2/18/26 - Ash Wednesday, Annoying Office Behaviors, and Arobic Activities

Wednesday 2/18/26

Celebrate:

Cow Milked While Flying in an Airplane Day - 1930, a cow named Elm Farm Ollie became the first. The flight took place in St. Louis, and the milk was sealed in paper containers and dropped via parachute to the people below. This was mostly done as a publicity stunt to prove that cows could fly.

Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day

Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day

National Battery Day

National Drink Wine Day

Pluto Day

Thumb Appreciation Day

Today is Ash Wednesday, one of the most solemn days in the Christian calendar. Catholics and many other Christians will attend services where they receive ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross—a symbol of mortality and repentance. It's an obligatory fast day for Roman Catholics ages 18-59, meaning one full meal and two smaller ones. The 40-day Lenten season leads up to Easter on April 5. Many people give up luxuries, increase prayer and charity, and focus on spiritual renewal. It's a time of serious reflection!

The Start of Ramadan - the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a period of deep spiritual reflection, self-discipline, and community.

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If you are the woman who dropped off a human skull at the Goodwill Donation Center in Chelsea, Michigan, on January 26, the Chelsea Police Department would like a word. CBS News reported that a woman, caught on the store's surveillance camera, brought in a skull wrapped in a shirt. The skull appeared to be intact without any visible damage. Officers turned it over to the county medical examiner, who forwarded it to the anthropology department at the University of Michigan for further study. No word yet on whether it's ancient, modern, or just someone's very macabre collectible.

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Most Annoying Office Behaviors:

#1. Not muting during virtual meetings 

 2. Taking other people's food from the fridge (33%)

3. Reheated fish in the office microwave (31%)

4. Not showering regularly (25%)

4. Lazy coworkers who don't pull their weight (25%)

5. Talking over people in meetings (24%)

Personal Hygiene Issues:

50%  have dealt with coworkers who don't cover their mouths when coughing/sneezing

30% have experienced a coworker who leaves the bathroom smelly

Nearly 1 in 4 have worked with someone who openly picked their nose

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A sweeping review of global research suggests that exercise—especially aerobic activities like running, swimming, and dancing—can be one of the most powerful ways to ease depression and anxiety. The evidence is so strong that researchers are calling for exercise to be prescribed as a first-line treatment alongside therapy and medication. The benefits aren't marginal—they're substantial, comparable to pharmaceutical interventions but with positive side effects like improved cardiovascular health instead of negative ones. Time to lace up those running shoes.

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At a Publix in Acworth, Georgia, shoppers aren't always looking for the shortest line. They're looking for Michael. The beloved cashier has become so popular that customers willingly wait 40 minutes just to have him ring up their groceries. Michael greets every customer with genuine warmth, remembers regular shoppers' names, and makes everyone feel seen. In a world of self-checkout and impersonal transactions, Michael reminds us that human connection still matters—and people will wait for it.

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Environmental WIN! Portugal generated a staggering 80.7% of its electricity from renewable sources in January 2026—the best record in nine months and second in Europe overall! Only Norway beat them with 96.3%, while Denmark came in third at 78.8%. This is a HUGE comeback after Portugal suffered a mass blackout that triggered nationwide chaos last year. Wind, solar, and hydropower are driving the green revolution.

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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - 1885, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in the United States.

My second AI. Is this the study??

Despite now being considered "The Great American Novel," it was immediately banned by many libraries. The Concord Public Library called it "the veriest trash" and "more suited to the slums than to intelligent, respectable people." Twain loved the controversy, noting that the ban would likely sell 25,000 extra copies.

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