Americans Expect To Spend Over $21 Billion On Mother's DayIn 1907, Anna Jarvis began a campaign to convince lawmakers to designate a special day to honor America's mothers. Many individual states began celebrating Mother's Day by 1911. However, it was not until 1914 that Woodrow Wilson finally managed to persuade the U.S.Congress to set aside the second Sunday of May to honor moms....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Behind The Scenes With Siri And Cookie MonsterA few weeks ago, Apple Inc. released a new advertisement to highlight the new "Hey Siri" feature that allows iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users to summon the personal digital assistant hands-free. In the minute-long commercial, the Sesame Street star asks Siri to set the kitchen timer for the cookies that he had just put to bake and also turn on a "waiting" playlist....
Read news articleSalads Disguised As Cakes Are A Hit In JapanResidents of Nagoya, Japan will no longer have to subject themselves to eating wilted lettuce and soggy tomatoes to be healthy. They can instead fulfill the daily recommended requirement of fruits and vegetables with a slice or two of one of the delicious cakes crafted by Japanese food artist, Mitsuki Moriyasu....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week — Talented Beagle Breaks Yet Another World RecordIn September 2015, Purin, a nine-year-old female beagle made headlines when she broke the record for the most goals (14) caught by a dog with the paws in a single minute. On March 22, which happened to be National Puppy Day, the talented dog that lives in Japan, did it again....
Read news articleAlways Wanted A Sleepover With Sharks? Then You May Want To Read This!Here is some good news for those that are looking for adventure in their lives. Peer-to-peer rental site Airbnb is accepting applications for people that are brave enough to spend a night inside the shark tank at France's Aquarium de Paris....
Read news articleGet Ready For Some Fun — April Fool's Day Is Almost Here!For those that enjoy pranks, there is no better day than April 1. Also known as 'Fool's Day' it is the one day of the year when light-hearted tricks are not just accepted but welcomed! Nobody knows how this fun tradition started. Some think it began in 1582 when the world moved away from the Julian calendar, (that began the new year in April) to the current Gregorian calendar. Others think it was to celebrate the onset of spring....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week — Gorillas Love Egg Hunts Too!If you think Easter egg hunts are meant only for humans, think again. At Ohio's Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, even the animals join in the fun. On Saturday, March 19, park officials organized the annual egg hunt for the resident western lowland gorillas by hiding brightly colored boiled eggs and other treats inside their enclosure....
Read news articleEaster Celebrations That Go Beyond Egg Rolls And Easter BunniesEaster weekend is upon us! For most of you, that means going to an egg roll or two, meeting the Easter bunny, participating in parades and best of all binging on delicious foods like honey-baked ham and potatoes with friends and family. It turns out that not all countries celebrate this important Christian holiday with these traditions. They have their own rituals which may not include egg hunts and Easter bunnies, but are equally fun!...
Read news articleRomania's Historical Salina Turda Salt Mine Is Home To A Unique Underground Amusement ParkOnce underground mines have served their purpose, most are sealed and forgotten. The 2000-year-old Salina Turda Salt Mine in the city of Turda, Romania was no exception. The mine which is believed to have opened in the Middle Ages (as far back as 1075) was shuttered in 1932 after competition from neighboring mines rendered its operation unprofitable....
Read news articleGet Your Greens Ready — St. Patrick's Day Is Almost Here!This past weekend, millions of people in cities around the world participated in parades honoring St. Patrick, the primary patron saint of Ireland. The marches, of course were just a precursor to the real celebrations that will take place on Thursday, March 17. As is the case every year, the holiday will be observed with fun activities like hunting down leprechauns that lead to gold and searching for lucky four leaf-clovers. So who was the amazing priest whose death anniversary is celebrated worldwide and what led to the unusual traditions? Read on . . ....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - It's Pi Day!March 14 (3/14) holds a significant place in the American school calendar. That's because on this day even the strictest of math teachers allow students to celebrate Pi (the numeral constant that represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter) with fun activities and a slice or two of its yummy namesake - Pie!...
Read news articleAustralian Toddler Has A Memorable First Encounter With A Vending MachineThe expression 'caught with a hand in the cookie jar', took on a whole new meaning on Sunday, February 28, when a young Australian boy got his hand stuck inside a vending machine. The chain of events leading to the bizarre incident began just after noon, when four-year-old Leo Shorthouse saw a vending machine filled with all kinds of yummy goodies in a hotel lobby in Melbourne, Australia....
Read news articleWingboarding May Allow Thrill-Seekers To Soar Amid CloudsThrill-seekers looking for a challenge may soon have a new option - Wingboarding. The sport is similar to wakeboarding except for one thing - Instead of performing acrobatics on water, wingboarders will conduct heart-stopping maneuvers in the skies while being towed behind an airplane....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Hate Cleaning? Get A Cat!The fact that cats are obsessed with cleanliness is well known. Felines, after all, do spend 50% of their waking hours grooming. However, this cat in Japan appears to be also concerned about keeping its home spotless....
Read news articleAdjust Your Calendars - February 2016 Has 29 Days!Here is some good news for those that need an extra day to catch up on sleep or to finish an assignment — 2016 is a leap year. This event that occurs every four years means that instead of the standard 365 days, the year will have 366 days. Since the extra day is tacked onto the shortest month of the year, February will have 29 days!...
Read news articleVideo Of The Week — Rainbow Bagels Anyone?The fact that New York bagels are delicious is undisputed. After all, who can argue with the incredible taste of the freshly-made hand-rolled delights that are available at the city's numerous bakeries. So how does one improve something that is already perfect? By adding a splash of color or in the case of The Bagel Store, multiple colors....
Read news articleWish To Build The Perfect Snowman? Pull Out Your Ruler!News flash: Everyone's favorite snowman, the adorable Olaf from Disney's animated film Frozen is not perfect! At least, that's what Dr. Hind, a mathematician at England's Nottingham Trent University who recently revealed a formula for building the perfect snowman asserts....
Read news articleValentine's Day — Good For The Heart And The EconomyValentine's Day is one of those rare holidays that is enjoyed by almost everyone in the world. After all, what's not to like about a day when loved ones get to shower each other with cards, flowers, chocolates, and jewelry? This display of affection does come at a steep price — Almost $19 billion, and that number is just for the USA....
Read news articleCan Spider-Man Exist In Real-Life? Depends On Which Researcher You Believe!In mid-January, scientists from University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology released some heart-breaking news for Spider-Man fans. The researchers said that the web-slinging hero could never exist in real-life. And it is not due to the lack of radioactive spiders, but because humans are simply too big to skitter up tall buildings....
Read news articleGet Ready To Celebrate Super Bowl Sunday AKA Super Eating SundayAsk any American what he/she is doing on Sunday, February 7 and the answer is likely to be either hosting or attending a Super Bowl party. For those that need a refresher, Super Bowl is the grand finale of the American football season. Played between the AFC (Denver Broncos) and NFC (Carolina Panthers) champions for the coveted title of the National Football League Champion, it is the most watched annual television program in the United States....
Read news articlePunxsutawney Phil And Staten Island Chuck Predict An Early Spring!It's February 2, the day when legendary groundhog Punxsutawney Phil and the relatively new Staten Island Chuck AKA Charles D. Hogg predict if Americans will have to suffer through an extended winter or enjoy an early spring. This year was no exception....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Super Bowl 50 Celebrations Begin In San FranciscoWith Super Bowl 50 less than the week away, the countdown to the big game between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers has begun. To entertain the over million visitors that are expected to come to the San Francisco Bay Area this week, the hosts have not just planned special events, but also created a 'Super Bowl City.'...
Read news articleWinter Activities That Go Beyond Skiing And SnowboardingFor most people normal winter sports like ice skating, skiing, or snowboarding provides enough excitement. However, for a select few adventurous souls those are not sufficient. They prefer to take advantage of the abundant snow and ice with 'sports' that range from heart-stopping to downright hilarious....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Giant Panda Tian Tian Shows How To Enjoy A BlizzardThis past weekend's massive blizzard that brought epic amounts of snow to Washington D.C. and cities across the US East coast had most people and animals scrambling for the safety of their homes. However, one of National Zoo's most beloved residents, Tian Tian was not amongst them....
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