Marching On….

March may be named after the Roman god of war but it’s one of the happier months for me. We’re finally rid of February and psychologically I just feel better when the first of March rolls around. So here we are into the third month of the year, or if we did it (maybe right) like the Romans once did, the first. Their year was only ten months long and began in March. As I’ve mentioned before, to the Romans, January and February were just two nameless months they called “winter.”

Besides making us “think” that spring is almost here, some interesting activities fall in March. 
I mentioned that March was named for the Roman god of war — it could be just a coincidence, but with the exception of the recent war in Afghanistan, almost all major U.S.or NATO led military operations since the invasion of Vietnam have begun in the month of March.

And we have the Ides of March to look forward to, or beware of…. as you probably remember, on the Roman calendar, the midpoint of every month was known as the Ides. That whole story about the Ides of March made popular by Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar probably got a lot more press than it deserved. If someone tells you “beware the Ides of March,” they’re just being a jerk, or trying to impress you that they’ve read Shakespeare.

Another thing you always hear about March is that if it comes in like a lion, it’ll go out like a lamb. I suppose this just begs for some extensive research to see if there’s any truth to it or not, but maybe I’ll leave that exercise for next year. 

One of my favorite days in March is Pi Day, on 3/14 — a day filled with math jokes, pi-reciting competitions and, of course, eating real pie. But the big day in March is St. Patrick’s Day, a day of just one giant party that doesn’t require any gifts. 
And March is also the month of the Vernal Equinox, when the sun shines on the equator giving us a near 50-50 split of light and darkness.

While we’re talking about the significance of March, I think I’ve got to mention that, sadly, it contains a special holiday that I’m afraid will have to come to an end soon. March 10th is International Find a Phone Booth Day. Phone Booths, especially in the US are becoming harder and harder to find and I fear they will go the way of the fax machine, blueprints and slide rule. I suppose all good things have to end, but it’s still March, a good month that maybe does deserve to be the first month of the year….
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Finally….

I think it was T. S. Eliot that wrote, “April is the cruelest month.” I don’t want to get into an argument with a famous writer, but I’m afraid I have to disagree — it’s not April, it’s February. Both you faithful readers know that I hate (maybe that’s too strong a word) February. I try to celebrate all the great “holidays” in the month, but really, February is long, cold and none of its holidays really serve any point. 

But, finally, today is the last day of February. This year it had only 28 days, but it seems like it was seventy three days long. Actually, February would be too long if it only had eight or nine days. If I had my way, we’d go back to the way the Romans did it, and only have ten months a year. February, and maybe some other month, needs to go. And I should mention that on top of everything else, February is the hardest month to spell.

I know I can’t change the calendar and I can’t change the weather and I should just accept things as they are, but the cruel and heartless month of February is hard to accept — it has no redeeming qualities. So beginning tomorrow, we get 11 straight months to enjoy. Good riddance, February.
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And Also….

A few days ago, Claire said she was going to Costco later in the week and one of things she wanted to get was tuna fish. I’m not sure why, but it occurred to me when she said it, that it was redundant. I’m pretty sure that tuna can only be a fish, so it isn’t necessary to mention fish. 

I think I’ve touched on this before, but our language is filled with redundancies…. I often see advertisements offering a “free gift.” Watching congress debate recently, I heard the term “affluent rich” used a number of times. That seems redundant to me. Some other redundant phrases I’ve heard include: repeat again, revert back, proceed ahead, past history, honest truth, different varieties, and also — just to name a few. 

I did a little extensive research and found that the use of more words (or even word parts) than necessary to express an idea clearly is known as pleonasm. I would say that the use of redundant terms fall into that category. Another term or concept that I uncovered is “rhetorical tautology” that is essentially the same thing said more than once in different words — e.g., cold ice or burning fire. As usual, there’s no point to all this, my mind just wandered over to how strange, and sometimes stupid our language is — like when we use terms or descriptions such as hopelessly optimistic, Hell’s Angels, half true, bankrupt millionaire, jumbo shrimp, sanitary landfill or pretty ugly. 

These types of expressions are referred to as oxymorons — that’s when two incompatible words are used together in one expression. And while we’re on the subject, the correct plural of oxymoron is oxymora. But we continue to hear and use these expressions every day… we even turn a blind eye when they are as ridiculous as “House Ethics Committee.”
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Horsing Around

All through my growing up years, from the time I was very young, I always had a pet of some kind. Over the years I had more dogs than I can remember, cats, hamsters, chickens, ducks, a skunk, parakeets, squirrels, gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits, turtles, a crow, goldfish and probably a few others that escape my memory right now. 

I also had a horse — for about two or three days. The horse was a Shetland pony and it belonged to by cousin. My cousin was older, and bigger, than I was so my uncle got him a bigger horse — and he gave the pony to me. Even though we lived in the “city” of Maysville, we kept the horse in our back yard. The yard wasn’t huge, but it had a fence around it and was big enough for a horse. 

Now a kid that is only about six years old and has their own horse is a pretty cool kid. That was me — six years old and I had a horse. What could be better? 

Well, it turns out that from my perspective, a lot. My mother threw a fit — there was no way she was going to let me have a horse. You might think that she didn’t want a horse in the back yard tramping on the grass, or making a mess that had to be cleaned up regularly or making the backyard smell like a barnyard…. but no, my mother was afraid that a horse wasn’t safe for a little kid like me — apparently all sorts of bad things would happen, like falling off or getting trampled, or worse.

My dad did his best to go to bat for me, but after a few days, my mom convinced ( wore down) my dad and the horse went to live on a farm just outside Maysville.

Someone once said that a pony is a childhood dream and a horse is an adult treasure. I had that childhood dream…. at least for a little while — sigh.
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Happy Birthday

Today is George Washington’s birthday — well, one of them, anyway. I think we’ve touched on this before, but poor George has really had his birthday jerked around…. actually, for 47 of his 67 years, George Washington had two birthdays every year.

George was born on February 11th, 1732. Hold on…. in 1732, the Julian calendar (named for Julius Caesar) was in use in Great Britain, and in the US because we were colonies of Great Britain. 

But in 1752, when George was 20, Great Britain adopted the new, improved calendar instituted by Pope Gregory the 13th and of course imposed it on its colonies, including the US. 

The switch in calendars was made because the old calendar had become out of whack relative to the sun’s and earth’s cycles by many days. By 1752, it was off by eleven whole days. So those eleven days were simply dropped that year. The following February 1st was not February 2nd — it was February 11th. So George Washington’s birthday jumped all the way to February 22nd. 

The calendar change didn’t sit well with a lot of colonial communities and many refused to go along with it, but George apparently took the change in stride and, from 1752 on, accepted February 22nd as his birthday. 

However, give George credit — he took advantage of the situation to sometimes celebrate both days as his birthday. In 1799 he attended a gala birthday party in his honor in Alexandria, Virginia on February 11th. He wrote in his diary that night that he “went up to Alexandria for the celebration of my birthday.” Eleven days later, on February 22nd, 1799 he celebrated his second birthday of that year — which, sadly, turned out to be the last of his life. He died ten months later, on the evening of December 14, 1799.

It’s interesting that George Washington, our first President, had two real birthdays and we don’t celebrate either one of them. The best we can do is celebrate President’s Day on the 3rd Monday in February. Doesn’t seem fair…. but Happy Birthday George!!
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Cheers

Since yesterday was Ash Wednesday, I hope wine wasn’t something you gave up for Lent. February 18 — every year — is National Drink Wine Day. Not that you necessarily need an excuse to drink wine, but why pass up a national holiday that seems to encourage you do so?

Wine has been a staple in human culture since its invention around 7000 BC. Some ancient societies enjoyed their wine so much they even worshipped it.

Evidence of ancient wine production has been found in China, the Middle East, and Greece — so it appears that many different cultures discovered the process about the same time. The oldest known winery was found in a cave in Armenia and it’s over 4,000 years old. Barrels of wine have been found in the tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs, and the Ancient Greeks used wine in secret religious ceremonies. 

I did some extensive research and discovered a survey taken to determine how Americans thought about wine and the way they drink it. I’m not sure what they mean, but here’s some of the results:
Red wine is America’s favorite, preferred by 42% of those surveyed.
16% of American’s don’t know anything about the different types of wine.
Less than 10% drink 5+ glasses of wine in one sitting.
74% of Americans agree that 2 glasses of wine is about the right amount
9% have slapped a bag of wine (?????)
3% judge people who drink rosé.
9% say wine gives them the worst hangovers.
3% always cry when they drink wine (?????)
37% have finished a bottle of wine by themselves
9% always buy boxed wine because it is cheap.
42% think a $10 bottle is a nice bottle of wine.
24% think a $15 bottle of wine is a splurge.

Wine is complex — there are more organic compounds in a glass of wine than in your blood. Wine is also good for you — the tannins found in red wine are a powerful antioxidant and have been shown to lower blood pressure and risk of strokes, diabetes, and heart disease. 

Due to their chemical makeup, white wines taste better slightly chilled, whereas reds are better at room temperature. 
Prince Charles owns an Aston Martin powered by wine-based biofuel.
Wine affects men and women differently — due to a difference in stomach enzymes, women are more susceptible to the intoxicating effects of wine.

So, enough talking…. some years ago, Carlo Rossi had some wine commercials on TV in which he always said, “I like to talk about wine, but I’d rather drink it!”
Good advice — Happy National Drink Wine Day.
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Ash Wednesday

So — are you ready to give up caffeine, or wine, or ice-cream for 40 days? How about FaceTime? Giving these things up are hard, but Christians long ago used to give up a whole lot more. Today is Ash Wednesday — it marks the first day of Lent, at least in Western churches. The ashes symbolize penance and the dust from which God made people. When the priest marks your forehead with the ashes, they often say, “Repent and believe in the Gospel,” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Ash Wednesday is probably most closely associated with Catholicism, but there are many Christian sects that recognize it — including Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and some Baptists. Some Christians, such as Mormons, Evangelicals, and Pentecostal Christians don’t take part in the holy day. 

It is believed that the first Ash Wednesday ceremonies were likely held sometime in the 11th century. Although it’s never mentioned in the Bible, there is a verse in the Book of Daniel that links fasting to ashes. Some scholars believe this is the origin of the Lenten practice. Ash Wednesday didn’t gain mainstream popularity with Christians in the U.S. until the 1970s. The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are eco-friendly — they are made from the palms passed out on Palm Sunday the previous year.

As we talked about yesterday, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is normally reserved fro indulgence and revelry. The first day of lent in Iceland, called Öskudagur, is similar to our Halloween. Kids dress up in costumes and tour their neighborhoods singing songs in exchange for candy. 

A trend that supposedly started a few years ago is picking up steam this year because of the corona virus — many parishes have started offering “ashes to go” on Ash Wednesday. Some priests and pastors even position themselves in public places — like street corners, parking lots or metro stations, and will administer ashes to whoever asks to receive them.

But today is the start of Lent, and obviously it’s about much more than ashes — we should use it as a reminder to be humble in the face of mortality……
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Fat Tuesday

Mardi Gras is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” in French. With Ash Wednesday marking the beginning of Lent, a 40 day period of fasting before Easter, Mardi Gras is the “last hurrah,” with participants indulging in their favorite fatty foods and drinks before giving them up.

I may have mention here before that I had never been in a crowd that I thought I couldn’t get our of if I wanted to — except — Mardi Gras in New Orleans. There were so many people, I absolutely couldn’t move. I had never before, or after, experienced anything like it. 

One of the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations is in New Orleans, but a lot of other places have their own festivals. The first Carnival celebration originated in Nice, France. Rio de Janeiro, Quebec City and Trinidad have famous Mardi Gras Carnivals, as well as Mobile, Alabama and St. Louis, Missouri. So a lot of places around the world celebrate Mardi Gras as the last day of Carnival season, which starts after Christmas, on January 6th (known as Twelfth Night.)

Needless to say, Mardi Gras is in a league of it’s own — with its own rules, language, traditions, etc. The things I’m about to describe are what I observed in New Orleans — I imagine they apply wherever Mardi Grans is celebrated.

You’ll hear laissez les bon temps router (pronounced lay-say le bon tom rio-lay) over and over at Mardi Gras — it’s the official greeting of Mardi Gras and means “let the good times roll” in Cajun French.

New Orleans has been celebrating Fat Tuesday with parades since 1837. The first floats appeared in the parade in 1857. Parades are planned by “Krewes” — organizations that put on parades and/or balls for Mardi Gras/Carnival. They are clubs of sorts, with dues ranging from $20 to thousands of dollars a year. Some krewes have been hosting Mardi Gras parades for years, others have formed more recently — most are named after Roman or Greek mythology. Each parade kicks off with the krew leader. Next comes the king or queen, followed by the maids and dukes, before the rest of the members.

Krewes are also responsible for selecting carnival royalty in New Orleans, such as ‘Rex.’ the king of Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras was ahead of its time in requiring masks…. it is illegal to ride on a float without a mask. Of course these aren’t COVID-style masks — the original purpose of the mask was to get rid of social constraints for the day, allowing people to mingle with whomever they chose.

Each float in a Mardi Gras parade is decorated differently to fit into a central theme, which can be anything from literature to humor. Most krewes start work on the following year’s floats as soon as Fat Tuesday is over. 

Beads were first thrown by Santa during a parade in the early 1900s. It wasn’t until a few decades ago that they became synonymous with flashing. People also throw stuffed animals, toys and other stuff.

The official colors of Mardi Gras are purple, gold, and green. Purple signifies justice, gold means power, and green stands for faith. 

King’s Cake, sometimes called the Three Kings Cake, is eaten throughout the world during carnival season. In the US, it is traditionally purple, green, and gold, with a trinket baby-Jesus inside. Whoever gets the baby Jesus is said to have good luck all year.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans will definitely be different in 2021…. but the festivities haven’t been completely cancelled. Fat Tuesday will take place today (February 16.) It won’t be cancelled completely because it’s a religious holiday, but parades and mass gatherings won’t be happening. 
Nonetheless, I’m sure New Orleans, and other places will be hopping — there’s a saying in New Orleans, “We don’t hide crazy, we parade it down the street.”
Laissez les bon temps router — Let the good times roll!!!
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Presidents Day — 2021

Today is Presidents Day — originally a day to honor the nation’s first president, George Washington. Through the years, both George Washington (born on February 22) and Abraham Lincoln (born on February 12) have come to be honored on the third Monday in February. Today it has supposedly come to be a patriotic observance of all US presidents… although sometimes it seems like it’s more about Presidents Day sales than any kind of patriotic observance. 
It is, however, an official federal holiday —post offices and stock markets are closed, as well as most, if not all, banks. Schools (that are open, are also closed.

I know I’ve mentioned some of the things before, but it’s a good day to learn a few things about our past presidents….
The story about George Washington wooden teeth is a myth. Over the years, he was fitted with false teeth made from ivory, gold and human teeth.
James Madison was the shortest president (5’4”) and Abraham Lincoln was the tallest (6’4”.)
There have been eight left-handed presidents — James Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama.
George Washington was the only president unanimously elected — all of the state representatives voted for him.
Martin Van Buren was the only president to speak English as a second language. His first language was Dutch.
Rutherford B. Hayes banned beer, wine or any other type of alcohol at the White House. At official functions, Mrs. Hayes was known as “lemonade Lucy.”
Joe Biden is the oldest president  at 78 years, 61 days

I suppose it should be noted that on this Presidents Day, Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial just completed. While the outcome of the trial was never in doubt, the former President was impeached — twice. That’s certainly a stain on the office we celebrate today.

Today is the first Presidents Day for the new President — he’s got a tough job and I wish him well. One of his predecessors, Harry Truman, said. “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” Good luck to us all….
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Will You By My….

Last year at this time, we were still conducting all our traditional February celebrations in the usual way — including Valentine’s Day. As you know, we haven’t, for many, many years, gone out on Valentine’s Day. A long time ago we decided that the restaurants were too crowded, prices were higher, and usually we had to deal with a special (read limited) menu. So we traditionally go out just before, or just after, February 14th.

This year, it’ll the same — but not same. We won’t go out for Valentine’s Day — but — we won’t go out just before, or just after, either. Of course the reason this year is not the crowds, it’s COVID-19.

But one thing will remain the same — my (almost) annual Valentine blog. It’s hard to write something different every year about the same event, even though this year it’ll certainly be different.

I thought this year we might talk a little about the first valentine — it seems kind of appropriate since it was written in a prison — a place most of feel like we’ve been in lately.

The first “valentine” was actually a few lines in a poem, written by Charles, the Duke of Orléans, in 1415, when he was 21 years old. Charles grew up in a grouchy French royal family. He was the nephew of King Charles VI of France —also known as Charles the Mad.
Like most royals of the time, Charle’s marital life was a matter of state — not heart. At age 12, he was married off to his 17-year old cousin and daughter of King Charles VI, Isabela of Valois. (Isabella was already a widow after being first married at age six.)
During the years long French civil war between the Armagnacs and the Burgundians, Charles was captured and imprisioned by the Burgundians. While held prisoner, he penned a poem to his wife…

My very gentle Valentine,
Since for me you were born too soon,
And I for you was born too late.
God forgives him who has estranged
Me from you for the whole year.
I am already sick of love,
My very gentle Valentine.

Doesn’t exactly fall in the “roses are red, violets are blue” category, but given the grim circumstances under which it was written, that’s no surprise.
Charles was imprisoned  for 25 year and was never able to see his wife’s reaction to the letter — She died while Charles was in prison.

So as to not leave you with a depressing story today, I recently read about a study conducted at the University of Rochester that found that men viewed women wearing red or standing in front of a red background as significantly more attractive and sexually desirable than women wearing or standing in front of different colors. Women also felt the same way about men wearing red. The study hypothesized that red also symbolizes confidence, spontaneity, and determination ‚ all important factors in a romantic pursuit. Valentine’s Day has always promoted the fact that red is the color of passion and sexuality… the study seems to confirm that belief. Like they say, follow the science…
Happy Valentine’s Day.
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