Give Us This Day Our Daily Thread March 1st - March 31st 2026

[tricia]

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY THREAD TUES MARCH 3RD 2026
​

On March 3, 1845, Florida became a state. This means the official birthplace of “Florida Man” headlines has been legally operating since 1845.


On March 3, 1885, AT&T was incorporated.


On March 3, 1923, Time magazine published its first issue.

On March 3, 1931, “The Star-Spangled Banner” officially became the U.S. national anthem. After 150+ years as a country, we finally picked a song — and chose one nearly impossible for normal humans to sing without vocal training.

 

[tricia]

Once again, I failed you. I feel shame. I shall ban myself.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY THREAD FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 5TH 2026​

1960 – Photocopier Used in a Major Criminal Investigation
One of the earliest criminal cases to widely use photocopied evidence occurred in the investigation of the Dr. Sam Sheppard case appeals, helping modernize evidence distribution among investigators.

2004 – Martha Stewart Convicted
Lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart was convicted of lying to investigators about insider trading and later served five months in prison.

1963 – Country Music Milestone
Patsy Cline died in a plane crash in Tennessee at age 30, becoming one of the most legendary voices in country music.

1770 – The Boston Massacre
British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists in Boston, killing five people. The event became a powerful piece of propaganda used by American patriots leading up to the American Revolution.


1933 – FDR Takes Control of the Banking Crisis
President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared a nationwide “bank holiday” four days after taking office to stop bank runs during the Great Depression. All banks temporarily closed while the government inspected their financial stability.

 

[Dotta]

8 March

We in Poland celebrate this
Special Day in a BIG way

All the best girls all over the world !!!!

 

[tricia]

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY THREAD
WEDNESDAY MARCH 11TH 2026

​

There is something that happened on Saturday, March 5th, 1994, I meant to write about.
That was the day a person took hostages in the Salt Lake City Library. He called a radio station. The person he spoke to was me. He called our sister station a couple of times, too. 20/20 did a story about this called "In an Instant." The real hero of this story was a sheriff's deputy named Lloyed Prescott. He was named Police Officer of the Year for the United States. There were a bunch of reenactments of this story over the years. The biggest one is this one. I wish they had been able to tell the whole story about the two other people the hostage taker spoke to. Anyway. It was something I was not prepared for.
Have you ever had a wild story? I would love to hear about it.
Here is the episode.m My part comes in about 25:30 into the video.

Here is what happened on March 11 this day in history
2004 – Madrid Train Bombings
Coordinated terrorist attacks on commuter trains in Madrid killed 193 people and injured over 2,000.
It remains Spain’s deadliest terrorist attack.


2011 – Fukushima Nuclear Disaster begins
A massive earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, triggering the nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
It became the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
1702 – First daily newspaper published in England
The Daily Courant began publication in London. It is considered the first successful daily newspaper in English history.


1811 – Luddite uprising begins in England
Textile workers protesting mechanized looms began destroying machinery in Nottinghamshire. The Luddites became famous for resisting industrial automation.


1888 – The Great Blizzard of 1888 begins
One of the worst blizzards in U.S. history struck the Northeast, especially New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
About 400 people died and cities were buried under up to 50 inches of snow.


1918 – First confirmed U.S. cases of the Spanish Flu
The deadly 1918 influenza pandemic was first identified among soldiers at Camp Funston, Kansas.
The pandemic eventually killed 50 million people worldwide.


1941 – FDR signs the Lend-Lease Act
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation allowing the U.S. to send military aid to Allied nations during World War II, including Britain and the Soviet Union.


1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev becomes Soviet leader
Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary of the Communist Party. His reforms glasnost and perestroika would help lead to the end of the Soviet Union.

 

[Megnut]

There is something that happened on Saturday, March 5th, 1994, I meant to write about.
That was the day a person took hostages in the Salt Lake City Library. He called a radio station. The person he spoke to was me. He called our sister station a couple of times, too. 20/20 did a story about this called "In an Instant." The real hero of this story was a sheriff's deputy named Lloyed Prescott. He was named Police Officer of the Year for the United States. There were a bunch of reenactments of this story over the years. The biggest one is this one. I wish they had been able to tell the whole story about the two other people the hostage taker spoke to. Anyway. It was something I was not prepared for.
Have you ever had a wild story? I would love to hear about it.
Here is the episode.m My part comes in about 25:30 into the video.

RSBM

Must. Hear. More.

Off to listen but holy yikes!

 

[tricia]

RSBM

Must. Hear. More.

Off to listen but holy yikes!

20/20 did a great job of telling the story, but if you have any questions, please ask.
America's Most Wanted did a full hour on the story to honor Lloyd Prescott. I played myself. I suck as an actress. I wish I could find that copy. I can't find it anywhere. That show did an amazing job.
It is so strange. I was telling this story last year to a friend of my son's who asked me about it. For the very first time I started crying. I have no idea why. I start to cry now on the rare occasion I talk about it.

 

[dotr]

20/20 did a great job of telling the story, but if you have any questions, please ask.
America's Most Wanted did a full hour on the story to honor Lloyd Prescott. I played myself. I suck as an actress. I wish I could find that copy. I can't find it anywhere. That show did an amazing job.

Your name is first mentioned @ approx. 2:08, off to watch the rest of it!

Oct 20, 2024
A gunman takes ten people hostage at the Salt Lake City Public Library, including an undercover cop. This segment was taken from Episode 710, which aired on April 11, 1996 on CBS

 

[Megnut]

20/20 did a great job of telling the story, but if you have any questions, please ask.
America's Most Wanted did a full hour on the story to honor Lloyd Prescott. I played myself. I suck as an actress. I wish I could find that copy. I can't find it anywhere. That show did an amazing job.

OMG. Babyface Tricia!

 

[Megnut]

@dotr beat me to it! Well done!

@tricia this NEEEEEEEEDS to be a special line item for the next GUARDIANS Zoom!

You were so level headed!

This gives new context to your earlier career in radio!

 

[Megnut]

@tricia To think that Your Young Self in 1994 had this event, I'm eager to hear how it impacted you, that Your Only Slightly Older self is the very public face of Websleuths now. And what windy path you took from there to here and all points between.

You have stories!

We have time!

 

[GatorsNorth]

OMG @tricia! You were amazing. If that had been me, I would’ve been freaking out!

 

[tricia]

@tricia To think that Your Young Self in 1994 had this event, I'm eager to hear how it impacted you, that Your Only Slightly Older self is the very public face of Websleuths now. And what windy path you took from there to here and all points between.

You have stories!

We have time!

Something like this changes your life, that's for sure.
I spoke to the hostage taker 3 or 4 times. Each time he spoke to me he held a gun to a man named Michael Greer's head. I didn't know this until Michael told me later.
What I can never understand is when Michael Greer called and said he was being held hostage I asked him to put the hostage taker on the phone. WTF WAS I THINKING? I would never DARE do something like that if I had time to think about it. I just remember thinking if I could play his requests then he won't kill anyone. Why is this affecting me NOW over 30 years later?
I guess this is Websleuths Therapy and you are all my therapist. LOL.
Megnut, if you have any questions, feel free.

 

[Gemmie]

@tricia To think that Your Young Self in 1994 had this event, I'm eager to hear how it impacted you, that Your Only Slightly Older self is the very public face of Websleuths now. And what windy path you took from there to here and all points between.

You have stories!

We have time!

Yep. 4 hours a day both Friday and Saturday!

 

[Megnut]

Something like this changes your life, that's for sure.
I spoke to the hostage taker 3 or 4 times. Each time he spoke to me he held a gun to a man named Michael Greer's head. I didn't know this until Michael told me later.
What I can never understand is when Michael Greer called and said he was being held hostage I asked him to put the hostage taker on the phone. WTF WAS I THINKING? I would never DARE do something like that if I had time to think about it. I just remember thinking if I could play his requests then he won't kill anyone. Why is this affecting me NOW over 30 years later?
I guess this is Websleuths Therapy and you are all my therapist. LOL.
Megnut, if you have any questions, feel free.

I can't stop thinking about this.

Watched everything I could find. Some of the hostages commented that the radio/music was comforting, a welcome diversion, something to focus on. It was a brilliant call on your part, pun not withstanding. Made him feel heard which probably went a long way toward diffusing his agitation. Bought LE time too. To mobilize.

You done good.

Did it hit you later? That day? That night? Years later, in ways you did or didn't expect?How has it impacted your sense of personal safety, over time?

 

[tricia]

If you all think it would be a good topic I would be glad to discuss on the Guardian call.
There was a lot that happened that didn't get told of course.
Doing my livestream now, but will come back and answer your questions. It feels good to "talk" (post) about it.
Thank you @Megnut

 

[tricia]

I asked him what he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear U2, Aerosmith, the Beatles, Jethro Tull, and one more, and I can't believe I can't remember. He wanted to hear cuts you don't normally hear on the radio. So I pulled all the ads and just played all album cuts for like 4 hours. Later Lloyd Prescott said Clifford Draper leaned back in his chair and said "Now that's power."
Michael Greer called and give me a list of names. These names were the next of kin of everyone so when he killed them I could call their relatives and tell them they were dead.
. First thing he did was demand I put him on the air so he could read his manifesto. My girlfriend was with me and she had the cops on the phone. I asked her to ask them what I should do. They said do not put him on the air. Screw that. I thought to myself I will try one thing and if he still insists I put him on the air I was going to put him on the air. I wasn't going to be responsible for everyone dying because the cops didn't want him reading his manifesto. I told him the button to put him on the air was broken. He said I had 72 hours to fix it or everyone dies. If he had not said that. If he had insisted I put him on the air after that excuse, I was going to do it.
When it was over, and I am not exaggerating when I say this, not one person in management said a word to me. Nothing. Not "Good Job" or "are you ok?" NOTHING. It was weird. My coworkers were wonderful, but not a word. Other than the general manager was worried how we were going to make up the lost ad revenue.
Again, there is so much more. The show didn't tell everything thats for sure. Heading to bed. Thank you Megnut for asking. It helps to talk about it.

 

[Megnut]

I asked him what he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear U2, Aerosmith, the Beatles, Jethro Tull, and one more, and I can't believe I can't remember. He wanted to hear cuts you don't normally hear on the radio. So I pulled all the ads and just played all album cuts for like 4 hours. Later Lloyd Prescott said Clifford Draper leaned back in his chair and said "Now that's power."
Michael Greer called and give me a list of names. These names were the next of kin of everyone so when he killed them I could call their relatives and tell them they were dead.
. First thing he did was demand I put him on the air so he could read his manifesto. My girlfriend was with me and she had the cops on the phone. I asked her to ask them what I should do. They said do not put him on the air. Screw that. I thought to myself I will try one thing and if he still insists I put him on the air I was going to put him on the air. I wasn't going to be responsible for everyone dying because the cops didn't want him reading his manifesto. I told him the button to put him on the air was broken. He said I had 72 hours to fix it or everyone dies. If he had not said that. If he had insisted I put him on the air after that excuse, I was going to do it.
When it was over, and I am not exaggerating when I say this, not one person in management said a word to me. Nothing. Not "Good Job" or "are you ok?" NOTHING. It was weird. My coworkers were wonderful, but not a word. Other than the general manager was worried how we were going to make up the lost ad revenue.
Again, there is so much more. The show didn't tell everything thats for sure. Heading to bed. Thank you Megnut for asking. It helps to talk about it.

We're all ears, shoulders, heart. Whatever you need. It's the best of what Websleuths it.
I'm exhausted reading that. The tension of the situation, the pressure you must have felt, intense.

Thank Heavens LloydP was there, armed, and managed to slip into the room, that it didn't last longer then it did. Into the night, into days.

Telling him the broadcast button was broken, supernatural genius. Coupled with playing his song preferences, you took away his power while simultaneously making him think you didn't.

I'm supremely sorry that you weren't supported. Ad revenue, yeesh. There were LIVES on the line, literally, and you steadied the course. You should have been given time off and access to trauma support. And accolades.

It's too little too late but from all of here in the Websleuths family,

Atta girl, @tricia.

 

[tricia]

We're all ears, shoulders, heart. Whatever you need. It's the best of what Websleuths it.
I'm exhausted reading that. The tension of the situation, the pressure you must have felt, intense.

Thank Heavens LloydP was there, armed, and managed to slip into the room, that it didn't last longer then it did. Into the night, into days.

Telling him the broadcast button was broken, supernatural genius. Coupled with playing his song preferences, you took away his power while simultaneously making him think you didn't.

I'm supremely sorry that you weren't supported. Ad revenue, yeesh. There were LIVES on the line, literally, and you steadied the course. You should have been given time off and access to trauma support. And accolades.

It's too little too late but from all of here in the Websleuths family,

Atta girl, @tricia.

You have made me feel so much better, Megnut. Thank you. I didn't realize how much I needed to talk about this. Maybe during the Guardian call, I'll fill in the rest of the story.
Thank you very, very much.
Tricia

 

[tricia]

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY THREAD FRIDAY MARCH 13 (UH OH) 2026​

So, where did the fear of Friday the 13th come from?
Let's explore. Actually, I'll let AI, aka Chat GPT, tell us.

Ahh yes… Friday the 13th — the one day every elevator suddenly loses the 13th floor and half the world avoids ladders, mirrors, and black cats.
The fear actually has a name: triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13) and paraskevidekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th specifically). And the origin is a mix of history, religion, and a little medieval gossip.

Let’s break it down.

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1. The Number 13 Was Already Considered Unlucky​

Long before the “Friday” part got added, the number 13 itself had a bad reputation.


Two big stories fueled this:


The Last Supper (Christian tradition)
At the final meal before the crucifixion of Jesus, there were 13 people at the table.
The 13th guest was Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus.


Because of this, for centuries people believed having 13 people at a table meant one would die within the year. (Victorians took this very seriously.)


Norse mythology
In one legend, 12 gods were having a banquet in Valhalla when Loki showed up as the 13th guest.
Chaos followed and the beloved god Balder was killed.


So by the Middle Ages, 13 = trouble.

3. When Friday + 13 Became a “Thing”​

4

One theory people love involves the Knights Templar.


On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the mass arrest of the Knights Templar, accusing them of heresy. Many were tortured or executed.


Because it happened on Friday the 13th, people later linked the date to terrible luck.


Historians say this probably didn't create the superstition, but it definitely helped cement the creepy reputation.

---

4. The Modern Fear Is Actually Pretty Recent​

The specific fear of Friday the 13th didn’t really explode until the late 1800s and early 1900s.


A big boost came from a 1907 novel called:


“Friday the Thirteenth” by Thomas Lawson


The book told a story about using superstition to crash the stock market. After that, newspapers and pop culture started talking about the date as cursed.


Then of course…


The 1980 horror movie “Friday the 13th” turned it into a full-blown cultural legend.

---

Weird Modern Facts About Friday the 13​

Some fun ones you can use on your livestream:

• Many hotels skip room 13
• Many buildings skip the 13th floor
• In the U.S., airlines sometimes skip row 13
• Researchers estimate millions of people change plans on Friday the 13th
• The fear can be so strong doctors gave it that monster word: paraskevidekatriaphobia

---

Fun twist:
Statistically, studies have found Friday the 13th is no more dangerous than any other day. In fact some studies suggest fewer accidents happen because people are extra cautious.


So ironically…


The safest day might actually be the “scariest” one.


Let's have some good luck. Othram Studios on YouTube only needs 23 more subscribers to get to 500. It doesn't cost anything and Othram has been so good to us so please click on the video and subscribe to Othram's new YouTube channel. Thanks.

 

[Dotta]

Once, on Friday 13th in December
I was literally crawling to the doctor as I had a terrible case of "stomach flu".

I had attacks of stomach seizures every 30 minutes
and was afraid of falling onto the pavement rolling with pain,
I was scared people might think I was an alcoholic lying on the street hahahaha

Well, the doctor after examining me was scrubbing her hands up to elbows with a big brush hehe

Needles to say I lost a few kilos after just 5 days.
My pupils and colleagues commented on this when I returned to work.

It was a long time ago,
but really I remember it as if it was yesterday.
I thought I was going to die.

Friday, 13th!!!