October 17, 2015

Today we celebrate:

National Pasta Day – My children's favorite food is pasta in any shape or form. And they do come in any shape or form.  My kids love the wheel shaped pastas while I prefer the traditional ziti shape.

Black Poetry Day – This day celebrates Jupiter Hammon. Mr. Hammon was the first American man of color to publish his own poetry. He was born on this day in 1711 and was a slave who lived most of his life on Long Island. He was one of the few who learned how to read and write and was allowed to use his master's library. He published his first poem at the age of 49.

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – This is a United Nations created day that has been celebrated since 1993. The goal is to spread awareness of the need to end poverty all over the world. Governments need to work to fight against poverty in their own countries and in the foreign policy they create for interacting with other countries. You may see a call for a moment of silence to commemorate this day, or you might be asked to sign a petition or perhaps attend a fundraising concert.

Wear Something Gaudy Day – This is a day to stand out, buck the fashion trends of the day and make up your own wacky outfit. If you are old enough, you will remember a TV sitcom called Three's Company with the late great John Ritter, among many other very talented actors including Don Knotts. On that show, one of the characters, Richard Kline, declared this day and it has been celebrated ever since.

Mulligan Day - This is a day for second chances.  Golfers will recognize the term “mulligan” which means to try again.  It is named after David Mulligan from Canada who made a mistake when golfing in the 1920s and retook his shot without taking a penalty.  But you can apply this principle to other areas of your life as well.  What do you need to retry?

Four Prunes Day – I love prunes, but not prune juice. I know, I'm a little odd that way. But there's nothing like a few prunes every day to give you enough fiber to keep you regular.

Bridge Day – Celebrated on the third Saturday in October, this day commemorates the completion of the New River Gorge Bridge. It's a four lane bridge that was finished in 1977, but on this very special day, cars are not allowed on it, only pedestrians.  Don’t worry, cars will be allowed on it again later tonight.

Sweetest Day – This day is also celebrated on the third Saturday in October. It is a day to remember friends, co-workers, family, and anyone else who has been kind and/or helpful to you by giving them a piece of candy. It was first celebrated in 1921 in Cleveland, Ohio.

National Edge Day - This is a day that celebrates the group of people who identify themselves as a subculture called “Straight Edge.” They use the abbreviation “sXe” and they are hardcore punk individuals who do not use alcohol, tobacco or recreational drugs. Many also avoid promiscuity, prescription medications and caffeine and choose to follow a vegan or vegetarian diet.  This day has been celebrated every year since 1999 when it was begun with an “Edge Fest” in Boston, Massachusetts with live performances by hardcore bands, and it has spread to many large cities in America as well as London, England and Gothenburg, Sweden.

Spreadsheet Day - Created by Debra Dalgleish in 2010, this is a day to celebrate all the things that spreadsheets can help us do as well as all of the challenges that come with using them.  I use spreadsheets almost daily both at work and at home, but I also talk to a lot of people who have trouble figuring out how to do what they want to do with the program. This day was selected because the first spreadsheet program, VisiCalc, was launched on this day in 1979.

World Trauma Day - Trauma is defined as “any injury caused to the body.”  This is a day to raise awareness of the increases in the rates of injuries caused by accidents.  Many injuries are life threatening, life stealing, or life changing and all too often they are preventable.  

To celebrate today, wear gaudy clothes and read some black poetry to your children then tell them all about world poverty and the fight to eradicate it. Give candy to anyone who helps you today while you use your spreadsheet to track the trauma injuries in your area. Then have some prunes and pasta for dinner.  If your pasta is too mushy, tell your family that is your mulligan and try it again.  Finally, listen to some hardcore “Straight Edge” music tonight.

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