National Book It! Day 2024 is on Tuesday, October 1, 2024: Sept. 6 is National Read A Book Day?

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Sept. 6 is National Read A Book Day?

I just started a book called "Knocked Up---Confessions of a Hip Mother-to-be" by Rebecca Eckler

...38wks pregnant, can't stand most pregnancy books

I also just finished a book about ghost stories (gotta get in the Halloween mood)

I'm rereading all my Gossip Girl books. I love them, so fluffy and easy to read.

I might start rereading my Anita Blake 'Vampire Executioner' books for Halloween too.

When is National Free Comic Book Day?

When is National Free Comic Book Day?

5/5

go out, get your free book, then invest some good $$ to keep that comic store open for another year.

B-Cool and Tear Axes through skulls

National History Day!!!?

National History Day!!!?

Below are a few ideas with one link to additional information. Each idea involves an "Innovation"; each has an interesting "historical" context; and each has resulted in changes that have had a significant impact upon History. Additionally, these ideas are not difficult to research, and each can be the subject of an exhibit.

__The Innovation: The AUTOMOBILE: "In terms of the lives of average people, there is little doubt that the automobile is the most revolutionary invention in the history of transportation since the wheel. The basic premise of the automobile is simple; choose a wheeled vehicle from the many types typically pulled by horses or oxen, add a motor and create a self-propelled, personal transportation vehicle." [I checked the "Sample Topics To Consider" at the National History Day internet site and was surprised that the automobile was not a "sample topic."]

Please see the following and the links thereon:

__The Innovation: The LASER: The invention of the laser, which stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, can be dated to 1958 with the publication of the scientific paper, Infrared and Optical Masers, by Arthur L. Schawlow, then a Bell Labs researcher, and Charles H. Townes, a consultant to Bell Labs. That paper, published in Physical Review, the journal of the American Physical Society, launched a new scientific field and opened the door to a multibillion-dollar industry." The development of the laser and its many impacts upon society seem like an ideal topic.

Please see the following and the links thereon:

__The Innovation: The PRINTING PRESS: "In 1440, German inventor Johannes Gutenberg invented a printing press process that, with refinements and increased mechanization, remained the principal means of printing until the late 20th century. The inventor's method of printing from movable type, including the use of metal molds and alloys, a special press, and oil-based inks, allowed for the first time the mass production of printed books." In the span of time between the printing press and "electronic" communication, the principal tool for human communication was print! [I checked the "Sample Topics To Consider" at the National History Day internet site and was surprised that the printing press was not a "sample topic."]

Please see the following and the links thereon:

__The Innovation: Development of the ELEVATOR: "In 1852 Elisha Graves Otis invented the first safety brake for elevators. With his installation of the first safe elevator in 1853 he literally started the elevator industry. His invention enabled buildings – and architects’ imaginations – to climb ever skyward, giving a new and bolder shape to the modern urban skyline. Today you can ride an Otis elevator with confidence, knowing that it represents 150 years of experience in both safety and quality."

Please see the following and the links thereon:

The Innovation: PASTEURIZATION: "French chemist Louis Pasteur was the founder of microbiological sciences. Pasteur's studies of fermentation began in Lille when he was approached by an industrialist disturbed because undesirable products often appeared during the fermentation of sugar into alcohol by yeast. Pasteur postulated that these products came from microscopic organisms other than yeast and suggested that each particular type of fermentation was the effect of a specific microorganism, called the GERM [emph. added]. He soon illustrated this revolutionary theory with brilliant studies on the conversion of sugar....Spoilage of perishable products could be prevented by destroying the microbes already present in these products and by protecting the sterilized material against subsequent contamination. Pasteur applied this theory to the preservation of beverages and foodstuffs, introducing the technique of heat treatment now known as pasteurization."

Please see the following:

__The Innovation: Development of the PNEUMATIC TIRE (air-inflated, rubber tire): "In 1887, John Dunlop developed the first practical pneumatic tire for his son's tricycle, tested it, and patented it on December 7, 1888. Dunlop’s development of the pneumatic tire arrived at a crucial time in the development of road transportation. Commercial production began in late 1890 in Belfast, Ireland. Dunlop partnered with William Du Cros to form a company that would later become the Dunlop Rubber Company."

Please see the following and the links thereon:

Good luck with your project!

Holidays also on this date Tuesday, October 1, 2024...