Daily Thoughts & Issues

IN THIS ISSUE:

FEBRUARY 2

Days left until the next millennium 01.01.3001
 

Photo of the Week
Dugald Bremner/Tony Stone Images
Achieve Your Dreams

February 2 - Ground Hog Day (US) * Rent the Movie Ground Hog Day and watch it tonight. * If the sun shines on Candlemas Day or if the groundhog sees his shadow when he emerges on this day, six weeks of winter will ensue. * Candlemas Day. If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight. But if Candlemas Day be clouds and rain, Winter is gone and won't come again. The Old Farmer's Almanac. * Festival marking the transformation from death to life - the beginning of the agricultural year, awakening of hibernating animals, and return of migrating birds and fish. Observed with recognition of newborns, a candlelight procession to bless orchards, vines, fields and seeds, and contemplation of life. The Mystic's Wheel of the Year * Dhu al-Hijjah-Muslin month of pilgrimage to honor the one universal Deity at the Ka'bah Stone in Mecca (site of the Old Arabic Shrine to God-Goddess Allah-Allat)> The Give Pillars of Islam are confession, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage. * In 1980, the FBI releases details of the Abcam sting operation designed to expose corrupt congressmen. * Ban on African National Congress lifted (1990) after 30-years by South African President F. W. de Klerk. He vowed to free Nelson Mandela and lift restrictions on 33 other opposition groups. * Two pockets of starving German soldiers remained in Stalingrad in 1943. They had received few supplies since Soviet soldiers had encircled the city the previous November. Friedrich von Paulus, whom Hitler had promoted to field marshal only the day before, was forced to seek surrender terms, thereby becoming the first German marshal to surrender. 160,000 Germans died in the Stalingrad Battle and 90,000 captured and sent to Siberia on foot, tens of thousands died on the way. * On day after Thomas Edison's "Black Maria" studio was completed, a studio cameraman took the first "close-up" in film history. The Record of a Sneeze, (1893) starring Edison's assistant, was also the first motion picture to receive a copyright (1894) * The war between Mexico and the US formally ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in the village for which it was named. The treaty provided for Mexico's cession to the US of the territory that became the states of California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona and parts of New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming in exchange for $15 million from the US. In addition, Mexico relinquished all rights to Texas north of the Rio Grande. * Birthdays: James Joyce, Wystan Hugh Auden, William Rose Benet, Stan Getz, George Halas, Sean Michael Elliott, Bo Hopkins, Simon MacCorkindale, Robert Dandan, Graham Nash, Tom Smothers, Michael T. Weiss.

Get CPR-certified and keep it current!

DAILY THOUGHTS

I like it when a man asks me questions about my body. - Carrie, 24. We always take turns choosing a position. - Ronald, 34. The Best of 1001 Sex Secrets Every Man & Woman Should Know

Ideas to Scare Away Monsters. Nighttime can be scary for children. Shadows on the wall can take on ominous shapes. Sounds that go unheeded during the day can rattle young nerves. And after the socialness of the daytime, the night can seem especially lonely. Here are some surefire monster busters to help you and your children take control of the night:  Play a tape of soothing music. Put a stuffed animal at the bedroom door or on your children's bed to act as a guard. With your child, create and decorate a "No Monsters Allowed" sign for your child's door.  Parents Tips & Tricks

Success is how high you bounce after you hit bottom. - George Patton.  Achieve Your Dreams

Things to be happy about:  Recognizing a moment you'll always treasure. A gift from the sea. Juicy cherries. 14,000 Things to Be Happy About

If self-esteem is a lesson that you need to learn, you will be tested over and over until you feel confident about who you are and understand and believe in your intrinsic value. Your body may provide you with enough opportunities to work on this lesson throughout your entire lifetime. If Life is a Game, These are the Rules

The way we see the problem is the problem.  Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

If you find yourself stuck in outdated habits and ways of operating that no longer serve you, spend some time thinking about how you might do things differently. True inner growth requires that you experience new thoughts, new feelings, new sensations, new friendships, possibly even a new identity. Allow yourself to be vulnerable, and open yourself to change.  Simplify Your Life

If you want tomorrow to be different from today, you'll need to take yourself off autopilot and make different decisions today than the ones you made yesterday.  Stress Busters

Both tears and sweat are salty, but they render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change. - Jesse Jackson. Win the Day!

Save for the proverbial rainy day. Life's Little Instruction Calendar

Candles to Februa. The ancient Romans burned candles to Februa, mother of Mars, on Candlemas Day, hoping for a fertile year. French-American folklore holds that pancakes eaten on Candlemas Day will prevent hemorrhoids all year. The Old Farmer's Almanac

If moisture is collecting on the floor on one wall near the floor, it may be seeping in from outside or from under the floor. Tape a piece of foil to the wall and wait for a rainy day. If water collects behind the foil, you have a seepage problem. Check outside your home for the source of the water - a leaking gutter, a downspout without a splash block, a flooding window well. Address those issues immediately. Sealing basement walls may stop minor seepage. If not, you may need to consider installing a channeling system or hiring a waterproofing contractor. Stanley do-it-yourself Handyman Hints

TODAY'S ISSUE: GROUNDHOG DAY

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. - Rumi Happy Groundhog Day!  Groundhogs offer humans a gift when they reemerge from under the ground in the thick of winter, bringing the wisdom of the Earth. Much happens beneath us and the ground that supports us. Soil is full of life - teeming with activity.

When we lose contact with the ground, we lose part of ourselves. Two-footeds are the only ones with erect mobility, a blessing, which can also become a curse, to ourselves and to other life-forms that we endanger with our poor stewardship of the Earth. Our uniquely erect stance can separate us from other creatures and their earthy wisdom. Connecting to the four-footeds can help bring us back down to Earth.

Men used to walk only on the ground, nothing between us and the Earth, except perhaps some leather soles. Now we too often have thick substances between us - asphalt, concrete - that prevent skin-to-soil contact. Many men go for days, years, without touching the Earth with their bare feet. This lack of contact can lead us to damage the Earth, from which humans are becoming increasingly out of touch.

Reach down to the ground, perhaps even into it, turning the soil, getting your hands dirty. Take off your shoes, exposing toes, and walk upon the ground, digging into it. Human/ground contact can nurture and regenerate life. A Quiet Strength: Meditations on the Masculine Soul

Hey Man: Did you make a difference yesterday? Let us know at Contact Us. Walk on the sunny side of the street. What Every Man Needs to Know Want to make a difference but you don't know where to start?

 

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Dork Diaries: Tales from a not-so-fabulous life by Rachel Renee Russell. New school, new mean girl, new crush, new diary. So, Nikki can spill about all of it. Aladdin, simonsayskids.com 2009 ISBN 978-1-4169-8006-3 2009

SPECIAL URLs

 

MENSTUFF COLUMNS BY AUTHOR

  • The Advice Diva - The Advice Diva - relationship and sexuality issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/advicediva/archive.html
  • Peter Alsop - Song of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/alsop/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - A Man Overboard - Interview of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/overboard/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - Poetry - poetry read on YouTube - www.menstuff.org/columns/baer/archive.html
  • Molly Barrow - Shrink About This - www.menstuff.org/columns/barrow/archive.html
  • Peter Baylies - At Home Dads - on at-home-dad issues that impact fathers who stay at home to raise their kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/baylies/archive.html
  • Tom Blake - Middle-Age Relationships - from an expert on dating after 50. www.menstuff.org/columns/blake/archive.html
  • Mark Brandenburg - Great Fathers - on fathering issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/greatfathers/archive.html
  • Ted Braude - BoysWork - a columnist in the The Detroit Free Press "Body and Mind" section www.menstuff.org/columns/braude/archive.html
  • Armin Brott - A Father's Guide - hosts "Positive Parenting" on radio www.menstuff.org/columns/brott/archive.html
  • Dan Bulf - Get Real - weekly pod cast on men's issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/bulf/archive.html
  • Ken Byers - Transition - on men's life transitions - www.menstuff.org/columns/byers/archive.html
  • Sandra L. Caron - Sex Talk - college students get answers to their questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/sextalk/archive.html
  • Neil Chethik - Relationships - www.menstuff.org/columns/chethik/archive.html
  • Otto & Susie Collins - Susie and Otto - relationship issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/susie&otto/archive.html
  • David Copeland - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Forrest Craver - Spirituality & Social Change - www.menstuff.org/columns/craver/archive.html
  • Layne & Paul Cutright - Powerful Partnerships - relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/cutright/archive.html
  • Ron DesMarais - Cavemen in the Kitchen - great recipes for men - www.menstuff.org/columns/desmarais/archive.html
  • Jed Diamond - Irritable Male Syndrome - www.menstuff.org/columns/diamond/archive.html
  • Doc Love - Women Don't Lie, Man Don't Listen - answers to relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/doclov/archive.html
  • Barry Durdant-Hollamby - Creating Change - creating change in your life - www.menstuff.org/columns/durdant/archive.html
  • Irv Engel - The Real Deal - www.menstuff.org/columns/engel/archive.html
  • Nancy Fagan - Expert Dating Advice - with Nancy Fagan - www.menstuf.org/columns/fagan/archive.html
  • Warren Farrell - Men's Issues: Facts and Perspectives www.menstuff.org/columns/farrell/archive.html
  • Leonard Felder - Wake Up or Break Up - www.menstuff.org/columns/felder/archive.html
  • Marty Friedman - Strong Men, Strong Marriage - www.menstuff.org/columns/friedman/archive.html
  • Kim Garretson - Mansgland - using humor to encourage prostate exams - www.menstuff.org/columns/mansgland/archive.html
  • Lion Goodman - How to get Women to Love You - www.menstuff.org/columns/goodman/archive.html
  • Liz Halliday - In a Man's World - www.menstuff.org/columns/halliday/archive.html
  • Rick Hanson - Just One Thing - www.menstuff.org/columns/hanson/archive.html
  • Tim Hartnett - Daddyman Speaks - being a father www.menstuff.org/columns/daddyman/archive.html
  • John Hershey - Blood, Phlegm & Bile: Parenting with Humor - He writes a syndicated biweekly humor column about parenting and family life. www.menstuff.org/columns/hershey/archive.html
  • Gary Hoeber - Psychotherapy as Soul Work, www.menstuff.org/columns/hoeber/archive.html
  • Patrick Houser - Fathers Make a World of Difference, www.menstuff.org/columns/houser/archive.html
  • Paul Joannides - The Guide to Getting It On - on sex - www.menstuff.org/columns/getiton/archive.html
  • Jack Kahn - NOMAS Boston - www.menstuff.org/columns/kahn/archive.html
  • Patrick Kennedy - Seniors - www.menstuff.org/columns/kennedy/archive.html
  • Joe Kort - Gaydar - to increase understanding between gay and het men - www.menstuff.org/columns/kort/archive.html
  • David Kundtz - David Kundtz - presents seminars, workshops, retreats, and conference presentations in the areas of men's emotional health, stress management, and spirituality. www.menstuff.org/columns/kundtz/archive.html
  • Bruce Linton - Dr. Dad - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/drdad/archive.html
  • Ron Louis - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Wendy McElroy - Wendy McElroy on Feminism, www.menstuff.org/columns/mcelroy/archive.html
  • Robert N. Minor - Minor Details - on GBT sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/minordetails/archive.html
  • Robert L. Moore - Man & Mythology - www.menstuff.org/columns/moore/archive.html
  • Dennis W. Neder - Being a Man - general questions about men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/neder/archive.html
  • Marty Nemko - Worklife - general questions about men and work - www.menstuff.org/columns/nemko/archive.html
  • Eli Newberger - Eli Newberger - general information on men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/newberger/archive.html
  • Linda Nielsen - Embracing the Father - working with the father/daughter relationship. www.menstuff.org/columns/nielsen/archive.html
  • Kathy Noll - Bullies and Youth Violence - working with schools, teachers and parents to end school violence - www.menstuff.org/columns/noll/archive.html
  • Mark Phillips - Stay-at-Home-Dads - helping men maintain that which makes us men, instead of becoming hairy Mom-substitutes - www.menstuff.org/columns/phillips/archive.html
  • Carey Roberts - Socialism & Feminism - is a social commentator on political correctness. www.menstuff.org/columns/roberts/archive.html
  • Perry Rose - Dating, Relationship, Sex
  • Glenn Sacks - His Side - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/sacks/archive.html
  • Trudy Schuett - Domestic Violence - serving the under-represented www.menstuff.org/columns/schuett/archive.html
  • Carl J. Schutt - Circumcision - social commentator on circumcision - www.menstuff.org/columns/schutt/archive.html
  • Hugo Schwyzer - A Pro-feminist's Response - www.menstuff.org/columns/schwyzer/archive.html
  • Michael Shaffran - Men's Issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/shaffran/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • George Simons - Bellicose Veins - is a US specialist in intercultural and gender communication who hangs out in Mandelieu - la Napoule, France, as well as in Santa Cruz, CA. www.menstuff.org/columns/simons/archive.html
  • Andy Smith - Hard Hat Brotherhood - www.menstuff.org/columns/hardhat/archive.html
  • David B. Smith - Fighting Father Dave - www.menstuff.org/columns/smith/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • Reena Sommer - Custody - is an internationally recognized relationship and divorce consultant. www.menstuff.org/columns/sommer/archive.html
  • R. Don Steele - Don Steele - relationship questions answered -
    www.menstuff.org/columns/steele/archive.html
  • David Steinberg - Comes Naturally - on sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/steinberg/archive.html
  • Mary Lou St Lucas - A Mother's Love - www.menstuf.org/columns/stlucas/archive.html
  • Surprise - Surprise Author - From a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Steven Svoboda - Fatherhood, Activism and the Law www.menstuff.org/columns/svoboda/archive.html
  • Michael Taylor - A New Conversation with Men - www.menstuff.org/columns/taylor/archive.html
  • Bruce Van Horn - Yoga for Men - issues around the health benefits of yoga for men - www.menstuff.org/yoga/archive.html
  • Michael Webb - Secrets of Blissful Relationships - on relationship - www.menstuff.org/columns/bliss/archive.html
  • Stuart Wilde - Spirituality - www.menstuff.org/columns/wilde/archive.html
  • Dr.Williams - Sex Health - on sexual health - Dr. Williams, www.menstuff.org/columns/sexhealth/archive.html
  • KC Wilson - On Gender Politics is a social commentator and author. www.menstuff.org/columns/wilson/archive.html

Plus

  • Health Tips - on general health - www.menstuff.org/columns/healthtips/archive.html
  • Independent Means - resources for raising financially fit kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/independentmeans/archive.html
  • Numbers - www.menstuff.org/columns/numbers/archive.html
  • Questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/q&a/archive.html
  • Surprise - from a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Words Can Heal - helping children grow up healthy - www.menstuff.org/columns/wordscanheal/archive.html
  • Wuzup?! - National or international events happening this month - www.menstuff.org/columns/whassup/archive.html

AWARENESS EVENTS THIS MONTH

February is Heart Disease Prevention (Healthy Heart), National Children's Dental Health, Ethnic Equality and *National African-American History Month - a time to honor all peoples and their positive traditions; time to meditate on the equality of all peoples, on the respect due to them and God-Goddess manifesting as African, Asian, European, Latin, Middle Eastern, Native American and Oceanic. The Mystic's Wheel of the Year 2000, AMD/Low Vision Awareness; *American Heart; A Day of Hearts: Child Awareness; International Boost Self-Esteem; International Expect Success; Library Lovers', Marfan Syndrome Awareness; National Children's Dental Health; National Sign Up for Summer Camp; National Weddings; National Wild Bird Feeding; and Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month.

Jan 29-Feb 4: *National Consumer Protection Week. Jan 30-Feb 3: Mid-Winter/Candlemas. Feb 2-9: I Hate Financial Planning Awareness Week. Feb 3-9: Cardiac Rehabilitation Week. Feb 4-10: International Personal and Business Coaching: National School Counseling Week. Feb 6-13: Art of Communication Week. Feb 10-16: Celebration of Love; Enabled Entrepreneurs; Freelance Writers Appreciation; Heart Failure Awareness; Home for Birds; Materials Testing; National Child Passenger Safety Awareness; National Family, Career and Community Leaders of America; National Resurrect Romance Week. Feb 1-17: International Flirting Week. Feb 12-19: National Condom Week. Feb 16-23: National FFA Week. Feb 17-23: International Friendship Week. Feb 18-22: Brotherhood-Sisterhood Week. Feb 19-26: Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Feb 22-24: Second Honeymoon Weekend. Feb 25-Mar 1: Read Me Week. Feb 25-Mar 3: Telecommuter Appreciation Week. Feb 1: Candlemas; Ground Hog Day. Feb 2: National Men's Grooming Day. Feb 3: Torture Abolition Day. Feb 4:  Weathermen's Day. Feb. 5: Dump Your "Significant Jerk"; Pay-a-Compliment Day. Feb 6: National Girls and Women in Sports; Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbors Day. Feb 7: Laugh and Grow Rich Day. Feb 8: National "DAV" Day. Feb 10: Be Electrific; Motivation; Satisfied Staying Single Day. Feb 11: Lost Penny Day. Feb 12: Black Love; Get a Different Name Day. Feb 13: Race Relations; Read to Your Child Day. Feb 14: Congenital Heart Defect Awareness; National Have-A-Heart; Heart 2 Heart; St.Valentine's Day. Feb 15: Remember the Maine Day. Feb 16: Who Shall I Be Day. Feb 17: National PTA Founders' Day.. Feb 18: President's Day. Feb 19: Student Volunteer Day. Feb 24: Children's Day. Feb 25: For Pete's Sake Day. Feb 27: Spay USA; Paczki Day. Feb 29: Bachelors' Day

* Means a Presidential Proclamation has been made.

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Men are so competitive that we even "out-die" women in all 15 of the major causes of death in the U.S. Most of these deaths are preventable with a positive change in life-style, eating habits, and/or general health care. Let's not strive so hard to hold on to this record. See what you can change now to live a healthier life.
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