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January 17th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Anthony the Great Blessed Angelo Paoli Blessed Gamelbert of Michaelsbuch Charles Gore (Church of England) Jenaro Sánchez Delgadillo (one of Saints of the Cristero War) Mildgyth Our Lady of Pontmain Sulpitius the Pious January 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) National Day (Menorca, Spain) The opening ceremony of Patras Carnival, celebrated until Clean Monday. (Patras) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Cable Car Day Customer Service Day Day of Judgment International We Are Not Broken Day James Leonard Tagle Gordon Day Museum Selfie Day National Bootlegger’s Day National Carolina Day National Charlotte Day National Hot Buttered Rum Day National Hot Heads Chili Day National Lose the Jet Lag Day National Ta Day Popeye Day Art’s Birthday National Classy Day Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti Ray J’s Birthday Sara Molina’s Birthday Michelle Obama’s Birthday Muhammad Ali’s Birthday Kid Rock’s Birthday Maury Povich’s Birthday James Earl Jones’s Birthday Jim Carrey’s Birthday Jake Paul’s Birthday FKA Twigs’s Birthday Eartha Kitt’s Birthday Dwyane Wade’s Birthday Skate Maloley’s Birthday Steve Harvey’s Birthday Zooey Deschanel’s Birthday Betty White’s Birthday Benjamin Franklin Fun Observances (3) Benjamin Franklin Day January 17 is celebrated worldwide as Benjamin Franklin Day. Born on this day in 1706 to a soap and candle maker in England, Benjamin Franklin grew up to become one of the most well-known and celebrated Americans in history. Founding Father Ben Franklin was a polymath - someone who is an expert on a variety of different subjects. In addition to being one of America’s founding fathers, Franklin was a prolific inventor, author, printer, politician, diplomat, musician, and postmaster. The fact that he stopped attending school at the age of 10 makes him one of the most impressive person in American and world history. A Widely Read Author Franklin was a Freemason who published several books under the pseudonym, Richard Saunders. One of his most famous works is called Poor Richard's Almanack, an annual almanac that included poems, weather, and astrological information. For the 25 years that it was in publication - the first one came out in 1732—it was the most widely read almanac in the American colonies. On the 100 Dollar Bill The American 100 dollar bill features a picture of Franklin. Because of this, the bills are sometimes also referred to as Benjamins. How to Celebrate? Celebrate this all-round genius by learning more about his life and achievements. Did You Know... …that the concept of Daylight Saving Time (DST) is mistakenly attributed to Benjamin Franklin? It was actually first proposed by George Vernon Hudson in 1895. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kid Inventors' Day January 17 is Kid Inventors’ Day (KID), a day to encourage all the children in your life to think outside the box and invent something. The unofficial holiday commemorates the birthday of all-around genius and kid inventor, Benjamin Franklin, and celebrates kid inventors around the world. It also aims to encourage children to be curious about the world around them and to be creative when solving problems. Benjamin Franklin, Kid Inventor Franklin, one of the most prolific person in history was responsible for inventing the precursor to the swimming flippers at the age of eleven, a year after he stopped going to school. His invention was made for the hands instead of the feet. How to Celebrate? Encourage the kids around you to search for scientific and logical solutions to problems. Get the kids in your life problem-solving toys and games to help them develop critical thinking skills. If a child you know has an idea for a gadget or a game, help them realize their dreams. If you are a teacher, spend the day talking to your students about children who invented things and inspire them to become inventors. Let them know that their idea or invention does not have to be path breaking or revolutionary, it can be something small that solves a real life problem that they or someone they know, face. Did You Know… …that the snowmobile, popsicles, and braille were all invented by children? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ditch New Year's Resolution Day January 17 or Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day is popularly thought to be the day when a large number of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions. You have done well for the past couple of weeks. You have stuck to your New Year’s resolutions. But are now ready to give them up. You are busy, you took on too much, that piece of cake just looks so darn good to ignore. Whatever your reason to break your New Year resolutions, you can do it guilt-free on Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day. How to Celebrate? Ditch those resolutions, relax and stop feeling guilty about breaking them. After all, resolutions are meant to be broken. Did You Know… …that according to some studies almost 80% of all people who make New Year’s resolutions abandon them sometime during the year? *** It’s my wife’s birthday tomorrow. Last week, I asked her what she wanted as a present. “Oh, I don’t know,” she said. “Just give me something with diamonds.” That’s why I’m giving her a pack of playing cards. *** Forget about the past, you can't change it. Forget about the future, you can't predict it. Forget about the present, I didn't get you one. *** The Law of Coffee If you sit down to enjoy a hot cup of coffee, then your boss will ask you to do something that will last until the coffee is cold. *** A pair of jumper cables walk into a cafe. The barista sees them and says, “I’m sorry but I’ll have to ask you to leave. I don’t want you starting anything in here.” *** A man walks into a coffee shop carrying a big chunk of asphalt under his arm. At the counter he says, “I’ll take a large latte for myself, please, and one for the road.” *** After a talking sheepdog gets all the sheep in the pen, he reports back to the farmer: “All 40 accounted for.” “But I only have 36 sheep,” says the farmer. “I know,” says the sheepdog. “But I rounded them up.” *** One day, a fourteen-year-old weasel went down to the local dance hall. The bartender took one look at him and says, “You are under-aged. I can’t serve you beer.” The weasel asks, “What can I have?” The bartender replies, “I have bottled water, juice, energy drinks, and pop.” “Pop!” goes the weasel. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

January 16th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Pope Benjamin (Coptic) Berard of Carbio Blaise (Armenian Apostolic) Fursey Joseph Vaz Honoratus of Arles Pope Marcellus I Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Coptic Church) Titian of Oderzo Eve of Saint Anthony observed with ritual bonfires in San Bartolomé de Pinares January 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) National Religious Freedom Day (United States) Teacher's Day (Myanmar) Teachers' Day (Thailand) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Appreciate a Dragon Day Book Publishers Day International Hot and Spicy Food Day National Boston Day National Fig Newton Day National Good Teen Day National Quinoa Day National Without a Scalpel Day Printing Ink Day Prohibition Remembrance Day Rid the World of Fad Diets & Gimmicks Day Signing of the Peace Accords International Rooibos Day Ruby Rube’s Birthday Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Birthday Jubilee Sharpe’s Birthday Jennie Kim’s Birthday Aaliyah’s Birthday Sidharth Malhotra’s Birthday Fun Observances Nothing Day January 16 is Nothing Day, a day to celebrate, well, nothing. Started by newspaper columnist Harold Pullman Coffin in 1973, the unofficial holiday aims to provide people “with a day where they can just sit without celebrating, observing, or honoring anything." An Un-Event The day is an "un-event", which means that it should not be seen as an event and that one should do nothing to promote it as such. So instead of promoting the day, we will tell you more about nothing. Nothing is an indefinite pronoun that means no thing or not anything. It refers to a person or a thing of no importance, consequence, or interest. Debates Over Nothing History is full of debates between philosophers and writers on the importance and the study of nothing. Some philosophers believe that the study of the nature of nothing is a useless endeavor since there is nothing like nothing - to answer the question, what is nothing, one must find nothing. There is also some disagreement among physicists about the true nature of nothingness in outer space. Many claim that even a true vacuum, devoid of anything is not nothing, because even if it doesn't have any particles of gravity, it contains quantum particles. How to Celebrate? Observe Nothing Day by celebrating nothing. Learn facts about absolutely nothing. Learn more about how the notion of nothingness features in philosophy and science. Watch the Seinfeld episode, The Pitch. In this episode of the popular TV series, George Costanza comes up with the idea of creating a TV show about nothing. Did You Know… …that zero as a number was discovered in India in the 9th century AD? *** For Mother’s Day: My Mom Taught Me … Logic: “If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can’t go to the store with me.” Humor: “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.” Justice: “One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you. Then you’ll see what it’s like!” *** My coworker at the hotel was miserable at his job and was desperately searching for a new one. "Why don’t you work for your mother?" I suggested. He shook his head. "I can’t," he said. "Her company has a very strict policy against hiring relatives." "Who made up that ridiculous rule?" "My mother." *** I was sound asleep when the telephone jarred me awake. "Hi!" It was my peppy mother-in-law. She proceeded to rattle on about the busy day she had ahead and all the things that awaited her the rest of the week. "Mom," I interrupted. "It's five in the morning." "Really? What are you doing up so early?" *** When my nephew, Victor, was five, I took him to a local stable for a pony ride. He was very impressed that the stable hands were riding without a saddle. I explained to him that it's called riding bareback. When I returned him to his parents, they asked him how he enjoyed his pony ride. He excitedly told them that he saw grownups riding naked! *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Salticidae (Jumping Spiders) Spiders found in Texas include 86 unique species. Spiders in Texas - Species & Pictures

January 15th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Arbor Day (Egypt) Armed Forces Day (Nigeria) Army Day (India) Christian feast day: Abeluzius (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church) Arnold Janssen Francis Ferdinand de Capillas (one of Martyr Saints of China) Ita Our Lady of the Poor Macarius of Egypt (Western Christianity) Maurus and Placidus (Order of Saint Benedict) Paul the Hermit January 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Earliest day on which Martin Luther King Jr. Day can fall (the 15th being his birthday), while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in January. (United States) Earliest day on which Sinulog Festival can fall, while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Sunday in January. (Philippines) John Chilembwe Day (Malawi) Korean Alphabet Day (North Korea) Ocean Duty Day (Indonesia) Sagichō at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū. (Kamakura, Japan) Teacher's Day (Venezuela) Black Christ of Esquipulas day The second day of the sidereal winter solstice festivals in India (see January 14): Thai Pongal, Tamil harvest festival Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Alpha Kappa Alpha Day Blue Monday Brew Monday Civil Rights Day Elementary School Teacher Day Idaho Human Rights Day Makar Sankranti National Booch Day National Fresh Squeezed Juice Day National Hat Day National Kayla Day National Pothole Day Wikipedia Day Steph Toms’s Birthday Pitbull’s Birthday Regina King’s Birthday Martin Luther King’s Birthday Drew Brees’s Birthday Dove Cameron’s Birthday Chicago West’s Birthday Caroline Arapoglou’s Birthday Ben Shapiro ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mon Jan 15th, 2024 - Fri Jan 19th, 2024 No Name-Calling Week Mon Jan 15th, 2024 - Sun Jan 21st, 2024 European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week Energy Saving Week Mon Jan 15th, 2024 - Sun Jan 25th, 2024 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Fun Observances (2) Strawberry Ice Cream Day January 15 is Strawberry Ice Cream Day. It is an unofficial holiday that celebrates ice cream made with strawberries or added strawberry flavors. It is believed that the ice cream flavor, which is now popular around the world, was invented in 1813 in the United States by First Lady Dolley Madison, and it was served during her husband, President James Madison’s second inaugural banquet at the White House. Used as Medicine Strawberries, a member of the rose family, were consumed by our ancestors for its medicinal purposes. The ancient Romans thought that the fruit could cure depression, sadness and kidney stones. Modern day studies have shown that strawberries are a good source of Vitamin C and consumption of the fruit can reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in humans. The holiday is also known as National Strawberry Ice Cream Day in the United States. How to Celebrate? I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Strawberry ice cream to be more precise. Here are some ways to honor this hugely popular ice cream: Celebrate the day with strawberry ice cream. Have strawberry ice cream for all your meals during the day. Make your own strawberry ice cream at home. What about adding new flavors like balsamic vinegar and mint to your tried and tested strawberry ice cream recipe? Did You Know… …that botanically, a strawberry is not a fruit at all? Instead, it is a receptacle - the thick part of a stem from which a flower grows. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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. *** A musician friend is always upbeat. But when she developed ringing in one ear, I was concerned it might overwhelm even her. When I asked whether her condition was especially annoying to a musician, she shook her head. “Not really,” she said cheerfully. “The ringing sound is in the key of B flat, so I use it to tune my cello half a tone lower.” *** Q: What happens if you play a county song backwards? A: Your wife returns to you, your dog comes back to life, and you get out of prison. *** I’m driving with this guy, and 
he runs right through a Stop sign. So 
I say, “Hey, that was a Stop sign.” And he says, “I drive like my brother!” A few blocks later, he plows right through a red light. I say, “You just ran a red light.” And he says, “I drive like my brother!” So now we’re coming up on a green light, and he slows down. I’m confused, so I say, “It’s green; why are you slowing down?” He says, “My brother might be coming.” *** As a head cashier in a departmental store, I had to open and close the cash registers of the cashiers. Whenever a cashier started work, I was paged to open the register. "Open my register," "Please let me start," and "Give me the go-ahead," were some of the terms used by cashiers. One day, a newly appointed bright-looking girl came to the register and said loudly, "Turn me on!" *** *** *** (Pictures with the family pets) *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Scientists Target New Painkillers From Spider Venom The greenbottle blue tarantula (<em>Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens</em>) is one of seven species of spiders whose venom Australian researchers found has potential painkilling properties. The creature is native to Venezuela and has some of the most dramatic coloring of any spider species.

January 14th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Barba'shmin Devasahayam Pillai (Catholic Church) Divina Pastora (Barquisimeto) Eivind Berggrav (Lutheran) Felix of Nola Macrina the Elder Odoric of Pordenone January 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Defender of the Motherland Day (Uzbekistan) Feast of the Ass (Medieval Christianity) Flag Day (Georgia) National Forest Conservation Day (Thailand) Old New Year, and its related observance: Azhyrnykhua (Abkhazia) Yennayer (Berbers) Ratification Day (United States) Revolution and Youth Day (Tunisia) Sidereal winter solstice celebrations in South and Southeast Asian cultures; marking the transition of the Sun to Capricorn, and the first day of the six months Uttarayana period. (see April 14): Magh Bihu (Assam) Maghe Sankranti (Nepal) Maghi (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh) Makar Sankranti (India) The first day of Pongal (Tamil Nadu) Uttarayan (Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Rajasthan) World Logic Day (UNESCO) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Cesarean Section Day International Kite Day National Dress Up Your Pet Day National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day National Sunday Supper Day National Undhiyu Day Novy God (Russian New Year) Orthodox New Year Take a Missionary to Lunch Day Unknown Citizens’ Day LL Cool J’s Birthday Kai’s Birthday Jason Bateman’s Birthday Gatsby the Corgi’s Birthday Dave Grohl’s Birthday Alejandro Rosario’s Birthday Mackenzie Turner’s Birthday Benedict Arnold Holland Taylor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sun Jan 14th, 2024 - Sat Jan 20th, 2024 Home Office Safety and Security Week National Mocktail Week National Pizza Week Universal Letter Writing Week Fun Observances Organize Your Home Day January 14 get started early on this year's spring cleaning and organizing on Organize Your Home Day. It may sound like a lot of work, but you will thank us later. Your home will be organized, ready to receive company at a moment’s notice and more importantly, if you keep it up throughout the year, you will have an organized home next year this unofficial holiday rolls by. Beneficial All Year Being organized can balance your life. It can reduce stress and makes you more productive. It can stop you looking for things, of having to buy new things that you don't need. If you make it your way of life today, it can soon become a habit and you will reap the benefits for years to come. How to Celebrate? Get your cleaning supplies out and get scrubbing and organizing. Rope in your family to help you organize, give everyone a task and award them for finishing them. Hold an organizing party, and have friends help you. You can thank them by making them their favorite meal or by helping them organize their home in return. Make an organization itinerary. Attack a room or an area every week and you will have an organized home in no time. Declutter by donating things you don't use anymore. Did You Know… …that cleaning can help burn calories? On average, mopping the floors for an hour will help you lose about 160 calories. *** Spotted on a Laundromat corkboard: “Please keep clothes on while doing laundry.” *** Some people just have a way with words, and other people … oh … not have way. *** The four most beautiful words in our common language: 
I told you so. *** I don’t want to brag, but I do speak pig Latin; I mean, I’m not fluent, but I’m sure if I ever went there, I could get by. *** You’ll never be as lazy as whoever named the fireplace. *** A Canadian psychologist is selling a video that teaches you how to test your dog's IQ. Here’s how it works: If you spend $12.99 for the video, your dog is smarter than you. *** Every novel is a mystery novel if you never finish it. *** The holiday 
season:
a deeply religious 
time that each of us 
observes, in his own way, by going to the 
 mall of his choice. *** Being president is like 
running a cemetery: You’ve got a lot of people under you, and nobody’s listening. ---Bill Clinton *** I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of a national emergency—even if I’m in a Cabinet meeting. —Ronald Reagan *** As Farmer Brown approached his neighbor’s barn, he saw Farmer Jones serenading a tractor with songs and compliments. “What are you doing?” Farmer Brown demanded. Farmer Jones replied, “My wife and I have been having marital difficulties, and the marital counselor said I needed to do something sexy to a tractor." *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Lucas the Spider There are little videos on YouTube staring this cute little spider. He talks and he melts your heart. Lucas The Spider Creator Explains How He Makes People Fall In Love With Spiders | The Dodo - YouTube

January 13th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Blessed Veronica of Milan Elian Hilary of Poitiers Mungo St. Knut's Day or Tjugondag Knut, the last day of Christmas. (Sweden and Finland) January 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Constitution Day (Mongolia) Democracy Day (Cape Verde) Liberation Day (Togo) Old New Year's Eve (Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro, Republic of Srpska, North Macedonia), and its related observances: Malanka (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus) Sidereal winter solstice's eve celebrations in South and Southeast Asian cultures; the last day of the six-month Dakshinayana period (see January 14): Bhogi (Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu) Lohri (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh) Uruka (Assam) Stephen Foster Memorial Day (United States) Yennayer (Berbers) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Calennig Korean American Day National Catherine Day National Kathleen Day National Peach Melba Day National Rubber Ducky Day National Sticker Day National Vision Board Day Poetry Break Day Public Radio Broadcasting Day International Skeptics Day Tyler Henry’s Birthday Patrick Dempsey’s Birthday Tre Brooks’s Birthday Orlando Bloom’s Birthday Nique Nique&King’s Birthday Mike Majlak’s Birthday Lori Harvey’s Birthday Liam Hemsworth’s Birthday Andrew Yang Julia Louis-Dreyfus Fun Observances Make Your Dreams Come True Day January 13 is Make your Dreams Come True Day. If you have been procrastinating on fulfilling your dream, this is your chance to get things right. This unofficial holiday with unknown origins encourages people to be proactive about achieving what they want in life. Dreams That Inspire Dreams are a part of life. We all dream when we sleep, but most of us don't remember them the next day. No matter how big or small, there are some dreams that inspire us and allow us to make our lives better. It is these dreams that Make your Dreams Come True Day celebrates. Dreams that motivate us to do better, encourage us to take on more challenges, and energize us to succeed in our lives - professionally and personally. How to Celebrate? Get started on making your dream come true. Talk to someone who inspires you. Make an inspiration board with images and words relating to your dream. Write down your dream, make a project plan, and create deadlines for you to work towards. Did You Know… …that according to experts, most people on average have a dream every 90 minutes? *** On the phone with my 93-year-old brother in Wisconsin, and I told him I thought it was time he paid someone to shovel snow for him. He suddenly grew indignant. “Why should I pay someone to shovel?” he demanded. “I can get my son to do it. He’s only 70!” *** The other day I got carded at the liquor store. While I was taking out my ID, my old Blockbuster card fell out. The clerk shook his head, said, “Never mind,” and rang me up. *** One of the shortest wills ever written: “Being of sound mind, I spent all the money.” *** Two old guys, Fred and Sam went to the movies. A few minutes after it started, Fred heard Sam rustling around and he seemed to be searching on the floor under his seat. "What are you doing?" asked Fred. Sam, a little grumpy by this time, replied "I had a caramel in my mouth and it dropped out. I can't find it." Fred told him to forget it because it would be too dirty by now. "But I've got to", said Sam, "my teeth are in it!" *** You can see the strangest things if you look hard enough. The other day I saw a piece of toast in a cage at the zoo. It was bread in captivity. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Pterinochilus chordatus (Kilimanjaro baboon)

January 12th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Aelred of Rievaulx Benedict Biscop Bernard of Corleone Marguerite Bourgeoys Tatiana January 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Memorial Day (Turkmenistan) National Youth Day (India) Prosecutor General's Day (Russia) Zanzibar Revolution Day (Tanzania) Yennayer (Algeria) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day Kiss a Ginger Day National Curried Chicken Day National Hot Tea Day National Kettlebell Day National Pharmacist Day Quitters Day Remembrance Day Stick to Your New Year's Resolution Day Work Harder Day Rob Zombie’s Birthday Jeff Bezos’s Birthday Issa Rae’s Birthday Howard Stern’s Birthday Do Kyungsoo’s Birthday Zayn Malik’s Birthday Raekwon Fun Observances Marzipan Day Celebrate marzipan, the sweet, almond-based multi-purpose confectionary on January 12, Marzipan Day. Marzipan is one of those food items that evoke extreme reactions. Love it or hate it, it is one of the most well-known and widely used food item in kitchens and bakeries around the world. Decorating Cakes Made of almond meal and sugar, marzipan is usually used to decorate cakes. Its dough-like consistency makes it an ideal material to make novelty shapes and figures. Some historians believe that marzipan has Arabic roots, while others believe that the Chinese introduced it to the world. Either way, it has now become the mainstay of holiday and wedding celebrations in many parts of the world. How to Celebrate? Make your own marzipan and use it to make treats. If you can’t make your own marzipan, buy pre-made marzipan and shape it. Learn the different ways marzipan is used by people in different cultures. Did You Know... …that the wild varieties of almond are not fit for human consumption? This is because they contain a compound called glycoside amygdalin, which turns into hydrogen cyanide if the seed is crushed or injured. *** I didn't realize how bad of a driver I was until my satnav said, "In 400 feet, do a slight right, stop, and let me out." *** I answered a 911 call at our emergency dispatch center from a woman who said her water broke. "Stay calm," I advised. "Now, how far apart are your contractions?" "No contractions," she said breathlessly. "But my basement is flooding fast." *** When my friend spotted a blind man and his guide dog at a crosswalk, she stopped her car and waved them on. "Uh, Cynthia," I said, "he can't see you." "I know that," she said indignantly. "I'm waving the dog on." *** Movie Quotes—The First Drafts The Godfather: "I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse. Well, he can refuse it, of course. I just know that if someone were to make me an offer like this, I’d jump all over it. But who am I to impose my feelings on someone else?" The Terminator: "I’ll be back. Do you need anything while I’m up?" Dirty Harry: "You’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? I ask myself that every day, and you know what? I feel so very lucky. Loving family, steady work …" Taxi Driver: "You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? Sorry, it looked like you were talkin’ to me. My mistake." *** A doctor told his patient, "There's good news and bad news. The bad news is, you have partial short-term memory loss." The patient said, "Oh no, Doctor. What's the bad news?" *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Dysdera crocata. The woodlouse spider (Dysdera crocata) is a species of spider that preys primarily upon woodlice. Other common names refer to variations on the common name of its prey, including woodlouse hunter, sowbug hunter, sowbug killer, pillbug hunter and slater spider. Woodlouse Spider in the bathroom (Dysdera crocata) - YouTube Woodlouse spider - Wikipedia

January 11th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Children's Day (Tunisia) Christian feast day: Anastasius of Suppentonia (Roman Catholic) Leucius of Brindisi (Roman Catholic) Paulinus II of Aquileia Pope Hyginus Theodosius the Cenobiarch Thomas of Cori Vitalis of Gaza (Roman Catholic) January 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Eugenio María de Hostos Day (Puerto Rico) Independence Resistance Day (Morocco) Kagami biraki (Japan) National Human Trafficking Awareness Day (United States) Republic Day (Albania) Carmentalia (January 11th and January 15th) (Rome) Prithvi Jayanti (Nepal) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Birth anniversary of National Artist Atang de la Rama Cigarettes are Hazardous to Your Health Day Healthy Weight, Healthy Look Day Heritage Treasures Day International Parity at Work Day International Thank-You Day Kosrae Constitution Day National Arkansas Day National Girl Hug Boy Day National Hot Toddy Day National Joel Day National Milk Day National Tara Day No Longer New Year's Day Paget’s Awareness Day Secret Pal Day Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day World Sketchnote Day Mary J. Blige’s Birthday Kyle Richards’s Birthday Jania Bania’s Birthday Emmie Alice’s Birthday Alfonso Arau’s Birthday Alexander Hamilton’s Birthday ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thu Jan 11th, 2024 - Wed Jan 17th, 2024 Cuckoo Dancing Week Fun Observances Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day January 11 is celebrated annually as Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day. Morse code is a way to transmit text through a series of signals. Each character or alphabet in a language is represented by a sequence of dots and dashes. SOS First demonstrated on January 11, 1838 by Alfred Vail and Samuel Morse, Morse code soon became commonly used by the military and the aviation industry worldwide. Until 1999 the distress signal "SOS", or "··· – – – ···" in Morse code, was used to communicate distress by ships and naval vessels around the world. Although it does not stand for anything it has been remembered as "Save Our Souls" or "Save Our Ship". It was replaced by the Global Maritime Distress Safety System in 1999, but is still widely recognised as a distress signal today. How to Celebrate? Learn Morse code. Of course, learn how to spell out your name in Morse code. Don't have time to learn a whole new language? Spend some time on learning more about the role Morse code has played in society. Did You Know… …that the fastest Morse code transmission was achieved by Tarry Turner in 1942? He reached a speed of 35 words per minute. *** The speaker at my bank's drive-through window had been broken for weeks, and we tellers had to resort to miming or writing notes to communicate with our frustrated customers. One day a sweet elderly lady whom I would see every week pulled up to the window, leaned out of her car and smacked the glass in front of my face. "Hope this is bulletproof," she yelled. There had just been a robbery at another bank nearby, so I was touched by her concern. "It is," I yelled back. "Good," she continued, "because someone is going to shoot you if you don't get that speaker fixed." *** 1-800-WasteMyTime It was late in the afternoon, and I was putting the final burnishes on a piece of writing that I was feeling pretty good about. Yes, okay, it was an e-mail, but it was a clever one and I hated to lose it. My cursor had frozen. I tried to shut the computer down, and it seized up altogether. Unsure of what else to do, I yanked the battery out. Unfortunately, Windows had been in the midst of a delicate and crucial undertaking. The next morning, when I turned my computer back on, it informed me that a file had been corrupted and Windows would not load. This was followed by some mysterious lines of code, which I took to be my computer saying "Serves you right, careless pea brain" in its native tongue. More graciously, it offered to repair itself by using the Windows Setup CD. I opened the special drawer where I keep CDs that I have no intention of ever using. There was an IKEA how-to CD, which featured young Swedes assembling kitchen cabinets with nothing but a sardine can key and untrammeled wholesomeness. Mostly, there were CDs of music that my friends are always burning for me, unbidden, because they think I'll enjoy them. But no Windows CD. I was forced to call the computer company's Global Support Center. My call was answered by a woman in some unnamed, far-off land. I find it vexing to make small talk with someone when I don't know what continent they're standing on. Suppose I were to comment on the beautiful weather we've been having when there was a monsoon at the other end of the phone? So I got right to the point. "My computer is telling me a file is corrupted and it wants to fix itself, but I don't have the Windows Setup CD." "So you're having a problem with your Windows Setup CD." She had apparently been dozing and, having come to just as the sentence ended, was attempting to cover for her inattention. I recognized the technique from a thousand breakfast conversations. "We took that rug in weeks ago. Should I call the cleaners?" "No, thanks. I'm good." It quickly became clear that the woman was not a computer technician. Her job was to serve as a gatekeeper, a human shield for the techs, who were off in the back room, or possibly another far-off continent, playing cards and burning CDs for their friends. Her sole duty, as far as I could tell, was to raise global stress levels. To make me disappear, the woman gave me the phone number for Windows' creator, Microsoft. This is like giving someone the phone number for, I don't know, North America. Besides, the CD worked; I just didn't have it. No matter how many times I repeated my story, we came back to the same place. She was unflappable and resolutely polite. When my voice hit a certain decibel, I was passed along, like a hot, irritable potato, to a technician. "You don't have the Windows Setup CD, ma'am, because you don't need it," he explained cheerfully. "Windows came preinstalled on your computer!" "But I do need it." "Yes, but you don't have it." We went on like this for a while. Finally, he offered to walk me through the use of a different CD, one that would erase my entire system. "Of course, you'd lose all your e-mail, your documents, your photos." It was like offering to drop a safe on my head to cure my headache. "You might be able to recover them, but it would be expensive." He sounded delighted. "And it's not covered by the warranty!" The safe began to seem like a good idea, provided it was full. I hung up the phone and drove my computer to a small, friendly repair place I'd heard about. A smart, helpful man dug out a Windows CD and told me it wouldn't be a problem. An hour later, he called to let me know it was ready. I thanked him, and we chatted about the weather, which was the same outside my window as it was outside his. *** A customer walked into our store looking for Christmas lights. I showed her our top brand, but—wanting to make sure each bulb worked—she asked me to take them out of the box and plug them in. I did, and each one lit up. "Great," she said. I carefully placed the string of lights back in the box. But as I handed them to her, she looked alarmed. "I don't want this box," she said abruptly. "It's been opened." *** A snail named Samuel just got a raise working as a realtor. He decided since he got this money he will get a custom sports car with a big "S" on the side to show everyone the car is his. While he's flexing his new car down the streets of Los Angeles, he passes an elderly couple sitting on their porch. As he passes the man exclaims to his wife, " Look at that S-Car-Go!" *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Why some people die young? My HIGHLY VENOMOUS TARANTULA Escaped! - YouTube

January 10th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Behnam, Sarah, and the Forty Martyrs (Armenian Apostolic Church) Gregory of Nyssa Leonie Aviat Obadiah (Coptic Church) Peter Orseolo Pope Agatho (Roman Catholic) William Laud (Anglican Communion) William of Donjeon January 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Fête du Vodoun (Benin) Margaret Thatcher Day (Falkland Islands) Majority Rule Day (Bahamas) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Houseplant Appreciation Day League of Nations Day National Bittersweet Chocolate Day National Oysters Rockefeller Day National Save The Eagles Day National Shareholders Day National Take the Stairs Day Peculiar People Day Sisi Stringer’s Birthday Rod Stewart’s Birthday Pat Benatar’s Birthday Ben Azelart’s Birthday George Foreman Jared Kushner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wed Jan 10th, 2024 - Tue Jan 16th, 2024 National Obesity Awareness Week Fun Observances Cut Your Energy Costs Day Forgot to add being thrifty and eco-friendly to your New Year’s resolution list? Now is your chance to rectify that because January 10 is Cut your Energy Cost Day. Use this day to make changes in your daily life that would reduce your household’s energy consumption and cut down on your monthly energy expenses. How to Celebrate? Turn down the heat and the cooling when you are not home. Switch off all unnecessary lights when you are home. Walk or ride a bike to work – not only is it healthy, you will be saving $$. Carpool or take public transport to work. Take shorter showers to save on water consumption and heating costs. Did You Know… ...that using lids while cooking can reduce energy consumption by as much as 15%? *** How To Translate Work Emails I have a question. = I have 18 questions. I’ll look into it. = I’ve already forgotten about it. I tried my best. = I did the bare minimum. Happy to discuss further. = Don’t ask me about this again. No worries. = You really messed up this time. Take care. = This is the last you’ll ever hear from me. Cheers! = I have no respect for you or myself! *** I supervised an employee who had a negative view of everything 
I did. If I took a vacation day, I was “never there.” If I praised someone’s work, it was “too little, too late.” He eventually took another job 
but was fired six months later. Shortly thereafter, he contacted 
me, hoping to return to his old job. “Have you learned anything from this experience?” I asked. “Yes, I should have stayed here,” 
he admitted. “You’re too indecisive to have ever fired me.” *** “Has your son decided what 
he wants to be when he grows up?” 
I asked my friend. “He wants to be a garbageman,” 
he replied. “That’s an unusual ambition to have at such a young age.” “Not really. He thinks that garbagemen work only on Tuesdays.” *** My son was born while I was serving abroad, so he was three 
before we met. When I got home, I decided it was time for a little father-son bonding time. I bought him a 
toy razor and invited him to “shave” with me. In the bathroom, I took 
up my razor and started shaving. 
I looked around to see how my son was doing. His foot was up on the side of the bathtub, and he was 
running the razor up and down 
his leg. So much for male bonding. *** A police officer in a small town stopped a driver speeding down the main street. The driver said he could explain why he was speeding, but the police officer said he was going to put him in jail until the Chief got back, but lucky for the driver that the chief will be in a good mood because he is at his daughter's wedding. The driver said, "Don't count on it. I'm the groom." *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Something completely different, let me know yes or no. Thanks. Minuscule.S01E65 Out.of.a.Tin.Can - YouTube

January 9th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Adrian of Canterbury Berhtwald Translation of the Black Nazarene (Manila, Philippines) Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow Julia Chester Emery (Episcopal Church (USA)) Stephen (old calendar Eastern Orthodox) January 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Start of Hōonkō (Nishi Honganji) January 9–16 (Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism) Martyrs' Day (Panama) Non-Resident Indian Day (India) Day of Republika Srpska (Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, result of 2016 Republika Srpska National Day referendum) (note: not celebrated and disputed in wider Bosnia and Herzegovina, having been declared unconstitutional in 2015) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Balloon Ascension Day International Choreographers Day National Apricot Day National Austin Day National Carter Day National Cassoulet Day National Faith Day National Law Enforcement Day National Shop For Travel Day National WONK Day Play God Day Sean Paul’s Birthday Toosii’s Birthday Quincy Boykins’s Birthday Wengie’s Birthday Nina Dobrev’s Birthday Flo Milli’s Birthday Eret’s Birthday Dave Matthews’s Birthday Brent Rivera’s Birthday Richard Nixon’s Birthday Fun Observances (2) Static Electricity Day January 9 is Static Electricity Day a day to honor this unexpected, mostly unpleasant, and sometimes hair rising phenomenon. Static electricity occurs due to an accumulation of positive electric charges on an object's surface. Shocks You! It is called static because the charge stays on the surface until it comes into contact with another surface with a negative charge. Static electricity can be created by rubbing an object against another. Some materials like wool and glass are much more likely to have static electricity. Dry human skin and hair also accumulate electric charges. This is why people tend to experience shocks when they touch doorknobs or anything made of metal during the winter time. Triboelectric Series The Triboelectric Series is a list of materials that are ranked by their ability to accumulate positive and negative charges. This shocking holiday is also sometimes called National Static Electricity Day in the United States. How to Celebrate? Learn more about what causes static electricity. Conduct experiments with the kids in your life to show them the causes and effects of static electricity. Learn how to avoid static during the winter months. Did You Know… …that lightning is a natural example of when sparks are discharged due to the buildup of static electricity? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Word Nerd Day Word Nerd Day is celebrated annually on January 9. Love your dictionary? Do you like long, complicated, fancy words? If your answer is yes, then this is the unofficial holiday for you. Learn New Words While the origins of this holiday are unknown, we assume that those who created it wanted word and language nerds to celebrate their expansive vocabulary, and for people to pick up their dictionaries and thesauruses to learn more about the origin, meaning, and usages of words in their language. Smallest Meaningful Unit A word is the smallest unit in a language that conveys a meaning when it is written and spoken by itself. When written, it has white space at its beginning and the end, but not in the middle. When spoken, a word is a form of speech that is uttered as a single unit. How to Celebrate? Are you a word nerd? Be proud of who you are. Use words no less than 7 letters long in all your conversations. Do crosswords and play word puzzles all day long. Spend the day learning about new words and finding occasions to use them. Did You Know… …that according to the Oxford Dictionary, “bookkeeper” is the only word in the English language without any hyphens with three consecutive repeated letters? *** A Woman Shoots Her Husband For Stepping On The Clean Floor... A police officer jumps into his squad car and calls the station. “I have an interesting case here,” he says. “A woman shot her husband for stepping on the floor she just mopped.” “Have you arrested her?” asks the sergeant. “No, not yet. The floor’s still wet.” *** A Scottish mother visits her 
son in his New York City apartment and asks, “How do you find the Americans, Donald?” “Mother,” says Donald, “they’re such noisy people. One neighbor won’t stop banging his head against the wall, while the other screams and screams all night long.” “Oh, Donald! How do you manage to put up with them?” “What can I do? I just lie in bed quietly, playing my bagpipes.” *** To get my cousin to write to 
her even once, my aunt resorted to 
sending him a check with this note: “Do not cash until you write me a thank-you.” A few weeks later, the check had cleared, yet no message had arrived. So she called him. “I told you not to cash the check until you’d written to thank me,” she complained. “I didn’t cash the check,” he said. “I deposited it.” *** The new draftee refused to march with his squad. Instead, he rode his invisible motorcycle beside them while making motorcycle noises. After a few weeks of this and several psychiatric exams, he was given a discharge. He rode his Hog to the main gate, propped it up on its invisible stand and walked out. "Hey," called the gate guard. "You forgot your bike." "No," replied the draftee, "I'm leaving it for the next guy who wants to get out." *** I'd laugh, but I have done this myself and with the toaster. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** I can so relate to this!! (been there, done that, check my photo albums ) *** sandrewn

Roly poly orb weaver (Xylethrus scrupeus) Roly poly orb weaver (Xylethrus scrupeus) The ridiculously cute roly poly orb weaver that rolls itself up into a ball when threatened. It lets itself roll around when picked up on a leaf.

January 8th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Babinden (Belarus, Russia) Christian feast day: Abo of Tiflis Apollinaris Claudius Blessed Eurosia Fabris Gauchito Gil (Folk Catholicism) Gudula Harriet Bedell (Episcopal Church (USA)) Lawrence Giustiniani Lucian of Beauvais Maximus of Pavia Our Lady of Prompt Succor (Roman Catholic Church) Pega (Anglican and Roman Catholic churches) Severinus of Noricum Thorfinn of Hamar January 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Commonwealth Day (Northern Mariana Islands) Earliest day on which Children's Day can fall, while January 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Saturday in January. (Thailand) Typing Day (International observance) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Argyle Day Coming of Age Day National 4th Graders Day National Bubble Bath Day National English Toffee Day National Gluten-Free Day National JoyGerm Day National Man Watcher's Day National Snuggle a Chicken Day National Winter Skin Relief Day Plough Monday Show And Tell At Work Day War on Poverty Day National Career Coach Day Stephen Hawking’s Birthday Ryan Destiny’s Birthday Joshua Perez’s Birthday Gia Giudice’s Birthday Elvis Presley’s Birthday David Bowie’s Birthday Anna Marisax’s Birthday Valkyrae’s Birthday Noah Cyrus’s Birthday R. Kelly Fun Observances (2) Earth's Rotation Day January 8 is Earth’s Rotation Day. The day commemorates when French Physicist, Leon Foucault, demonstrated the Earth rotates on its axis in 1851. To prove his theory, Foucault suspended a lead-filled brass sphere, now called the Foucault Pendulum from the top of the Pantheon in Paris. He showed that the plane of the swing of the pendulum rotated relative to the Earth’s rotation. You can now see the Foucault Pendulum demonstrating the rotation of the Earth in science museums around the world. How to Celebrate? Visit your local space and science museum to learn more about the Earth’s rotation and what effect it has on humans. If you have kids, what about making a model of the Earth and the Sun with them, so that they can learn more about the Earth’s rotation? Did You Know… ...that the speed of the Earth's rotation can change from day to day and from year to year? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Clean Off Your Desk Day To honor an uncluttered, organized and clean workspace, the second Monday of January is celebrated as the Clean Off Your Desk Day. This unofficial and clearly made-up holiday encourages people to have a clutter-free, clean, and organized workspace. Increase Productivity Productivity experts and scientists agree that a functional workspace is important for having a fulfilling and productive work life. Clean and organized work desks allow workers to focus and to organize and process information. In addition, research shows that those who work within cluttered spaces tend to get frustrated faster than those whose workspaces are organized and clean. How to Celebrate? Clean your desk, of course! Take a few hours to organize all the paperwork that has piled up over the last year and to purge your desk and workspace of things you have no use for anymore. Shred any paperwork with any sensitive or personal information, give away duplicate office supplies, and file away important documents. And while you are at it, organize your PC or laptop desktop as well. Did You Know... ...that the word desk comes from the old Latin word discus meaning platter or plate? *** I said, "I love you so much. I could never live without you." My girlfriend giggled and asked, "Is that you talking or the beer?" I said, "It's me talking to the beer..." *** This man was really lonely, so he posted an ad on a popular website. The ad said, simply: "Wife wanted." He was surprised the next morning to find he had over a hundred replies in his inbox. Unfortunately, they all said the same thing: "You can have mine." *** A husband and wife had been married for 60 years and had no 
secrets except for one: The woman kept in her closet a shoe box that 
she forbade her husband from ever opening. But when she was on her deathbed—and with her blessing—he opened the box and found a 
crocheted doll and $95,000 in cash. “My mother told me that the secret to a happy marriage was to never 
argue,” she explained. “Instead, I should keep quiet and crochet a doll.” Her husband was touched. Only one doll was in the box—that meant she’d been angry with him only once in 60 years. “But what about all this money?” he asked. “Oh,” she said, “that’s the money 
I made from selling the dolls.” *** People act like the North Pole and the South Pole are exactly the same, but really, there's a whole world of difference between them. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

🤞 " Bajo las rocas I " (Identificación aracnido) The Southern Retama: "Under the Rocks I" (Aracnido Identification) Just so you know, I try to always post a different/new spider picture( 🤞 ). Only once did I post a fake(glass) one. Some of the jokes are repeats, but unless you follow every day, the odds are you haven't noticed( 🤞 ). Note: That glass one looked so real, I'll have figure out which one it was and and get back to you on it. Thanks, sandrewn

January 7th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian Feast Day: André Bessette (Canada) Canute Lavard Charles of Sezze Felix and Januarius Lucian of Antioch Raymond of Penyafort Synaxis of John the Forerunner & Baptist (Julian Calendar) January 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Christmas (Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches using the Julian Calendar, Rastafari) Christmas in Russia Christmas in Ukraine Ethiopian Christmas Remembrance Day of the Dead (Armenia) Distaff Day (medieval Europe) Nanakusa no sekku (Japan) Pioneer's Day (Liberia) Tricolour day or Festa del Tricolore (Italy) Victory from Genocide Day (Cambodia) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Golden Globe Awards Harlem Globetrotter’s Day I Am a Mentor Day I’m Not Going To Take It Anymore Day National Bobblehead Day National Pass Gas Day National Tempura Day Camille Rowe’s Birthday Weston Koury’s Birthday Nicolas Cage’s Birthday Rand Paul’s Birthday Lewis Hamilton’s Birthday Lamar Jackson’s Birthday Clix’s Birthday Blue Ivy Carter’s Birthday Jeremy Renner Al Capone Fun Observances Old Rock Day January 7 is Old Rock Day. The unofficial holiday encourages people to acknowledge, celebrate, and learn more about old rocks and fossils. A rock is a solid mass made of minerals or mineral-like substances. Used for a variety of purposes throughout the history of humankind - as tools, musical instruments, weapons and for mining - rocks form the outermost layer of Earth. A Peek Into Earth's History While natural processes - volcanic eruptions and erosion - continually help create rocks on Earth, old rocks are especially important to those who study the Earth and its history. Old rocks hold many answers to the mysteries of Earth's formation - they can tell scientists about natural events that played a role in the formation of the rocks and the effects that event had on other life forms in the area. Old rocks can also sometimes hold fossils - the preserved remains of animals, plants and other organisms. These fossils can help scientists find out the kind of flora and fauna that existed in the past and what may have caused them to evolve or go extinct. Finding the Age of Old Rocks Geologists date old rocks using a technique called radiometric dating or radioactive dating. The process involves looking at the decay of radioactive elements available in rocks. The oldest rock of terrestrial origin to be dated using this method is a zircon found in the Jack Hills of Australia. Scientists estimate that the rock could be as old as 4.4 billion years. How to Celebrate? Learn more about the types of old rocks. Pick up a book about fossils and learn how fossils tell us more about the Earth’s past or visit your local natural history museum. Take a walk in the park and collect interestingly shaped rocks. Buy your loved ones some pretty looking rocks. And by rocks, we mean jewels. After all, diamonds are old rocks. Looking for a new hobby? May we suggest collecting rocks? Find rocks boring? Listen instead to music from old rock bands. Did You Know… ...that Petrology is the scientific study of rocks? *** Just because the items in these classified ads are free doesn’t mean they’re worth it: • Free: Piano with matching bench seat, very good condition, all keys work probably • Free: 5 kitchen drawers, all matching naughty pine fronts • Free Vain Screening • Free rent in exchange for elderly woman *** My three-year-old sat in the bathroom with me, watching as I 
removed my dentures and brushed them. After a few minutes, he asked, “Can you take your ears off too?” *** I’m now in high school, so when I ran into my third-grade teacher, I doubted she would remember me. “Hi, Miss Butcher,” I said. “Hi, Eddie,” she replied. “So you do remember me?” I asked. “Sure. You don’t always leave a good impression, but it is a lasting one.” *** Q. A man is washing windows on the 25th floor of an apartment building. Suddenly, he slips and falls. He has nothing to cushion his fall, and no safety equipment—but he doesn't get hurt. How is this possible? A. He's washing windows inside the building. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Mongolian Armed Forces - Wikipedia Mongolian Naval Force — Shipshub *** (Now I feel old) *** sandrewn

January 6th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Armed Forces Day (Iraq) Christian Feast day: André Bessette (Roman Catholic Church) January 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Christmas: Christmas (Armenian Apostolic Church) Christmas Eve (Russia) Christmas Eve (Ukraine) Christmas Eve (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Christmas Eve (North Macedonia) Epiphany or Three Kings' Day (Western Christianity) or Theophany (Eastern Christianity), and its related observances: Befana Day (Italy) Little Christmas (Ireland) Þrettándinn (Iceland) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Apple Tree Day Day of Los Reyes Dry Bean Day National Cuddle Day National Davis Day National Samantha Day National Smith Day National Take a Poet to Lunch Day National Take Down the Christmas Tree Day National Walker’s Shortbread Day Uruguay Children's Day/Ephiphany World Day of War Orphans Rowan Atkinson’s Birthday Ree Drummond’s Birthday Norman Reedus’s Birthday MattyB’s Birthday Keyshia Ka'oir’s Birthday Joan of Arc’s Birthday Tiffany Pollard’s Birthday Irina Shayk’s Birthday Hilaria Thomas Baldwin’s Birthday Eric Trump’s Birthday Arin Hanson’s Birthday Jay B’s Birthday Kate McKinnon Fun Observances Bean Day January 6 is Bean Day. If your question after hearing this is, why? Well, because beans are healthy – they are rich in proteins and fiber and they taste good. Some believe that this unofficial holiday, which is also known as Nation Bean Day in the United States, was created to commemorate the death anniversary of scientist Gregor Mendel. Known as the Father of Genetics, Mendel experimented on peas to discover the laws of genetic inheritance. Many Varieties Although many people around the world consider peas as part of the beans family, they are not technically beans. Botanists classify peas and snap peas as vegetables. Beans have been consumed by humans since ancient times. They are a natural source of proteins, fibers and vitamins and have a small environmental footprint. Today, there are 40,000 known varieties of beans around the world. Only a few of these are cultivated for human consumption. How to Celebrate? This is easy, have beans for every meal: baked beans for breakfast, red beans and rice for lunch, and bean soup for dinner. For dessert, have jelly beans, even though technically they are not beans. Make bean art. Use different colored beans to make pictures. Did You Know… ...that the leaves of a bean plant tilt towards the Sun in the day and fold up during the night? *** Here's my favorite dad joke, with me as the dad: Every Sunday on the way to church, we would have to stop at a railroad crossing. And each time, I’d tell my 12-year-old daughter, “A train just went by. Know how I can tell? It left its tracks.” I got a moan the first couple of Sundays. After a while, every time we’d pull up to the crossing, all I had to do was look in the rearview mirror and she would smile. My daughter is now a college graduate and lives out of state, but every time I cross those tracks, I think of her. *** My dad was not a jokester, but his fun side did come out once in a while. When I was 12, he took me to a Chicago White Sox game with a group from a local tavern. The game between the Sox and the Indians was in the ninth inning, with the Sox ahead by a run. I was having so much fun, I said, “I hope the Indians tie the game in the ninth.” The die-hard Sox fans we were with were horrified, but not Dad. He started cheering for the Indians to score, even as the men yelled, “Cut it out; you’re a Sox fan!” The Sox ended up winning, everyone was happy, and my dad and I laughed all the way home. I miss him tremendously. *** My father and I were in the snowplow he drove for work when I saw a switch encased in a box. “What’s this for?” I asked. “It’s to turn red lights green,” he replied. As we reached a red light, he pointed to the box. “Try it.” I hit the switch, and it worked—the light turned green! Only much later did I find out that it was his garage-door opener. *** Q. A prisoner is forced to go into one of three rooms, but he can choose which room. The first room is ablaze with fire. The second one is rigged with explosives that will go off as soon as he enters. The third contains a pair of lions who haven't eaten in years. Which room should he choose to survive? A. The third room—any lions who hadn't eaten in years would be dead! *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn

Australian Spider Matriphagy Matriphagy has been observed in Australian spider species Diaea Ergandro. The mother allows her babies to suckle blood from her leg joints until she has weakened and (usually) dies. This prevents early cannibalism between the spiderlings and thus resulting in more of the clutch surviving. The Venerable Elder Continent of the Earth Australian geology, the Geological History of Australia

January 5th 2024 - Holidays and Observances (click on the day for details) Christian Feast day: Charles of Mount Argus John Neumann (Catholic Church) Pope Telesphorus Simeon Stylites (Latin Church) January 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (Harbin, China) Joma Shinji (Japan) The Twelfth day of Christmas and the Twelfth Night of Christmas. (Western Christianity) Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details) Carver Day National Day of Dialogue National Ellen Day National Keto Day National Screenwriters Day National Whipped Cream Day Kristin Cavallari’s Birthday Hayao Miyazaki’s Birthday Diane Keaton’s Birthday Bradley Cooper’s Birthday Marilyn Manson January Jones Robert Duvall Fun Observances Bird Day January 5 is Bird Day, a day to think about birds in captivity and to take action to ensure that birds are not exploited and are treated humanely. The day, started by Born Free U.S.A. and the Avian Welfare Coalition, aims to focus public attention on the fact that almost 12 per cent of bird species around the world are under threat of extinction. How to Celebrate? Read more about bird pet adoptions and laws in your country about adopting exotic birds as pets. Do due diligence when getting an exotic or imported bird as a pet. Use only well-reputed pet stores. Spread the word about humanely caring for exotic pet birds. Change your social media display picture to a picture of your favorite bird. Go bird watching and learn more about the birds indigenous to your area. Did You Know… …that hummingbirds lay the smallest eggs - the size of a pea - among birds? *** A frightened man goes to the secret police and says, “My talking parrot disappeared.” “Why did you come here? Go to the regular police.” “I will. I’m just here to tell you that I disagree with whatever that parrot is going to say.” *** A welsh politician asked the government for information about UFO sightings and if it might fund UFO research. Officials wrote back, “jang vIDa je due luq … ach ghotvam’e’ QI’yaH devolve qaS.” Which means, “The minister will reply in due course. However, this is a non-devolved 
matter,” in Klingon. *** The star of Cake Boss was 
arrested for DWI. Police interrogated him for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. *** Recently I heard the former mayor of Reading, Pennsylvania, 
recount some funny stories about his time in office. One happened while he was running for reelection; he was in a bar and paid for a 
woman’s drink. She thanked him but wondered why a stranger had 
bought her a beer. “I’m running for mayor,” he told her, “and I want your vote.” “You got it,” she said, grabbing her glass. “Anyone’s better than the jerk who’s in there now.” *** Names For Groups You Never Knew A pride of lions, a gaggle of geese … and here’s how we might classify these groups: • A brat of boys • A giggle of girls • A stagger of drunks • A tedium of accountants • A stitch of doctors • A whine of losers • A jerk of politicians *** Q. A horse attached to a 24-foot chain sees an apple 26 feet away. How can the horse reach the apple? A. The horse just walks over to it, taking the chain with him—the chain isn't attached to anything! *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** sandrewn