The Latest

What are your plans for the extra 24 hours in the year 2012?  We spent part of our extra time finding out where these extra hours came from and why leap days only come around every four years.  Most of us know that leap years are years with 366 days, instead of the usual 365.  They occur every four years and the extra day is added to the calendar as February 29.  Julius Caesar started the idea of leap year back in 45 BC. The early Romans had a 355 day calendar and to keep festivals occurring around the same season each year a 22 or 23 day month was created every second year. Julius Caesar decided to added days to different months of the year to create the 365 day calendar. Every fourth year following the 28th day of February, one day was added, making every fourth year a leap year.  In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII decided that leap day would occur in any year divisible by 4.  So enjoy your stolen time because we won’t see February 29 again until 2016.

Here are some key facts about Super Bowl XLVI scheduled for February 5th:

Location: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.
TV coverage: NBC — Al Michaels and Cris Collinswoth
Kickoff time: 6:30 p.m. EST
National anthem singer: American Idol season one winner, Kelly Clarkson.
Halftime show performer: Madonna.
Super Bowl commercial cost: The average 30-second commercial for Super Bowl 46 cost $3.5-million (a new record).

According to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), the following list includes the most played holiday songs.  See if you agree based on your experience with your local radio station.

1. Sleigh Ride

2. Winter Wonderland

3. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

4. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

5. Jingle Bell Rock

6. It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

7. Do You Hear What I Hear?

8. It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

9. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

10. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Welcome to a new section of my website where I will post various news items, most often unrelated to politics and politicians.  Scenic photos, restaurant reviews, real life stories – that’s the type of information you will find here.  We will start by introducing you to the lady of the office below.  I welcome your comments on “The Latest” as we proceed down this new path.

—Mignon