Tooth Fairy Day

And that’s about it.  So some tooth fairy news…

In a recent survey – 74% think the tooth fairy is a female…and 12% say the fairy is a man. 8% say it could be either.

In Italy, France and parts of Belgium…the tooth fairy is a mouse.

In Japan – a child that loses a tooth immediately throws it. If it’s from the upper jaw, they throw it on the ground. If it’s from the lower jaw, they throw it in the air. That’s to insure the replacement teeth grow straight.

The average gift from the Tooth Fairy dropped to $2.10 last year, but she’s still visiting nearly 90% of homes throughout the United States, according to The Original Tooth Fairy Poll sponsored by Delta Dental. That average gift is down 42 cents from $2.52 in 2010. The 17% drop in value is one of the larger declines since Delta Dental began conducting the poll in 1998. The poll also yielded these findings:

• The most common amount left under the pillow by the Tooth Fairy is $1.

• Most children find more money under the pillow for their first lost baby tooth.

• 71% of parents first take their child to the dentist between 2-3 years old. Dental professionals recommend that parents take their children to the dentist by age 1 or within six months after the first tooth erupts.

The Original Tooth Fairy Poll has generally been a good barometer of the economy’s overall direction. In fact, the trend in average giving has tracked with movement of the Dow Jones Industrial Average in seven of the past 10 years. Find out more at www.theoriginaltoothfairypoll.com.

1953: Scientists James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA, the molecule that contains the human genes.

1966: Liverpool's Cavern Club closed with debts of $17,000. The stage was sawed into small pieces and sold. It was made famous by the fact that a local group had appeared there over 250 times: The Beatles

The 101 number one song of the day was a long song that broke up a long partnership – of the two people who were responsible for its creation.  The two had known each other since the sixth grade and there had always been an element of tension in their working relationship. But by the time they were working on the song you’re about to hear, that tension had grown dramatically. While one of the partners wrote it, the other performed it as a solo on stage. The writer remembers sitting off to the side and resenting the great response the other would get while singing it. He said, “I’d be thinking, ‘that’s my song.’ In the earlier days when they were getting along, he said, ‘I’d never have felt that resentment.” While they’d reunite on stage from time to time, it would be the last time they’d record together. The song arrived at number one on February 28, 1970. Paul wrote it, but the main singer was – Art. Simon and Garfunkel “Bridge Over Troubled Water”

The Academy Awards last night…

Were you bored or entertained?  The most buzz was generated by something that happened before the show and involving someone who was not nominated.  You can watch.

The “Dictator” spills the ashes of Kim Jong Il on “Brian” Seacrest

The Oscars were hosted by Billy Crystal for his ninth time.

Crystal got the ceremony off to a lively start with a star-laden montage in which he hung out with Justin Bieber and got a wet kiss from George Clooney. Crystal also did his signature introduction of the Best-Picture nominees with a goofy song. Christopher Plummer became the oldest Oscar winner in history when he picked up the Supporting Actor prize for his role as an elderly widower who comes out as gay in “Beginners.” “You’re only two years older than me,” he crooned to his statuette; he’s 82, the Academy Awards is in its 84th year. A record-holder with 17 nominations, Streep became only the fifth performer to receive three Oscars last night when she took home Best Actress for her role as Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.” Jack Nicholson, Ingrid Bergman and Walter Brennan all earned three, while Katharine Hepburn won four. Streep last received an Oscar for 1982’s “Sophie’s Choice.” Though she has the most acting nominations, she also has the most losses – 14. As expected, “The Artist” took home Best Picture. The major winners include:

Best Picture: “The Artist”

Actor: Jean Dujardin – “The Artist”

Actress: Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady”

Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”

Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer – “The Help.”

Directing: Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist”

Foreign Language Film: “A Separation” – Iran

Documentary: “Undefeated”

Animated Feature Film: “Rango”

1964: The city of Pisa asked the Italian government to straighten its 184-foot Leaning Tower. At last report, the Tower was still leaning.

1997: This singer asked talk show hostess Rolanda White to marry him during the taping of one of her shows. She declined. It was James Brown.

was a breakthrough for a woman who had tried, and failed, 15 times to have a hit record despite having a very famous name. And she owed her eventual success to garbage.  Despite years of training in voice, dance, and piano her songs about love and romance went nowhere. And despite an incredible vocal pedigree – in fact, perhaps, because of it, she spent years of professional disappointment. Until she teamed up with the writer and producer of today’s featured song. He told her, quote: “You’re not a sweet young thing. You’re not the virgin next store. You’ve been married and divorced. You’re a grown woman. I know there’s garbage in their somewhere.” By garbage he meant pain, heartbreak and worldliness. The realization of that “garbage” made all the difference. With the success of today’s song, for the first time in her life she felt she was her own woman – not someone’s daughter, not someone’s wife or sister. The producer/writer was Lee Hazelwood. And this song was number one in America on February 27^th, 1966 and it became a huge hit all over the world for Nancy Sinatra – These Boots are Made for Walking.

Today is Basking Day,

a day to get outdoors and bask

And it’s National Tortilla Chip Day

mmmm.

and finally, National Swamp Cabbage Day.

Huh?

Swamp cabbage is the name given to the heart of the Sabal Palm. It’s indigenous to Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and coastal North Carolina. They are very common and readily available in most areas. They grow wild in such abundance that they are not cultivated as a harvest vegetable.

1954 The first anti-polio inoculation of school children began in Pittsburgh. The serum developer, Dr. Jonas Salk, inoculated the first group.

1998 Queen Elizabeth II bestows knighthood on Reginald Kenneth Dwight. Henceforth he will be known as Sir Elton John.

Yesterday we featured a song by an American Band that wanted to sound English so they took their name from one of their royal castles, in this case, Buckingham Palace. Today we’re featuring an English Band with a royal sounding name and their lead singer listed Jimi Hendrix and Liza Minelli as his main influences.  Of their many hits, he always had a particular fondness to today’s 101 Number One Song of the day saying “it’s a song about love and I’m a loving person.” And, “it’s easy to love the things that bring you money.” The song rose to number one during this week in 1980. His name was Freddie Mercury and the band’s name: Queen. The song: Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

And phinally, iph you’re looking to phind the perphect dog, meet Phelix -

He is one of the sweetest dogs we’ve had come by in some time (and we have sweet dog come in all the time)  He’s looking for his new permanent home and can be found at the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley

3551 Bataan Memorial Las Cruces, NM 88012
(575) 382-0018

Today is National Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day

 

(or is this just a sly way for engineers to meet girls?)

Today is also Inconvenience Yourself Day,

a day to focus on ways to show respect for others, the environment, and the world around you.

And finally,  Curling Is Cool Day,

promoting an Olympic event as a family sport.

This was the day in 1836 that the siege of the Alamo by Mexican General Santa Anna began in San Antonio, Texas -- ironically, it was on February 23rd eleven years later when American troops defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of Buena Vista in Mexico.

12 years ago tonight, this virtuoso guitarist tied Michael Jackson's 1983 record for the most Grammies received in a single year -- He picked up eight of the awards for his "Supernatural" album. It was Carlos Santana.

The 101 number one song of the day was recorded by a band from Chicago that wanted a name that sounded like England.

The British invasion had American bands scrambling for ways to compete with the Beatles, the Stones, the Dave Clark Five and others. Originally known as the Pulsations, they briefly considered choosing the name “The Baker Street Irregulars” as a nod to Sherlock Holmes. But eventually they agreed to name which reflected royalty and on February 23, 1967 they owned the number one song in America – It was the Buckinghams and “Kind of a Drag.”

$30 in certificates to the Pit Stop for caller # 10 when you hear this today.

Ash Wednesday

the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.  Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered after the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned.

Today is also World Spay Day, highlighting the importance of saving animal lives by spaying or neutering.

Which got us talking about the little dog that wandered into the studio yesterday – (shown here with Jack of all trades, Rob)

He’s about 6 or 7 and not yet “fixed.”  He has a chip but KC was wondering whether neutering was permissible before finding the owner.  The vote was about split for and against.

It is also -

1732: The first U.S. president, George Washington, was born at his parents' plantation in the Virginia Colony.

1956 - Elvis Presley entered the music charts for the first time with "Heartbreak Hotel."

The

was the result of a drunken night of revelry for the man who John Lennon called his favorite American singer (that’s next on 101 gold.) He was a song writer whose work was recorded by The Turtles, Lulu, Rick Nelson, Blood, Sweat and Tears and many others. In fact, Three Dog Night scored a top ten hit with his song, “One.” Oddly enough, his own biggest hit recordings were written by someone else. One night, he was listening to music and throwing back a number of drinks when a particular song struck his fancy. The following day, when he sobered up, he tried to remember the song. At first he thought it was a Beatles song but eventually he realized it was something on a Badfinger album. He thought it had the potential to be a number one song and he was right. On February 22, 1972 it was atop Billboard’s Hot 100 – It’s Nillson “Without You.”