Thursday 3/17/22
Celebrate Absolutely Incredible Kid, Camp Fire Girls, Doctor-Patient Trust, Oranges and Lemons, Companies That Care, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Submarine Day.
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Today is also Purim also known as the Festival of Lots, is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from death. The story is recounted in the Book of Esther.
According to the book, an official of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, Haman, who was royal vizier to King Ahasuerus, decided that Mordecai should die because he refused to bow to him, and then decided that all Jews in the Persian Empire should die as well. Haman received permission from Ahasuerus and cast lots—known as "purim"—to decide on which day the killings would take place. The 13th day of the month of Adan was chosen. Upon hearing of the plans, Mordecai and other Jews in the empire put on sackcloth and ashes—a sign of mourning—and took part in weeping, penitence, and fasting.
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Happy St. Patricks Day! It takes place on the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who is thought to have died in 461.
Contrary to what many may think, St. Patrick was not Irish—he was born in Roman Britain, in what is now England, Scotland, or Wales. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland to be a slave. During his time in captivity, he turned to his Christian faith. He escaped six years later, began religious training, and later returned to Ireland as a missionary. Some credit him with bringing Christianity to the country, but it is believed a bishop known as Palladius had been doing mission work there since 431. It is likely Patrick ministered to those who were already Christians, while converting others.
Many legends surround St. Patrick. One says he explained the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by using the three leaves of the native Irish clover—the shamrock. Years later, during the seventeenth century, the shamrock became a symbol of Irish nationalism and pride against British rule. There is also a legend that says St. Patrick banished snakes from Ireland. It is a snake-free island, but it had been before Patrick arrived. Some see the snake story as being an allegory for his banishment of pagan ideology.
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Shamrocks and Four-Leaf Clovers: What's the Difference?
The shamrock is a symbol that we commonly associate with St. Patrick’s Day and with Ireland. It can be seen all over St. Patrick’s Day decor, representing the rebirth of spring.
Sometimes, the shamrock is depicted as a four-leaf clover, but this isn’t quite accurate. Traditionally, a shamrock is a three-leaf clover. Why three leaves and not four? According to legend, St. Patrick used a three-leaf shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.
A four-leaf clover isn’t a special variety of clover; it’s just an unusual mutation of a three-leaf clover, but it’s a “lucky” symbol because it’s so hard to find. In fact, your chances of finding a four-leaf clover are 1 in 10,000!
In recent years, the idea of growing clover has been making a comeback. White clover (Trifolium repens) is well known for crowding out broadleaf weeds while growing harmoniously with grass. It will thrive in areas that are poorly drained or too shady for a conventional lawn, making it a great grass alternative.
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Sleeping for only one night with a dim light, such as a TV set with the sound off, raised the blood sugar and heart rate of healthy young people participating in a sleep lab experiment, a new study found.
The dim light entered the eyelids and disrupted sleep despite the fact that participants slept with their eyes closed, said study author Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Heart rate typically drops at night, slowing down as the the brain is busy repairing and rejuvenating the body. An elevated heart rate at night has been shown in numerous studies to be a risk factor for future heart disease and early death.
High blood sugar levels are a sign of insulin resistance, where the body stops using glucose properly and the pancreas goes into overdrive, flooding the body with extra insulin to overcompensate until it eventually loses its ability to do so. Over time, insulin resistance can ultimately lead to Type 2 diabetes.
What advice would Zee give people based on her study and existing research in the field? Close your blinds and curtains, turn off all the lights, and consider using a sleep mask.
"I think the strength of the evidence is that you should clearly pay attention to the light in your bedroom," she said. "Make sure that you start dimming your lights at least an hour or two before you go to bed to prepare your environment for sleep."
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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - St. Patricks Edition
-The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in America—not in Ireland.
-The annual shamrock ceremony in the White House started in 1952.
-Blue is the color originally associated with St. Patrick.
-St. Patrick’s Day is actually the fourth most popular drinking day(behind New Year’s Eve, Christmas Day, and the Fourth of July).
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