First of the Month

Wake up because it’s the shortest month of the Gregorian calendar. That's right, the month of February, when we see a rapid sale of red roses in mid-winter, celebrate our great African American heroes like Spike Lee (not to be mixed up with Spike TV) and acknowledge great American Presidents like William Henry Harrison and Martin Van Buren (A good looking fellow he was).

Oh yes, and the wonderful sight of dog piss in a pile of snow complemented by watching America's favorite rodent weather prognosticator, Punxsutawney Phil. (PHIL CONNORS! PHIL CONNORS!) How can anyone dislike February in 2008? We see Groundhog's Day on a Saturday (tomorrow) and it is a leap year. (I love that extra day. It makes you feel like you’re getting a free day of rent.)

But February has other annual celebrations too. There's that Super bowl on the third, the NBA All star festivities are slated for the third weekend and NASCAR's Daytona 500 will mark the first year Junior won’t drive under DEI. (Let’s take a moment to celebrate NASCAR names: Sterling Marlin, Ricky Rudd, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Dick Trickle and the list goes on.) Oh yeah, the annual Westminster Dog Show is also scheduled during February. This year Lent starts on the sixth, so you beer-guzzling, candy suckling and swearword-blasphemist (made up word), get ready for Fat Tuesday before you take a 40 day break. (Hey! Pearl Harbor hunk Josh Hartnett gave up woopie a few years back). (I think we should take a moment of silence for the family and friends (Mary Kate) of Heath Ledger.) Ledger will be remembered during the Oscars, which is scheduled for Feb. 24^th, a few weeks after the Grammy's.

And don't forget it's American Heart Month, so give yourself a break and cozy up to the fire to read a book on behalf of Library Lovers Month. I guess its time to get rid of all these parentheses and go out and celebrate the wonderful month of February.

And how could anyone celebrate the second month without birthdays? To start off the month, we celebrate the late Superfreak Rick James today, who would have been 60. James birthday is three days before “Torn” Australian Natalie Umbrulia turns 33 and former “Nutty” VP Dan Quale turns 61. On Feb. 8^th Chris Griffin voiceover Seth Green turns 34, which is one day before Simpson creator and Portland-native Matt Groening turns 54. Two day’s after Groening’s bday, we celebrate two of Americas most favorite celebrities: Michael Jordan (45) and Paris Hilton (27). And to round out this leap year, Mr. Antonio Sabato Jr. turns 36. I have no idea who he is, but he seemed more famous than my other choice:

Rep. Bart Stupak
from Michigan's
1st District, who

turns 56. (divided by four equals 14)