ILoveThailand
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The History of Valentine's Day
While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial -- which probably occurred around 270 A.D -- others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.
To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.
The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February -- Valentine's Day -- should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
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Sun Feb 13 '05 4:26:39 pm
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ILoveThailand
Plays: Other
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The History of Valentine's Day
n Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.
According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)
Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.
Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".
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Sun Feb 13 '05 4:27:22 pm
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ILoveThailand
Plays: Other
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Did You Know?
- 2.2 million marriages take place in the United States annually. That breaks down to about 6,000 a day.
- 138,600 marriages were performed in Nevada during 2003. So many couples "tie the knot" in the Silver State that it ranked fourth nationally in marriages, even though its total population that year was 35th.
- 25.3 and 27.1 are the estimated U.S. median ages at first marriage for women and men, respectively, in 2003. The age for women is up 4.3 years in the last three decades. The age for men is up 3.9 years.
- The proportion of women 20 to 24 years old who had never married more than doubled between 1970 and 2003 — from 36 percent to 75 percent. Changes were also dramatic for men — the corresponding rate for men in this age group increased from 55 percent to 86 percent.
- 54% and 57% are the percentages of American women and men, respectively, who are 15 and over and currently married.
- There were 4.6 million cohabitating couples who maintained households in 2003. These couples comprised 4.2 percent of all households, up from 2.9 percent in 1996.
- There are 118 single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) who are in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same ages.
- There are 33 single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) age 65 and over for every 100 single women of the same ages.
- 24.6 pounds of candy per capita was consumed by Americans in 2003; it is believed a large portion is consumed around Valentine’s Day. Candy consumption has actually declined over the last few years; in 1997, each American gobbled more than 27 pounds of candy a year.
- The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut roses in 2003 was $52 million for all operations in 36 states, with $100,000 or more in sales. Among all types of cut flowers, roses were second in receipts to lilies ($70 million.
- There were 28,914 jewelry stores in the United States in 2002. In February 2004, these stores sold $2.4 billion worth of merchandise — a much higher total than in the preceding month or succeeding months.
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Sun Feb 13 '05 4:28:26 pm
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silent_shady
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I'd rather go with the theory that St. Valentines day is a holiday made up by corporations so that they can make more money off pathetic ppl who are too numb from the pain to realise that they are actually not in love.
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Sun Feb 13 '05 4:32:00 pm
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ILoveThailand
Plays: Other
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silent shady: you are right and wrong. Big corporations do make a tonne of money out of people who are madly in love. However, some people who are in love are consumed by the idea that Valentines day is made even more special when you display your affection via tangible goods. But if a card, flowers and candy can make you more attractive to your significant other, go for it. I am more single than a slice of cheese at the moment, but I can only pray that an angel (aka hot chick) expresses affectionate feelings towards me tomorrow w/ those corporate toys.
Edit: Silent shady....did you create your nickname by combining Eminem with duct tape wrapped around his face....silent shady?
Edited Sun Feb 13 '05 4:49 pm
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Sun Feb 13 '05 4:46:18 pm
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ILoveThailand
Plays: Other
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silent shady: i assume you are straight too... but if you are in the mood of sending a card to me, please mail it to this address
Satanica
P.O.Box 1313,
Luciferia street,
Hell 666
wisconsin
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Sun Feb 13 '05 5:04:45 pm
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Pitch no 8
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STEVEE - I didn't get the TS9, I still wanna think about it. Its an overdrive pedal, so it doesn't distort very much... The reason I went to see it, it's because Eric Johnson uses it.
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Sun Feb 13 '05 5:58:39 pm
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Stevee T
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You'd be surprised!!...lol
=================================================
Pitch no 8....you've got test out lotsa stuff to find the sound you like....I've found that over the 30 years of playing that I have lotsa sounds I like, and you'll need them all to add to your pallette....it's a constant vigil
Edited Sun Feb 13 '05 6:10 pm
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Sun Feb 13 '05 5:59:11 pm
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ILoveThailand
Plays: Other
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Steat__ hows you is?
Bariohle___jazzbluesrock
DCKanada___Van Halen is geniusass pussayassrockblues.
Flyman___yes, fine,.
#962___looking good over fish flying again. how are you hello. clouday.
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Sun Feb 13 '05 6:40:57 pm
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Donkey Hotay
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Slansh, you had it right the first time..... i was in NO WAY belittling your life choice and your current day job.
When I hear your delicate inticate music it scares me to think of the danger you place your hands in each and every day you work with sledge tile and grout!!!
I also fear for Zen with his chainsaw but hey, he could always do the Django {one of his heros} thing if necessary!!! lol
The worse stress I put my own hands thru these days is hauling grocery bags lol... Starting to experience joint pain already at my oh so young (at least in my opinion} age...
Nite all tired for some reason... Oh yeah, Grammy's and NO JOE (or any other artist i truly care about for that matter).....
Happy Cupid day to all........
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz..............
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Sun Feb 13 '05 6:50:34 pm
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ILoveThailand
Plays: Other
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someday I hope to smoke up with Slanshroom.
currently i am in the mood for some kind bud......anyone?
962: dude, I am trying to download your music, but its dead slow. is it always like that? Shining light sounds amazing.
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Sun Feb 13 '05 6:55:36 pm
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