National Popcorn Day

National Tin Can Day

World Quark Day

After the last several days it is a bit refreshing to have just a few to look into. Quark somehow puts me in mind of Qwerty on the keyboard. I think I’ll start with that one first.

And here we go.

World Quark Day

Well, this was a surprise. My initial thought this might have been some sort of Star Trek, Babylon-5, or even a Star Wars tribute for some obscure character I never heard of before.

On January 19th, World Quark Day officially celebrated quark and its many benefits.

Quark is a European superfood staking its claim on supermarket shelves around the world. Quark is a delicious high-protein, low-fat alternative to soft cheese and yogurt that can be used for baking, cooking, and blending.

Quark or quarg, is a type of fresh dairy product made by warming soured milk until the desired amount of curdling is met, and then straining it. It can be classified as fresh acid-set cheese. Traditional quark can be made without rennet, but in modern dairies small quantities of rennet are typically added.

There are no limits when using quark. If the menu calls for sweet or savory, hot or cold, quark cheese works well in place of almost any dairy. Replace cream cheese or sour cream with quark. By substituting with quark, enter the world of healthy, low-carb, low-fat culinary delights. Experience quark smoothies, cheesecakes, dips, and spreads. Quark’s versatility might surprise you.

The Queen of Quark (Queen??), a healthy eating enthusiast and author, born in beautiful Bavaria, Germany, introduced World Quark Day in 2019. She shares quark’s countless benefits, through her blog and on social media while connecting with Quark fans from all over the world to support clean eating habits via www.queenofquark.com.

National Popcorn Day

Strangely, National Popcorn Day is in January, yet National Popcorn Month is October. According to tradition, it is celebrated on January 19th each year. There is some suggestion that Popcorn Day may, at one point, have been tied to the Superbowl. I did find one reference to it being on January 30th.

The word “corn” in Old English meant “grain” or, more specifically, the most prominent grain grown in a region. When Native Americans introduce their most common grain, maize, to early Europeans, they aptly applied the word “corn.”

As early as the 16th century, the Aztecs used popcorn in headdresses worn during ceremonies honoring Tlaloc, their god of maize and fertility. Early Spanish explorers were fascinated by the corn that burst into what looked like a white flower.

Popcorn started becoming popular in the United States in the middle 1800s. It wasn’t until Charles Cretors, a candy-store owner, developed a machine for popping corn with steam that the tasty treat became more abundantly poppable. By 1900 he had horse-drawn popcorn wagons going through the streets of Chicago.

At about the same time, Louise Ruckheim added peanuts and molasses to popcorn to bring Cracker Jack to the world. Then in 1908, the national anthem of baseball was born. Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer wrote “Take Me out to the Ballgame”. From that point onward, popcorn, specifically Cracker Jack, became forever married to the game.

The microwave oven spurred the next big advancement for popcorn. With the invention of the microwave, a whole new market opened for the snack food. Magnetrons, a technology produced by Raytheon Manufacturing Corporation for the military during World War II, were later used to develop microwave ovens. Percy Spencer was the man who made it happen. He used popcorn in his initial experiments during the microwave’s development.

Today, Americans consume 13 billion quarts of popcorn a year, more than any other country in the world. A majority of the popcorn produced in the world is grown in the United States. Nebraska leads the corn belt in popcorn production.

Besides, who doesn’t love popcorn with salt and melted butter. Today (or any other day) why not pop up some fresh popcorn, kick back and enjoy.

" I had popcorn all over the place. So I decided I might as well be in the Processing Business." –Orville Redenbacher

National Tin Can Day

Made of tin coated steel or aluminum, the humble tin can is perhaps one of the greatest inventions in history. It revolutionized the storage of perishable foods. Tin cans are part of virtually everyone's lives. It changed the way we store food, and allowed for safe, long term storage of so many foods.

The tin can was invented in the early 1800's. Several people claim to be the inventor and/or the holder of the first patent. The first tin cans were produced in England.

Philippe Henri de Girard of France, is credited with being the first creator. French Inventor Nicholas Appertin came up with the canning concept in 1809. Peter Durand of England patented the tin can in 1810. On January 19, 1825, Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett received the U.S. tin can patent. The celebration of National Tin Can Day is in recognition of this event.

While the tin can was invented in the early 1800, it wasn't until 1858, nearly 50 years later, that Ezra Warner invented the can opener. Prior to that, tin cans were hacked, chopped, and chiseled open.

The Tin Can Day Motto: Yes, we can.

For many decades, the tin can was used and then discarded. A precious few cans had a second use as target practice. Today, the tin can has received the respect it is due. It is a valuable commodity that is now recycled, keeping it from the waste stream.

Did you know that tin cans were once sealed with lead, causing many cases of lead poisoning.

Then there is the childhood game of “Kick the can.” Anyone remember doing that?

More strange holidays are coming!

Clutch my hand and don’t let it go

I know you have disappeared, but in my heart, you are always there

Getting old, don’t forget your glow

Remember those mornings,

When we talked without any topic for hours,

Remember those nights when stars shined

Tim tim tim

Bright days when we shared whispers,

Our sweet friendship journey for two,

Without you books/movie discussions are weird,

Please clutch my hand,

I will be there with you when you bury your head into your pillow,

Don’t worry, I won’t bury you, seriously Sanjana

I am waiting for a day when I could tell your kids weird bedtime stories about you, Lol! Revenge ;)

Happy Birthday, get old XD

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THIS IS LITERALLY ALL YOUR POEMS REFERENCE ALING WITH DEEP SECRET REFERENCES! TIM TIM TIM STARS XD. happy bday

“I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”

A man ahead of his time,

his vision feared by many,

his heart an outpouring wealth of peace.

He walked the walk,

talked the talk,

then one day, died for his beliefs.

But his words resonate around the globe,

lifting up souls to say,

“ I am who I am, and proud.”

He now walks among the great ones,

his dream of a pure heaven realized;

he waits for all of us where freedom does ring.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”

… and we are.

Learn Your Name In Morse Code Day

Step In A Puddle And Splash Your Friend’s Day

Clean Off Your Desk Day

National Human Trafficking Day

National Milk Day

Two of these are simple enough, were it not for cows there would be no milk, thank god for Elsie and her moo-mooing friends. Best way to clean off your desk is tilt one end of the desk over an open window and watch everything slide off until it hits the street. Otherwise, you know what you need to do.

National Human Trafficking Day

This will be longer than what I usually do but this one is important. I don’t want to end this post on a serious note.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on January 11 raises awareness of the persistent issue of human trafficking. Though the entire month of January has already been recognized as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, this day is specifically dedicated to awareness and prevention of the illegal practice. This holiday is also separate from the World Day Against Trafficking Persons, as established by the United Nations. Since the Senate established this day of observance in 2007, it has drawn massive public support from individual donations to government-organized events. The horrific injustice of human trafficking can affect people of any race and background, and on this day we are all called to fight human trafficking wherever it exists.

Human trafficking, according to Unitas, is the exploitation of another person for labor, domestic servitude, or commercial sexual activity by force, fraud, or coercion. It is also the act of enslaving or exploiting unwilling other people. Unfortunately, slavery in some form has existed for hundreds of years – and persistently exists today, though many are unaware of this fact.

Most are familiar with the slave trade of the 1400s and beyond. Instituted by Europeans, the slave trade captured and held in bondage millions of Africans from across the continent, eventually selling them for labor or sexual exploitation. This practice flourished in countries like Spain, the growing United States, Holland, France, Sweden, and Denmark for centuries.

It was not until the late 1700s and 1800s that governments began to declare the Transatlantic slave trade illegal, with Great Britain setting the example in 1807 and the United States following in 1820 – the slave trade became a crime punishable by death, but many years passed before more widespread freedom was achieved. The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 largely put an end to slavery, and the Thirteenth Amendment of 1866 abolished it.

It was after the recognition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade as immoral that governments began to discuss “white slavery,” the term used at the time for sexual human trafficking. 1904 saw the passage of the International Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic, written into law by European monarchs, and 12 countries signed the International Convention for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic. The League of Nations soon changed the name from “white slavery” to “traffic in women and children.”

The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries saw gains for the movement against human trafficking. In 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act addressed modern-day slavery, becoming the first federal law to do so. The American charity group Free The Slaves, part of Anti-Slavery International, was also formed. In 2007, the United States Senate ratified the resolution establishing January 11th as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. In 2010, President Obama dedicated the entire month of January to awareness and prevention of human trafficking. Today, there are over 50 established organizations that globally combat this illegal practice, and more awareness has been raised than ever before.

Step In A Puddle And Splash Your Friend’s Day

The aim of the day is to walk somewhere with one or more friends. When you happen upon a puddle on the ground, step into it with hasty abandon! The result? Your friends will likely end up with damp clothing, and perhaps be a bit grumpy with you! Don’t worry, though, because they are sure to see the funny side of it later.

Be aware, though, that if you explain to them why you stepped or jumped into a puddle of water, they are likely to do the same back to you. It might be on the same day, or it could be on January 11th the following year. You just don’t know – so be alert!

The first known reference to Step In A Puddle And Splash Your Friends Day dates to 2011. On that year, Anita Silvey’s “Children’s Book-a-Day Almanac” got published online, and in print a year later. Silvey is an established author and literary critic of children’s literature.

She first started publishing the Children’s Book-a-Day Almanac in 2010. In a nutshell, the publication is a daily essay on children’s books. For the 2012 edition, she makes mention of Step In A Puddle And Splash Your Friends Day for the January 11th entry.

On that date’s page in her Almanac, she notes that it’s celebrated by people that live in an ice and snowless place. Silvey also recommends reading “Splish, Splash” by Sarah Weeks, “The Problem with Puddles” by Kate Feiffer, and “Splash” by Ann Jonas.

This made me think of this song.

(Keep in mind at the time this was done live but this is the original)

https://youtu.be/o8NVNHGekTk

Learn Morse Code Day

These holidays center around Samuel Morse, the morse code, and the magnetic telegraph machine that was first used to transmit this revolutionary means of communication from one distant location to another. In 1836, Samuel Morse and his compatriots, Alford Vail and Joseph Henry developed morse code. On January 11, 1838, Samuel Morse and Alford Vail demonstrated the use of the electric telegraph to transmit a message in morse code for the first time.

Did you know SOS signals were often sent in morse code. While SOS had no specific translation, it was said to mean "save our souls" or "save our ship".

Morse code uses a unique series of dots and dashes, called "dii and dah", for each letter of the alphabet, and the numbers 0 thru 9. Long before the invention of radios and cell phones, operators used telegraph machines to send messages in morse code. On the receiving end, the morse code is translated back into alphabetic characters and numbers to form the message. The message allowed for instant, coast to coast communication of information over telegraph lines. Once radios arrived, morse code continued to be a major means of communications. Morse code was in use in the military, ham radios and other means of communication for decades.

Morse code is in danger of disappearing as a means of communications. As of 2007 , knowledge of morse code is no longer a requirement for a ham radio license.

Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day was created in 2015 by Sheila Cicchi from Virginia. She is the owner and creator of Brownielocks.com. According to Chcchi "I figured if people started with their name, thought it was fun, it would encourage them to learn the entire alphabet and numbers." She chose this date, as Morse Code Day and the telegraph were first demonstrated on this day in 1838.

This website gives you a chance to play with Morse Code. Have fun with it.

https://morsedecoder.com/

More strange holidays are coming!

i)

Cinder brushed on aurora melting on my eyelids,

Collar bone covered with fat.

Bleeding wounds that will never heal

But ribcages have protected my nasty sins, scars,

Even if you swallow sorrow or repent and repent

Don’t punish your body,

Pretty things fade with time, you’re beauty is immortal, like evergreen trees in a rainforest.

Love yourself

ii)

August is the most romantic month when heatwaves hit your face with water droplets now from your eyes but clouds which pour love which is immortal

Summer vacations when I wake up late, microwave food,

Spending time with a friend

Hanging out on the terrace all day long,

I learned poems can’t always rhyme,

It’s so gross to play with slime

Love lasts for a lifetime

iii)

Things change

Nothing lasts forever and

The old music was better

Friendship does have an expiry date

But before that, you should live every second

Now,

We are just friends who wish each other and

how are you? And I am fine type

Tears have dried. I loved you. But for you, I was an option, not a priority. I even wrote my own Eulogy cause’ you wanted me dead

Because everything fades with time, when you sink into your pillow your screams will be heard only by you. You win battles no one knows anything about.

You’re brave and you can do it.

iv)

A smile saves everything

So even if your hollow inside learn to wear that smile like a weapon and

Wear your smile

Even if you’re broken inside

Smile is a piece of jewelry you are compelled to wear

Cradle your feelings, Cease your feelings.

V)

Don’t crush on people

Please don’t crush on people, get obsessed with them, even though they won’t like you back. But follow the rule. Learning rule. Learn at least one thing from your crushes and follow it in your life.

Vi)

Silence can’t be heard,

The world is deaf. But the right time is now,

If we delay

We won’t be able to breathe

We won’t be able to live the same

COVID was a demo of what’s to come

All the earth will burn to flames

Vii)

Petrichor and solitude are the best gifts

Viii)

I have captured my hope in candles. That I blow when I weep, the fragrance of dreams is lasting longer, longer, and longer. Eventually, hope is the strong smell that gives you a headache but it’s good. It’s good. It’s good.

Ix)

Lying supine on the cool sand. I wonder what the future holds. I think. Think. Think. But

If you what to get your dreams. Wake up. Do it. No one is going to do it for you

X)

When I was young I used to wonder what would happen if I put my hand into the electricity socket. My mum told me but I didn’t listen to her. So really on some people like your backbone, don’t question them

Xi)

Write about what you feel. Relatability over honestly. It is hard to it always. But sometimes authenticity is better. Raw emotions need to be expressed.

Xii)

Just found the word Pluviophile

A lover of rain. Rain is my friend. But it comes once every year to this desert to witness my dry heart.

xiii)

Fire or ice will kill us

But did Frost mention about thoughts?

Our thoughts change our habits

Also changes the world

So don’t let your mindset defile of define the world you shape

xiv)

You will never be happy with your past writings or anything, but those are steps you can’t jump. So once you fall down Samina, get up, put on your bandages, and run again.

xv)

SPREAD LOVE. When you can’t smile then make someone else smile.

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FOOTNOTE: THESE ARE THE 15 THINGS I LEARNED IN MY LIFE. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR WISHES. THIS IS THE BEST BDAY I EVER HAD. :) PLEASE STAY SAFE AND WEAR YOUR MASKS

The strong odours of hairdye and cheap perfume lingered in the bathroom for days after Gladys had gone. I used to like choosing the makeup she would wear for the day, the shades and brands, the different brushes; but now I can’t walk down the cosmetics aisle without reliving that night.

Standing at the door watching my sister, I surveyed the whole room, taking in everything subconciously. The air of excitement and careless abandon. The tube of bright red lipstick standing open by the sink and the light reflecting on dangling earrings. The drops of moisture on the glass after Gladys had showered and the soapy warmth radiating from her skin. The quick flash of her phone camera snapping a photo in the mirror right before she left. The brush of her hand on my cheek as she went out the door.

Her purple hair.

I should have called Mum. I should have told her Gladys was leaving the house, leaving me alone, to go and meet up with her new boyfriend. I should have told her about the purple hairdye and the earrings. But I didn’t. I lay awake in bed that night after my big sister had gone, the quiet and the dark seeping to the back of my throat, suffocating me; my heart pounding because I didn’t want Mum to know. What if her work shift finished early and she came home and found the lipstick and Gladys was discovered? I rolled out of bed and went to return the little tube to its drawer quickly. I loved Gladys. I wanted to be on her good side even more than on Mum’s. So I was silent ... I didn’t tell on her. Maybe if I had called the police, it would have been alright. Maybe if I had gone next door and told Mrs Aster about Gladys, somebody would have found her in time. But I didn’t. I went back to bed and fell asleep.

*****

Someone found her sneakers down at the playground.

Funny that she’d bother getting all dressed up but would wear those old battered sneakers instead of the pretty heels Mum bought for her. That was just Gladys, I guess; so attentive to little details and blissfully ignorant of the important ones. These days I keep the shoes up on my bedroom shelf, like she’s coming back for them. Like she never really left.

A policeman tried to talk to me in the morning, speaking with a gentle voice and asking simple, childish questions as I sat in a stiff grey chair in his office with lowered eyes, pressing my knees together so tightly it hurt. I was still suffocating, as though the dark and silence had fixed itself in me and formed an immovable lump in my throat; I tried to tell him it was my fault, all my fault, that I knew I should have called Mum, should have persuaded Gladys to stay home, should have told someone ... but I couldn’t speak. I choked on my own words. Staring at the sneakers until my vision blurred, I tried to recall the fragrance of perfume in the bathroom and the touch of Gladys’ hand as she went out the door ... the expression on her face, the kind of eyeshadow she used, anything at all! The thoughts and images blended together in my head to form one word, filling my mind. It was in front of my eyes. It beat in a steady rhythm with my heart. It rang in my ears.

Purple.

classically poetic: you throwing your sorrows

out of the window of a moving car. you write

a to-do list in your sleep & number one

is to leave me. i turn into luggage, your

favorite t-shirt, the mixtape i made,

so you might take me with you. it’s easy:

grabbing the music inside myself and fleeing.

not looking back. darling, i think there’s a monster

behind us, but it’s alright, we’re in the train now,

and you’re listening to your favorite song. drum-

beat and guitar riff. piano and lonely woman

who sings like she’s the only one in the world.

the windows don’t open in here but we don’t

have anything we want to abandon anymore.

As the clock ticks on, pumped to announce the break of a new year, I am just relieved to be able to come and write again, after having to take a few days off. It was only two or three days, but I realized that it is pretty depressing to just read and not write.

That is besides the point, though. And I’m going to sidetrack myself again, just to leave a small message first.

I know that in many ways 2020 has been a horrible year for a lot of people. For me, too, it has been a little bit too tough. Yet, I sit here and I realize that I don’t regret this past year, I don’t hate it; actually, it feels like one of the best years I’ve ever had.

Crazy, right? I mean, we are in the middle of a pandemic! But, I haven’t minded the lockdowns; sitting at home is what I do on a regular basis, so this was nothing new. I am well-taken care of, and so, I had lack of nothing this past year.

I’m just terribly blessed. Even when I don’t always see it in those dark times.

This year has opened my eyes to see the blessings I have. And I hope that 2021 will open my eyes even more.

Speaking of blessings, I quickly want to take the time to thank a few people here on Prose.

First of all, I’d like to give a big shout-out to Chacko_Stephen.

Buddy, you have been such an awesome support very early on in my time here. You not only read my work, but also give such awesome comments that leave me pumped and ready to crank out another good work.

You are always supporting my work, no matter what I write. Fantasy, Romance, Poetry, a little Horror, etc., you check on it and leave your thoughts. Thanks for that!

You have an awesome touch to your own work, and I really love reading what you publish!

You’ve got a good heart and an inquiring mind; never lose that! Stay young and true to yourself!

Now, Mnezz:

You have also been quite supportive to me. When I wrote my novella-thing, you read through it and supported my writing. I know that I can tag you, and not only will you read the work, but you will also leave such a sweet comment.

I want to thank you for that! ♥

ValiantRaptor47:

As is the case with Mnezz, you read my novella-piece and gave me some good pointers. I really took away the whole, “Visual Imagery, Character Distinction, and Copyright” pointers from you.

I like to think that my description is improving, and I have to thank you for that!

Also, your love of history and your history posts have been very entertaining and informational to me; I like to learn from what you have to say, even if I disagree on evolution (you still wrote a good post on it, though!).

AbstractSoul:

You write such beautiful works, and it’s a delight to read your writing!

But, I want to thank you for the times that you took some time out of your day to read my work and leave a like or comment.

Thank you very much! ♥

Skilfularcher:

Couldn’t forget about you, kid.

Honestly, you are supporting me not just in my writing, but also in life. And I want to thank you for that. I know I’m not always appreciative, and I’m real difficult sometimes, but thanks for being the awesomest of friends.

And I could keep on talking about you for hours, but I will keep that for later on. :-D

And now, Danceinsilence:

Dance, you have really been just a great positive light in my life. The way you boost me to look for the light switch in life, and how freely I can speak to you about anything I wish.

You are supportive, a great mentor, and just an awesome writer!

I also love that you always take some time to thank people for their likes and reposts, and not just to reply back to their comments. Those thank you's of yours, just for a like and repost, leave me with a smile and an ever-grateful heart.

You have a positive outlook on life, and you are just a great encouragement to me. It’s actually very hard for me to explain what your comments and messages mean to me. The small quirks that leave me smiling, and the fun conversations that we can have.

Thank you, Bill...for being a friend.

Oh, and before I end this up, I also have to thank booklover_2020 for being a friend to me. New to Prose, but has been a really awesome friend to me for the past year or so. And I am truly grateful for that!

* * * * *

The year forward seems to be a little depressing to me. Then again, I forgot to flick on the light switch, and I don’t have any flashlights.

But, with such support and amazing friendships, I feel more ready to take on this new year.

I hope you all have a blessed year ahead; no matter the struggles that will be on your road.

“Promise me you’ll stay”

Maybe I should have promised that

But I hate making promises

That I cannot keep

“Promise me you’ll try”

I would’ve promised that

But sometimes I lose control

And forget all my promises as I sink away

“Promise me you’ll never give up”

I told you, sometimes there’s no self-control in me

And how can I not give up

When it feels like the right thing to do?

But...

If I ever meet someone

Who is more than just a friend,

As is the case with you,

I will:

♦ Promise to stay ♦

Ignoring the urges to run

♣ Promise to try ♣

Even when the battle isn’t possible to be won

♠ Promise to never give up ♠

No matter how bleak the future looks ahead

I will:

♥ Make thousands of promises ♥

Just to hold on to that extra-special someone