Cirrus-ly? We're trusting a groundhog to predict the forecast?

Happy Whistlepig Day! Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverses centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. Myths such as this tie our present to the distant past when nature did, indeed, influence our lives.

It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow.



If the day is cloudy and, hence, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground. (It's a cloudy and overcast day today, so Phil, did not see his shadow and is calling for an early spring. We'll see)


Today is also National Working Naked Day (also celebrated on the first Friday in February). National Working Naked Day was founded by Lisa Kanarek in 2010. Lisa decided to create this day along with her own company, a brand called Working Naked, after she left a corporate job of over 20 years to start the new adventure of working from home. At the time, working from home was not the commonplace choice that it is today. In fact, Lisa has stated that she didn’t even let on that she was working from home for the first five years–for fear of not being taken seriously in her industry. It’s hard to fathom how much things have changed in the past decade or so.

You know what, please celebrate this one privately. Most of us don't need (or want to know) about it.


Even more to be cheerful - today is also National Bubble Gum Day, celebrated on the first Friday in February. I wasn't really sure why but a little investigating led me to find out that children’s book author, Ruth Spiro, started the day to raise funds for school activities without the children having to sell something to family members, friends or neighbors. -



If chewing bubble gum is not your thing, I guess you could celebrate National Wear Red Day, also celebrated on the first Friday in February, but probably not for the reason Cher suggests.


February 2, 1950 -
Produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, the TV game show What's My Line, premiered on CBS TV on this date.



Although there are those who suspect John Daly was sending the panel signals, Moderator Daly insisted that there is only one signal he ever gave to the panel: When he pulled his right ear lobe it warned them, usually Hal Block, that the questions were getting dangerously close to double entendre. And any question of cheating is ludicrous given the paltry monetary prize ($50). The embarrassment of public exposure for cheating would hardly seem worthwhile.


February 2, 1971 -
The animated special based on the Harry Nilsson album, The Point!, originally voiced by Dustin Hoffman, Paul Frees, June Foray, and Mike Lookinland premiered as an ABC Movie of the Week, on this date.



Although that version was only licensed for the initial airing, a few different narrations followed, including Alan Thicke and Ringo Starr. The one posted above is a restored version with Duffin Hoffman's narrative treatment.


February 2, 1973 -
The regular run of the musical series, Burt Sugarman's The Midnight Special premiered on NBC-TV on this date.



Also among the acts that appears on that first show were The Byrds, Ike and Tina Turner Revue, Rare Earth and George Carlin.


February 2, 1976 -
The Honeymooners Second Honeymoon, starring Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Audrey Meadows, and Jane Keans, aired on CBS TV, on this date.



This is the first time Audrey Meadows played the role of Alice Kramden since The Honeymooners: The Adoption. Jackie Gleason and Art Carney had continued to reprise their roles on The Jackie Gleason Show.


February 2, 1985 -
Foreigner's single I Want To Know What Love Is begins a two-week run at #1 on the charts, on this date.



The New Jersey Mass Choir was brought in to sing the backing vocals, becoming the first gospel choir to appear on a #1 pop hit. Mick Jones knew he wanted a choir on the song and found the New Jersey Mass Choir through a bit of serendipity: they had the same lawyer.


February 2, 2001 -
Touchstone Pictures released the comedy film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson, into general release in the US on this date. The film loosely follows the story of Homer’s Odyssey.



Although Homer is given a co-writing credit on the film, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen claim never to have read The Odyssey and are familiar with it only through cultural osmosis and film adaptations.


February 2, 2013 –
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' song (featuring Wanz), Thrift Shop went to No. # 1 on the Billboard Charts on this date.



Macklemore told MTV News the song is a way of life: "Rappers talk about, oh I buy this and I buy that, and I spend this much money and I make it rain, and this type of champagne and painting the club, and this is the kind of record that's the exact opposite," he explained. "It's the polar opposite of it. It's kind of standing for like let's save some money, let's keep some money away, let's spend as little as possible and look as fresh as possible at the same time."


Another unimportant moment in history


Today in History:
Congestion Advisory:
In 1626, it is said that, Dutchman Peter Minuit bought the island of Manhattan for $24. People often joke about that, but twenty-four bucks wasn't such an unreasonable price. It was a lot of money back then, and it's not like Mr. Minuit just turned around and built Times Square. Manhattan was a big rock in the middle of cold rushing waters and the weather was awful, even for a Dutchman. It wasn't even a city until February 2, 1653, when it became New Amsterdam. It had a population of 800 at the time.



Eventually it was renamed New York, which, according to the 2010 census, has a population of more than 8.3 million. This represents an increase of more than one million percent. At this rate, by the year 2319 New York will have a population of over 80 billion.

Anticipate more traffic.


February 2, 1793 -
Czech composer Franz Kotzwara, who penned The Battle of Prague, visited a prostitute in Vine Street, Westminster named Susannah Hill. After dinner with her in her lodgings, Kotzwara paid her two shillings and requested that she cut off his testicles. Hill refused to do so. Kotzwara then proceeded to tie a rope around the doorknob and then his neck and proceeded to have vigorous sexual intercourse with Hill. After it was over, Kotzwara was dead.

His is most likely the first recorded death from erotic asphyxiation.

Bunkies, don't do this at home, unless you have adult supervision.


February 2, 1826 -
Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (b.1755), French lawyer and epicure, died on this date.

His famous work, Physiologie du goût (The Physiology of Taste), was published in December 1825, two months before his death.


James Joyce was born on February 2, 1882. Mr. Joyce was one of many drunken Irish geniuses who got the hell out of Ireland as soon as he could afford a passport.



Mr. Joyce wrote Ulysses, a famous book perhaps most notable for the fact that few people ever actually read it, was published on this date in 1922.

Gertrude Stein was born a day later, eight years earlier, than Mr. Joyce, in 1874.



She wrote books that were much easier to read than Mr. Joyce's yet made even less sense.


February 2, 1901 -
Following a custom she maintained throughout her widowhood, Queen Victoria spent Christmas at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. She died there from a cerebral hemorrhage on January 22, 1901, at the age of 81. At her deathbed she was attended by her son, the future King, and her oldest grandson, German Emperor William II. As she had wished, her own sons lifted her into the coffin. She was dressed in a white dress and her wedding veil. Her funeral was held on this date and after two days of lying-in-state, she was interred beside Prince Albert in the Frogmore Mausoleum at Windsor Great Park. Since Victoria disliked black funerals, London was instead festooned in purple and white.



When she was laid to rest at Frogmore Mausoleum, it began to snow. Victoria had reigned for a total of 63 years, seven months and two days - at the time, the longest of any British monarch.


February 2, 1913 -
The new Beaux-Arts style Grand Central Terminal in New York City opened on this date.

The cost to construct Grand Central Terminal was a staggering $43 million. The price was offset by the sale of "air rights" over the enclosed facility.



Many majestic buildings were constructed including the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. For many years, the elevators in these buildings would be powered by third rail current provided by the New York Central.



The railroad needed to invest in electrifying its rails, and carve deep into Manhattan's bedrock (workers would ultimately excavate 2.8 million cubic yards of earth and rock).



And if you're lucky, my brother might have just driven your train into the station.


February 2, 1964 -
The GI Joe doll made its debut on the market as a popular American toy on this date.



It would be several years before GI Joe would be released with his Kung Fu grip. Even though GI Joe is 12" of fighting machine - Joe is genital-less - so the grip is useless.


February 2, 1971 -
Idi Amin assumed power in Uganda on this date, taking the government from President Milton Obote. One of his favorite pastimes seems to have been eating the brains of live prisoners. Also while in office, he reportedly ate one of his own sons.

And no, I don't know which one.


February 2, 1979 -
John Simon Ritchie, better known as Sid Vicious, bassist for the Sex Pistols, died in his sleep of a heroin overdose on this date.



He was waiting to stand trial for the stabbing death of his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen.



And so it goes