Blood, Sweat and Cheers

1. Today's a good day to give blood, and there are at least two places to do it: In Coto de Caza at Bridle Path Lane, and at the Rancho Santa Margarita Library. Coto begins at 8:30 a.m., the library session begins at noon and lasts until 7 p.m. Remember, if you don't dig needles, go to Coto—you won't get shhhh'ed there. Check out the appropriate link before you go.

2. What must it be like to run a hundred miles. Think about it: Run ... a hundred ... miles. That's what athletes in Coto de Caza were doing over the miserably weathered weekend. They had some big-timers in the ultra-marathon world competing. Check out Tyler Donohue's feature, .

3. Less than two years on the job—actually, about 15 months—and to head an as-yet unnamed countywide drug prevention program started by Sheriff Sandra Hutchens. Taylor was the only woman who was chief of police services in Orange County.

4. On this date in history, Feb. 28, 1953, James Watson and Frances Crick announce the double-helix structure of DNA. In 1983, the final episode of M*A*S*H aired after 11 seasons. In 1984, Michael Jackson's album Thriller won an unprecedented eight Grammy Awards. In 1944, Hannah Reitsch, the world's first female test pilot, suggested a suicide squad of bombers during a visit with Adolf Hitler; she was the first applicant, but it never came to fruition, and she went on to set more than 40 world records for flying.

5. The man who put the Grand Prix of Long Beach on the map and became synonymous with driving fast, Mario Andretti, turns 71 today. Others celebrating slower birthdays are Charles Durning (88), Gavin MacLeod (81), Tommy Tune (72), Bernadette Peters (63), Gilbert Gottfried (56) and Eric Lindros (38). Also born on this date were the late Zero Mostel (1915), auto painter extraordinaire Earl Scheib (1907) and scientist Linus Pauling (1901).

For What it's Worth: It's the last day of Spunky Old Broads Month, and the first Monday in Telecommuter Appreciation Week. It's also National Tooth Fairy Day. We're pretty sure he celebrates by giving all kids a quarter for no apparent reason.