On these dates in History: April 3 & 4, 1865 -- Lincoln tours Virginia after area falls to Union Army invasion

from Virginia Tourism dot-com -- http://www.virginia.org/LincolninVirginia/ _ _ _ _ _ On April 3, 1865, the day after the fall of Petersburg, Lincoln rode into the city and met with Grant at the Thomas Wallace House on Market Street. The house is privately owned today and not open to the public. On April 4, 1865, two days after Richmond fell to Union forces, President Lincoln visited the former Confederate capital. Lincoln and his son Tad (who was celebrating his 12th birthday that day) came ashore at Rockett’s Landing and walked with a small entourage through the streets to the former Confederate White House, then in use as Union headquarters in the city. Lincoln was shown to a room used by Jefferson Davis as an office and sat in Davis’ chair. Later he boarded a carriage and toured the Virginia capitol building and other Richmond sites.

Sunday after Easter -- Double Canonization Ceremony (April 27, 2014)

from online edition of the Catholic Register newspaper dot-org: Canonization of two popes: The double canonization ceremony of Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II, scheduled for April 27, is almost certain to draw crowds larger than the more than one million who attended the latter’s beatification in May 2011. By choosing to declare the sanctity of both men on the same day, Pope Francis may be trying to emphasize fundamental continuities between two popes widely seen as respectively liberal and conservative, especially with regard to reforms ushered in by the Second Vatican Council. Blessed John opened the council in 1962, and Blessed John Paul attended all four sessions as a bishop. The ceremony could thus serve as an occasion for Pope Francis to expound on his own understanding of Vatican II and its legacy for the Church. o Papal trip to the Holy Land: Pope Francis announced he will visit the Holy Land from May 24-26 with stops in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories. Pope Francis has said a Holy Land visit will include a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, considered first among equals by Orthodox bishops. The trip will be Pope Francis’ second outside of Italy, following his visit to Brazil in July 2013, and the first planned during his pontificate. The destination is fitting for a Pope whose relations with Jews have been exceptionally warm and who has made peace in the Middle East a priority of his geopolitical agenda. While a three-day papal visit will be unusually brief for such a prominent destination, it is appropriate for Pope Francis, who has a heavy agenda of reform at home and the media flair to reach the world without leaving the Vatican. http://www.catholicregister.org/news/international/item/17453-how-2014-is-shaping-up-at-the-vatican

International Food Festival by Indiana University South Bend Student Clubs (April 5, 7 p.m.)

from MAIN PAGE (IUSB dot-edu): Travel around the world while sampling international cuisine from 18 countries at the 15th annual International Food Festival from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at IU South Bend. The festival is in the University Grill, Administration Building, 1700 Mishawaka Ave. There will be tasty treats from China, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Iraq, Russia, France, United States, Costa Rica, Mexico, and eight different African countries. The event will include an international variety show, plus music performances from a local African band and the IUSB Flute Ensemble, traditional dance performances from China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia; and a fashion show featuring the traditional dress of 10 countries. The festival will also include activities such as henna, braids, origami, and a children’s table. Tickets are available at the Office of International Student Services or at the door. The cost is $10 for adults and children 13 and up; $5 for children 3 to 12 years; and free for children two and younger. https://www.iusb.edu/news/?p=5162

Two Thousand years ago -- This landmark leader left a "city of clay" as a "City of Marble" as his legacy for World History

from ANCIENT HISTORY ENCYCLOPEDIA online article: The era of Augustus’ reign was a golden age in every respect. The peace which Augustus restored and kept (the Pax Romana) caused the economy, the arts and agriculture to flourish. An ambitious building program was initiated in which Augustus completed the plans made by Julius Caesar and then continued on with his own grand designs. In his famous inscription Res Gestae Divi Augusti (The Deeds of the Divine Augustus) he claims to have restored or built 82 temples in one year. The famous public baths of Rome were constructed under Augustus by his second-in-command, Agrippa, and the poet Virgil composed his epic, the Aeneid. Augustus took great personal concern in the arts and was a personal patron of many artists. He passed many sweeping reforms as well as laws to maintain stability in marriage and to raise the birth rate in Rome, making adultery illegal, offering tax incentives to families with over three children and penalties for childless marriages. So strictly did Augustus himself adhere to his laws that he banished his own daughter, Julia, and his grand-daughter, for adultery. Augustus died at Nola in 14 CE. His official last words were, “I found Rome a city of clay but left it a city of marble” which aptly describes Augustus’ achievements during his reign as emperor. According to his wife Livia and his adopted son Tiberius, however, his last words were actually, “Have I played the part well? Then applaud as I exit.” Augustus’ body was brought back to Rome in state and, on the day of the funeral, all businesses in Rome closed out of respect for the emperor. He was succeeded by Tiberius who he had adopted in 4 BCE and who read the eulogy (along with his own son, Drusus) at Augustus’ famously grand funeral. The emperor’s body was cremated and his ashes interred in his mausoleum. Augustus’ death was mourned as the loss of a great ruler of immense talent and vision. and he was proclaimed a god among the host of the Roman pantheon. http://www.ancient.eu.com/augustus/

Will the Orthodox Church split over Ukraine - Russia conflict and alienation?

as reported in National Catholic Reporter / NATIONAL RELIGION NEWS SERVICE analysis - coverage (March 27, 2014): "[F]or the churches in Ukraine, the protests that toppled President Viktor Yanukovych were also a galvanizing religious awakening and may lead to a seismic shift in church-state relations. Dramatic images of clergy with crosses standing between protesters and government forces went viral as the standoff escalated in January and February. "The majority of the Ukrainian churches followed a paradigm common to Eastern Christianity; they aligned with the state," said the Rev. Cyril Hovorun, a former chair of the Ukrainian Orthodox church's Department of External Church Relations who has also worked at the headquarters of the Moscow patriarchate and is now studying church-state relations at Yale Divinity School. "The churches in their majority on different levels supported the justifiable demands of the Maidan," he said referring to the square in Kiev where the protests took place. Greek Catholics, or Eastern rite Catholics who are loyal to Rome, were the earliest and most active supporters of the demonstrations, he said. Many of them come from Western Ukraine, on the Polish border, where the state and communist policy of persecution of religion under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was accompanied by forced conversion from Eastern rite Catholicism to Orthodoxy. Atheism never took hold. Yet during the protests, all of the churches "with a different pace realigned with the new agenda," Hovorun said, and prayer became an integral part of the protests, which also became, in effect, ecumenical meeting grounds. "Maidan, apart from being an important civil event, appeared to be an important religious event," he said. "There were prayers said every day in the morning and at night. It was a religious phenomenon apart from being a political and social phenomenon, and it was also an ecumenical phenomenon because Maidan actually facilitated many churches, many church leaders who had never really conversed publicly with each other." http://ncronline.org/news/global/ukrainian-crisis-may-split-russian-orthodox-church

In honor of Hyman Lipman (patent inventor of Pencil with Eraser) - March 30 - National Pencil Day

from CBS News dot-com -- Sunday Morning weekly transcript -- And now a page from our "Sunday Morning" Almanac: March 30th, 1858, 156 years ago today . . . the day a Philadelphia inventor made his mark. For that was the day Hyman Lipman patented the first pencil with its own eraser . . .a strip of rubber embedded in the end that had to be sharpened just like the graphite point. patent-pencil-with-attached-eraser. Lipman sold his pencil eraser patent for $100,000, and lucky for him he did, because the Supreme Court erased it in 1875 -- ruling that because his pencil combined two existing devices it was not patent-worthy at all. Though the patent was rubbed out, the pencil eraser survives to this day in the more familiar form of a piece of rubber attached by a metal band known as a ferrule. Over the years, many of our most creative people have relied on the pencil . . . everyone from Orson Welles to Robert Redford to Luciano Pavarotti to CBS's own David Letterman. And despite all the electronic note-taking gadgets at our disposal these days, the pencil still has its loyal users, including David Rees, the professional pencil sharpener our Mo Rocca watched at work back in 2012: "When you really consider a Number Two pencil as an engineered communication device, it is still really efficient and really elegant. And if Steve Jobs had been the one to introduce it, people would be going crazy about what a sophisticated and simple tool it is, you know?" In honor of Hyman Lipman, the industry celebrates today, March 30th, as National Pencil Day. It's a day for pencil lovers to consider its many uses, including a sporting one discovered by Yahoo. When that website asked the question, "What's the best way to lower my golf score?" the popular choice for best answer was: "Bring a pencil with an eraser."

March 31 is "Cesar Chavez Day" -- National Recognition

from WHITE HOUSE dot-gov -- Proclamations -- On Cesar Chavez Day, we celebrate one of America's greatest champions for social justice. Raised into the life of a migrant farm worker, he toiled alongside men, women, and children who performed daily, backbreaking labor for meager pay and in deplorable conditions. They were exposed to dangerous pesticides and denied the most basic protections, including minimum wages, health care, and access to drinking water. Cesar Chavez devoted his life to correcting these injustices, to reminding us that every job has dignity, every life has value, and everyone -- no matter who you are, what you look like, or where you come from -- should have the chance to get ahead. After returning from naval service during World War II, Cesar Chavez fought for freedom in American agricultural fields. Alongside Dolores Huerta, he founded the United Farm Workers, and through decades of tireless organizing, even in the face of intractable opposition, he grew a movement to advance "La Causa" across the country. In 1966, he led a march that began in Delano, California, with a handful of activists and ended in Sacramento with a crowd 10,000 strong. A grape boycott eventually drew 17 million supporters nationwide, forcing growers to accept some of the first farm worker contracts in history. A generation of organizers rose to carry that legacy forward. The values Cesar Chavez lived by guide us still. As we push to fix a broken immigration system, protect the right to unionize, advance social justice for young men of color, and build ladders of opportunity for every American to climb, we recall his resilience through setbacks, his refusal to scale back his dreams. When we organize against income inequality and fight to raise the minimum wage -- because no one who works full time should have to live in poverty -- we draw strength from his vision and example. Throughout his lifelong struggle, Cesar Chavez never forgot who he was fighting for. "What [the growers] don't know," he said, "is that it's not bananas or grapes or lettuce. It's people." Today, let us honor Cesar Chavez and those who marched with him by meeting our obligations to one another. I encourage Americans to make this a national day of service and education by speaking out, organizing, and participating in service projects to improve lives in their communities. Let us remember that when we lift each other up, when we speak with one voice, we have the power to build a better world. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2014, as Cesar Chavez Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate service, community, and education programs to honor Cesar Chavez's enduring legacy.

Community-wide Good Friday worship (Niles Area Protestant churches) -- April 18, 7 p.m. location

from "First Church" of God, Niles, Michigan 49120 (www.nilesfirstchurch.com/) Online Calendar: Community Good Friday Service April 18, 2014 . 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Come to Coulter's Chapel and worship the Lord with other believers in from our community. This service is presented by the Niles Area Ministerial Association.

Sunday March 30, 2014 -- International Food Fair (20 College Clubs, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI)

from Pioneer Memorial Church online announcements -- International Food Fair Sunday, March 30, Noon to 7 P. M.— Johnson Gym, Campus of Andrews University. Andrews University’s annual International Food Fair will be held Sunday after midday. Twenty international student clubs will be selling their authentic cuisine. Tickets may be purchased at the entrance.

On March 27 during the Civil War (before Gettysburg and G. Address): Lincoln met with delegation of Indian Chiefs

from a Dickinson College website for reference and education about the Civil War: Quotation from David Dayton's one-volume biography of LINCOLN (1995) -- page 393 -- “Lincoln admitted that he was poorly informed on Indian affairs. . .In general, like most whites of his generation, he considered the Indians a barbarous people who were a barrier to progress. The ceremonial visits of Indian chiefs, dressed in their tribal regalia, he welcomed, both because they were exotic and because he rather enjoyed playing the role of their Great Father, addressing them in pidgin English and explaining that ‘this world is a great, round ball.’ Occasionally, as during the following year, he would offer them little homilies on how they could profit by learning the ‘arts of civilization.’ Pointing out that the ‘great difference between this pale-faced people and their red brethren,’ he told a group in the White House that whites had become numerous and prosperous partly because they were farmers rather than hunters. Even though he admitted that ‘we are now engaged in a great war between one another,’ he also offered another reason for white success: ‘We are not, as a race, so much disposed to fight and kill on another as our red brethren.’ The irony was unintentional.” __________ __________ __________ Annotated Transcript of LINCOLN's remarks on March 27, 1863 (transcript) “You have all spoken of the strange sights you see here, among your pale-faced brethren; the very great number of people that you see; the big wigwams; the difference between our people and your own. But you have seen but a very small part of the palefaced people. You may wonder when I tell you that there are people here in this wigwam, now looking at you, who have come from other countries a great deal farther off than you have come. We pale-faced people think that this world is a great, round ball, and we have people here of the pale-faced family who have come almost from the other side of it to represent their nations here and conduct their friendly intercourse with us, as you now come from your part of the round ball.” http://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/lincoln/speech-to-indians-march-27-1863/

Historian begins mini-series "The Story of the Jews"

Locally this mini-series will begin on Tuesday March 25 with the 2-hour series opening episode titled In the Beginning Historian Simon Schama's five-part history of the Jewish people opens 3000 years ago with the emergence of a tribal people in a contested land and their book, the Hebrew Bible. “What ties us together is a story, the story kept in our heads and hearts. . . . We are our story.”—Simon Schama in The Story of the Jews -- companion book-volume. The Story of the Jews explores the 3,000 year history of the Jewish people and their impact on civilization. In the introduction to the series, host Simon Schama shares his belief that the key to the endurance of the Jewish people over three millennia has been the telling of a story, the story of the Jews. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/story-jews/

English Department Lecturer -- McKenna Hall, Notre Dame campus, Margaret Atwood, novelist

posted at www.nd.edu/ English Department invitation for 2014 annual lectureship: Wed April 9, 2014, 7:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. Location: McKenna Hall Auditorium Margaret_Atwood The English Department is pleased to announce that our 2014 Yusko Ward-Phillips lecturer is Margaret Atwood. Ms. Atwood will speak at 7:00pm, Wednesday April 9, in the McKenna Hall Auditorium. A book signing and reception will follow in the McKenna Hall Atrium. A perennial finalist for the Nobel Prize in Literature and winner of many international literary awards, including the Booker Prize, Atwood is the author of more than thirty volumes of fiction, poetry, children's literature, and nonfiction. She is perhaps best-known for her novels, which include The Handmaid's Tale, Oryx and Crake, and The Year of the Flood. http://english.nd.edu/events/2014/04/09/24875-margaret-atwood/

Lecture (April 2, 7 p.m.) -- "Stealing the Dream" -- journalist Hedrick Smith at Notre Dame's Hesburgh Center for International Studies

from ND dot-edu -- events upcoming: Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent and best-selling author Hedrick Smith will deliver the 2014 Red Smith Lecture in Journalism at the University of Notre Dame on April 2, 2014 (first Wednesday). The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Hesburgh Center for International Studies on campus. Hedrick Smith’s most recent book, Who Stole the American Dream?was published in 2012. In his lecture, “Stealing the Dream: Did We Miss the Big Story?” he’ll address journalism’s role in covering the economic transformations of the past few decades. A reporter and editor at The New York Times for 26 years, he shared a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1972 as a member of the team responsible for publication of the Pentagon Papers, and in 1974 he won the Pulitzer for international reporting for his coverage of Russia and Eastern Europe.

70th Anniversary of "The Great Escape" from Nazi Prison camp (Sagan, Poland)

from MSN online news reporting: Survivors of the famous escape from a German prisoner of war camp in Poland during World War II mark the 70th anniversary of the men's daring exploit. The first-ever ceremony to honour the famous breakout by more than 70 men held in a German prison of war camp is taking place today (March 24, 2014). Survivors, their families, and UK and Polish officials will mark the 70th anniversary of what has become known as 'the Great Escape' at Zagan (known then as Sagan), in Poland. The plot, which inspired a Hollywood film, resulted in three escapees managing to flee to safety but 73 were recaptured. Fifty RAF service personnel will march for four days from Zagan to the cemetery at Poznan where 50 of the prisoners of war, who were shot by the Germans, are buried. The plot to escape was masterminded by Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, who began the planning and organizing of it at the camp in 1943. Three tunnels, codenamed Tom, Dick and Harry, were dug and shored up with wooden boards from the prisoners' beds. In the end it was 'Harry', which was over 330 feet long, that was used. http://news.uk.msn.com/tmx/anniversary-of-the-great-escape

Tickets for 9/11 memorial museum (online sale begins March 26: it opens on May 21, 2014)

From NEWS article in NY TIMES dot-com (online edition): After years of planning, the national museum created to document and memorialize the devastating attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, will open to the public on May 21. The museum has set aside the preceding week as a Dedication Period, when the museum will be kept open 24 hours a day so that survivors, the families of victims, first responders, and neighborhood residents and business owners can preview the 110,000 square feet of exhibitions and tributes that document the history and memorialize the nearly 3,000 people killed that day. “We are honored that the first people to experience this Museum will be the men and women who came to our aid and protected us on 9/11, the families of the innocent victims killed that day, and the survivors who lived to tell the tale of an unimaginable horror so that we may learn from the past,” said former mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is also chairman of the memorial. “The Museum is built upon their incredible stories.” The National September 11 Memorial Museum extends seven stories underground to the schist bedrock. It includes thousands of artifacts, as small as a wedding ring and as large as a smashed fire truck. The historical exhibit details the terrorist attacks and the events that led up to them, as well as an exploration of the aftermath. A section of the museum is dedicated to honoring the dead. The museum will have a $24 admission fee and tickets will be available starting March 26 at www.911memorial.org. Families of the victims as well as registered rescue and recovery workers can visit for free, though they will need a reservation. The museum is adjacent to the 9/11 memorial, which consists of twin pools and waterfalls in the footprints of the tower and the names of people who died. It opened in 2011. Admission to the memorial is free although visitors must secure passes, which can be reserved in advance or are available at a nearby visitors’ center. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/24/new-911-museum-announces-it-will-open-may-21/?_php=true&_type=blogs&hp&_r=0

On this day in history (March 23, 1965) -- Gemini 3 mission (NASA)

from NY TIMES dot-com -- online notice of Historical dates/anniversaries: On March 23, 1965, America's first two-person space flight began as Gemini 3 blasted off from Cape Kennedy with astronauts Virgil I. Grissom and John W. Young aboard.

Freedom of speech -- Internet Freedom is presupposed -- Michelle Obama's remarks to Beijing, China young people (March 22, 2014)

as reported by Alexander Yuan, Associated Press -- www.nytimes.com/ online posting: On the second day of a weeklong trip to China with her two daughters and her mother, Mrs. Obama, the first lady of the United States (FLOTUS), spoke to an audience of Americans and Chinese at Peking University, and in the middle of an appeal for more American students to study abroad, she also talked of the value for people of hearing “all sides of every argument.” “Time and again, we have seen that countries are stronger and more prosperous when the voices and opinions of all their citizens can be heard,” she said. The United States, she said, respected the “uniqueness” of other cultures and societies. “But when it comes to expressing yourself freely,” she said, “and worshiping as you choose, and having open access to information — we believe those are universal rights that are the birthright of every person on this planet." The forthright exposition of the American belief in freedom of speech came against a backdrop of broad censorship of the Internet by the Chinese government. The government polices the Internet to prevent the nation’s 500 million users from seeing antigovernment sentiment, and blocks a variety of foreign websites, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The authorities compel domestic Internet sites to censor themselves. Criticism of China’s top leadership is quickly deleted and is considered to be of particular concern to the censors. Obliquely, Mrs. Obama drew attention to this by making a comparison with the situation she and President Obama face in the United States. “My husband and I are on the receiving end of plenty of questioning and criticism from our media and our fellow citizens,” she said. “And it’s not always easy, but we wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.” The White House has stressed that Mrs. Obama’s trip to China during the spring break of her daughters, Malia and Sasha, is intended to highlight the importance of education, and foreign exchanges in particular. Mrs. Obama appeared at the Stanford University complex at Peking University, where she spoke to an audience of several hundred American students studying in China and some Chinese students who had studied in the United States. The president of Peking University, Wang Enge, welcomed her, and the new American ambassador to China, Max Baucus, who is a graduate of Stanford and its law school, also spoke.

Thomas Jefferson Foundation to award former U.S Senator Jim Webb with Medal in Leadership (2014) - April 11 (Friday)

World Wide Web location -- Monticello dot-org (March 2014 posting): The Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center (Charlottesville, Virginia, USA) Friday, April 11, 2014, 10:00 am - 11:00 am Reservations: Not required Monticello will mark mark the University of Virginia's Founder's Day and the 271st anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's birth with ceremonies on the grounds. Jim Webb, former U.S. Senator from Virginia, has been a combat Marine, a counsel in the Congress, an assistant secretary of defense and Secretary of the Navy, an Emmy-award winning journalist and a filmmaker, and is the author of 10 books, is the recipient of the 2014 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Citizen Leadership and will speak at a special ceremony on the West Lawn at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 11, 2014 (two days before Jefferson's actual birthday). http://www.monticello.org/site/visit/events/jeffersons-birthday-celebration

Berzovsky, Lysenko, Skoryk: Ukranian composers whose works are featured in Benefit (March 22, 2014) - Goshen College, Indiana, USA

from GOSHEN COLLEGE main homepage -- EVENTS -- Week of March 17, 2014: Concert: A Benefit Concert for Ukraine: Solomia Soroka, violin, and Arthur Greene, piano Date and time: Saturday, March 22, 2014, 7:30 p.m. Location: Rieth Recital Hall, Goshen College Music Center Cost: A free-will offering will be held; suggested donation of $10 per person Goshen College music professor and violinist Solomia Soroka and pianist Arthur Greene will present a benefit recital on behalf of the people of Ukraine on Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m. The recital will be held in the Goshen College Music Center’s Rieth Recital Hall. Soroka, a native of Ukraine, and Greene, Soroka’s husband and a professor of piano at the University of Michigan, will present works by Ukrainian composers Maxim Berezovsky, Mykola Lysenko and Myroslav Skoryk. Admission to the concert is free, but donations will be accepted. There is a suggested minimum donation of $10 per person. All proceeds from the concert will be donated to foundations that benefit victims and families of those killed and injured in the current Ukrainian conflict. Violinist Solomia Soroka, born in L’viv, Ukraine, is among the most accomplished Ukrainian musicians of her generation. She won top prizes in three prestigious international violin competitions held in the former Soviet Union – the Prokofiev, Lysenko and Zolota Osin’ competitions. Soroka earned her master’s degree summa cum laude and completed postgraduate studies in the Kyiv Conservatory, and later served on its faculty in the chamber music department. She also has a D.M.A. degree from the Eastman School of Music. Soroka has toured and recorded extensively with her husband, pianist Arthur Greene. Their Naxos recording of Four Violin Sonatas by William Bolcom was selected as a Recording of the Month with the highest ranking for both artistry and sound quality by Classics Today, and received positive reviews in various journals. Soroka is currently a violin professor at Goshen College. Born in New York, Arthur Greene studied at Juilliard with Martin Canin. Greene has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco, Utah and National Symphonies, the Czech National Symphony, the Tokyo Symphony and many others. He has played recitals in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Moscow Rachmaninov Hall, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, Lisbon Sao Paulo Opera House, Hong Kong City Hall, concert houses in Shanghai and Beijing, and has toured Japan and Korea many times. He was an Artistic Ambassador to Serbia, Kosovo and Bosnia for the United States Information Agency. He has been on the faculty of the University of Michigan School of Music since 1990. Greene was a gold medal winner in the William Kapell and Gina Bachauer International Piano Competitions and a top laureate at the Busoni International Competition

110-year-old man (oldest born in the U.S.) died in St. Joseph Lakeland Hospital, Berrien County, Michigan USA

Obituary as printed in Niles DAILY STAR (Berrien County, MI): Ethan B. Shelton, age 110, of Berrien Center, Mich., died at 5:45 a.m. on Wednesday, March 19, 2014, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center in Saint Joseph, Mich. following a brief illness. Mr. Shelton was the oldest American-born man in the United States, and the 68th oldest person in the world. Ethan Shelton was born on July 10, 1903, in Pickens County, Alabama to Julius Caesar Shelton, DDS and Ethel Ada (Brotherton) Shelton. At the age of 16, he moved to Detroit, and then to Chicago as an Optometry student. Upon meeting Miss Rose Zimmerman, he left school to begin a career in barbering to generate income for marriage. They moved home to Alabama where he farmed and established a barbershop business. They lived there for 18 years before moving back to Chicago due to the illness of their son Kenneth. While in Chicago, they owned a neighborhood grocery store. In 1947, they moved to Berrien Center, and he continued to cut hair during the day while developing a fruit farm on the weekends. Eventually he owned and operated Shelton’s Barber Shop at 216 North Front Street in Niles and moved his produce retail from a roadside farm stand to Shelton’s Farm Market on 11th Street at Bell Road, which was established in 1959. Ethan was a member of the Berrien Center Bible Church. He enjoyed playing golf, ballroom dancing and bluegrass music, all of which he did with remarkable proficiency in his 110th year. He played several instruments and enjoyed monthly sessions with other musicians in Wakarusa, Ind. and weekly performances for “the young folks” at a local nursing home. He also kept a garden, often starting prior to sunrise to work before the heat of the day. His greatest joy was his family, always entertaining one grandchild or another. In his last days, he played the ukulele while a 108-year younger great-grandson played the harmonica. Weeks without someone’s birthday cake and ice cream were rare, and some days included two parties. On Jan. 18, 1926, he married Rose M. Zimmerman with whom he celebrated the 69th anniversary of their wedding prior to her death on April 25, 1995. He was also preceded in death by five children, Ronald Ethan Shelton in 2013, Martha Ann Webber in 2012, D. Jean Marston in 2011, Kenneth A. Shelton in 1983, and infant Norman J. Shelton in 1930; his parents, Dr. Julius and Ethel Shelton and his step-mother, Hattie Mae (Wharton) Shelton; and all of his siblings, Addie Smith, Ada Sanford, Frank Shelton, DDS, Freeman Shelton, Irma “Lovie” Howard, Talmage Shelton, Clyman Shelton, Winford Shelton, Buren Shelton (in action in World War II), Pauline Davidson, Ella Jean Shelton, and Thomas Shelton (also in World War II). Surviving family includes two sons, James (Betty) Shelton of Granger, Ind. and Joseph (Deborah) Shelton of Niles; a daughter-in-law, Anna (Mrs. Ronald) Shelton of Berrien Springs, Mich.; 26 grandchildren and more than 120 great, great-great, and great-great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. The funeral service for Ethan Shelton will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at the Berrien Center Bible Church with the Rev. Bill Zebell officiating. Committal will follow at Mission Hills.

Holocaust survivor tells of twins experiment by Mengele at Auschwitz Death Camp

from Elkhart Truth event posting (March 21, 2014) Eva Mozes Kor will speak at Grace College Tuesday, March 25, about the horrors or her past, as well as her journey towards forgiving those who killed her family and abused her. CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center's website said Kor and her twin sister, Miriam Mozes, were born in Portz, Romania in 1934. Nazis occupied the town when the girls were 6 years old, and took their family by force when they were 10. Shortly afterward, the family was taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. They arrived there after 70 hours without food or water, the museum's website said. Before she realized it was happening, Kor's father and two older sisters were taken away; then, she and Mozes were taken away from their mother. The girls never saw the rest of their family again, the museum's website said. Like many twins who were taken to concentration camps, the girls were subject to genetic experiments most died from. They were there from their arrival in 1944 until the Auschwitz Death Camp was liberated on January 27, 1945, the Kosciusko County Community Foundation's website said. Kor will speak at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College, 610 Wooster Rd. in Winona Lake. Grace College dot-edu said seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and 2,500 spots will be available. The event is free. https://www.grace.edu/campus-life/events

Yes, it did reach 51 degrees on this date when a one-inch coating of snow fell from 4 - 6 a.m.

South Bend Municipal Airport official reading -- 51° F Wind: 20 mph at SE Humidity: 59% Dew point: 36° F Barometer: 29.87 inches and falling Precipitation measured: .03 inches also statistics at www.wndu.com/weather

One Swallow does not make a Spring -- Old Farmer's Almanac verse

posted at www.almanac.com/ Spring Folklore and Verse One swallow does not make a spring. Bluebirds are a sign of spring; warm weather and gentle south breezes they bring. In spring, no one thinks of the snow that fell last year. Don’t say that spring has come until you can put your foot on nine daisies. Spring-time sweet! The whole Earth smiles, thy coming to greet. Signs of Spring Spring is also the time when worms begin to emerge from the earth, ladybugs land on screen doors, green buds appear, birds chirp, and flowers begin to bloom.

First Robin of Spring

March 20 -- Vernal Equinox and the male migratory bird were on hand together -- early afternoon. -- here in Niles, Michigan USA -- Southwest Michigan, Berrien County.

Persian New Year -- Norooz -- observed in Iran and elsewhere worldwide

from http://iranian.com/posts Norooz mark the first day of Spring, the beginning of the Iranian calendar. It is the start of the Persian New Year. Celebrated by millions of Iranians worldwide, this year the Persian New Year begins on Thursday, March 20th, however; there are festivities around the world that start before and continue after. Sale no mobarak! Los Angeles, California is nicknamed Tehrangeles, as it is home to almost one million Iranian residents which all celebrate the Persian New Year. Every year items are placed on a table to symbolize the new year (ex. - a mirror represents sky, as a candle represents fire, a goldfish represents animals, as painted eggs represent humans, etc.) that we are truly grateful for. Although many Iranians love to celebrate with their families, there are also many who love to attend events for the New Year.

Severe Weather Awareness Week -- Indiana (NOAA sponsor)

Severe Weather Preparedness Week Tornado Drill March 16-22, 2014 -- source National Weather Service; http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/severeweather/severewxcal.shtml#michigan

Herschel's Garden (observation of Nebulae) -- IUSB Lecture by Physicist - March 27, 7 p.m.

from Indiana University South Bend dot-edu slash/news Jerry D. Hinnefeld, professor of physics at IU South Bend, will present the Lundquist Faculty Fellow Award Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 27,2014 room 1011, Education and Arts Building. The building is off of Esther Street and Mishawaka Avenue, directly to the south of the Administration Building, South Bend, IN. “A Stroll Through Herschel’s ‘Luxuriant Garden ’” is the lecture title and it will have the audience looking to the sky and beyond. The 18th century English astronomer William Herschel, in reference to the many “nebulae” he had observed through his telescope, famously compared the heavens to a “luxuriant garden, which contains the greatest variety of productions, in different flowering beds … “ Hinnefeld will illuminate the audience with stories of the new astronomical observatory on the roof of Northside Hall, how it came to be and possibly a demonstration of its capabilities, modern understandings of Herschel’s “nebulae” and thoughts about what the new observatory means to the campus and the community. A reception and tours will follow. IU South Bend’s Office of Academic Affairs will host the event. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Winning Non-Fiction Title (NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD 2014): to Author Sheri Fink

Five days at Memorial : life and death in a storm-ravaged hospital / / / / / published in 2013 by Random House Publishers SYNOPSIS: Sheri Fink provides a landmark investigation of patient deaths at a New Orleans, LA hospital ravaged by Hurricane Katrina-- and a suspenseful portrayal of the quest for truth and justice. After Katrina struck and the floodwaters rose, the power failed, and the heat climbed, exhausted caregivers chose to designate certain patients last for rescue. Months later, several health professionals faced criminal allegations that they deliberately injected numerous patients with drugs to hasten their deaths. Fink unspools the mystery of what happened in those days, bringing the reader into a hospital fighting for its life and into a conversation about the most terrifying form of health care rationing.

Catholic theologian Elizabeth Johnson (Fordham University) reflects in new book on Creation & God's care

from Article posted online at National Catholic Reporter (http://ncronline.org/ ) Sr. Elizabeth Johnson (a Sister of St. Joseph) says she approached her new project by reading the Nicene Creed and On the Origin of Species as "partners." Ask the Beasts "tells the story of nature through Darwin's eyes, and sees it all through the creed." The first four chapters offer a close reading of Darwin, and Johnson hopes this section will inspire people to read On the Origin of Species so they, too, can experience the feeling of what he was discovering. "He almost couldn't believe it himself," she says. "Darwin saw a profound interrelatedness among organisms in every locale, along with the unity of all life throughout time and space," Johnson observes. "It is a revelation." The creed, she explains, is really a narrative of God's evolutionary relationship to the world. "God makes the universe, comes into the world, goes down into death, rises again. And, with the spirit, God continues to give life to creation and ready it for the life of world to come." Reading it in dialogue with Darwin deepened her appreciation of the idea that God created an evolutionary world. "God the creator made the world with the power to create itself," she says. She found further support for her ideas throughout the Bible. "There are gorgeous nature themes throughout the Scriptures," she says. Unfortunately, a narrow interpretation of Genesis 1:28, where God declares that human beings should have dominion over all of the creatures of the earth, has distorted our understanding of God's relationship to creation. "During the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, we took the notion of dominion and turned it into domination," Johnson notes. Most of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, particularly the Book of Job, suggest a paradigm of "a community of creation, not of human dominion." Our diminished understanding of God's presence in creation can actually be traced back to the Middle Ages, Johnson says, when theologians made a strict distinction between the natural and the supernatural. Though their aim was to protect the Christian understanding of God's free gift of grace, as an indirect consequence, we began to see the work of God only in the supernatural while the natural world became simply a backdrop. "We forgot that creation was also the work of God and that God is present in it," Johnson says. "We began to believe that what is natural is not 'of God' in the same way the supernatural is." 'Breaking twigs off of the tree of life' Unfortunately, God's great work in creation now finds itself radically challenged by human greed, overpopulation, pollution and excessive consumption. Johnson now finds herself issuing laments not about the hierarchy, but for the earth and its creatures. "If you pay attention to the reality of other species, the picture is pretty grim," Johnson says. One conservative estimate suggests that, since 1980, 10 percent of all species have gone extinct, and currently, 350 species are going extinct every day. "We are breaking twigs off of the tree of life," she says. "We are cutting off the promise that they hold within themselves that other creatures within the evolutionary process with develop. "That history will not repeat itself," Johnson continues. "As Jonathan Schell said decades ago, 'When we murder someone, we kill their life. When we make a species go extinct, we kill their birth.' " http://ncronline.org/blogs/grace-margins/book-god-and-darwin-elizabeth-johnson-gets-her-voice-back

Exact coincidence of birthday in different years: Gary Sinise born in Blue Island, IL

from IMDb entry on the well-known actor and trivia: Gary Sinise was born on March 17, 1955. In the movie Apollo 13 (1995), Gary Sinise played original Apollo 13 pilot, Kenneth Mattingly. Mattingly was born on March 17, 1936. [ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000641/ ]

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day (April 26, 2014)

at Department of Justice website (DEA Office of Diversion Control): National Take-Back Initiative Got Drugs? April 26, 2014 - 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html

Vernal Equinox (First Day of Spring astronomically) -- 2014

According to the OLD_FARMER's_ALMANAC (2014 edition): March 20 (Thursday) at 12:57 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Is a Shamrock a "clover"? No, it's an OXYALIS

from Michigan Live! website -- www.mlive.com -- media from Bay City, MI online periodical -- Fun fact of the day: a shamrock is not necessarily a clover. The plant colloquially known in the United States as a shamrock is a variety of oxalis. The specific variety sold as "lucky shamrocks" is Oxalis acetosella. Rosalie Keit Wescott would know, as the co-owner and manager of Keit's Greenhouse and Floral Center, 1717 S. Euclid Ave. on Bay City's East Side, where more than 600 of the traditional St. Patrick's Day plants are grown annually. "Shamrocks are always (associated) with St. Patrick's Day," Wescott said. In October and November, greenhouse staff plant small bulbs called crums to be ready by spring. Wescott said they mostly sell beginning about two weeks before St. Patrick's Day (March 17) through the holiday itself. Their small white flowers bloom around this time, but they are sold throughout the spring for their bright foliage, she said. Generally, the oxalis are grown as potted houseplants and are easy to grow and care for. Shamrocks prefer sun and soil that isn't too wet. When the plants seem to die down, Wescott said, the bulb itself is growing.

St. Patrick's Day reception (1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C.) -- March 14, 5:10 p.m.

President Barack Obama's closest living Irish relative, Henry Healy, has celebrated St. Patrick's Day with his famous kin each year since they first met in Ireland when Mr. Obama visited in 2011. The President's eighth cousin on his mother's side, Healy has just arrived in the District of Columbia. Mr. Obama will devote today (March 14, 2014) to an early St. Patrick's Day celebration, joined by Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny. And apparently by Healy. Mr. Obama will welcome hundreds of guests to the White House this evening for his sixth St. Patrick's Day reception, after a day that will include escorting Kenny to Capitol Hill for the annual "Friends of Ireland" luncheon hosted by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). Related to Mr. Obama through Falmouth Kearney, the President's great-great-great-great-great grandfather from Moneygall, County Offaly, Healy will be in the District until Saturday, he wrote on Twitter on @HenryHealy. The President's Irish lineage was discovered when he first ran for national office. http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2014/03/president-obamas-irish-cousin-henry.html . . . More on Prime Minister Kenny's remarks at Press Conference: [Pres. Obama spoke): We had an opportunity to discuss the fact that Ireland does tremendous work around the world on a whole range of issues. It punches above its weight when it comes to humanitarian efforts. We very much appreciate that. Closer to home, we both share an interest in seeing Northern Ireland continue to take the next steps that are necessary to finally bring an end to what so often has been a tragic history. I was disappointed, the U.S. government was disappointed that the All-Party Talks did not arrive at a final conclusion and agreement. But we're urging the parties to continue to work and negotiate. And I know that the good influence coming from Dublin will help to encourage that to move out of the past and get the kind of history that -- or the kind of future that Northern Ireland so richly deserves. So I greatly appreciate, Taoiseach, your visit. We look forward to a good lunch and I suspect some good Irish music. And we will have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day reception this afternoon. The Taoiseach, I understand, has brought his children here this time, so they’ll be able to celebrate alongside us. And to you and your delegation, thank you again for your friendship and support. PRIME MINISTER KENNY: Let me just say it's a privilege to be here in the Oval Office with the President to continue these traditions and discussions that we've had between our two countries. I might say that on this occasion we did not have to have a detailed discussion about Ireland’s economy. I was able to report to the President the progress our country has made in the last couple years. The President spoke about the issues that we did discuss. In addition to that, we also discussed the question of immigration reform, which is an issue for Ireland and for many other countries, and we hope to pursue those discussions down at the Capitol building later on with a number of other representatives. So it's a privilege to be here. It’s a great occasion for us. And I've given the President a review of the attitude and the happenings at the European Council meeting, particularly in relation to the situation in Ukraine. And we hope that the entirety of message and strength of feeling can prevent very difficult circumstances arising there. I explained to him the European Council meeting presentation by the Ukrainian President, the discussion with the EPP Congress with Prime Minister Cameron in Downing Street earlier this week and our hopes that this matter can be resolved. So, again, my privilege to be here on behalf of the Irish people to wish the President, the First Lady and his family every success in their onerous responsibilities with so many places around the world requiring the assistance of the United States.

How will Dubliners observe St. Patrick's Day? With a three-day festival (Theme : Let's Make History)

For the first time in its history, using Ireland’s commemorative era as inspiration, St. Patrick’s Festival has created a three-year theme and narrative for the Festival Parade. The thematic journey of ‘Past, Present and Future’ will be explored respectively in the periods 2014, 2015 and 2016. This year’s Festival Parade theme, ‘Let’s Make History’, draws on the ‘Past’ and is the first step on this exciting, creative journey. In 2015 the Festival will explore the ‘Present’, and in 2016, the ‘Future’, when the Festival will pose the question, ‘who do we aspire to be in the next 100 years’? For 2014, Ireland’s leading pageant companies will bring the theme to life in their own inimitable style, with music from international and Irish marching bands providing the uplifting soundtrack. http://www.stpatricksfestival.ie/parade Also -- Enjoy one of our very special walks in celebration of Ireland’s national patron saint, in the company of professional and enthusiastic guides, led by the renowned Dublin historian and author Pat Liddy. Much of the pre-Viking development of Dublin owed its origins to the legacy of St. Patrick, join us to uncover some of this fascinating history and all that followed! Our tour takes in ancient sites, including the two great medieval cathedrals of Christ Church and St. Patrick’s. This begins 11 a.m. Friday, March 14, 2014. http://www.stpatricksfestival.ie/events/event/in_the_footsteps_of_st_patrick

Purim -- (Jewish springtime festival) -- •Saturday, 15 March 2014 at sundown (14th of Adar II, 5774)

from "Judaism 101" website: Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar, which is usually in March. The 13th of Adar is the day that Haman chose for the extermination of the Jews, and the day that the Jews battled their enemies for their lives. On the day afterwards, the 14th, they celebrated their survival. In cities that were walled in the time of Joshua, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of the month, because the book of Esther says that in Shushan (a walled city), deliverance from the massacre was not complete until the next day. The 15th is referred to as Shushan Purim. Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination. The word "Purim" means "lots" and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the massacre. The Purim holiday is preceded by a minor fast, the Fast of Esther, which commemorates Esther's three days of fasting in preparation for her meeting with the king. The primary commandment related to Purim is to hear the reading of the book of Esther. The book of Esther is commonly known as the Megillah, which means scroll. Although there are five books of Jewish scripture that are properly referred to as megillahs (Esther, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Lamentations), this is the one people usually mean when they speak of The Megillah. It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and rattle gragers (noisemakers) whenever the name of Haman is mentioned in the service. The purpose of this custom is to "blot out the name of Haman." We are also commanded to eat, drink and be merry. According to the Talmud, a person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordecai," though opinions differ as to exactly how drunk that is. A person certainly should not become so drunk that he might violate other commandments or get seriously ill. In addition, recovering alcoholics or others who might suffer serious harm from alcohol are exempt from this obligation. In addition, we are commanded to send out gifts of food or drink, and to make gifts to charity. . .It is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations on Purim, to perform plays and parodies, and to hold beauty contests. I have heard that the usual prohibitions against cross-dressing are lifted during this holiday. . . http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday9.htm

First Sunday of Lent -- honors longstanding tradition - aspect of Orthodox Christianity

from CSEE dot-org ( Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education): Orthodox Sunday (Orthodox Christianity) Celebrated on the first Sunday of Lent, Orthodox Sunday recognizes the victory and restoration of icons for use in church services and private devotional life.

Trampoline Safety -- state law signed by Governor

Posted at Michigan Governor's Dot-Gov web posting: The governor signed Senate Bill 475. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Dave Hildenbrand, creates the Trampoline Court Safety Act. It requires trampoline court establishments to publicly display instructions and court rules, inform customers of the activity’s inherent dangers, and comply with trampoline court safety standards. It is now PA 11. http://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-57577-322111--,00.html

Michiganders Charlie White and Meryl Davis -- Gov. Snyder presents tribute at state Capitol (Lansing, MI) March 2014

From Gov. Rick Snyder's BLOG / website (Michigan Dot-Gov) Tuesday, March 11, 2014 LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Rick Snyder today welcomed 2014 Winter Olympic Gold Medalists Charlie White and Meryl Davis to the state Capitol. The governor presented the ice skating duo a special tribute recognizing them for their history-making gold medal performance at the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. White and Davis, both originally from Royal Oak and students at the University of Michigan, posted a combined score of 195.52, delivering the United States its first ever gold medal in ice dance. “Charlie’s and Meryl’s remarkable stories and lifelong collaboration won over the hearts of countless Americans, and we could not be more proud to call them fellow Michiganders,” Snyder said. “They continually demonstrate the importance of teamwork and that, through hard work and dedication, anything can be achieved. They are a true inspiration and represent everything that is great about athletic competition. On behalf of all Michiganders, I say congratulations and thank you.” http://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-57577-323452--,00.html

On the 25th anniversary of the W-orld W-ide W-eb -- questions well worth asking and answering

from Google blog [ http://googleblog.blogspot.com ] for March 12, 2014: Key decisions on the governance and future of the Internet are looming, and it’s vital for all of us to speak up for the web’s future. __________How can we ensure that the other 60 percent around the world who are not connected get online fast? __________How can we make sure that the web supports all languages and cultures, not just the dominant ones? __________How do we build consensus around open standards to link the coming Internet of Things? __________Will we allow others to package and restrict our online experience, or will we protect the magic of the open web and the power it gives us to say, discover, and create anything? __________How can we build systems of checks and balances to hold the groups that can spy on the net accountable to the public? blog entry from Tuesday 3/11/2014 -- written by ___Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of the World Wide Web __________

Learning Seminar on Ukraine -- at Mishawaka, IN Christian College (Bethel dot-edu)

Event is March 13 (re-scheduled from March 6, 2014)- on Bethel College campus, Mishawaka, IN: Are you concerned about what’s happening in Ukraine? Curious about the historical origins of the conflict, and the role of Christians in it? Wondering about its implications for U.S. foreign policy? Join the History Department of Bethel College Thursday (March 13th), 10:20 a.m. in the Bethel University Library for a roundtable discussion of "The Revolution in Ukraine." It’ll feature G.W. Carlson, Professor Emeritus of History and Political Science and an expert on religion and politics in Russia and the former Soviet Union, and Chris Moore, Associate Professor of Political Science and director of Bethel’s International Relations program. History professor Chris Gehrz, who regularly teaches a course on the Cold War, will moderate the discussion. The event is open for the public and is free. http://bethelhistory.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/learn-more-about-the-situation-in-the-ukraine/

In honor of David Letterman's 4,000 show (CBS and predecessor network)

as part of "Wahoo Gazette" (night of March 11, 2014): More "Top Ten" what-ifs for 4,000 show landmark for THE_LATE_SHOW starring David Letterman (CBS nightly talk show) - - - - TOP TEN THOUGHTS I'VE HAD 4,000 TIMES. - Every day he looks more and more like Buddy Ebsen - I swear, tonight I quit - He smells of mothballs - I hope Les Moonves isn't watching - I hope my family isn't watching - Thank God nobody is watching - Dave should ease up on the Aqua Velva - Dave, you called me 'Larry.' Good one. - If I killed him 20 years ago, I'd be out of prison by now. (written by Wahoo Gazette editor, Michael Z. McIntee at www.cbs.com shows/late-show

Arseniy Yatsenyuk -- Ukraine prime minister (acting Head of State) to meet with Obama

The due successor / representative of the Ukranian government will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House on March 12, 2014 -- details forthcoming. . . 2:45 pm The President holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk; The Vice President also attends Oval Office [ from WhiteHouse dot-gov -- schedule and appointments ]

Henry Ward Beecher -- admired by Abraham Lincoln

(During March 1860), Mr. Lincoln attended services at Beecher's church in New York City. Henry Ward Beecher had a "flaming, demonstrative nature," according biographer Paxton Hibben. Mr. Lincoln liked energetic preaching and had long admired Rev. Beecher. Mr. Lincoln's law partner, William H. Herndon, often gave him speeches by Beecher and other abolitionist preachers. "Mr. Beecher was one of the few preachers who was both most effective in the pulpit and, if possible, more eloquent upon the platform," recalled Republican politician Chauncey M. Depew. "When there was a moral issue involved, he would address political audiences. In one campaign, his speeches were more widely printed than those of any of the senators, members of the House, or governors who spoke. I remember one illustration about his dog, Noble, barking for hours at the hole from which a squirrel had departed, and was enjoying the music sitting calmly in the crotch of a tree. The illustration caught the fancy of the country and turned the laugh upon the opposition." Beecher himself caught the popular imagination. Biographer Howard wrote: "He wore his hair long, no beard was permitted to grow, and a wide Byron collar was turned over a black silk stock, and his clothes were of conventional cut. His hair was thick and heavy. His eyes were large and very blue. His nose was straight, full and prominent. His mouth formed a perfect bow, and when the well—developed lips pared they disclosed the regular, well—set teeth. There was nothing clerical in his face, figure, dress or bearing. He was more like a street evangel — a man talking to men and standing on a common level." http://www.mrlincolnandnewyork.org/inside.asp?ID=44&subjectID=3

Winter Storm Warning -- National Weather Service -- Wednesday, March 12, 2014

from WEATHER dot-com alert posted at Berrien County, Michigan: WINTER STORM WATCH... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT (March 11, 2014) THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON (March 12, 2014). HAZARDOUS WEATHER... * TIMING... SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AROUND MIDNIGHT TUESDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE SNOW IS FORECAST TO TAPER OFF BY LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING OR EARLY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. * SNOW ACCUMULATION... 4 TO 8 INCHES POSSIBLE. / / / / / / / / / / // / (updated Tuesday March 11): RAIN WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA TONIGHT AND CHANGE TO SNOW AROUND MIDNIGHT AND THEN CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE TAPERING OFF BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. * SNOW ACCUMULATION... 6 TO 9 INCHES... WITH CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. * IMPACTS... HEAVY SNOWFALL RATES OF ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR... AND NORTH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 TO 40 MPH WILL RESULT IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY

Since World War I, have all U.S. Presidents met the Pope at the Vatican?

THIS WEEK host Martha Raddatz (ABC News dot-com) asked who was the first President to meet a Pope at Vatican City. The full answer tells a lot about Religion and the Presidency; these paragraphs come from website titled "Catholic News" The Obama visit (July 10, 2009) was considered private, but with a bit of flair. He was met in the St. Damasus Courtyard by U.S. Archbishop James Harvey, prefect of the papal household, and a small contingent of Swiss Guards. In a reversal of the usual order of things, the president met with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, before going to meet the pope. After a private discussion with Pope Benedict, Obama introduced his wife, Michelle, and daughters, Sasha and Malia, to the pope. A group photo was taken, then the pope and president exchanged gifts, and the first family left for the airport. Obama continued a tradition that is only 90 years old. The first U.S. president to visit the Vatican was Woodrow Wilson, who met with Pope Benedict XV in 1919 while on a European tour after World War I. The next presidential visit was a full 40 years later; Dwight D. Eisenhower met Pope John XXIII in 1959. Since then, each U.S. president has made a trip to the Vatican. Meeting Pope Paul VI were John F. Kennedy in 1963; Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967; Richard M. Nixon in 1969 and 1970; and Gerald R. Ford in 1975. Jimmy Carter was the next to visit, meeting Pope John Paul in 1980. Ronald Reagan met him in 1982 and 1987, as well as after leaving office. George H.W. Bush met him in 1989 and 1991. Bill Clinton came to the Vatican in 1994. George W. Bush met Pope John Paul in 2001 at the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo and at the Vatican in 2002 and 2004. In addition to attending Pope John Paul's funeral in 2005, he visited the Vatican in 2007 and again in 2008 to meet with Pope Benedict. -- http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0903142.htm

Civil War (1862) -- On this day in History

On March 9, 1862, during the Civil War, the ironclads Monitor and Virginia (formerly Merrimac) clashed for five hours to a draw at Hampton Roads, Va. - - - posted at NY TIMES e-notification - - -

"Beyond Religion" forum at National Cathedral -- photo scrapbook online (March 7, 2014)

Washington National Cathedral and the Office of Tibet welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Cathedral on Friday morning, March 7. This was the Dalai Lama’s fourth visit to National Cathedral. Through a talk entitled, “Beyond Religion: Ethics for the Whole World,” the Dalai Lama shared his vision and path to leading an ethical, happy, and spiritual life and offer a road map to building a more compassionate and peaceful world. The program also included a conversation between His Holiness and Cathedral Dean Gary Hall about the pursuit of peace. The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal bishop of Washington, led a question-and-answer session before concluding the program with a joint blessing with His Holiness. WEBLINK = http://www.nationalcathedral.org/events/HHDL2014.shtml

Happy 81st Birthday to Associate Justice Ginsburg -- Women's History Project announcement (2014)

March 15, 1933 – Ruth Bader Ginsburg, second female U.S. Supreme Court Justice (since 1993 nomination and U.S. Senate Approval). http://www.nwhp.org/news/march.php

Social, economic, and environmental well-being all make up HAPPINESS: UN Day of Happiness (March 20, 2014)

Resolution and weblinks posted at UN dot-org (United Nations): The pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal Speaking at the High Level Meeting on "Happiness and Well-Being: Defining a New Economic Paradigm" convened during the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated that the world “needs a new economic paradigm that recognizes the parity between the three pillars of sustainable development. Social, economic and environmental well-being are indivisible. Together they define gross global happiness.” The meeting was convened at an initiative of Bhutan, a country which recognized the supremacy of national happiness over national income since the early 1970s and famously adopted the goal of Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product. The General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution 66/281PDF document of 12 July 2012 proclaimed 20 March the International Day of Happiness recognizing the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives. The United Nations invites Member States, international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations and individuals, to observe the International Day of Happiness in an appropriate manner, including through education and public awareness-raising activities. http://www.un.org/en/events/happinessday/

Irish-American Heritage Month will be March 2014: Presdential Proclamation

from White House dot-gov -- Proclamations (Office of the Press Secretary) A PROCLAMATION Centuries after America welcomed the first sons and daughters of the Emerald Isle to our shores, Irish heritage continues to enrich our Nation. This month (March 1 - 31, 2014), we reflect on proud traditions handed down through the generations, and we celebrate the many threads of green woven into the red, white, and blue. Irish Americans have defended our country through times of war, strengthened communities from coast to coast, and poured sweat and blood into building our infrastructure and raising our skyscrapers. Some endured hunger, hardship, and prejudice; many rose to be leaders of government, industry, or culture. Their journey is a testament to the resilience of the Irish character, a people who never stopped dreaming of a brighter future and never stopped striving to make that dream a reality. Today, Americans of all backgrounds can find common ground in the values of faith and perseverance, and we can all draw strength from the unshakable belief that through hard work and sacrifice, we can forge better lives for ourselves and our families. The American and Irish peoples enjoy a friendship deepened by both shared heritage and shared ideals. On the international stage, we are proud to work in concert toward a freer, more just world. As we honor that enduring connection during Irish-American Heritage Month, let us look forward to many more generations of partnership. May the bond between our peoples only grow in the centuries to come. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2014 as Irish-American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.

Today is the 102nd Birthday of the "Oreo Cookie" -- Nabisco product

from USA TODAY feature article on birthday-worthy Oreo dishes and specialities: It's Oreo's 102nd birthday! The world's most popular cookie has been twisted, licked and dunked since March 6, 1912, and the brand continues to grow a century later. Just this year, Nabisco added two new varieties, cookie dough and marshmallow crispy, to its cookie sandwich brand. The famous crème-filled cookie has come a long way since its first bake in the original Nabisco factory in New York. Today, Oreo cookies are available in more than 100 countries, and are made at 21 bakeries around the world. . . ______________________

Observer of General Grant and Abraham Lincoln -- first meeting 150 years ago (March 8, 1864)

posted at Ulysses Grant main home web page -- (First person narrative by Horace Porter in his 1897 book Campaigning with Grant) : On the evening of March 8, 1864 the President and Mrs. Lincoln gave a public reception at the White House, which I attended. The President stood in the usual reception-room, known as the Blue Room, with several cabinet officers near him, and shook hands cordially with everybody, as the vast procession of men and women passed in front of him. He was in evening dress, and wore a turned-down collar a size too large. The necktie was rather broad and awkwardly tied. He was more of a Hercules than an Adonis. His height of six feet four inches enabled him to look over the heads of most of his visitors. His form was ungainly, and the movements of his long, angular arms and legs bordered at times upon the grotesque. His eyes were gray and disproportionally small. His face wore a general expression of sadness, the deep lines indicating the sense of responsibility which weighed upon him; but at times his features lighted up with a broad smile, and there was a merry twinkle in his eyes as he greeted an old acquaintance and exchanged a few words with him in a tone of familiarity. He had sprung from the common people to become one of the most uncommon of men. Mrs. Lincoln occupied a position on his right. For a time she stood on a line with him and took part in the reception, but afterward stepped back and conversed with some of the wives of the cabinet officers and other personal acquaintances who were in the room. At about half-past nine o’clock a sudden commotion near the entrance to the room attracted general attention, and, upon looking in that direction, I was surprised to see General Grant walking along modestly with the rest of the crowd toward Mr. Lincoln. He had arrived from the West that evening, and had come to the White House to pay his respects to the President. He had been in Washington but once before, when he visited it for a day soon after he had left West Point. Although these two historical characters had never met before, Mr. Lincoln recognized the general at once from the pictures he had seen of him. With a face radiant with delight, he advanced rapidly two or three steps toward his distinguished visitor, and cried out: "Why, here is General Grant! Well, this is a great pleasure, I assure you," at the same time seizing him by the hand, and shaking it for several minutes with a vigor which showed the extreme cordiality of the welcome. The scene now presented was deeply impressive. Standing face to face for the first time were the two illustrious men whose names will always be inseparably associated in connection with the war of the rebellion. Grant’s right hand grasped the lapel of his coat; his head was bent slightly forward, and his eyes upturned toward Lincoln’s face. The President, who was eight inches taller, looked down with beaming countenance upon his guest. Although their appearance, their training, and their characteristics were in striking contrast, yet the two men had many traits in common, and there were numerous points of resemblance in their remarkable careers. Each was of humble origin, and had been compelled to learn the first lessons of life in the severe school of adversity. Each had risen from the people, possessed an abiding confidence in them, and always retained a deep hold upon their affections. Each might have said to those who were inclined to sneer at his plain origin what a marshal of France, who had risen from the ranks to a dukedom, said to the hereditary nobles who attempted to snub him in Vienna: "I am an ancestor; you are only descendants." In a great crisis of their country’s history both had entered the public service from the State. Both were conspicuous for the possession of that most uncommon of all virtues, common sense. Both despised the arts of the demagogue, and shrank from posing for effect, or indulging in mock heroics. Even when their characteristics differed, they only served to supplement each other, and to add a still greater strength to the cause for which they strove. With hearts too great for rivalry, with souls untouched by jealousy, they lived to teach the world that it is time to abandon the path of ambition when it becomes so narrow that two cannot walk it abreast. The statesman and the soldier conversed for a few minutes, and then the President presented his distinguished guest to Mr. Seward. The Secretary of State was very demonstrative in his welcome, and after exchanging a few words, led the general to where Mrs. Lincoln was standing, and presented him to her. Mrs. Lincoln expressed much surprise and pleasure at the meeting, and she and the general chatted together very pleasantly for some minutes. The visitors had by this time become so curious to catch a sight of the general that their eagerness knew no bounds, and they became altogether unmanageable. Mr. Seward’s consummate knowledge of the wiles of diplomacy now came to the rescue and saved the situation. He succeeded in struggling through the crowd with the general until they reached the large East Room, where the people could circulate more freely. This, however, was only a temporary relief. The people by this time had worked themselves up to a state of uncontrollable excitement. The vast throng surged and swayed and crowded until alarm was felt for the safety of the ladies. Cries now arose of "Grant! Grant! Grant!" Then came cheer after cheer. Seward, after some persuasion, induced the general to stand upon a sofa, thinking the visitors would be satisfied with a view of him, and retire; but as soon as they caught sight of him their shouts were renewed, and a rush was made to shake his hand. The President sent word that he and the Secretary of War would await the general’s return in one of the small drawing-rooms, but it was fully an hour before he was able to make his way there, and then only with the aid of several officers and ushers. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ http://www.granthomepage.com/grantlincoln.htm

Cosmos (a NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC museum exhibition and 13-week Sunday TV series on Fox TV channel)

from publicity posting at National Geographic dot-org -- The National Geographic Museum in collaboration with Cosmos Studios will present COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY, a free exhibition celebrating the premiere of the thrilling, new 13-part television series of the same name from executive producer/writer/director Ann Druyan and executive producer Seth MacFarlane. The exhibition will open at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, March 4, 2014, prior to the series’ U.S. television premiere on Sunday, March 9, from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m ET/PT across multiple U.S. Fox networks, including Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX), National Geographic Channel, FX, FXX, FXM, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo Mundo and FOX Life. After the cross-network premiere event, COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY will continue its epic 13-episode run, airing Sundays from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/PT on FOX and Mondays — with all-new bonus footage and behind-the-scenes content — on the National Geographic Channel from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/PT. The exhibit will be on display at the National Geographic Museum until Sunday, July 6, 2014. More than three decades after the television debut of Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, Carl Sagan’s stunning and iconic exploration of the universe as revealed by science, MacFarlane has teamed with Sagan’s original creative collaborators — Druyan and co-writer, astronomer Steven Soter — to conceive the 13-part series that is a successor to the Emmy Award- and Peabody Award-winning original series. The “COSMOS” exhibition will focus on how generations of searchers have used the ethos of science and laws of nature to begin to understand where we are in space and time. An engaging destination for space fans, the multimedia exhibition will feature “COSMOS” memorabilia, including one of Sagan’s iconic turtlenecks, his personal calendar and renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson’s autographed copy of Sagan’s best-selling book The Cosmic Connection. It will also feature clips from the COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY television series, a recreation of the Cosmic Calendar and mesmerizing NASA images. The COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY television series is hosted by deGrasse Tyson. As with the legendary original series, the new COSMOS is the saga of how we discovered the laws of nature and found our coordinates in space and time. The series brings to life never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge, transporting viewers to new worlds and across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest — and the smallest — scale. The series invents new modes of scientific storytelling to reveal the grandeur of the universe and reinvents celebrated elements of the original series, including the Cosmic Calendar and the Ship of the Imagination. The most profound scientific concepts are presented with stunning clarity, uniting skepticism and wonder and weaving rigorous science with the emotional and spiritual into a transcendent experience.

Do all Christians observe Ash Wednesday? All ashes distributed in church buildings?

from Education article-posting by reporter Amanda Murphy at National Catholic Reporter online -- http://ncronline.org/ Is Ash Wednesday a Roman Catholic observance? Catholics are not the only Christian group observing Ash Wednesday. Anglicans/Episcopalians, Lutherans, United Methodists, and other liturgical Protestants partake in receiving ashes. Historically, the practice has not been common among evangelicals. Arne Panula of the Catholic Information Service at Washington, D.C. said Muslims, Jews, and even people who aren’t religious can honor the tradition as a reminder of man’s shortcomings. “We recognize that it is a symbol of our mortality,” he said. “It gives us a profound sense that we are mortal, and Ash Wednesday is a reminder of that.” In a typical Ash Wednesday service, a minister recites Genesis 3:19 — “For dust you are and to dust you shall return” — while applying the ashes in the shape of a cross on the recipient’s forehead. Does the service have to be performed in a church? No. While Catholics almost always receive the ashes inside a church, people in other religious traditions now celebrate the ritual without necessarily having to step foot inside a church. Some churches offer “ashes to go,” which gives busy participants the option of receiving ashes on a street corner, at a train station or in some other public venue. A state-by-state list of churches in the U.S. that administer on-the-go ashes can be found at Ashestogo.org. A pastor, deacon or lay person can administer the ashes. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday rites usually (but not always) consist of Mass. Where do the ashes come from? Typically, the ashes that are placed on the forehead of the individual come from branches used in the previous year’s Palm Sunday services, which falls one week before Easter and commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The palms themselves don’t necessarily come from the Holy Land, but instead from various religious suppliers around the country. What do the ashes on the forehead represent? The ashes are a profound symbolism for observers. Ash Wednesday is not an official “holy day of obligation” for Catholics, but it is a deeply ingrained tradition, even for people who may not be particularly observant. The ashes — a traditional sign of mourning and repentance — are meant to remind people that life is short. “It is a time for Christians to carry the cross,” Panula said. “The observance is a symbol of our Lord emblazoned on the forehead of Christians.”

Sherwin Nuland (died March 3, 2014): quotation from HOW_WE_DIE on Death and Disease

from GOOD READS dot-com -- quotations section = “But the fact is, death is not a confrontation. It is simply an event in the sequence of nature's ongoing rhythms. Not death but disease is the real enemy, disease the malign force that requires confrontation. Death is the surcease that comes when the exhausting battle has been lost. Even the confrontation with disease should be approached with the realization that many of the sicknesses of our species are simply conveyances for the inexorable journey by which each of us is returned to the same state of physical, and perhaps spiritual, nonexistence from which we emerged at conception. Every triumph over some major pathology, no matter how ringing the victory, is only a reprieve from the inevitable end.” ― Sherwin B. Nuland, How We Die: Reflections of Life's Final Chapter

Lincoln on "THE great invention of the world" -- only Lecture he gave (1858)

On Discoveries and Inventions (www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/) http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/discoveries.htm Writing -- the art of communicating thoughts to the mind, through the eye -- is the great invention of the world. Great in the astonishing range of analysis and combination which necessarily underlies the most crude and general conception of it -- great, very great in enabling us to converse with the dead, the absent, and the unborn, at all distances of time and of space; and great, not only in its direct benefits, but greatest help, to all other inventions. Suppose the art, with all conception of it, were this day lost to the world, how long, think you, would it be, before even Young America could get up the letter A. with any adequate notion of using it to advantage? The precise period at which writing was invented, is not known; but it certainly was as early as the time of Moses; from which we may safely infer that its inventors were very old fogies. . .

Shrove Tuesday (History & Vocabulary): Faith website

Traditionally viewed as a day of repentance, Shrove Tuesday has become the last day for celebration and feasting before the period of fasting required during the Lenten season. The name "Shrove Tuesday" is derived from the word "shrive", which means to confess and receive absolution. The name denotes a period of cleansing, wherein a person brings their lusts and appetites under subjection through abstention and self-sacrifice. Shrove Tuesday originated during the Middle Ages. As in contemporary times, food items like meats, fats, eggs, milk, and fish were regarded as restricted during Lent. To keep such food from being wasted, many families would have big feasts on Shrove Tuesday in order to consume those items that would inevitably become spoiled during the next forty days. The English tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday came about as a way to use as much milk, fats, and eggs as possible before Ash Wednesday began. In France, the consumption of all fats and fatty foods on this day coined the name "Fat Tuesday" or Mardi Gras. Originally beginning on Sunday, Shrove Tuesday was a three-day celebration that culminated in large feasts on Tuesday night. By the beginning of the 20th century, however, the event was restricted to the Tuesday observance. Carnival became associated with Shrove Tuesday, in part from the Spring Equinox celebrations that were practiced by the Romans and the ancient tribes of Europe. The word "carnival" comes from the Latin carnem levare, meaning "to take away the flesh". However, in the New Orleans and Rio de Janiero celebrations, public revelry and carousing have become the tradition for Carnival around the world. It was mostly as a result of the Carnival celebrations that the Church restricted the observance to a single day. Shrove Tuesday Traditions Shrove Tuesday has a variety of customs that have derived from different regions around Europe and the Americas. As previously mentioned, England began the tradition of serving pancakes, and for this reason the day is known as "Pancake Day". In addition, there are the annual Pancake Day Races, where contestants dress in aprons and scarves and race down a course flipping a pancake in a frying pan or skillet. . . http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Holidays/origins_of_shrove_tuesday.html

A different kind of Boycott of Russian Olympic Games over invasion of another nation

from TIME online coverage -- reporter Sam Frizzell (March 3, 2014 posting): The United States announced Monday (3/3/2014) it would boycott the upcoming Paralympic Games in Sochi to protest Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, as a State Department spokesperson said it was “likely” that the U.S. would impose sanctions on Russia. The boycott effectively means a presidential delegation will not be attending the games, an announcement that comes as President Obama and Congress scramble to respond to Russia’s aggression on Ukrainian territory in Crimea. “In addition to other measures we are taking in response to the situation in Ukraine, the United States will no longer send a Presidential Delegation to the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi,” said Caitlin Hayden, a spokesperson for the president’s National Security Council. “President Obama continues to strongly support all of the U.S. athletes who will participate in the Paralympics and wishes them great success in the Olympic competition.” State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said Monday that sanctions on Russia were increasingly probable, given the escalation in tensions. “At this point we’re not just considering sanctions. We are preparing options and we are likely moving down that path if things proceed.” British government officials are also boycotting the Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Agence France-Presse reports. Prime Minister David Cameron said Sunday he thought it would be “wrong” for government ministers to go to the Games given the unfolding events in Ukraine. The boycott is the first definite measure Western leaders have taken to isolate Russia following Putin’s unprovoked attack in Crimea. Other measures discussed include expelling Russia from the G8 (which also includes the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada) and imposing economic sanctions on the country. Read more: U.S. To Boycott Sochi Paralympics In Protest Over Ukraine Incursion | TIME.com http://swampland.time.com/2014/03/03/u-s-to-boycott-sochi-paralympics-in-protest-over-ukraine-incursion/#ixzz2v3EdeBTf

Oversized hat sold on eBay from Pharrell Williams to Arby's Restaurant Chain (worn at Grammys & Oscars 2014) -- $44,100

from Detroit Free Press mini-article (3/3/2014): Fast-food chain Arby's bought Pharrell Williams' oversized Vivienne Westwood hat that he wore to the Grammys for $44,100 on eBay. The money is going to From One Hand to Another, a charity that helps children learn through technology and the arts. Williams' hat which has its own Twitter account at @PharrellsHat — resembles the hat in Arby's logo. During the Jan. 26 music awards show, Arby tweeted at Williams, "Can we have our hat back?" In a tweet on Sunday, Arby said, "We're HAPPY to support a great cause & get our hat back," referring to Williams' hit song Happy. http://www.freep.com/article/20140303/ENT04/303030094/Pharrell-Williams-hat-Arbys

Science Olympiad (Berrien County Middle & High School Science - Math Competition) - March 3 - 4, 2014

Berrien County sponsorship -- Lake Michigan College is host for this annual competition: Monday, Mar 3, 2014 - Tuesday, Mar 4, 2014__________Location:Lake Michigan College Bertrand Crossing Campus The middle and high school competition will be held on Monday, March 3 from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. with winners announced at an awards ceremony beginning at 3 p.m. The elementary level event will be held on Tuesday, March 4 from 10 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. The elementary students will not have a formal awards ceremony; however, they will each be presented with a certificate of participation and ribbon when they return to their home district.

First Award of the 86th Academy Award Ceremony (held at Los Angeles, CA) -- time was 8:40 p.m.

Winner was Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) -- Supporting Actor

Quotes to consider -- today is Theodor Geisel's 110th Birthday

collected at www.parade.com/seuss : 1. “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” 2. “Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting so get on your way!” 3. “You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you’re the one who’ll decide where to go.” 4. “Oh, the things you can find if you don’t stay behind!” 5. “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

Oscar "reality" -- Academy membership is 94% Caucasian, 77% male (VARIETY discussion) - 2014 article

On more diversity of film community by Tim Gray AWARDS EDITOR -- Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences -- from March 2014 article on "Presenters at this year's Ceremony" : The business is changing, and so is Oscar; you have to make similar quantum leaps. In late June, the Academy invited 276 new members, more than double the usual number. At least 100 of them can be defined as “other voices,” so the outreach/expansion is in motion. The executives at the Academy can’t control who members vote for. But as it turns out, this year’s Oscar contenders prove that the business is already embracing those “different voices.” For example: Gravity boasted a Mexican director, scripters and cinematographer, a British producer and VFX team, and two American actors. 12 Years a Slave was from an English director, starred actors from Britain, Ireland-Germany and Mexico-Kenya, and had four American producers. Sunday’s cinematography contenders are Mexico’s Emmanuel Lubezki, Britain’s Roger Deakins, Greece’s Phedon Papamichael and France’s Philippe Le Sourd and Bruno Delbonnel (with the last two working for Chinese and American directors, respectively). Patricia Norris (12 Years a Slave) is the only American in the costume design category. Alfonso Cuaron, Steve McQueen, Hayao Miyazaki and other nominees from Asia, Europe and the Mideast offer a multi-cultural cross-section. So in terms of “different voices,” this is a pretty good year. That’s the good news. The bad news is that there’s still a long way to go, and gender equality is still an uphill struggle. There were zero females nominated in direction, cinematography, editing, visual effects and the two sound categories. In general, the film biz needs to address the mix (or non-mix) in below the line work. When the L.A. Times last year published its study that the Academy was 94% Caucasian and 77% male, some charged the Academy with being an old-boys network. In fact, the Academy simply reflects the business. It’s not that there are floods of working women in the industry trying to get into the Academy; instead, there are floods of women trying to get work in the industry. http://variety.com/2014/film/news/oscars-diverse-presenter-list-a-signal-of-a-changing-business-1201122942/

Friday - Saturday (March 7 - 8) : a National "Day of Unplugging"

Mentioned at CBS Sunday Morning: www.cbsnews.com/ The National Day of Unplugging is a 24 hour period – running from sunset to sunset – and starts on the first Friday in March. The project is an outgrowth of The Sabbath Manifesto, an adaption of our ancestors’ ritual of carving out one day per week to unwind, unplug, relax, reflect, get outdoors, and connect with loved ones. Who’s behind this? This project was created by members of the Reboot network. Founded in 2002, Reboot engages and inspires young cultural creatives, innovators and thought-leaders who, through their candid and introspective conversations and creativity, generate projects that impact the world. Reboot has been responsible for producing some of the most influential and innovative Jewish books, films, music, web sites and large-scale public events of the past five years. http://nationaldayofunplugging.com/about-us/

Happy 110th Birthday (March 2) -- if Theodor Geisel were alive today. . .

from : Nickeldeon News (www.nick.com/ ) If Dr. Seuss were still alive, he would be celebrating his 110th birthday this weekend. Unfortunately for us, he’s gone. But his timeless books live on — in schools, libraries and homes all over the world. So it’s only fitting that his birthday – March 2 — was chosen to be “Read Across America Day.” This year, March 2 falls on a Sunday. So schools are celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday either the week before or the week after – or both. Theodor Geisel was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He wrote 44 “Dr. Seuss” books, including “The Lorax,” “The Cat in the Hat,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Green Eggs and Ham,” and “Horton Hears a Who.” They have been translated into more than 15 languages and stay in print ( + 200 million copies)! http://news.nick.com/02/2014/28/happy-birthday-dr-seuss/

March 1 -- Independent Spirit (summary) - 20 Feet from Stardom wins as Documentary

from USA TODAY reporting of Film Independent sponsored event (Los Angeles) -- Claudia Puig, reporter = 12 Years a Slave was the big winner, nabbing five awards at The Independent Spirit Award Ceremony, including best feature. Top acting honors went to Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine and Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club. The best supporting actress trophy was a fabulous 31st birthday present for Lupita Nyong'o, who won for portraying a brutalized slave in 12 Years a Slave. She dedicated her award to her mother. "That beautiful woman drove me to rehearsals every day after school," said Nyong'o. "Your love has driven me this far." She also thanked 12 Years co-star Chiwetel Ejiofor: "Your fortitude was our salvation." Cate Blanchett raked in yet another award, winning best actress for her portrayal of the self-absorbed titular character in Blue Jasmine. Widely expected to win the Oscar Sunday night, Blanchett entered the press room and postponed comment until the best actor winner was announced. "Should we find out who wins?" Blanchett good-naturedly asked reporters. She raised her trophy when she heard it was McConaughey and watched his acceptance speech on a backstage TV screen. "Alright, alright, alright," repeated McConaughey, when he got the award, echoing his now famous phrase from the Screen Actors Guild awards show. "It's really been a strong year for independent films. ." For her part, Blanchett joked about a being a "44-year-old woman and still having to have people brush my hair." She spoke more seriously of the "theatricalized sense to Jasmine." She said she was drawn to the Woody Allen film when she saw the others in the cast. "99% of my work had already been done for me," she said. When a huge wind blew through the tent backstage and a downpour pounded against the plastic tent, Blanchett said: "Whew! There's a storm coming. Nice to know you all. If we all die here, it's a service to the film industry." After winning the supporting actor award for Dallas Buyer's Club, Jared Leto, draped in scarves, a black leather jacket and boots, but sans the man bun, thanked, among others, his family, homemade burritos, the inventor of the zipper, Dr. Seuss, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman and the 36 million who have died of AIDS. 12 Years a Slave also won awards for best director (Steve McQueen) best screenplay (John Ridley) and best cinematography (Sean Bobbit). A quartet of back-up singers — Darlene Love, Judith Hill, Merry Clayton and Tata Vega— from 20 Feet from Stardom performed about halfway through the ceremony. Nominated for both an Independent Spirit and an Oscar, the film won the award for best documentary film. http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2014/03/01/independent-spirit-awards/5927509/

Shrove Tuesday (March 4, 2014): Niles, Michigan church sponsored fundraiser

Pancake & Sausage Supper w/coffee & juice When Tuesday, March 4, 2014, 5 – 7 p.m. Where Trinity Episcopal Church 9 S. 4th St. Niles, MI 49120 Note Public Welcome: Shrove Tuesday. Donations Accepted at the door. mmmm.love those Carbon pancakes

Harold Ramis -- tribute following his passing (Feb. 24 , 2014) -- Scott Simon of Nat. Public Radio

from "Weekend Edition Saturday" npr.org One of the reasons Harold lived in Chicago, he said, was to see himself as the kid who made deliveries for his father's North Side liquor store, even as he'd become — as he would never put it — one of the most influential writers and directors in the history of comedy. Harold Ramis came back onstage for a Second City reunion in December of 2010. It was just before he was struck with the autoimmune disease that would claim his life this week, at the age of 69. Catherine O' Hara, Joe Flaherty, Dave Thomas, Martin Short and Eugene Levy — big stars and old friends — sat around Harold Ramis to hear a man who had learned a lot about how to keep the show of life going: "A great rabbi story: You should start each day with a note in each pocket. And one note says, 'The world was created just for me today,' and the other note says, 'I'm a speck of dust in a meaningless universe.' And keep them both ... because neither is true and both are true. "So in a way my career has been completely self-aggrandizing. I'm the most pumped up, grandiose person in the world, and I'm still the same humble schmuck I was when I started. I have no confidence, and yet there is this body of work that exists behind me that seems to say that I did do something. "You know, I feel like I'm starting today on a new career, looking for that next piece of work that's gonna be exciting, that's gonna mean something to me, and that I'm gonna enjoy and do it with people that I can really love and respect." http://www.npr.org/2014/03/01/284112809/lessons-in-humility-from-a-chicago-kid-called-harold-ramis