Thread:61Storm/@comment-29709319-20190401001525/@comment-29709319-20190411013840

National Themes For April 11th: National Barber Shop Quartet Day, National Submarine Day, National Eight Track Tape Day, National Pet Day, National Cheese Fondue Day, National Support Teen Literature Day, and National Alcohol Screening Day.

💈National Barbershop Quartet Day! Barbershop quartets are a style of a cappella or unaccompanied vocal music. Their music features songs with understandable lyrics and easily singable melodies. Between 1900 and 1919 barbershop music found its popularity. In the 1920s, it began to fade into obscurity. However, the barbershop quartet saw a revival when the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America was founded. This men’s organization grew quickly as did other similar organizations promoting barbershop music as an artform. Today, just under 25,000 men in the United States and Canada are members of the SPEBSQSA.

⚓️National Submarine Day! The United States Navy acquired the Holland VI, the Navy’s first modern commissioned submarine, on April 11, 1900. Each April 11th honors this day as people across the nation celebrate National Submarine Day. The first known U.S. Navy submarine was the USS Alligator, the fourth United States Navy ship of that name. The Alligator was active during the American Civil War. America’s very first submarine, the Turtle, was built in the Revolutionary War era. However, the United States Navy did not exist when theTurtle was operational. Designed by Irish-American inventor John Phillip Holland in 1896, the Holland VI was launched on May 17, 1897, at Navy Lt. Lewis Nixon’s Crescent Shipyard in Elizabeth, New Jersey. It was later purchased by the United States Navy on April 11, 1900, becoming the United States Navy’s first commissioned submarine and renamed USS Holland (SS-1).

🎞National Eight Track Tape Day recognizes an era that was here and gone in a short 20 years. Popular from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s, eight track tapes are a magnetic tape sound recording technology. Eight track tape, also called Stereo 8, was created in 1964 by Bill Lear of Lear Jet Corporation along with Ampex, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Motorola and RCA Victor Records and released in 1965. It was in September of 1965 that Ford Motor Company introduced factory installed and dealer installed eight track tape players as an option to buyers on three of its 1966 models, the Thunderbird, Mustang and Lincoln. All of Ford’s vehicles offered this tape player upgrade option on the 1967 model. Through the 1980s optional eight track players were available in many cars and trucks. Eight track cartridges were phased out in the retail stores in the United States by late 1982. Some titles were still available as eight track tapes through various mail order clubs until late 1988. Many of the late period eight track tape releases are highly collectible today.

🐶National Pet Day. While loving our pets is something we do every day, National Pet Day encourages us to pay special attention to pets who may not get that extra attention. Helping out orphaned pet companions will improve their health and improve their opportunities for adoption. Sometimes their human companions aren’t well. Making sure their forever furry friends are receiving the best of care will help relieve stress and worry. Founded by Celebrity Pet Lifestyle Expert & Animal Welfare Advocate Colleen Paige in 2005. More information on National Pet Day can be found at www.petdayusa.com.

🧀National Cheese Fondue Day. Fondue is a dish of melted cheese or other ingredients, served in a communal pot (caquelon) over a small portable stove (réchaud). Bread is then dipped from long-stemmed forks into the cheese. Cheese fondue consists of a blend of cheeses, wine and seasoning. A 1966 book published in Zurich, under the name “Kass mit Wein zu kochen” is known for having the earliest known recipe for cheese fondue. It calls for grated or cut up cheese to be melted with wine and for the bread to be dipped in it. The success of fondue may be contributed to the introduction of cornstarch to Switzerland in 1905, which made it easier to make a smooth and stable emulsion of the wine and cheese.

📚National Support Teen Literature Day. Sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association, this day is to raise awareness among the general public that young adult literature is a vibrant, growing genre with much to offer today’s teens. Support Teen Literature Day also seeks to showcase some award-winning authors and books in the genre as well as highlight librarians expertise in connecting teens with books and other reading materials. National Support Teen Literature Day is coordinated by the American Library Association and began in 2007. For more information, you may visit the American Library Association website.

🍹National Alcohol Screening Day raises awareness about the harmful effects alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency can have on a person. By bringing an opportunity for education, referrals and treatment to those with alcohol dependency issues, screening is a large part of the outreach program. Screening centers will be located at colleges, military installations, designated business and selected government agencies. Sponsored by Screening For Mental Health, National Alcohol Screening Day is held each year on the Thursday of the first full week in April offering anonymous and confidential screenings online or in-person at NASD events. First held in 1999, National Alcohol Screening Day is an initiative of the National Institutes of Health.

Tomorrow is a state day and it's a super long one. I think I might have went overboard on things to do. I finally had to shut off the water on the waterfalls.

I remember 8-track tapes. More books for teens. I've noticed more authors are writing teen books. Hopefully the teens are reading them instead of always playing video games.

My twin give Bixby a tummy rub from me for pet day. I know how he loves his tummy rubs. And give Gilbert one too. If he will hold still long enough. All that puppy energy it makes it impossible to hold still that long sometimes. Maybe a wubba toss would be better for him.🐶🐶💕😊

Warm hugs!🐶🐶💕⛅️