Matisse had planned to be a lawyer

•Famed French painter Henri Matisse originally had ambitions that were far from the artistic life: He planned to become a lawyer. After finishing law school in Paris, though, he suffered from acute appendicitis, which ultimately changed his life. While he was recovering from the illness he began painting — and he never went back to the law as a profession.

•It’s still not known who made the following sage observation: “You can never tell about a woman, and if you can, you shouldn’t.”

•Yugoslavia is home to some interesting traditions; take Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, for example. In that country, Father’s Day is celebrated on the Sunday before Christmas and Mother’s Day the Sunday before that — which in and of itself isn’t particularly odd. What is odd is how the children behave: It’s traditional, on each parent’s day, for the kids to tie that parent to a chair and demand presents while chanting, “It’s Mother’s (or Father’s) Day, it’s Mother’s Day, what will you pay to get away?”

•Originally, the word “convent” could be applied to a community of either women or men.

•It seems that the Japanese tendency toward conformity can be carried a bit too far. On Feb. 26, 1988, three 50-something Japanese men — who all worked for the same company — committed suicide. Not only did they pick the same day, but they were in the same hotel (in separate rooms), they were wearing identical white shirts, and they hanged themselves using identical white ropes.

•It’s been reported that the last words of ancient Roman emperor Caligula were, “I am still alive!”

Thought for the Day: “I went on a diet, swore off drinking and heavy eating, and in 14 days, I lost two weeks.” — Joe E. Lewis