Articles to Help with Writing - Relationships

About Mother's Day: The Origin, History, and Story

Gary R. Hess — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:10:29 +0000

The history and origin of Mother's Day is similar to other traditional holidays with a background of religion. The story of the first official Mother's Day begins with Anna Jarvis in the early 1900s.

Mother's Day, like most present-day holidays, has its roots from religion. The tradition began as Mothering Sunday, which is still celebrated in many parts of the world. This day, the fourth Sunday of Lent, is also known as Laetare Sunday to Catholics. Laetare Sunday is the celebration of mother of Jesus's birth.

Even though Mothering Sunday is used as a day to celebrate mothers, historically the day was seen as strictly a religious holiday.

This is why Julia Ward Howe started the call for a Mother's Day in the United States. In 1870, she wrote the "Mother's Day Proclamation" in hopes to begin the celebration. And over the next few decades, it did. But only on the local level.

Nonetheless, the celebration of Mother's Day still wasn't wide spread in the early 1900s. Anna Jarvis set out to change that.^1,2 She dreamed of making it a national holiday. However, her success didn't begin until the Philadelphia merchant John Wanamaker stepped in to help.

At this point, Jarvis began trademarking phrases such as "second Sunday in May" and "Mother's Day" in the United States to help spark interest. She also created the Mother's Day International Association in hopes of finding support for her cause.

In 1914, Woodrow Wilson granted Jarvis's wish and made Mother's Day an official holiday. On May 9, 1914, President Wilson issued a proclamation declaring the first national Mother's Day.

Several years after the days official creation, the holiday became so commercialized that even its creator considered it a "Hallmark Holiday". She spent all of her inheritance fighting what she saw as an abuse of the celebration.

Jarvis later said she wishes she never started the holiday since it became so out of control. Maybe she is right.

Today, Mother's Day is the most popular day of the year to dine in a restaurant. In total, Americans spend about $2.8 billion Mother's Day and accounts for 7.8% of the total jewelry industry's revenue.

In 1868 Anna's mother, Ann, created a committee to establish "Mother's Friendship Day" which was meant to reunite families after the Civil War. She died in 1905. This led to Anna's efforts to establish a Mother's Day to celebrate mothers.
Jarvis wasn't the first to publically call for a national Mother's Day holiday. That honor goes to Frank E. Hering in 1904. All previous calls for the holiday were for other purposes, not to celebrate mothers specifically.

Poemas de Amor: Love Poems in Spanish

Gary R. Hess — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:24:07 +0000

Spanish is a wonderful and beautiful language. The words can easily melt anyones heart. When the words are strung together to form a love poem you might as well say "Bye-bye legs," and "Hello wonderful." This romance language is truly a flirtation by the tongue.

If you speak Spanish or, at the very least, understand a few words read on to check out these poemas de amor (love poems in Spanish) for a great inspiring and passionate read.

And guys, women love romantic languages and poems. Recite one of these to your girlfriend/wife/lover and you'll get some bonus points.

Afectos varios de su corazón, fluctuando en las ondas de los cabellos de Lisi

This poem titled "Various Affections of His Heart" in English uses various metaphors to discuss how affectionate the man feels. "Afectos varios de su corazón" is written by Francisco de Quevedo. It consists of four stanzas, the first two with four lines and the last two with three. It is rhymed as ABBA and ABA. Each line has twelve syllables.

Category: poemas de amor


"Afectos varios de su corazón"

En crespa tempestad del oro undoso
nada golfos de luz ardiente y pura
mi corazón, sediento de hermosura,
si el cabello deslazas generoso.

Leandro en mar de fuego proceloso,
su amor ostenta, su vivir apura;
Icaro en senda de oro mal segura
arde sus alas por morir glorioso.

Con pretensión de fénix, encencidas
sus esperanzas, que difuntas lloro,
intenta que su muerte engendre vidas.

Avaro y rico, y pobre en el tesoro,
el castigo y la hambre imita a Midas,
Tántalo en fugitiva fuente de oro.

Poema de Francisco de Quevedo

Discurso de Eva

"Discurso de Eva" is a poem written by Carilda Oliver Labra translates literally to "Discourse by Eva", but is mostly a talk given by her.

Category: poemas de amor


"Discurso de Eva"
Hoy te saludo brutalmente:
con un golpe de tos
o una patada.
¿Dónde te metes,
a dónde huyes con tu caja loca
de corazones,
con el reguero de pólvora que tienes?
¿Dónde vives:
en la fosa en que caen todos los sueños
o en esa telaraña donde cuelgan
los huérfanos de padre?

Te extraño,
¿sabes?
como a mí misma
o a los milagros que no pasan.
Te extraño,
¿sabes?
Quisiera persuadirte no sé de qué alegría,
de qué cosa imprudente.

¿Cuándo vas a venir?
Tengo una prisa por jugar a nada,
por decirte: «mi vida»
y que los truenos nos humillen
y las naranjas palidezcan en tu mano.
Tengo unas ganas locas de mirarte al fondo
y hallar velos
y humo,
que, al fin, parece en llama.

De verdad que te quiero,
pero inocentemente,
como la bruja clara donde pienso.
De verdad que no te quiero,
pero inocentemente,
como el ángel embaucado que soy.
Te quiero,
no te quiero.
Sortearemos estas palabras
y una que triunfe será la mentirosa.
Amor...
( ¿Qué digo? estoy equivocada,
aquí quise decir que ya te odio. )
¿Por qué no vienes?
¿Cómo es posible
que me dejes pasar sin compromiso con el fuego?
¿Cómo es posible que seas austral
y paranoico
y renuncies a mí?

Estarás leyendo los periódicos
o cruzando
por la muerte
y la vida.
Estarás con tus problemas de acústica y de ingle,
inerte,
desgraciado,
entreteniéndote en una aspiración del luto.
Y yo que te deshielo,
que te insulto,
que te traigo un jacinto desplomado;
yo que te apruebo la melancolía;
yo que te convoco
a las sales del cielo,
yo que te zurzo:
¿qué?
¿Cuándo vas a matarme a salivazos,
héroe?
¿Cuándo vas a molerme otra vez bajo la lluvia?
¿Cuándo?
¿Cuándo vas a llamarme pajarito
y puta?
¿Cuándo vas a maldecirme?
¿Cuándo?
Mira que pasa el tiempo,
el tiempo,
el tiempo, I
y ya no se me aparecen ni los duendes,
y ya no entiendo los paraguas,
y cada vez soy más sincera,
augusta...

Si te demoras,
si se te hace un nudo y no me encuentras,
vas a quedarte ciego;
si no vuelves ahora: infame, imbécil, torpe, idiota,
voy a llamarme nunca.

Ayer soñé que mientras nos besábamos
había sonado un tiro
y que ninguno de los dos soltamos la esperanza.
Este es un amor
de nadie;
lo encontramos perdido,
náufrago,
en la calle.
Entre tú y yo lo recogimos para ampararlo.
Por eso, cuando nos mordemos,
de noche,
tengo como un miedo de madre a quien dejaste sola.
Pero no importa,
bésame,
otra vez y otra vez
para encontrarme.
Ajústate a mi cintura,
vuelve;
sé mi animal,
muéveme.
Destilaré la vida que me sobra,
los niños condenados.
Dormiremos como homicidas que se salvan
atados por una flor incomparable.
Ya la mañana siguiente cuando cante el gallo
seremos la naturaleza
y me pareceré a tus hijos en la cama.

Vuelve, vuelve.
Atraviésame a rayos.
Hazme otra vez una llave turca.
Pondremos el tocadiscos para sIempre.
Ven con tu nuca de infiel,
con tu pedrada.
Júrame que no estoy muerta.
Te prometo, amor mío, la manzana.

Poema de Carilda Oliver Labra

Los Amorosos

This famous Jaime Sabines poem translates into English as "The Loving". The poem speaks about what loving each other does to the couple.

Category: poemas de amor


"Los Amorosos"

Los amorosos callan.
El amor es el silencio más fino,
el más tembloroso, el más insoportable.
Los amorosos buscan,
los amorosos son los que abandonan,
son los que cambian, los que olvidan.
Su corazón les dice que nunca han de encontrar,
no encuentran, buscan.

Los amorosos andan como locos
porque están solos, solos, solos,
entregándose, dándose a cada rato,
llorando porque no salvan al amor.
Les preocupa el amor. Los amorosos
viven al día, no pueden hacer más, no saben.
Siempre se están yendo,
siempre, hacia alguna parte.
Esperan,
no esperan nada, pero esperan.
Saben que nunca han de encontrar.
El amor es la prórroga perpetua,
siempre el paso siguiente, el otro, el otro.
Los amorosos son los insaciables,
los que siempre ¡qué bueno! han de estar solos.

Los amorosos son la hidra del cuento.
Tienen serpientes en lugar de brazos.
Las venas del cuello se les hinchan
también como serpientes para asfixiarlos.
Los amorosos no pueden dormir
porque si se duermen se los comen los gusanos.

En la obscuridad abren los ojos
y les cae en ellos el espanto.

Encuentran alacranes bajo la sábana
y su cama flota como sobre un lago.

Los amorosos son locos, sólo locos,
sin Dios y sin diablo.

Los amorosos salen de sus cuevas
temblorosos, hambrientos,
a cazar fantasmas.
Se ríen de las gentes que lo saben todo,
de las que aman a perpetuidad, verídicamente,
de las que creen en el amor como en una lámpara de inagotable aceite.

Los amorosos juegan a coger el agua,
a tatuar el humo, a no irse.
Juegan el largo, el triste juego del amor.
Nadie ha de resignarse.
Dicen que nadie ha de resignarse.
Los amorosos se avergüenzan de toda conformación.

Vacíos, pero vacíos de una a otra costilla,
la muerte les fermenta detrás de los ojos,
y ellos caminan, lloran hasta la madrugada
en que trenes y gallos se despiden dolorosamente.

Les llega a veces un olor a tierra recién nacida,
a mujeres que duermen con la mano en el sexo, complacidas,
a arroyos de agua tierna y a cocinas.

Los amorosos se ponen a cantar entre labios
una canción no aprendida.
Y se van llorando, llorando
la hermosa vida.

Poema de Jaime Sabines

Mi Amor Descubre Objetos

This poem by Isabel Fraire is translated as "My love discovers things." The speaker goes on to tell of all the wonders her love finds, basically stating how great she feels when her love is around.

Category: poemas de amor


"Mi Amor Descubre Objetos"

mi amor descubre objetos
sedosas mariposas
se ocultan en sus dedos

sus palabras
me salpican de estrellas

bajo los dedos de mi amor la noche
brilla como relámpago

mi amor inventa mundos en que habitan
serpientes cuajadas de brillantes

mundos en que la música es el mundo
mundos en que las casas con los ojos abiertos
contemplan el amanecer

mi amor es un loco girasol que olvida
pedazos de sol en el silencio

Poema de Isabel Fraire

Oda al Amor

This poem by Pablo Neruda is one of his most famous writings. In English, it translates to "Ode to love". Read and enjoy!

Category: poemas de amor


"Oda al Amor"

Amor, hagamos cuentas.
A mi edad
no es posible
engañar o engañarnos.
Fui ladrón de caminos,
tal vez,
no me arrepiento.
Un minuto profundo,
una magnolia rota
por mis dientes
y la luz de la luna
celestina.
Muy bien, pero, el balance?
La soledad mantuvo
su red entretejida
de fríos jazmineros
y entonces
la que llegó a mis brazos
fue la reina rosada
de las islas.
Amor,
con una gota,
aunque caiga
durante toda y toda
la nocturna
primavera
no se forma el océano
y me quedé desnudo,
solitario, esperando.

Pero, he aquí que aquella
que pasó por mis brazos
como una ola
aquella
que sólo fue un sabor
de fruta vespertina,
de pronto
parpadeó como estrella,
ardió como paloma
y la encontré en mi piel
desenlazándose
como la cabellera de una hoguera.
Amor, desde aquel día
todo fue más sencillo.
Obedecí las órdenes
que mi olvidado corazón me daba
y apreté su cintura
y reclamé su boca
con todo el poderío
de mis besos,
como un rey que arrebata
con un ejército desesperado
una pequeña torre donde crece
la azucena salvaje de su infancia.
Por eso, Amor, yo creo
que enmarañado y duro
puede ser tu camino,
pero que vuelves
de tu cacería
y cuando enciendes
otra vez el fuego,
como el pan en la mesa,
así, con sencillez,
debe estar lo que amamos.
Amor, eso me diste.
Cuando por vez primera
ella llegó a mis brazos
pasó como las aguas
en una despeñada primavera.
Hoy
la recojo.
Son angostas mis manos pequeñas
las cuencas de mis ojos
para que ellas reciban
su tesoro,
la cascada
de interminable luz, el hilo de oro,
el pan de su fragancia
que son sencillamente, Amor, mi vida.

Poema de Pablo Neruda

Palpar

The title of this poem translates to "Touch" in English. The writing talks about how the speaker touches his lovers body and his fingertips remember every inch of her.

Category: poemas de amor "Palpar"

Mis manos
abren las cortinas de tu ser
te visten con otra desnudez
descubren los cuerpos de tu cuerpo
Mis manos
inventan otro cuerpo a tu cuerpo

Poema de Octavio Paz

Romance De La Luna, Luna

The title of this Federico Garcia Lorca is translated as "Romance of the moon, moon". The poem speaks of the beauty of the moon.

Category: poemas de amor


"Romance De La Luna, Luna"

La luna vino a la fragua
con su polisón de nardos.
El niño la mira mira.
El niño la está mirando.
En el aire conmovido
mueve la luna sus brazos
y enseña, lúbrica y pura,
sus senos de duro estaño.
Huye luna, luna, luna.
Si vinieran los gitanos,
harían con tu corazón
collares y anillos blancos.
Niño, déjame que baile.
Cuando vengan los gitanos,
te encontrarán sobre el yunque
con los ojillos cerrados.

Huye luna, luna, luna,
que ya siento sus caballos.
Níno, déjame, no pises
mi blancor almidonado.

El jinete se acercaba
tocando el tambor del llano
Dentro de la fragua el niño,
tiene los ojos cerrados.

Por el olivar venían,
bronce y sueño, los gitanos.
Las cabezas levantadas
y los ojos entornados.

¡Cómo canta la zumaya,
ay cómo canta en el árbol!
Por el cielo va la luna
con un niño de la mano.

Dentro de la fragua lloran,
dando gritos, los gitanos.
El aire la vela, vela.
El aire la está velando. 

Poema de Federico Garcia Lorca

I hope you enjoy these poemas españoles!

Famous Love Letters

Gary R. Hess — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:24:00 +0000

Man has been writing for thousands of years. Ever since, they have been writing about their love: their love for animals; their love for hunting; and yes, their love for other human-beings.

Many famous people have been known to write love letters. Many of the letters have been kept for memory purposes or historical reference. Whatever the reason, we are glad they have been documented and open to the public. It not only makes for great citing, but also for a great read.

Famous Love Letters

Abigail Adams - A very beautiful letter written to her husband, John Adams.
Ludwig Beethoven - Yes, Beethoven had his own little "angel" of his own. This is an amazing love letter written by one of the greatest musicians of all-time.
Winston Churchill - Yes, even Churchill tried his hand in romantic writing. Of course, this one was written to his darling Clemmie in 1935.
Zelda Sayre to F. Scott Fitzgerald - Perhaps her writing is just as great as Fitzgerald's (at least in this instance).
Mark Twain - One of the most prolific American writers used his pen to get his ladies. This is a short but quite romantic work. Whatever woman received this was quite lucky and surely happy.
Napoleon (1795) - Even famous generals wrote letters. Women are wonderful creatures, they could even make Napoleon's heart melt.
Napoleon (1797) - Another fantastic writing by the great leader of France.
Van Gogh - A great artist of all types. Of course, he was a bit weird. This was written to his brother about his cousin. Yikes! Although, it was much more common during that period.
Voltaire - A great thinker thought his way to writing this amazing letter to his own love.

These are just some of the few great love letters written throughout history. Even today, men and women are writing them, except instead of on pen and paper they are happening in emails, Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere. People haven't changed as much as you'd think. We simply have different means of going about it.

How To Shake the Writing Ideas Out and Never be Lost Again

Gary R. Hess — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:48:32 +0000

A 12 Step Program to Better Writing Habits

Running out of ideas to write is the worst nightmare for writers. Nonetheless, there's always something to write about. The problem is you must know how to go about getting to this stage in order to take advantage of it.

First, you should accept that having writer's block or lack of ideas is your fault. Like recovering from an addiction, the first step to recovery is acceptance that you have a problem. And lack of ideas is an addiction. It's an addiction as you wrongly accept that you are powerless to the feeling. But you aren't. You can overcome it.

Second, believe that your work can change the lives of others; however, you must first write to be able to do it. Writing is powerful. It can inspire us to do things we would never do by ourselves. Your work can do this. Believe it.

Third, make the decision to turn your writing over to your own knowledge and past. You are the author, and you must use your first-hand experiences. As authors, we should always write about what we know. And if we don't know it, we should research.

Fourth, make a list of what you are doing and your surroundings whenever you start feeling lost for words. Is there music? Is it a crowded place? Is a specific person around? Something could be giving you negative feedback or be getting part of your attention. You need to search and eliminate it.

Fifth, admit to someone about the nature of your problem. Be honest and talk about your lack of ideas and other shortcomings within your writings. This person can be a friend, spouse, or even a fellow writer. Whoever you choose, it doesn't necessarily matter. The process of recovery during this step is through acknowledging your problems aloud to someone who will listen.

Sixth, be willing to let go of the causes you found in step four. This can be tough, but it is also a must in order to become a better writer overall.

Seventh, accept that recovery is not a quick process and you will need to put in hard work. You need to be mentally ready. This includes following all the steps from one to six and readying yourselves for what's to come next.

Eighth, join a writers group. If you don't have one within your city, look for a community online which talks about writing and not necessarily showing your work. Being able to simply talk about writing, problems during the process, and helping others can give you ideas for your own writing.

Ninth, make amends with your past writing and accept that not all writing is meant to be perfect. You are always learning new things, and learning how to become a better writer is one of them. You should always be able to pick three works you wrote five years ago and find at least two of them in need of great changes and hold many flaws.

Tenth, always try to have maintenance on your writing, ideas, and your surroundings. Take control and don't let it control you.

Eleventh, understand that there is a purpose for everything, even if you don't see it. The world works off of energy and whether or not you are the negative or positive effect is up to you. You must work to be the positive and work towards the purpose. By this, you must know what type of writer you are. Do you work best in non-fiction? Fiction? First-person? Short stories? Essays? What about your writer's voice?

Twelfth, follow these rules at all times. This is the hardest step for many writers, especially when first starting the program.

Going through this twelve step program is a lot of work, and can take some time getting use to. However, step twelve is a great place to be.

20 Great Images to Inspire Beautiful Poetry

Gary R. Hess — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 03:00:51 +0000

Like most arts, poetry needs inspiration. That inspiration can come from a large variety of places: your love life, your family, your hobbies, and many other subjects. Actually, the list is endless. Being inspired can come from basically anywhere under the sun and even beyond.

Nonetheless, this doesn't mean you are always motivated. If you are reading this, you probably need a bit of motivation yourself.

To help you out, I've selected 20 great images which will help you create a beautiful poem.

Want to write a new style of poem? Check out our list of 55 different types of poetry.

This beautiful woman is great inspiration for men of all ages and some women too.
Here are some beautiful mountains from a distance with people standing within the landscape. Great for nature writings or other inspiration.
Old metal objects is the name of this photo. Out on the sea.
If you love animals like me, you'll surely be able to take a few words from this photograph.
Humor is sometimes the best medicine, even for writing.
This image is for all the dog lovers out there.
This dandelion still has its fluff. A wonder of nature and a horror of the lawn.
This photo can hold different meanings to different people. One might see a picture of industrialization and economic power. Another might see a photograph of pollution filling the air and destroying our environment. Whatever you see, I hope it helps you write your next poem.
Sometimes insects are the most prettiest creatures we see in any given day. This little guy might be that insect.
Here's another gorgeous young female to entice the eyes and the hand for writing.
Beautiful apple flowers blooming. A wonderful sight to see.
This is a photograph of a former slave. It was taken during the 1860s.
The sunrise is said to be one of the world's greatest wonders. This one sits above the Black Sea.
This marvelous little guy packs a nasty punch. The hornet sting is more powerful than your typical wasp.
This is simply a stunning image of old shoes, definitely worthy of making this list.
This old bottle probably went through a long and rough life, but is still around to tell us a story through our work.
A trapdoor spider made a wonderful view for us to web our ideas into.
The sea is one of my favorite places to go for peaceful thoughts.
This is a stunning image of deliciousness to help get our mouth hungry for words and our hand ready to pick them.
A fire burning to light our eyes for late night poetry writing.

All images are in the Public Domain, so feel free to use them, edit them, and whatever else to create your wonderful work of literature.

Movie of the Century: 20th Century, That Is

Gary R. Hess — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:42:33 +0000

The 20th century was full of many fantastic films. Even if you didn't watch movies before the 1990s, you still probably saw quite a few classics like Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction. Nonetheless, those movies still fail in comparison to other great films made even before color.

I'm of the belief that films which don't age are some of the best films. When you watch Jaws (a fantastic film, by the way) one of the obvious things you notice is how dated the graphics are. Hell, even if you watch movies from the early 00s, you'll find some which are dated. They simply don't hold up with the test of time. Even non-graphics heavy films can be dated: see Scary Movie and Date Movie.

Horrors often look dated through new blood technology, new societal thrills (some things just aren't as scary today as they were 30 years ago), and of course, they often have horrible scripts or bad acting to begin with. Exceptions generally include Hitchcock films.

Comedies generally become dated because they reference current events when the film occurred, the situational comedy which involves social norms at the time aren't so normal anymore, and of course, like horrors the script generally isn't that well to begin with and comedic acting hardly ever works out. Exceptions include Some Like It Hot and Grounghog Day.

Dramas are a whole other beast. It generally depends on what the drama is about. If it about a historical event, it depends on how deep the film goes and what new evidence has come up. Of course, then the script is at fault if something goes wrong or doesn't sit right with those of us who enjoy historical dramas. You have love stories which have problems with social values changing, and you have action packed films with changing graphics as well as values. Exceptions include Schindler's List and Pulp Fiction.

Of course, some quality films are dated. As I mentioned earlier, Jaws is a prime example of this. However, when talking about the best, and I mean purely the top 10 movies of all-time, a film should hold through the test of time, have a quality script, and excellent acting. Frankly, not many films can do this. Actually, not even many films throughout cinema history have accomplished two of those three.

Alright, you are probably wondering what the "movie of the century" is.

It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life has stood through the test of time, has an excellent script, and quality acting.

Yes, it's technically a Christmas movie and a great one at that, but there is much more to the film than simply being a holiday flick.

It's a Wonderful Life is Timeless

Much of the film revolves around issues and circumstances which are still true today. Even George Bailey's job as a lender is definitely true today. The town's people's issues? True today. The war? True today. People wondering about the "what ifs" in life? Everyone can relate to that.

Everyone can also relate to the family issues. They relate to the romance.

The graphics are basically non-existent (except when they show the sky, but that's not much of an issue). So there's really nothing to be out-dated in that sense.

Of course, the timelessness of the film may very well be helped by the fact it is about the past when it was made, so it had to try to be timeless in that sense.

It's a Wonderful Life is well scripted

There are many, many quality lines in the film. The most famous is the one about the moon.

What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary.

Of course, that's not all. Every time George Bailey gives a rant towards Mr. Potter it sends tingles down my spine. Amazing, amazing writing.

It's a Wonderful Life has fantastic acting

Of course, the most famous actor in the film is James Stewart. However, did you know that Lionel Barrymore is actually Mr. Potter? And Donna Reed as Mary Hatch is pretty darned good too. All three are known for their wonderful acting, and they all hold true to form in this movie.

In short, there's nothing to dislike about the movie. There are no inaccuracies, no cringe-worthy lines, not even any time related issues. It's sweet. It's dramatic. There's even a moral for those who like that sort of thing.

It's perfect. It is truly the movie of the century.

Australia Day: History and Traditions

Gary R. Hess — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:43:49 +0000

Australia Day is the national day of Australia. No, it isn't an independence day. It is the celebration of the First Fleet which arrived on Australia's shore from January 18 to January 20 in 1788. The ship included 1,487 (778 of which were convicts). The fleet was captained by Arthur Phillip and landed on Botany Bay. The first ship to arrive was HMS Supply, an armed tender boat led by Captain Henry Lidgbird Ball, on January 18.

This day is a newly celebrated holiday. The day was not an official holiday throughout Australia until 1994 when all states and territories celebrated for the first time on the same day. Nonetheless, in recent years it has become widely celebrated. According to a poll taken in 2005, 66% of Australian's indicated they would celebrate the holiday that year.

Like many first arrival holidays (such as Columbus Day in the United States), Australia Day is often debated as to whether it should be celebrated or not. This is due to the same reasons as other first contacts of native peoples--small pox and other diseases were introduced and many deaths occurred. The day is sometimes referred to as Invasion Day and Survival Day. Proposals have also been made to change the date of the holiday to make it farther away from the First Fleet arrival.

Celebrations for this day include:

Fireworks
Barbecue
Sports competitions
Festivals
People's March and the Voyages Concert
Celebrations celebrating multi-culturalism
Citizenship ceremonies

Even though Australia Day is criticized, it is, nonetheless, a great historical day for all of Australia. Not all good came from this day, but the first voyage opened the doors for many things to come.

Suck It, Prose: Why Poetry is Superior

Gary R. Hess — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:14:25 +0000

Prose is powerful. It's something we have all written one time or another. It's gorgeous. It's creative. It's imaginative.

But it isn't poetry.

Poetry isn't something everyone can successfully write (not that anyone can write prose, but far more people can). According to many writers, poetry is the highest and hardest literary genre.

With good reason.

Meters, lines, stanzas, similes, onomatopoeia, rhymes, and all the other poetry techniques are what makes poetry so gosh darned complicated. But also the best.

With poetry, we aren't just writing a story with emotion. We are writing in emotion. We are writing in passion.

You see, poetry isn't a lot of things. It isn't straight-forward (most of the time), it isn't flat, and it isn't easy.

Flat? Yeah, flat. As in boring. As in no sense of emotion. As in no sense of story or meaning.

Poetry is anything but flat. Actually, with some poems you are able to read it three or four times and each time come to a new conclusion on what the poem is about and the metaphorical meaning behind it. That is far from "flat."

Of course, perhaps the comparison is a bit unfair. There are way too many types of poems (55 at my current count) to even compare. That's because you can write a haiku and an idyll about the very same subject with the very same story. You can't do that with prose. Sure, you can shorten a prose and take out some meat, but it will change the story and most likely won't be as good.

Poetry is entirely a different beast. With the many available forms and elements, the obvious answer of which literature genre is superior shouldn't even be a question. It's laughable to even suggest prose.

Chinese New Year: Traditions, Celebrations, and More

Gary R. Hess — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:36:48 +0000

The Chinese New Year is known as the Spring Festival in China. It's the first day of the Chinese calendar. The festival marks the end of the winter and the beginning of spring. The festival begins on the first day of spring and ends on the fifteenth day with the Lantern Festival. The Chinese New Year is also sometimes referred to as the Lunar New Year.

In China, it is a tradition for families to hold a family reunion dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve. The day is referred to as the Eve of the Passing Year.

The Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries with large Chinese populations including China, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Singapore, Macau, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Chinatowns around the world.

Although traditions vary widely across mainland China, most people buy gifts and clothing, cook foods, and clean their home to rid it of ill-fortune from the past year.

The first morning of the Spring Festival children greet their parents and receive a red envelope filled with money.

Fun facts about the Chinese New Year

The Chinese calendar does not use numbered years. The Chinese years are only numbered from outside China use the reign of the Yellow Emperor as the beginning year.
Traditional foods eaten for the Chinese New Year include melon seeds, mandarin oranges, fish, nian gao (a pudding known as tikoy in the Philippines), bakkwa (similar to jerkey), taro cakes, and turnip cakes.
Fireworks are incredibly common during the Spring Festival. Of course, many injuries occur and is now discouraged.
Bright red clothing is worn throughout the Spring Festival. It was once believed that bright red colors chase away bad fortune and evil spirits.
Flower decorations are common throughout markets and homes.
Nianhua is a woodblock printing which are on display and sold throughout the celebrations.
The dragon and lion dances which are common during the festival are believed to chase away evil spirits due to the deafening sounds of the drums, face of the creature, and aggressive dancing.
The koi fish is on display in many paintings and other art during this time of year because the fish is believed to bring success in the new year.

For non-Chinese, the Chinese New Year is a great time to experience traditional Chinese food, learn about Chinese culture, and watch the amazing Chinese dances and celebrations around the world.

MLK Jr. Day: What It Is and Why It's Important

Gary R. Hess — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:05:51 +0000

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday of January. This is because his birthday is January 15 and the day is a non-working holiday, thus it takes place on a Monday.

The day, often abbreviated as MLK Jr. Day, is a celebration of unity, civil rights, and non-violent protesting. The day is remembered throughout the United States and some cities abroad such as Hiroshima in Japan and Toronto, Canada.

The day is celebrated by remembrance of MLK Jr.'s message and the man himself. Activities and celebrations include the reading of his famous speeches, church services, community service events and projects, music, parades, symbolic marches, candlelight vigils, film festivals, and exhibits. In schools, since they are generally out on this day, history of the Civil Rights Movement is discussed during the week before and/or following.

In the South, the day corresponds with Robert E. Lee Day. This has caused great controversy especially in recent years, for obvious reasons. In some states, Robert E. Lee Day has been moved to the Friday before.

Alright, so why is Martin Luther King Jr. Day important?

It's important for various reasons.

The Civil Rights Movement needs to be celebrated and remembered. A lot of good came from it and we need to remember why it had to occur, why it was inevitable, and why it needs to be taught in our schools.
Non-violence should always be celebrated and this day helps bring that to the nations attention. MLK Jr. and his groupies weren't the only Civil Rights movements going on at this time, but his people were the least violent and MLK Jr. was a big reason why.
The nations symbol of unity. No, the United States isn't the most diverse country in the world, but it is still pretty diverse, especially for its size. The USA is made up of many ethnic groups, races, languages, and other social groups. In order to keep the country running smoothly, the people must be united. This day helps celebrate the unity which the people have and strive to achieve.
The US simply needed another holiday. The United States has one of the least amount of holidays of all developed countries. MLK Jr. Day simply helps out in this aspect.

Sure, Martin Luther King Jr.'s personal life is sketchy, and perhaps you don't like the fact that he is often pointed out to having Marxist ideals, but one cannot deny the importance of the man and the Civil Rights Movement.

MLK Jr. should be remembered for his role in American history and this holiday is how that happens.