Today is...

[IceWizard]

Wednesday 26 Oct 2016



Howl At The Moon Day

Shape shift, nose to the wind
Shape shift, feeling I have been
Move swift, all senses clean
Earth’s gift, back to the meaning
Back to the meaning of wolf and man ~
Metallica – Of Wolf and Man

The wolf has been a powerful symbol throughout all of mythology, whether we reference Fenris Wolf who was set to devour the world during Ragnarok, or Romulus and Remus who were raised by wolves to create the foundation of the Roman Empire, the most powerful empire of all time.

They have been the subject of powerfully moving art, the once popular and now embarrassing three-wolf moon shirt, and more song themes than one can shake a proverbial stick at.

Part time monstrous, part time noble, no other animal has been quite as controversial as the Wolf, but one thing remains constant throughout.

Wolves are regularly shown as howling at the moon, and Howl at the Moon day is your opportunity to join them in their celebration of the wild.

History of Howl at the Moon Day

In many parts of the world Wolves are seen as pest animals, harassing livestock and endangering pets, this has led to severe over- hunting and recovery efforts can get costly.

Wolves are wonderful and majestic animals, and are a vital part of the world’s ecology.

Howl at the Moon Day was organized to help educate people on them, and to help organizations like Wolf Haven generate funds and get the word out on Wolf Conservation.



And



Pumpkin Day



There’s one thing that represents October more than anything else, and it’s not Halloween (though it’s involved). That thing? The pumpkin. It starts appearing on shelves and farmers market’s stands on the last week or two of September, and is the herald that lets you know that Pumpkin Pies, Jack-o-Lanterns, and all the joys of fall are just around the corner.

Pumpkin Day celebrates these noble squash’s, and the history and tradition tied up in their iconic orangeness.

History of Pumpkin Day

Often when people think of Halloween, they think of Jack-o-Lanterns and pumpkins, and even when you’re looking at that ‘false medieval’ imagery that’s present in most fantasy games, you’ll regularly see pumpkins being present, especially during Halloween events.

What many people don’t know is that the pumpkin is actually a plant from the new world, like all squash, so the image of pumpkin jack-o-lanterns in front of ancient medieval homes is just plain wrong.

These are an all American (And South American) plant, and the jack-o-lantern at Halloween is a distinctly New World thing.

So let’s learn a little bit about the Pumpkin in honor of Pumpkin Day, starting with what the word pumpkin means. It’s pretty simple, as it comes from the Greek word pepon, or ‘Large Melon’, but it didn’t go straight to pumpkin.

First it was pompon to the French, and then pumpion to the British. It was the Americans that finally changed the word to its present Pumpkin, and so it’s been ever since!

Pumpkin Day is a great opportunity to add this delicious squash to your diet, whether in the form of a traditional pumpkin pie, or a rich and savory pumpkin soup.

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October 26 Birthdays


Hillary Clinton - 69



Seth MacFarlane - 43



Keith Urban - 49



Pat Sajak - 70



Dylan McDermott - 55



Jaclyn Smith - 71



Mahalia Jackson - (1911-1972)



Bob Hoskins - (1942-2014)








October 26th

2006: The Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada named 2112 by Rush a MasterWork in Canadian sound recording at a ceremony at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. This honor ensured that 2112 would be preserved for future generations.

2004: Apple introduced the U2 Special Edition iPod as part of a partnership alongside the Universal Music Group to promote their upcoming album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.

1991: During a concert at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom, Ozzy Osbourne broke his foot onstage. Osbourne played three more concerts in Cleveland, Buffalo and New York City developing an infection in his ankle which caused him to postpone the remaining dates.

1989: Jeff Beck and Stevie Ray Vaughan kicked off their co-headlining tour dubbed The Fire and The Fury Tour at the Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis.

1984: Nineteen year-old John D. McCollum killed himself after listening to Ozzy Osbourne records throughout the day. One year later, Osbourne and CBS Records were sued by McCollum’s parents alleging that the song “Suicide Solution” contributed to their son’s death. The case was eventually thrown out of court.

1981: “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie was released as a single. The song would later peak number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart, but went on to be used in commercials, movies, television shows and be sampled by Vanilla Ice on his hit “Ice Ice Baby” where Queen and Bowie didn’t initially receive credit or royalties.

1980: Jefferson Starship guitarist Paul Kantner suffered a stroke during a recording session in Los Angeles. He would make a full recovery.

1974: Lynyrd Skynyrd peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with “Sweet Home Alabama” their first and only top ten single in the U.S.

1965: The Beatles were awarded Members of the British Empire medals by Queen Elizabeth. The bandmates would later admit to smoking marijuana in the bathroom of Buckingham Palace.



Birthdays:

Keith Hopwood - Guitarist for Herman’s Hermits born in 1946