Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up May 19th, 2023

Events and holidays for May 19th and this week:

1962 Marilyn Monroe sings "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to JFK before 15,000 attendees, accompanied by jazz pianist Hank Jones, at Madison Square Garden, NYC.

1977 Caper comedy film "Smokey and the Bandit" starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jackie Gleason premieres at Radio City Music Hall in NYC.

1989 Premiere of sports fantasy drama film "Field of Dreams", based on W. P. Kinsella's novel "Shoeless Joe", starring Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta and Burt Lancaster in his final film role.

• National Endangered Species Day
• Virtual Assistant Day
• National Bike to Work Day
• NASCAR Day
• National May Ray Day
• Frog Jumping Jubilee Day
• National Pizza Party Day
• National Devil’s Food Cake Day

Start the day by finding a charitable organization dedicated to conserving Endangered Species and make a donation in your Virtual Assistant's name, and then send your assistant an electronic e-card with a personalized message of thanks, before pulling out your bike and Bike to Work and challenge your co-workers to a simulated NASCAR race around the parking lot, and invite everyone over for a May Ray Day out in the sunshine where you have a Frog Jumping Jubilee (written about by Mark Twain - Samuel Clemens - as a way to mine gold so he could pay off his debt, the short story was about the funny and absurd frog competitions in Calaveras, published in 1867), and follow that with a Pizza Party (the top 10 toppings are Pepperoni, Mushroom, Extra Cheese, Sausage, Onion, Black Olives, Green Pepper, Fresh Garlic, Tomato, Fresh Basil) and then end the night with a Devil’s Food Cake bake-off! 

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose a challenge instead of competence." Eleanor Roosevelt, The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt

"Be so good they can’t ignore you." Steve Martin

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up May 12th, 2023

Events and holidays for May 12th and this week:

1960 Elvis Presley appears on a Frank Sinatra television special; Elvis sings Sinatra's 1957 Cy Coleman hit "Witchcraft", and Frank performs Presley's 1956 classic "Love Me Tender".

1965 The Rolling Stones record their smash hit single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction".

1994 "Pulp Fiction", directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson premieres at the Cannes Film Festival (Palme d'Or 1994).

• Public Garden Day
• Mother's Day
• Archery Day
• Shades Day
• National Eat What You Want Day
• National Nutty Fudge Day
• National Limerick Day
• National Twilight Zone Day

Celebrate Public Garden Day with your Mother on Mother's Day, and enjoy the open sky above, the lush green grass beneath, and being surrounded by blooming trees, and if so inclined take a turn at the Archery range, just make sure to have your Shades on (maybe time to buy Mom a fabulous new pair) and then stop in at her favorite restaurant and Eat What You Want (some Nutty Fudge {a mixture of sugar, butter, and milk, combined when cooled with Chocolate and nuts} for your sweet tooth, or some carb-loading without having a marathon to run, or eating breakfast for dinner) and while recovering from your food overload, surprise her with a Limerick, a nice clean one, and finish up the day by hosting a Twilight Zone television marathon party, filled with science fiction, horror, supernatural drama, and unexpected twists.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." Confuciusm, Confucius: The Analect

"Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist." Pablo Picasso

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up May 5th, 2023

Events and holidays for May 5th and this week:

1921 Perfume Chanel No. 5 released by fashion designer Coco Chanel.

1961 Alan Shepard becomes 1st American in space (aboard Freedom 7).

1962 "West Side Story" soundtrack album goes #1 & stays #1 for 54 weeks which is more than 20 weeks longer than any other album.

• National Cartoonist Day
• Tuba Day
• Museum Lover’s Day
• National Astronaut Day
• The Kentucky Oaks
• Cinco De Mayo
• National Hoagie Day
• National No Pants Day

Start the day with some funny comics (who is your favorite Cartoonist? Bill Watterson - Calvin and Hobbes, Gary Larson - The Far Side, or maybe the classic Charles M. Schulz - Peanuts) and send out some love for Tuba Day, to honor musicians worldwide who struggle with the weight and size of their large instruments, as you plan your Museum Lover's Day to check out different kinds of art and expositions in your area, then read an article about Alan Shepard for National Astronaut Day, who was the first American in space, and get set for some racing action later at The Kentucky Oaks, which is on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, and then prep for your Cinco De Mayo party, with tacos, margaritas, a pinata and a fiesta, and have some Hoagies ready in case someone says “no” to tacos and burritos, and wants their buns for a hoagie, and have the party for No Pants Day and put on nothing but your fluffiest robe and a pair of slippers.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world." Robin Williams

"Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world…would do this, it would change the earth." William Faulkner

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up April 28th, 2023

Events and holidays for April 28th and this week:

1789 Fletcher Christian leads a mutiny on HMS Bounty against its captain William Bligh in the South Pacific.

1994 TV series "Due South" about Canadian Mounties starring Paul Gross premieres in Canada.

2018 Animated series "The Simpsons" surpasses 635-episode count of "Gunsmoke"'; highest number of episodes of any series on TV.

• Kiss Your Mate Day
• National Blueberry Pie Day
• Global Pay It Forward Day
• National Arbor Day
• National Cubicle Day
• Biological Clock Day
• Clean Comedy Day
• National Superhero Day

Start the day with a Kiss for Your Mate (the first kiss on film was in 1896, a kiss between May Irwin and John Rice) and then cook up a few Blueberry Pies, so that you can surprise your neighbor with one and Pay it Forward by encouraging random acts of kindness, and then hug a tree for National Arbor Day (do you know the difference between Broadleaf, Evergreen and Conifer?) and bring in an extra pie to award to the winner of the best Cubicle at work, and get everyone to recognize Biological Clock Day, to raise awareness about the circadian rhythm and its impact on our sleep-wake cycle, body system, and mood, and try out a few Clean Comedy jokes, like: "Hard work pays off in the future but laziness pays off now." – Steven Wright, or "Why do they call it 'rush hour' when nobody is moving?" – Robin Williams, or "For fast-acting relief, try slowing down." – Lily Tomlin, and end the day by throwing a National Superhero party with your choice of theme, like DC comic books heroes, Marvel heroes, or neighborhood heroes, and invite people to come as their favorite.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"Look at life with the eyes of a child." Henri Matisse

"If I create from the heart, nearly everything works: if from the head, almost nothing." Marc Chagall

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up April 21st, 2023

Events and holidays for April 21st and this week:

1976 George Harrison sings "The Lumberjack Song" with Monty Python in NYC.

1976 Barbara Walters becomes 1st female US nightly network news anchor (ABC News).

1977 "Annie Hall", directed by Woody Allen and starring Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, is released (Academy Awards Best Picture 1978).

• World Creativity and Innovation Day
• Big Word Day
• National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day
• International Hemp Day
• Advisor Appreciation Day
• National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day
• National Chickpea Day
• National Tea Day

Observe World Creativity and Innovation Day by stepping outside the box and put on your thinking hat and dream about Big Word Day (try to add these to your vocabulary today: pulchritudinous - physically beautiful; trichotillomania - an abnormal desire to pull out one's hair; myrmecophilous - fond of ants; polyphiloprogenitive - extremely prolific) and share some love for National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, whether French, American, or English — bulldogs portray glamour in their own special way, then head out and buy a special Hemp product (did you know that hemp has been used in manufacturing clothes, ropes, shoes, and paper as far back as the fifth millennium B.C.?) to show some Appreciation for your favorite Advisor, and add in some Chocolate Covered Cashews, chocolaty, crunchy, nutty, and very sweet, before returning home for a special dinner of Chickpeas, (try roasted salt and vinegar chickpeas, plus hummus and falafel, and end the day with a “Brew More, Do More” celebration of Teas, holding your own “Fes-Tea-Val”.

Cheers +

This week's wrap-up...

"For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you." Neil deGrasse Tyson

"If you know you are on the right track, if you have this inner knowledge, then nobody can turn you off… no matter what they say." Barbara McClintock, cytogeneticist and Nobel Prize Winner

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up April 14th, 2023

Events and holidays for April 14th and this week:

1841 1st detective story published, Edgar Allan Poe's "Murders in Rue Morgue" (April 1841).

1860 1st Pony Express rider arrives in San Francisco from St Joseph, Missouri.

1912 RMS Titanic, the world's largest ocean liner, hits an iceberg at 11.40pm off Newfoundland, sinks in the early hours of 15 April.

• National Donate a Book Day
• National Dolphin Day
• National Gardening Day
• National Look Up at the Sky Day
• National Ex-Spouse Day
• National Dive Bar Day
• International Moment of Laughter Day
• National Pecan Day

Go through your bookcase and pull out a few good Books to Donate, maybe even find a book on Dolphins, one of the most intelligent and friendly mammals in the world, then head outside for some Gardening (did you know that there are 2,000 individual flowers that make up a single sunflower, or that bamboo can grow up to 35 inches - 87 centimeters - in a single day, or that the oldest-living tree, the Ginkgo Biloba, dates back 250 million years?), and Look Up at the Sky and soak up some Vitamin D by going on a hike or a picnic and describe the shapes of clouds passing by, then invite your Ex-Spouse out to a Dive Bar for a friendly drink while you reflect on the positive moments you shared with your ex and all of the Moments Of Laughter together, and end your day with Pecan-crusted salmon and some hot pecan pie.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"Don’t be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don’t let others discourage you or tell you that you can’t do it. In my day I was told women didn’t go into chemistry. I saw no reason why we couldn’t." Gertrude B. Elion, Biochemist and Nobel Prize Winner

"Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, we will help. Only if we help, we shall be saved." Jane Goodall

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Thursday Wrap-up April 6th, 2023

Events and holidays for April 6th and this week:

1970 John Wayne wins Academy Award for Best Actor for "True Grit".

1974 Paul McCartney & Wings release single "Band on the Run" in the US.

1986 Clint Eastwood elected mayor of Carmel, California. Makes his day.

• Making the First Move Day
• World Health Day
• National No Housework Day
• International Beaver Day
• International Snail Papers Day
• National Coffee Cake Day
• World Marbles Day
• National Beer Day

Start the day with a resolution for Making the First Move Day, to help raise awareness about bullying, and World Health Day, by volunteering at your local charity or organization (this year’s theme is to shine a light on nurses and midwives, the on-the-call, never-sleeping workforce that revolutionized the healthcare industry as we know it today), and participate in No Housework Day by putting down the laundry and tossing out the to-do list, and have some fun instead with International Beaver Day by making posts about beavers and share them with your friends so they can have a good laugh, before celebrating International Snail Papers Day by popping into your local store and buying a newspaper to show your appreciation for the hard work that goes into making newspapers, and the round the clock work it takes to provide us with accurate news, and head home to bake up some tasty Coffee Cake, maybe a tart cherry, pecan custard, or sweet cinnamon apple flavor, before your friends stop in for your own World Marbles tournament (the first British Marbles Championship was held in Tinsley Green, England in 1588, and legend has it that two men, Giles and Hodge, were vying for the hand of a milk maiden called Joan, and after competing in various sports over the course of one week, the game of marbles was chosen as the final contest to decide the winner [Giles won]), and round out the evening with National Beer Day, how about an India Pale Ale, or an American Lager, or a Mexican Cerveza, or a Dark Ale? (there are 50 billion gallons of beer consumed every year all over the world!).

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life." Charles Darwin

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." Carl Sagan

PS.  Some Easter FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up March 31st, 2023

Events and holidays for March 31st and this week:

1957 Rodgers & Hammerstein's live television musical "Cinderella", starring Julie Andrews, with Kaye Ballard and Alice Ghostley, premieres on CBS-TV.

1983 "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life," is released in the US.

1990 "Carol & Company" starring Carol Burnett premieres on NBC-TV.

• No Homework Day
• National Crayon Day
• National Prom Day
• Dance Marathon Day
• National Farm Workers Day
• Tater Day
• National Clams on the Half Shell Day
• National She's Funny That Way

Start No Homework Day by pulling out your Crayons (did you know the number of colors Crayola crayons are available in is 100?) and drawing a picture of your Prom Day party (give all those special memories a full color spectrum including the tuxedos, corsages, the satin dresses, and the perfectly styled hair) and if you are feeling nostalgic check out some Dance Marathon pictures (did you know the longest dance marathon lasted for 126 hours in Kathmandu, Nepal?) before celebrating all the Farm Workers, those unsung heroes on a farm who are the hired workforce doing the tougher part of the job such as plowing fields, operator tractors, spreading fertilizers, and trimming hedges, with Taters for dinner (the world’s heaviest potato weighed 10 pounds 14 ounces (4.98 kilograms)), and add in Clams on the Half Shell (the best variety of hardshell clams, also called Quahogs, for serving on the half-shell is the topneck, as well as littlenecks and cherrystone, and they can be raw, steamed, grilled or even smoked, and then have a special tribute for She's Funny That Way, for all of the women who bring laughter, joy, and happiness into your life.

Cheers +

This week's wrap-up...

"Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale

"Fulfillment isn’t found over the rainbow—it’s found in the here and now. Today I define success by the fluidity with which I transcend emotional landmines and choose joy and gratitude instead." RuPaul

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up March 24th, 2023

Events and holidays for March 24th and this week:

1955 Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" opens for 694 performances.

1958 Elvis Presley joins the U.S. Army (serial number 53310761).

2002 74th Academy Awards on March 24, 2002: "A Beautiful Mind" wins Best Picture, Denzel Washington wins Best Actor, and Halle Berry wins Best Actress; Berry is the first woman of colour to win the Best Actress award.

• International Day for Achievers
• International Goof Off Week
• National Introverts Week
• Flatmates Day
• National Clean Out Your Closet Week
• National Cheesesteak Day
• National Cocktail Day
• National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day

Your choice today, to celebrate International Day for Achievers, which celebrates achievers and their strong sense of purpose and confidence, and it’s also a day to strive to become an achiever if you don't make the first cut, lol, and/or to celebrate International Goof Off Week, (did you know that the world's most famous goofy comic character, Goofy was originally known as Dippy Dawg?), but either way, remember to celebrate National Introverts Week, with perhaps Albert Einstein known as one of the most famous scientists in the world and also one of the biggest known introverts, and then get your Flatmate, (a roommate is someone with whom you share a rented living space, such as an apartment or a dorm, but a flatmate is someone who most likely took your dog for a walk, made you soup while you were sick, or maybe loaned you money to cover your phone bill) to help Clean Out Your Closet, and reward them with a home-cooked Cheesesteak, born in Philadelphia, the sandwich is made with melted cheese over sliced pieces of beefsteak inside a hoagie roll, and give them their choice of Cocktails, Manhattan - Cosmopolitan - Daiquiri - Margarita, either Mocktail, virgin, or the real thing, and finish off the meal with Chocolate Covered Raisins, or Raisinets, which were born in 1927 at the Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with currently more than 1 million Raisinets produced per hour.

Cheers +

This week's wrap-up...

"You be greater than your feelings. I don’t demand this of you—life does. Otherwise, you’ll be washed away by feelings. You’ll be washed out to sea and never seen again." Phillip Roth, Indignation

"I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value." Hermann Hesse, Siddartha

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up March 17th, 2023

Events and holidays for March 17th and this week:

432 Saint Patrick, aged about 16, is captured by Irish pirates from his home in Great Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland.

1898 John Philip Holland achieves successful test run for the first modern submarine off Staten Island, submerging for 1 hour 40 minutes.

1905 Albert Einstein finishes his scientific paper detailing his Quantum Theory of Light, one of the foundations of modern physics.

• National Bubble Gum Week
• St. Patrick’s Day
• National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence
• Red Nose Day
• National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day
• Submarine Day
• National Science & Engineering Week
• World Sleep Day

Try out some different flavors of Bubble Gum, like Bacon, Pickle or Wasabi Gumballs, Motitas Banana, Menthol and Eucalyptus or even Foie Gras Bubble Gum, while picking our some green clothing to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, a day to honor the patron saint of Ireland, which over time has evolved into a fun and festive celebration of Irish culture, before considering how you can help support National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence and Red Nose Day, a campaign created by Comic Relief to help raise awareness of and put an end to child poverty, then plan on having Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner, created decades ago by Irish immigrants, and watch a scientific documentary or 2 on blackholes, space, biology, chemistry or Submarines for National Science & Engineering Week before heading to bed early to recognizing the importance of Sleep.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen." Conan O’Brien

"To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to." Kahlil Gibran

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up March 10th, 2023

Events and holidays for March 10th and this week:

1961 The Supremes release singles "I Want A Guy" and "Never Again".

1978 "The Incredible Hulk", starring Bill Bixby as David Banner, premieres on CBS.

1997 "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" created by Joss Whedon and starring Sarah Michelle Geller premieres on WB Television Network.

• International Day of Awesomeness
• International Wig Day
• Salvation Army Day
• National Pack Your Lunch Day
• National Blueberry Popover Day
• National Land Line Telephone Day
• Mario Day
• International Bagpipe Day

Start the International Day of Awesomeness, where anybody, no matter who they are, may celebrate their awesomeness, by wearing your favorite Wig, because first off, wigs are fun with all the color and spice they bring to our lives, and 2nd, and more importantly, today aims to raise awareness for hair loss caused by diseases and cancer treatments, and while looking through your closets for your wigs, pull out some hardly worn clothing to drop off at the Salvation Army, and then Pack Your Lunch, (the classic PB&J, or maybe a whole lunch of Blueberry Popovers?), before using your Land Line Telephone to call a friend (before your time, or can you remember the one phone per house, with the long cord so you could move around a little?) and invite them over for a Mario evening of games, and ask them to bring over some Bagpipe songs, like 'Come Talk to Me,’ by Peter Gabriel, and Van Morrison’s ‘Celtic Ray.’.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"Once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you." George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

"I would visualize things coming to me. It would just make me feel better. Visualization works if you work hard. That’s the thing. You can’t just visualize and go eat a sandwich." Jim Carrey

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up March 3rd, 2023

Events and holidays for March 3rd and this week:

1955 Elvis Presley makes his 1st TV appearance on a broadcast of radio show "Louisiana Hayride".

1985 "Moonlighting" with Cybill Shepard & Bruce Willis premieres on ABC TV in the US.

2010 "Alice in Wonderland", inspired by Lewis Carroll directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Mia Wasikowska is released.

• Dress in Blue Day
• Employee Appreciation Day
• 33 Flavors Day
• I Want You To Be Happy Day
• National Salesperson Day
• Soup it Forward Day
• National Cold Cuts Day
• National Mulled Wine Holiday

Dress in Blue today, to raise awareness about colorectal cancer and the importance of being screened for the disease, which is considered to be highly preventable, then show some Employee Appreciation with a surprise visit to your local Ice Cream shop to try some of the 33 Flavors, maybe some of the exotic or weird ones like avocado, crocodile egg, octopus, caramelized brown bread, garlic, or licorice, then work on I Want You To Be Happy Day by brightening a Salesperson's Day with a Soup it Forward act of kindness and selflessness (give them the perennial favorite French Onion or Chicken Noodle soup) and finish your day with some Cold Cuts like chicken, roast beef, pastrami, corned beef, bologna and pepperoni, and wash them all down with some Mulled Wine, which is most often red wine infused with various fruits and spices then served warm.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"Tough times never last, but tough people do." Dr. Robert Schuller

"If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path." Buddha

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up February 24th, 2023

Events and holidays for February 24th and this week:

1952 "African Queen" film directed by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn is released in the US.

1982 Wayne Gretzky scores NHL-record 78th goal of season en route to 92.

1997 NBC TV shows "Schindler's List" completely uncensored, 65M watch.

• Forget Me Not Day
• International Stand Up to Bullying Day
• National Dance Day
• National Tortilla Chip Day
• Skip The Straw Day
• World Bartender Day
• National Trading Card Day
• National Pancake Week

Fill up on Pancakes (did you know that this batter-made breakfast item dates back more than 5,500 years and that pancakes might be the oldest breakfast food in history?) so you have lots of energy for Stand Up to Bullying Day before you volunteer at the local veterans center to support Forget Me Not Day, which pays tribute to returning soldiers who have lost blood and limbs — things that truly can't be forgotten — in the line of battle, then stop at a thrift store in search of a rare Trading Card (get lucky and find a Pokémon card worth $75,000 or a Michael Jordan early Basketball card worth way more!!!)), and then head to your favorite watering hole and buy yourself AND the Bartender a drink, and Skip The Straw (it just gets in the way when you are slurping straight from the glass’s edge anyway) while enjoying Tortilla Chips (the first bag of tortilla chips sold for 10 cents!) as you get ready to Dance the night away, hopefully in better form that Elaine from Seinfeld! - click here to watch her!

Cheers

"I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape." Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

"Strength shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over." F. Scott Fitzgerald

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up February 17th, 2023

Events and holidays for February 17th and this week:

1967 Aretha Franklin records her single "Respect" at Atlantic Studio in NYC; her rendition of Otis Redding's tune becomes Billboard Song of the Year (1967).

1972 Sales of the Volkswagen Beetle model exceed those of Ford Model T.

2014 "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" premieres on NBC.

• National Public Science Day
• National Caregivers Day
• National Cafe Au Lait Day
• Who Shall I Be Day
• Random Acts of Kindness Day
• My Way Day
• National Cabbage Day
• World Human Spirit Day

Spend a few minutes for National Public Science Day and contemplate the emerging scientific issues that affect you before heading out to treat a Caregiver to a Cafe Au Lait, ‘coffee with milk’, a sweet delicious beverage made from freshly brewed coffee as a base then crowned with steamy hot delicious milk – lots of it!, and celebrate Who Shall I Be Day by doing Random Acts of Kindness, like, tell someone they dropped a dollar (even though they didn’t), and then give them a dollar, or Pay it Backward by buying another Cafe Au Lait for the person behind you in line, or leave quarters at the laundromat, and do My Way Day by creating a Cabbage fest for your friends to show them that you know the cabbage family includes Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, kohlrabi and kale, and wrap up the day with a Human Spirit session of mindful meditation to get everyone to form the habit of constant reflection as a way to feel content in our pressure-filled society.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"In this world there are two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. The last is much the worst." Oscar Wilde

"It hit me. We were violating a basic Hollywood rule…You need to spend as much on marketing as you do on production.” Allen Estrin

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up February 10th, 2023

Events and holidays for February 10th and this week:

1940 "Tom & Jerry" cartoon created by William Hanna & Joseph Barbera debut by MGM.

1942 Glenn Miller awarded 1st ever gold record for selling 1 million copies of "Chattanooga Choo Choo".

1979 "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" by Rod Stewart peaks at #1.

• All the News That's Fit to Print Day
• National Flannel Day
• International Winter Bike to Work Day
• Umbrella Day
• Plimsoll Day
• The Inbox Day
• Teddy Day
• Cream Cheese Brownie Day

Check your favorite source of news for All the News That's Fit to Print Day, which is considered the most famous phrase in American journalism, before donning your Flannel shirt and pants for your Winter Bike Ride to Work, (hopefully not a marathon, and for those working from home, at least take a trip around the block!), and if necessary, take along your Umbrella just in case it pours cats and dogs, and give a shout out to Sir Samuel Plimsoll, inventor of 'the Plimsoll Line', a set of measurements and symbols on the side of ships indicating how much cargo can be safely carried, as well as being the 'Sailor's Friend' for his great campaign to save and improve seafarers' lives, and after immerse yourself in The Inbox, and clear out all the old emails and texts, and wrap up the day with a Teddy bear to mark the fourth day of Valentine's week, while you enjoy a Cream Cheese Brownie or 2.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." Plato

"Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourselves." Chanakya

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up February 3rd, 2023

Events and holidays for February 3rd and this week:

1863 Samuel Clemens first uses the pen name Mark Twain in a Virginia City newspaper, the "Territorial Enterprise".

1974 Barbra Streisand's 1st #1 hit, "The Way We Were".

1991 Alex Trebek becomes first person to host three American game shows at the same time (Jeopardy!, Classic Concentration, To Tell the Truth).

• Working Naked Day
• Bubble Gum Day
• Elmo's Birthday
• Take a Cruise Day
• The Day the Music Died
• Doggy Date Night
• International Golden Retriever Day
• National Carrot Day

Clothing optional today on Working Naked Day (while the name of the holiday is suggestive, it is actually about working from home), but mandatory is Bubble Gum Day which helps raise money for schools and the charities they support by having students donate 50 cents to be able to chew bubble gum in class, and a good day to celebrate Elmo's Birthday, the “Sesame Street,” character who since 1980 has remained 3 1/2 years old, and maybe take a Cruise in the tub with your favorite rubber ducky, while listening to some of The Day the Music Died, dedicated to American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson who were all killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson, on February 3, 1959, as this day became known after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song "American Pie", then have a special Doggy Date Night and hang out with your pup, while watching Golden Retrievers' in Air Bud and Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, while chomping on a big bag of Carrots.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else." Margaret Mead

"You can’t change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react to it." Mahatma Gandhi

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up January 27th, 2023

Events and holidays for January 27th and this week:

1924 1st Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France.

1956 RCA records releases Elvis Presley's single "Heartbreak Hotel", his first million-seller (written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden).

1976 "Laverne & Shirley" TV spinoff from "Happy Days" starring Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams premieres on ABC TV.

• Thomas Crapper Day
• National Big Wig Day
• National Fun at Work Day
• International Hot Air Balloon Week
• National Activity Professionals Day
• National Handwriting Analysis Week
• National Geographic Day
• Chocolate Cake Day

Get ready for a busy day, as you start off with a thank you to Thomas Crapper, the famous English businessman and plumber, who was not the inventor of the toilet (a common misconception), but he did perfect and promote it, and then put on your favorite silly Big Wig to showcase your fun side, as you prepare for Fun at Work Day, (how about a Scavenger Hunt, Online Bingo, Team Trivia, a Murder Mystery, some Improv Comedy, or a miniature Hot Air Balloon contest using just your own hot air), and remember to acknowledge National Activity Professionals Day, to recognize and honor all the activity professionals who care and provide active experiences for the residents in nursing homes around the country, before doing your own Handwriting Analysis (with your chicken scratch, maybe you should have been a doctor!!), and relax after work with a National Geographic magazine while enjoy some Chocolate Cake.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and – SNAP – the job’s a game!" Mary Poppins

"If you hit the target every time, it’s too near or too big." Tom Hirshfield

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up January 20th, 2023

Events and holidays for January 20th and this week:

1956 Buddy Holly records "Blue Days Black Night" in Nashville, Tennessee for producer Owen Bradley.

2006 "High School Musical" debuts, starring Zac Efron and Vanessa Hugdens; becomes Disney Channel's most successful TV movie.

2008 "Breaking Bad", created by Vince Gilligan and starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul premieres on AMC.

• Take a Walk Outdoors Day
• Camcorder Day
• International Day of Acceptance
• Hunt for Happiness Week
• National Disc Jockey Day
• National Coffee Break Day
• National Buttercrunch Day
• National Cheese Lover's Day

Take a Walk Outdoors, and bring your Camcorder, old or new, to create a tribute to videography of all varieties while you record your surroundings, and observe National Day of Acceptance (a day dedicated to social acceptance of disability and to honor the late Annie Hopkins, founder of 3E Love and creator of the International Symbol of Acceptance) and as you walk, Hunt for Happiness by identifying what makes you happy and prioritize it, before heading to work and cranking up the tunes from your favorite Disc Jockey who spins the records and plays the grooviest music at the right time, before a Coffee Break with a Buttercrunch (a combination of toffee, covered with chocolate, that has a crunchy texture and a caramel flavor) and wrap it up with some Cheese, as it is a gouda day to kummin over and have some cheddar or asiago or fontina, so don't feel bleu or throw a feta.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"If we can challenge convention, we can solve any problem." Josh Valman

"Big jobs usually go to the person who proves their ability to outgrow small ones." Ralph Waldo Emerson

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up January 13th, 2023

Events and holidays for January 13th and this week:

1962 Chubby Checker's song "The Twist", credited with starting the Twist dance craze, goes to #1 in the charts two years after first reaching number one spot.

1968 Johnny Cash performs for inmates at Folsom State Prison in Folsom, California; show is recorded for live album release.

2015 TV comedy "Schitt's Creek" created by and starring Eugene Levy and Dan Levy premieres on CBC in Canada.

• Rubber Ducky Day
• Make Your Dreams Come True Day
• Poetry Break Day
• National Sticker Day
• Friday the 13th
• National Pizza Week
• National Peach Melba Day
• Cuckoo Dancing Week

Start the day with a bath and include your favorite Rubber Ducky and sing along with Sesame Street’s Ernie, “Rubber ducky, you’re the one. You make bath time lots of fun. Rubber ducky I’m awfully fond of you!”, then pick one of your special dreams and work on Make Your Dreams Come True (climb Mount Everest? Visit Bali? Or simply learn to bake?) and for inspiration take a Poetry Break with Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, T.S. Eliot, Percy Bysshe Shelley, or John Milton, before sticking on a few new Stickers ('Insanity is Hereditary' or 'I am 1 bad relationship away from owing 30 cats', lol) and then plan your Friday the 13th party and watch some videos that star the hockey mask-wearing, machete-wielding Jason Voorhees, and end the evening with Pizza (Hawaiian, BBQ Chicken, Veggie or Margherita, or all of them?) Peach Melba (peaches, vanilla ice cream, and raspberry sauce) and do the Cuckoo Dance, made famous more than 90 years ago by the iconic duo Laurel and Hardy when they performed the “Dance of the Cuckoos”.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"'I’m bored' is a useless thing to say. I mean, you live in a great, big, vast world that you’ve seen none percent of. Even the inside of your own mind is endless; it goes on forever, inwardly, do you understand? The fact that you’re alive is amazing, so you don’t get to say 'I’m bored.'" Louis C.K

"You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." Jack London

PS.  Some Friday (the 13th) FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up January 6th, 2023

Events and holidays for January 6th and this week:

1907 Maria Montessori opens her 1st Montessori school, in Rome.

1957 Elvis Presley makes his 7th & final appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show".

1963 Lionel Bart's musical "Oliver!", based on Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist", and featuring a young Davey Jones, opens at Imperial Theater, NYC; runs for 774 performances, winning 3 Tony Awards.

• New Years' Resolution Week
• National Take Down the Christmas Tree Day
• Diet Resolution Week
• Apple Tree Day
• National Shortbread Day
• National Take a Poet to Lunch Day
• National Thank Your Customers Week
• Cuddle Up Day

Start the day with pen and paper and write out your New Years' Resolutions (you might be surprised to know that New Year’s resolutions go back 4,000 years, when the first resolutions began with the ancient Babylonians) and remember to include Take Down the Christmas Tree, and consider your Diet Resolutions, as this is the perfect time to make a resolution to diet and eat healthily (so maybe start with an Apple instead of Shortbread and tea?) and then Take your Favorite Poet to Lunch in appreciation of the special poem they wrote Thanking Your Customers for their support last year (see our thank you post below) and finish up on the couch with your partner/pet/stuffy for a Cuddle Up and a book.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"As long as they are well-intentioned, mistakes are not a matter for shame, but for learning." Margaret Heffernan

"I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions." Stephen Covey

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up December 23rd, 2022

Events and holidays for December 23rd and this week:

1888 Vincent van Gogh cuts off his left ear with a razor, after argument with fellow painter Paul Gauguin, and sends to a prostitute for safe keeping.

1937 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", the first full-length animated feature film and the earliest in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, premieres at the Carthay Circle Theatre, Los Angeles.

1967 "The Graduate", American comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols, starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, premieres (Best Director, 1968).

• Don’t Make Your Bed Day
• National Roots Day
• Festivus
• National Short Person Day
• National French Fried Shrimp Day
• National Cookie Exchange Day
• National Date Nut Bread Day
• National Eggnog Day

Start your day with Don't Make Your Bed Day (or is this an everyday occurrence for you?) before doing some research on National Roots Day and find out who your grandparents or great-grandparents are/were, and why they came to the country you live in now, and then plan a special Festivus party (a non-commercial, parody spin on Christmas as depicted in Seinfeld by enjoying simplistic food and decorations, airing grievances and wrestling), and remember to include your Short People friends, those who may be a bit vertically challenged, and celebrate with French Fried Shrimp (use an air fryer, a deep fryer, or simply fry a portion of shrimp in a pan filled with oil), and a Cookie Exchange, making sure to include Date Nut Bread (a fruity, nutty bake with butter or cream cheese) all washed down with Eggnog, which is a rich, chilled, creamy, and sweetened dairy drink traditionally created with milk and/or cream, sugar, whipped eggs which helps it gain it’s frothy texture, and sometimes mixed spirits.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor." Truman Capote

"An innovator is one who does not know it cannot be done." R.A. Mashelkar

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up December 16th, 2022

Events and holidays for December 16th and this week:

1913 Charlie Chaplin begins his film career at Keystone for $150 a week.

1962 "Lawrence of Arabia" film directed by David Lean and starring Peter O'Toole, is released in the United States.

1968 Musical-fantasy film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", co-written by Roald Dahl and director Ken Hughes, starring Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes, with songs by Sherman and Sherman, premieres at the Odeon Leicester Square theater, London.

• National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
• National Re-Gifting Day
• National Underdog Day
• National Maple Syrup Day
• Monkey Day
• Stupid Toy Day
• Bake Cookies Day
• National Chocolate Covered Anything Day

Dig in the closet and find your most Ugly Christmas Sweater (have more than 1?), and then continue digging and find a gift that you received and have not yet opened and Re-Gift it to your favorite Underdog (someone who was expected to lose, but ended up winning), then stop for lunch, maybe a PBMS (Peanut Butter and Maple Syrup) sandwich before heading to the zoo to celebrate Monkey Day (created to celebrate monkeys, as well as “all things simian,” which includes lemurs, tarsiers, apes, and other non-human primates) then organize a fun evening to play with your Stupid Toys (how about Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Hi Ho! Cherry-O, and Hungry Hungry Hippos!) while Baking Cookies (Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Biscotti, Macaron, or Gingerbread?) and have lots of extra Chocolate to drizzle on top.

Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." Buddha

"Don’t persuade, defend or interrupt. Be curious, be conversational, be real. And listen." Elizabeth Lesser

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

Engagement that TRANSFORMS Events and Gets RESULTS !!

The Engagement Friday Wrap-up December 9th, 2022

Events and holidays for December 9th and this week:

1963 6-year old Donny Osmond's singing debut on Andy Williams Show.

1965 "A Charlie Brown Christmas", the first Peanuts animated special premieres on CBS in the US.

1978 Superman: The Movie, directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman and Margot Kidder premieres at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C..

• Gingerbread Decorating Day
• Christmas Card Day
• Lost & Found Day
• International Anti-Corruption Day
• National Llama Day
• National Pastry Day
• International Day of Veterinary Medicine
• National Lager Day

Get in the Christmas spirit by Decorating a Gingerbread House (a split level this year or 2 story?) and get started on sending out your Christmas Cards (way back in 1843, the first commercial Christmas card was created in England by Sir Henry Cole), and make a point of finding something you have Lost (try taking your couch apart and see what you find) and then support International Anti-Corruption Day (maybe using the UN’s anti-corruption logo on some outbound emails) before heading out to pet a Llama, those smart and highly sociable animals, which are closely related to camels (but without the hump), and pick up some Pastry (how about apple turnovers, a flaky pastry pie or perhaps some cinnamon rolls?) to share and show some extra love with your favorite Veterinary and their staff on their International Day, before treating yourself to a Lager (a Pilsner, Doppelbock, American Lager or Vienna Style Lager, or all 4 types?).

Double Cheers

This week's wrap-up...

"Never ruin an apology with an excuse." Benjamin Franklin

"Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it." Dwight D. Eisenhower

PS.  Some Friday FUN!!

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