August 24, 2017

Today we celebrate:

International Day Against Intolerance, Discrimination and Violence Based on Musical Preferences, Lifestyle and Dress Code - Long name, even longer explanation. On this day in 2007, Sophie Lancaster died because she was a goth. That is not something that normally should lead to a death sentence, but the people who attacked her and her boyfriend and beat them both, apparently thought differently. Sophie died from her injuries at the very young age of 20. We need to lighten up a bit people. Fashion, and other personal preferences, changes over time for society and for individuals it changes as you age. You don’t see too many 80 year old goths or hippies which was the fashion when I was a child. If there is really something that you can’t stand badly enough that you feel you need to strike out against others, just take a breath and have some patience. It will change, and you will change, and they will change. We are all people and none of us have the right to take the life of people who make choices we disagree with. Agree to disagree, it can work. I do it every day with my kids and my husband and I haven’t killed any of them yet, even though my husband is convinced that I keep trying.

International Strange Music Day - Begun by Patrick Grant, a professional musician who founded Strange Music Inc, this is a day to “listen to a CD you never heard before, just for the hell of it.” You never know when you are going to hear something that you absolutely love, and while I’m not suggesting you abandon the big artists that you love and hear all the time, it’s a good thing to support the struggling artists who are doing what they love and hoping to make a living.

Weather Complaint Day - People LOVE to complain about the weather, hot or cold with those words meaning different things to different people. For example, people in southern California will complain if it’s 50 degrees F, but in February, that temperature is shorts & t-shirt weather for people living in Michigan. People can even break the ice and start a conversation with a complete stranger by using weather because it’s something to which everyone can relate.

National Knife Day - I could not find out who created this day or why. It seems to be a day to appreciate and utilize knives because without them, life would be pretty difficult. There was a time when a person needed a knife in order to survive. They were used for almost everything people had to do in pioneer days and before. Nowadays, we could probably get along pretty well with other tools for most things, but cooking would definitely be a challenge. That’s what I use my knives for most often.

National Peach Pie Day – A couple of days ago we had National Eat A Peach Day and could eat peaches in any form we wished. Well, today is also for peaches, but today you must eat them in a pie. I mean, the peaches have to be in the pie, not you. Although if you are ambitious enough to make a person sized pie, I say have at it and make sure you send me a picture.

Pluto Demoted Day – On this day in 2006, Pluto was demoted. It is no longer considered a planet and instead is considered by scientists to be a “dwarf planet”. It was a sad, sad day for all of us. That same year, NASA sent a spacecraft to Pluto to take some pictures and send them back to us.  It took a few years for the spacecraft to get there but it finally did just a few months ago and that was pretty exciting for all the space enthusiasts out there. That was a big, expensive project and demotion or not, NASA was committed to see it through. However, if Pluto was demoted sooner, I wonder if NASA would have bothered to go look at it.

Vesuvius Day – On this day in 79A.D., Mount Vesuvius, in Southern Italy, awoke from its’ centuries long sleep and erupted causing the devastation of Pompeii and Herculaneum and killed thousands of people. The ones who evacuated immediately survived, but approximately 2,000 people hid in cellars and buildings hoping the volcano would stop and leave them be. They died in the toxic cloud that descended upon them and were buried when the flow of rock and ash followed. Today some 700,000 people live around Mt. Vesuvius which hasn't had a major eruption in about 400 years. I'm not sure that location would be my choice for a retirement home.

William Wilberforce Day – Born on this day in 1759, William Wilberforce was a politician, philanthropist and one of the leaders of the abolitionist movement who worked tirelessly to put an end to the British slave trade for twenty six years. When the Slave Trade Act of 1807 was passed, abolishing the slave trade, he began working to abolish slavery completely in the British Empire. He died three days after he was sure the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 was going to pass.

National Waffle Day – Back in March, we had International Waffle Day, but this day is just for the United States of America because we love our waffles so much that we really don't want to share them this time.

Microsoft Windows 95 Anniversary - On this day in 1995, Windows 95 debuted. It was revolutionary at the time with a graphic interface never seen before on a non-Apple computer which included a taskbar and start menu that have stood the test of time….at least up until I have written this paragraph. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.