Today is Halloween! Impress your friends with these scary and/or disturbing fun facts.
Real cadavers were used as props in various scenes in the movie Poltergeist.
There was a practice that occasionally occurred up until the 1880s where Buddhist monks would cause their own death while mummifying themselves. It involved 1,000 of eating only nuts and seeds while doing rigorous exercise to rid their body of all fat, then eating only bark and roots for 1,000 and drinking poisonous tea, which caused rapid loss of bodily fluids and made their body too poisonous to be eaten by bugs. They would then lock themselves in a tomb and not move from the lotus position. If all went well, after 1,000 days, the tomb would be opened to see if the mummification process was successful. Somewhere between 16 and 24 of such mummified bodies have been found.
The Jonestown Massacre, when the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, started in Indianapolis in the mid-1950s and moved to Guyana, knowingly drank Flavor Aid that contained Valium, Chloral hydrate, cyanide, and Phenergan as a revolutionary suicide, was, until 9/11, the greatest loss of American civilian life in a non-natural disaster. This is where the phrse "Drinking the Kool-Aid" comes from.
While filming the aversion therapy scene in A Clockwork Orange (when the eyes are held open by clamps), Michael McDowell's cornea was scratched, rendering him temporarily blind.
If a person eats only rabbit, they will die of malnutrition. Rabbit is too lean to provide enough nutrients, and also contains high levels of amino acices, ammonia, and urea which the human kidney cannot process enough of to sustain on rabbit alone.
When an airplane carrying a Uruguayan rugby team crashed in the Andes, killing 16 of the 45 passengers right away, the survivors fed on the dead passengers who has been preserved in the snow to survive the 72 days until they were rescued. Though a hard decision for all, rugby players embraced it with the saying "Rugby players eat their dead".
During the Salem Witch Trials 19 people were found guilty and executed. 6 were found guilty but pardoned, usually for being pregnant. 5 pled guilty but were pardoned. 1 person would not enter a plea and was pressed to death. Common methods of executing witches was hanging, drowning, and burning.
A serial killer, by definition, is some one who has killed three or more people over a period of more than a month with down time between the killings. There is usually some psychological gratification associated with the killing.
There are on average 51 deaths in the United States due to lightning strikes.
What is your Halloween costume?
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Today is...the Anniversary of The War of the Worlds
Today in 1938, Orson Welles and his Mercury Players produced a radio drama based on H.G. Wells’s War of the Worlds that started a near panic when some listeners believed the Martian invasion of New Jersey was actually taking place.
The War of the Worlds is a novel by H.G. Wells about Earth being invaded by Martians. It is presented as a factual account, with the narrator being a journalist. In 1938, Orson Welles created an episode of Mercury Theatre on the Air based on the novel that was set in 1939. It was presented as a series of news bulletins and was presented without commercial breaks. Though the degree to which panic ensued is in question, there is no doubt that some people who heard only part of the broadcast believed that it was real.
There is thought to be only two copies of the script around anymore, one of which was sold at auction in 1988 for $143,000. After the broadcast, police seized all copies of the script as evidence, according to Howard Koch, the co-author of the radio play. There was a question at the time about if there was some criminal implications of the broadcast. The second surviving script, Welles' directorial copy, was sold at auction in 1994 and was bought by Steven Spielberg for $32,200.
What causes you to panic?
The War of the Worlds is a novel by H.G. Wells about Earth being invaded by Martians. It is presented as a factual account, with the narrator being a journalist. In 1938, Orson Welles created an episode of Mercury Theatre on the Air based on the novel that was set in 1939. It was presented as a series of news bulletins and was presented without commercial breaks. Though the degree to which panic ensued is in question, there is no doubt that some people who heard only part of the broadcast believed that it was real.
There is thought to be only two copies of the script around anymore, one of which was sold at auction in 1988 for $143,000. After the broadcast, police seized all copies of the script as evidence, according to Howard Koch, the co-author of the radio play. There was a question at the time about if there was some criminal implications of the broadcast. The second surviving script, Welles' directorial copy, was sold at auction in 1994 and was bought by Steven Spielberg for $32,200.
What causes you to panic?
Monday, October 29, 2012
Today is...National Cat Day
Today is National Cat Day.
The word "cat" can be traced back to the Afroasiatic and Late Egyptian caute, the feminine form of caus, which means wildcat.
In Early Modern English, the word kitten was interchangeable with the word catling to mean a baby cat. Catling is a now-obsolete word.
A group of cats is referred to as a clowder or a glaring.
A male cat is a tom if unneutered and a gib if neutered. A female cat is a molly.
Though cats have gone through a domestication process, cats have not made any major changes in behavior. The form and behavior of domestic cats is very similar to that of a wildcat and a domestic cat is capable of surviving in the wild.
In ancient Egypt cats were sacred animals. The goddess Bastet was often depicted in cat form.
During the Age of Discovery, early 15th century through the 17th century, cats were carried on ships to control rodents on board and as good-luck charms.
In Great Britain, Ireland, and Japan black cats are considered good luck. In other societies, black cats are considered a bad omen and are thought to be familiars of witches.
Do you have cat? If so, what kind and what is its name?
The word "cat" can be traced back to the Afroasiatic and Late Egyptian caute, the feminine form of caus, which means wildcat.
In Early Modern English, the word kitten was interchangeable with the word catling to mean a baby cat. Catling is a now-obsolete word.
A group of cats is referred to as a clowder or a glaring.
A male cat is a tom if unneutered and a gib if neutered. A female cat is a molly.
Though cats have gone through a domestication process, cats have not made any major changes in behavior. The form and behavior of domestic cats is very similar to that of a wildcat and a domestic cat is capable of surviving in the wild.
In ancient Egypt cats were sacred animals. The goddess Bastet was often depicted in cat form.
During the Age of Discovery, early 15th century through the 17th century, cats were carried on ships to control rodents on board and as good-luck charms.
In Great Britain, Ireland, and Japan black cats are considered good luck. In other societies, black cats are considered a bad omen and are thought to be familiars of witches.
Do you have cat? If so, what kind and what is its name?
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Today is...Make a Difference Day
Today is Make a Difference Day.
Make a Difference Day celebrates neighbors helping neighbors.
It was created in 1992 to challenge every American to commit one day to the service of others.
To find out more: http://www.usaweekend.com/section/mdday
You can add your project to the list here: http://daytabank.handsonnetwork.org/
How are you making a difference?
Make a Difference Day celebrates neighbors helping neighbors.
It was created in 1992 to challenge every American to commit one day to the service of others.
To find out more: http://www.usaweekend.com/section/mdday
You can add your project to the list here: http://daytabank.handsonnetwork.org/
How are you making a difference?
Friday, October 26, 2012
Today is...the anniversary of the Erie Canal opening
In 1825, the Erie Canal was opened.
The Erie Canal runs 363 miles from Albany, NY on the Hudson River to Buffalo, NY at Lake Erie.
The Erie Canal contains 36 locks encompassing a elevation difference of 565 feet.
It was under construction from 1817 to 1825 and officially opened on October 26, 1825.
Improvements on the canal began in 1834, which included the first enlargement, widening it from 40 ft to 70 ft and deepening it from 4 ft to 7.
In 1918 a large part of the canal was replaced by the New York State Barge Canal.
Though parts of the old canal have been filled and used to create roads, a 36 mile stretch is preserved by New York State as the Old Erie Canal State Historic Park.
What is your favorite means of transportation?
The Erie Canal runs 363 miles from Albany, NY on the Hudson River to Buffalo, NY at Lake Erie.
The Erie Canal contains 36 locks encompassing a elevation difference of 565 feet.
It was under construction from 1817 to 1825 and officially opened on October 26, 1825.
Improvements on the canal began in 1834, which included the first enlargement, widening it from 40 ft to 70 ft and deepening it from 4 ft to 7.
In 1918 a large part of the canal was replaced by the New York State Barge Canal.
Though parts of the old canal have been filled and used to create roads, a 36 mile stretch is preserved by New York State as the Old Erie Canal State Historic Park.
What is your favorite means of transportation?
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Today is...the Birth Anniversary of Pablo Picasso
Today is the birth anniversary of Pablo Picasso. If he were alive he would be 131.
Pablo Picasso, born October 25, 1881, was a Spanish artist, though he lived most of his adult life in France.
Picasso is generally said to be the inventor of Cubism, though Georges Braque painted what some critics argue to be the first cubist piece.
The first exhibition by Cubists was at the Salon des Independants in Paris in 1911.
Picasso married ballerina Olga Kohkhlova in 1918. In 1927, he started an affair with Marie-Therese Walter; he was 45 and she was 17. He stayed married to Kohkhlova until her death in 1955 so he would not have to give her half his wealth in a divorce
Walter was a model for many of Picasso's works and always hoped that Picasso would marry her, though he never did. After Kohkhlova's death, Picasso married Jacqueline Roque who was a muse and model for him. They were married until his death. Picasso also maintained numerous mistresses besides his wife and Walter.
Picasso's first work that is accepted as part of his professional career is The First Communion, painted in 1896 when he was 14. His work started out as realism and slowly morphed into the cubist style that is most attributed to him.
Picasso was extremely prolific in his career and produced an estimated 50,000 works including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, drawings, prints, tapestries, and rugs. Most of his paintings were still in his possession at his death as he kept anything that he did not need to sell.
More of Picasso's paintings have been stolen than any other artist, with approximately 550 of his works currently missing.
What is your favorite Picasso painting?
Pablo Picasso, born October 25, 1881, was a Spanish artist, though he lived most of his adult life in France.
Picasso is generally said to be the inventor of Cubism, though Georges Braque painted what some critics argue to be the first cubist piece.
The first exhibition by Cubists was at the Salon des Independants in Paris in 1911.
Picasso married ballerina Olga Kohkhlova in 1918. In 1927, he started an affair with Marie-Therese Walter; he was 45 and she was 17. He stayed married to Kohkhlova until her death in 1955 so he would not have to give her half his wealth in a divorce
Walter was a model for many of Picasso's works and always hoped that Picasso would marry her, though he never did. After Kohkhlova's death, Picasso married Jacqueline Roque who was a muse and model for him. They were married until his death. Picasso also maintained numerous mistresses besides his wife and Walter.
Picasso's first work that is accepted as part of his professional career is The First Communion, painted in 1896 when he was 14. His work started out as realism and slowly morphed into the cubist style that is most attributed to him.
Picasso was extremely prolific in his career and produced an estimated 50,000 works including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, drawings, prints, tapestries, and rugs. Most of his paintings were still in his possession at his death as he kept anything that he did not need to sell.
More of Picasso's paintings have been stolen than any other artist, with approximately 550 of his works currently missing.
What is your favorite Picasso painting?
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Today is...Anniversary of First Barrel Jump over Niagara Falls
Today in 1901, the first successful barrel jump over Niagara Falls was accomplished.
Annie Edson Taylor, a 63-year-old teacher, went over the falls in a barrel as a publicity stunt. She was unharmed except for some bleeding.
Since 1901, 14 people have intentionally gone over the falls; some were unharmed, some were injured, and some died.
The last barrel jump over Niagara Falls was in 1993, the second successful jump for Steve Trotter.
It is illegal to go over the Falls on both the Canadian and American sides of the border. If caught, there is a large fine.
Daredevils also walked tightrope wires over the Niagara Gorge from 1859-1896.
The only woman to cross on tightrope was Maria Spelterini in 1876. She crossed four times over approximately 2 1/2 weeks. She did so once blind-folded and once with her ankles and wrists manacles.
Jean Fancois Gravelet-Blondin crossed on tightrope many times, doing outrageous things while crossing including carrying his manager on his back, on silts, and sitting down part way to cook and eat an omelette.
Niagara Falls, Ontario, contains many other tourist stops including Louis Tussaud's Wax Museum (Louis Tussaud is the great-grandson of Marie Tussaud, the creator of Madame Tussaud's famous was museum in London), Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, five haunted houses and The Niagara Falls Museum.
The Niagara Falls Museum is Canada's oldest museum, opened in 1827 by Thomas Barnett. It includes a skeleton of a 40-ft humpback whale, the trunk of a giant redwood tree, and until 2003 the mummy of Ramses I.
Ramses I was returned to Egypt after Researchers at Emory University determined that the mummy was Ramses I. Before that, Ramses had been missing for 150 years and had been in the Niagara Falls Museum for 140 of those years.
What is the most daring thing you have done?
Annie Edson Taylor, a 63-year-old teacher, went over the falls in a barrel as a publicity stunt. She was unharmed except for some bleeding.
Since 1901, 14 people have intentionally gone over the falls; some were unharmed, some were injured, and some died.
The last barrel jump over Niagara Falls was in 1993, the second successful jump for Steve Trotter.
It is illegal to go over the Falls on both the Canadian and American sides of the border. If caught, there is a large fine.
Daredevils also walked tightrope wires over the Niagara Gorge from 1859-1896.
The only woman to cross on tightrope was Maria Spelterini in 1876. She crossed four times over approximately 2 1/2 weeks. She did so once blind-folded and once with her ankles and wrists manacles.
Jean Fancois Gravelet-Blondin crossed on tightrope many times, doing outrageous things while crossing including carrying his manager on his back, on silts, and sitting down part way to cook and eat an omelette.
Niagara Falls, Ontario, contains many other tourist stops including Louis Tussaud's Wax Museum (Louis Tussaud is the great-grandson of Marie Tussaud, the creator of Madame Tussaud's famous was museum in London), Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, five haunted houses and The Niagara Falls Museum.
The Niagara Falls Museum is Canada's oldest museum, opened in 1827 by Thomas Barnett. It includes a skeleton of a 40-ft humpback whale, the trunk of a giant redwood tree, and until 2003 the mummy of Ramses I.
Ramses I was returned to Egypt after Researchers at Emory University determined that the mummy was Ramses I. Before that, Ramses had been missing for 150 years and had been in the Niagara Falls Museum for 140 of those years.
What is the most daring thing you have done?
Don't forget to vote!
For your favorite scary movie
For your favorite scary movie
The Screenwriting Workshop and Heterick Library are sponsoring a Scariest Movie contest.
During the week of October 22-26th, there will be a display of scary movies on the first floor of Heterick, where people will be eligible to vote for their choice of the all-time scariest movie.
Those who cast their ballots will have their names entered into a drawing for the prize of $20.00 that will be announced at the Scary Scene Halloween party sponsored by the Screenwriting Workshop on October 31, 7:15 p.m., Heterick Library room 301.
(You need not be present to win.)
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Today is...The Anniversary of the iPod
Today in 2001, Apple unveiled the iPod.
Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, though Wayne sold his share when Apple was incorporated in 1977.
The first Macintosh computer was released in 1984. There was an ad for it during the 1984 Superbowl that was directed by Ridley Scott.
The first Apple store opened in 2001 in Virginia and California, announcing the iPod on October 23 the same year.
The first iPod was 5GB and held approximately 1,000 songs.
Between 2001 and 2007, over 100 million iPods were sold.
There are currently four types of iPods: Classic, Shuffle, Touch, and Nano. There are 25 base models of iPod, though each model has multiple choices of storage space.
What is your favorite Apple product?
Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, though Wayne sold his share when Apple was incorporated in 1977.
The first Macintosh computer was released in 1984. There was an ad for it during the 1984 Superbowl that was directed by Ridley Scott.
The first Apple store opened in 2001 in Virginia and California, announcing the iPod on October 23 the same year.
The first iPod was 5GB and held approximately 1,000 songs.
Between 2001 and 2007, over 100 million iPods were sold.
There are currently four types of iPods: Classic, Shuffle, Touch, and Nano. There are 25 base models of iPod, though each model has multiple choices of storage space.
What is your favorite Apple product?
Monday, October 22, 2012
Today is...Bela Lugosi's Birthday
Saturday was the birth anniversary of Bela Lugosi.
Bela Lugosi is best known for playing Dracula in the 1931 film of Dracula.
Due to his Hungarian accent, he was often limited in what he could play and ended up often being typecast as the villain.
Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff often worked together, both being in the horror genre, with Karloff often getting top billing. According to Karloff, Lugosi was initially hesitant toward Karloff, but the two ended up being friendly toward one another. Though there are often reports that Lugosi was resentful of Karloff's success.
Later in life, Lugosi worked only in B movies, and most notably with Ed Wood, who found him living in near-poverty and offered him roles in his movies.
Lugosi's last film was Plan 9 from Outer Space (Why plan 9? Because that is the one that worked!). He had filmed only parts of a yet to be determined film when he died from a heart attack.
Wood's wife's chiropractor has a similar look to Lugosi if the face was ignored and ended up doubling for Lugosi, but with his face obscured by a cape.
Lugosi was buried wearing one of his Dracula capes by request of his wife and son.
Who is your favorite horror film villain?
Bela Lugosi is best known for playing Dracula in the 1931 film of Dracula.
Due to his Hungarian accent, he was often limited in what he could play and ended up often being typecast as the villain.
Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff often worked together, both being in the horror genre, with Karloff often getting top billing. According to Karloff, Lugosi was initially hesitant toward Karloff, but the two ended up being friendly toward one another. Though there are often reports that Lugosi was resentful of Karloff's success.
Later in life, Lugosi worked only in B movies, and most notably with Ed Wood, who found him living in near-poverty and offered him roles in his movies.
Lugosi's last film was Plan 9 from Outer Space (Why plan 9? Because that is the one that worked!). He had filmed only parts of a yet to be determined film when he died from a heart attack.
Wood's wife's chiropractor has a similar look to Lugosi if the face was ignored and ended up doubling for Lugosi, but with his face obscured by a cape.
Lugosi was buried wearing one of his Dracula capes by request of his wife and son.
Who is your favorite horror film villain?
Today is...Christopher Lloyd's Birthday
Today is Christopher Lloyd's birthday.
Christopher Lloyd is most famous for playing Doc (Emmett Brown) in all three Back to the Future movies.
Lloyd gained prominence as an actor as Reverend Jim Ignatowski in Taxi, which earned him two Emmy awards.
Lloyd also notably played Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a live-action/animated combination movie made by Walt Disney Productions in 1988. It had a budget of $29.9 million, the most expensive animated film ever.
As of today, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is the only time Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny have appeared on screen together. It also includes a scene of Daffy Duck and Donald Duck (no relation) on screen together.
The movie spun off three animated Roger Rabbit shorts: Tummy Trouble, which released in theaters before Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and later Aladdin; Roller Coaster Rabbit, released theatrically before Dick Tracy; and Trail Mix-up, released before A Far off Place in theaters.
Robert Zemeckis directed both Who Framed Roger Rabbit and all three Back to the Future movies.
What year would you like to time-travel to?
Christopher Lloyd is most famous for playing Doc (Emmett Brown) in all three Back to the Future movies.
Lloyd gained prominence as an actor as Reverend Jim Ignatowski in Taxi, which earned him two Emmy awards.
Lloyd also notably played Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a live-action/animated combination movie made by Walt Disney Productions in 1988. It had a budget of $29.9 million, the most expensive animated film ever.
As of today, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is the only time Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny have appeared on screen together. It also includes a scene of Daffy Duck and Donald Duck (no relation) on screen together.
The movie spun off three animated Roger Rabbit shorts: Tummy Trouble, which released in theaters before Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and later Aladdin; Roller Coaster Rabbit, released theatrically before Dick Tracy; and Trail Mix-up, released before A Far off Place in theaters.
Robert Zemeckis directed both Who Framed Roger Rabbit and all three Back to the Future movies.
What year would you like to time-travel to?
Friday, October 19, 2012
Today is...Evaluate Your Life Day
Today is Evaluate Your Life Day.
In evaluating the subject of this topic, it has been discovered that it does not make for a particularly enthralling topic. Therefore, today's blog will be a list of random fun facts.
Candy Corn was created in the 1880s and was originally made by hand by the Wunderlee Candy Company.
Camille Saint-Saens was worried that The Carnival of the Animals was likely to harm his reputation as a serious composer because it was too frivolous and would only allow one movement, Le Cygne (The Swan), to be published while he was alive.
The first incarnation of Bugs Bunny was "Happy Rabbit", who appeared in Porky's Hare Hunt in 1938. The first cartoon to feature Bugs as we know him now was in 1940 in A Wild Hare, which also featured Elmer Fudd in one of his first cartoons.
In traditional French decks (the normal 52 card deck), the Jack of Diamonds is the only card to show only one eye. The Jack of Diamonds is historically designed to be based on Hector, the Trojan prince and greatest Trojan fighter in the Trojan War.
Honey Badgers can eat poisonous animals like Cobras.
Chocolate can be poisonous in large doses. 22 lbs will kill a human.
The world pencil comes from Old French pincel, which means small paintbrush, which comes from the Latin word pencillus, which means little tail.
The first photo published on the web was by Tim Berners-Lee in 1992 and was an image of the CERN house band.
Blue Whales cannot swallow anything bigger than a grapefruit.
The author of Ben-Hur, Lew Wallace, was from Indiana and tried to turn Billy the Kid into an informant in exchange for a full pardon from his outlaw ways. This didn't pan out and The Kid went back to being an outlaw.
Certain types of squid can fly above the water for a short period of time, much like a flying fish. Some even move their fins/arms to forcibly stay in the air longer or go further.
The South Pole is colder than the North Pole.
Describe your life in three words.
In evaluating the subject of this topic, it has been discovered that it does not make for a particularly enthralling topic. Therefore, today's blog will be a list of random fun facts.
Candy Corn was created in the 1880s and was originally made by hand by the Wunderlee Candy Company.
Camille Saint-Saens was worried that The Carnival of the Animals was likely to harm his reputation as a serious composer because it was too frivolous and would only allow one movement, Le Cygne (The Swan), to be published while he was alive.
The first incarnation of Bugs Bunny was "Happy Rabbit", who appeared in Porky's Hare Hunt in 1938. The first cartoon to feature Bugs as we know him now was in 1940 in A Wild Hare, which also featured Elmer Fudd in one of his first cartoons.
In traditional French decks (the normal 52 card deck), the Jack of Diamonds is the only card to show only one eye. The Jack of Diamonds is historically designed to be based on Hector, the Trojan prince and greatest Trojan fighter in the Trojan War.
Honey Badgers can eat poisonous animals like Cobras.
Chocolate can be poisonous in large doses. 22 lbs will kill a human.
The world pencil comes from Old French pincel, which means small paintbrush, which comes from the Latin word pencillus, which means little tail.
The first photo published on the web was by Tim Berners-Lee in 1992 and was an image of the CERN house band.
Blue Whales cannot swallow anything bigger than a grapefruit.
The author of Ben-Hur, Lew Wallace, was from Indiana and tried to turn Billy the Kid into an informant in exchange for a full pardon from his outlaw ways. This didn't pan out and The Kid went back to being an outlaw.
Certain types of squid can fly above the water for a short period of time, much like a flying fish. Some even move their fins/arms to forcibly stay in the air longer or go further.
The South Pole is colder than the North Pole.
Describe your life in three words.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Today is...Chuck Berry, Zac Efron, and Ne-yo's Birthday
Chuck Berry recorded Maybellene, which was an adaptation of the country song Ida Red, in 1955. It sold over a million copies and reached No. 1 on Billboard's Rhythm and Blues chart.
Berry was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 upon its opening.
Berry, 85, still performs one day a month at a restaurant in St. Louis.
Zac Efron, though his breakthrough was High School Musical, did not do all his own singing. Singer Drew Seeley's voice was mixed in with Efron's for most of the songs. Seeley went on to perform in the High School Musical concert tour in North and Latin America.
In 2008, Efron was 92 on the Forbes Celebrity 100, which is a list of the most powerful celebrities based on income, Google hits, fan base, press clips and magazine covers.
Ne-Yo was born Shaffer Chimere Smith and was ranked 57th on Billboard's Artist of the 2000s in 2009.
Ne-Yo's third album proved his most successful, gaining him seven Grammy Award nominations.
Ne-Yo, besides being a singer in his own right, also writes songs from a variety of artists including Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, and Cheryl Cole. He has also made a move into movies by starring in Red Tails and Battle: Los Angeles.
Who is your favorite singer?
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Today is...Black Poetry Day
Today is Black Poetry Day.
Black Poetry Day is on October 17 to celebrate the birth of Jupiter Hammon, the first African-American poet who was born on October 17, 1711.
Though he was a slave his entire life, Hammon attended school where he learned to read and write. He became a domestic servant, clerk, and artisan in the Lloyd family business.
He was a devote Christian and published his first poem called "An Evening Thought. Salvation by Christ with Penitential Cries: Composed by Jupiter Hammon, a Negro belonging to Mr. Lloyd of Queen's village, on Long Island, the 25th of December, 1760".
He published a few other poems and also a few sermons. He gave an "Address to the Negroes of the State of New York" saying that he wished the young slaves to be free, even though he had no wish to be free himself.
Phillis Wheatley was the first African-American woman, and first African-American poet, to publish a book. She published "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" in 1773 in England and the colonies.
In the 1970's when there was a revival of surrealism in poetry and the emergence of beat and performance poetry and an embracing of multiculturalism, there was also a growing interest in African-American poets including Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou, Ishmael Reed, Vim Karenin, Nikki Giovanni, and Detrick Hughes.
What is your favorite poem?
Black Poetry Day is on October 17 to celebrate the birth of Jupiter Hammon, the first African-American poet who was born on October 17, 1711.
Though he was a slave his entire life, Hammon attended school where he learned to read and write. He became a domestic servant, clerk, and artisan in the Lloyd family business.
He was a devote Christian and published his first poem called "An Evening Thought. Salvation by Christ with Penitential Cries: Composed by Jupiter Hammon, a Negro belonging to Mr. Lloyd of Queen's village, on Long Island, the 25th of December, 1760".
He published a few other poems and also a few sermons. He gave an "Address to the Negroes of the State of New York" saying that he wished the young slaves to be free, even though he had no wish to be free himself.
Phillis Wheatley was the first African-American woman, and first African-American poet, to publish a book. She published "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" in 1773 in England and the colonies.
In the 1970's when there was a revival of surrealism in poetry and the emergence of beat and performance poetry and an embracing of multiculturalism, there was also a growing interest in African-American poets including Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou, Ishmael Reed, Vim Karenin, Nikki Giovanni, and Detrick Hughes.
What is your favorite poem?
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Today is...Dictionary Day
Today is the birth anniversary of Noah Webster, also known as Dictionary Day. The library will be celebrating Dictionary Day with a library crossword puzzle, some tasty treats, and a chance to win a raffle prize.
Webster created his first dictionary in 1806, called A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language.
Prior to publishing his first dictionary, Webster was known for creating a speller, a grammar book, and a reader for elementary school children.
Webster was a revolutionary, believing that America was superior to Europe because of the superior values it held and wanted to replace the British rule in the colonies with a utopia.
he was a Federalist spokesman and edited the leading Federalist Party newspaper. However, a rival Federalist pamphleteer called Webster a traitor to the cause due to his pro-French views.
Noah Webster was a cousin of Daniel Webster, the senator from Massachusetts who later was the Secretary of State for Millard Fillmore, William Henry Harrison, and John Tyler.
Webster was a spelling reformer (much like Melvil Dewey was), changing the spelling of many words to make them more Americanized. This included changing defence to defense, centre to center, traveller to traveler, colour to color, and tongue to tung (this one didn't catch on).
Webster helped to found Amhert College in Amhert Massachusetts in 1812.
What is your favorite word?
Webster created his first dictionary in 1806, called A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language.
Prior to publishing his first dictionary, Webster was known for creating a speller, a grammar book, and a reader for elementary school children.
Webster was a revolutionary, believing that America was superior to Europe because of the superior values it held and wanted to replace the British rule in the colonies with a utopia.
he was a Federalist spokesman and edited the leading Federalist Party newspaper. However, a rival Federalist pamphleteer called Webster a traitor to the cause due to his pro-French views.
Noah Webster was a cousin of Daniel Webster, the senator from Massachusetts who later was the Secretary of State for Millard Fillmore, William Henry Harrison, and John Tyler.
Webster was a spelling reformer (much like Melvil Dewey was), changing the spelling of many words to make them more Americanized. This included changing defence to defense, centre to center, traveller to traveler, colour to color, and tongue to tung (this one didn't catch on).
Webster helped to found Amhert College in Amhert Massachusetts in 1812.
What is your favorite word?
Monday, October 15, 2012
Today is...National School Lunch Week
Lunch, or luncheon, originally referred to a small meal taken between two of the ordinary meal-times, especially between breakfast and mid-day dinner. For those who use the term "dinner" as the mid-day meal, luncheon usually denotes an early afternoon meal.
Lunch is now the usual word used, with luncheon being more formal. The shorted form of lunch used to be considered vulgar.
In early half of the 20th century, lunch was generally assumed to be a woman's meal, being as it was a light meal.
The common meals of the day are Breakfast, usually eaten within an hour or two of waking; Lunch or dinner, eaten around mid-day; Dinner or tea, eaten in the evening; and Supper, eaten later in the evening, prior to bed.
Other meals are Second Breakfast, a mid morning meal traditional in Bavaria, Poland, Vienna, and Austria; Elevenses, morning tea; Brunch, late-morning meal that is larger than breakfast and tends to replace breakfast and lunch; Afternoon tea, generally taken at 4pm and includes small sandwiches and cakes; and High tea, British meal usually eaten in the early evening.
Hobbits tend to eat six meals a day: Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Elevenies, Luncheon, Afternoon tea, and Dinner.
What is your favorite thing to get from Mac for lunch?
Lunch is now the usual word used, with luncheon being more formal. The shorted form of lunch used to be considered vulgar.
In early half of the 20th century, lunch was generally assumed to be a woman's meal, being as it was a light meal.
The common meals of the day are Breakfast, usually eaten within an hour or two of waking; Lunch or dinner, eaten around mid-day; Dinner or tea, eaten in the evening; and Supper, eaten later in the evening, prior to bed.
Other meals are Second Breakfast, a mid morning meal traditional in Bavaria, Poland, Vienna, and Austria; Elevenses, morning tea; Brunch, late-morning meal that is larger than breakfast and tends to replace breakfast and lunch; Afternoon tea, generally taken at 4pm and includes small sandwiches and cakes; and High tea, British meal usually eaten in the early evening.
Hobbits tend to eat six meals a day: Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Elevenies, Luncheon, Afternoon tea, and Dinner.
What is your favorite thing to get from Mac for lunch?
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Today is...The Start of Teen Read Week
Teen Read Week is sponsored by YALSA, the Young Adult Library Services Association, a branch of the American Library Association. Their mission is to expand and strengthen library services for teens.
Teen Read Week started in 1998 to encourage teens to read for pleasure. It promotes the reading of books, magazines, e-books, audiobooks, graphic novels, and anything else that can be read.
A lot of books that are aimed at teens have been made into movies including The Chronicles of Narnia, Eragon, The Golden Compass, Holes, Knight's Tale, Little Women, Nick and Norah's Infinate Playlist, Scott Pilgrim, X-men, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Teen books tend to cause the most controversy in libraries (and schools) with some people feeling like some of the books contain too much bad language, sex, alcohol, violence, or just themes too mature for teens.
In 2011, 9 of the 10 most frequently challenged books were books either aimed at teens or traditionally read by teens.
Betwen 1990 and 2010, the two most popular reasons for challenging a book were for sexually explicit material and offensive language.
What was your favorite book as a teenager? Or what is currently your favorite teen book?
Teen Read Week started in 1998 to encourage teens to read for pleasure. It promotes the reading of books, magazines, e-books, audiobooks, graphic novels, and anything else that can be read.
A lot of books that are aimed at teens have been made into movies including The Chronicles of Narnia, Eragon, The Golden Compass, Holes, Knight's Tale, Little Women, Nick and Norah's Infinate Playlist, Scott Pilgrim, X-men, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Teen books tend to cause the most controversy in libraries (and schools) with some people feeling like some of the books contain too much bad language, sex, alcohol, violence, or just themes too mature for teens.
In 2011, 9 of the 10 most frequently challenged books were books either aimed at teens or traditionally read by teens.
Betwen 1990 and 2010, the two most popular reasons for challenging a book were for sexually explicit material and offensive language.
What was your favorite book as a teenager? Or what is currently your favorite teen book?
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Today is...Punkin' Chunkin' Day in Aurora Colorado
Punkin' Chunkin', or Pumpkin Chucking, is the sport of hurling pumpkins over a large distance using mechanical means, most often slingshots, catapults, cannons, or trebuchets.
The world record for longest distance a pumpkin has traveled during punkin' chunkin' is 5,545.43 feet after it was fired from a pneumatic air cannon.
The World Championship Punkin Chunkin competition is held in Delaware and began in 1986. The European Championships is held in Belgium.
In the history of World Championship Punkin Chunkin, there has only been one fatality, a duck that was hit by a pumpkin that had been shot out of an air cannon.
For the past four years, Ada has hosted a Punkin Chunkin Competition, using only catapults and trebuchets. It is the Midwest National Punkin Chunkin Championships. This year's winners were sponsored by the Ada VFW Post, beating out the Ada Police in distance.
What is your favorite way to smash a pumpkin?
The world record for longest distance a pumpkin has traveled during punkin' chunkin' is 5,545.43 feet after it was fired from a pneumatic air cannon.
The World Championship Punkin Chunkin competition is held in Delaware and began in 1986. The European Championships is held in Belgium.
In the history of World Championship Punkin Chunkin, there has only been one fatality, a duck that was hit by a pumpkin that had been shot out of an air cannon.
For the past four years, Ada has hosted a Punkin Chunkin Competition, using only catapults and trebuchets. It is the Midwest National Punkin Chunkin Championships. This year's winners were sponsored by the Ada VFW Post, beating out the Ada Police in distance.
What is your favorite way to smash a pumpkin?
Friday, October 12, 2012
Snapshot Day Comments
Thursday October 11 was Snapshot Day. We collected comments from students, staff, and faculty about what their favorite memories of the library were or why the library was important to them. Some selected comments follow.
Why the library is important to you:
The education the staff provides as far as assisting to develop individual's research techniques and how to optimize the resources our ONU library has to offer.
I always have a place to print out my notes and borrow DVDs for the weekend.
The library is my favorite place on campus because I can relax, clear my mind, and work on whatever I need to get done.
Closing 10 min early the Friday before homecoming.
It provides resources for papers and a good environment to study.
It's my favorite place to study.
Favorite library memory:
Learning I could take out as many books as I wanted.
Picking out a giant pile of books, checking them out, and reading them all the same day.
Working here with all the great people.
Getting picked up by college boys.
In the comments, feel free to add your own memories or tell why the library is important to you.
Why the library is important to you:
The education the staff provides as far as assisting to develop individual's research techniques and how to optimize the resources our ONU library has to offer.
I always have a place to print out my notes and borrow DVDs for the weekend.
The library is my favorite place on campus because I can relax, clear my mind, and work on whatever I need to get done.
Closing 10 min early the Friday before homecoming.
It provides resources for papers and a good environment to study.
It's my favorite place to study.
Favorite library memory:
Learning I could take out as many books as I wanted.
Picking out a giant pile of books, checking them out, and reading them all the same day.
Working here with all the great people.
Getting picked up by college boys.
In the comments, feel free to add your own memories or tell why the library is important to you.
Today is...International Moment of Frustration Scream Day
A scream is a loud vocalization and can be done by any creature that has lungs and vocal cords. It is part of a collection of sounds known as vociferation, which also includes a shout, shriek, hoot, holler, or yell.
The Scream is the most famous painting by Edvard Munch, though it is more properly the popular name of a series of four paintings done between 1893 and 1910.
The full title of the series is Der Schrei der Natu, which means The Scream of Nature.
The National Gallery in Oslo holds two of the painted version; The Munch Museum holds the other two versions (one painted and one pastel)
Scream is a slasher film starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette. It has spawned 3 sequels, all of which have been directed by Wes Craven.
"Scream" is the name of many albums and songs covering a variety of music styles from Ozzy Osbourne (album) to High School Music 3 (song) to Tokio Hotel (album and song).
Frustration is an emotional response to opposition and often makes people want to scream. What frustrates you?
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The full title of the series is Der Schrei der Natu, which means The Scream of Nature.
The National Gallery in Oslo holds two of the painted version; The Munch Museum holds the other two versions (one painted and one pastel)
Scream is a slasher film starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette. It has spawned 3 sequels, all of which have been directed by Wes Craven.
"Scream" is the name of many albums and songs covering a variety of music styles from Ozzy Osbourne (album) to High School Music 3 (song) to Tokio Hotel (album and song).
Frustration is an emotional response to opposition and often makes people want to scream. What frustrates you?
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Today is...Snapshot Day!
Snapshot Day: A Day in the Life of Ohio Libraries
A library is a building, room, or set of rooms, containing a collection of books for the use of the public or of some particular portion of it, or of the members of some society or the like; a public institution or establishment, charged with the care of a collection of books, and the duty of rendering the books accessible to those who require to use them (OED definition 1.b).
The first libraries were archives of cuneiform tablets, discovered in temple room in what is now Iraq, dating from 2600 BC.
The largest and most significant library of the ancient world was the Library of Alexandria in Egypt. As far as historians can tell, it was originally organized by Demetrius of Phaleron, a study of Aristotle sometime during the reigh of Ptolemy I.
One of the oldest libraries in Europe is the Bodleian Library, the main research library of Oxford. It was established in 1602 and now contains approximately 11 million items including four copies of the Magna Carta, one of only 42 copies of the Gutenberg Bible, and Shakespeare's First folio.
Heterick Memorial Library is organized by the Dewey Decimal Classification system, a library classification systems created by Melvil Dewey in 1876.
Melvin Dewey advocated for spelling reform, focusing on simpler spelling. As a result, he wrote without using all the letters and "simplified" words, going as far as to change the spelling of his last name to Dui. An example of how he wrote: "someone is troubld becauz we fail...but we chek up with great care all these sugjestions".
Why is the library important to you? Stop by the library to fill out a comment card and possibly get your picture taken for Snapshot Day!
A library is a building, room, or set of rooms, containing a collection of books for the use of the public or of some particular portion of it, or of the members of some society or the like; a public institution or establishment, charged with the care of a collection of books, and the duty of rendering the books accessible to those who require to use them (OED definition 1.b).
The first libraries were archives of cuneiform tablets, discovered in temple room in what is now Iraq, dating from 2600 BC.
The largest and most significant library of the ancient world was the Library of Alexandria in Egypt. As far as historians can tell, it was originally organized by Demetrius of Phaleron, a study of Aristotle sometime during the reigh of Ptolemy I.
One of the oldest libraries in Europe is the Bodleian Library, the main research library of Oxford. It was established in 1602 and now contains approximately 11 million items including four copies of the Magna Carta, one of only 42 copies of the Gutenberg Bible, and Shakespeare's First folio.
Heterick Memorial Library is organized by the Dewey Decimal Classification system, a library classification systems created by Melvil Dewey in 1876.
Melvin Dewey advocated for spelling reform, focusing on simpler spelling. As a result, he wrote without using all the letters and "simplified" words, going as far as to change the spelling of his last name to Dui. An example of how he wrote: "someone is troubld becauz we fail...but we chek up with great care all these sugjestions".
Why is the library important to you? Stop by the library to fill out a comment card and possibly get your picture taken for Snapshot Day!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Today is...Bring your Teddy Bear to Work Day
The first Teddy Bear was created in 1902 by Morris Michtom. It was named Teddy after Teddy Roosevelt, in response to a political cartoon showing Roosevelt to be unwilling to shoot a bear that had been caught and tied up.
Official Teddy Bears have jointed arms and legs, with larger eyes and foreheads and smaller noses to be cuter.
The largest producer and seller of Teddy Bears is the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, making almost 500,000 bears a year.
In 1907 John Walter Bratton wrote a song called "Teddy Bear Two-Step". In 1932 Jimmy Kennedy added lyrics, turning it into the song "Teddy Bears' Picnic". The song has been recorded by many artist and groups from Bing Crosby to Jerry Garcia to The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Some of the most famous Teddy Bears are Paddington Bear, Teddy Ruxpin, and Winnie-the-Pooh.
Official Teddy Bears have jointed arms and legs, with larger eyes and foreheads and smaller noses to be cuter.
The largest producer and seller of Teddy Bears is the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, making almost 500,000 bears a year.
In 1907 John Walter Bratton wrote a song called "Teddy Bear Two-Step". In 1932 Jimmy Kennedy added lyrics, turning it into the song "Teddy Bears' Picnic". The song has been recorded by many artist and groups from Bing Crosby to Jerry Garcia to The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Some of the most famous Teddy Bears are Paddington Bear, Teddy Ruxpin, and Winnie-the-Pooh.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Today is...National Face Your Fears Day
Fear is the emotion of pain or uneasiness caused by the sense of impending danger, or by the prospect of some possible evil (OED Definition 1.2)
The original definition of fear in Old English was a sudden and terrible event or peril, used first in the year 453 AD. The first use of the English version of fear was in 1175.
The Old English Fǽr (and the Middle English variants fore and fár) corresponds to the Old Saxon fâr and means strong masculine, sudden calamity, or danger.
When asked about their fears some common responses from people are ghosts, cockroaches, spiders, snakes, heights, water, enclosed spaces, tunnels, bridges, needles, failure, public speaking, flying, clowns, intimacy, death, and rejection.
Fear can be conditioned, which was proved in John B. Watson's Little Albert experiment. Watson took a 9-month-old boy and exposed him to a variety of animals. Later, when Albert was playing with a white rat, Watson would make a loud noise to frighten Albert whenever he touched the rat. After that happening several times, Albert would show fear whenever the rat was in the room. Eventually, Albert was also scared of anything that resembled a white rat, including a rabbit, a fur coat, and cotton balls.
The physiological changes in the body associated with fear are summarized as the fight or flight response. It is a primitive mechanism that helps people and animals to survive by fighting or fleeing from danger. Without fear, species would die out due to predators. In animals, this is generally referred to as Island tameness or ecological naivete, where a species has lived in isolation for so long that they lose wariness for potential predators, leading to extinction, like the Dodo Bird.
What fear are you going to face today?
The original definition of fear in Old English was a sudden and terrible event or peril, used first in the year 453 AD. The first use of the English version of fear was in 1175.
The Old English Fǽr (and the Middle English variants fore and fár) corresponds to the Old Saxon fâr and means strong masculine, sudden calamity, or danger.
When asked about their fears some common responses from people are ghosts, cockroaches, spiders, snakes, heights, water, enclosed spaces, tunnels, bridges, needles, failure, public speaking, flying, clowns, intimacy, death, and rejection.
Fear can be conditioned, which was proved in John B. Watson's Little Albert experiment. Watson took a 9-month-old boy and exposed him to a variety of animals. Later, when Albert was playing with a white rat, Watson would make a loud noise to frighten Albert whenever he touched the rat. After that happening several times, Albert would show fear whenever the rat was in the room. Eventually, Albert was also scared of anything that resembled a white rat, including a rabbit, a fur coat, and cotton balls.
The physiological changes in the body associated with fear are summarized as the fight or flight response. It is a primitive mechanism that helps people and animals to survive by fighting or fleeing from danger. Without fear, species would die out due to predators. In animals, this is generally referred to as Island tameness or ecological naivete, where a species has lived in isolation for so long that they lose wariness for potential predators, leading to extinction, like the Dodo Bird.
What fear are you going to face today?
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Today is...Columbus Day
Columbus day celebrates the day that Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas, on October 12, 1492.
The United States, the Bahamas, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, and many other Latin American countries celebrate some form of Columbus Day, and have since the late 18th century.
The idea that Columbus wanted to sail West from Europe to India to prove that the Earth was round is an idea that was popularized by Washington Irving's biography of Columbus. Since the time of Aristotle in the 4th century BC most educated people accepted that the world was not flat.
Columbus made four voyages from Spain to the Americas, never making it further north than the Bahamas and Cuba.
Who is your favorite explorer?
The United States, the Bahamas, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, and many other Latin American countries celebrate some form of Columbus Day, and have since the late 18th century.
The idea that Columbus wanted to sail West from Europe to India to prove that the Earth was round is an idea that was popularized by Washington Irving's biography of Columbus. Since the time of Aristotle in the 4th century BC most educated people accepted that the world was not flat.
Columbus made four voyages from Spain to the Americas, never making it further north than the Bahamas and Cuba.
Who is your favorite explorer?
Friday, October 5, 2012
New Database: Oxford Scholarship Online
Check out our new database which covers the full-text of over 8,000 academic books in 20 subjects areas including the humanities, social sciences, medicine and the law. Included among the subjects covered are Biology, Business and Management, History, Literature, Mathematics and Public Health and Epidemiology.
Check out our new database which covers the full-text of over 8,000 academic books in 20 subjects areas including the humanities, social sciences, medicine and the law. Included among the subjects covered are Biology, Business and Management, History, Literature, Mathematics and Public Health and Epidemiology.
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