March 1: Run Doggie Run
The Iditarod dog sled race
across Alaska begins today. What is your dog (or your cat, or your bird, or
your significant other) good for?
March 2: Horton Hears a Who
Theodor Seuss Geisel was
born today. Write about your Second Life in Dr. Seuss style.
March 3: A Good Day
In 1938, oil was discovered
in Saudi Arabia. What would you do if you discovered you're a billionaire?
March 4: Vroom
In 1887, Gottlieb Daimler
unveiled the first automobile in Germany. Write about the role a piece of
technology plays in your life. Consider the automobile, the airplane,
computers, cell phones, or coffee pots. OR, write about a piece of technology
you would like to have that is still awaiting an inventor, such as time travel,
teleporting (in real life), or programmable significant others.
March 5: Don't Get Saucy
With Me!
March is “National Sauce
Month.” Seriously, it is. I looked it
up. What is your favorite type of sauce?
March 6: Michelangelo
Google your favorite image
of Mike's work and become one with his genius. Describe a day hanging out with
him as he worked on that piece, or perhaps describe a day with him hanging out
with YOU in Second Life.
March 7: iPod
Two years ago on this day
Apple received its patent for its iPod. Write about somebody you know (ehem)
who serves no value to humanity as he or she spends all hours of the day
plugged into an MP3 player, or somebody who is making music go to new places,
or more broadly, how Apple has changed your life.
March 8: IWD
Today is International
Women's Day designed to bring focus to women's issues. In Second Life, you can
freely switch genders and zoological heritage too. Would you want this power in
real life?
March 9: Napoleon and
Josephine
Napoléon Bonaparte married
Joséphine de Beauharnais on this day in 1796 continuing one of the great
literary romances. Remember a time when you (or one of your favorite
characters) fell madly in love. Write a letter filled with passion to the
object of desire (and maybe send it to him or her?!).
March 10: Poof!
I remember this day in 2000
like it was yesterday. The NASDAQ hit its all-time high at 5132 points. Then
the dot-com bubble burst and half my money went away. Moving away from a purely
financial theme, how do you know when you're so high it's time to get out? How
do you know when you're so low it's time to get in?
March 11: Johnny Appleseed
Johnny Appleseed is an
American legendary figure who went around planting apple trees. Having grown up
next to an apple orchard, I blame him for my unwillingness to eat one more
apple ever in my life. What do you like to grow?
March 12: Coke Me Up
In 1894, Coca-Cola was sold
for the first time in bottles. Coke, McDonald's and Starbucks seem to be the
great culinary delights proffered by Americans to the rest of the world. When
you're traveling, do you find solace in finding something from your own country
you recognize, or does the globalization of all of our economies distress
you?
March 13: Uranus
My monthly obsession with
astronauts continues today by noting William Herschel discovered Uranus on this
day in 1781. How has Uranus improved your life? Or, how does life in this solar
system compare to life in other solar systems you've visited?
March 14: Albert Lives
Albert Einstein was born on
March 14, 1879. He said, "Before God we are all equally wise, and equally
foolish." What makes you wise? What makes you foolish?
March 15: Stab Me
It's 44 B.C. You're Julius
Caesar. You don't know about the term "Ides of March" yet. In fact,
you'll never know. You're about to be stabbed to death by a pack of Senators.
What should you have done to make more friends and fewer enemies in your life?
March 16: Grasshoppers
Party in Finland! It's St.
Urho's day! He is the patron saint of the grasshopper and he drove them away
from the legendary Finnish grape crops into Hell. What more of a writing prompt
do you need? I've given you Finland; I've given you grasshoppers; I've given
you saints and Hell. Go write!
March 17: Green Beer
Party Everywhere! Put on the
green for St. Patrick the patron saint of throwing up. Tell us your favorite
beer consumption story.
March 18: Caligula
In 37, the Roman Senate
proclaimed Caligula as Roman Emperor. Ever make a really bad decision yourself?
Do tell.
March 19: In The Closet
This is “National Clean You
Closet Week.” I started to make fun of
it, but it turns out to be a charitable idea where you donate stuff you're not
using to people who could use it. Seems like a great idea. What are you hiding
in your closet?
March 20: Finally
I loathe the wintertime, and
it's finally the first day of spring. I'm SO happy. Some of you live in the
southern hemisphere and you're celebrating the first day of autumn. What
important items are on your "to-do" list now that the equinox has arrived?
March 21: UNESCO Poetry Day
World Poetry Day is today as
declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization) in 1999. The purpose of the day is to promote the reading,
writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world and, as the
UNESCO session declaring the day says, to "give fresh recognition and
impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements"
(especially in Second Life).
March 22: Goof Off
Luckily, after your busy
poetry day yesterday, it's finally “National Goof Off Day.” Most Second Lifers
are pretty well prepared for this holiday. What things besides Second Life do
you do to goof off?
March 23: Easter
Whatcha doin?
March 24: Abracadabra
Magician Harry Houdini was
born on this day. What feat of magic would you like to perform?
March 25: Naughty Boy
In 1811 one of my favorite
poets, Percy Bysshe Shelley, found himself on the streets after being expelled
from Oxford for his publication of a pamphlet entitled "The Necessity of
Atheism." Write a pamphlet yourself today espousing your most
controversial idea.
March 26: The Best One
Ludwig van Beethoven died on
this day in 1827. I think he's the undisputed champion of all musicians. I
think William Shakespeare is the undisputed champion of writers. What are you
the undisputed champion of? Or, what would you want to be the undisputed
champion of? Or, who is your favorite undisputed champion?
March 27: Leaping Over
It's skyscraper day ... or
so I'm told. Superman can leap over them. They sway when you're on the top
floor observation deck. You can own your own in Second Life. There's a forum on
the internet to discuss them. Tell us a tall tale set in a skyscraper.
March 28: The Scourge
The Norsemen sure didn't
want to be hanging around the house this time of year in 845. So they headed
south and sacked Paris. The viking raiders collected their ransom and probably
thought they loved Paris in the springtime. Be a Viking and tell the story of
you sacking a city, or be a Parisian and describe the boys knocking over your
umbrella tables and wine glasses.
March 29: Wrestlemania
Some days I struggle for
topics, okay? Sorry! But here's the good news: In 1987, Wrestlemania III set a
world indoor attendance record at the Pontiac Silverdome with 93,173 screaming
wrestling fans. For the literary connoisseur in you, write about the wrestling
costume you like to wear. For the poet in you, celebrate your favorite wrestler
with an ode. For the party animal in you, write about attending a large
gathering where you screamed a lot. Surely you can do something with this,
right?
March 30: Golfer's Best Club
Phew! Here's a literary
milestone. On this day in 1858, the patent for a pencil with an attached eraser
was issued saving millions of us from the appearance of imperfection and saving
many golfers a few strokes. Write your entry today about pencils (in pencil for
extra credit).
March 31
Queen Isabella of Castile
was a busy girl in 1492. Among other things (such as helping to re-discover the
American continents), she ordered her 150,000 Jewish subjects to convert to
Christianity or face expulsion. Most of them hit the road of course, but if you
were required to pick a new religion, which one would it be and why?