By Melissa Rayner
May 12 is National Limerick Day–as to which nation’s “national”, that’s anybody’s guess, but let’s all celebrate regardless!
A-a-a-ahem, there once was a man from Nantucket, who–Hey, wait a second. Despite their recent popularity as such, not all limericks are dirty. They can be trendy and cutting-edge like these two. [1]
Read moreIt’s National Limerick Day! Guess how we’re celebrating
A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.
By Michelle Eickmeyer
Here she is – HRH Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge. (I’ve yet to answer if this means William Wale’s daughters name is Charlotte Cambridge, so any insight on that is appreciated.) Three lovely names, all for important people in the lives of Prince William and Duchess Catherine.
What’s with all the names? It has been said the King Albert and Queen Victoria had aspirations to have their names continue down the throne. History (and The King’s Speech) tells us that not all kings have ruled under their given first name. Prince Albert did rule as King George, after all — though George was among his many given names. (The name someone uses for their reigning title is their regnal name.)
When Will and Kate were married in 2011 there was much speculation if Kate would accurately repeat Will’s many names back during the exchange of vows. After all, his mother Diana and his aunt Sarah (Ferguson) both botched it.
There is a clear call to history in noble naming, which feels appropriate given the ‘”without them I’d have no claim to this” quality of the role. Prince William, who the world fondly knows as Wills, full name is His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Phillip Louis, Duke of Cambridge. Prince Charles, having two titles needs a lot of space on his signature line: His Royal Highness Charles Phillip Arthur George, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall. Phew!
The women of the family, even the queen, have less naming baggage. Duchess Catherine has only one middle name, Elizabeth, as did Diana (Frances). The Queen has a mere two, HRH Queen Elizabeth Alexandra Mary.
By Jennifer Albers-Smith
This Friday marks the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) day.
My grandpa was hardly more than a boy when his brother (my great-uncle) was shipped off to fight in WWII. He enlisted in the navy and served as a fireman aboard the U.S.S. St. Lo. On October 25, 1944, his ship was hit by a Kamikaze, and he went down with the ship.
I recently asked my grandpa if he still remembered his brother all these years later, and he started to cry. He says it’s like no time has passed at all. He still remembers the telegram sent to his parents letting them know their son had been declared missing in action. He remembers the telegram that arrived a couple months later to officially declare his death, and the letter from one of his shipmates remembering the great man my great-uncle was.
A look at a current news item through the lens of different Gale electronic resources.
By Michelle Eickmeyer
Oh Nepal… This week’s earthquake, the following tidal wave of repeated avalanches and mudslides, and the heartbreak of loss has shown a new light on this little-known part of the world. Such a tiny country, the majority of the world know Nepal as merely the home of Mt. Everest. As with most of the world, the history of Nepal is marked with conflict, evolving borders, and the quest for singular identity. It is the birthplace of Buddha and the home of about 28 million people. Its beautiful and full of prayer flags and industrious sherpas. Beyond that, what do you know?
Fundamental life in Nepal is drastically different from the U.S., and many of these differences are key in making the recovery from the recent earthquake and subsequent mudslides, avalanches and other suffering dramatically more difficult. It is slightly larger than the state of Arkansas (with a scant 3 million residents), and divided into 3 regions. A Nepalese resident will use 99.28% LESS electricity, 98.9% LESS oil, and make 97.16% LESS money than the average American. They will be more likely to be unemployed, die sooner (if they make it through infancy) and have more children. Life in Nepal is difficult (source). Nepal ranks 121st (of 158) in this year’s world happiness report. Some comparisons: Canada, 5; Australia, 10; United States, 15; United Kingdom, 21. (source)
In many ways, Nepal is the cultural center of finding yourself. Whether its through the physical dedication to a life-threatening climb, or through the mental dedication of peace and wisdom of Buddhism. Serendipitous these two activities occur in the same location? Probably not.
In the weeks since the April 2 updates to GVRL and Academic OneFile, which included the launch of a responsive, mobile-friendly experience, we’ve received some great feedback. Based on this information, four specific improvements were identified to make the experience even better. As of today, April 30, the following changes are live in your resources: The … Read more
By Melissa Rayner
April 30 is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, a cause that is near and dear to this writer’s heart. To celebrate, you’ll find many people extolling the virtues of opening your home to an animal in need, and many others sharing personal stories of how rescue pets have improved their lives.
I’d like to take a different approach.
Today, I’d like to take a moment to thank the hard-working volunteers who help make this day possible by giving of their time and money to help take care of animals in need. While humans’ fascination with animals dates back pretty much to our origins, formal animal shelters (as we know them today) are a far newer construction.
We went to the archives to highlight some of the top reasons to recognize shelter staff and volunteers in honor of National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day.
A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.
By Michelle Eickmeyer
Some things are sacred. Maybe not any of the characters on Game of Thrones… but for 11 years, Grey’s Anatomy heartthrob, Dr. Derek Shepherd. The social media response Thursday night was, well, huge. Not to be glib, but you would have thought an actual person died. But when you spend time with someone every week for more than a decade, they can start to feel kind of real. Especially when their nickname is McDreamy, and he’s supposed to be the man of your dreams. I get it. And in case you didn’t get enough of the craziness on Friday, ABC has put together a 2:34 montage of clips sure to get you sad and angry again. I’m sorry.
By Melissa Rayner
Did you know that April 22 is National Jelly Bean Day? Well, I say, “Why stop at jelly beans when there are so many other tasty treats to be had?”
Let’s take a look into the kitchen of yesteryear to find the most delectable confections of yore. Extra points to anyone who decides to try their hand at any of these delightful recipes.
Read moreCelebrate National Jelly Bean Day with the Yummiest 19th-Century Confections!
By Dale Prentiss
Ruth Diggory is head librarian for ATA College, a medical career school in Kentucky and Florida that serves a broad demographic of students. As such, she needed to offer her students tools that can assist them in their research needs, regardless of their level of experience. Recently, Ruth has discovered that Gale’s Topic Finder tool is the perfect resource for her diverse needs.
Read moreTopic Finder: The Perfect Tool for Both New and Experienced Researchers
A look at a current news item through the lens of different Gale electronic resources.
By Michelle Eickmeyer
Oh, word problems… this is not your week! This week the world bemoaned a question, first posted to Facebook (then making it away through Buzzfeed to the BBC, and beyond.) The certainty of posters with their “easy” (and, of course, incorrect) responses only helped to fuel the fire. For those who missed it, here is the original question (with some spelling and grammatical editing… that’s an entirely different post!).