DIANE'S CORNER ... Celebrate Respect Day

Taking part each September, Respect Day has been created to encourage people to focus more on ways in which they can be respectful to others.

For many the day involves being more attentive to loved ones, but it can really be used as a catalyst for treating any people with a more polite approach.

There are no rules surrounding ways in which you could celebrate this year, it’s really down to you. You could take your wife or husband out for a romantic meal, you could visit an elderly relative or you could endeavor to be more encouraging to others.

Of course, respect isn’t something that should only be given once a year and hopefully the day will inspire people to think more about how they treat others all year around.

Because of Respect Day’s broad nature, news coverage is likely to be limited so it is advisable to just mark the date in your diary and try your best.

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Joke of the Day

"SNAKE! RUN!"

Two men are hiking through the woods when one of them cries out, “Snake! Run!”

His companion laughs at him. “Oh, relax. It’s only a baby,” he says. “Don’t you hear the rattle?”

Word of the Day

scullion

MEANING:

noun:
1. A servant who does menial work in a kitchen, such as washing dishes.
2. A lowly or contemptible person.

ETYMOLOGY:

Of uncertain origin, probably from Old French escouvillon (dishcloth, mop), diminutive of escouve (broom), from Latin scopa (broom) or from scullery (a small kitchen), from Old French escuele (dish), from Latin scutella, diminutive of scutra (pan). Earliest documented use: 1483.

USAGE:

“The exiled ex-monarch was attended by a huge number of maids, valets, gardeners, and scullions.”
Nazi Skeletons in Coco’s Closet; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Jul 13, 2019.

“Falstaff: Away, you scullion! You rampallion! You fustilarian! I’ll tickle your catastrophe.”
William Shakespeare; Henry IV, Part 2; 1599.

Idiom of the Day

COUCH POTATO

A lazy person who doesn’t do much exercise and spends a lot of time on the sofa watching television
My husband has turned into a couch potato since he lost his job.

This Day in History

1709 - The creator of the first dictionary of the English language, Samuel Johnson, was born in England.

1769 - It was reported, by the Boston Gazette, that the first piano had been built in North America. The instrument was named the spinet and was made by John Harris.

1793 - U.S. President George Washington laid the actual cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol.

1830 - The "Tom Thumb", the first locomotive built in America, raced a horse on a nine-mile course. The horse won when the locomotive had some mechanical difficulties.

1837 - Tiffany & Co. was founded in New York City.

1851 - The first issue of "The New York Times" was published.

1895 - Daniel David Palmer gave the first chiropractic adjustment.

1927 - Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System made its debut with its network broadcast over 16 radio stations. The name was later changed to CBS.

1946 - Mound Metalcraft was founded in Mound, MN. On November 23, 1955, the company changed its name to Tonka Toys Incorporated.

1947 - Ernest Tubb and Roy Acuff performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City, NY. It was the first country show at the venue.

1947 - The United States Air Force was established as a separate military branch by the National Security Act.

1955 - The "Ed Sullivan Show" began on CBS-TV. The show had been "The Toast of the Town" since 1948.

1963 - "The Patty Duke Show" premiered on ABC-TV.

1965 - The first episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" was shown on NBC-TV. The last show was televised on September 1, 1970.

1970 - James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix died in his London apartment at the age of 27. The death was from an overdose of sleeping pills.

1981 - A museum honoring former U.S. President Ford was dedicated in Grand Rapids, MI.

1998 - The FDA approved a once-a-day easier-to-swallow medication for AIDS patients.

2003 - Robert Duvall received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

thanks, Barbara

DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, September 18

You are someone who can be "hard to know" because of your fluctuations between sociability and independence–you're friendly when others have you, and aloof or unavailable at other times. You need time to yourself to refuel. You're highly intuitive, helpful, and a natural teacher. While worry and self-doubt can be issues in youth, you get better with age! You are at once peace-loving and hard-working. You appreciate the comforts of home and family, but you are also enthusiastic about your work. You cling to your lifestyle and don't make sweeping changes easily. An overall feeling of stability is important to you. You may be drawn to partners who are emotional and a tad dramatic. Famous people born today:

53 Trajan, XIII Roman Emperor (98 - 117 AD) famous for Trajan's Forum, born in Italica, Ancient Hispania (d. 117)

1905 Greta Garbo, Swedish actress (Ninotchka, Grand Hotel, Camille), born in Stockholm, Sweden (d. 1990)

1933 Scotty Bowman, NHL player and coach (Montreal Canadians/Detroit Red Wings), born in Montreal, Quebec

1950 Darryl Sittler, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center (NHL record for most points in a game, 10), born in St. Jacobs, Ontario

1971 Lance Armstrong, American road cyclist (7 Tour de France titles) banned for illegal drug use, born in Plano, Texas

1971 Jada Pinkett Smith, American actress (Set it Off, Nutty Professor, Menace II Society), born in Baltimore, Maryland

1976 Ronaldo [Luís Nazário de Lima], Brazilian retired soccer player, popularly described as "O Fenômeno" (The Phenomenon), born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

thanks, Wren

READERS INFO

1.

(Not So) Totally Useless Facts of The Day:

Madam C.J. Walker is thought to be America’s first self-made female millionaire. Born to sharecroppers in 1867, she made her fortune selling beauty products for black women.

Longest Tennis Match

Eleven hours and five minutes. That is how long John Isner (USA) and Nicolas Mahut (FRANCE) played tennis on June 22, 2010. Due to fading light and other matches being played during this Wimbledon tournament, it took 3 days to complete this match. In the end, Isner defeated Mahut in a 5 set nail-biter by the final score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70 – 68. This wasn’t even the final of the tournament, this historic match took place in the 1st round.

If you are a beautician in the state of Connecticut and are looking for work, and you like to sing, hum, and/or whistle, you may want to stay out of the city of Waterbury.

According to the ole’ law books, it is illegal for a beautician in Waterbury, Connecticut to hum, whistle, or sing while working on a customer. But at least you can still yodel, right?

2.

1975 -

September 18, 1975, after crisscrossing the country with her captors–or conspirators–for more than a year, Patty Hearst, or “Tania,” as she called herself, was captured in a San Francisco apartment and arrested for armed robbery. Despite her later claim that she had been brainwashed by the SLA, she was convicted on March 20, 1976, and sentenced to seven years in prison. Her prison sentence was
commuted by President Jimmy Carter and she was released in February 1979. She later married her bodyguard. In 2001, she received a full pardon from President Bill Clinton.

Patty Hearst poses with a Symbionese Liberation Army poster.

3.

Boston Teen Author Festival 2019

Oct 19 - 20, 2019 | Cambridge, MA

Cambridge Public Library & Cambridge Rindge and Latin School|449 Broadway

The Boston Teen Author Festival celebrates the work of popular YA authors and serves as an opportunity for writers to share their works and discuss the creative process with their fans and peers. As the only YA-dedicated festival of in Boston, the event is a unique opportunity for readers and writers to gain a sense of community and be inspired by the work of others.

further information: Boston Book Festival

4.

Pygmalion Festival 2019

Sep 26 - 28, 2019 | Champaign, IL

The Pygmalion Festival began as a music festival that was held across numerous venues in Champaign-Urbana and has since grown to include a literary component with related activities. The music portion of the festival features a lineup of acclaimed national artists as well as talented up-and-comers across two venues. The festival’s literary segment showcases accomplished authors and offers readings, a lit crawl and book fair.

further information: Pygmalion

5.

Wake County Storytelling Festival 2019

Sep 28, 2019 | Raleigh, NC

Historic Oak View County Park|4028 Carya Drive

Held over the course of a weekend, the Wake County Storytelling Festival enchants guests with tales told by professional storytellers. Established in 1982, the fest has grown to draw thousands of children and adults and is part of a local effort to instill a love of reading and storytelling in the surrounding community.

further information: Storytelling Festival

Pictures of the day

Aletta Jacobs (1854–1929) was a Dutch physician and women's suffrage activist. Jacobs strove throughout her life to change laws that limited women's access to equality, starting in 1883 with an unsuccessful court challenge and eventually achieving success 100 years ago today, on 18 September 1919, with the signing of a suffrage bill into law. She is also noted for founding the world's first birth control clinic, in 1882. As a child Jacobs yearned to become a doctor like her father and, despite existing barriers, she fought to gain entry to higher education and became the first woman officially to attend a Dutch university, and one of the first female physicians in the Netherlands. Providing medical services to women and children, she grew concerned over the health of working women, and although she continued to practice medicine until 1903, she increasingly turned her attention to activism with a view to improving women's lives. In addition to her suffrage work she led campaigns aimed at deregulating prostitution, improving women's working conditions, and promoting peace.

Wild Coast of South Africa