February 01, 2026

2 Feb

 

 


 

Week 6  Day 33 Flag Today  52°/32°

Wind 8 mph Gusts 14 mph

Active Fire:  977 miles away Risk of fire: High 

Nearest Lightning: 1488 miles away

Air Quality: Moderate Sunshine Breezy

Feb. Averages: Temps: 46°\22° Moisture:  4.7Days

 

Monthly Observations

Declutter For A Cause Month
Dog Training Education Month Link  Link
Fasting February 
Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month
Feline Fix By Five Month

Free and Open Source Software Month  Link
From Africa to Virginia Month
Give Kids A Smile Month 
Link  Link
Great American Pies Month  
Link
International Boost Self-Esteem Month

Weekly Observations

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: 31-2/3

1-7

African Heritage & Health Week
Burn Awareness Week
 Link  
Children's Authors & Illustrators Week
Freelance Writer Appreciation Week
Women's Heart Week
World Interfaith Harmony Week

2-6

International Networking Week
National School Counseling Week
Link 
2-8

PeriAnesthesia Nurse Awareness Week Link
Pride in Foodservice Week
Link 
Publicity for Profit Week
Tinnitus Awareness Week
Link 

Daily Observations

Ayn Rand Day  Link
Candelmas
Crepe Day or La Chandeleur 
Dump Your Significant Jerk Day

Groundhog Day
Groundhog Job Shadow Day
Hedgehog Day
Imbolc

Lung Leavin' Day  Link
Marmot Day 
Link
World Play Your Ukulele Day  
Link 
Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day 
Link
Sled Dog Day
"The Record of a Sneeze" Day
Tu B'Shvat
World Wetlands Day 
Link

Today’s Quote                                                        

 


Today’s Meme

 



Today’s Thoughts

It’s a nice sunny winter day.

The Pine Ridge Tribal Council has banned ICE and Border Patrol from their Rez. They had previously banned Noem from their reservation when she was in SD politics.

Three local NAU Delta Tau Delta Chapter officials have been arrested in the death of an 18-year-old pledge in an off-campus incident linked to hazing.

Last nigh Liam Ramos and his father are back in Minneapolis after being released by Federal custody in Texas. 

Trivia

Agatha Christie helped popularize surfing.

Agatha Christie’s characters have done it all — survived attempted murder, traveled to far-off lands, and solved mystery after mystery. But the bestselling author didn’t just write about adventure; she also sought it out, sometimes on a surfboard. Two years after publishing her first novel, Christie embarked on an international trip with her first husband, Archibald. Their 1922 stop in South Africa included an attempt at surfing, where it’s possible she may have become the first Western woman to stand up on a surfboard.

The globetrotting couple quickly fell in love with the sport and went on to catch swelling waves off the coasts of Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. Christie, in letters to her mother, recounted the tricky experience of learning to surf, describing the sport as “occasionally painful” thanks to a “nosedive down into the sand.” But the writer eventually became more skilled, detailing in her 1977 autobiography that nothing could compete with the rush of approaching shore at high speeds. She also wrote about surfing in her novel The Man in the Brown Suit, in which her protagonist, nicknamed “Anna the Adventuress,” goes surfing in Cape Town.

Christie’s pursuit of the perfect wave was unusual for an English woman of her time. The Museum of British Surfing suggests she and her husband may have been two of the earliest Brits to attempt the activity. However, they did have regal company: Prince Edward, the British royal who would eventually abdicate the throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, was photographed surfing in Hawaii two years before Christie rented her first surfboard.

Historic Events

 2 Feb in History

Birthdays with some quotes

José Guadalupe Posada, Mexican artist and illustrator (Biblioteca del niño mexicano), born in Aguascalientes, Mexico (d. 1913; @60, gastroenteritis)

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Solomon R. Guggenheim, American businessman and philanthropist (Guggenheim Museum NYC), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1949; @88)

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James Joyce (1882-1941; @58, perforated ulcer)

Irish novelist and poet (Dubliners, Ulysses, Finnigan's Wake), born in Dublin, Ireland

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Frank Lloyd (1886-1960; @74)

Scottish actor and director (Mutiny on Bounty, Oliver Twist, Blood on the Sun), born in Glasgow, Scotland

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Frank McGrath, American actor (The Reluctant Astronaut, Wagon Train), born in Mound City, Missouri (d. 1967; @64, heart attack)

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Ayn Rand [Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum], Russian-American author, screenwriter and philosopher who developed the philosophical system of "Objectivism" (Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead), born in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire (d. 1982; @77, heart attack)

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James Dickey, American poet, novelist and lecturer (Deliverance, Buckdancer's Choice), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 1997; @73, jaundice)

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Elaine Stritch, American actress (30 Rock; Two's Company), singer and member of the American Theater Hall of Fame, born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2014; @89)

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Stan Getz [Stanley Gayetski], American big band, bebop, cool jazz, and bossa nova tenor saxophonist (Woody Herman; Getz/Gilberto), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1991; @64, liver cancer)

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Tommy Smothers, American comedian and folk singer (The Smothers Brothers Show; Serial), born on Governors Island, New York City (d. 2023; @86) 

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Farrah Fawcett (1947-2009; @62, anal cancer)

American actress (Charlie's Angels; The Burning Bed), born in Corpus Christi, Texas

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Barry Diller (84 years old), American media executive, founder of the Fox Network, born in San Francisco, California

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Graham Nash (84 years old), British-American musician and singer-songwriter (The Hollies - "Bus Stop"; Crosby, Stills & Nash - "Our House"), born in Blackpool, Lancashire, England

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Ina Garten (78 years old)

1948 American author and TV cooking show host (Barefoot Contessa, Food Network), born in Brooklyn, New York

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Park Geun-hye (74 years old)

1952 1st female President of South Korea (2013-17), born in Jung-gu, Taegu

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Christie Brinkley [Ex-Mrs Billy Joel] (72 years old), American model and actress (SI, Vacation), born in Monroe, Michigan

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Shakira (49 years old)

1977 Colombian pop singer ("Whenever Wherever"; "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)"), born in Barranquilla, Colombia

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…The End for today…

               

January 31, 2026

1 Feb

 








 

Week 5  Day 32 Flag Today  51°/30°

Wind 7 mph Gusts 13 mph

Active Fire:  132 miles away Risk of fire: High 

Nearest Lightning: 1568 miles away

Air Quality: Moderate Sunshine Breezy

Feb. Averages: Temps: 46°\22° Moisture:  4.7Days

 

Monthly Observations

Adopt A Rescued Rabbit Month Link
African-American Cultural Heritage Month
AFRMA Fancy Rat and Mouse Month
AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month
American Heart Month

An Affair To Remember Month  Link
Bake for Family Fun Month 
Link
Barley Month 
Link
Beat The Heat Month
Cricket World Cup (2/6-3/7)

Weekly Observations

Sundance Film Festival: 22-2/1
US Nationals Snow Sculpting Days: 28-2/1 
Link
Angouleme Internat’l Comics Festival: 29-2/1 
 Link
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: 31-2/3

 

 

1-7

African Heritage & Health Week
Burn Awareness Week
 Link  
Children's Authors & Illustrators Week
Freelance Writer Appreciation Week
Women's Heart Week
World Interfaith Harmony Week

Daily Observations

Candy-Making Day
Car Insurance Day
CBC Day 
 Link
Change Your Password Day

Decorating With Candy Day
G.I. Joe Day
Grammy Awards
Hula in The Coola Day
International Brownie Camera Day 2026  
Link 
International Day of Black Women in The Arts  

International Face & Body Art Day 
International Furmint Day  Link

 Freedom Day
National Get Up Day  (
About Perseverance)
Robinson Crusoe Day
Spunky Old Broads Day 
Link Link
Tu B'Shavat
World Hijab Day  
Link
World Animal Reiki Day 
 Link 

 

Today’s Quote                                                        

 




Today’s Meme

 





Today’s Thoughts

I’m starting the new month with nice weather, even if it is a little breezy.

ICE just bought a huge warehouse in Surprise, AZ, just outside Phoenix, for $70million. No word on why, but a good guess would be another prison for immigrants.

Lots of people wear a pin or ribbon on their clothing to raise awareness for a particular cause. I wonder if this really does that and what else people should do?

Getting a prescription renewed when there are no refills is becoming more difficult for me. I have diarrhea from a med I’m taking to kill my blood cancer. It was time for renewal, so I called the Doctor. Their auto answer said if I needed a script renewed, I should contact the pharmacy. I did that and about 3 hours later I got a text from Walgreens saying the renewal was declined. I called the Dr. again and tried to speak to a human…that was impossible. I left a voice mail. They called me back about an hour later and I asked what was going on. She said she would send it while we spoke.  In my original request, Walgreens said I could pick it up on Tuesday. Then this morning I got a text from Walgreens that my script was ready. Life can be very confusing. 

Trivia

Alaska’s flag was created by a 13-year-old.

Every flag has a story, but few are as endearing as Alaska’s. One of the rare places to have a flag before it was actually a state, the Last Frontier held a contest to design its territorial standard in 1926 — and a 13-year-old won. (The contest was open only to Alaskan children in grades seven to 12, but it’s still impressive.) Benny Benson lived in an orphanage known as the Jesse Lee Home in Seward, Alaska, when he came up with the winning design, which included a description he wrote himself: “The blue field is for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not, an Alaska flower. The North Star is for the future of the state of Alaska, the most northerly in the Union. The dipper is for the Great Bear – symbolizing strength.” His design also featured “1867” in commemoration of the year the United States bought Alaska from Russia, although the numbers didn’t make the final cut.
In addition to being hailed as a local hero, Benson won a watch with his design on it and a $1,000 scholarship. He eventually used that money to attend Hemphill Diesel Engineering School after moving to Seattle in 1936. He was 45 when Alaska became a state in 1959, fulfilling the hopeful description of his design. Alaska kept its flag instead of adopting a new one, and Benson’s work lives on today.

Historic Events

1 Feb in History

Birthdays with some quotes

John Napier (1550-1617; @67)

Scottish mathematician and inventor (logarithms), born in Edinburgh, Scotland

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Charles-Joseph Sax, Belgian music instrument builder of wind and brass instruments whose son invented the saxophone, born in Dinant, Wallonia, Belgium (d. 1865; @75)

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Thomas Cole (1801-1848; @47, pleurisy)

American romantic landscape painter (Hudson River School), born in Bolton le Moors, Lancashire, England

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Meyer Guggenheim, Swiss-born patriarch of the Guggenheim family, one of the world's wealthiest families in the 19th century, born in Lengnau, Switzerland (d. 1905; @77)

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Hattie Wyatt Caraway, American politician (1st woman elected to US Senate, Senator for Arkansas 1931-45), born near Bakerville, Tennessee (d. 1950; @72) 

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John Ford (John Martin Feeney)(1895-1973; @79)

American director (Stagecoach, Air Mail, Quiet Man), born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine

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Clark Gable (1901-1960; @59, heart attack)

American actor (Gone With The Wind; It Happened One Night) known as 'The King of Hollywood', born in Cadiz, Ohio

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Langston Hughes (1902-1967; @66, prostate cancer)

American poet (Weary Blues), playwright (Mulatto), and librettist (Troubled Island), born in Joplin, Missouri

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Zhang Chunqiao (1917-2005; @88)

Chinese politician and writer (member of the Gang of Four), born in Heze, Shandong, Republic of China

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Muriel Spark (1918-2006; @88)

Scottish author (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie), born in Edinburgh, Scotland

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Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007; @76, heart failure)

Russian politician and 1st President of Russian Federation (1991-99), born in Butka, Sverdlovsk

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 (Isaac) Don Everly, American rock and roll singer-guitarist (The Everly Brothers - "Bye, Bye Love"; "Wake Up Little Susie"; "When WIll I Be Loved"), born in Brownie, Kentucky (d. 2021; @84)

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Sherman Hemsley, American actor (All in the Family; The Jeffersons; Amen), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2012; @74,  superior vena cava syndrome)

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Terry Jones, Welsh comedian (Monty Python), born in Colwyn Bay, Denbighshire, Wales (d. 2020; @77, dementia)

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Jessica Savitch, American broadcast journalist and pioneering female news anchor (NBC Weekend), born in Wilmington, Delaware (d. 1983; @36, auto accident

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Rick James (1948-2004; @56, pulmonary failure)

American funk musician ("Super Freak"), born in Buffalo New York

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Brandon Lee, American actor (Showdown in Little Tokyo), born in Oakland, California (d. 1993; @28, accidently shot during filming)

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Lisa Marie Presley (1968-2023; @54, cardiac arrest)

American singer-songwriter ("Lights Out"), and daughter of Elvis, born in Memphis, Tennessee

 

 

Garrett Morris (89 years old), actor (SNL, Martin, Carwash), born in New Orleans, Louisiana

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Billy Mumy (72 years old), American actor (Will Robinson-Lost in Space, Dear Brigitte), born in San Gabriel, California

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Pauly Shore (58 years old), American comedian (Totally Pauly, Encino Man), born in Hollywood, California

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Brian Krause (57 years old), American actor (Charmed), born in El Toro, California

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Michael C. Hall (55 years old), American actor (Dexter, Six Feet Under), born in Raleigh, North Carolina

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Ronda Rousey (39 years old), American pro wrestler, actress, author, mixed martial artist and judoka (UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion 6 defences; Olympic bronze 70kg judo 2008; WWE), born in Riverside, California

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Harry Styles(32 years old)

1994 British pop singer (One Direction - "What Makes You Beautiful"; solo - "Sign of the Times"), born in Redditch, England

 

 …The End for today…