Today Is... 📆

murfle · June 9, 2021, 5:17am

While I’m no fan of Disney, I definitely have fond memories of one of my first Genesis (MegaDrive) games, Quackshot

It was kinda like Duck Tales in that you had to do the levels in a certain order, so that you can upgrade your plunger to get past certain blockades.

I watched some gameplay recently on the Jaboody Show where they played Genesis games for one of their birthday. I’m surprised none of them had ever heard of the game, I seem to remember the magazines plugging the game a lot back in the day. I’d say the game still holds up today.

GregRedd · June 10, 2021, 5:47am

Good morning!

It is Thursday, 10 June 2021
(W23 | D161 | 204 rem)

Today is: Ballpoint Pen Day🖊

On 10 June 1943 the Bíró brothers, László and György, became owners of US Patent 2390636 – better known around the world as the ballpoint pen.

The Hungarian inventors’ new pen, inspired by the quick-drying inks used by professional printers, was as remarkable as the first fountain pen had been the century before. Ballpoint Pen Day celebrates these intrepid inventors, and the often indelible mark they’ve left on the world at large.

Nowadays, their invention is the ultimate cheap and disposable product – writer Douglas Adams even imagined a planet containing all the lost ballpoint pens in the universe. Yet it was once a luxury product, available only to the rich.

Today, manufacturers produce ballpoint pens by the millions and sell them worldwide. As a promotional tool, ballpoint pens find their way into our hands from advertisers of all sorts assuring that we always have a ballpoint pen handy, too.

Ballpoint Pen Day is a time to appreciate this rarest of things: a design classic that is affordable to almost everyone. They come in an incredible array of styles and designs, and a unique pen that suits the individual is available to people from every income level.

At their most expensive, ballpoint pens have come to represent the final stroke on a business deal, and it is not uncommon to find one in any given purse or portfolio. Signing a receipt for your purchase? You’re probably using a ballpoint pen. Need to fill out a check to pay for your utilities? Again, it’s probably a ballpoint pen you’re using to sign over the money.

Some of the most expensive ballpoint pens are made from carefully designed metal tubes, they even come in gold and silver! Not all ballpoint pens are disposable, some of them are refillable, just like the fountain pens. No matter how you look at it, the ballpoint pen has made an incredible mark on history and is part of every business in the world these days.

Why not get a head start on Letter Writing Day (1st Septembers)? Pick up a ballpoint pen and make someone’s day with a letter or a postcard. You can get them in any array of colors or styles, so why don’t you stop and get one of your very own today? They’re perfect for writing letters, filling out guest books, or if you’re feeling particularly creative, you can even write on your skin! Let your imagination and creativity flow wild!

Other ways to celebrate include:

create a doodle.
post a picture the most clever, interesting, or unusual ballpoint pen used for marketing a brand, company or product that you have.
show off any expensive, luxury pens you may have.
Or any pens you’ve kept for sentimental reasons - the pen you used to sign your marriage license, the pen you used to write your final exam, etc.
make a list of stuff that you need to make lists of.
circle and illustrate your favourite days of the year on your calendar.

Have a right good (write good) Thursday friends!

murfle · June 10, 2021, 6:32am

Down with Bic!

Brought to you by the quill and inkwell gang.

Seriously though, I tend to use those fine gel pens. I’ve ruined many pairs of pants/shorts by having one explode in my pocket. Eventually, I found a pen in a tube that I can only equate to ‘the tank of pens’. I’ve drained a set of 3 completely, and I just can’t find them any more!

Though high school and university, I managed to drain all my ballpoints, and had quite a collection added up. I remember losing one once, I can’t recall if I lent it out and it never got returned or just absent mindedness, but I felt like I really let myself down that time. Maybe one day, Musk or Bezos will find it on some random planet somewhere.

DarthMol · June 10, 2021, 6:36am

Every day, especially if I am on the phone.

murfle · June 10, 2021, 6:38am

If it said “create a doodie”, I would have the exact same response!

Wyvern · June 10, 2021, 7:05am

Snap! I now keep scrap paper near me and those spiral A5 notepads and use them to doodle in - nothing special tho I have a tendency to draw triangles when doodling.

Beo · June 10, 2021, 7:17am

I’m big into visual thinking and sketchnotes, today my buddy released this:

Pen and paper rules!

GregRedd · June 11, 2021, 6:09am

Good morning!

It is Friday, 11 June 2021
(W23 | D162 | 203 rem)

Today is: Yarn Bombing Day

“But Greg, what the heck is yarn bombing?”, I hear you cry.

Yarn bombing (or yarnbombing) is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colourful displays of knitted or crochet yarn or fibre rather than paint or chalk. It is also called wool bombing, yarn storming, guerrilla knitting, kniffiti, urban knitting, or graffiti knitting.

So now that you know what it is, let’s talk more about today’s Yarn Bombing Day celebrations…

They’re showing up everywhere, like some kind of psychedelically colorful mushroom that grows sock-like over surfaces like trees and scaffolding and even bike racks. Somewhere, somehow, these normal everyday objects have suddenly become ensconced in an odd wooly growth in amazing patterns.

The skill varies widely from incredibly new to fantastically intricate, the thickness of the yarn from pencil-lead thin to thick as the pencil itself. Yarn Bombing Day is when fiber-freaks from around the world go on a knitting rampage to embrace the world in warm fuzzy comfort. Grab your needles and go forth noble kneedler, and stitch!

To understand Yarn Bombing Day, we first need to take a look at what yarn bombing is. It is sometimes referred to as guerrilla knitting or yarnstorming. No matter what you call it, it is simply the practice of knitted works of art being added to public places. For example, a yarn bomber may design some sort of colorful knitted pattern and wrap it around a bus stop. The aim of this practice was to try and take knitting from something that was viewed as merely for creating clothes and hats to something that could add meaning and color to urban locations.

It’s not like standard graffiti where the point is to mark your territory. It’s also definitely not an act of vandalizing. It is about creating a sense of belonging and conveying meaning, as well as drawing attention to something that is ignored by most people. Yarn Bombing Day, therefore, is simply a celebration of this tradition, raising awareness of the art of crochet and knitting while having a lot of fun in the process.

The first-ever Yarn Bombing Day actually took place on the 11th of June 2011, and it has been going strong ever since!
It’s all done in the spirit of beautification and fun, bringing a fantastically colorful display to urban areas around the world.

It’s not even seen as graffiti by most people in the area, but rather an entirely acceptable and attractive form of urban art. And it’s little surprise, with all the amazing patterns that can come out of a knitter’s craft, and the warm and comfortable nature of the fabric. Of course, they don’t use wool because some people are allergic, but it’s still a fantastic time!

A fun way to celebrate Yarn Bombing Day is to do a bit of digging online to see some of the interesting yarn bombs that have taken place over the years. You will see some incredible pieces of knitted artwork, as well as learning about some truly great stories and tales along the way.

In fact, one of the most famous yarn bombers was a 104-year-old great-grandmother. Grace Brett could possibly be the world’s oldest street artist. She went all out with her yarn bombing in 2016; adding her designs to 46 landmarks across the Scottish county of Borders.

Of course, she could not do it all herself, and so she enlisted the help of some Souther Stormers, with the secretive group going around Selkirk and placing her designs all around the area. I would certainly recommend taking a look at some of the photos. It is pretty incredible. If you thought the traditional red British telephone boxes were stylish already, wait until you see the funky makeover that Grace gave them!

You can find yourself getting lost in all of the different yarn bombing stories for hours, and it will probably give you some inspiration regarding the different designs and creations that you can make in order to celebrate this day.

Get your knit on gang, and have a fun-filled Friday!

murfle · June 11, 2021, 7:03am

I can only imagine the cleanup crew takes one look at these things, then say “Darn”

GregRedd · June 12, 2021, 6:27am

Good morning!

It is Saturday, 12 June 2021
(W23 | D163 | 202 rem)

Today is: Superman Day

What’s that?! There in the sky? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It’s the Man of Tomorrow! It’s the Man of Steel!

Superman has gone by many names over the years, but one thing has remained the same. He has always stood for what’s best about humanity, all of our potential for terrible destructive acts, but also our choice to not act on the level of destruction we could wreck.

Superman Day was started in 2013 by DC Entertainment, two days before the release of the Superman film, Man of Steel. At this time it was known as Man of Steel Day, and it was not until subsequent years that the day simply became known as Superman Day.

Both the name change and the continuation of the day seem to have happened organically. On the inaugural day, DC Entertainment partnered with comic book retailers and bookstores across the United States to celebrate the day, and gave out free copies of All Star Superman #1 Special Edition.

Superman was first created in 1933 by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, the writer and artist respectively. His first appearance was in Action Comics #1, and that was the beginning of a long and illustrious career for the Man of Steel. In his unmistakable blue suit with red cape, and the stylized red S on his chest, the figure of Superman has become one of the most recognizable in the world.

Superman has been through a lot of changes since his initial creation, his original Golden Age incarnation actually being a villainous character that bears absolutely no resemblance to our current hero. Superman as we know and love him today didn’t appear until Action Comics #1, published on April 18, 1938. Such was his success that he got his own comic in 1939, and the world has never looked back since.

Since that time, our boy in blue has seen appearances in every form of media the world has to offer. Comic books, video games, movies, novels, stickers, T-shirts, there isn’t a place that the Man of Steel hasn’t made an appearance. He’s even been represented in more than one TV show throughout the years, recently including “Smallville”, which retells his time as a youth in the town he grew up in, and the currently airing “Superman and Lois”, which sees Clarke and Lois married and raising their twin sons on the old Kent farm in Smallville.

“What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely. From an acting point of view, that’s how I approached the part.” – Christopher Reeve

Have yourself a Super Saturday Man!

Know more:

https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/man-steel

GregRedd · June 13, 2021, 5:22am

Good morning!

It is Sunday, 13 June 2021
(W23 | D164 | 201 rem)

Today is: International Axe Throwing Day

International Axe Throwing Day was created to encourage sporty types to give a go to a historical past time, relieve stress and just have fun with friends and family. Across the world, axe throwing clubs open their doors to encourage anyone to try the sport.

International Axe Throwing Day is all about people around the world who share a passion for axe throwing getting together and raising awareness about the urban sport. Axe throwing is a sport that is growing in popularity. It’s offbeat and fun, and it is an activity that everyone can enjoy. And yes; that means everyone!

We’re not suggesting that your five-year-old child runs around wielding an axe. There are safe ways to adapt this sport so that it is suitable for all ages. Of course, we’re talking about toy axes that aren’t going to cause any damage to anyone. Safety is always a priority.

Facts about axe throwing

Most of the different axe throwing facilities cater to special events, like bachelor and bachelorette parties, team building functions, and birthday parties.
Most axe throwing facilities provide axe throwing leagues that run for eight weeks consecutively.
There are standardized regulations and rules that The World Axe Throwing League has identified. This includes target size, point system, and throwing distance, for example.
Bad Axe Throwing is the biggest axe throwing club in the world and they have been credited for commercializing the sport and making it popular and mainstream.
Axe throwing is a sport that can be enjoyed competitively, as well as being done recreationally with family and friends.

Once a humble tool used for chopping down trees or for taking into battle, the common axe is now the focal point of a fun-filled activity that doesn’t involve knocking down woodland or getting into scraps. As the name suggests, axe throwing is a sport wherein the goal is to hit a target using nothing but an axe.

On the whole, it’s most popular in the USA and Canada, where it started out as an event in lumberjack competitions. However, in recent years it has gained popularity in Europe and you won’t need to go too far to find somewhere to throw some axes.

When played competitively, there are some strict rules to stick to – the target is always a certain width and consisting of five rings. Much like archery, the closer to the middle you get the more points you’ll win. In all axe throwing events, safety is paramount. There’s always strict safety measures in place, to protect both those competing and any spectators. So when you join in, you can be sure that you’re in for a fun and safe time!

One way to celebrate International Axe Throwing Day is to have a lesson with a professional in the sport. Believe it or not, there is quite a bit of skill involved when it comes to throwing a piece of steel against a target. You’re going to need more than a bit of beginner’s luck in order to hit the bulls-eye, and having someone who knows the sport teach you all about it can certainly be an extremely fun experience.

You could also host a party with friends in order to celebrate International Axe Throwing Day. Of course, if there is going to be alcohol involved, we definitely do not recommend that you incorporate real axe throwing into the event.

Safety first if you are going to venture into the world of recreational axe throwing! And even if you aren’t, have a safe and sane Sunday!

Know more:

https://www.iatf.com/

https://worldaxethrowingleague.com/

Axe throwing doesn’t seem all that big in South Africa (yet?) but Google does bring up some names: try Urban Axe Pack, AxeGang, and Wild Bird Archery & Axe Throwing Club

DarthMol · June 13, 2021, 9:01am

That’s axe-ually quite cool!

And here’s a picture of the original axe throwing legend:

GregRedd · June 14, 2021, 6:31am

Good morning!

It is Monday, 14 June 2021
(W24 | D165 | 200 rem)

Today is: World Blood Donor Day🩸

World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) is held on 14 June each year. The event was organised for the first time in 2005, by a joint initiative of the World Health Organization, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products, and to thank blood donors for their voluntary, life-saving gifts of blood.

World Blood Donor Day is one of 11 official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO).

World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on the birthday anniversary of Karl Landsteiner on 14 June, 1868. Landsteiner was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discovery of the ABO blood group system.

Transfusion of blood and blood products helps save millions of lives every year. It can help patients suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer and with higher quality of life, and supports complex medical and surgical procedures. It also has an essential, life-saving role in maternal and perinatal care. Access to safe and sufficient blood and blood products can help reduce rates of death and disability due to severe bleeding during delivery and after childbirth.

In many countries, there is not an adequate supply of safe blood, and blood services face the challenge of making sufficient blood available, while also ensuring its quality and safety.

An adequate supply can only be assured through regular donations by voluntary unpaid blood donors. The WHO’s goal is for all countries to obtain all their blood supplies from voluntary unpaid donors by 2020. In 2014, 60 countries have their national blood supplies based on 99-100% voluntary unpaid blood donations, with 73 countries still largely dependent on family and paid donors.

The history of blood donation goes back further than you might expect, reaching as far back as the 17th century. The medical specialists of the time knew that blood was a vital element in the body, and losing too much of it was bound to have tragic consequences on the patient. So it was that experimentation began, and a whole new breed of heroes was born that contribute their blood so that others may live. Blood Donors save lives every day by giving of themselves, so those accident victims and those in need of transfusions for surgeries can live.

The first transfusions were done using poorly understood science and resulted in some rather tragic results for the patients. Richard Lower was the first one to examine animals and blood circulation and finding ways to stop blood clotting. While he was, of course, only working with animals, he managed to drain the blood off of a medium-sized dog and then transfuse the blood of a large mastiff into the smaller animal. Both dogs recovered with no apparent ill effects.

So it was that he gained considerable notoriety for his efforts, and was asked to speak on and teach this technique to the Royal Society. There were some odd beliefs about blood back then, and the first human transfusion involved putting the blood of a sheep into a patient who was suffering from a mild form of insanity. It was thought that perhaps the blood of so gentle a creature as a lamb might help to calm his madness. The act of transferring animal blood into patients was strongly questioned by the tightly superstitious and morally rigid authorities of the time, and the practice was outlawed, vanishing for 150 years.

It was an obstetrician that brought blood transfusions back into modern medical technology, starting in 1818. After he saved the life of a woman who had hemorrhaged terribly after giving birth, he started publishing works on how it was done and the study thereof. Throughout his life, he performed ten transfusions, 5 of which saved the lives of the recipients.

You too can save a life today, and you don’t even have to study for years or become a doctor to do so. Just reach out to the SA National Blood Service to find out where your closest donation site is, and go donate blood. Easy peasy. You lifesaver, you!

Have a mighty Monday folks!

Know more:

Beo · June 14, 2021, 6:42am

hahaha I read that as World Bonor Day >_<

murfle · June 14, 2021, 7:19am

Donisia · June 14, 2021, 7:57am

The don’t want my blood because lobe earrings

czc · June 14, 2021, 8:04am

Did they give a reason why that is unacceptable?

Wyvern · June 14, 2021, 8:22am

Oh they don’t want mine cos my blood pressure is always either to high or to low on the day

Donisia · June 14, 2021, 3:15pm

Apparently any open wound (my lobes don’t bleed and are kept super sterile) is a risk for blood infection (understandable with cartilage or body piercings). I find it weird seeing as if you have a cut etc you can still donate

GregRedd · June 15, 2021, 6:34am

Good morning!

It is Tuesday, 15 June 2021
(W24 | D166 | 199 rem)

Today is: Smile Power Day

Smile Power Day is the perfect excuse to shine your pearly whites and show off those dimples. The smile is a symbol of happiness and vitality, a beacon of hope and an expression of emotion. Today, flash a real smile at everyone and everything. Go on…

What is in the power of a smile, one may ask. Well, when we smile we automatically trigger our own autonomic nervous system, which releases endorphins into our blood, to trigger a happy hormone. That being said, smiling at someone else, offers a chance for them too to feel that same happy hormone. It’s a win/win situation isn’t it? Start everyday with a smile and smile at strangers, it’s good for your immune system and it brings a little cheer to an otherwise possibly dismal day.

Nobody knows who came up with the idea of dedicating a whole 24 hours to the involuntary contraction of the zygomatic major muscle, but one thing is certain: we’re the only creatures on the planet that can do it.

Whether fate smiled upon you or not, you can always find a good reason to smile. So grin from ear to ear, look on the bright side and smile your troubles away, just like the great Dr. Seuss suggested: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” You may be wondering just exactly how smiling helps us mentally, but there are many reasons to suggest that it does.

We smile involuntarily, when thinking back on fond events, or of those we love, which is certainly a good reason to celebrate. If you’re needing some more reasons as to what makes smiling such a dandy little tool, you can soak up the following information: it makes you more attractive, so they say, smiling attracts the opposite sex and highlights both your personality and radiates warmth to others.

Smiling is also contagious; the only time that something contagious is good for you – it encourages and promotes a happy and healthy atmosphere and brings a sense of community. So when you’re that person who starts a chain of smiles today, be proud knowing you have created a little bit of worldly joy!

Why is smiling so good for us?
Smiling lowers your blood pressure; now this is mostly due to the fact that smiling releases that happy hormone we spoke about before. It temporarily relieves stress, so smiling more frequently will put your body into a state of relaxation. This is the same for your health, yes, smiling can in fact be a pain reliever! Allowing your body to smile and release that tension could in fact help you and if you’re skeptical on this fact, then take a look at nitrous oxide, better known as ‘laughing gas’, which has been around for years, a practical and ingenious idea to help ease your pain, so there’s even more reason to start smiling now isn’t there?

If you want a little boost to your self confidence, let’s say you’re waiting on that impending job interview, you might want to smile to yourself beforehand. Smile in the mirror at yourself, a power smile instils a sense of confidence into you. Continue your power smile as you shake hands at the interview and continue with a sense of calmness and contentment.

Smiling can and will make you look younger, forget about the laugh lines, the most troubling of all facial wrinkles is of course the frown lines which can make us look tired and withdrawn. Smiling allows you to work those facial muscles to keep them supple, practice it as part of your skincare routine and cut back on the botox bill, it’s not rocket science, it’s smiling!

Smile Power Day will also make you question just how much you smile as well as who around you takes the time to smile too. Now, sitting there all day at your desk with a grin like a cheshire cat is not going to really have much impact, however, it should get a few laughs from your fellow co-workers! You’ll start to notice the effect it has on those around you when you bring a little bit of joy into the room.

Depression itself impacts just how much happiness we feel, and many psychologists and therapists will encourage the practice of mindfulness and smiling more, connecting and feeling a more internal peace with yourself. Smiling forms a bond and connection between two people; whether that’s when they say thank you to you for holding the door open, perhaps it’s a smile you both share at a checkout or in a queue, or from far away, but it’s undoubtedly a very intimate and special bond that should be celebrated more often!

Challenge yourself, not just on Smile Power Day but also on other days of the year, to smile at least once to yourself, to a stranger or to a family member. See the response it has and the connection it forms; especially if you take time to let the smile last a little longer than usual. Remember, we all need a bit of encouragement, sometimes!

Smile Power Day is connected to the act of kindness and giving and being able to appreciate the power, not just of a smile but of a gesture! What would the world be without a few gestures?

Most importantly, when you crack a smile today, remember that it’s not Smile Power Day unless you can put a smile on someone else’s face, too.

Remember: Catch a Smile, Share a Smile! And have a superb, smile-powered day!