Morning Coffee (64)

Greetings. I haven’t much time today; work has been keeping me busy for a good change.

I am relatively certain that someone stole my iPod out of my truck. I usually bring it inside, and if not, I almost always lock my doors. However, with my kid here, I sometimes neglect to do so as the back doors do not lock the entire vehicle. The iPod would have been in the center armrest if anywhere. I am hoping that my kid merely picked it up and placed it somewhere around the house, and in a few days I’ll have a joyous discovery. But I rate the chances of that happening as pretty low.

I hate thieves nearly as much as people with no honor or loyalty. Almost. Both brands of human disgust me.

The First of March is a very important day. Rome’s New Year began on this day (a fact which influences calendars to this day), and in some countries, spring begins today. The day has a deep significance throughout history, as evident in the number of holidays. I will relate to you a few of the historical events that happened on this day in history, as well as some of the holidays.

One of the first things you’d notice about today is the number of Caesars “coined” today in the Roman Empire. But that only makes sense considering. Rio de Janeiro was founded in 1565. The Salem Witch Trials begin in 1692. Sweden goes through a time of confusion, changing calendars three times on this day, creating its own in 1700, reforming to the Julian calendar in 1712, and then adopting the Gregorian in 1753. The Articles of Confederation were adopted in 1781. And in 1790, the first US Census was authorized. The state of Ohio was admitted in 1803. A bill authorizing the annexation of Texas is signed in 1845. In 1872, Yellowstone is established as the first national park. The text of the Zimmerman Telegram is released to the public in 1917. The “Lindbergh Baby” is kidnapped in 1932. Stalin collapses from a stroke in 1953, and dies four days later. The Peace Corps is established by JF Kennedy in 1961. Venera 3, a Soviet space probe crashes on Venus in 1966 making it the first spacecraft to land on another planet’s surface. The Weather Underground claims responsibility for a bomb that exploded in a bathroom at the US Capitol Building in 1971. Charlie Chaplin’s coffin is stolen from a Swiss cemetery in 1978. Voyager 1 confirms that Janus exists in 1980. In 1994, Nirvana plays its last show ever in Munich. What a day, eh?

Rome celebrated four holidays today. Matronalia in honor of the goddess Juno (slaves had today off, and the matron of the house was to prepare for them a meal), Feriae Marti in honor of Mars (Mars…March…get it?), the aforementioned New Year, and the sacred fire of Rome was renewed by the Vestal Virgins (probably the predecessors to what we know of as nuns). Today is Beer Day in Iceland, as beer was allowed again in 1989. For Catholics, it’s Saint David’s Day (a national holiday in Wales).

So there you have it. March First in a nutshell…

Word of the Day: Profligate (adjective): 1. openly and shamelessly immoral; dissipated; dissolute; 2. recklessly wasteful. (noun): a profligate person. I can’t believe I missed such a perfect word in the past.

“Death solves all problems. No man, no problem.” – Stalin