Horoscope♉: 03/31/2020

Horoscope♉:
03/31/2020

Are your views about certain intellectual or spiritual matters slowly changing, Taurus? If so, you may not be all that comfortable with the changes. Traditional values and ideas could seem especially attractive to you today, so your resistance could be greater than normal. Yet you know you can’t stay the same way forever. Give yourself a break today. Tomorrow you’ll be back in the groove and on your way to transforming.: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Today’s Holiday: Ashokashtami

Today’s Holiday:
Ashokashtami

Lord Lingaraj, a name for the Hindu deity Shiva, receives praise and adoration from Hindus on this day. The festival takes place in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. Two venerated sites host the festival: the Lingaraja Temple, believed to be the city’s oldest temple, and the Rameshwar Temple. Thousands of people attend the festival to watch a traditional procession that features a giant wooden chariot carrying a Lingaraj idol and other deities. It begins at the Lingaraja Temple and, with the assistance of hundreds of attendees, the processional proceeds to the Rameshwar Temple. More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Today’s Birthday: Lon Chaney (1883)

Today’s Birthday:
Lon Chaney (1883)

Chaney was an American silent-film actor. Born to parents who were both deaf and mute, he learned to express himself through pantomime at an early age. He moved to Hollywood in 1912 and became one of the biggest stars of the time, appearing in more than 150 silent films. Known as “the man of a thousand faces,” he masterfully used makeup to play tortured, grotesque characters in horror films such as The Phantom of the Opera. How did fake snow made of corn flakes contribute to his death? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

This Day in History: Apple Inc. Is Formed (1976)

This Day in History:
Apple Inc. Is Formed (1976)

Apple Computer, Inc., was the first successful personal computer company. The company has its roots in the Jobs family’s garage, where cofounders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak assembled the first Apple computer. Consisting of a handmade motherboard, the Apple I did not even include a monitor or keyboard. The Apple II, introduced the next year with a plastic case and color graphics, launched Apple to success. By 1980, Apple had earned more than $100 million. How much did an Apple I cost in: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Quote of the Day: Joseph Conrad

Quote of the Day:
Joseph Conrad

Danger lies in the writer becoming the victim of his own exaggeration … and in the end coming to despise truth itself as something too cold, too blunt for his purpose—as, in fact, not good enough for his insistent emotion. From laughter and tears the descent is easy to sniveling and giggles. More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Article of the Day: The Gourd

Article of the Day:
The Gourd

Though the gourd family technically includes cucumbers and watermelons, the name “gourd” is usually applied to fruits with hard, durable shells, such as squash and pumpkins. Colorful and oddly shaped gourds are picked for ornamental use, while others are hollowed out for use as instruments, cooking utensils, lamps, containers, and countless other purposes. For this reason, they are sometimes referred to as “nature’s pottery.” In ancient surgery, gourds had what unusual and important use? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Idiom of the Day: have a good name (somewhere or in something)

Idiom of the Day:
have a good name (somewhere or in something)

To have a respected reputation (in something or some place). Watch the video…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Word of the Day: chatterbox

Word of the Day:
chatterbox

Definition: (noun) (Informal) A person who talks constantly, especially about trivial matters.

Synonyms: babbler, prater, spouter, magpie

Usage: That abominable chatterbox, Evgenie Pavlovitch, monopolizes the whole of the conversation.: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Horoscope♉: 03/30/2020

Horoscope♉:
03/30/2020

Expect a hectic pace today, Taurus. Some of your colleagues may have been procrastinating a little and now everything has to be done at once. Don’t get too frustrated, however. There are unspoken reasons for their behavior that they haven’t shared with you. Just do the best you can and hope that others will as well. If some of it has to wait, it won’t be the end of the world!: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Today’s Holiday: Malta Freedom Day

Today’s Holiday:
Malta Freedom Day

In 1814, Malta became a crown colony of the British Empire. Although Malta gained independence in 1964, the British armed forces did not completely leave until March 31, 1979. This freed Malta of foreign military occupation for the first time in history. In Malta, Freedom Day is a public holiday that commemorates the day the last of the British military left the Maltese Islands. On this holiday, a ceremony is held at the War Memorial in Floriana. The main events of the day take place around the Freedom Day Monument in Vittoriosa. In the afternoon, a competitive regatta is held in Grand Harbour. More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Today’s Birthday: Jack Johnson (1878)

Today’s Birthday:
Jack Johnson (1878)

The son of two ex-slaves, Johnson was the world’s first African-American heavyweight champion. At the height of his career, Johnson was excoriated by the press for having twice married white women, and he offended white supremacists by defeating former champion James J. Jeffries, the “Great White Hope.” In 1912, Johnson was convicted under the Mann Act for transporting his wife-to-be across state lines. Sentenced to a year in prison, he fled the country. What happened when he returned? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

This Day in History: UNIVAC Computer Delivered to the US Census Bureau (1951)

This Day in History:
UNIVAC Computer Delivered to the US Census Bureau (1951)

By 1870, the US population was so large that hand-counting the census was no longer feasible. Despite the invention of a counting machine, by the time the 1880 census was tabulated, it was almost 1890. Dealing with so much data remained a problem until the late 1940s, when the Census Bureau commissioned the first civilian computer. In 1951, it was used to count part of the 1950 census and was so successful that the bureau bought another. What presidential election did UNIVAC correctly predict? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Quote of the Day: Henry David Thoreau

Quote of the Day:
Henry David Thoreau

I have never felt lonesome, or in the least oppressed by a sense of solitude, but once, and that was a few weeks after I came to the woods, when, for an hour, I doubted if the near neighborhood of man was not essential to a serene and healthy life. More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Article of the Day: Methuselah

Article of the Day:
Methuselah

In the Bible, the patriarch Methuselah is the grandfather of Noah and is said to have lived to the age of 969. As such, his name has become synonymous with longevity. Since the very oldest modern-day humans reach an age only approximately one eighth of Methuselah’s, numerous theories have arisen to explain why he is said to have lived so long. One postulates that an ancient mistranslation resulted in the accidental inflation of his age when what two words were mixed up? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Idiom of the Day: have a trick up (one’s) sleeve

Idiom of the Day:
have a trick up (one’s) sleeve

To have a secret plan, idea, or advantage that can be utilized if and when it is required. A reference to cheating at a card game by hiding a favorable card up one’s sleeve. Watch the video…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Word of the Day: spiteful

Word of the Day:
spiteful

Definition: (adjective) Showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite.

Synonyms: vindictive

Usage: In light of Mr. Smith’s spiteful and callous regard for his victims, Judge Davis sentenced him to life in prison.: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Watch “Change Your Breath, Change Your Life | Lucas Rockwood | TEDxBarcelona” on YouTube

Watch “Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique” on YouTube

Horoscope♉: 03/29/2020

Horoscope♉:
03/29/2020

Expanding your horizons is definitely on the agenda today, Taurus. Travel, education, creativity – they’re all coming to the forefront of your concerns. Romance should also be going well. A friend could introduce you to a new interest, and children might also be a source of joy. Happiness reigns as you’re able to spend more time pursuing the concerns that mean the most to you. Any mundane irritations notwithstanding, this should be a beautiful day.: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Today’s Holiday: Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day

Today’s Holiday:
Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day

This national holiday, instituted in 1996, honors an African-American religious sect once outlawed in Trinidad and Tobago. The Spiritual Baptists originally came to the islands as former American slaves. Their style of worship combines African and Baptist beliefs and practices, and services include bell ringing and shouting. In 1917, the government forbade the group from practicing their religion; this law was overturned in 1951. Their holiday honors the Spiritual Baptists’ long struggle against religious persecution. It is observed with speeches and religious services. More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Today’s Birthday: Eric Patrick Clapton (1945)

Today’s Birthday:
Eric Patrick Clapton (1945)

Considered to be one of the greatest guitar players of all time, Clapton took up the instrument as a teen and went on to play in a succession of critically acclaimed blues and rock bands, such as the Yardbirds, the Bluesbreakers, and Cream. He is the recipient of 17 Grammy awards and is a three-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the early 70s, he spent several years in seclusion battling a heroin addiction. What famous rock guitarist helped launch Clapton’s comeback? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

This Day in History: Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs Signed (1961)

This Day in History:
Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs Signed (1961)

In 1961, representatives from 73 nations met at United Nations headquarters to draft an international treaty to fight the production, trade, and use of illegal drugs. Their comprehensive convention replaced a prior patchwork of treaties and was entered into force in 1964. It was amended in 1972 and now has more than 180 signatories. Despite its sweeping breadth, the document contains a significant ambiguity that has been interpreted differently by various nations. What is it? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Quote of the Day: Charlotte Bronte

Quote of the Day:
Charlotte Bronte

You … know full well as I do the value of sisters’ affections to each other: There is nothing like it in this world. More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Article of the Day: The Crimean War

Article of the Day:
The Crimean War

As the once-mighty Ottoman Empire declined, major European powers began to compete for control of its territories. Eventually, the conflict escalated into a full-scale war, with Russia on one side and Great Britain, France, Sardinia, and the Ottoman Empire on the other. It was commanded poorly by both sides, and in the end, nothing was definitively settled. It was one of the first wars to be documented photographically. What caused many of the hundreds of thousands of casualties on both sides? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Idiom of the Day: have a thing for (something)

Idiom of the Day:
have a thing for (something)

To have a very keen or particular interest in something; to really like or enjoy something. Watch the video…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Word of the Day: goodly

Word of the Day:
goodly

Definition: (adjective) Large in amount or extent or degree.

Synonyms: sizable, tidy, hefty, respectable, healthy

Usage: I was ravenous, so I heaped a goodly portion of mashed potatoes onto my plate and started eating.: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Horoscope♉: 03/28/2020

Horoscope♉:
03/28/2020

If you own your own home, Taurus, you may learn today that its value has increased substantially. If you don’t own a home but want to buy one, this is the time to start looking. Any investments made now, particularly in land, will probably be solid and apt to gain in value, although results might take some time to materialize. Carefully consider all contingencies before committing, however. This isn’t the time to act impulsively.: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Today’s Holiday: Boganda Day

Today’s Holiday:
Boganda Day

In the Central African Republic, Boganda Day marks the anniversary of the death of Barthélémy Boganda, the nation’s first prime minister, who died in a plane crash on March 29, 1959. Boganda had been a driving force in the creation of the Central African Republic, which became a self-governing republic in 1958. He was also a leader in the movement to unite black African nations. Boganda Day is a national holiday in the Central African Republic; all banks, official government offices, businesses, and schools are closed. More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Today’s Birthday: Jennifer Marie Capriati (1976)

Today’s Birthday:
Jennifer Marie Capriati (1976)

Capriati’s family moved to Florida when she was four years old so she could pursue a tennis career, and by 1990, the 14-year-old had earned over $6 million in endorsements. She became the youngest women’s tennis player to win a match at Wimbledon, to reach the semifinals in a Grand Slam event, and to rank in the top ten players. Personal problems—including an arrest—sidelined her as a teen, but she made a successful comeback in her 20s before injuries ended her career. What was she arrested for? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

This Day in History: Knights of Columbus Established (1882)

This Day in History:
Knights of Columbus Established (1882)

The Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic fraternal service organization in the world. Founded by Father Michael McGivney on the principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism, the organization’s primary purpose was to provide financial aid to members and their families in the event of illness or death. The Knights of Columbus has since donated billions to charity and now has more than 1.8 million members. What personal tragedy led McGivney to found the organization? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Quote of the Day: Lucy Maud Montgomery

Quote of the Day:
Lucy Maud Montgomery

You never know what peace is until you walk on the shores or in the fields or along the winding red roads of Prince Edward Island in a summer twilight … You find your soul then. You realize that youth is not a vanished thing but something that dwells: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Article of the Day: Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Article of the Day:
Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Completed in 8 CE, Metamorphoses is a 15-book narrative poem that describes the history of the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar. A collection of myths and legends in which transformation plays a role, it relates the stories of Daphne, a nymph who metamorphosed into a laurel tree to escape from Apollo, and Arachne, who was turned into a spider for challenging the goddess Athena to a weaving contest. What other transformations are detailed in Metamorphoses? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Idiom of the Day: have a thing for (someone)

Idiom of the Day:
have a thing for (someone)

To have a romantic infatuation with someone, especially unbeknownst to that person. Watch the video…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Word of the Day: pilothouse

Word of the Day:
pilothouse

Definition: (noun) An enclosed compartment from which a vessel can be navigated.

Synonyms: wheelhouse

Usage: Alone in the pilothouse, Captain Anderson enjoyed the tranquil expanse of ocean before him as he silently steered the ship.: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Horoscope♉: 03/27/2020

Horoscope♉:
03/27/2020

If you’re single, Taurus, a new love could appear right there in your neighborhood. The person should be attractive, intelligent, free spirited, and very much attracted to you! You could meet this person in an unusual way and end up spending time together and making plans to spend more. Take care not to move too quickly. You won’t want this new relationship to be like a meteor, burning out as quickly as it appeared.: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Today’s Holiday: Teachers’ Day in the Czech Republic

Today’s Holiday:
Teachers’ Day in the Czech Republic

March 28 is the birthday of Jan Amos Komensky (or John Comenius; 1592-1670), a noted educational reformer and theologian in the former Czechoslovakia. Komensky was the first person to write an illustrated textbook for children, used for teaching Latin words; he was also a proponent of compulsory education. It has been traditional for children to honor him on Teachers’ Day, or Komensky Day, by bringing flowers and gifts to their teachers. The day is also observed with lectures, music, and educational activities. More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Today’s Birthday: Freddie Bartholomew (1924)

Today’s Birthday:
Freddie Bartholomew (1924)

Abandoned by his parents as a baby and raised by a British aunt whose last name he took, Bartholomew was a successful child actor in Hollywood during the 1930s. He appeared in such films as David Copperfield, which propelled him to fame at the age of 10; Little Lord Fauntleroy; and Captains Courageous. After he became successful, his biological parents launched a protracted and expensive court battle to regain custody of the child star. Were they successful? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

This Day in History: The Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak (1920)

This Day in History:
The Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak (1920)

In 1920, meteorologists did not have modern forecasting equipment, and there was no storm warning system in place in the US. Thus, when an outbreak of storms began near dawn on March 28, 1920, few were prepared for the devastation that followed. Some 400 people were killed and more than 1,200 injured that day by at least 38 recorded tornadoes in the deep South and the Midwest. Why is it likely that both the total number of tornadoes as well as the actual death toll were underreported? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Quote of the Day: Robert Louis Stevenson

Quote of the Day:
Robert Louis Stevenson

Pleasures are more beneficial than duties, because, like the quality of mercy, they are not strained, and they are twice blest. More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Article of the Day: Thomas Dunn English

Article of the Day:
Thomas Dunn English

Though he was an accomplished writer and politician, English is best known for his bitter feud with Edgar Allen Poe that turned physical at least once. They had once been friends, but in the early 1840s, their relationship deteriorated. Each began to publish thinly-veiled, mocking satires of the other. Poe included references to English in the revenge tale, The Cask of Amontillado, and English ridiculed Poe as a drunk. Eventually, Poe sued for libel and won. What led to their falling out? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Idiom of the Day: have a sneaking suspicion

Idiom of the Day:
have a sneaking suspicion

To have a slight but persistent premonition or intuition (about something). Watch the video…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Word of the Day: brouhaha

Word of the Day:
brouhaha

Definition: (noun) Loud confused noise from many sources.

Synonyms: hubbub, katzenjammer, uproar

Usage: The judge tried in vain to silence the spectators and end the brouhaha in his courtroom.: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Watch “James Bond – Goldeneye Opening Theme (HQ)” on YouTube

Watch “The World Is Not Enough Opening Title Sequence” on YouTube

Horoscope♉: 03/26/2020

Horoscope♉:
03/26/2020

The planetary energy makes this a good day for contemplation rather than action, Taurus. If you feel the urge to buy, don’t. Sleep on decisions. If you feel the same tomorrow, go for it. If you’re in the middle of a conflict at work, try not to take sides. Tell anyone who asks your opinion that you need time to think about it. Consider scheduling an hour of meditation. The word for today is Zen!: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Today’s Holiday: Ganguar

Today’s Holiday:
Ganguar

Gangaur is one of the highlights of the festival year in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is observed in celebration of Gauri, another name for Parvati, Shiva’s wife. This is largely a girls’ and women’s festival, but boys and men get to enjoy the elaborate processions that take place in cities around the state, such as Jaipur. The festival continues for 18 days, during which women fast, dress in their best clothes, adorn themselves with intricate henna designs, and pray. The festival culminates with feasting and processions of the goddess’s image that celebrate the union of Gauri and Shiva. More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Today’s Birthday: Nathaniel Currier (1813)

Today’s Birthday:
Nathaniel Currier (1813)

Before photojournalism rendered illustrations of the news obsolete, Currier printed more than 7,000 lithographs—prints made using a stone block etched with grease to reproduce drawings—that greatly increased the public demand for graphic images. With his partner James Ives, he established outlets across the country, selling high-quality prints of disasters, landscapes, satirical subjects, and domestic scenes. Ives was neither a lithographer nor an artist, so why did Currier make him his partner? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

This Day in History: Good Friday Earthquake near Anchorage, Alaska (1964)

This Day in History:
Good Friday Earthquake near Anchorage, Alaska (1964)

With a magnitude of 9.2, the earthquake that struck east of Anchorage at rush hour on Good Friday 1964 was one of the strongest ever recorded. About 130 people died, most in the subsequent tsunami, and much of downtown Anchorage was destroyed. The quake’s effects were felt around the world—boats were sunk as far away as the Gulf of Mexico. Within a day, 11 aftershocks measuring 6.0 or higher were reported. In the months after, residents endured thousands of smaller ones. How long did they last? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Quote of the Day: Harriet Beecher Stowe

Quote of the Day:
Harriet Beecher Stowe

Whipping and abuse are like laudanum; you have to double the dose as the sensibilities decline. More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch

Article of the Day: Lost-Wax Casting

Article of the Day:
Lost-Wax Casting

The lost-wax method of casting metal sculptures was developed thousands of years ago and is still used by metalworkers today. In this labor-intensive process, a clay or plaster model is coated with wax and then covered with a perforated plaster or clay mold. When the cast dries, the wax is melted and drained and replaced with molten metal. Archeological evidence suggests that metalworkers in India and Mesopotamia were using this method as early as 3500 BCE to make what sorts of objects? More…: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfd.mobile.TfdSearch