January 4, 2014: Perihelion Day is the day when the earth is closest to the sun in its oval-shaped orbit. I do wonder if that means the hottest day in the southern hemisphere is hotter than the hottest day in the northern hemisphere, since they’re having their summer right now. Today is also Trivia Day, which is a day after my own heart. I’ll spend it getting ready to take the Jeopardy! online test, which this year is January 7-9. As an east coaster, I’ll be taking it the evening of the 7th. It’s not too late to sign up!

Pop Music Chart Day marks the day back in 1936 when Billboard posted its first Hit Parade. (The number one song that year: Bing Crosby’s “Pennies from Heaven”.) As for my pop music trivia question in the doodle: Justin Bieber has yet to make it to #1 on the charts here in the US, although he made it to #2 once in 2012. Can you name the song? (Hint: I listened to it for research purposes … it’s terrible. Although I suppose for a lot of us old farts, that hint doesn’t narrow it down at all.)