Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for July 7, 2003

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, July 7, 2003 | 8:18 a.m.

Party on!

So you thought Independence Day was the only cause for celebration in July. Turns out this month is jam-packed with homages to myriad food stuff and technological advances, among others.

Feeling hungry? Let's hope so, because all month long it's National Ice Cream, Hot Dog, Blueberry and Picnic Month. Meanwhile today is Macaroni Day; Wednesday is Sugar Cookie Day; and Sunday is French Fries Day. July 21 is Junk Food Day along with Ice Cream Cone Day; July 29 is Lasagna Day, followed by Cheesecake Day on the 30th and Jump for Jellybeans Day on July 31. Finally, the last week of the month (July 25 through July 31) has been designated Salad Week.

July is also Bison Month, which are considered an entree at some dining establishments, but for our purposes we're keeping them out of the culinary category.

Here's a primer on the massive mammal courtesy of bisoncentral.com, the website of the Denver-based, nonprofit National Bison Association, which promotes the "preservation, production and marketing"of the range roamers.

According to factoids featured on the site, the term "buffalo"is an accepted though technically incorrect synonym for bison. The beasts were first referred to as "les boeufs"by French explorers traversing North America in the 17th century. The English came through later and decided to pronounce it "la buff."

The horned animals weigh up to 35 pounds at birth and walk on their own four legs within hours. Stand back: A mature bison bull, weighing about 2,000 pounds, can reach a running speed of 30 mph. The creatures generally live between 20 and 25 years.

Heading to Yellowstone National Park this summer? Keep an eye peeled for bison: The park has "the largest free-roaming bison population"on the planet, with a herd numbering around 3,500 and that's no bull.

Chilling out

Now that the dog days of summer are panting along, we should all give props to the modern miracle of air conditioning.

To which genius should we give credit for inventing this summertime savior? What were some of the first buildings to boast chilled air? How did air-conditioning technology play a role when man first walked on the moon? These and scores of other questions are answered on ari.org, the website of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute. The Arlington, Va.-based trade organization, which celebrates Air Conditioning Appreciation Days through Aug. 16, represents North American manufacturers of equipment for central air-conditioning and commercial refrigeration.

On with the trivia: Engineer Willis Carrier built the first air conditioner in 1902. Four years later he patented his "apparatus for treating air."The actual term "air conditioning"was coined by textile engineer Stuart W. Cramer in 1906. Los Angeles' Grauman's Metropolitan Theatre, in 1923, became the first movie house in the country to offer air conditioning. It was followed six years later by the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Senate in 1929; and the White House in 1930.

What about air conditioning on the moon? In 1969 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong took a walk on the lunar side decked out in space suits that featured "life support and cooling systems."