Today Is... 📆

GregRedd · February 2, 2021, 6:02am

Good morning!

It’s Tuesday, 02 February 2021

(W5/D33/332 rem)

Today is:

Everyone loves the sound of a guitar, it’s true, but those who discount the ukulele based on its size just don’t understand how amazing a little sound can be. It’s got a lovely, soft little voice that fills you with joy, and there’s hardly a person who can keep their hands off them, even if they haven’t a clue how to play.

Thankfully, there’s no obligation that you actually know how to play ukulele on Play Your Ukulele Day (although it is a bonus if you do!) Just pick up and play it all day long!

The holiday was first celebrated in 2011. Since its inception, the holiday is celebrated all around the world under the slogan bring the world together, four strings at a time.

A ukulele, also sometimes called a uke, is a four-stringed instrument that was first popularized in Hawaii in the late 19th century. The instrument was a version of the machete (machete de braga), a four-stringed instrument native to the Madeira region of Portugal. It is thought that the ukulele was created by Portuguese immigrants to Hawaii.

The word ukulele in Hawaiian means jumping flea. It is thought that the instrument was so named because of the way the players fingers jumped around the strings.

Any uke players around? Drop a link to your YouTube channel or SoundCloud account and let us hear.

Have a totally tuneful Tuesday!

GregRedd · February 2, 2021, 6:21am

Glad to hear it worked eventually and that Beo Junior got a kick out of it. Realized now that if you search for the animal from inside the Google App (not through a browser) there’s quite a lot of animals there that have been given the 3D treatment.

@Wyvern, if you search for “leopard” in the app you won’t have to see the snake:

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=African%20leopard

Then pull up the other animals at the bottom of the screen.

Lots of doggos, some aquatic animals, a bunch of big mammals, and some birds too. And sound! Kakked myself when the leopard roared as I was taking that screenshot as I wasn’t expecting sound after the very quiet snake yesterday.

The kiddos will love putting the giant panda on their bed, or the Shetland pony in the bathtub.*

I say “the kiddos will love…” but I actually meant “I loved…”

Beo · February 2, 2021, 6:23am

the pug was cute

GregRedd · February 2, 2021, 6:44am

George Formby was the original television ukulele superstar:

After its resurgence as an instrument of note recently, there’s now even TED “talks” given using it…

And entire YouTube channels dedicated to teaching you how to play it:

And that’s without going anywhere near Hawaiian ukulele tunes:

My personal favourite ukulele star is comedian Kate Micucci. Here she is with a special guest player:

And with her Garfunkel & Oates partner Riki Lindholme. These clips are all most probably language NSFW, but that’s part of what makes this comedy duo so funny - the sweet, innocent, joyful music and their hilarious, but sometimes vulgar, lyrics.

Wyvern · February 2, 2021, 6:59am

Hahaha thank you!

TechThief · February 2, 2021, 8:00pm

how could you forget this guy

GregRedd · February 3, 2021, 6:32am

I’m old and forgetful . Now stop that racket and get off my lawn!

GregRedd · February 3, 2021, 6:34am

Good morning!

It’s Wednesday, 03 February 2021

(W5/D34/331 rem)

Today is:

Carrot Cake Day

What’s the easiest way to get kids (and many adults too!) to eat more vegetables? Why, disguise the vegetables as a delicious, tasty, frosting covered cake of course.

Carrot cake is a lovely creation that evolved out of a Medieval favorite called carrot pudding. Throughout history, when access to sugar was non-existent or very hard to come by, people have used sweet vegetables to make their desserts sweet.

This has been as recently as during World War II. During this difficult time, the government of Britain needed to ration food and luxury items, including sugar. As a result, carrot cake experienced a surge in popularity. During the war, the Ministry of Food in Britain encouraged people to try many different recipes that used carrots as a sweetener. They suggested carrot cakes, carrot puddings, and carrot filled pies!

Carrot cake is considered a tad bit healthier than your average sugary cake. Carrots are full of fiber and packed with health-promoting beta carotene, that promote good vision, especially night vision, and help combat health-damaging free radical activity. It is usually made with less sugar, healthy oils, and sometimes has healthy nuts in it.

If you still need me to explain how to go about celebrating Carrot Cake Day, I worry about you . Today, the cake is not a lie! You get to have your cake and eat it too. So long as it’s carrot cake! Anyone have a foolproof carrot cake recipe to share?

Have a great day!

GregRedd · February 4, 2021, 6:19am

Good morning!

It’s Thursday, 04 February 2021

(W5/D35/330rem)

Today is:

World Cancer Day

In the midst of our focus on the global COVID-19 pandemic, it is worth highlighting that there is a need to maintain our awareness of another equally insidious disease that takes over 10 million lives annually - cancer.

World Cancer Day is an international day marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. World Cancer Day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008.

This 4 February is #WorldCancerDay. Share your personal commitment to reduce the impact of cancer for yourself, the people you love and the world.

10 million people die each year from cancer. That’s more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. By 2030, experts project cancer deaths to rise to 13 million.

If we don’t act.

What happens when we act?

More than one third of cancer cases can be prevented. Another third can be cured if detected early and treated properly.

By implementing resource-appropriate strategies on prevention, early detection and treatment, we can save up to 3.7 million lives every year.

Progress

Today, we know more about cancer than ever before.

Through investing in research and innovation, we have witnessed extraordinary breakthroughs in medicine, diagnostics, and scientific knowledge.

The more we know, the more progress we can make in reducing risk factors, increasing prevention and improving cancer diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and care.

Impact

In recent years, the United Nations, the World Health Organization and other UN agencies have recognised the urgent need for a global commitment.

When leaders speak up and take action we give ourselves a chance to make history and to move towards a world without cancer.

Equity

Today, more than half (65%) of cancer deaths are happening in the least developed parts of the world. Even if you live in a higher income country, inequities still exist among lower-income, indigenous, immigrant, refugee and rural communities.

Equal access to cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care can save lives.

Change

Through raising the public and political literacy and understanding around cancer, we reduce fear, increase understanding, dispel myths and misconceptions, and change behaviours and attitudes.

Raise awareness, take action, and help fight cancer!

Beo · February 4, 2021, 6:21am

I’m a Cancer, born in the middle of July, does I count?

GregRedd · February 5, 2021, 5:49am

Good morning!

It’s Friday, 05 February 2021
(W5/D36/329 rem)

Today is World Nutella Day

World Nutella Day was established on this day in 2007 by Sara Rosso, an American blogger and a passionate Nutella lover. In her opinion Nutella deserved a worldwide celebration day, and many of her readers and followers agreed!

They began celebrating Nutella by sharing pictures, ideas, inspirations and recipes on social media. Over the next 8 years word, and Nutella, spread far and wide and World Nutella Day became a global phenomenon.

In 2015, Sara formally transferred World Nutella Day to Ferrero (the makers of Nutella) to help it live on and grow for years to come.

The official nutelladay.com website is packed full of ideas and recipes to help you celebrate the day.

Make a recipe with Nutella
Strike a pose with Nutella
Create some Nutella inspired art
Do an original flavor pairing
Reveal your first Nutella experience
Give or send Nutella to people you love
Introduce someone to Nutella for the first time
Make a party or a video-party in honor of Nutella
Write a song or a poem about Nutella
Have a breakfast in bed with Nutella

All of which should be dutifully shared across your social media platforms with the #worldnutelladay hashtag applied.

Have a delicious, choconutty Friday!

SIGSTART · February 5, 2021, 5:58am

There once was a spread so chocolatey
And the name of spread was Nutella o’ Tea
The knife dug in, her blade scraped toast
Roast, me hazelnuts, roast (huh)

Seriously, though… I don’t like Nutella. Sorry, y’all!

Beo · February 5, 2021, 6:42am

Nutella and Peanutbutter

Now if only I could afford the Nutella.

FarligOpptreden · February 5, 2021, 7:41am

That was quite possibly the worst limerick I’ve ever read…

Wyvern · February 5, 2021, 7:46am

A spoonfull of nutella in coffee. . . . SO good. Same on icecream

Pity I haven’t had any nutella in months

DarthMol · February 5, 2021, 8:25am

In the words of my now brother-in-law as he spread Nutella on his sandwiches (back when we were still in High School):

“Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella! Nutella!”

I may have missed one or two Nutella’s there.

SIGSTART · February 5, 2021, 8:37am

Not sure if sarcastic, so just in case allow me to introduce you to the reason TikTok deserves to be a social network:

GregRedd · February 6, 2021, 6:15am

Good morning!

It’s Saturday, 06 February 2021
(W5/D37/328 rem)

Today is @wenzdayz’s birthday

Today is also Frozen Yogurt Day

Another food related celebration day today - this time for the delicious, healthy dessert treat froyo.

Whether you call it “froyo” or “frogurt”, frozen yogurt has all the benefits and diversity of flavors that are bestowed upon its more famous predecessor, ice cream. But it is far healthier–without sacrificing any of the yummy taste.

Live active cultures and naturally occurring calcium make frozen yogurt a treat that is great for the tastebuds as well as the body!

Yogurt is a treat that has been around for much longer than most people would guess. It is well over 4000 years old, in fact! Yogurt found its start in the Middle East and India where it was (and continues to be!) used extensively in just about every kind of meal imaginable.

But it wasn’t until the 1900’s that yogurt found its way to the western world and the Americas, and increased in popularity so quickly and thoroughly that it’s no longer thought of as exotic.

By the 1970s, when ice cream was hitting all-time popularity, some bright spark knew they could do better–and then they did. They froze the yogurt in a treat that was similar to ice cream but also uniquely different.

Frozen yogurt sales exploded after TCBY launched its first store in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1981, and by 1986 sales had reached $25 million dollars annually. By 1990, it was 10% of the frozen dessert market, and frozen yogurt was here to stay.

In these socially distant times make your own, or be safe and grab your froyo to go, and have a great Saturday!

murfle · February 6, 2021, 6:23am

Ah yes, The Country’s Best Yogurt. I remember that place.

SIGSTART · February 6, 2021, 10:14am

Now this is a day I can get behind!