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Vegetarian Spider The eight-legged vegetarian, called Bagheera kiplingi, lives in Central America, and is now considered a rarity among the world's 40,000 or so spider species, most of which are strictly predators, feeding on insects and other animals. B. kiplingi is about the size of a person's pinky nail. "This is really the first spider known to specifically 'hunt' plants; it is also the first known to go after plants as a primary food source," said study researcher Christopher Meehan of Villanova University in Pennsylvania. read more at livescience.com

February 9th 2026 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Further information: February 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Alto of Altomünster Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich Ansbert of Rouen Apollonia Bracchio Einion the King (Western Orthodoxy) Blessed Leopold of Alpandeire Maron (Maronite Church) Miguel Febres Cordero Nebridius Sabinus of Canosa Teilo (Wales) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Chocolate Day Gwyl Mabsant International Epilepsy Day National Cut the Cord Day National Develop Alternative Vices Day National Pizza Day - 1 Pizza Pie Day - 2 National Poop Day Oatmeal Monday Read In The Bathtub Day Sick of Food Waste Day St Maroun Day National Football Hangover Day Frevo Day Bella Poarch’s Birthday Craig Conover’s Birthday DJ Prince’s Birthday Jalen Green’s Birthday Johnny Suh’s Birthday Chung-ha Kim’s Birthday Tom Hiddleston’s Birthday Michael B. Jordan Mia Farrow Joe Pesci William Henry Harrison ~~~~~~~~ Mon Feb 9th, 2026 - Fri Feb 13th, 2026 Love Data Week Mon Feb 9th, 2026 - Sun Feb 15th, 2026 Cardiac Rehab Week Homes for Birds Week National Apprenticeship Week National Jell-O Week Student Volunteering Week Children’s Mental Health Week National Secondhand Wardrobe Week Fun Observances ( 3 ) Toothache Day February 9 is Toothache Day. It is admittedly not a fun holiday, especially if you are suffering from, or have bad memories of, a toothache. Today is a good day to remind us that toothaches are never fun and that maintaining oral health is very important to keep painful toothaches away. Created by Dentists? While the origins of Toothache Day are a mystery, we suspect that it was a dentist who created this unofficial holiday to remind people that taking care of one's oral well-being is very important to live a happy, healthy and long life. The holiday is also called National Toothache Day in the United States. How to Celebrate? Celebrating Toothache Day is an oxymoron, but there are ways you can celebrate toothache-free days by giving your teeth and oral health attention on this day. Make an appointment with your dentist for a checkup. Take advantage of this day to resolve to brush and floss your teeth at least twice every day. Avoid food items that are bad for your oral health. Did You Know… …that the phrase I would give my eye-teeth refers to the fact that our canine teeth, also sometimes known as eye-teeth, are incredibly valuable to us? The phrase indicates a person’s want of something. ~~~~~~~ Bagel and Lox Day Bagel and Lox Day is an unofficial holiday dedicated to the quintessential Jewish American dish made of bagels, cream cheese, and lox or cured salmon. This holiday of unknown origins is also often known as National Bagel Day or Bagel Day. In 2018, Thomas', a division of Bimbo Bakeries USA, decided to move the date of National Bagel Day from February 9 to January 15 to avoid competing with National Pizza Day. Despite this, many people still prefer to celebrate this holiday on the original date of February 9. Ring Shaped Bread Popularized first by Jewish immigrants in New York City, bagels and lox is a classic combination and is a dish usually eaten during breakfast or for brunch. Traditionally from Poland, bagels are ring-shaped bread made out of wheat dough that is first boiled and then baked to give it its distinctive chewy texture. The hole in the middle is thought to make it easier for the bagel to cook as well as easier for bakers to transport and store lots of bagels at one time – all they need to do is to string a rope or thread through the bagel holes. Lox and Schmear The word lox is derived from the Yiddish word for salmon, laks. In the United States, lox is brined and cured salmon that has been sliced very thinly. On a bagel, it is usually served with cream cheese, popularly called schmear, from the German word for spread. How to Celebrate This one’s easy. Just go to your closest deli and get yourself a bagel with cream cheese and lox. Don’t have a deli close to you? Make the sandwich yourself at home – all you’ll need is some cream cheese, a bagel, and some lox. Add a slice of tomato or onion and you have a delicious meal ready! Did You Know… ...that the shape of a bagel – a ring with a hole – is technically called a torus? The word torus comes from the Latin word for cushion. ~~~~~~~ Clean Out Your Computer Day Have you been putting off cleaning out those old files on your desktop? Well, today is the day you should do it, because it is Clean Out Your Computer Day. Started in 2000 by the Institute of Business Technology, the day falls on the second Monday in February. A similar holiday called National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day is celebrated in October. How to Celebrate Backup your computer, including all your files, documents, and pictures. Clean out your desktop. Delete or archive files that you have no use of or haven’t used in several months. Organize your folders, files and bookmarks. Uninstall all the programs you no longer used. Did You Know… …that the Perottina was the world’s first commercially marketed desktop? Launched in 1964, the computer was named after its inventor Pier Giorgio Perotto. *** Hoss drove over to the next county to buy a new bull for the farm. It cost more than expected, and he was left with only one dollar. This was a problem, since he needed to let his wife, Sue, know that he'd bought the bull so she could come get it with the truck—and telegrams cost a dollar per word. Hoss thought hard for a minute. Finally he said, "All right. Here's my dollar. Go ahead and just make it this one word: Comfortable." "How's that going to get your point across?" the clerk asked, scratching his head. "Don't worry," Hoss said. "Sue's not the greatest reader. She'll say it real slow." *** A man is pulled over by a police officer for a broken headlight. The cop looks in the car and sees a collection of knives on the backseat. "Sir," he says. "Why do you have all those knives?" "They're for my juggling act," the man replies. "Prove it," says the cop. The man gets out of the car and begins juggling the knives just as two men drive by. "Man," says one guy. "I'm glad I quit drinking. These new sobriety tests are hard." *** During a business trip to Boeing's Everett, Wash., factory, I noticed several 747 and 777 airliners being assembled. Before the engines were installed, huge weights were hung from the wings to keep the planes balanced. The solid-steel weights were bright yellow and marked "14,000 lbs." But what I found particularly interesting was some stenciling I discovered on the side of each weight. Imprinted there was the warning: "Remove before flight." *** A man goes to the doctor, concerned about his wife's hearing. The doctor says, "Stand behind her and say something and tell me how close you are when she hears you." The man goes home, sees his wife in the kitchen, cutting carrots on the countertop. About 15 feet away he says, "Honey, what's for dinner?" Nothing. He gets halfway to her and repeats the same question. Nothing. Very concerned, he gets right behind her and asks again "What's for dinner?" She turns around and says "For the THIRD time, beef stew!" *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** (That's two or three sharks per second) *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Just the facts: WARMTH Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster WARMTH Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus WARMTH Related Words - Merriam-Webster

February 8th 2026 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Cuthmann of Steyning Elffled of Whitby Elisabetta Martinez Gerolamo Emiliani Josephine Bakhita Juventius of Pavia Mengold of Huy Stephen of Muret February 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Parinirvana Day (some Mahayana Buddhism traditions; most celebrate on February 15) Prešeren Day (Slovenia) Propose Day (India) Military Foundation Day (North Korea) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Autism Sunday Man Day Molasses Bar Day Mother's Day Norway National Boy Scout Day National Homegating Day National Iowa Day National Kite-Flying Day Opera Day Scout Sunday Super Bowl Sunday Super Chicken Wing Day World Marriage Day Pork Rind Appreciation Day Charlie Axel Woods’s Birthday I.N’s Birthday Jaden Hossler’s Birthday Klay Thompson’s Birthday Shereen Jenkins’s Birthday James Dean Mary Steenburgen Big Show ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sun Feb 8th, 2026 - Wed Feb 11th, 2026 American Association For the Advancement of Science Week Sun Feb 8th, 2026 - Sat Feb 14th, 2026 Chastity Week Children of Alcoholics Week Freelance Writers Appreciation Week Great American Pizza Bake Heart Failure Awareness Week International Flirting Week National Hero Week National Kraut and Frankfurter Week National Salute to Veteran Patients Pickle Time Week National Cardiac Rehabilitation Week Fun Observances Laugh and Get Rich Day February 8 is Laugh and Get Rich Day. A day for enriching your life with happiness. While the origins of this unofficial holiday are not known, it seems that the unknown creators of the holiday wanted to encourage people to spend the day laughing and being happy. Happy and Healthy While being happy won't make you laugh all the way to the bank, it will certainly help improve your mood and your health. Studies have shown that people who are happy and laugh often tend to have less stress, lower blood pressure, and a better immune response. Laughing and sharing jokes can also have social benefits. Happy people tend to have more friends and are easily accepted by social groups. More Productive Being happy can also help a person professionally. Joyful workers are more productive and liked by their co-workers compared to cranky and unhappy professionals. Other happy days to celebrate are Happiness Happens Day, Let's Laugh Day, I Want You to be Happy Day, and International Moment of Laughter Day. How to Celebrate? Laugh, laugh, and laugh! Tell jokes and solicit jokes from friends and co-workers to put you in the mood to think up of money making ventures. Watch the 1931 American comedy movie, Laugh and Get Rich starring Edna May Oliver and Hugh Herbert with family and friends. Did You Know… …that laughing can burn calories? Scientists have found that 15 minutes of laughter can burn as many as 50 calories. *** Q: What's a good holiday tip? A: Never catch snowflakes with your tongue until all the birds have gone south for the winter. *** I once wanted to become an atheist but I gave up ... they have no holidays. *** A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. *** A Holiday Quiz “Pretend to be someone you’re 
not, and receive candy.” Quick: 
Halloween or 
Valentine’s Day? *** In fourth grade, my son had a huge crush on a classmate. So for Valentine's Day, he bought her a box of chocolates and took it into school. When I returned home from work, I found him on the couch eating the same box of candy. "What happened?" I asked. "Well, I thought about it for a long time," he said between chews. "And I decided that, for now, I still like candy more than girls." *** While shopping for a bathroom scale, I found one that tracks not only weight but also body fat, bone mass, and water percentage. I nixed that one in favor of a low-tech model. As I told the salesperson, “I don’t need to be depressed four ways; one is quite enough.” *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Arena - Wikipedia *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Just the facts: LONGING Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster LONGING Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus LONGING (FOR) Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

Insect - Scientists identified the spider as a gynandromorph, with one side showing male traits and the other female. This split occurs during early cell division and is documented only rarely in spiders, making the find exceptionally unusual.

February 7th 2026 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Richard the Pilgrim Blessed Eugénie Smet John of Triora Luke of Steiris Blessed Petro Verhun Blessed Pope Pius IX Rosalie Rendu Egidio Maria of Saint Joseph February 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Orthodox Church Typically observed on the Sunday closest to January 25 (O.S.)/February 7 (N.S.) Independence Day (Grenada), celebrates the independence of Grenada from the United Kingdom in 1974. National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Hug an Addict or Alcoholic Day Lung Leavin’ Day Ménière's Disease Awareness Day National Ballet Day National Fettuccine Alfredo Day National Periodic Table Day National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day Pisco Sour Day Rose Day Take Your Child To The Library Day Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbor Day Yukon Quest Ashton Kutcher’s Birthday BabyFace Ray’s Birthday Charles Dickens’s Birthday Chris Rock’s Birthday Gabbie Hanna’s Birthday Garth Brooks’s Birthday Jacksepticeye’s Birthday John Deere’s Birthday Jun Seba’s Birthday LaToya Forever’s Birthday Sandra Bland’s Birthday James Spader ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sat Feb 7th, 2026 - Sun Feb 8th, 2026 Bau Nyale Festival Sat Feb 7th, 2026 - Mon Feb 9th, 2026 Royal Hobart Regatta Sat Feb 7th, 2026 - Fri Feb 13th, 2026 Philippine Industry and Made-in-the-Philippines Products Week Sat Feb 7th, 2026 - Sat Feb 14th, 2026 CHD Awareness Week Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week Love a Mensch Week National Green Week Sat Feb 7th, 2026 - Sat Feb 15th, 2026 International Week of Black Women In the Arts Sat Feb 7th, 2026 - Thu Apr 30th, 2026 National Green Week Fun Observances ( 3 ) e-Day e-Day celebrates the mathematical constant e, which has a value of 2.7182818. It is celebrated on February 7 in countries that follow the month/day (m/d) date format. This is because the first two digits of the date - 2/7 - correspond to the first two digits of the constant. People living in countries that follow the day/month (d/m) format celebrate it on January 27. The first three digits of this date - 27/1 - match up with the first three digits of e (2.71). Euler’s Number Also known Euler’s number, after the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler, e is an irrational number that represents the idea that all continually growing systems are a scaled version of a common rate. It is mostly used in logarithms, exponential growth, and complex numbers. It is one of the most important numbers in mathematics, including 0, 1 and pi (π). e is also sometimes called the Napier's Constant and is often incorrectly referred to Euler's Constant. Euler's Constant is denoted by lower case gamma (γ) and has a value of 0.57721. Other e Days Many European countries celebrate Euro Day, sometimes also called e Day. The day is observed on January 1 and celebrates the anniversary of the adoption of the Euro, Europe's common currency in 2002. In New Zealand, eDay is a day where people can get rid of e-waste or old electronics such as computers and old appliances so they can be recycled rather than being placed in a landfill. Engineer’s Day is observed in Paducah, Kentucky on February 21, where many people participate in an egg drop contest, create edible cars, and tape people to walls. Other Mathematical Holidays The year is full of mathematical and scientific holidays. Some of these include: Yellow Pig Day, Mole Day, Fibonacci Day, Palindrome Day, and Pi-Day. Use our Date Pattern Calculator to find out other interesting calendar dates during the year. How to Celebrate? Celebrate this fun mathematical holiday by learning more about Euler's number and its importance in mathematics and science. Eat foods that begin with e - make eggs, eggplant, or eclairs. Make eggnog as a before dinner refreshment or eggs benedict for breakfast. Did You Know... ...that there is an island in northern Scotland called Eday? ~~~~~~~ Send a Card to a Friend Day February 7 is Send a Card to a Friend Day. The unofficial holiday encourages people to send a card to a friend to let them know that they haven't been forgotten. Stay Connected While we all love our friends and would like to keep in touch with them all the time, daily life can sometimes make it hard to stay connected. If you are unable to keep up with the lives and times of your friends, then Send a Card to a Friend Day is the prefect excuse to take some time during the day to write a note to a dear friend to let them know you are thinking of them. How to Celebrate? Celebrating this holiday is very simple. Take some time out of your busy day and write notes to your friends. Everyone loves a handwritten note, but if you can’t do that send them an e-card or even an email. No one will judge you as long as they hear from you. Did You Know… …that the earliest known greeting card is a Valentine’s Day card thought to have been sent sometime in the 1400s? ~~~~~~~ Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day Make ice cream the breakfast of champions on the first Saturday of February, also known as Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. It is thought that the unofficial holiday was first created in the 1960s by Florence Rappaport in Rochester, New York as a way to entertain her children on a cold and snowy morning. Her brilliant idea took root and has now become a holiday celebrated by people around the world. Similar holidays include Vanilla Ice Cream Day, Ice Cream Day, Ice Cream Sandwich Day, and Strawberry Ice Cream Day. How to Celebrate? Replace your oats and cereal with ice cream. Have fruit ice cream instead of breakfast fruits. Top your pancakes and crepes with ice cream. Used to having bacon for breakfast? What about making bacon ice cream for breakfast instead? Organize an ice cream charity brunch. Serve your guests different flavors of ice cream and raise money for your favorite childhood cancer awareness charity. Did You Know… …that according to some estimates, the United States is the leading consumer of ice cream in the world? New Zealand comes a close second. *** My dog was my soul mate; we both took naps, we both skipped lunch, we both hated the vacuum... *** Comedian Daniel Tosh is no fan 
of the expression “The worst day 
of fishing is better than the 
best day at work.” “I’ve watched The Deadliest 
Catch on Discovery,” 
he said. “I’ve never once 
been at work, capsized in 
40-degree water, watched all my coworkers die, and been like, ‘Hey, at least we’re fishin’.’” *** It’s important to have a good vocabulary. If I had known the difference between the words antidote and anecdote, one of my good friends would still be living. *** Some sad news from Australia … the inventor of the boomerang grenade died today. —Johnny Carson *** Q: What weighs more, a gallon of water or a gallon of butane? A: The water. Butane is lighter fluid. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** A top-secret government agency who is in charge of all things superhero is set to unveil their newest recruits. —redheads. Based on findings published in various medical journals, scientists have shifted their efforts from creating rings that give the wearer unique powers to the training of redheads on how they can... Redheads Possess DNA Linked to Superheroism - According To Anonymous S – I AM & CO *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Jane Goodall (1934- 2025) R.I.P. *** sandrewn

Just the facts: HESITANT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster HESITANT Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus HESITANT Related Words - Merriam-Webster HESITANCY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster RELUCTANT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

February 6th 2026 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Amand Dorothea of Caesarea Hildegund, O.Praem. Jacut Mateo Correa Magallanes (one of Saints of the Cristero War) Mél of Ardagh Paul Miki and Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan Relindis (Renule) of Maaseik Vedastus February 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (United Nations) Ronald Reagan Day (California, United States) Sami National Day (Russia, Finland, Norway and Sweden) Waitangi Day, celebrates the founding of New Zealand in 1840. Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Bubblegum Day - 1 National Bubble Gum Day - 2 Give Kids A Smile National Chopsticks Day National Frozen Yogurt Day National Valentine Shopping Reminder Day National Wear Red Day National Woman's Heart Day Number Day Pay a Compliment Day Reclaim Social Day Time to Talk Day World Muay Thai Day National Eighties Day Axl Rose’s Birthday Babe Ruth’s Birthday Bob Marley’s Birthday Drita D'Avanzo’s Birthday Ginny Lemon’s Birthday Natalie Cole’s Birthday Rick Astley’s Birthday Ronald Reagan’s Birthday Zsa Zsa Gabor’s Birthday Aaron Burr ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fri Feb 6th, 2026 - Sun Feb 8th, 2026 Chiang Mai Flower Festival Fun Observances (2) Lame Duck Day February 6 is Lame Duck Day. The unofficial holiday honors anyone who is on their way out of their jobs or their elected office. Contrary to popular belief, a lame duck is not an injured or an uncool duck. Political Term Lame duck is a term usually reserved for politics in many democratic countries in the West and in Australia. It refers to a person or a group of people who are nearing the end of their elected term and will not be running for political office again. Risky Decisions Because their time in political office is limited, lame ducks are thought to have a freer hand in making decisions. Studies have shown that elected politicians towards the end of their tenure tend to make risky decisions. This is because they do not need to worry about the political consequences of their actions anymore. Stock Exchange The term lame duck however, originated in a field far from politics. Etymologists trace the first usage of the word to the London Stock Exchange in the 18th century. The term was used to refer to a defaulter - 'someone who couldn't pay his or her debts and then waddled off like a duck'. The usage of the term to refer to an elected official on his or her way out dates back to the late 19th century in the United States. How to Celebrate Honor any lame ducks you may have around you. If you personally know of one, throw them a going away party. If you are in the United States, learn more about the 20th Amendment to the U.S. constitution, also sometimes known as the lame duck amendment. Did You Know… …that a group of ducks is called a team or a raft? ~~~~~~~ Work Naked Day Do you dream of working from home in your most comfortable attire? Then Work Naked Day on the first Friday of February is the holiday for you. Created by author and home office expert, Lisa Kanare, the holiday is not about working without clothes (though you certainly can, if you would like to), but is about working from the comfortable confines of your home. Working from home not an option? In April, you can wear your pajamas to work. How to Celebrate? Ask your boss or supervisor if you can work from home. Remember, you don’t have to work naked from home if you do not want to. Wear your most comfortable pajamas and work in your home office or your backyard or from your couch. If you do decide to work naked, make sure you do not have any official teleconferences. If you run a company, what about instituting a work from home program? Did You Know... ...that research has shown that those who work from home offices tend to be more productive and happier than those who are forced to come to work every day? *** An exercise for people who are out of shape: Begin with a five-pound potato bag in each hand. Extend your arms straight out from your sides, hold them there for a full minute, and then relax. After a few weeks, move up to ten-pound potato bags. Then try 50-pound potato bags, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-pound potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. Once you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag. *** Things I overheard at my health club: “I’m only taking this class so I don’t eat for an hour.” “Who knew 40 years of neglect would have repercussions?” “Does this body make me look fat?” *** Could a ... ... librarian be called a bookkeeper? ... referee be a game warden? ... dairyman be a cowboy? ... cabinetmaker be the president? *** A man came in to give his application to the manager. But the manager asked, "Why is there a four-year gap in your application?" And the man responded, "Yale." The manager hired him and the guy said, "Thanks. I needed a yob." *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Just the facts: AFFECTION Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster AFFECTION Synonyms: 215 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus AFFECTIONATE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Affection vs. Affectation: What's the Difference? | Merriam-Webster

February 5th 2026 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Adelaide of Vilich Agatha of Sicily Avitus of Vienne Bertulf (Bertoul) of Renty Ingenuinus (Jenewein) Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson (Episcopal Church (United States)) 26 Martyrs of Japan (in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Anglican Church in Japan) February 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Kashmir Solidarity Day (Pakistan) Runeberg Day (Finland) Observances (click on the day or week for details) Adlai Stevenson Day Disaster Day International Clash Day Leo Day Liberation Day San Marino National Fart Day National Pork Rind Day National Primrose Day Move Hollywood & Broadway to Lebanon PA Day National Shower with a Friend Day National Weatherman's Day Optimist Day Unity Day Burundi Western Monarch Day World Animal Reiki Day World Nutella Day Time to Talk Day Runeberg Day Bobby Brown’s Birthday Cristiano Ronaldo’s Birthday Hank Aaron’s Birthday Kevin Gates’s Birthday Neymar’s Birthday Steven Suptic’s Birthday Michael Sheen Jennifer Jason Leigh Darren Criss Fun Observances (2) National Weatherperson's Day National Weatherperson’s Day is celebrated every year on February 5. On this unofficial holiday, honor the women and men who keep an eye on the weather so that you don’t get caught unawares by changing or extreme weather. The First Weatherman Primarily celebrated in the United States, the holiday commemorates the birth anniversary of John Jeffries, thought to be America's first weatherman. A physician by profession, Jeffries started collecting weather data in Boston in 1774. Ten years later, in 1784, he became the first person in the world to collect weather data from a weather observation balloon over London. Celebrates the Science This day celebrates the science of meteorology and encourages people to pay tribute to the women and men who forecast and broadcast weather related information and warnings every day of the year. The day also honors volunteers, storm chasers, and meteorologists who sometimes risk their lives in order to collect climate and weather data and to alert the public and businesses about severe weather conditions. The holiday is also known as National Weatherman’s Day. How to Celebrate? Know a meteorologist or a weatherperson? Thank them for all their hard work. If you are a science teacher or have young adults in your life, encourage them to look at meteorology as a career option. Learn more about weather patterns and meteorological events. Visit a weather or meteorology museum. Did You Know… …that the first weather forecast was printed in The Times of London on August 1, 1861? ~~~~~~~~ Chocolate Fondue Day February 5 is Chocolate Fondue Day, a made-up holiday that encourages people to get together with family and friends and enjoy a fondue pot of delicious and gooey melted chocolate. Chocolate fondue is the dessert version of the traditional fondue – pieces of bread and vegetables dipped in melted cheese. In chocolate fondue, pieces of fruit, cake or cookies are dipped into sweetened melted chocolate. Bringing People Together Fondue is a communal dish eaten out of a pot that is kept warm with a candle or lamp. The heat keeps the cheese or the chocolate melted and warm. Diners use skewers, toothpicks, or special fondue forks to dip the bread or fruit in the melted cheese or chocolate. Etiquette requires that the dipping instrument is only used to bring the food from the fondue pot to the diner’s plate and that diners never double dip their morsels of food in the cheese or chocolate. An American Invention With Swiss Roots Thought to be the national dish of Switzerland, fondue is thought to have originated in the country as a way to use up leftover cheese. Original cheese fondue recipes called for the cheese to be mixed with wine and herbs. Rumor has it that chocolate fondue was first created in the United States, where this holiday is also known as National Chocolate Fondue Day, sometime in the 1950s. How to Celebrate? With chocolate fondue, of course! Get your friends and family together and indulge in some delicious chocolate fondue. To keep it healthy, offer an array of fruits – apples, strawberries, oranges, bananas – to the diners. In addition to fruits, you can also serve cake, cookies, waffles, marshmallows, and ice cream cubes for everyone to dip in the chocolate. Have a chocolate fondue party. Set up a fondue station with different kinds of melted chocolates and chocolate flavors. May we recommend dark chocolate with bacon bits, salted caramel chocolate, mint chocolate, and white chocolate with sprinkles? Did You Know… ...that fondue bourguignonne is a type of fondue where diners dip pieces of uncooked meat into hot oil? *** Author Cindy Chupack coined these useful neologisms to help those dating today. Man-me-downs: Men who are passed on from one woman to another after a failed attempt at romance. Cupidity: The faulty logic that leads a well-meaning but clueless third party to believe that two random singles are perfect for each other. DNRR (Do Not Resuscitate Romance): A directive that you are not, under any circumstance, allowed to revive a past relationship. *** I met my husband while I was working in a science library. He came in every week to read the latest journals and eventually decided to take out the librarian instead of the books. After a year and a half of dating, he showed up at the library and started rummaging through my desk. I asked what he was looking for, but he didn't answer. Finally he unearthed one of the rubber stamps I used to identify reference books. "Since I couldn't find the right engagement ring," he said, "this will have to do," and he firmly stamped my hand. Across my knuckles, in capital letters, it read "NOT FOR CIRCULATION." *** Driving through Southern California, I stopped at a roadside stand that sold fruit, vegetables and crafts. As I went to pay, I noticed the young woman behind the counter was painting a sign. "Why the new sign?" I asked. "My boyfriend didn't approve of the old one," she said. When I glanced at what hung above the counter, I understood. It declared: "Local Honey Dates Nuts" *** Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were dining in New York. Ginger was resplendent in a ball gown and pearls, and Fred also sported evening wear. But the meal was marred when the waiter bringing their desserts tripped and covered Fred from head to toe in treacle sponge. “I’m terribly sorry,” said the waiter. “So you should be,” replied Fred. “Thanks to you, I’ve pudding on my top hat, pudding on my white tie, pudding on my tails.” *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Just the facts: INTIMACY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster INTIMACY Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus INTIMATE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

"This image may look like something dreamed up for a surreal horror movie, but it's a real horror for the tarantula in question. This unfortunate arachnid is infected with Cordyceps, a parasitic fungus that replaces its host's tissue with its own.

February 4th 2026 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Andrew Corsini Eduardo Francisco Pironio Gilbert of Sempringham John de Brito Goldrofe of Arganil Blessed Rabanus Maurus Rimbert February 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Day of the Armed Struggle (Angola) Earliest day on which Ash Wednesday can fall, while March 10 is the latest; celebrated on the first day of Lent (Western Christianity) Independence Day (Sri Lanka) Rosa Parks Day (California and Missouri, United States) World Cancer Day International Day of Human Fraternity Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Facebook's Birthday Farmer's Day Global School Play Day Liberace Day Medjool Date Day National Girls and Women in Sports Day National Hemp Day National Homemade Soup Day National Israel Day National Thank a Mail Carrier Day National Wicker Day Philippine-American War Memorial Day Quacker Day Sweater Day Torture Abolition Day USO Day Willie Mays Day World Read Aloud Day Transit Equity Day I Heart Horror Day National Signing Day Alice Cooper’s Birthday Rosa Parks’s Birthday Tabitha Brown’s Birthday Nicolle Wallace ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wed 4th Feb, 2026 - Sun 8th Feb, 2026 U.S. Snow Sculpting Week Fun Observances (3) Thank Your Mailman Day Thank Your Mailman Day is celebrated on February 4 every year. The unofficial holiday honors people who deliver mail or post directly to people's homes and places of business. Old Mail Historians believe that people were hired to deliver royal letters and decrees as early as 2000 BC. The oldest recorded postal document is from Egypt and dates back to 255 BC. This is a day to acknowledge and thank your mail person and postal worker for bringing your mail to you everyday, rain or shine, and also for not being intimated by your neighbor’s mean looking dog. Thank Your Mailman Day is also known as National Thank Your Mailman Day in the U.S. How to Celebrate? Say hello to your postal worker and thank them for their service. If you are unable to meet them in person, what about leaving a little thank you note for your mail carrier in your mailbox? Even better, add a small homemade treat or a bar of candy with the note to show your appreciation. Did You Know… …that in 1920, the United States Post Office banned sending children by post? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Create a Vacuum Day They say that nothing ever happens in a vacuum, but this holiday - Create a Vacuum Day, on February 4 - seems to have emerged from one. The source, or even the purpose, of this fun and geeky holiday are unknown, so we can only guess that the holiday calls for people to learn more about the science behind a vacuum and experiment with it (as much as they can with common household equipment). The word, vacuum comes from the Latin word vacuus, meaning empty or vacant, and is used by scientists to refer to a space that does not have any matter or where the pressure is lower than atmospheric pressure. No Perfect Vacuum While theoretically, a perfect vacuum can exist, practically creating one is almost impossible. This is because of, what scientists call virtual particles – particles that can enter and exit a vacuum. Such particles include photons and quarks. Outer space is considered by scientists as being closest to a state of perfect vacuum as there can be, even though it is not completely devoid of matter. Apart from space debris that includes comets and asteroids, outer space has stray atoms of gases and different forms of radiation. Household Applications In addition to its theoretical applications, the concept of vacuum has led to many industrial and household items that we find indispensable today. In our homes, a vacuum can be used to suck up dirt through the vacuum cleaner and even light up our rooms through incandescent light bulbs. Outside, vacuum is used to pack food and other items, in vacuum pumps, and to build electron microscopes. Even car brakes work by creating a form of vacuum. How to Celebrate? Learn more about the science behind vacuum, a space completely empty of matter, and its practical uses. Take out the vacuum cleaner from the closet and use it - you are due to clean your home anyway. Did You Know… …that the world’s first vacuum cleaner was invented in 1866 by Ives W. McGaffey in the United States? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stuffed Mushroom Day February 4 is Stuffed Mushroom Day. Also known as National Stuffed Mushroom Day in the United States, this made-up holiday clearly encourages people to make and consume lots and lots of stuffed mushrooms. A popular party dish, stuffed mushrooms are made by removing the stems and stuffing the resulting hollow space with meat and vegetable filling. Stuffed mushrooms are usually savory and are typically sprinkled with breadcrumbs and cheese and baked before being served. Meat for Vegetarians Mushrooms are the fleshy parts of fungi that bear spores. In many cultures, they are an integral part of the cuisine and are a prominent source of dietary minerals and vitamin B. Mushrooms are low calories and have low amounts of carbohydrates, making them an ideal diet food. While mushrooms are botanically neither fruits or vegetables, in many parts of the world, they are considered safe for vegetarians to consume and are often considered to be a meat substitute. How to Celebrate? Make a huge batch of stuffed mushrooms and have them for all your meals of the day. Start will egg and bacon stuffed mushrooms for breakfast, have sausage stuffed mushrooms for lunch, and end the day with sweet potato and parmesan stuffed mushrooms. Host a stuffed mushrooms party. Have your guests bring their favorite stuffed mushrooms to share. Did You Know… ...that a person or an animal who eats mushrooms and fungi for nutrition is called a mycophagist? *** Once there was a guy named Bill who wanted a horse. On Craigslist, Bill saw a Christian horse so he went to check it out. When Bill got to the ranch, the horse's owner said "It's easy to ride him. Just say 'praise the Lord' to make him go, and 'amen' to make him stop." Bill got on the horse and said "praise the Lord." the horse started to walk. "Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord" and the horse is running. Now Bill sees the cliff and says: "AMEN." The horse stops and Bill says: "Whew! Praise the lord!" *** A man came through my lane at the grocery store with a jug of wine and a bouquet of roses. But before paying, he set the two items aside and said, “I’ll be right back.” He ran off, only to ­return a minute later with a second jug of wine and another bouquet of roses. “Two girlfriends?” I asked. “No,” he said. “Just one really angry one.” *** A customer walked into the post office wanting to mail a package. “Two-day shipping will cost $12.95 to get it there by Friday,” my coworker Billy told her. The customer, clearly looking to save a few bucks, said, “The package doesn’t have to get there till Saturday. Is there any way to make that happen?” Billy nodded. “Sure. You can bring it back tomorrow.” *** I admit it—I have a tendency to exaggerate, and I was afraid when I joined the Navy that my “creativity” might get me in trouble. But my fears were put to rest one day while getting into formation, which was determined by height. Now, I was shy of six feet tall, but when our drill sergeant called for all six-footers to line up, I stepped forward anyway. I instantly knew I was in the right outfit when I looked around. I was the tallest guy in line. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Just the facts: DEVOTION Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster DEVOTION Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus DEVOTIONAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster