A Long Time Ago, in a Blog post Far, Far Away

Today is National Star Wars Day. May the Fourth be with you. Today is a good day to celebrate these movies that started a revolution in the movie-making industry. Celebrate with this Blog post and watch these fantastic films today. More than just movies to many, many people, Star Wars lives!For as long as I can remember, I’ve been watching Star Wars. If you DON’T know it, it’s the story of Luke Skywalker, a key member of the Rebel Alliance who helps in the stand against the evil, oppressive Empire a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

That’s how the original trilogy goes, anyway. With older brothers and my dad—an avid science fiction fan—who cherished these movies, it was pre-decided for me that I would love these movies as much as they did. And I do. It was my DEStiny! Anyway, I found it amazing that three movies that started in 1977 were still able to generate so much excitement in my youth.

When the films were rereleased as the Special Edition, the Star Wars world was all abuzz. Not so much longer after that, the prequels came out which generated an incredible amount of enthusiasm and anticipation. And we live in exciting times right NOW as a new trilogy is being filmed.

That’s right, if you haven’t heard the news yet—here it is!—Star Wars is coming back and the first movie of the new trilogy is being released on December 18 of 2015! And, despite a largely disappointed crowd of Star Wars fans after the release of the prequel movies, these new films are getting Star Wars fans excited again.

Bringing back a surprisingly great number of the original Star Wars cast including Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), and many more, these movies are set to take place some time after ‘The Return of the Jedi’ (the last film in the original trilogy).

Get excited and click the link to watch the really cool Star Wars trailer below (if you haven’t already seen it). Happy Star Wars Day and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngElkyQ6Rhs

Hey there, Girl Scouts!

You know what makes Scouts so much fun? Your Girl Scout Leaders! Ever committed to leading by example, Girl Scout leaders work wonders in youth development by teaching young girls the qualities of honesty, fairness, courage, strength, resourcefulness, respecting each other, and making the world a better place. It only makes sense to have a day dedicated to our Girl Scout Leaders. Today is Girl Scout Leader Day.

This organization that started with just 18 Scouts and Juliette Gordon Low (or ‘Daisy’ as all the Scouts called her) took off just three years after the their original outing in 1912. Once an official organization, girls all over the nation started attending Scouts.

Nowadays, the Girl Scouts Organization spans 100 local councils across the country, headed by the Chief Executive Officer, the National Board of Directors, Headquarters Staff, Professional Staffers, and Volunteers. Thanks to these women involved in the world of Scouts, young girls get the chance to learn valuable lessons and healthy lifestyles.

Providing girls with an experience that gets them out of their routine, domestic lifestyle is what Girl Scouts are all about.  Knowing how restorative and refreshing the great outdoors are for the mind, body, and soul, Daisy had no idea that her intuitive desires would blossom into a nationwide movement. Her dream has stayed alive for all these years.

Daisy got these girls to embrace their community by giving back to it. They went hiking and camping. They played basketball, learned to tell time by looking at the sky, and studied first aid. Girl Scout Leaders are still showing young Scouts these useful skills.

Since today is Girl Scout Leader Day, celebrate by writing to your old leaders that made a difference in your life and let them know what a great job they did and where you are now! As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Brothers and Sisters!

Today is National Siblings Day. Like it or not, your siblings are some of the closest people to you. They’re right there with you as you BOTH grow up. There are often times lots of laughs, lots of fights, lots of tattling, and lots of secrets shared. May as well make the best of it. 

Just as we have Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, today we have Siblings Day and spending the day with your sibling/s is a great way to celebrate it. What’s the point in National Siblings Day? I mean, our siblings don’t necessarily take care of us (some might, but in that scenario, only one of the siblings is doing the care-giving). AND not everyone even HAS a sibling!

So why have a day dedicated entirely to them? Well, because, unlike your friends, you can’t pick your siblings—not that there isn’t a World Friendship Day. But you’re stuck with the family to which you’re born and nothing can ever really change that. Even if you secede from your family, your siblings will still have been your siblings. You just won’t be joining them for family get-togethers anymore.

Almost all siblings are going to fight once in a while, unless you’re extremely like-minded twins who are always on the same page or something like that. I’m very close to all four of my siblings and, despite that, I can say, with absolute confidence, that at some point or another I’ve fought with them all.

But just because you might fight with your younger or older brother or sister, doesn’t mean that you don’t share a deep connection with each other. Celebrate National Siblings Day today by spending some quality time with your brothers or sisters. Go for a walk. Ride your bikes. Play a game. Watch a movie. Whatever you do, you’ll be happy to be doing it together.

Happy National Siblings Day and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Popcorn Lovers!

If you’re like everyone else on the planet, then you’re probably a pretty big fan of popcorn. If that’s right, then today is directly up your alley! It’s National Popcorn Lover’s Day! Not to be confused with National Popcorn Day, Popcorn Lover’s Day arrives every year on the second Thursday in March.

It comes as no surprise that we have, not just one, but two days throughout the year that celebrate this intriguing food AND the people who love to eat it. What’s not to love, anyway? Popcorn is one of those extremely versatile snack foods; it can take on a lot of different faces.

Traditionally (in the U.S. anyway), popcorn is topped with salt and butter, though some folks prefer their popcorn be cheeesy.  But even so, while the salty take on popcorn is definitely the more popular route, popcorn also likes to show off its sweet side. Dressing this treat up in caramel is genius to any sweet tooth. And who doesn’t love kettle corn?

But that’s only scraping the tip of the popcorn flavor iceberg. Let’s dig deeper—shall we?—to discover what experimental flavors are out there! Reminiscent of ‘Harry Potter Jelly Bellies’, popcorn can take on some pretty bizarre flavors. How bold are you when it comes to popcorn?

Would you try Eggnog Flavored Popcorn? What about Hot Sauce and Pickle Juice? Which, by the way, looks like this: The weird list doesn’t end there, though. Ever hear of Dill Pickle and Ice Cream? This combo is a favorite among pregnant women. You could also try Buffalo Wing and Blue Cheese. There’s Curry Coconut and Cashews. And Loaded Baked Potato—a combination of butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon.

They may be weird, but weird ice cream flavors aren’t made just for the sake of being weird. They’re actually carefully concocted flavors meant to be enjoyed. I, myself, have never tried any strange popcorn flavors, so I can’t say if any of them are any good.

But, I can’t say any of them are bad either. But even if I could, there’s only one way for you to find out if YOU like it! Enjoy National Popcorn Lover’s Day and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Science Students!

Today is Create a Vacuum Day. This task is extremely involved and challenging. And, despite the fact that I wouldn’t expect or even encourage anyone to try creating their own homemade vacuum chamber, I DO believe it’s a subject that, at least, warrants a Blog post’s worth of discussion.

However, before we move on to what a vacuum chamber is, I want to quickly define what ‘space’ is. I’m not talking about space as in the final frontier, but more so, space, like the stuff that you take up (which isn’t really any different than outer space). Space is something that stuff inhabits—or DOESN’T inhabit.

I inhabit space. You inhabit space. My sister’s Chihuahua inhabits a considerably smaller amount of space. And when you travel from point A to point B, you’re traveling THROUGH space.

Okay, now let’s ask, what is a vacuum chamber?

No, it’s not some accessory on your Hoover or Dirt Devil (though this is where ‘vacuum’ cleaners get their name). A vacuum chamber is typically a jar of some sort that has been sealed up with nothing inside of it. And when I say ‘nothing’ I mean NOT a THING!

If I ask you to imagine a jar of nothing, what do you think of? A jar that’s been emptied of all the pickles and pickle juice (or whatever else) that was previously stored inside the jar? Yeah, some people might consider this an empty jar. But a vacuum chamber takes it one step further and empties the jar of AIR! It may seems excessive, but air, while invisible and virtually weightless, certainly is SOMEthing.

A vacuum chamber holds truly EMPTY space. Now that I’ve explained what a vacuum chamber is, you might ask what’s the point in creating one? Well, the fact is things behave differently in a vacuum than they do in the atmospheric world that we know and love. Among other strange phenomena, sound doesn’t exist!

Happy Create a Vacuum Day and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John