MDBCs 05 Apr 2024

When was the last time you picked up a map and used it for directions? No, not a GPS or a map app, but an actual paper map? Don't remember? Here are some ways to celebrate Read a Road Map Day:

Take a short road trip and use only paper maps to guide you. Bring along a navigator who does the map reading and directing for you. If you do not have a navigator, please make sure you only read the map when your car is at a complete stop.
If you have never read a map, take some time to learn to read one. We reckon it will be a good skill to have in the unlikely event of a zombie apocalypse.
Learn more about maps and how they are made.

Did You Know...

...that the Turin Papyrus is thought to be the oldest recorded road map in the world? Historians believe that it was created around 1160 BCE.

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First Contact Day

Fans of the sci-fi series Star Trek celebrate First Contact Day on April 5 to mark the day in 2063 when humans make their first contact with the Vulcans.

The day is celebrated as a minor holiday in the Star Trek world and made its first appearance on the episode named Homestead in the Star Trek: Voyager series.

TV Show

Star Trek is an American television and film enterprise first created in 1966 by Gene Roddenberry. The first television series in the franchise debuted in 1966 and is now known as The Original Series. It followed the adventures of the crew of the starship USS Enterprise under the leadership of Captain James T Kirk.

Humanoid Race

The Enterprise is a 23rd-century spaceship of the United Federation of Planets, a federation of more than 150 governments from different planets. The Federation as it is popularly known was created in 2161.

The Vulcans are a humanoid race from the planet Vulcan, which is about 16 light years from Earth. Vulcans are considered to be masters of logic who have found ways to suppress their violent emotions. Commander Spock is one of the most well-known Vulcans in the Star Trek universe.

How to Celebrate?

Have a Star Trek themed party for all your family and friends. Have your guests come dressed as their favorite characters.
Make cheese pierogis, one of the dishes made by characters celebrating the day on the show.
Attend a Star Trek fan meet and meet other like-minded people.
Hold a Start Trek viewing marathon.
Greet everyone you meet on this day with the Vulcan salute. To do this, raise your hands with your palm facing outwards, and your thumb away from your hand. Part your middle and ring finger such that the index and middle finger are together and your ring and little finger are close to each other.

Did You Know…

…that the first First Contact Day was celebrated 315 years after the first contact on 2378?

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Walk to Work Day

Years of medical research has shown that walking is one of the best ways to stay healthy and keep your body in shape. So, once a year, why not take the doctor’s advice and walk to work on Walk to Work Day?

Walk to Work Day, an unofficial holiday, occurs on various dates in different countries. In the United States, the day is annually observed on the first Friday of April.

This event is different from the American Heart Association’s National Walk to Work Day, which is held on the first Wednesday of April.

How to Celebrate?

Wear comfortable walking shoes and walk to work.
If you are unable to walk to work, take public transport instead and then walk from the bus or train stop to your workplace.
If you have to drive or take public transport to your workplace, why not walk to your lunch instead.
Not in the United States, do not worry! You can still celebrate the holiday by yourself. Recruit colleagues and friends to walk with you to work.

Did You Know...

...that an average adult person uses 200 muscles in his or her body to take a step forward?

***

My friend John and I, determined to see the world, signed on a Norwegian freighter as deckhands. We were being trained as helmsmen, and John's first lesson was given by the mate, a seasoned but gentle white-haired seafarer. John was holding the heading he had been given, when the mate ordered, "Come starboard."

Pleased at knowing immediately which way starboard was, John left the helm and walked over to his instructor.

The mate had an incredulous look on his face as the helm swung freely, but he merely asked politely, "Could you bring the ship with you?"

***

While rummaging through her attic, my friend Kathryn found an old shotgun. Unsure about how to dispose of it, she called her parents. "Take it to the police station," her mother suggested. My friend was about to hang up when her mother added, "And Kathryn?"

"Yes, Mom?"

"Call first."

***

During a beautiful spring afternoon, I was attending the Cheat River Festival in West Virginia. Just as I stopped to listen to a folk singer, a group of exhibitors, dragging out tools and sawhorses, began setting up their display booth nearby. All their shouting and hammering made it difficult to enjoy the music. The noise they made got louder and even more obnoxious and intrusive as time went on. Finally, to everyone's relief, they completed the construction. As a finishing touch, they hung a sign on their booth.

It read "Silent Auction."

***

Some newly married friends were visiting us when the topic of children came up. The bride said she wanted three children, while the young husband demurred, saying two would be enough for him. They discussed this discrepancy for a few minutes until the husband thought he'd put an end to things, saying boldly,

"After our second child, I'll just have a vasectomy."

Without a moment's hesitation, the bride retorted, "Well, I hope you'll love the third one like it's your own!"