something for everyone

Happy Black History Month everyone. This month is also shared with Library Lovers Month (hooray, libraries!), American Heart Month, Marijuana Awareness Month, National Condom Week, National Children’s Dental Health Month, Pet Dental Health Month, National Hot Breakfast Month, Bake for Family Fun Month, National Bird Feeding Month, International Boost Your Self-Esteem Month, and in Canada, National Lactose Intolerance Awareness Month. And actually lots more.

February also brings us Groundhog Day, Mardi Gras, Chinese New Year, the Super Bowl, Valentines Day (whatever, made up holiday), the Daytona 500, and the Westminster Dog Show, as well as days to celebrate the births of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, my friend Lady Byron, and little old me.

America is big, ya’ll

So apparently there are huge dramatic ice storms hitting the midwest. I am unable to comprehend that fact, as it is currently 65 degrees outside (at 9 in the morning, the high is going to be damn near 80). It doesn’t really seem like there should be such divergent weather conditions is the same country.

Although, Florida often feels like part of a completely different nation. More like one in the southern hemisphere, where Christmas is supposed to be warm. We are having our holiday luncheon here at work today…not really feeling the Xmas spirit, weather wise. Hopefully there is some cool headed our way.

Where did this name come from?

Black Friday? I ask you all…have you ever heard that term before 2 years ago? I mean, it’s like it sprang up out of nowhere. The same goes for “Cyber Monday” (which is today, by the way, so I wish you all the best in this, the traditional Cyber Monday season). That one I can forgive, because online shopping and merchants caring about it is a relatively new phenomenon, but people shopping on the day after Thanksgiving is a longstanding tradition. But, it was always called “the day after Thanksgiving” not “Black Friday”. My issues with the term are twofold:

1. It’s like giving yourself a nickname. (i.e. Micheal Jackson, he’s not called “The King of Pop” as he decided he should be. He’s called “the self-proclaimed King of Pop” or by the more honestly come by nicknames like Wacko Jacko…) I realize that these sobriquets have to start somewhere. I’m not opposed to coining new terms, per se. What I object to is everyone acting like this is not a new term. It’s like someone using the term “bling” back in the late 90’s, then being all like, “what, that’s been a thing forever. You’ve never heard that term before? That’s totally how Marie Antoinette referred to her jewelry…”
2. You can’t just take something that has historically meant something bad and change that meaning to the exact opposite. Black Monday has already staked out this territory, and that is known far and wide as an extremely bad day. (I was just thinking of the stock market thing, but there are also all of these…who knew? Also, please note…all bad) Yet we’re supposed to infer that while Black Monday is bad, Black Friday is somehow good? (Also note in this list, one good…many bad).

This rant actually has no purpose other than I’ve been hearing the term relentlessly for days now and it’s been bugging the crap out of me. It’s at least out of my system for another year I guess.

It’s Columbus Day here in the good old U.S. of A. A day in which we celebrate the “discovery” of America (much to the surprise of those already living here. It’s not like they were an aspiring starlet or an unsigned band, just hanging out, waiting to be discovered…)

Apparently, the holiday was begun in 1892 (400 years after the famously rhymed 1492) by President Benjamin Harrison. (Benjamin Harrison of course being otherwise known, at least to me, as “that dude who was president between the 2 Grover Cleavlands”. Also, he’s a handy answer to trivia questions about related presidents.)

Anyway, I mostly think of Columbus Day as “that day we used to get off work/school but don’t anymore.” State offices in Florida don’t care to let us stay home and rest on this day (ditto President’s Day). Federal employees do get the day off, as my friend Rakes is always quick to point out.

I did just discover that the day is celebrated in places other than the U.S., which I didn’t know (in Spain and throughout Latin America, to name a few). I also learned that it is now called Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela. Sometimes I love that crazy-ass Hugo Chávez. (Mostly for this…it smells of sulfur still…)

For me, Columbus day always brings back the same memory. I was at a Public Enemy concert and Chuck D took the opportunity to address the issue between songs. His words were to the effect of “today we celebrate Columbus Day. Columbus was trying to find a way to India and landed in America instead. Do you know who Christopher Columbus was? Columbus was a lost motherfucker…”

It’s Columbus Day here in the good old U.S. of A. A day in which we celebrate the “discovery” of America (much to the surprise of those already living here. It’s not like they were an aspiring starlet or an unsigned band, just hanging out, waiting to be discovered…)

Apparently, the holiday was begun in 1892 (400 years after the famously rhymed 1492) by President Benjamin Harrison. (Benjamin Harrison of course being otherwise known, at least to me, as “that dude who was president between the 2 Grover Cleavlands”. Also, he’s a handy answer to trivia questions about related presidents.)

Anyway, I mostly think of Columbus Day as “that day we used to get off work/school but don’t anymore.” State offices in Florida don’t care to let us stay home and rest on this day (ditto President’s Day). Federal employees do get the day off, as my friend Rakes is always quick to point out.

I did just discover that the day is celebrated in places other than the U.S., which I didn’t know (in Spain and throughout Latin America, to name a few). I also learned that it is now called Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela. Sometimes I love that crazy-ass Hugo Chávez. (Mostly for this…it smells of sulfur still…)

For me, Columbus day always brings back the same memory. I was at a Public Enemy concert and Chuck D took the opportunity to address the issue between songs. His words were to the effect of “today we celebrate Columbus Day. Columbus was trying to find a way to India and landed in America instead. Do you know who Christopher Columbus was? Columbus was a lost motherfucker…”