Administrative Professionals Day

Hi Puzzlers,

Today is Administrative Professionals Day! It is not a public holiday but it is the most celebrated workplace event, second only to major holidays and employee birthdays. Actually Administrative Professionals Day is part of a weeklong celebration to recognize the efforts and contributions our administration staff makes to the day-to-day operations of companies.

As a result of World War II, the need for skilled administrative personnel increased, especially in the United States and the National Secretaries Association (NSA) was formed to attract new people to these types of careers. Mary Barrett, president of NSA and C. King Woodbridge, president of Dictaphone Corporation (both serving on a committee assigned to address theses shortages) along with the efforts of Harry F Klemfuss, a New York Publicist, came up with the idea of National Secretaries Week.

“The first National Secretaries Week was held the week of June 1-7, 1952 in conjunction with the United States Department of Commerce and various office supply and equipment manufacturers. The Wednesday of that week became known as National Secretaries Day.”

“As the organization gained international recognition, the events became known as Professional Secretaries Week® and Professional Secretaries Day®. In 2000, IAAP (formerly known as the NSA) announced that the names of the week and the day would be changing to Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day to keep pace with changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of the modern administrative workforce. Many work environments across the world observe this event.”

So lets’ give a big round of applause and a word of thanks to all the wonderful people who keep our offices coordinated and running.

Happy Puzzling!

Earth Day

Hi Puzzlers,

Earth Day is fast approaching. It is celebrated annually on April 22nd. This year’s theme is A Billion Acts of Green, using the slogan of “Pledge an Act, Save Our Planet Pledge” and “Show Your Commitment to the Earth Share Your Act of Green.” Pledges can be as simple as “I will walk to work today” or “I pledge to turn the lights off every time I leave a room.” Or, why not organize a recycle program at a school or place of employment. Click here to make your pledge.

It is hard to believe we have been celebrating Earth Day for over 40 years. The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970. It was the culmination of seven years of work by Earth Day founder Senator Gaylord Nelson. At the time, Americans were facing the Vietnam War and industries running amuck with pollution and hazardous waste. Massive V8 cars and manufacturing plants were spewing out smoke, sludge and smelly air pollution without fear of legal consequences or bad press. Mainstream America was oblivious to the ramifications of all the chemicals they were using and the smell was accepted as the “smell of prosperity.”

In the spring of 1962 Rachel Carson book Silent Spring was the New York Times best seller. It cast a light and raised awareness of the environment and the effects the pollutants were having on the planet’s smallest inhabitants, the environment and the public health. The massive 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara California inspired Gaylord Nelson to infuse the growing concerns of the environment with a national teach-in idea that would force national attention to the environment. “20 Million Americans took the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in a massive coast-to-coast rallies.” And as the old saying goes the rest is history!

“In December of 1970, Congress authorized the creation of a new federal agency to tackle environmental issues, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.”

1990 was the year Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries. Now environmental concerns were present on a worldwide scale and lead to huge increases in recycling.

White Mountain Puzzles is proud to use recycled pressboard and vegetable base inks in the manufacturing of our puzzles. We pledge or continued commitment to the environment and all its inhabitants.

Happy Puzzling!

Cuteness Factor

Hi Puzzlers,

Check out our new puzzle Baby Faces. One word describes it to a tee and that’s CUTE! When I look at it all I can do is smile. Then, I slowly get an almost irresistible urge to hug and hold them. Babies do the same thing for me. I am always saying I have to go visit so and so to get my baby fix. What is it about babies and animal babies that drive us to feel this way? Well, I called it the cuteness factor.

So what defines cuteness? The Webster’s Dictionary defines it as an “attractive or pretty especially in a childish, youthful, or delicate way.” Okay that’s nice but I want an exact description of cuteness. So I looked to infancy characteristics for a definition and found exact details. They include big heads, small eyes, large eyes, a small nose, dimples and chubby limbs. Also the personality traits of helplessness, playfulness and being affectionate all add to the cuteness factor. Oh much better I can identify with this. In fact, humans have been selectively breeding house pets for these characteristics too. Okay, that explains why many people say kittens are the cutest animals in the world.

In 1950, Konrad Lorenz theorized, “Infantile features triggered nurturing responses in adults.” Nature wanted to make sure we cared for our young, so it built in the cuteness factor into infant mammals. Mammals including humans seem to have a basic need to nurture. An example of the need to nurture, from the animal kingdom, would be the countless animal rescue stories stating mother dogs nursing orphaned kittens and baby goats. Interestingly enough with humans the cuteness factor is the same across and within cultures.

Cuteness is so prevalent that it is used as a popular marketing tool. “Stephen Jay Gould remarked on this phenomenon in an article for the journal Natural History, in which he pointed out that over time Mickey Mouse had been drawn more and more to resemble an infant—with a bigger head, bigger eyes, and so forth. Gould suggested that this change in Mickey's image was intended to increase his popularity by making him appear cuter.” It is nice to know the how’s and why’s of the cuteness factor. But I still have a massive urge to go hug something…look out Boo-Boo kitty here I come!

Happy Puzzling!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Hi Puzzlers,

I have to say that I have had my fill of winter! The shoveling, sanding and salting are back breaking duties that have to be done for what feels like an eternity. Yes, I know I am being a bit dramatic, but after six months of snow I am ready to bury my snow blower and shovels. And let's not forget about the roof rake-you know that handy little item with a ten foot handle designed to “easily” remove snow from your roof. Ha! Let me tell you there's nothing easy about it!

In an effort to sway or ease my impatience, Jill at the office mentioned how important the snow is at this time of year. Apparently, snow in the spring is loaded with nitrogen and has been called "poor man's fertilizer." I think if I had a garden that informative tidbit would have had a better effect, but I am ready for the April showers that bring May flowers! Well, impatience doesn’t pay and Mother Nature must have had it out for me and my continued whining, because on April 1st, yes April Fool’s Day, she blasted us with six inches of snow!

In a manic frenzy, not knowing what else to do, I continued to sing "April showers bring May flowers." After repeating this for several days I began to wonder where this rhyme came from. Clearly the author must have felt desperate too. It turns out a man by the name of “Thomas Tusser compiled a collection of writing he called A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry.”

In the April section is where you will find “ Sweet April Showers, Do spring May flowers,” it was a poem. Wow, what a man, I thought. He wrote a book on being a good husband, uncommon for the times (1557). Jill at this point is rolling on the floor laughing hysterically and I am completely baffled. What is she laughing at? To my embarrassment, husbandry is the act or practice of cultivating crops and breeding and raising livestock, NOT being a good husband.

Okay-lesson learned. Good things come to those who wait. But I think some puzzling distraction will make the waiting easier to accept. So, if you are like me you might want to practice patience by distraction too.

Happy Puzzling!