2/23/26 - Break!, Pets, and Weird Mail
- bribriny
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
Tuesday 2/23/26
Celebrate:
National Tortilla Chip Day - Americans consumed over $5 billion worth of tortilla chips in 2025, making them one of the most popular snack foods in the U.S.
National Trading Card Day
World Bartender Day
World Spay Day
Twin Peaks Day - "Diane, it's 11:30 a.m., February 24th. Entering the town of Twin Peaks," FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, played by Kyle MacLachlan, dictates into his tape recorder, as he makes his entrance into the town of Twin Peaks and into the television series of the same name.
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A new study says that you should stop working and take a break at 11am every day!! Two researchers at Baylor University performed a fascinating study that came to a surprising conclusion: the best time to take a break is in the mid-morning — not the afternoon. According to study participants, breaks taken later in the day were less effective as they recovered less energy.
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Pet Ownership in America 2026
Overall Pet Ownership:
71% of U.S. households own a pet (94 million families)
Up from 56% in 1988 (first year of survey)
97% of pet owners consider their pets part of the family
Dogs vs. Cats:
68 million households own dogs (up from 65.1 million in 2023-2024)
49 million households own cats (up from 46.5 million)
85 million pet dogs total in the U.S.
60-62 million pet cats (excluding strays)
Pet Ownership by Generation:
Millennials: 30% (largest share)
Gen X: 25%
Baby Boomers: 25%
Gen Z: 20% (but growing fast - up 43.5% from 2023!)
-70% of Gen Z pet owners have 2 or more pets (highest of any generation)
Gen Z is "driving a remarkable shift in pet ownership"
They discover and buy pet products via TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram
Global Pet Stats:
U.S. has largest dog population in world (85 million)
U.S. also has largest cat population globally
China: 27 million dogs (2nd place)
900 million pet dogs worldwide
370 million cats kept as pets worldwide
(APPA Survey, 2024-2025)
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Sagrada Família Finally Reaches Its Designed Height After 144 Years
Barcelona's iconic Sagrada Família has reached its designed height of 172.5 meters (566 feet) after beginning construction way back in 1882. The completion of the main building is expected later in 2026, marking the end of one of the world's longest construction projects. Antoni Gaudí's masterpiece has been under construction for nearly a century and a half—that's longer than most countries have existed. Talk about patience paying off.
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Former college design professor Don Glickman was 93 and dying when he and his daughter discussed how he wanted to be memorialized. They came up with a clever idea: send out postcards to family and friends announcing his death. On the front is a photo of Glickman and the text, "If you're reading this, I'm dead, and I really liked you," with a small sketch of him that had become his signature. Glickman died on November 2024, but his postcards are still making people smile—and maybe rethink the generic funeral announcement.
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Listen up, 29-year-olds in France: Health Minister Stephanie Rist wants you to get busy! All 29-year-olds in France will be receiving a letter from the government with "targeted, balanced and scientifically based information on sexual and reproductive health." Rist said France's "concrete and long-awaited measures" will include increasing the number of fertility preservation centers. Critics suggest raising maternity leave from 16 to 26 weeks would have a greater impact than government reproductive nagging.
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Fashion editors are declaring the '80s officially BACK for 2026! Think exaggerated shoulders, power suits, pussy-bow blouses, pencil skirts, and classic pumps—but with a modern twist. On the runways at Saint Laurent, Chloé, and Tom Ford, designers are embracing that "projecting authority" vibe Madonna made iconic. Bold color blocking is everywhere, and everyone from Anthropologie to Zara is hopping on the trend.
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Today’s Useless Fact of the Day - National Tortilla Chip Day -
Doritos were actually "invented" at a restaurant in Disneyland called Casa de Fritos. They took stale tortillas, fried them, and added seasoning. A Frito-Lay executive saw how popular they were and took the idea global.
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