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Monday, 23 March 2020
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Written by a Staff Report
What do you get when have a select group of people who didn't get the memo that the calendar had been modified and the start of the New Year was now pushed back by three months? April Fools' Day, that's what. Although the tomfoolery that occurs each April 1 may not feel very old, April Fools' Day traces its origins back several centuries.
One legend states that April Fools' Day originated in the 1500s and has remained a day for hijinks ever since. Prior to the 1500s, the western world relied on the Julian calendar to keep track of time. According to the Julian calendar, years began on March 25. However, since March 25 fell during Holy Week, the new year festivities were pushed back to the first day of April. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII decreed the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, which switched New Year's Day from the end of March to January 1.
Many people were informed of this change, yet those who lived in rural areas, or had not heard about the calendar change, continued to celebrate the arrival of the new year on April 1. These people were mocked, and some people in the know would try to confuse people into thinking that April 1 was still New Year's Day and that they were receiving a New Year's visit. From this tradition grew the one that is observed today, with people trying to fool unsuspecting individuals with all methods of pranks and trickery.
In France, jokes may have involved placing paper fish on the backs of the gullible. These poisson d 'avril (April fish)symbolized a young, easily caught fish, or someone who was easily pranked.
Others suggest April Fools ' Day is connected to pagan festivals celebrated during the change of seasons. On Hilaria, Romans would dress up in disguises. Some historians speculate that April Fools' Day is connected to the vernal equinox, when people were fooled with unpredictable weather.
April Fools' antics eventually spread outside of France to Britain and then around the world. While pranks were once simplistic in nature, many are now more intricate. According to Snopes, a popular April Fools' hoax dates back to 1957 when the BBC convinced its audience that spring would arrive early, and with it, an early spaghetti harvest in Switzerland. Video showed peasant women harvesting spaghetti from trees, now that the ravenous spaghetti weevil, which had caused havoc to past harvests, was finally defeated. The station received scores of calls asking to view the harvest or inquiring how they could get a spaghetti plant.
In 1996, in the United States, the popular fast food chain Taco Bell convinced the public that it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia 's Liberty Bell and wanted to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell.
In 2016, the Texas state comptroller's office announced that redback paper money would be reissued in the state for the first time since 1840, and it would feature Willie Nelson 's face on the $10 bill.
April Fools' jokes have evolved throughout the centuries. Although the exact origins cannot be accurately pinpointed, the fun ensues nevertheless.
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Monday, 23 March 2020
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Written by Jim Jones
It is hard to get our heads wrapped around the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. March 2020 is not the same America we knew in February of 2020. It is hard to understand the size and scope of this virus. To put this in perspective, this disease was first reported in China, on December 31, 2019. On January 11, 2020, the Chinese government announced the first death. On January 23, the World Health Organization declared that the virus does not yet constitute a public health emergency of international concern. On January 21, the U.S. announced the first case. On February 22, California announced its first case, and the White House said the president put Vice President Pence in charge of the response. On March 9, Europe went into lockdown. In an election year, and a world of 24-hour media, it is easy for anyone to take shots at the government and the captains of industry, but to put these things in perspective, as of March 12, Jeffery Dahmer had eaten more people than had died in this country. Just for reference, he ate 17 people. So, it is hard to understand how fast pandemic can spread. This is probably one of the first times in history that we have had so much access to information in real-time, which makes us helpless spectators.
COVID-19 challenges us with science and arithmetic. While the smart people figure out what to do and how to contain this, we all know we need to take a deep breath, but our mind conflicts with what we see and what we do.
In Ed Sherwood’s book, “The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life,” we learn lessons about where is the safest seat on an airplane, where is the best place to have a heart attack, why does religious observance add years to your life and how can birthdays be hazardous to your health. He also talks about some terrible choices that people have had to make to survive in terrible situations. That is how the world feels this week. While the medical community hunts for answers and cures, we have been hunting for toilet paper and water. If you are one of the lucky ones that found some, you were faced with a moral dilemma: Should you buy more than you need? How much do you need? When will it be available again? And, the big question — should I buy more than I need?
We are living in that space I like to call “strategic space.” This is the space where the government has to do something but also has to come up with something to make it appear everything is under control to create distance between our emotions and chaos. Closing schools, activities and telling people to say home is probable good advice in this situation, as we know that the virus takes up to 14 days to manifest itself.
In Cody Lundin’s book, “98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive,” Lundin stresses that a human can live without food for weeks and without water for about three days or so; but if the body’s core temperature dips much below or above the 98.6 degree mark, a person can literally die within hours. Temperature is one of the first symptoms of CORVID-19. According to the CDC, symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. Symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you develop emergency warning signs, get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include:
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion or inability to arouse
• Bluish lips or face
*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.
Until there are enough test kits and reporting mechanisms, there is no way to figure out who, where or how many people are spreading the virus. Couple that with the knowledge that the science community is telling us it may take up to a year-and-a-half to test and get the data back for a viable vaccine. This is a large gap to deal with.
As for the run on stores, we live in Fayetteville. In the last few years, we have had water mains break, hurricanes, tornados and a variety of other challenging situations. Having water, food and medical supplies on hand should be part of your everyday life — no matter where you live.
We all know that fear and greed drive the stock markets. We’ve heard that our whole lives, and if you listen to most news outlets right now, it’s absolute hysteria.
Do you believe that the American economy is doomed and that it will never return? Do you believe that all of the companies that you are invested in within your individual investment portfolio are going under? I don’t think this is the case, but as the stock market bounces up and down, remember to buy low and sell high.
Dr. Spencer Johnson’s book, “Who Moved My Cheese?” is a wonderful parable about the different ways we respond to life’s changes and how doing so skillfully can help us find more success and happiness in our lives. What is changing as of today? Kids will learn to do homework, practice distance learning, and learn more computer skills. Employers are looking at teleworking. Many jobs are computer-based anyway. You will learn about social isolation — or the joys of working independently. The entertainment business will take a hit, but the internet streaming businesses will be up. We may have to learn to cook, grow a garden or learn to go out and have a picnic.
It is easy to criticize the government for not having enough test kits or vaccines for everyone in America when the majority of people didn’t have enough toilet paper or water to get through a couple of weeks. Your beliefs will either build you up or let you down. Remember, your beliefs are yours alone, and your choices are yours.
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