be a hot bed of what was going around.... And then my son developed a problem, and Dr Wall didn't say it was "going around" and told me to bring him in. Happened twice actually -- the first time he ended up with open heart surgery at the age of three and the second time he got his appendictus removed at the age of nine. After that? I was very grateful when I called in for either kid and got told it was "going around" .
But in any case, today I end up grudingly burning a day of leave just in case my conjunctivitis is contagious. I will be taking care of myself [translation: lollygagging about looking and feeling pathetic]. Tomorrow I'll be back in the office looking and sounding just wonderful -- red puffy eyes, coughing, sneezing, hacking up, snuffling and croaking et al, with limited productivity. According to what I have read, I [and my coworkers] have another week and a half of this left to enjoy, and that means I will be breathing in Lysol fumes as we try to manage their exposure to this cold. Wait, is that a twinge in my ear? OMG, there have been a lot of ear infections going around too? *cringes*
Today is the 26th day of the 3rd month and the 86th day of 2016 and there are only 273 shopping days until Christmas:
Brothers' and Sisters' Day
Earth Hour
Holy Saturday
Independence Day and National Day in Bangladesh, celebrating the declaration of independence from Pakistan in 1971.
International Sister Cities Day
Legal Assistants Day
National Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
National Nougat Day
National Spinach Day
Purple Day
Solitude Day
Spinach Festival Day
@NASAVoyager is 18 hrs 35 mins 35 secs of light-travel time from Earth (2016:086:120000:1L) In 590, the Emperor Maurice proclaimed his son Theodosius co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire at the age of seven.
Believe it or not, it is one of the busiest shopping days around. I worked at Mother Goose Shoes in Security Mall and this was the day we had to have all hands on deck because from the time the gate went up to the time it went down, it was crazy! Everyone waited until the last minute to get the dress shoes for their kids and we endured long lines, verbal abuse when the style and size the parents wanted were no longer available, and just other meanness heaped upon the help by the parents right in front of the kids. It was a nightmare and we dreaded it far more than Black Friday; there was nothing holy about this day for those who worked retail. And the sadest part? The parents who would try and return the shoes in the next week, claiming that they "didn't fit" or "weren't comfortable" . Invariably the shoes had been worn and there was all kinds of ugliness when we refused to take them back. I'll give the store manager credit though, he was always willing to handle those cases and made sure his help didn't get abused.
Today is the 25th day of the 3rd month, and the 85th day of 2016:
Good Friday – one of the few days left when Catholics are supposed to fast and eschew meat. Back in the day, this was a federal holiday, and after that changed, it was still a state holiday for a while, but those days are long past in the US. However, all the financial markets close on this day, and no one knows why
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members
International Waffle Day or Vaffeldagen
Maryland Day – used to be a state holiday but no more
National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy
Old New Year's Day -- Although the Gregorian calendar was created in 1582, many countries chose to ignore it for several hundred years. Instead, they used “Annunciation Style dating,” which recognized the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) as New Year’s Day. Historic start of the new year (Lady Day) in England, Wales, Ireland, and the future United States until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1752. (The year 1751 began on 25 March; the year 1752 began on 1 January.) It is one of the four Quarter days in Ireland and England.
Pecan Day
Tolkien Reading Day – why today? because today the Ringbearer fulfilled the Quest. If you have only ever watched the movies, with all due respect to Peter Jackson, you will find out a lot of interesting stuff by reading the books! I will admit though, I think of Orlando Bloom now whenever I read about Legolas
World Marbles Day – always on Good Friday ((no I had never heard of it either))
On this day in 421, exactly at noon, Venice was founded when the first church was dedicated, at least according to tradition. There is no record of whether or not the gondoliers started on the same day though. In fact, it appears that gondolas did not become the preferred mode of transportation until horses were banned from the streets of the city in the 1400s. And in 1634, the first settlers arrived here in Maryland.
I still have this blasted cold, which slows my cognitive abilities even more than usual. After five days I am still sniffling, sneezing and hacking and sound stuffy and raspy -- and yes [since you asked] I am still at work, spreading the joy and struggling just to breathe because my fever only shoots up at night. Nothing smells good [when smells get through that is], nothing tastes good, I don’t even feel like drinking water. This is the 3rd bout that I have had to deal with already this year, which puts me above average on the susceptible scale, and I cannot figure out why! Overall, I am healthier now than I have been for a long time and actually do most of the things that are supposed to help bolster immunity. The only thing that I have done differently this winter is not take Echinacea – couldn’t find it locally and maybe that was a mistake on my part ((promptly went to Amazon and ordered it for delivery)). And on top of it, I am lost and bewildered about the news I see today: maiming, killing, arguing whether or not not having “easter” on a wrapper is offensive, and I can’t figure out whether or not it is me or it is just an unusual day in the world – or maybe I am just baffled by man’s basic inhumanity to man because I am feeling sick. Or woman’s basic…. Er, *reaches for gender neutral* -- “their” basic inhumanity to “them” and asking what in the devil I can do to change this. But right this very minute? If I’m wishing for ways to change the world I live in, I’d selfishly settle for a cure for the common cold.
After everyone feels better, then we'll work on world peace, neh?
Today is the 24th day of the 3rd month, the 4th day of Holy Week, and the 84th day of 2016 with exactly 275 shopping days left until Christmas. It is also:
International Day for Achievers
International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for Dignity of Victims
Maundy Thursday – “Maundy” is defined as the ritual of the washing feet of the poor
In 1401 the Turco-Mongol emperor Timur sacked Damascus. (( I am always surprised when the oldest “on this day” in recorded history is so recent))
Okay, I am officially confused – if the Holy Supper was actually the celebration of the Passover feast, then how can Passover and Easter be so far apart this year? I’ve read and re-read the explanation, and suspect that I am just not comprehending the difference between the lunar and the Julian calendars, certainly Easter seems like It is very early this year, but pushing it back to May seems a bit extreme.
I got called out today because I been coming into work this week while hacking and coughing – the new lender stated that after I was doing that yesterday, he has now started doing the same and he wasn’t going to “bring that into the office today”. Bossman was scornful, but when you come right down to it, I think the new lender is right, neh? But like so many folks who are out working for a living, I just cannot stay home every time I have a cold! I mean to my mind it is different if I was coming in while running a fever or with strep throat or throwing up with the flu…. But I am not sure about the validity of that particular point of view. OTOH: my reasons for coming in seem valid to me -- I cannot work from home, we are a very small shop and if I am out that means stuff isn’t getting done. Add to that, when you come right down to it, my PTO is not unlimited and I cannot afford to go into leave without pay. OTOH: coming in while coughing, sneezing and snuffling has [1] apparently spread the joy, and [2] I have to admit that I am not quite as sharp as I should be either, which means my work quality and speed are suffering as well.. In addition, I have to ask if I wouldn’t shake this sooner if I wasn’t dragging myself into the office every day, neh?
When you come right down to it, all I really want to do is curl up, wrapped in blankets even though it is warm outside, and stare blankly at the TV, while dozing on the sofa -- and that is exactly what I have been doing in the evenings after leaving work. A hot toddy would be nice, but I don’t think I have the fixings for it and I don’t feel like bestirring myself to get them.
Today is the 23rd day of the 3rd month, the 3rd day of Holy Week and the 83rd day of 2016:
Cuddly Kitten Day
Holy Wednesday
National Chip and Dip Day
National Melba Toast Day
National Puppy Day
National Tamale Day
Near Miss Day
OK Day -- in 1839 we have the first recorded printed use of "OK" [oll korrect] used in Boston's Morning Post
Ta'Anit Esther
World Meteorological Day
In 1066 the 18th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet took place.
On the subject of hope that I brought up yesterday, this quote floated across my screen this morning and seemed quite appropriate to share at this point:
“The more often we see the things around us - even the beautiful and wonderful things - the more they become invisible to us. That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds - even those we love. Because we see things so often, we see them less and less.” ~ Joseph B. Wirthlin
Yesterday I was reminded of Jay Sher [I am really getting to like Facebooks’s “on this day” app] – and later in the day, I was told that I was living the life that someone else wanted [instead of having to deal with the hand they have been dealt]. Both of these individuals have something in common because they have lost that sense of hope; they are missing that vital third component – the feeling of survival. They feel [well Jay felt] trapped in a bad situation and without a way out or even forward. It is really easy to pontificate that when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade, but just how do you hold on to positive thoughts and feelings while being overwhelmed by something catastrophic and negative happening in your life right now?
I keep thinking I can or should do more to help their depression, and yes I tend to beat myself up over it . Despite the many stories we read about someone “giving” another person hope, I am coming to realize it isn’t quite that easily done. Just like one person cannot “make” another person happy, I am beginning to suspect that one person cannot “make” another person hopeful. I can listen and be empathetic. I can help. I can make suggestions. I can share my coping mechanisms. I can try to be there as much as I can. I can keep saying that I see a future that is not so grim even when I can see what they are seeing. I could not change what was happening to Jay nor can I alter what is happening to my friend and I cannot chose to hope for them.
Today is the 22nd day of the 3rd month, the second day of Holy Week and the 82nd day of 2016. It is the earliest day on which Easter Sunday can fall (which last happened in 1818, and will not happen again until 2285). Just for the record, April 25 is the latest date for Easter Sunday. Today is.:
Today, after tweeting an article about retirement, I have been thinking about hope. In the WSJ this morning [there may be a paywall to that link], I read that hope is made up of four components as per Anthony Scioli, a professor of psychology:
Mastery, or empowerment, is a feeling of being strong and capable—and of having people you admire and people who validate your strengths
Survival has two features—a belief that you aren’t trapped in a bad situation and have a way out, and an ability to hold on to positive thoughts and feelings even while processing something negative
Spirituality is a belief in something larger than yourself
Do I have hope? Do you? What does it mean if you or I do not have an answer to that question?
Today is the 21st day of the 3rd month and the 81st day of 2016. In astrology, the day of the equinox [which was yesterday] is the first full day of the sign of Aries and the traditional first day of the astrological year. The next year in which the equinox occurs on March 21st will be 2102 and the last time it happened was 2007. Today is:
Act Happy Day
Afghanistan Day
Holy Monday
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
In 630, the then Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, Heraclius, returned the True Cross, one of the holiest Christian relics, to Jerusalem. In 1804 the Napoleonic Code was adopted as French Civil Law, a code that basically made the same laws applicable to all classes and strata of society.
And at the South Pole, researches said goodbye to the sun for six months
Today is the 19th day of the 3rd month in 2016. According to my research it is also:
Client's Day
Earth Hour: (Not to be confused with Earth Day. This pertains to turning off lights.)
Endometriosis March Day
International Astrology Day
International Sports Car Racing Day
Ostara (Goddess of Fertility Day, the day before the Spring Equinox) -- some sites say this date actually coincides with the first day of spring, some that it is the day before.
Today is the 17th day of the 3rd month and the 77th day of 2016 and:
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day
Campfire Girls Day
Companies That Care Day
Doctor-Patient Trust Day
National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day
National Irish Coffee Day
Oranges and Lemons Day
St. Patrick's Day -- a public holiday in Ireland, Montserrat and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, widely celebrated in the English-speaking world and to a lesser degree in other parts of the world. The only time that drinking green beer is widely accepted….
Submarine Day
In 45 BC Julius Caesar celebrated what turned out to be his final victory – he defeated the Pompeian forces in the Battle of Munda. In the category of “everyone is Irish on St Patrick’s Day”, in 1780 George Washington granted the Continental Army a holiday "as an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence".
"May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand." ~ An Old Irish Blessing
Today is Wednesday, the 16th day of the 3rd month, the 76th day of 2016 and there are 283 shopping days left until Christmas. Celebrations for today include:
Black Press Day
Brain Injury Awareness Day
Curlew Day
Everything You Do is Right Day
Freedom of Information Day
Goddard Day
Kick Butts Day
Lips Appreciation Day
National Artichoke Heart Day
No Selfies Day
St. Urho's Day ((a great day if you do not like grasshoppers))
In 597 BC the Babylonians captured Jerusalem, and replaced Jeconiah with Zedekiah as the king. In 1926 Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket from Pakachoag Hill on his Aunt Effe Ward's farm in Auburn, Massachusetts at the age of 44.
Today the DC area is dealing with #metrogedden today as the system is shut down for a much needed thorough safety check. It was an unusual move, denying all services for 24 hours in the middle of the work week, and many commuters felt stressed and abandoned. Fortunately, the federal government agreed to do unscheduled liberal leave and telework today and that took a lot of pressure off. Many other people stayed home as well, which is a bit of a hardship as they have to use a leave day unexpectedly. The roads were definitely more chaotic as folks who weren’t quite used to the routine of daily commuting drove – lots of really odd behaviors as they cut across lanes because they didn’t realize they had to be “there” that quickly and slowed down to a crawl as they were trying to read road signs. I was glad to get to work, even gladder that I was traveling crosswise rather than joining the stream of cars headed downtown, and downright ecstatic that I am not trying to find a parking spot downtown today!
Of course, the Congress folks are above riding the Metro, or maybe it would be an object lesson about how failing to invest in infrastructure can and will have a negative impact on business. Meanwhile, this picture was shared on Facebook to show the impact:
Today is the 15th day of the 3rd month and the 74th day of 2016:
Buzzards Day
Dumbstruck Day
Everything You Think is Wrong Day
Ides of March
International Day of Action Against Canadian Seal Slaughter
International Day Against Police Brutality
International Eat an Animal for PETA Day
National Agriculture Day
National Brutus Day
National Peanut Lovers Day
National Pears Helene Day
National Shoe The World Day
True Confessions Day
World Consumer Rights Day
World Social Work Day
In 44 BC Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman senators on the Ides of March. In 1985 the very first internet domain name is registered (symbolics.com) -- and that company has been bought out and trying the site will take you to http://xf.com/ , who has this to say about their history:
"The Original Domain Name
xf.com Investments owns Symbolics.com, the world’s first registered domain name dating back to March 15, 1985. Every day, crowds of curious web surfers visit this historic domain name. The current iteration of Symbolics.com is not what it originally looked like, nor is what the name will display in the near future."
Yesterday marked a couple of sad anniversaries for me, times of irrevocable choices. It has been two months since I had Kula put to sleep, and I still miss him. I reproach myself over every time I remember that I was too busy to cuddle him, and wonder if I made the right call. I think I did, but it is still hard to accept that I chose without any idea of how he felt about it, and I am convinced he knew what was going to happen on that last trip to the vet…. It has been three years since my mother’s passing. We knew that she was going to die, she had started refusing all sustenance when she learned that she would lose her private room and have to start sharing living quarters as her funds had run out and Medicare took over in two months. I guess that Margaret [the wife of her cousin who had the power of attorney] could’ve put her on IVs and kept her going for a bit longer, but we said our good-byes and let her go feeling [and hoping] that we understood how she felt and what she wanted.
Sometimes an irrevocable choice is a burden that you must assume, and then live with the consequences for the rest of your days….
Today is the 14th day of the 3rd month and the 74th day of 2016:
Celebrate Scientists Day
Commonwealth Day
Fill Our Staplers Day
Genius Day
International Ask a Question Day
Learn About Butterflies Day
Moth-er Day ((or is that Mothra?))
National Children's Craft Day
National Pi Day -- the Ultimate Pi Day was in 1592, the largest correspondence between calendar dates and significant digits of pi since the introduction of the Julian calendar
National Potato Chip Day
National Save a Spider Day
National Workplace Napping Day ((AKA Caffeine day))
Let’s face it, daylight savings time is an idea whose time and come and gone. There is no reason to do this “spring forward/fall back” crap, if there ever was a decent rationale for it. It is tough on kids, hard on farmers and just plain miserable adjusting to the change every six months. It isn’t like everyone in the world does it, there are even states in the US that refuse to play along, and for crying out loud, we don’t even do it consistently around the world! Can’t we just jettison the whole idea all over the world? Yes I realize there would have to be an adjustment, but it would be just a onetime thing rather than this ridiculous exercise semi-annually.
Bad enough that we have to live our lives by the clock without changing the clocks, neh?
World Day of Muslim Culture, Peace, Dialogue and Film
World Plumbing Day
World Sleep Day
Worship of Tools Day
In 222, the Roman Emperor Elagabalus is assassinated, along with his mother, Julia Soaemias, by the Praetorian Guard during a revolt. Their mutilated bodies are dragged through the streets of Rome before being thrown into the Tiber. And you thought the US presidential primaries were rough!
The quote of the day: “I am bothered chiefly by my little fears that are the same as they were almost 70 years ago. I was born scared and am still scared. This has sometimes tested my courage almost beyond endurance.” ~ E.B. White [quoted in Notes and Comment by Author, by Israel Shenker, New York Times, July 11, 1969].
The Lenten reflection of the day was on the Greek word “metanoiete” and I was not quite sure what that meant. It has been translated as “repent”, very appropriate for Lent, but recently I read that it really literally means “to go beyond the mind that you have.”
To me these two mash-up into a theme. Not sure I can adequately articulate, or cage the nuances in words, but I think it is just an overall sense of it is time or even past time to stop, to see things in a new light; think about the world differently, and amend your behavior accordingly. I have often pointed out in relationships that perspective and reality are very closely entwined especially when it comes to determining what is a fact and what is a point of view. It is therefore it is my firm belief that while eschewing revisionist history, altering your perspective changes your reality, especially if you are seeking to understand. This basic philosophical concept, the realization that how you see the world and how I see the world may be irrevocably irreconcilable, is something I have struggled with since I was 8 years old ….
Today is Friday’s Eve, the 10th day of the 3rd month, and the 70th day of 2016 as well as:
Festival of Life in the Cracks Day
International Bagpipe Day
International Day of Awesomeness
Landline Telephone Day
Mario Day
Nametag Day
National Blueberry Popover Day
Pack Your Lunch Day
Popcorn Lovers Day
Salvation Army Day
US Paper Money Day
World Kidney Day
Salvation Army Day
Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
In 241 BC the First Punic War comes to an end when the Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet. In 1804 the Louisiana Territory is formally transferred from France to the United States. Nicknames are something I don’t quite understand, never really having had one. Oh I had one uncle who always called me “Reds” [and just how did he get the nickname of “Erf” and why have I never asked him?] and occasionally I was sneeringly referred to as “hughesy” in school, but neither stuck. My online moniker of beladona is often shortened to “Bela”, which I don’t really like quite as much but it is okay. Sometimes those nicknames do stick, however -- my grandfather was “Nimmy” and his brother was “Peanuts” all their lives, and there usually is a story behind how they came about. Grandmom once told me that Grandpop’s younger sister couldn’t wrap her baby tongue around Harry and that was how he got his nickname. As time goes by, some names get shortened or changed, for example: “Jen” or the more old-fashioned “Jennie”, instead of Jennifer; “Richie”, “Rich”, or “Rick” [Dick used to be common but that has fallen out of favor these days] for Richard
So never having to deal with a nickname myself, I was under the impression that having a special name for someone indicated affection and/or closeness – a misconception that I have had corrected recently. I am trying to change my habits although I do slip up now and then, but that got me to thinking: What do you do if your given name is shortened or altered in such a way that you do not like? Or if someone insists on using your given name when you prefer a nickname? Has a childhood nickname lingered on just a little too long for you got be comfortable as an adult? Without getting into the transgender discussion, do you feel that those who do not name you as you wish to be named are expressing disdain for you, or belittling you in some way?
On this day in history, the earliest event is in 141 BC when Liu Che, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Han, assumed the throne in China. In 1831 King Louis Philippe established the French Foreign Legion to fight in Algeria, unknowingly creating a romantic icon that came to mean reckless, breathless adventure for those willing to seek a second chance – and still exists 185 years later if you want to just chuck it all ((tempting, isn’t it?))
Spring has never been my favorite time of year. I always dragged through the third term in school. The skyrocketing pollen count clogs my sinuses with the resulting sniffles, sneezes and itchy eyes. And then there is my birthday... I have always blamed my malaise on my natal day, don’t know why because I am usually not sensitive about my age and am usually happy to renew my lease and start a new trip around the sun.
So I have been trying very hard to counter all the tears and angst by dwelling on positives in my live and finding it more difficult than it should be not to add a caveat to each positive statement, ignoring qualifiers. I can do three things right off the bat:
I always start with the fact that I am continue to be very proud of the adults my children have become – not sure it wasn’t despite me rather than because of me but I am pleased with the outcome [oops, that is what I mean by a qualifier].
Then I look around at my apartment and admire the comfortable surroundings – it is a very pleasant, welcoming living area with a lovely view.
My car is now over eleven years old and has over 93K miles on it – and the only thing I have had to do on it thus far is regular maintenance and new tires.
National Be Nasty Day ((am I the only one that things having this day on Woman’s Day is mean-spirited?))
National Peanut Cluster Day
National Proofreading Day
Organize your Home Office Day
Unique Names Day ((you try and come up with ten names for different alts that are different! Probably my most unique name is Ndlovukazi Noyes [AKA Kazi]. elona Dayafter has been known as kala, Ria, rhia and kalah – all unusual names with very personal meaning))
I realized today this blog has been here for five years now – the first post was made on March 3rd actually . I have considered moving it more than once due to the limitations of the Ceoexpress platform, which I started using for no better reason than I am a charter member of the site. Over the years, the issues are accumulating: attaching YouTube videos has stopped working, blog posts are rigidly limited in length, and I can only post pictures that have a web address. I have used other platforms -- I kept a semi-private journal on Penzu that started 02.21.2010 [which is now abandoned], and still keep a personal journal called “babbling” on Blogger that started 08.02.2011 – but have found each to be a mixed bag of benefits. The other issue I have with Ceoexpress is that I have no idea of the traffic, of how many people are reading my posts [beyond the three or four who have commented and no, I am not quite sure the extent of my audience matters], which posts are more popular, how to block an individual from reading or commenting [fortunately I haven’t had to deal with trolls], or how many have actually subscribed to it [an available feature that I do really like]. I do tweet my posts now, and they post to Facebook, so I know some others see them. I have considered moving the blog or just posting in G+ [where I sometimes post these blog posts] or simply closing it down, but somehow the lure of trying to write always beckons me back.
Today is 7th day of the third month, the 67th day of the year, the first Monday of March, and there are only 292 shopping days left until Christmas. It is also:
Casimir Pulaski Day
Fun Facts About Names Day
National Be Heard Day
National Cereal Day
National Crown Roast of Pork Day
There are earlier listings about Roman Emperors, deaths and births and changes, but I was more interested to learn in 321 the Emperor Constantine I decrees that the “dies Solis Invict “ (sun-day) is the day of rest in the Empire.
My computer odyssey is at an end – according to tech support, as of Saturday I should be good to go now. In the three+ years that I have had this Alienware X5, the motherboard, the memory and the hard drive have been replaced and the OS re-loaded four times [each time meaning that I have to reload my 2nd [online] life from scratch. While I still am convinced that there is a problem with the graphics card, support feels strongly that my viewing issues have been symptoms and that now the freezing, blanking and crashing has been addressed. While I am far from happy about what all has happened, I will say that DELL has stood by their warranty – none of this work cost me a dime – and that both the tech support and the technicians who have come to my home for installation have been friendly, patient and competent. OTOH: It just seems to me that I shouldn’t have had to deal with months of poor performance, followed by hours of support calls without getting a more definitive solution. I doubt I will ever recommend or buy DELL again – altho I have considered possibly trading in this CPU for the newest, greatest version. OTOH: If things work from this point forward, I guess I should be satisfied without having them replace the machine. The warranty runs out in December – we’ll see how the machine is working then and how much renewing for another year would cost.
And my 2nd Life is always there, waiting for me when I return…..
March 4, 2016 is the 4th day of the 3rd month and the 64th day of the year:
Benjamin Harrison Day
Courageous Follower Day – always thought that followership was a much underrated and underappreciated skill set
Dress in Blue Day
Employee Appreciation Day
Holy Experiment Day
Hug a GI Day
International GM's Day
International Scrapbooking Industry Day
March Forth
National Dance the Waltz Day
National Day of Unplugging
National Doodle Day
National Grammar Day
National Poundcake Day
National Snack Day
Old Inauguration Day
Toy Soldier Day
World Day of Prayer
Oh those Romans! In 51 they made Nero the “princeps iuventutis” [head of the youth]. And in 1980, Mugabe became the first black Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, turning the office into his personal domain and showing absolutely no sign of planning to do anything else but stay in power.
Today we awoke to find the world transformed into a fairy fantasyland with every surface limned with white while roads and sidewalks were just wet. Even stoplights had a frosting through which the changing colors looked very festive. Indeed, if this had happened in December, especially near the 25th, we would be greeting the transformation with joy and exclamations of appreciation. But this is March, and we are weary of winter at this point. The gray skies and heavy white stuff just deadens the spirit as it feels like a step backwards, an impediment to be overcome on our way to spring. After all, Easter is just 23 days away and the weather should be starting to get ready so we can celebrate with flowers and egg hunts and pretty outfits with matching shoes, not forcing us to drag out the boots, gloves, hats and scarves to slog through the snow, neh?
Today is the 3rd day of the 3rd month and the 63rd day of 2016, with 303 days remaining in the year. It is also:
33 Flavors Day
I Want You to be Happy Day
National Anthem Day
National Cold Cuts Day
National Mulled Wine Day
Peach Blossom Day
Princess Day
What if Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs Day
International Ear Care Day
World Book Day
World Wildlife Day
Thanks to Facebook’s “on this day” feature, I realized that today was the birth of the Disaster Area as the empty third bedroom in my apartment filled up with boxes and bags. It was a complicated arrangement -- I had packed up all of my mother's things here in the apartment, and everything was stacked in the living room with her furniture. Coordinating with Margaret, my mother's cousin's wife who did so much for her, I had the items carefully divided between what was to go to her at the assisted living place and what was going to need to go to her in storage. But first, I had to meet the same movers to empty out our storage bin of my mother’s and my things. What was in my part of the storage bin? Basically I had lived in an apartment for 22 years with very little storage, so there were things like: all the Christmas ornaments and the artificial tree, boxes of crafts that I was going to do someday, all of my records from work when I lost my office and just other assorted stuff. I have no idea what was in those boxes from my mother.
So the movers had to separate my mother’s things, to take with them into storage, and deliver my things to the apartment, first taking my mother's furniture out of the master bedroom and then the things from storage that were mine could be placed in the now empty third bedroom, piling boxes and bags everywhere. After that, they loaded all of my mother’s things, and headed off to deliver to
At the end of the day, I had a completely empty living room, a new bedroom arrangement, and a Disaster Area. The Disaster Area moved with me in 2009 when I downsized, and I have been either ignoring it or trying to get it under control ever since.
Today is the 1st day of the 3rd month, the 61st day of 2016 with only 298 shopping days left until Christmas. It is also:
Asiatic Fleet Memorial Day
National Fruit Compote Day
National Horse Protection Day
National Peanut Butter Lover's Day [AKA National Peanut Lovers Day]
National Pig Day
National Sportsmanship Day
Peace Corp Day
Plan a Solo Vacation Day
Refired Not Retired Day
Self-injury Awareness Day
Share a Smile Day
World Compliment Day
Dadgum That's Good Day
National Black Women in Jazz & The Arts Day
Endometriosis Day or Wear Yellow Day
Zero Discrimination Day
In 752 BC Romulus, legendary first king of Rome, celebrated the first Roman triumph after his victory over the Caeninenses, following The Rape of the Sabine Women. March 1st seems to be a busy day in US history as in 1781 the Continental Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation, in 1790 the first United States census is authorized, and in 1803 Ohio is admitted as the 17th U.S. state. In 1954 the US detonated the Castle Bravo, a 15-megaton hydrogen bomb, Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, which caused a great deal of radioactive contamination. And in 1961, President John F Kennedy signed Executive Order 10924 that officially started the Peace Corps
Quote of the day: "A life without purpose is a languid, drifting thing; Every day we ought to review our purpose, saying to ourselves: ‘This day let me make a sound beginning, for what we have hitherto done is naught!’" ~ Thomas a Kempis [priest/ monk/writer of the 1400s]
This quote floated across my virtual desktop today and gave me pause…. Do you know what the purpose of your life is? Can you articulate it? Well, I cannot. After six and a half decades, I still don’t know why I am here or what I am supposed to do. I have never had specific career or life “goals” that I worked towards. There are things that I wanted – to be needed, find my soul mate, have children, make a sustainable and interesting living – and things that I would’ve liked to have done – to serve, to make some outstanding contribution, to be remembered -- but for the most part, there was no overriding ambition or dream or sense of knowing where I fit into the cosmic scheme of things. I have gone through life, just doing the best that I can one day to the next with the resources that I have at hand. And I suspect that many others with whom I travel through life’s journey are in the exact same boat. Maybe that is what differentiates the “great” amongst us from the hoi polloi, [1] they know what it is they are here to do and [2] they stay focused on doing it.
Guess you all have noticed that 2016 is a leap year, neh? And I also guess that you have noticed that today is that extra day that gets tacked on There is quite a debate about how to legally count the birthday of a person born on February 29th. Uncle Harry was born on leap day and I think he usually celebrated it on the 28th, certainly no one actually counted his age only every four years! So today is the 29th day of the second month, the 60th day of 2016 and:
· Bachelor's Day -- In 1288 Scotland established this day as one when a woman could propose marriage to a man. In the event that he refused the proposal he was required to pay a fine. · International Underlings Day · Leap Year Day · National Surf and Turf Day · Rare Diseases Day
So my friend and I have a joke going about TVs and PCs. She goes through TVs about one every four years or so; I have had the same TV for well nigh 30 years. I got through PCs every three years or so, she has had the same PC for almost ten years. Of course, our habits greatly differ – she watches far more TV than I do throughout the day and night, whereas TV is now and then for me. She uses the computer primarily for information, records and email while I play online for hours each day, and am in some graphics-intensive programs such as Second Life and Diablo III. And both her TV and my PC are acting up these days….
I have had this Alienware x51 since January 2013. Because I anteed up for the warranty, Dell has replaced memory, replaced the mother board, spent a couple of hours on the phone going through tests and doing software adjustments for me, and just yesterday, replaced the hard drive. Now I have to go through a “re-installer” to get WIN10 loaded as the OS – I don’t mess with bios if I can help it so the bulk of yesterday was spent with my nose in a book rather than toodling about online. But you know, I just don’t know why my PCs wear out! Is it because I leave them on each night, so they run for about 12 hours every day and sometimes from Friday night to Monday morning without a break? I thought turning them off and on was more harmful than leaving them run?
The warranty runs out at the end of 2016, let's see how long the PC lasts past that.....
Today is the 28th day and the last Sunday of the second month. It is also:
Car Keys and Small Change Day
Floral Design Day
National Chocolate Soufflé Day
National Public Sleeping Day
National Science Day
National Tooth Fairy Day
Rare Disease Day
World Tailors' Day
in 202 BC, Liu Bang is coronated as Emperor Gaozu of Han, kicking off four centuries of the Han dynasty's rule over China.
I go offline this afternoon as the hard drive to the Alienware X51 is replaced. I have backed up pictures, logs and documents to an external hard drive, plus I do have Carbonite, but I have to admit that I am a bit nervous. And not looking forward to dealing with having to load all the programs, games, etc anew..... I'll even miss the cookies!
Today is the 27th day of the second month, the 58th day of 2016 with only 301 shopping days left until Christmas.
International Polar Bear Day
International Sword Swallowers Day
International Tongue Twister Contest Day
National Kahlua Day
National Strawberry Day
No Brainer Day ((good, my brain is rather tired after a very long week))
Open That Bottle Night ((or maybe finish off that open bottle in your fridge?))
Anosomia Awareness Day
National Day of Action (Peace Corps)
US Snow Shoe Day
@NASAVoyager is 18 hrs 36 mins 33 secs of light-travel time from Earth (2016:058:120000:1L)
In 380, the Edict of Thessalonica was proclaimed as the three co-emperors of Rom declared their wish that all Roman citizens convert to trinitarian Christianity. The arguments over whether or not God is actually three entities [Father, Son and Holy Spirit] versus monarchianism in its various forms is one has been a source of theological [and sometimes physical] warfare in the early days of the church, so throwing the weight of the emperors into the ring had quite an impact. Trinitarianism was definitively declared to be Christian doctrine at the 4th-century ecumenical councils, that of the First Council of Nicaea (325), which declared the full divinity of the Son, and the First Council of Constantinople (381), which declared the divinity of the Holy Spirit, but dissenters have always existed, and been persecuted for their beliefs.
In 1801, a curious situation was created by passage of the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 -- the people living in the US capital were no longer considered to be residents of Maryland and Virginia, instead DC was born and placed under the direct supervision of Congress. Since they no longer belonged to a state, those residents no longer have any representation in either the House or Senate, and until the 23rd admendment was passed in 1961, they couldn't even vote for President! Needless to say, this was quite a sore point with those who actually lived in the city and the license plates for DC still bear the motto "taxation without representation" since they pay federal and "state" taxes just like the rest of the country.
Did you know that federal income taxes were not assessed in the US until 1861? Another outcome of the Civil War [or War Between the States or War of Northern Agression depending on where you live] is that the US federal government was running out of money to wage war in 1861, and in one form or another, have been with us every since. The IRS didn't show up until 1953 though..... And this year we have between January 19th and April 18th to get those blasted forms filled out and sent off with all the documentation.
According to Claudius Ptolemy, in his work Almagest, Babylonian calendar reform gave rise to an era beginning noon on February 26, 747 BC when the Anno Nabonassari began.
The entire discussion about Planet 9 shows just how little we know about the universe, and our place in it, neh? Someone starts playing with mathematical orbit calculations, notices an oddity, and submits a paper showing how that oddity was resolved. Suddenly a theory is born, just like that, and a great deal of excitement is generated.
Of course John Norman found Gor many years ago, neh?
Today is the 25th day of the second month, the 56th day of 2016 and there are 303 shopping days left until Christmas. It is also:
· Introduce A Girl to Engineering Day · National Chili Day · Let's All Eat Right Day · National Chili Day · National Chocolate-Covered Peanuts Day · National Clam Chowder Day · Pistol Patent Day · Quiet Day
Throwback Thursday … sounded like a pretty good idea since I didn’t have a lot to say today, so I went rummaging to see what I could find online that I had posted on a Thursday. Granted that my access to the digital footprint is a little limited by what is left online from all the information I used to post like a firehose since the Wikis and the old blogs are long gone, as well as a couple of the communities that I was very active in around the turn of the century. ((wowser, just saying that makes me feel pretty ancient)). So I decided to google images of myself, first as beladona Memorial and then as Carol H Tucker.
Today is Wednesday, the 24th day of the 2nd month, the 55th day of 2016, and:
· Leap day if you are still using the Julian calendar · Inconvenience Yourself Day · National Tortilla Chip Day · National Trading Card Day · World Bartender Day
In 303, Galerius published the edict that began the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Roman Empire.
Today has been a bit of a morass of self-doubt [always think of these thoughts as circling tigers ready to pounce on you] that I have had to dig out of. The triggers, in addition to the rain, and the musing:
· Reminders in Facebook that “on this day” six years ago, I had been friended by two people who came to have a disparate impact on my emotions both in my 2nd Life and in “real” life. Woulda, shoulda, coulda type thoughts that had to be sternly squelched · An old journal entry made on the subject of “how to handle a woman” as I rather plaintively [and ultimately futilely] argued I couldn’t tell my partner how “handle” me. Sad thoughts about what was, and what might have been, that had to be stopped. Not stewing is a choice that I have to make at times. · Finding out the second rescue cat that I was rather interested in had already been adopted. Worries that perhaps I wasn’t a good partner for Kula, perhaps he was lonely and depressed because he was home alone all day. Thoughts that perhaps the universe is telling me I should not be a pet owner. This one was a bit harder to deal with because the grief is still fresh. I finally assuaged the voices by deciding that I should wait for at least 90 days before seeking to be adopted by a new feline, thus tabling the discussion internally
Now I am not one of those that believe that every day needs to be upbeat – life is full of tides and flows after all. But occasionally I need to be reminded that yesterday ended at midnight and I need to be mindful of now, not then!
Always felt a little sorry for Tuesday. How would you feel if the nicest thing that was said about you was “at least it’s not _______” ((Monday being the end of that sentence when talking about days of the week)). But then again, identifying ourselves by what we are not, definition by negation, is a valid logical process, neh? Sometimes I just find it easier to color around an object, leaving what I am trying to learn about starkly shown as white space
Anyway today is the 23rd day of the second month, the 54th day of 2016 and:
Curling is Cool Day
Diesel Engine Day
International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
National Banana Bread Day
National Rationalization Day
Play Tennis Day
World Spay Day
World Understanding and Peace Day
Single Tasking Day
In 303 we head back to the Romans, and the emperor Diocletian ordered the destruction of the Christian church in Nicomedia, beginning eight years of religious persecution.
Interesting how the meaning of the same word changes from adjective to verb to noun, both in meaning and source. I looked up “tender” this morning and realized that while I was thinking of the word in the sense of being sore and then being gentle/loving, the origin of both appears to be the Latin word “tener”. The verb seems also to be from Latin, this one from the word “tendere”, and they both seem to come to us via old French The noun seems to be a more recent, English usage, defining a person who tends. The word seems to be declining in use, and has a slightly archaic flavor when used today.
It is raining really hard hereabouts today. I am very grateful that our temperatures are on the unseasonably warm side because if they weren’t? It would be an epic snowstorm – this is the time of year when we get socked sometimes.
And last but not least, there is an island in Canada that is offering to take American expatriates if Trump somehow manages to become president. It may be a marketing campaign and it is awfully far away from my dream of going to live in Florida [and work for the House of the Mouse], but it sure looks and sounds tempting!
Today is the 22nd day of the second month, the 53rd day of 2016 with only 306 shopping days left until Christmas. You know, figuring out shopping days used to be a lot harde back when stores and malls were closed on Sundays and some other holidays! Today is also Monday, with all the emotional baggage of that day, and:
Woolworth's Day -- made famous in the 1960's due to the sit-ins at the lunch counter, the chain went out of business in the beginning of 1997, when the company decided to focus on the Foot Locker division and renamed itself Venator Group. By 2001, the company focused exclusively on the sporting goods market, changing its name to the present Foot Locker Inc (NYSE: FL)
In 705 the Empress Wu Zetian, the only Chinese empress regnant, abdicated the throne, restoring the rule of the Tang dynasty, which then stayed in power for another 202 years.
The "traditional" work week in the West appears to be a basic Monday through Friday trek into the office, giving folks both Saturday and Sunday for personal time. Of course, there are whole swaths of the population who work far different hours, especially in service industries, but the 9-5, M-F mentality prevails as proven by the rush hours that routinely clog the traffic arteries every morning and afternoon. As a symbol of returning to the grindstone, and despite cutsey little upbeat pictures, the perception of dragging oneself away from their private life into the workaday world predominates so strongly that it impacts Sunday nights. The fading hours of the weekend have slowly become part of the chores that are needed to get up and out on Monday morning -- setting alarms, going to bed as it is a work night, maybe figuring out what you are going to wear, maybe packing a lunch ahead of time, making sure the homework is done if there is school involved, that kind of thing.
It is a very simple contractural arrangement under which most of us live: I work, you pay me. I don't work, you don't pay me. You don't pay me, I don't work. The social contract where employers and/or government feel as though they have a responsibility to care for those who cannot work seems to have permanently frayed and broken, the mantra ibeing you must prove how each individual is adding value, and if you are not adding value right now, it doesn't make any difference HOW much value you added back then. Monday morning reminds most of us [unless you are in the upper class income brackets] that you are one accident, one business failure, one illness, one firing away from being considered a liability rather than an asset and sometimes it is a difficult message to hear.
But it is also a fact of life, neh? One can get bitter or one can look forward -- but I still love Friday evenings and don't like Monday mornings!
Today is the 20th day of the second month, and the 51st day of 2016:
Clean Out Your Bookcase Day -- am I the only one that sees this as a sad, sad holiday? I have had to "clean out" and downsize my library twice now in the past decade and it was really depressing to shed all those books! I don't remember the name of the woman who helped me the last time, but she carted off a huge amount of books for me, taking most to a second-hand bookstore but keeping many of the science fiction and fantasy books herself and I was so appreciative of her help
Love Your Pet Day -- Kula has been gone a month now. Old habits are slowly changing -- I actually left a closet door open for a while! And I have stopped burning incense every morning to greet him
National Cherry Pie Day
National Day of Solidarity with Muslim, Arab and South Asian Immigrants
In recorded history, the Battle of Parabiago was fought this day in 1339, although why this battle involving the Duchy of Milan is important eludes me. In 1809, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Federal Government 's power was greater than any state. Today, NASA's Voyager is 18 hrs 36 mins 48 secs of light-travel time from Earth (2016:051:120000:1L) and still going
Inspiration on what to chat about today is pretty thin.
OTOH: Like many folks, I have been sick and tired of the politics that seem to be polarizing my country and this current maneuvering to be president isn't any different as many of us question the value of even turning out to vote and real change just seems impossible. Add to that the rising income inequity and it is easy to get depressed -- my expenses last year ballooned as I was forced onto Medicare [and right now I am pretty healthy, so what will happen when I actually get sick?], my car insurance costs got jacked up 45% and my other expenses rise 9.21%. I have to keep spreadsheets to make sure that I can handle things as I continue to work and juggle income VS outgo, a problem I sincerely doubt any of our mouthy politicians or other movers-and-shakers have ever been presented with. My family is tiny and fragile. And I am well aware that I am one of the lucky ones, for now. I just thought we all would be further along than we are with accepting differences in people, addressing social problems [taking care of folks] and exploring space. And I wish that I was a better person, less quick to react with frustration, more anchored in faith, kinder and gentler.
OTOH: On the whole, I am comfortable and in reasonably good health. I love my two kids and they seem to get along with me for the most part. My two granddaughters are both precious and precocious. I like where I live and the people that I work with, and I make enough to have a few luxuries [like vacation]. I remain passionately interested in anthropology, science [and science fiction], fantasy, knowledge management, Disney, virtual reality and I enjoy being active on social media. And I am still trying to become a better me.
So what I write about here is pretty much mundane meanderings, neh? Kinda like treating the internet or the blogoshpere like writing to a penpal, except you don't often get a letter back unless you count reading the hundreds of other posts. Why make a journal public then?
In 197, the Romans are back in the news for the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies.
There have been many discussions about what threat terrorists pose to Washington DC. Dirty bombs, chemical warfare, plagues – these are usually what is bandied about as risks. My comment has always been that if I was trying to maximize the damage done to the area, I would take out the two commuting choke points – the Woodrow Wilsonand American Legion Memorialbridges. Today we got a taste of what would happen if that major traffic artery was closed – 495, the beltway that circles around DC, was shut down in the early morning hours due to a horrific truck accident. It was still mostly shut during rush hour as the investigation and clean up continued as only a couple lanes on the inner loop were able to get by. And the result? There was gridlock in the surrounding areas, sometimes in places or neighborhoods you wouldn’t expect any traffic as everything backed up and stopped. Commutes stretched out, tempers frayed, fender-benders multiplied and folks arrived at work quite late, ruffled and annoyed. Six hours later, the residual delays are still quite apparent and officials are hoping it clears up before the Friday evening rush hour. Just imagine if it was closed for months or even years!
Although it was a short [ very short – only two days] work week for me, I am really very glad that the weekend is beckoning. Other than hopefully getting to spend some time with my daughter’s family Saturday afternoon, I have no real plans other than a few chores [which I may opt to ignore anyway]
Today is the 18th day of the second month and the 49th day of the year:
Cow Milked While Flying in an Airplane Day -- yup this actually happened! Elm Farm Ollie (AKA "Nellie Jay" and post-flight as "Sky Queen") was the first cow to fly in an airplane. The trip covered 72 miles in a Ford Trimotor airplane, and she was milked to supposedly to allow scientists to observe midair effects on animals, but really for publicity purposes. Since we don't have a lot of livestock flying these days, one can assume it did not catch on.
Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day
Drink Wine Day ((like we need a special day to have a reason to do this?))
National Battery Day
Thumb Appreciation Day -- let's hear it for the opposable digit
The Great American Spit Out -- altho it vaguely sounds like it might have something to do with oral sex [yes I went there], it actually is part of a campaign to get folks to stop using chewing tobacco
National Hate Florida Day -- because the rest of us are heartily tired of winter at this point. Try to remember the summer heat, almost unbearable humidity, bugs and alligators when you are daydreaming of moving
Pluto Day: The planet not the DISNEY character…. On this day in 1930, it was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh (Note: New Mexico has declared March 13 as, Pluto is a Planet Day!)
In 1229, the Sixth Crusade came to an end as Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, was able by diplomatic means to sign a ten-year truce with the Sultan al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy since he was excommunicated at the time . In 1861, Jefferson Davis was sworn in as president of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Alabama
IN 1977, the Space Shuttle Enterprise test vehicle made its maiden "flight" on top of a Boeing 747.
And I am back to work today and struggling with a backlog. Good thing it is Friday’s Eve, neh?
Today is the 17th day of the 2nd month and the 48th day of 2016, assuming you are using the Gregorian calendar that is. There are alternative calendars, and if we use them to describe today:
Chinese: Cycle 78, year 33 (Bing-Shen), month 1 (Geng-Yin), day 10 (Ji-Si) ((not sure where "year of the Monkey" fits in with this))
Discordian: Pungenday, Chaos 48, Year of Our Lady of Discord 3182
No matter what calendar you use, if your birthday is today, you are one of those people born on the cusp, but in 2016, today is still in Aquarius, an air sign, and ruled by Uranus.
And going back to the calendar I am familiar with, today is:
Digital Learning Day
My Way Day -- otherwise known as "it's my way or the highway" . The saying seems to have originated back in the 1960's and became a popular idiomatic expression in print at least.
National Cabbage Day -- the veggie not the doll
National Cafe Au Lait Day
National Champion Crab Races Day -- that would be professionalhermit crabs, for the uninitiated.
On this day, another Roman Emperor dies suspiciously in 364, Jovian after only reigning eight months. And in 1972, Nixon headed for China, giving birth to the Vulcan saying.
This picture caught my eye because it looked like any other war picture, but they are actually trying to fumigate the streets in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to halt the spread of mosquitoes. In another way, it is a snapshot of war -- a war on diseases such as malaria, dengue and the Zika virus to keep them from spreading.
The 46th day of the year with only 313 shopping days until Christmas, today is:
· National Gumdrop Day
· National Hippo Day
· National I Want Butterscotch Day
· Presidents' Day – back in the day we used to celebrate Lincoln’s birthday on the 12th and Washington’s birthday on the 22nd, but when they created Martin Luther King Day in January, the federal holiday became president’s day, the 3rd Monday of every February
· Remember the Maine Day – the slogan that touched off the Spanish-American War in 1898, and brought Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines
· Singles Awareness Day – just in case you didn’t get your nose rubbed into being alone all day yesterday…..
· Susan B. Anthony Day
· Clean Out Your Computer Day ((didn’t we just have one of these? How clogged up is your start menu anyway?))
· Lupercalia – a pre-Roman festival that is actually considered one of the origins of Valentine’s day
· Westminster Dog Show day 1
In 590 Khosrau II was crowned the King of Persia – he was the last to rule before the Muslims conquest of Iran, and according to legend had a shabestan of some 3,000 concubines and was executed by his rebellious son.
In 1949 ENIAC which was the first electronic general-purpose computer was unveiled, programmed mostly by six women using trial and error, there were no manuals. The City of Philadelphia declared this day THE ENIAC Day
Oglethorpe Day -- in 1733, Englishman James Oglethorpe founds Georgia, the 13th colony of the Thirteen Colonies, and its first city at Savannah (known as Georgia Day).
In history: In 881, Pope John VIII crowned Charles the Fat, the King of Italy as the Holy Roman Emperor [which as the saying goes, was none of the three]
So I have a cold. I have had this cold all week, but it decided to get worse last night. I think it is a different cold than the one that I had a couple of weeks ago, which was a different one from the one I had before the holidays, but I don’t know. Here lately, it seems that I just about always have some version of the sniffles, a sore throat, an annoying cough and a low grade fever. I have been using boxes of tissues and filling my trashcans with them, but still spend most of my time breathing through my mouth. But I haven’t been sick enough to stay home – seriously, who has the leisure to do that anyway -- so I got up and got to work every day. And of course I have been feeling a bit lousier and more fatigued at the end of every single day as I work through a thickening fog. Last night I finally gave up and broke out the NyQuil.
And I am not the only sufferer when you come right down to it. Co-workers, family members, strangers in the elevators, everyone is sneezing and coughing and sniffling. Thing is, I don’t remember colds being around quite so much in the past. I mean, I remember entire winters when I didn’t get one cold much less this seemingly perpetual state of discomfort. So am I just in a weakened and more susceptible state these days? That seems a bit odd as I have been working really hard to eat healthy. Are there more germs floating around ((in my general vicinity? and am I now a carrier))? Or are the germs just stronger and healthier than we all are?
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