Teaser Thursday!

OK, so I just made up "Teaser Thursday." But it's an apt description of today's post, which is all about teasing you regarding NEXT Thursday.

What's next Thursday? What ISN'T next Thursday, you might well ask. Firstly, it's that commercial candy-gorging holiday named after poor St. Valentine, may he forever be able to rest his soul without dodging chubby naked Cupids soaring about everywhere. But wait--there's more!

• On February 14, dum-dum-DUM, the Cybils Awards will announce their winning books for 2012.
• February 14 is also International Book Giving Day 2013 (check out the adorable poster here) and--hey--why not give a Cybils winner or finalist?
• Besides those bookish events, it's also the second day of the Roman festival Lupercalia, as well as Statehood Day for Arizona and Oregon.
• It's National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day according to Foodimentary, although that too sounds like a dubious invention of commercial origin. (I much prefer Feb. 13, which is allegedly National "Eat Italian Food" Day.)
• It's the day Henry IV was excommunicated by Pope Gregory VII (1076), the day Native Hawaiians killed Captain Cook (1779), the day the League of Women Voters was founded (1920), and the day Salman Rushdie had a fatwa issued against him for The Satanic Verses (1989). 
• Some random notable birthdays on Feb. 14: Jack Benny, Jimmy Hoffa, Florence Henderson, Paul Tsongas, Michael Bloomberg, Maceo Parker, Gregory Hines, Terry Gross, and Simon Pegg.
• Some random notable deaths on Feb. 14: King Richard II, General Sherman, P.G. Wodehouse, and Dolly the cloned sheep.

Most of these random factoids brought to you by Wikipedia and my irresistible urge to procrastinate.