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Celebrate World Poetry Day

Poetry reaffirms our common humanity by revealing to us that individuals, everywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings. Poetry is the mainstay of oral tradition and, over centuries, can communicate the innermost values of diverse cultures.

In celebrating World Poetry Day, UNESCO recognizes the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.

A decision to proclaim 21 March as World Poetry Day was adopted during UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999.

One of the main objectives of World Poetry Day is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities.

The observance of World Poetry Day is also meant to encourage a return to the oral tradition of poetry recitals, to promote the teaching of poetry, to restore a dialogue between poetry and the other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and to support small publishers and create an attractive image of poetry in the media, so that the art of poetry will no longer be considered an outdated form of art, but one which enables society as a whole to regain and assert its identity.

Word of the Day

obeisance

MEANING:

noun:
1. A gesture of submission, such as curtsy.
2. Deference or homage.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Old French obeissance, from obeir (to obey), from Latin oboedire (to obey, to listen to), from ob- (toward) + audire (to hear). Ultimately from the Indo-European root au- (to perceive), which also gave us audio, audit, obey, auditorium, anesthesia, aesthetic,synesthesia, and clairaudience. Earliest documented use: 1382.

USAGE:

“It was a squabble over $2.9 million in property-tax breaks -- small change for ExxonMobil, a company that measures its earnings by the billions. But when the East Baton Rouge Parish school board rejected the energy giant’s rather routine request last month, the ‘no’ vote went off like a bomb in a state where obeisance to the oil, gas, and chemical industries is the norm.”
Richard Fausset; Daring to Say No to Big Oil; The New York Times; Feb 5, 2019.

Idiom of the Day

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS

Meaning

daydreaming or absentminded

be unaware of what is going on

not being actively aware of your present situation

thinking in an illogical or delusional manner

Example Sentences

He roams around all night with his head in the clouds.

Kim does not like the logic and keeps his head in the clouds all the time.

Lolita has her head in the clouds if she thinks she will win the tournament.

The government has its head in the clouds when it comes to the rebels.

He is not right for this job; he has his head in the clouds.

Most of the time she is having her head in the clouds.

Origin

The earliest use of this expression dates back to the mid-1600s. The origins are uncertain beyond that is probably the imagery of a very creative person. At that time humans did not have airplanes so aviation was not a concept that inspired the idiom. Clouds were considered out of the reach or impossible to humans. In this regards, when a person used to talk impossible or stupid things people used to refer him as his head is in the clouds. And when a person misjudged a situation people used to tell him to consider the ground realities seriously and come down from the clouds.

This Day in History

1790 - Thomas Jefferson reported to U.S. President George Washington as the new secretary of state.

1826 - The Rensselaer School in Troy, NY, was incorporated. The school became known as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and was the first engineering college in the U.S.

1851 - Yosemite Valley was discovered in California.

1859 - In Philadelphia, the first Zoological Society was incorporated.

1908 - A passenger was carried in a bi-plane for the first time by Henri Farman of France.

1928 - U.S. President Calvin Coolidge gave the Congressional Medal of Honor to Charles Lindbergh for his first trans-Atlantic flight.

1946 - The Los Angeles Rams signed Kenny Washington. Washington was the first black player to join a National Football League team since 1933.

1963 - Alcatraz Island, the federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay, CA, closed.

1966 - In New York, demolition work began to clear thirteen square blocks for the construction of the original World Trade Center.

1980 - On the TV show "Dallas", J.R. Ewing was shot

1990 - Australian businessman Alan Bond sold Van Gogh's "Irises" to the Gerry Museum. Bond had purchased the painting for $53.9 million in 1987.

1994 - Steven Spielberg won his first Oscars. They were for best picture and best director for "Schindler's List."

2002 - In Paris, an 1825 print by French inventor Joseph Nicephore Niepce was sold for $443,220. The print, of a man leading a horse, was the earliest recorded image taken by photographic means.

2016 - It was reported that the Kepler space telescope had captured the visible light of a "shock breakout" when the star KSN 2011a exploded. It was the first time an exploding star's brilliant flash shockwave had been captured.

DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, March 21

Talented, charming, and likable, you have such a pleasing manner that you can get ahead in life simply through connections. However, you are not afraid of work and you are terrified of instability. As such, you do whatever it takes to make your life secure, and you have a strong business sense. Your talents are multiple, and it can be hard to find a solid path in life simply because you have so many choices. You have an excellent memory, especially of people. Famous people born today:

1856 Henry Ossian Flipper, American soldier, former slave and first African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1877, born in Thomasville, Georgia (d. 1940)

1869 Albert Kahn, American architect (architect of Detroit), born in Rhaunen, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1942

1960 Ayrton Senna, Brazilian Formula 1 driver (3-time world F1 champion), born in São Paulo, Brazil (d. 1994)

1962 Matthew Broderick, American actor(WarGames, Biloxi Blues), born in NYC, New York

1962 Rosie O'Donnell, comedienne, actress and TV host (League of Their Own, Flintstones, Rosie, born in Commack, New York

READERS INFO

1.

DC National Cherry Blossom Festival 2019

Mar 20 - Apr 14, 2019 | Washington, DC

Over 70,000 people flock to Washington, D.C., every year to view the cherry blossoms that bloom throughout the city in the springtime. The National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates this yearly occurrence in commemoration of the gift of Japanese cherry trees to Washington, D.C., by Tokyo City Mayor Yukio Ozaki in 1912. Presented as a symbol of the growing relationship between the two countries, this gift eventually resulted in 3,750 trees being planted around D.C. In addition to the beautiful pink blossoms, the festival features attractions such as colorful balloons, beautifully decorated floats, a parade and marching bands from different states around the country. The opening ceremony takes place in the National Building Museum and is immediately followed by an abundance of cultural events for guests to enjoy including a sushi and sake celebration, various art exhibits, fashion shows and live performances.

further information: National Cherry Blossom Festival - March 20th to April 14th 2019

2.

Tucson 4th Avenue Street Fair 2019

Mar 22-24, 2019 | Tucson, AZ

4th Avenue Between 8th Street and University Boulevard|4th Ave & E 6th S

This biannual street fair happens during the spring and winter, but it's not like you have to worry about getting frostbitten, what with living in Tucson, Arizona. 4th Avenue is still popping no matter the season thanks to more than 400 arts and crafts booths, local food vendors and lively street entertainment.

further information: http://www.fourthavenue.org/fourth-avenue-spring-street-fair/

3.

Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition 2019

Mar 14 - Ap 7, 2019 | Miami, FL

Fair Expo Center|10901 Coral Way

Image result for Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition 2019 Mar 2019 Dates Unconfirmed | Miami, FL |

Deemed the largest fair in Florida, the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition is a 21-day event sure to have something for the whole family. The fair features such attractions as a European style circus, live concerts ranging from country to disco, competitions and an assortment of adrenaline-pumping rides. In addition to the more traditional activities, the event boasts several unique acts, such as professional high divers plummeting from over eighty feet in what they refer to as the Arctic Games. Guests can also sample from a variety of food vendors located throughout the festival grounds.

further information: Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition - Now-04/07/19

Pictures of the day

An illustration showing the Stade Français rugby union team, wearing dark blue jerseys, playing against Racing Club (now known as Racing Métro 92) in 1906. On 20 March 1892, the two teams played in the first ever French rugby championship in a one-off game.

prod yourshot 1157984 9154059 15 Highlights from the 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Contest

This image was taken last summer on Skomer Island, Wales. It is well known for its wildlife, the puffin colony is one of the largest in U.K. The photo shows a detail or study of an Atlantic puffin resting peacefully under the rain. As Skomer is inhabited, puffins do not feel afraid of humans, and so people can be close to puffins and the photographer can think about the right composition and take this kind of intimate portraits. Also that morning the conditions came together: rain and light.