Same Old, or Not

 "Gads, it's hot again!  Look at me, I'm sweating!"  Sweetie is not happy when he's hot, just like i'm not happy when i'm cold.

Yes, dear, it's hot again.  This happens in south Louisiana.

"But it's December!  Last month was colder than this month!"

That happens every year, dear.  In fact, we have this discussion every year.  It gets cold, then warms up again, then gets cold again.  Every year.

"She's right!"  Little Girl was smiling.  "This happens every year, and every year you talk about it.  It's funny, and I look forward to it every year, hearing you discuss it!"

The more things change...

And yet.  Just when you think you've heard it all, or had the same conversation for the nth time, you find out the Pope has a Twitter account, @pontifex.

Well, the more things change, the more they just change, at least sometimes.


Today is:

Day of Shango -- Yoruba/Santería religion (various Caribbean islands; ceremony for the Defender against Evil)

Day of the Artisans -- internet generated day to honor all who work

Festival for Minerva -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Grange Day -- US Grange (Order of the Patrons of Husbandry) founded, 1887

National Cookie Day

National Dice Day -- get together with friends and play a game today

Navy Day -- India; Italy

Rake Leaves into the World's Largest Pile Day -- just so you can jump in, of course

Santa's List Day -- he completes the lists today, which one are you on?

St. Barbara's Day (Patron of ammunition workers/bomb technicians/explosives workers/ordnance workers, architects, armourers, artillerymen, boatment/mariners/sailors/waterman, brass workers, brewers, builders, carpenters, construction workers, dying people, firefighters/fire prevention, fireworks, fireworks manufacturers, fortifications, foundry workers, geologists, gravediggers, gunners, hatmakers/hatters/milliners, martyrs, masons, mathematicians, military engineers, miners, prisoners, safety from storms, saltpetre workers, smelters, stone masons, tilers, warehouses; Amaroni, Italy; Barbara, Italy; Colleferro, Italy; Montecatini Terme, Italy; Paterno, Sicily; Rieti, Italy; Santa Barbara, CA; Syria; Toa Alto, Puerto Rico; against death by artillery, explosions, fire, impenitence, lightning, mine collapse, storms, sudden death)
     A young woman may place the twig of a cherry tree in a glass of water today. If it blooms by Christmas Eve, the girl is certain to marry in the following year.
     Barborka -- Poland (where Barbara is best known as Patron of Miners, thus "Miners' Day)
     Eid il-Burbara -- Lebanon; Palestine; Syria (where Barbara is celebrated with a holiday similar to Western Halloween)

St. Maruthas' Day (Patron of Iran; Persia)

Thai Environment Day -- Thailand

Wear A Beard of Bees Today Day -- a supremely silly internet generated one, if you ask me, and only for the bold and fearless, and not allergic!

Wear Brown Shoes Day -- internet generated, by someone tired of wearing black shoes all the time most likely

Wind Whiling Bacchanalia -- Fairy Calendar


Birthdays Today:

Tyra Banks, 1973
Marisa Tomei, 1964
Jozef Sabovcik, 1963
Jeff Bridges, 1949
Dennis Wilson, 1944
Max Baer, Jr., 1937
Wink Martindale, 1934
Victor French, 1934
Francisco Franco, 1892
Crazy Horse, 1840
Thomas Carlyle, 1795


Today in History:

Upon the death of Carloman, Karel the Great (Charlemagne), his brother, becomes king of all France, 771
The Syrian harbor city of Saida (Sidon) surrenders to the Crusaders, 1110
After 18 years, the Council of Trent holds its final session, 1563
Father Marquette begins to build the first dwelling in what is now Chicago, 1674
Britain's Observer, oldest Sunday newspaper in world, first published, 1791
Britain abolishes the practice of the "suttee" in India, 1829
The American Anti-Slavery Society is founded in Philadelphia by Arthur Tappen and William Lloyd Garrison, 1833
Oliver Hudson Kelley founds The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, (the Grange), 1867
"Boss" Tweed escapes from jail, 1875
The first edition of the Los Angeles Times is published, 1881
Lucille Atcherson becomes the first woman legation secretary in the US Foreign sService, 1922
Cecil B. DeMille's first version of "The Ten Commandments" (the one in which he flooded Hollywood Blvd. without permit 3 times to get the Red Sea Scene right, and had to bail his crew out of jail 3 times, too!) premiers, 1923
The first Burger King is opened in Miami, Florida, United States, 1954
Suriname joins the United Nations, 1975
The Unity Module, the second module of the International Space Station, is launched, 1998
An adult giant squid is caught on video for the first time by Tsunemi Kubodera near the Ogasawara Islands, 1,000 km (620 miles) south of Tokyo, 2006