Museum Day - May 18, 2020

DIANE'S CORNER ... Celebrate Museum Day

Few places in our world are more educational than museums. After all, where else could we hope to see so many pieces of actual history that tell so many stories about our ancestors? From prehistoric spears to Egyptian mummies, from ancient Greek sculptures to medieval armor, and from the first radio to the first planes used in war during WWI, museums have it all. Unfortunately, there are millions of people with direct access to museums that have never even visited one. 

There are many possible reasons for this–perhaps they think just looking at old things would be boring, or perhaps they are unaware just how different the world was in the past and see no reason to take an interest. Whatever the reason for not taking advantage of the incredible amount of tangible knowledge museums offer, and regardless of age, Museum Day is the time to invest in education in its most fascinating form.

Many people may ask why they would invest in something like Museum Day when modern technology can give them all the answers that they may need. Well, to answer that fairly, all you need to do is a little Google search.

Nowadays, if you need to find an answer to something, you can surely just jump online and get it right? Well, yes, but what you need to realize is that the answer you get is quite possibly wrong.

A study conducted in 2016 on how many of the historical facts you find online were true, had some shocking results. It seems as of November 2016, over 48% of all available historical facts available online are inaccurate or downright wrong. So, taking this into account, you may want to place your fair elsewhere.

The truth is, education is important, so days like Museum Day should be something to get yourself and your young ones excited for; after all, while there will be children filling their heads with nonsense, you have the ability to fill your children with knowledgey goodness.

History of Museum Day

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) created International Museum Day in 1977. The organization chooses a different theme for the day and coordinates every year. Some of the themes include globalization, indigenous peoples, bridging cultural gaps, and caring for the environment. 

Every year since 1977, all of the museums in the world are invited to participate in this day to promote the role of museums around the world, by organizing enjoyable and free activities around the year’s theme.

International Museum Day has become steadily more popular since its creation, with International Museum Day 2009 being participated in by 20,000 museums in over 90 countries. In 2012, the number of participating museums had jumped to 30,000 in 129 countries.

As the years have gone by, we have been blessed to live in a society where while technology seems to want to take over, there have been certain things that are now considered cool that were once reserved for a very target demographic.

While the numbers of participants were slowly climbing almost a decade ago, over the last five years, the numbers are climbing at an even more rapid rate. When we look at this, we may ask ourselves why, and the truth is simple, history is now something that is classed as cool.

Yes, we may live in a technology-driven society, but it seems that the more technology has reigned over the world, people have started to gravitate towards the things that connect them to a world they are scared of losing.

Today, there are more visitors to museums all over the world than ever before, and more than this, there are now more people studying history at degree level than at any point in history.

Now, it may be possible that this is just a point where geek chic is in, and students want to seem more cultural and in touch with the world, but if we stop for a brief moment, could it not be possible that Museum Day has played a small role in helping entire new generations fall in love with history once again?

The truth may, in fact, be both, but one thing we must remember is that While it may not be as popular as some days, Museum Day is something that should be held in high importance.

The further we move forward, the more we leave behind, and with all of the things that are now long behind us, we need something to help us remember where we have been, that way, we can take the journey ahead of us with more confidence.

thanks for the pics, Sheri

The Fine Art of Napping 

Joke of the Day

A TORTOISE FELL

What happened when the tortoise fell off the ledge?

It was a 'turtle wipe-out'!

 

Word of the Day

transect

MEANING:

verb tr.: To cut across.
noun: 1. A narrow section through a natural feature.
2. A path along which measurements or observations are made.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin trans- (across) + secare (to cut). Earliest documented use: for verb 1634, for noun 1905.

USAGE:

“The 1.7-square-mile borough is transected by two commercial districts -- Main Street and Route 28.”
Jill P. Capuzzo; Reaching a Truce with Floodwaters; The New York Times; Oct 20, 2013.

“Known among hikers as the PCT, the Pacific Crest Trail is a network of paths that leads from the Mexican border to British Columbia ... The full transect is a massive undertaking and requires months of physical exertion, often at high elevations.”
Robert Isenberg; US Man to Hike 2,650 Miles to Fund Costa Rican Shrine; McClatchy-Tribune Business News (Washington, DC); May 10, 2014.

Idiom of the Day

29. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks

Meaning: Older people don’t change their habits easily.

This Day in History

1642 - Montreal, Canada, was founded.

1652 - In Rhode Island, a law was passed that made slavery illegal in North America. It was the first law of its kind.

1798 - The first Secretary of the U.S. Navy was appointed. He was Benjamin Stoddert.

1911 - Gustav Mahler died. His last word was "Mozart." He had conducted his last concert on February 21.

1931 - Japanese pilot Seiji Yoshihara crashed his plane in the Pacific Ocean while trying to be the first to cross the ocean nonstop. He was picked up seven hours later by a passing ship.

1942 - New York ended night baseball games for the duration of World War II.

1951 - The United Nations moved its headquarters to New York City.

1953 - The first woman to fly faster than the speed of sound, Jacqueline Cochran, piloted an F-86 Sabrejet over California at an average speed of 652.337 miles-per-hour.

1968 - Tiny Tim's "Tiptoe through the Tulips" was released. It was originally a number one hit for Nick Lucas in 1929.

1980 - Mt. Saint Helens erupted in Washington state. 57 people were killed and 3 billion in damage was done.

2003 - "Les Miserables" closed after 6,680 shows and 16 years on Broadway.


2012 - Facebook Inc. held its initial public offering and began trading on the NASDAQ. The company was valued at $104 billion making it the largest valuation to date for a newly listed public company.

thanks, Dana

DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, May 18

While you are friendly and confident, you have a spiritual side and a strong need for privacy. You are creative, unusual, passionate, and a tad mysterious, but ultimately very reliable and trustworthy. You possess tremendous business sense, and the determination to go after what you want. You are imaginative and know how to use your imagination in the business world. Famous people born today:

1872 Bertrand Russell, English mathematician and philosopher (Nobel 1950), born in Trellech, England (d. 1970)

1897 Frank Capra, Italian-American film director (Its a Wonderful Life, It Happened One Night), born in Bisacquino, Italy (d. 1991)

1920 Pope Saint John Paul II [Karol Wojtyla], 264th Roman Catholic Pope (1978-2005), born in Wadowice, Poland (d. 2005)

1946 Reggie Jackson, American Baseball Hall of Fame right fielder (14-time All Star)), born in Wyncote, Pennsylvania

1955 Yun Fat Chow, Hong Kong actor (Better Tomorrow), born in Lamma Island, Hong Kong

1970 Tina Fey, American actress and comedian (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock), born in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania

thanks, Marge

READERS INFO

1.

(Not So) Totally Useless Facts of The Day:

Each of the three sneezes has a purpose. The first one loosens up the irritant. The second sneeze bring the irritant to the front of the nose. The third and final one, lets it all out.

If there were absolutely no empty space between them, every atom in the world would fit inside one grain of salt.

NBA retired legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar and active legend Lebron James are the only two players to win NBA Finals MVP with two different teams. Lebron won with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. Kareem won with the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks.

2.

1980 -

3.

Coronavirus Style by Sylvia, CAN DO Correspondent

Hen Party ... Grab Your Cuppa (Tea)

Sylvia Genders is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting today at 1:30. If you don't have an account, just go to Zoom.com and set one up - it's free!.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75257081397?pwd=Q2tqYTdWZFliamZCeWM5SDZKRXpVQT09

Meeting ID: 752 5708 1397
Password: 2deG9J
If you have a friend who could use some socializing, please invite her!

Pictures of the day

Tree trunk spiders are members of the family Hersiliidae,  native to tropical and subtropical parts of the world. Ranging  from 10 to 18 mm (0.4 to 0.7 in) in length, they have two  prominent spinnerets that are almost as long as their abdomen, earning them another nickname, the "two-tailed spiders". This  picture shows a tree trunk spider of the genus Hersilia, photo- graphed in Kadavoor in the Indian state of Kerala, capturing a  cicada. The spider lies in wait on a tree for an insect to land on the trunk. Pouncing on its prey, it uses its spinnerets to wrap it  in silk. When the insect is immobilised, the spider bites through the shroud before sucking out the insect's juices.

Cyprus

A man runs near the sea during sunset at the Ayia Napa resort.

Southeast of Moscow

A man walks on frozen Lake Nero outside the old Russian city of Rostov Veliky, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) southeast of Moscow. 

knit ... Father's Day
thanks, Vivian

Journal Cover pattern by yss

knit
thanks, Denise

Toy, Bear, Koda Redux pattern by J.G. Miller

knit

thanks, Denise

Scrubs for Koda Redux pattern by J.G. Miller

knit

Summer Shells
knit

ABC Baby Blanket

Crochet Pattern of the Day: 

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Round Table Mat

Summer Sorbet Socks

crochet
thanks, Sharon

Peacock Tail Bag CAL

crochet
thanks, Alexa

The Bronwyn Shawl, an asymmetrical triangle wrap with stripes and texture

crochet

Cat In Striped Pajamas Amigurumi Doll

crochet

A Chance of Rain Crochet Dishcloth

crochet

Star Pillow

Quarantine Cooking Recipes

thanks, Debbie

Five Can Soup Recipe

RECIPE

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Mixed Berries and Banana Smoothie (and Smoothie Bowl)

CROCKPOT RECIPE
thanks, Marge

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

SWEETS

thanks, Jane

Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole

ADULT COLORING

FUN

Can you find anything hidden here?

answer:

CRAFTS

thanks, Miriam

BIRD FEEDER TOILET PAPER ROLL

Materials: toilet paper roll, twine, bird seed, and peanut butter. Directions: Poke two holes into the center of the toilet roll before completely slathering the tube in peanut butter. Roll the toilet paper roll in bird seed until it is completely covered. Hang your toilet roll bird feeder by threading a loop of twine through the poked holes.

CHILDREN'S CORNER ... game

thanks, Iris

Hangman

PUZZLE

Jack Russel R Jigsaw Puzzle

WORD SEARCH

beauty behind below blinds bring chance cloak cloudy

dead deepen dine dirty disaster dream everything funny

garage grate hustle immerse injury laundry major museum

night outside pearl sham silt sound stream

talked target tire voyage woes worry would

SUDOKU ... very hard

solution:

QUOTE

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

CLEVER 

thanks, Wren

In 2020 we are asked to do the following

Sneezing and coughing into your arm has become the standard suggestion of not just the C.D.C., but also organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Public Health Association. Even the New York City subway system occasionally

runs an announcement asking riders to “cough or sneeze into the bend of your arm or use a tissue” And, of course to tap elbows or forearms when greeting people – even used by Trump

EYE OPENER 

thanks, Sue

The Nostalgia Machine

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The tragedy in the lives of most of us is that we go through life walking down a high-walled lane with people of our own kind, the same economic situation, the same national background and education and religious outlook. And beyond those walls, all humanity lies, unknown and unseen, and untouched by our restricted and impoverished lives. -Florence Luscomb, architect and suffragist (1887-1985)

OPTICAL ILLUSION

 Strange Car Optical Illusion

Tell in which direction this car is moving?

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