Thursday 2/29/24
Celebrate:
Bachelor's Day
Digital Learning Day
International Repetitive Strain Injury Awareness Day
International Underlings Day
Leap Day
National Frog Legs Day
National Surf and Turf Day
National Time Refund Day
Rare Disease Day
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We need Leap Days because it takes the Earth slightly longer than 365 days to circle the sun. It actually takes 365 days, five hours, 48 minutes and 45 seconds.Â
So without Leap Years, we'd be off by about six hours every year. That doesn't sound like much, but over 100 years, it adds up to nearly 25 whole days.
It's not as simple as adding a day every four years. For a particular year to be a Leap Year, three criteria must be met: One, the year must be evenly divisible by 4. Two, if the year can ALSO be evenly divided by 100, it's NOT a Leap Year. And three, if the year is evenly divisible by 400 then it IS a Leap Year.
That's why the year 2000 WAS a Leap Year, since it's divisible by 400, but 2100 won't be.
People born during a Leap Year on February 29th are known as "leaplings," "leapers," or "leapsters"Â
According to an old Irish legend, or possibly history, St Brigid struck a deal with St Patrick to allow women to propose to men – and not just the other way around – every four years.
In many European countries, especially in the upper classes of society, tradition dictates that any man who refuses a woman's proposal on February 29 has to buy her 12 pairs of gloves. The intention is that the woman can wear the gloves to hide the embarrassment of not having an engagement ring. During the middle ages there were laws governing this tradition.
In Scotland, it used to be considered unlucky for someone to be born on leap day, just as Friday 13th is considered an unlucky day by many. Greeks consider it unlucky for couples to marry during a leap year, and especially on Leap Day.
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Wendy's is looking to test having the prices of its menu items fluctuate throughout the day based on demand, implementing a strategy that has already taken hold with ride-sharing companies and ticket sellers.
During a conference call earlier this month, Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner said that the Dublin, Ohio-based burger chain will start testing dynamic pricing, also known as surge pricing, as early as next year.
Shares of Wendy's fell slightly in Tuesday morning trading.
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Many people grow up enjoying unusual food combinations . . . and they don't realize they're unusual . . . until they become adults and see that NO ONE ELSE had those kinds of meals.
People are sharing the meals THEY found to be delicious and later realized were "weird" combinations.
Buzzfeed gathered a few.
Ketchup sandwiches. Just ketchup and white bread, and sometimes they'd spice it up by adding bologna or sliced ham.
(some said just mustard)
Eggo waffles with melted sharp cheddar cheese.
Cut up hot dogs in EVERYTHINGÂ in scrambled eggs, in boxed mac-and-cheese, in stir-fry vegetables, and on top of rice.
Grape jelly on grilled cheese.
Spaghetti noodles with canned beans.
Chili . . . and cinnamon rolls?
Making "ham salad" by grinding up uncooked hot dogs and mixing them with sweet relish and mayonnaise.
A cubed-up baguette tossed with Greek yogurt and chopped mint and sometimes with honey "to make it a sweet treat."
Having milk to drink with spaghetti. They said, "It's super refreshing. It counters the acidity perfectly, but my Italian-American friends think it's bizarre."
"Our Thanksgiving leftover meal was turkey with gravy over waffles. Delicious. But when I got to high school and college, people told me it sounded gross and weird."
"Shepherd's pie, but instead of mashed potatoes, mac 'n' cheese on top!"
"My grandpa used to make peanut butter toast (crispy bread, like almost burnt, and smooth PB — and he always buttered the bread before putting on the PB) and hot chocolate, and would dip the toast in the hot chocolate. Didn't realize it was weird until I got to college, did it in the dining hall, and got some weird looks."
"Unsweetened shredded wheat (it was large, not spoon-sized) toasted in the oven with sharp cheese and fried bacon, and you'd serve it with a bit of maple syrup on the side. It was, I think, a recipe on the cereal box, but seriously good. I never see those big shredded wheat squares around any longer, so I can't make this."
Coffee and crackers. You take a plate, line it with saltines, pour over coffee until they're softened, then spread some sugar to taste, and eat with deli ham. It's "like a poor man's country ham, biscuits, and red-eye gravy."
"My husband taught me to scramble leftover French toast batter once the bread is gone. It’s eggs, milk, and vanilla and it’s delicious. Now I sometimes just make that. Best served with maple syrup."
"My mom didn’t realize that you were supposed to create a broth with the ramen noodle spice packet. She would drain the noodles, then stir in butter and season it to taste with the flavor packet (usually about a quarter of the packet). It was delicious!"
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Have you ever avoided going out because you didn't want to deal with parking? Most Americans say yes.
75% of us have skipped a social event because we knew parking would be a hassle. Most agree city centers tend to be the hardest places to find a spot.
88% try to avoid PAYING for parking. We'll drive around for an average of 10 minutes looking for an open spot that's free.
57% have also used public transportation or Uber to avoid dealing with parking. Young people are more likely to go that route.
Last stat: Two-thirds of people who avoid paying for parking said they'd be more willing to pay if they could reserve a spot ahead of time.
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The average person will experience 543 unlucky events this year. That's just over 10 a week. But one in 10 think Leap Years are luckier than normal years. So maybe you'll have a few less than that in 2024?
People were asked to name the unluckiest things that can happen to you on any given day. Here are the Top 10 . . .
1. Losing something.Â
2. Stepping in dog poop.
3. Spilling on yourself.
4. When you hit every red light.
5. A flat tire.
6. A car drives by and splashes you with water.
7. Losing a competition or contest. Like a lottery ticket that doesn't hit.
8. Tripping or falling down in public.
9. You try to order something at a restaurant, but they're out of it.
10. Getting caught in the rain with no umbrella.
One more random stat:Â Three in four people have been pooped on by a bird, which is supposed to be GOOD luck . . . and 37% of us would welcome it again.
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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - Barney the Dinosaur was originally going to be a talking blanket, then a teddy bear that came to life . . . but eventually he became a dinosaur.
(The question is..in every iteration was it annoying?)
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