nPostednon April 23, 2014
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nIfnyou see people with tally marks all over their arms and faces today,ndo not be alarmed. Instead, wish them a happy Impossible AstronautnDay!
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Onnthis date in 2011, the popular television show DoctornWhonran an episode called “The Impossible Astronaut.” This was thenfirst episode in which the aliens called The Silence are actuallynseen.
Onnthis date in 2011, the popular television show DoctornWhonran an episode called “The Impossible Astronaut.” This was thenfirst episode in which the aliens called The Silence are actuallynseen.n
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nSomenDoctornWhonfans (or Whovians) call the day “Silence Day” – but that’snpretty confusing since the Gay, Lesbian and Straight EducationnNetwork’s “Day of Silence” is in April, too. I’m going to sticknwith calling it “Impossible Astronaut Day”!
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nNow,nI know you’re wondering why marking yourself with tally marks is ancommemoration of a TV show about The Silence. What gives?
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nThenSilence are the sorts of aliens who make suggestions. They are aliennenough to be frightening to look at, but the moment someone looksnaway, he or she forgets about the encounter. Still, the personnremembers the suggestion (while forgetting where the suggestion camenfrom). n
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nThisnpower makes The Silence hard to locate, hard to fight against, hard,neven, to know that they exist! But if you could write tally marks onnyour skin BEFORE looking away, it makes it harder to forget…
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nLastnyear on Impossible Astronaut Day, thousands of Whovians went tonschool and work with tally marks on their arms. Fans are hoping that evennmore people will wear tally marks today!
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| Doctor Who fans who cannot or don’t want to write on themselves might choose to mark up an old t-shirt. |
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nBynthe way, if you decide to tally your face and arms, do NOT use anSharpie pen or any other permanent marker on your skin! Washablenmarkers or, even better, an eyebrow pencil or eyeliner will makenmarks that can be washed off fairly easily!
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nTotallynTally
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nInbet you knew that “hash marks” is another name for tally marks,nand that this counting system is often used in games and sports.nAfter all, it’s easier to mark down one more tally mark on a scorensheet than it is to erase a number and write the next highernnumber…over and over and over again, as the game continues.
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nAndnfor a sign like this grim sign, you couldn’t possibly carve a numberninto the wood, then somehow erase it and carve another number intonthe wood. Tally marks make the task easier—although just asndepressing!
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nButndid you know that different cultures use different sorts of tallynmarks?
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Thisnfamiliar system is used in most of Europe and North America, Turkey,nZimbabwe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Thisnfamiliar system is used in most of Europe and North America, Turkey,nZimbabwe, Australia, and New Zealand.n
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Thesentally marks are used in France, Spain, most of South America, and innFrench-speaking Africa.
Thesentally marks are used in France, Spain, most of South America, and innFrench-speaking Africa.n
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Thisnsystem is used within the field of forestry.
Thisnsystem is used within the field of forestry.n
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nAlsonon this date:
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St. George’s Day in the U.K.
St. George’s Day in the U.K.
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nPhysicistnMax Planck’s birthday
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nThenDay of the Rose and the Day of the Book in Spain
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nPlaywrightnand poet William Shakespeare’s birthday (?)
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nAND Talk Like Shakespeare Day!!!
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nEnglishLanguage Day at the U.N.
nEnglishLanguage Day at the U.N.
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nApriln holidays
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nMayn holidays
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nMayn birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in May
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