Fire Pup Day

It's time to stock up on doggie treats, because tomorrow, October 1st, is Fire Pup Day! "Who is Fire Pup?" you may ask. I wondered the same thing, and did all the tough detective work for you. Fire Pup is the all-purpose mascot dog of fire departments everywhere. Fire Pup is the hardworking canine that travels from elementary school to elementary school in the fire truck's seat of honor, helping firefighters teach children about fire safety by being adorable. And if the kids only remember the cute dog and the firefighters' funny hats after the assembly, at least they learned something.

Today, take some time to appreciate the work of canine mascots everywhere. If you don't know any, recommend to your local fire department that they get one. It's well documented that pets reduce stress, and don't our men in uniform deserve a break? Especially with Fire Safety Week approaching. As all Fire Pups know, no one can stop, drop, and roll better than a dog.

National Caramel Month

It's never too early to start thinking about Halloween candy...or to start making separate holidays out of it. October is National Caramel Month, celebrating the all-American candy first manufactured in Chicago in 1875 and devoured ever since with sticky abandon.

Caramel is part of so many chocolates, cookies, hard candies, popcorn, cakes--not to mention that glorious carnival staple, the caramel apple--that I think it deserves its month of honor. And then some.

National Chimney Safety Week

You can be forgiven for thinking chimney sweeps had disappeared with Mary Poppins and her perennially peppy magical umbrella, but consider this your wake-up alarm: this week, from September 27th to October 3rd, is National Chimney Safety Week.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America--yes, it's real--urges homeowners to seek out chimney-related news stories during this week and submit these to their local media, though this sounds like a lot of work. Perhaps traditional approaches to raising awareness, like promotional t-shirts and personalized pins, didn't get people excited enough about chimney safety? They should try themed lighters next time...

Fish Amnesty Day

From the somewhat-unhinged animal lovers at PETA who brought you Save the Whales and human "seal hunts" comes Fish Amnesty Day, the animal rights organization's protest against National Hunting and Fishing Day. PETA urges seafood enthusiasts to think of fish as "sea kittens" in a public relations move intended to render the traditionally cold and scaly fish somehow soft and cuddly.

The organization's re-positioning of the fish alongside traditional pets like cats and dogs is meant to encourage near-vegetarians who still haven't given up seafood to go all the way. Still, it would be hilarious to see activists walking fish on leashes, or draping puppies with scaly costumes, to make their point. Somehow, I doubt the "sea kittens" campaign is going to make any dedicated fishermen put away their poles and lures.

Shameless Self-Promotion Month

Good news for those who struggling to keep their raging egos in check: September is Shameless Self-Promotion Month! Don't be shy, now...This month is for all the entrepreneurs, business owners, artists, and freelancers who must rely on self-promotion to support themselves. And, I suppose, for anyone else who feels like bragging about their accomplishments.

(Oddly enough, this holiday's creator seems to have disappeared from the internet. Don't you think anyone who invented something like this would be throwing promotional posters up on every corner of the internet? Where's the shameless self-promotion here?!)

It goes without saying that this holiday is going to result in a veritable deluge of promotional products. Put up your umbrella, or throw your hat into the ring with some shameless self-promotion of your own!

Subliminal Communications Month

If it suddenly occurs to you to start celebrating for no apparent reason anytime in September, that's because this unsuspecting month happens to be Subliminal Communications Month. Lorrie Walters Marsiglio, a writer and media personality, figured that abducting an entire month via mind control would sell more copies of her books. And it worked! She's being invited to speak at big-time professional networking events, chattering about subliminal messages while secretly hypnotizing the audience! Actually, her theories are more about maximizing the effectiveness of nonverbal factors in communication to get what you want, but it's fun to imagine a mind-control themed dinner party. I wonder who would be the first to get up on the table and quack like a duck?



[on a weirder note, 2G Roses is advertising this bouquet as ideal for Subliminal Communications Month. Who knew you could say it with flowers subliminally?]

Balance Awareness Week

It has come to my attention that I've been missing out on an important event in this great month of September. Of course, I am referring to the fact that September 20-26 is Balance Awareness Week. According to the Vestibular Disorders Association, Balance Awareness Week was established in order to raise awareness of the importance of balance and inner ear health. Sounds great to me...perhaps gifting your family and friends with useful Spirit Levelers will help them maintain their balance. Or at the least, finally figure out that the living room is in fact slanted a few degrees to the left just as you've always suspected.