Snowflake's Forum

  In many countries the  New Year  begins on January 1. However, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, for centuries, other dates marked the start of the calendar, including March 25 and December 25. So how did January 1 become New Year’s Day? We can partly thank the Roman king  Numa Pompilius . According to tradition, during his reign (c. 715–673 BCE) Numa revised the  Roman republican calendar  so that  January  replaced  March  as the first month. It was a fitting choice, since January was named after  Janus , the Roman god of all beginnings; March celebrated  Mars , the god of war. (Some sources claim that Numa also created the month of January.) However, there is evidence that January 1 was not made the official start of the Roman year until 153 BCE. In 46 BCE  Julius Caesar  introduced more changes, though the  Julian calendar , as it became known, retained January 1 as the year’s opening date. With the exp...

 Yes, I know.  The big joke about New Year's Resolutions is what a short half-life most of them enjoy.  But still--we do them, don't we?  I've even kept a few over the years.  Very few, but some.   This year, I'm resolving to clear out my attic to some degree.  It's got thousands of books I don't need or want.  And, yes, I am speaking literally.  'Course, most of them were free, as a result of my gig as book feature editor for a major ISP, but, boyoboy, do I wish I'd done a better job of jettisoning them when they first came in the door! Will I keep the resolution?  I'm determined to at least make a sizable dent in the attic-stuffing! How about you?   What are you resolving to do? or maybe just Tell us all!  AlextheKay demands it!

 SO... Here we are folks, another New Year's Eve And what a year it has been First and foremost thank you to ALL of my regulars and occasional visitors for keeping this Forum afloat I have noticed, however, that some of you have moved on to more politically engaging channels, and it is what it is WE are still here for those who want to visit or contribute I fear 2021 won't be a much better year Covid deaths will continue to rise because of our carelessness and even after Trump is out of office he will no doubt continue to sow division But on a personal note we can only do what we can do to make a better world And to bring joy to those around us For me personally it has been a life changing year Heath issues abound, with melanoma removed from my crown and still healing and having lost several teeth I finally did decide to retire full time and thankfully - and totally unexpectedly - love found me again and she has been a blessing in my life MY goal is to move back to Canada thoug...

  WORK-LIFE BALANCE The lines between life and work have never been so blurry. A German word shows us the importance of disconnecting, and may even help us reclaim some of our free time. Many of us are relieved to have ditched office commutes amid Covid-19, but what some see as a grind, others view as a ritual. For Nils Backhaus, who lives in Bochum, just outside Dortmund in Germany, even when he’s working from home commuting is still an essential part of his day that he can’t go without. At the end of the working day, around the time of 1700, the 34-year-old research and policy adviser for Germany’s Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health puts on his shoes, and gets on his racing bike to cruise through the tranquil landscapes along the Ruhr River. This daily ride – what he calls his “fake commute” – mimics the trip he used to take returning from the office, before he transitioned to home working. It’s Backhaus’s way of recreating a more traditional start to ‘Feieraben...

  A comedian runs into trouble when she states on television, repeatedly, that Santa is not real. Why are deniers given so many high-profile platforms to spout their views when the scientific evidence for Santa is so overwhelming? S anta-denial has surfaced again, this time on Australian television show The Project,  in the guise of its guest Kitty Flanagan . It’s just the latest in a  long   line   of   controversies  caused when Santa deniers are allowed to promote their views. Why are these people tolerated in today’s modern media? Science has long shown that Santa Claus is real, and those who claim otherwise are invariably in the pocket of the big toy companies, who don’t want people thinking they can get free playthings and so will pay for their products. But the evidence is beyond any reasonable doubt, and the arguments of the Santa deniers have been repeatedly debunked. But, just to refresh your memory, here are some of the more typical ones and...

 This is a movie review - only for those who are interested in my perspective (by Snowy) THE NAME OF THE MOVIE IS: Death to 2020 https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/81332175 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13567480/ OK, the following review is strictly MY review, the movie critics are not liking this movie very much, so if you go by what the critics have to say,  you may end up avoiding it, but....... Me and my companion watched it last night and roared with laughter all the way through. It takes some serious digs at Trump and their supporters but also takes some serious digs at the Biden, at Brexit, at Covid, and in typical British fashion is full of sarcastic and satirical wit. I DO get how some will be offended at some of the "off color" jokes and making light of the serious situations that happened during 2020, but while the film is somewhat satirical it also is brutally honest in critiquing the events of 2020. IT IS on Netflix so go take a look and respond with your feelings a...

  It's almost NEW YEAR'S EVE! Yes, dear friends, that time of year again.  Slinking just around the corner, ready to pounce.  And there's no escaping it, so, hey, that must mean it's MEME TIME AGAIN!   Making plans?  Making resolutions to break?  Making merry?  (And how is Merry these days?)  Enjoying your favorite treat? Hard to party during a pandemic?  Well, you can always fake it!   And remember to wish your friends well, too! So let's see your memes!  Come on, let's roll this one out!  We deserve a happy new year, don't we?  This guy thinks so! AlextheKay wishes you all a blotto New Year and a swift recovery!

  WASHINGTON, DC —Learning that the United States also borders a country to its north, President Donald Trump   called for construction of a wall   along the U.S.-Canada border. The proposed border wall, Trump claimed, will be much like the wall to be constructed on the U.S.-Mexico border. He promised the wall will “keep out illegal Canadian immigrants,” whose culture “undermines American values.” “They’re coming to the U.S. in droves,” a proponent of the wall claimed at a rally. “They’re preaching radical ideas, like that the government ought to provide healthcare for its citizens. They also apologize too much. Here in America, we’re much more inconsiderate than that. It’s madness!” “I really don’t know what Trump is on about,” a Canadian citizen interviewed stated. “Nobody is trying to leave Canada for the U.S. If anything, we need a wall to keep Americans out.” Trump also promised that the wall would be financed by the Canadian government. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau...

Archaeologists uncover ancient street food shop in Pompeii Archaeologists uncover ancient street food shop in Pompeii By Philip Pullella ROME (Reuters) - Archaeologists in Pompeii, the city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD, have made the extraordinary find of a frescoed hot food and drinks shop that served up the ancient equivalent of street food to Roman passersby. Known as a termopolium, Latin for hot drinks counter, the shop was discovered in the archaeological park's Regio V site, which is not yet open the public, and unveiled on Saturday. Traces of nearly 2,000-year-old food were found in some of the deep terra cotta jars containing hot food which the shop keeper lowered into a counter with circular holes. The front of the counter was decorated with brightly coloured frescoes, some depicting animals that were part of the ingredients in the food sold, such as a chicken and two ducks hanging upside down. "This is an extraordinary find. It's the first time we are e...

Christmas spirit is powerful, even in 2020 (CNN)  —  Covid cases spiking.  Mass evictions looming . Restaurants shuttering. Families isolating. It's hard to imagine a bleaker backdrop to the Christmas season than this set of cascading crises disrupting so many of our holiday traditions. The sharp economic downturn in the United States, combined with widespread uncertainty for many workers, has tightened budgets, while the pandemic has scuttled the usual array of parties and gatherings that clutter calendars every December. Even the promise of a stretch of days away from work, typically a welcome relief for families scattered by long days apart while at work or school, seems more oppressive than usual for people who have already been huddled together for months, locked in a routine of relentless sameness.This may well be the most crisis-bound Christmas of most people's lives. And yet, if cultural history is any guide, no holiday is more prepared to meet our muddle of frust...