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National Hairball Awareness Day

April 29, 2016/0 Comments/in April

Today is National Hairball Awareness Day, observed annually on the last Friday of April.

Hairballs are a nuisance and just plain gross, as anyone who’s stepped on one in bare feet can attest. They’re no fun for cats, either, causing discomfort and irritation. In some cases, they can be an indicator of serious illness. Talk to your veterinarian to learn more, and be sure to brush your pets often and keep your home clean to prevent dust and other particles from adhering to their fur, where they can be ingested.

P.S.: We’re not advocating the nuclear option you see above for every pet. Rocky, the cat shown here, hated to be brushed but for some reason enjoyed the shearing process. His groomers always remarked on how mellow he was and charged much less for his visits. Despite his dyspeptic look, Rocky loved his lion cut. We’d even say he rocked it!

Have a safe and happy National Hairball Awareness Day!

More cat holidays:
Respect Your Cat Day – March 28
Cat Herders’ Day – December 15
National Cat Day – October 29

April 26 is Alien Day

April 26, 2016/0 Comments/in April

Today is Alien Day. The date 4/26 pays homage to LV-426, the planet where Ripley and her expendable crew set down and take on a stowaway that no amount of Pepcid-AC can overcome. By the time the monster surprises Dallas with a gesture that looks suspiciously like jazz hands, it’s clear that the entire crew will indeed be expended.

Ripley and Jonesy, the luckiest cat in the universe, escape after a run-in with the alien, who has hidden in a shuttle so inefficiently designed that it has wasted space in the exact proportions of a slavering hell creature.

In the sequel, Aliens, Ripley returns to LV-426–as an advisor, that’s all–with the Colonial Marines and Burke, Carter J., a company man and (spoiler alert) not an okay guy, after contact is lost with the Weyland-Yutani employees working there. Suffice it to say there are problems and a few deaths are involved.

Alien³ and Alien: Resurrection take place on a penal planet and the USM Auriga spaceship, respectively. Prequel Prometheus occurs on LV-223, another moon in the same star system.

Director Ridley Scott’s sequel to his prequel will be called Alien: Covenant and is scheduled for release October 6, 2017. Scott has issued this description:

Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world — whose sole inhabitant is the “synthetic” David (Michael Fassbender), survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

At the end of Prometheus, David and Elizabeth (Noomi Rapace) survived. What’s happened to her? The films have always had a strong female lead. We hope Scott’s planning to keep it that way.

Meanwhile, Neill Blomkamp has been working on Alien 5, but that’s only the working title, since it appears that he plans to dropkick Alien³ and Alien: Resurrection and pick up where Aliens left off.

Many fans of the early movies are happy about this prospect. Unfortunately, Scott has “asked” Blomkamp to delay his movie until after Alien: Covenant opens.

Blomkamp has been sharing concept art since last year which shows Hicks and Ripley very much alive. He released this pic of Newt this morning in honor of Alien Day.

Can fans trust him to bring the series back to life? Will we get the director of District 9 or the one who made Chappie? Will Scott’s wishes put Blomkamp’s plans into permanent hypersleep? Stay tuned and have a happy Alien Day!

April 26 is National Pretzel Day

April 26, 2016/0 Comments/in April

Today is National Pretzel Day. In 2003, Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell dedicated April 26th to the snack food that continues to be a major contributor to the state’s economy.

By the 18th century, when German immigrants introduced them to the people of Pennsylvania, pretzels already had a long history. One popular origin story states that an Italian monk invented them in 610 AD to reward children who learned their prayers. He fashioned them to look like arms crossing the chest, which was supposedly the pose used to pray. There is no evidence to support any part of that but the legend persists.

The Hortus deliciarum, a 12th-century medieval encyclopedia compiled in an abbey in the German Alsace region, which is now part of France, contains the earliest known depiction of a pretzel.

A prayer book commissioned in the 15th century by Catherine of Cleves is considered a Dutch masterpiece. In this portrait, St. Bartholomew is surrounded by pretzels.

The next time you grab a pretzel, take a moment to appreciate its design and heritage before chomping into it. Have a happy National Pretzel Day!

April 24 is New Kids on the Block Day

April 24, 2016/0 Comments/in April

Today is New Kids on the Block Day and has been ever since Massachusetts governor and failed presidential candidate Michael Dukakis declared it so in 1989.

Boston’s favorite boy band is still going strong. The NKOTB Cruise has been an annual tradition since 2009. This year, Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre and Danny Wood will meet and greet their fans on a trip from New Orleans, Louisiana to Cozumel, Mexico. The October sailing has already sold out, but interested parties (you know who you are) can join the waitlist.

Happy New Kids on the Block Day!

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