~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥
April 21, 2013

★~Today’s Quote:“Reject the tyranny of being picked. Pick yourself.” ― Seth Godin, Poke the Box

★~  World Creativity and Innovation Day:

It’s World Creativity and Innovation Day! Think of the word “create” for a moment. When we think of creativity and play, it could almost seem like a frivolous pursuit, until we think of the word, “creation” — like bringing something into being. This is where universes are created, dreams are built, and empires are overcome! World Creativity and Innovation Dayhas been celebrated in over 46 countries since 2002 and encourages people to make the world a better place. The best way to celebrate today is by using your imagination but Did You Know (below) has a few idea to help spark your imagination. One of the best places I know to feel creativity buzzing is Kickstarter.

★~ Kindergarten Day:

♥~ Kindergarten Day celebrates the birth of Friedrich Froebel (1782).  Friedrich’s experience as an educator led him to the conclusion that playtime can be very instructive; an essential part of a child’s education. He founded the first kindergarten for this purpose in 1837 in Blankenburg, Germany.  This directed playtime led to his invention of a series of toys that were designed to stimulate learning. He called these toys, gifts. The mother of famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright gave her son some of these gifts … in the form of maple wood blocks. Wright often spoke of the value the gifts had brought him throughout his life. The picture above is of a Waldorf classroom, where the value of play is held very high and is never a step child to the rigors of writing and reading.

★~ Chocolate Covered Cashew Day!

Roasted cashews coated in rich milk chocolate! And it gets even better…Cashews are rich in all kinds of things that are good for you so they are a treat you can eat without guilt.

★~ Today in History:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/Fd2pW0SjWLY[/youtube]

♥~ 1856 –The first rail train to pass over the mighty Mississippi River between Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island, IL made its journey across a newly completed bridge between the two rail centers. Check out the video above of the 112-foot long train that set a new Guinness World Record as the longest chocolate structure.

♥~ 1959 – The largest fish ever hooked by a rod and reel was landed by Alf Dean. Ol’ Alf told the fellas down at the marina about the 16-foot, 10-inch white shark that weighed in at 2,664 pounds!  Dean made the historic catch in South Australia.

♥~ 1963 –The Beatles and The Rolling Stones met for the first time together, at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, England. The Stones opened show.

♥~ 1984 – Michael Jackson’s Thriller album slipped a couple of notches from number 1 to number 3 on the pop album charts.  Thriller was number one for 37 weeks, setting a record in music history for the longest run at the top.

♥~ 1986 – A record audience watched as the long-sealed vault of racketeer, Al Capone was opened during a much-hyped TV special. Guess what? All that Geraldo found were broken bottles and no trace that Capone and his gang had ever stashed anything there.

♥~ 1997 – The ashes of 1960s LSD guru Timothy Leary and Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry were blasted into space (actually an orbit of the Earth) in the world’s first space funeral.

★~Born Today:

♥~ 753BC -Happy 2,766th birthday Rome! Though Rome may be the Eternal City,  she never misses a birthday celebration. According to legend – and the calculations of Lucius Taruntius Firmanus, a Roman astrologer and mathematician who lived in the 1st century B.C. – Romulus founded the city on April 21, 753 B.C.  Romans mark their city’s birth, known as the Natale di Roma, with raucous popular festivals involving large quantities of eating, drinking, joke playing and other forms of merrymaking. Feel free to do as the Romans do, and celebrate Rome’s birthday. I would skip the candles, just sayin’

♥~ 1915 – Anthony Quinn Academy Award-winning actor: Viva Zapata! [1952], Lust for Life [1956]; The Guns of Navarone, The Inheritance, The Old Man and the Sea, Zorba the Greek; died June 3, 2001

♥~ 1926 – Queen Elizabeth II (Elisabeth Mary) Queen of the United Kingdom [1952- ]; eldest daughter of George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon; married Philip Mountbatten [1947]: four children: Charles [Prince of Wales], Anne, Andrew, Edward

♥~ 1951 –Tony Danza actor: Family Law, Who’s the Boss, Taxi, Angels in the Outfield, Baby Talk; TV talk show host: The Tony Danza Show [co-executive producer]

★~ Good To Know:

“Art isn’t only a painting. Art is anything that’s creative, passionate, and personal. And great art resonates with the viewer, not only with the creator.

What makes someone an artist? I don’t think is has anything to do with a paintbrush. There are painters who follow the numbers, or paint billboards, or work in a small village in China, painting reproductions. These folks, while swell people, aren’t artists. On the other hand, Charlie Chaplin was an artist, beyond a doubt. So is Jonathan Ive, who designed the iPod. You can be an artists who works with oil paints or marble, sure. But there are artists who work with numbers, business models, and customer conversations. Art is about intent and communication, not substances.

An artists is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo. And an artists takes it personally.

That’s why Bob Dylan is an artist, but an anonymous corporate hack who dreams up Pop 40 hits on the other side of the glass is merely a marketer. That’s why Tony Hsieh, founder of Zappos, is an artists, while a boiler room of telemarketers is simply a scam.

Tom Peters, corporate gadfly and writer, is an artists, even though his readers are businesspeople. He’s an artists because he takes a stand, he takes the work personally, and he doesn’t care if someone disagrees. His art is part of him, and he feels compelled to share it with you because it’s important, not because he expects you to pay him for it.

Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient. The medium doesn’t matter. The intent does.

Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does that creates change in another.”
― Seth Godin, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?

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Seth Godin, is such a gem. What ignites your creativity?

Check out this weeks Odds and Ends. I’m off to post another Shoe Review.

By the way, I’ve decided to take a more positive approach to the weather…

Any plans for the day?

Odd Loves Company!

♥~