Having offered my thoughts on Groundhog Day last week, I now take aim at the second February event … Valentine’s Day, celebrated next week.
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with Valentine’s Day. In school, when we all gave valentines to each other, I would receive nice ones, funny ones, morbid ones … but I always received them. Now, however, I don’t receive any valentines. But it’s okay, because now I don’t give them, either.
Seems kind of silly, if you ask me. Why use just one day of the year to tell people you love them? Do it every day, and you — and they — will be much happier.
That’s my opinion, of course; free, and worth what it costs. What’s much more valuable is the trivia, which follows herein! Enjoy.
Did you know …
… One of the most iconic roles in television history almost went to a different actor? Today, one can’t imagine the original Hawaii Five-O without actor Jack Lord (1920-1998) in the lead role of Steve McGarrett. But the role didn’t belong to him at first – it was originally cast with actor Robert Brown (1926-2022). Brown was a lock on the lead role until creator-producer Leonard Freeman (1920-1974) decided he was not quite right for the McGarrett character, and Lord was cast instead. (Robert Brown? Wasn’t he that guy in Here Come the Brides?)
… The Earth gets heavier every year? Astronomers estimate that about twelve tons of material is added to our little speck of dust in a sunbeam through meteorites landing annually. (Maybe the Earth needs a diet?)
… The president of the Confederate States of America had his U.S. citizenship restored? In 1978, the citizenship of Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) – which had been stripped from him following the Civil War – was restored by an act signed by President Jimmy Carter (born 1924).
… Some nations now impose a tax on livestock in an effort to cut greenhouse gases? Denmark, Ireland, and other nations in the European Union now tax cattle in regard to methane production. In Ireland, it’s the equivalent of $18 per animal; in Denmark, it $110. The idea is to curb greenhouse gases, but how taxing the farmers cuts the gases is best left to the imagination. (So is figuring out where on the cow the methane is coming from.)
… A single word in the Georgian language covers overeating quite nicely? If you ever hear the term shemomedjamo, you’re hearing a Georgian word which literally means “overeating past the point of fullness because the food tastes so good.” A rough translation would be, “I accidentally ate the whole thing.” (That sounds eerily like an old Alka-Seltzer™ commercial, you know.)
… A planned invasion of Spain by England was called off because of drunkenness? In 1625, two English officers – George Villiers (1592-1628), first Duke of Buckingham, and Sir Edward Cecil (1572-1638), first Viscount Wimbledon – sought royal approval for an invasion of Spain. King Charles I (1600-1649) gave his approval, but the raid was not funded by Parliament. Undaunted, the two men raised an army on their own and set sail for Cadiz, Spain in October of 1625. After landing and marching along on the way to the fortified city, the soldiers passed through the region of Andalusia, famous then and now for its wines. There was a lot of wine to be had, and the soldiers had it – and then some. They were eventually too drunk to continue the march to Cadiz, and Cecil and Villiers had no choice but to bring them back to their ships and sail back home. (Nursing massive hangovers all the way, I don’t doubt.)
… The first movie about “flying saucers” was made in 1950? The Flying Saucer (what an original title) was the first feature film about the UFO phenomenon. Its rather silly plot involves Soviet spies in Alaska Territory looking for clues about flying saucers, and the American intelligence officers who battled them. Yes, there is a UFO/flying saucer/whatever involved, but it’s just incidental to the Cold War/1950s love story plot line. (Throw in aliens and you have a classic piece of garbage cinema.)
… According to a study, 53% of women leave home without makeup? (I am not touching this one. You can’t pay me enough to comment here.)
… An episode of a children’s television program was banned in Australia because it taught children not to be afraid of spiders? The show Peppa Pig aired an episode in which the characters taught children that spiders are not scary. But in Australia, some spiders really are frightening, much more dangerous than ones found in Europe or North America. Parents complained that the episode gave their children misinformation and a false sense of security around the dangerous arachnids, and the episode was pulled from the series and never aired in Australia again. (Well, there are some pretty nasty spiders in Australia.)
… A woman won a lawsuit against New York City over going topless? Jill Coccaro (born 1980) sued the city after she was repeatedly arrested by New York police for going topless in public. Amazingly, Coccaro was awarded more than $29,000 from the city in damages – because it is perfectly legal for both men and women to go around topless in the state of New York and in New York City. (Make of that what you will.)
… The signing of the Declaration of Independence went unnoticed in one important place? In his diary for July 4, 1776, King George III of England (1738-1820) noted: “Nothing of importance happened today.” (Yes, but in His Majesty’s defense, he didn’t know about it until quite some time later.)
… More than 400 ghost towns exist in the state of Texas? (Boo!)
Now … you know!
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