Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Day

On March 2nd schools across the United States celebrate Read Across America Day, and the birthday of Dr. Seuss, one of the world's most well-known and beloved children's authors. Almost any child, or parent for that matter, can quote from the wonderful books of Dr. Seuss.



Before he became known for cats in hats, Dr. Seuss was once a struggling author eager to sell his first picture book. Learn about Dr. Seuss and his path to success.

Source: mamiverse.com via Jane on Pinterest

Groundhog Day 2012

Groundhog Day prediction 2012: Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?

Published: Thursday, February 02, 2012, 7:26 AM     Updated: Thursday, February 02, 2012, 7:36 AM

 By Erik Gallant, MassLive.com 

Punxsutawney Phil, the weather predicting groundhog, is seen on his stump during the annual Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, Pa. in this file photo from Feb. 2, 2011.

It's an annual tradition in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania: when the groundhog speaks, we humans listen. His weather-predicting skills may only be accurate 39 percent of the time, but that hardly matters.

The rules of Groundhog Day are simple: if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, we can expect another 6 weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, it indicates that spring is "just around the corner."

What makes this small town in central Pennsylvania so special? As the vice president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club explained to the crowd Thursday, "Our president is the only person in the world who is gifted to understand the language of Groundhogese."

On Thursday morning, Phil did see his shadow. Six more weeks of winter!

Phil immediately updated his Twitter account confirming the prognostication:

A terrifying shadow = 6 more weeks of winter! No complaining. We haven’t even had winter yet.

For many in the Northeast, another 6 weeks of winter may seem an unlikely prediction, considering the fact that winter has barely even arrived.

Indeed, one member of the crowd Thursday was heard shouting, "It's already warm enough to be spring!"

In recent years, Phil has embraced technology as a way of getting the word out, with the aforementioned Twitter account full of humorous observations like:

"All eyes are on me right now, and I'm mad with power!"

Fans and media organizations have also increasingly tried to read more into the groundhog's predictions. The Patriot-News recently ran a "scientific statistical analysis" to see if the predictions held any indicators for the 2012 presidential election.

Despite the modern flourishes, Phil's bread-and-butter remains emerging from his hole and whispering into the ear of a top-hatted man. We'll all have to wait and see if the groundhog's words of wisdom hold true.

The first day of spring is March 20, according to the calendar.

Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of January. It celebrates the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader. He is most well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation on public transport and for racial equality in the United States.

Martin Luther King Day is a relatively new federal holiday and there are few long standing traditions. It is seen as a day to promote equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their background. Some educational establishments mark the day by teaching their pupils or students about the work of Martin Luther King and the struggle against racial segregation and racism. In recent years, federal legislation has encouraged Americans to give some of their time on this day as volunteers in citizen action groups. Martin Luther King Day, also known as Martin Luther King’s birthday and Martin Luther King Jr Day, is combined with other days in different states. For example, it is combined with Civil Rights Day in Arizona and New Hampshire, while it is observed together with Human Rights Day in Idaho. It is also a day that is combined with Robert E. Lee’s birthday in some states.

Read more...