Selecting an iPhone - AT&T is better than Verizon in 3G network speed test

AT&T iPhones may have connectivity issues, however test outcomes indicate that iPhones on AT&T’s 3G network have quicker connections than Verizon iPhones. The examination compared average download speeds between the two phones. AT&T’s 3G network doubled the speed accessible from Verizon’s 3G network. While AT&T beat Verizon in 3G network speed, Verizon’s network provided a more trustworthy connection.

iPhone at AT&T better off than at Verizon

Several iPhone users have been excited to leave AT&T after all the dropped calls. Before switching to Verizon though, think about it a bit. Ookla, creators of the speedtest.net broadband test, crunched the numbers from AT&T and Verizon iPhone connecting to the Speedtest.net app. In the examination, data transfers for AT&T were two times as fast as those from Verizon. This was done on iPhones too. There were 42,000 AT&T iPhones and 14,000 Verizon iPhones around the U.S. in the Ookla speed outcomes. There were 106,000 AT&T iPhone tests and 40,000 Verizon iPhone tests which were done total.

Dependability of the Verizon iPhone

About 1,768 kbps for downloads and 730 kbps for uploads was the speed for AT&T iPhones. The Verizon iPhone averaged 846 kbps for downloads and 606 kbps for uploads. Verizon iPhones are more reliable although AT&T iPhones may have a greater speed. Other independent reviewers reported that at times AT&T iPhones could not complete the test because they dropped the connection. The iPhone at Verizon was slower for sure. Still, the connection was maintained in all tests done. The businesses both know each others' weaknesses. This is shown in the advertising wars. What AT&T advertises is true. It is "the nation's fastest 3G network." Verizon advertises "America's Largest and Most Reliable Wireless Network."

The best iPhone for needs

Think about how you will use your machine probably the most before selecting between AT&T and Verizon for your iPhone. If media consumption is a priority, AT&T would be more satisfying. If reliability is at the top of the list, Verizon is the easy choice. Want to see how fast your iPhone's 3G network is? Try using the Speedtest.net app for it. With the iPhone, you can get the Speedtest.net app for free. Go to the Apple App Store to do this.

Citations

Wired

wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/02/iphone-speedtest/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

NPR

npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/02/17/133849171/on-the-iphone-at-t-network-is-faster-than-verizons

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/41485079/ns/technology_and_science-wireless/

Bargaining for better bargains a expertise learned from the economic downturn

Several years of economic hardship have instilled an instinct for hard bargaining among Americans. However, difficult economic times have an impact on sellers as well as buyers. Businesses in home repair, automobile repair and even health care will give up a few dollars to get your business. Source for this article – Negotiating for better deals a talent learned from the recession by MoneyBlogNewz.

Getting your healthcare bills negotiated

It’s easy negotiating medical bills. Doctors and hospitals do it often. As people lose their health insurance and are forced into lesser coverage, bargaining with patients is becoming more common. Lots of times, procedures have different rates based on who pays for it. Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies can be charged differently. Patients are easier to work with than bill collectors for Doctors and hospitals. It’s easy to negotiate a better bargain. Go to the doctor to do it though. Make an offer that cannot be refused. Try quickly, upfront cash. Make a counteroffer to any quote given by the hospital. It’s easy to find the going rate for healthcare procedures in different regions of the country online.

Getting your auto repairs negotiated

Consumers bargain with car dealerships often. It’s common practice. So why not do the same with auto mechanics? Take a look at the auto repair estimate and ask if aftermarket parts could be substituted for original equipment. You don't have to do what the mechanic states. Car mechanics carte blanche does not have to be followed. Some of the items on the estimate could possibly be eliminated outright. Asking question like "do I need a tune up" could be bad. This is because it makes you sound uncertain. Without an emergency automobile repair, it doesn't have to be fixed right away. Look around for a much better deal on it. Use the Internet. Try to find car repair estimate databases. Before you drop off your auto, make sure you know what work could be done.

Finding a way to pay less for home repairs

Contractors in the home are well known for inflating the original estimate with costly change orders. Get the home repair contract signed before you pay anything. Make sure bids and references are all checked. You need to make sure you prepare for troubles. Make sure there is a spending budget for these additional expenditures. Each payment in the contract should rest upon a particular degree of progress made on the project. Until all work is made, 15 percent of the total repair contract should not be paid as a final payment.

Citations

New York Times

nytimes.com/2009/03/14/health/14patient.html

Supermechanics.com

supermechanics.com/learn/negotiate-auto-repair-estimates

Suite 101

suite101.com/content/how-to-save-money-on-home-repairs-pt-2-a122548

Former Nugget Carmelo Anthony exchanged to the New York Knicks

Presidents Day weekend may have showcased the National Basketball Association All-Star game and its more-interesting-than-the-game festivities, however the real National Basketball Association excitement happened off the court. High-scoring forward Carmelo Anthony has been exchanged from the Denver Nuggets to the N.Y. Knicks as part of a 12-player, three-team trade that could make large noise in the Eastern Conference for the remainder of the season and beyond. According to ESPN and The Sporting News, the price the Knicks had to pay to land Anthony via trade can be much more than Anthony’s expected three-year, $65 million payroll extension.

Trading twelve players for Anthony

In order to get All-Star caliber talent Anthony, the New York Knicks could not get away without sending major talent to Anthony’s former team, the Denver Nuggets. Wilson Chandler, point guard Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov and Danilo Gallinari were all sent to Denver by the N.Y. Knicks. Denver exchanged several. They include Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony.

To tie up payroll loose ends, the trade also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Knicks also got Corey Brewer from Minnesota. This was in exchange for Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry.

Knicks being affected by this

Michael Wilbon explained that the Knicks seem desperate enough to make the Carmelo Anthony trade. Having Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups on the team may either be beneficial or terrible. There’s a plan though. The Knicks hope the supporters will recognize the change. The Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls or even Miami Heat can be beat in a seven-game Easter Conference playoff series that the N.Y. Knicks will be attending with Carmelo Anthony.

However, with a new collective bargaining agreement coming shortly – which could reportedly consist of a hard salary cap – it might not be possible to sign New Orleans’ Chris Paul as a free agent after next season. Since Billups doesn't really want to play in Madison Square Garden, a point guard will be something the Knicks may have to get in order to do well. A good pick would be Utah Jazz's Paul or Deron Williams. Still, the cap would make it hard to pull out that kind of money.

Citations

ESPN

sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=wilbon/110222

The Sporting News

sportingnews.com/nba/feed/2010-08/carmelos-contact

CBS’s Lauren Shehadi on the Carmelo trade

youtube.com/watch?v=-UfmX6GVPTc

Sex.com purchased, no defined plan for use yet

A new, and Guinness World Record has been officially announced. The record books have a new entry for “most costly domain name ever bought.” Sex.com was sold for over $13 million. The brand new owner of the site said he is making money from the site. As far as what will become of the famous domain name, the owner said he has “no immediate plans for commercialization." Post resource – Sex.com sets record for most expensive domain by MoneyBlogNewz.

Recognition for most costly domain name by Guinness

Sex.com is, in accordance with the Guinness World Records, “the most costly internet address website name.” Sedo is a domain-broker company that sells high-value domain names. It was the one that sold the domain name. In the last few years, pizza.com, Vodka.com and Russia.com all sold for seven figure numbers. While these short, succinct dot-com domains are valued very highly, new domains for instance .xxx are also being eyed by investors. Sex.com set the record with its $13 million price tag in Jan of this year.

Impulsive purchase with sex.com

An interview was given by the new owner to TechCrunch even though he plans on remaining anonymous. Since there is not any content on sex.com right now, it is redirected to an advertising site. The owner has a team "working on possibilities" to commercialize the website. There are "no instant plans" for it right now though. Escom, LLC, the previous owner of sex.com, had to file bankruptcy when it was not able to commercialize the website effectively. Reports are that the 125,000 visitors a day bring in “seven figures a year.”.

The future of sex.com

While advertising is bringing in seven figures for the most costly domain name in the world, the owners are considering other possibilities. It’s possible that sex.com might be an adult website, a technology site or even a pharmaceutical website. The goal of the owner is to create a business model that would allow sex.com to become a publicly offered business. Having a business model focused on adult content wouldn’t prevent sex.com from creating a public company. Brand new Frontier Media and Playboy are publicly traded corporations. This is the case even though they are both adult industry businesses.

Information from

Forbes

forbes.com/2001/05/25/0524porn.html

Tech Crunch

techcrunch.com/2011/01/04/so-you-just-bought-sex-com-for-13-million-now-what/

Curveball claims he told the CIA WMD lies to get rid of Saddam

The CIA mole known as "Curveball" who relayed information to the Bush administration about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq now claims he lied. Curveball is really an Iraqi named Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, who said he had found secret labs in Iraq used to produce biological weapons. Curveball now claims he lied about WMD so that Bush would invade Iraq and get rid of Hussein. This isis a story a pay day loan couldn’t have bought to make up.

Curveball’s lies duplicated by Bush and Powell

Claims by Curveball that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction have long been discredited. Curveball has insisted for years that he told the truth. But on February 16 he told The Guardian newspaper he made it all up. Al-Janabi got out of Saddam Hussein's Iraq and went to Germany. He then said that all over Iraq there were hidden bioweapons when talking to German intelligence. What Curveball said was supported by George W. Bush in his 2003 state of the Union address. Also, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell gave a speech to the United Nations over it. In March 2003, the United States invaded Iraq. Bush admits that there were not weapons of mass destruction in Iraq eventually though.

CIA doubted Curveball right from the start

German intelligence did not believe al-Janabi from the moment he showed up. The asylum application was what previous CIA in Europe Tyler Drumheller thought al-Janabi's false testimony was about. CIA Chief George Tenet was warned by Drumheller that Curveball was not reliable since he never believed the tale. After al-Janabi fesses up, Drumheller told The Guardian that if Curveball lied to oust Hussein, then he is “one of the world’s greatest strategic planners.”. No matter what the truth was, the Bush administration only had Curveball's tale as evidence to use to go to war which is why it was used, Drumheller said.

Curveball's truth hurts him

The man called Curveball said he was proud of helping the Bush administration start the Iraq war, which has killed almost 4,500 United States military personnel and more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians. But in his adopted home of Germany, a German politician said al-Janabi violated a warmongering law that makes actions that lead to war a criminal offense. German intelligence paid al-Janabi for five years after it was known that he had lied; $4,000 a month. Germans want to know why that is. He wants to return to Iraq. Nevertheless, politicians in Iraq want him to be completely exiled.

Citations

The Guardian

guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/16/colin-powell-CIA-curveball

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/02/16/world/middleeast/16curveball.html

Los Angeles Times

latimesblogs.latimes.com/chatter/2011/02/curveball.html

Beware the new IRS e-mail phishing scam, taxpayers

Each tax season, unethical individuals come out of the cyber-woodwork to prey on unsuspecting taxpayers. Unfortunately, 2011 tax time is no different. According to the Shelbyville Times-Gazette, a new Internal Revenue Service e-mail con is circulating that can infect your computer with malware and viruses and even place your sensitive financial data in the hands of identification thieves.

The IRS doesn’t send private tax e-mails

The IRS doesn't ever send out e-mails about tax returns, reports the Times-Gazette. This is what IRS media relations representative Dan Boone explained.

"If you get an e-mail that looks like comes from the IRS and it looks like it has something to do with your personal taxes or business taxes, it’s a scam," said Boone.

While there isn’t one specific IRS scam e-mail in circulation, there is a common theme. In order to steal your money or your identification, thieves will ask for personal information in the e-mail. This will consist of social security numbers and banking account numbers. A refund is usually offered under the condition that banking information is given so that funds could be "transferred" with a special refund.

"There is no refund form. Your tax return is your refund form," said Boone.

How to handle an Internal Revenue Service phishing scam

If you receive an e-mail claiming to be from IRS.gov that asks for your private information, don’t click on any links in the e-mail or download/open any attachments, advises Boone. Your computer can get viruses, have sensitive data stolen or even copy keystrokes with this. A site that looks like IRS.gov is where you could go due to a connection making it look like the IRS really did send it. Just keep in mind that the IRS does not need personal information from you in e-mails.

Any fraud should be reported. The Internal Revenue Service encourages it. Send an e-mail to phishing(at)irs.gov. This is where you will forward these e-mails to. Please note that a return receipt from the IRS won’t be issued. If you want more information, you can get it pretty very easily. Internal Revenue Service form IR-2006-49 is where to look.

Information from

IRS

irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=155682,00.html

Shelbyville Times-Gazette

t-g.com/story/1704349.html

Beware e-mails that appear to be from the IRS

youtube.com/watch?v=Kw7f7pO3CAM

House Republicans aim to defund net neutrality in budget bill

The House GOP war against the Obama administration now contains net neutrality rules proposed by the FCC. The FCC’s net neutrality rules were written to keep the Internet free and open from corporate discrimination. Government funding to enforce net neutrality would be cut off if the GOP amendment becomes part of a bill allowing the government to function through the fiscal year. This may help the millions of people who take out payday cash advances every month just to pay their internet bill. Post resource – House Republicans seek to defund net neutrality in budget bill by MoneyBlogNewz.

The federal spending budget effected by net neutrality

The House approved an amendment to a spending budget bill that will help fund the federal government until the end of the 2011 fiscal year while also stopping the FCC from implementing new net neutrality rules. Net neutrality was stopped at the FCC with this bill. It was a way of helping out companies that control United States Internet access such as Verizon, AT&T and Comcast. Political analysts doubt whether the net neutrality amendment, as well as other Republican measures to defund programs they don’t like, will survive the legislative process. The government needs the funds from the budget bill. That means Obama can't veto the amendment while in the budget bill.

Politics and net neutrality

The net neutrality put out by the FCC is supported by Obama. The Senate Democrats support it as well. In Dec., the Democratic House passed the rules. Then, in hopes that the GOP would change to Republican in the new year, Senate Republicans stalled the measure. U.S. Senate Democrats, who still hold the majority, are adamant that they won’t address the Republican net neutrality defunding amendment. The current government funding bill expires at midnight on March 4. The government has to shut down unless a new spending bill is made.

All about net neutrality

The reason why net neutrality came about was because of the few major corporations that give access to Internet. Most Americans have to choose between these few corporations. In order to keep the quality of service low and the rates high, several suspect the businesses are working together. The FCC hopes to encourage more competition in the Internet service provider industry by preventing major Internet service providers from charging sites for faster access and throttling Internet connections for content providers and consumers who don’t pay additional.

Articles cited

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110217-718244.html

Politico

politico.com/news/stories/0211/49754.html

Daily Tech

dailytech.com/US+House+Votes+to+Allow+Cable+Providers+to+Throttle+Internet/article20947.htm

Unbankable NV businesses targeted by new microlending program

The Rural Nevada Development Corp. is kicking off a new "microlending" program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded program focuses on companies that couldn't otherwise qualify for loans. There is about $500,000 available for this loan program. $100,000 has already been awarded to companies. This could help people stay away from payday lenders if they can get the financing somewhere else.

When in Reno, Nevada, you might want a rural development loan

A new "microlending" program will begin due to a $500,000 grant that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is funding. The program funds bad credit loans for Reno and Reno-area companies through the USDA Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance program. The loans are being given to companies that weren't able to get traditional loans from banks. Up to $50,000 per business will be given. Between 10 and 12 percent interest will be charged on the loans that have only five years to pay them back.

Ways to qualify for bad credit business loans in Reno

There are criteria that have to be met for a Rural Nevada Development Corp. loan to be offered. Less than 10 employees in the business are allowed while less than $1 million a year in gross revenue is allowed. Traditional loan financing has to have been applied for by the business that got denied. There are only a few areas that can get the money. These consist of areas around Indian Reservations, LV, Carson City and Reno. In NV, only $500,000 total is being offered for these programs. In the first five days of the program, $100,000 was already handed out. It is anticipated the $500,000 will not last long. It will take a month at the longest to distribute it all.

What you should learn about microfinance

Many know the terms "microfinance" and "microlending" now. They’re more popular than ever. Though the United States Department of Agriculture is calling this Reno loan program “microlending,” it lends much larger amounts than most microfinance programs. Usually microfinancing is for those who do not make very much money. They have very low income. Around $1,000 is typically paid for most "microlending" programs. The microlending for RNDC is huge when comparing these numbers. Typically the microlending is for creating countries and comes from a private individual in a developed country. Still, the "hole" in the market that has companies unable to afford to expand but additionally without a good credit is hard to figure out.

Citations

RGJ

rgj.com/article/20110201/BIZ/102010321/1321/news

Activision kills Guitar Hero, DJ Hero; Rock Band may survive

"Guitar Hero", designed by Activision/Blizzard, has played its last chord. Activision could be shutting down “DJ Hero” and “Guitar Hero” within the next few weeks. Similar series "Rock Band" has not announced plans to turn off – yet.

‘Guitar Hero’ to be turned off

"Guitar Hero's" death was something that video game maker Activision announced Thursday morning is over. Everybody wanted the "casual-gamer" title before. It was a large hit among people. "Guitar Hero" had over $1 billion in sales in Jan of 2009 and was the first game to do so. U.S. sales past year dropped by more than 8 percent, costing the business $9.36 billion. As of February, Activision will turn off all sales, including downloadable content, for “DJ Hero” and “Guitar Hero.”. Activision will be laying off a staff of approximately 500 individuals.

’Rock Band’ may not get shut down though

“Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero”, while very comparable, are created by two different corporations. Distributing "Rock Band" and making deals is quite easy. It helps that Viacom and MTV Games are the ones that own the game. "Guitar Hero" controllers can be used to play "Rock Band" although the company is able to stay profitable with the more expensive setup pack. Sales of "Rock Band" have been strong. "Guitar Hero" hasn't had such luck. It is not true that "Rock Band" is safe though. It isn't doing super well. Several anticipated "The Beatles: "Rock Band"" to sell fast. This was when it came out in 2009. There was only $1.7 million of the product sold though. This was in three months time.

Music gaming in the near future

The announcement said that the "rapid decline in the music genre" has been clearly happening recently. This is why "Guitar Hero" is getting shut down. There have always been music genres for the motion-based systems. This includes both the Kinect and the Wii. There isn't really a band gaming part of the systems though. They are about dancing. A reduction in the hardware component of sales has been seen. This means that the lower-profit, higher-sales software could be necessary for businesses to make money.

Information from

Investor Place

investorplace.com/30610/activision-blizzard-atvi-guitar-hero-sales/

USA Today

content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2011/02/activision-dropping-new-downloads-for-guitar-hero-dj-hero/1

Shark attack report shows significant 2010 increase

An annual report on shark assaults showed they increased substantially around the globe in 2010. FL saw fewer shark assaults in 2010, however the state still led the U.S. in that statistic. The belief that sharks are colorblind, as proven in a recent study, may contribute to better shark attack prevention for ocean adventurers.

What you need to know about shark attacks

There were 79 shark attacks recorded last year on the Worldwide Shark Attack file the University of FL put together which is the most since 1980 when there were 80. Deaths occurred in six of the shark attacks. From the 63 total shark attacks in 2009, that's a 25 percent increase. The normal 36 assaults occurred in the U.S. It still made the country a leader though. Australia, a country famous for sharks, was runner up with 14. Both Vietnam and Egypt had six while South Africa had eight. Within five days, four of the five Egyptian assaults happened. There was dead sheep dumped overboard by a passing cargo ship while recreational divers feed reef fishes and sharks. This happened during the hotter than normal Egyptian summer.

FL seeing less shark assaults

Most shark attacks typically come from FL. However, for the fourth straight year a decline in assaults was reported. The 10 year average for shark assaults in FL is at 23 while 13 were reported this year. Other states listed in the Shark Attack File consist of North Carolina (5), CA (4), HI (4) and SC (4). Several other places had just one shark attack. These included WA, VA, Texas, Oregon, Maine and Georgia. Part of the reason why the 2010 number of shark assaults was probably so low was due to the British Petroleum oil leak reducing the number of Florida tourists.

How to stop shark assaults

Surfers accounted for more than half of the shark attack cases last year. Sharks are colorblind as a recent study showed. That means protection is possible. Sharks see in shades of gray and wet suits and surfboards with a lower visual contrast may be less attractive. When attacking, sharks are usually just curious. They are not trying to get a meal. You will find black wetsuits that are worn by surfers a lot. Usually this is high contrast and is noticed. The United States navy nicknamed the attraction to yellow sharks has as "yum, yum yellow". Blue or green wet suits with a lower contrast could prevent shark assaults.

Citations

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/41458324/ns/world_news-world_environment/?GT1=43001

Gainesville Sune

gainesville.com/article/20110207/ARTICLES/110209535/1109/sports?Title=Economy-to-blame-for-drop-in-Florida-shark-attacks-expert-says&tc=ar

Los Angeles Times

latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2011/01/sharks-are-color-blind-shark-attacks.html

Current TV hopes Olbermann increases network account

Current TV is hoping Keith Olbermann will transform the network from an also-ran into a contender. Olbermann, who left MSNBC without advance notice a couple weeks ago, introduced his new endeavor Tuesday. Olbermann will anchor the prime-time news lineup at Current TV with his signature brand of opinionated bluster.

Current TV no longer invisible

Al Gore founded TV Channel which might end up doing much better with Keith Olbermann now part of Current TV. Programming on Current TV was depending on short segments called “pods” targeted to an audience aged 18-34. You will find documentary re-runs happening like "The American Life" on Current TV programming as the pods never did well. There are about 23,000 prime time audiences of Current TV while 60 million cable subscribers can see it. Every weeknight, the "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" got about 1 million viewers. MSNBC appreciated this. Olbermann will hopefully be help Gore make the network do better.

Viewing what Keith Olbermann has to say

Current TV is anticipated to offer the opinionated Olbermann free reign to express his point of view. Because he donated to Democratic political candidates, he got suspended before departing from MSNBC. If Olbermann will be completely allegiant to Current TV as the "chief news officer," Gore said there won't be restrictions like this. Olbermann will even serve as executive producer of his nightly show and receive an equity stake in Current TV. At present, Current TV’s ratings don’t even make the Nielsen ratings. Olbermann's hire will be a great thing for Current TV's lineup in prime time commentary. Gore explained this in a teleconference.

Show will feature more of the same Olbermann

During the announcement of his move to Current TV, Keith Olbermann said that he accepted Gore’s offer for the chance to produce news independent of corporate interference. He called Current TV a “model truth-seeking entity.”. He said that the way stories are covered should not be decided by corporate individuals. His brand new show would be “an improved and amplified version of the show I just did.” This is what he explained.

Information from

Entertainment Weekly

insideTV.ew.com/2011/02/08/olbermann-current-TV/

USA Today

usatoday.com/life/television/news/2011-02-08-keith-olbermann-current-TV_N.htm

New York Times

mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/keith-olbermann-to-host-show-and-have-executive-role-at-current-TV/?hp

Candlemas becomes the day for Punxsutawney Phil

Feb. 2 is a day for celebration around the globe, for a wide variety of reasons. Some traditions mark February 2 as Candlemas, Imbolic, or a day of purification. No matter what your tradition, Groundhog Day is a day to ask a small creature if springtime is coming — which, in and of itself, has traditional roots. It’s getting close to the time to take out a cash advance and plan your spring trip. Source for this article – How Candlemas and Imbolic became Punxsutawney Phil's Day by MoneyBlogNewz.

The beginning of Candlemas

In the “wheel of the year,” the division of the year according to the seasons, Feb. 2 is a “cross-quarter” day; it’s halfway amongst equinox and solstice. In order to grow grain, this day was to prepare soil in agrarian society. Much of the plowing work was often done within the dark portion of the day, requiring candles. "Candle mass" was used to symbolize renewal, purification and the new year dawning.

Candlemas all over the world

European countries have a different name for Candlemas. "Imbolic" is this name. The word comes from “Ol-melc,” meaning ewe’s milk, because the sheep started giving milk again after winter. A goddess statue was often washed and carried through the fields in order to commemorate the coming planting and harvest. The day is recognized by Jewish and Christian tradition as well. St. Brigid is the Christian patron saint of grain, and her day is often recognized by planting seeds and baking bread. Candlemas/Imbolic is also the day 40 days after the day the birth of Jesus is celebrated, making it the date that the Jewish Mary would have purified herself. In short, it’s a day of purification, planting and honoring of the coming growing season.

Candlemas to Groundhog Day celebration changes

Humans would start, with animals too, to leave the house and work within the fields again during Imbolic or Candlemas. There were 18th century German settlers that brought over a tradition to go with Candlemas. On that day, if a groundhog saw its shadow, then that meant there would be six more weeks of winter ahead. February 2, 1887, was the first time that Punxsutawney Phil had to come out of his hole to predict the weather. About 39 percent of the time, Punxsutawney Phil is right. You may use February 2 to watch Punxsutawney Phil come out of it his hole, to celebrate Mary's purification, to commemorate Dt. Brigid's Day, to commemorate Imbolic, or even to Commemorate Candlemas. No matter what, it is a day that shows springtime will soon be here.

Articles cited

School of the Seasons

schooloftheseasons.com/candlemas.html

The Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/8298417/The-history-of-Groundhog-Day.html