R.A. Fischer's Blog, page 2

Today’s Spotlight: The History of Publishing

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Welcome to the new edition of the OTC Blog.

Ever wonder how the printed word began? From Clay tablets to audio books, the printing industry has changed over the years. Here is a brief history of how we went from drawing on a wall to hearing celebrities read to us as we drift off to sleep.

Clay Tablets- In 3500 BC the first writings and scriptures were written in Mesopotamia. The writers would jot down text on damp clay tablets and dry them in a kiln. Papyrus Scrolls- The oldest scroll was from 2400 BC. Strips of the papyrus stem. The pitch-are cut and then glued together. Egyptians were the first known to use them and then the Greeks and Romans followed. Parchment Papers- Between 500-200 BC, thin pieces of calves, sheep or goat skin were used to replace Papyrus. The Greeks were the first to use these techniques and eventually this method became preferred across the known world. Codex- At an unknown point between 200 BC and 100 AD people tried to a new way to print. They coated wooden slabs with wax and used a stylus to write on them. These wooden slabs were tied together with a cord. Paper- In 105 AD paper as we know it today was invented by China. Using the bark of trees to create this new medium. This encourages people to transition over to using this new option for the printed word. This would also start the era when ink was used. The Chinese also found a way to strengthen this paper enough to add colored illustrations. They continued to use cord to bind the pages together. Printed Books- Until 868 AD, the books published were all handwritten. Authors wrote copies of the same book and kept it at the libraries. A technique known as block printing was found in 220 AD. Blocks made of wood had letters and patterns that could be printed on paper Moveable Typewriter- The first one built was by China in 1040 AD. This version was made of wooden blocks with carved letters and symbols. Because of this, the ink would soak into the blocks to fast requiring the blocks to be repeatedly replaced. However, in the 1430s, a new machine using metal blocks was created in Europe. This invention led to the publishing of the Bible in book format. Printing Press- In 1500 AD the printing press was discovered. This help with the speed of production of book and the cost. So now more people were able to purchase books, newspapers, and journals. Traditional Publishing- From the mid-1500s, traditional publishing started to flourish in Europe, USA, and various other countries. The publishing house buys the copyrights to an author’s work and sells it. A deal, i.e. royalty, is negotiated between the publishers and authors. The deal is generally a percentage of the overall sales. Self-publishing- Is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. Jane Austen, Emily Dickinson, and Walt Whitman all started their careers as self-publisher. EBooks- (Electronic Books)- is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Some trace the concept of an e-reader, a device that would enable the user to view books on a screen, to a 1930 manifesto by Bob Brown, written after watching his first "talkie" (movie with sound). He titled it The Readies, playing off the idea of the "talkie".

Throughout history, we understood the importance of passing down stories. What type of reader are you? Do you prefer holding a printed book, feeling the pages slip through your fingers as the adventure continues? Or do you enjoy convenience of opening an app on your phone and taking your favorite story with you anywhere you go?

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**** Research done using Wikipedia and a 2017 article in Inside Notion Press.

Today’s Spotlight: Celebrating Tricksters' Day... or in our world, April Fools Day

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Welcome to the new edition of the OTC Blog.

Ready for a little mischief my readers? In our world, we use the term Trickster's day but here in our realm, it is called April Fools’ Day. Celebrated on April 1 each year—has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, though its exact origins remain a mystery. April Fools’ Day traditions include playing hoaxes or practical jokes on others, often yelling “April Fools!” at the end to clue in the subject of the April Fools’ Day prank. While its exact history is shrouded in mystery, the embrace of April Fools’ Day jokes by the media and major brands has ensured the unofficial holiday’s long life.

Origins of April Fools' Day

Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1.

People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes and were called “April fools.” These pranks included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as “poisson d’avril” (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person.

Hilaria

Historians have also linked April Fools’ Day to festivals such as Hilaria (Latin for joyful), which was celebrated in ancient Rome at the end of March by followers of the cult of Cybele. It involved people dressing up in disguises and mocking fellow citizens and even magistrates and was said to be inspired by the Egyptian legend of Isis, Osiris, and Seth.

Vernal Equinox and April Fools'

There’s also speculation that April Fools’ Day was tied to the vernal equinox, or the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere when Mother Nature fooled people with changing, unpredictable weather.

History of April Fools’ Day

April Fools’ Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them.

April Fools’ Day Pranks

In modern times, people have gone to great lengths to create elaborate April Fools’ Day hoaxes. Newspapers, radio and TV stations, and websites have participated in the April 1 tradition of reporting outrageous fictional claims that have fooled their audiences.

Recommended for you

In 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees. In 1985, Sports Illustrated writer George Plimpton tricked many readers when he ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour.

In 1992, National Public Radio ran a spot with former President Richard Nixon saying he was running for president again… only it was an actor, not Nixon, and the segment was all an April Fools’ Day prank that caught the country by surprise.

In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. In 1998, after Burger King advertised a “Left-Handed Whopper,” scores of clueless customers requested the fake sandwich. Google notoriously hosts an annual April Fools’ Day prank that has included everything from “telepathic search” to the ability to play Pac Man on Google Maps.

On behalf of Rachel and myself, We thank you for joining our adventure. Until next time, fare thee well, friends.

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Today’s Spotlight: An Interview with AnnMarie Knorr Fischer

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Welcome to the new edition of the OTC Blog.

This month we wanted you to get to know our other author-AnnMarie Knorr Fischer. We've gathered a few behind the scenes questions for her to answer.

Who is your favorite character to write and why? I was able to create the character of Avalann. She has a lot of my personality sprinkled in...extremely loyal to her family and friends but a bit bossy at times. What was your favorite scene to write in Book One-Raven Naelo and the Artifact of the Stolen Souls and why? I enjoyed writing about Omlett's Anniversary. We get to see all the guardians let their hair down and have some fun. What was your favorite scene to write in Book Two- Raven Naelo and the Fall of the Guardians, and why? The chapter about Shorte and Avalann. I loved giving the readers a change to learn more about their past. What was the hardest chapter to write so far in the trilogy? All of the battle scenes. That's just not my strength. I can paint a picture in words of a beauteous fey garden, but when it comes to writing strategic battle scenes... I leave that up to Rachel. When you're not writing, what does your day look like? I work as an entertainment buyer. Basically I help my clients find all kinds of entertainment for their big events. What do you do to unwind at night? I binge watch Youtube videos about Disney. Don't hate! It's my happy place. Tell us about your future projects? We hope to have book three finish by the end of the year. It really depends on what our new publishers would like us to focus on. Plus we will see everyone at events starting in May.

There you have it! What questions do you have for AnnMarie? Drop her a message at raf.authors@gmail.com!

Thank you for joining our adventure. Until next time, fare thee well, friends.

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Today’s Spotlight: The History of Pizza

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Welcome to the new edition of the OTC Blog.

February brings us so many interesting and educational holidays; Black History Month, Ground Hogs Day, Mardi Gras and Valentines Day. But did you know it also has National Pizza Day! ( You know Rachel will be celebrating on that day...she LOVES pizza.) So we thought it would be fun to do a blog celebrating Pizza!

Pizza has a long history. Flatbreads with toppings were consumed by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. But the modern birthplace of pizza is southwestern Italy's Campania region, home to the city of Naples.

These Neapolitans required inexpensive food that could be consumed quickly. Pizza—flatbreads with various toppings, eaten for any meal and sold by street vendors or informal restaurants—met this need.

Legend has it that King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples in 1889 and the traveling pair became bored with their French meals and asked for an assortment of pizzas. The variety the queen enjoyed most was called pizza mozzarella, a pie topped with soft white cheese, red tomatoes and green basil. From then on, the story goes, that particular topping combination was dubbed pizza Margherita.

But pizza would remain little known in Italy beyond Italian borders until the 1940s. Immigrants to the United States from Naples were replicating their trusty, crusty pizzas in New York and other American cities. Relatively quickly, the flavors and aromas of pizza began to intrigue non-Neapolitans and non-Italians.

As Italian-Americans, and their food, migrated from city to suburb, east to west, especially after World War II, pizza’s popularity in the United States boomed. No longer seen as an “ethnic” treat, it was increasingly identified as fast, fun food. Regional, decidedly non-Neapolitan variations emerged, eventually including California-gourmet pizzas topped with anything from barbecued chicken, ham and pineapple to smoked salmon.

So.. what is your favorite type of pizza?

We thank you for joining our adventure on behalf of Rachel and me. Until next time, fare thee well, friends.

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*** referenced articles on Wiki and history channel webpage.

Today’s Spotlight: New Year's Resolutions.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Welcome to the new edition of the OTC Blog.

It's a new year... and with that comes resolutions. Have you ever wondered how it all started? We've uncovered some fun facts about the history of this annual tradition.

The people made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts. The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus for whom the month of January is namedWe thank you for joining our adventure on behalf of Rachel and me. Until next time, fare thee well, friends. In the medieval era, the knights took the "peacock vow" at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry. At watchnight services, many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions. In Methodist Christianity, the liturgy used for the watchnight service for the New Year is the Covenant Renewal Service; in addition to being traditionally held on New Year's Eve, many churches offer the Covenant Renewal Service on both New Year's Eve and on the morning of New Year's Day. By the beginning of the 19th century, the tendency of people to make (and fail to keep) resolutions was commonly known and satirized. An early instance of the complete phrase "new year resolution" is found in a January 1st issue of a Boston newspaper from 1813. At the end of the Great Depression, about a quarter of American adults formed New Year's resolutions. At the start of the 21st century, about 40% did. In a 2014 report, 35% of participants who failed their New Year's Resolutions admitted they had unrealistic goals, 33% of participants did not keep track of their progress, and 23% forgot about them; about one in 10 respondents claimed they made too many resolutions.

So.. what New Year's Resolutions have you made this year?

We thank you for joining our adventure on behalf of Rachel and me. Until next time, fare thee well, friends.

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*** References[edit]

^ Rössner, S. M.; Hansen, J. V.; Rössner, S. (February 2011). "New Year's Resolutions to Lose Weight – Dreams and Reality". Obesity Facts. 4 (1): 3–5. doi:10.1159/000324861. PMC 6444530. PMID 21372604. ^ Lennox, Doug (2007). Now You Know Big Book of Answers one of the amazing thing. Toronto: Dundurn. p. 250. ISBN 978-1-55002-741-9. ^ Julia Jasmine (1998). Multicultural Holidays. Teacher Created Resources. p. 116. ISBN 1-55734-615-1. ^ Lennox, Doug (2007). Now You Know Big Book of Answers. Toronto: Dundurn. p. 250. ISBN 978-1-55002-741-9. ^ Jump up to:a b James Ewing Ritchie (1870). The Religious Life of London . Tinsley Brothers. p. 223. Retrieved 2011-12-28. ^ "Watch Night Service". The United Methodist Church. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2021. ^ Jump up to:a b c d "New Year's Resolutions: A Pretty Old Practice". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2022-01-09. ^ "New Years Resolution Statistics - Statistic Brain". statisticbrain.com. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018. ^ Norcross, JC, Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 58(4), 397-405, 2002 ^ Norcross, JC, Mrykalo, MS, Blagys, MD, J. Clin. Psych. 58: 397-405. 2009 ^ Hutchison, Michelle (29 December 2014). "Bunch of failures or just optimistic? finder.com.au New Year's Resolution Study shows New Year novelty fizzles fast - finder.com.au". finder.com.au. Retrieved 19 April 2018. ^ Lehrer, Jonah (December 26, 2009). "Blame It on the Brain". The Wall Street Journal . ISSN 0099-9660.

Today’s Spotlight: Pennsylvania Proud

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Welcome to the new edition of the OTC Blog.

Have you ever visited the Keystone State? Have you seen the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, watched a Pittsburgh Steelers football game or toured the Pennsylvania State Capital Complex in Harrisburg?

Today Rachel and I want to share some of the more scenic spots in PA.

Everyone knows of the Great Lakes, but few get to admire them in person. Lake Erie is the tenth largest lake in the world and the only Great Lake to border Pennsylvania. Pine Creek Gorge is sometimes called the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, and I bet you can guess why. Gettysburg National Military Park honors the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. The expanse of candles lit in memory will send chills down your spine. The Poconos attracts more tourists than any other outdoor destination in Pennsylvania for its extensive hiking trails, white water rafting, and ski slopes. Bushkill Falls, also known as the Niagara of Pennsylvania, is an Eastern Pennsylvania series of eight waterfalls. Hershey, PA, is a place of thrilling attractions, exciting live concerts, premier dining, breathtaking venues, relaxing getaways, and deliciously sweet Hershey's chocolate. It's also a place with a proud history and legacy of exceptional service and generous philanthropy installed by the man who built two great companies and began a dream alive and thriving today in Hershey, The Sweetest Place On Earth. Eight Lakes- Potter and Tioga Counties are home to eight lakes, including Tioga, Hammond, Cowanesque, Hills Creek Lake, Hamilton, Lyman Run, Nessmuk, and Beechwood. Rickets Glenn State Park- Throughout 13,193 acres, you'll encounter 26 hiking trails, ranging from less than one mile to just over seven, and 22 waterfalls. Amish Country- The Pennsylvania Amish of Lancaster County is America's oldest Amish settlement, where thousands still live a centuries-old "Plain" lifestyle. The Delaware Water Gap- One of the most beautiful areas of the Pocono Mountains, the middle section of the Delaware River or the Delaware Water Gap runs across the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border.

Have you visited any of these breathtaking locations?

We thank you for joining our adventure on behalf of Rachel and me. Until next time, fare thee well, friends.

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*** Data for this blog is pull from various county websites.

Today’s Spotlight: History of Comic Books

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Welcome to the new edition of the OTC Blog.

Did you know that the earliest forms of comic images can be found as far back as 110AD? Examples of early sequential art can be found in Egyptian hieroglyphs, Greek friezes, Rome's Trajan's Column, Maya script, medieval tapestries such as the Bayeux Tapestry and illustrated Christian manuscripts. It took the invention of modern printing techniques to bring the form to a wide audience and become a mass medium.

Early printed material focused mainly on religion. They used images to bring the word of Christianity to those who were illiterate. Through the 17th and 18th centuries, prints began to tackle aspects of political and social life, and also started to satirize and caricature.

As printing techniques developed, due to the technological advances of the industrial revolution, magazines and newspapers were established.

The Glasgow Looking Glass, published in 1826, was arguably the first comic magazine. A satirical publication, later known as The Northern Looking Glass, it lampooned the fashions and politics of the times. It had most of the elements that make up the modern comic, including pictures with captions that display a continuous narrative told often in installments, and the use of speech bubbles, satire and caricature.

In 1845, the satirical drawings, which regularly appeared in newspapers and magazines, gained a name: cartoons. (In art, a cartoon is a pencil or charcoal sketch to be overpainted.) The British magazine ,Punch, launched in 1841, referred to its 'humorous pencilings' as cartoons in a satirical reference to the Parliament of the day, who were themselves organizing an exhibition of cartoons, or preparatory drawings, at the time. This usage became common parlance, lasting to the present day.

The first weekly comic to feature a regular character was ,Ally Sloper's Half Holiday, which debuted in the British humor magazine Judy in 1867 and was created by C. H. Ross and illustrated by his French wife Emilie de Tessier.

The 1920s and 1930s saw further booms within the industry. The market for comic anthologies in Britain turned to targeting children through juvenile humor, with ,The Dandy and ,The Beano. In Belgium, Hergé created ,The Adventures of Tintin newspaper strip for a comic supplement; this was successfully collected in a bound album and created a market for further such works. The same period in the United States had seen newspaper strips expand their subject matter beyond humor, with action, adventure and mystery strips launched. The collection of such material also began, with ,The Funnies, a reprint collection of newspaper strips, published in tabloid size in 1929.

A market for such comic books soon followed, and by 1938 publishers were printing original material in the format. It was at this point that ,Action Comics, #1 launched, with ,Superman as the cover feature. The popularity of the character swiftly enshrined the superhero as the defining genre of American comic books. The genre lost popularity in the 1950s but re-established its domination of the form from the 1960s until the late 20th century.

In Japan, a country with a long tradition for illustration, comics were hugely popular. Referred to as manga, the Japanese form was established after World War II by Osamu Tezuka, who expanded the page count of a work to number in the hundreds, and who developed a filmic style, heavily influenced by the Disney animations of the time. The Japanese market expanded its range to cover works in many genres, from juvenile fantasy through romance to adult fantasies. Japanese manga is typically published in large anthologies, containing several hundred pages, and the stories told have long been used as sources for adaptation into animated film. In Japan, such films are referred to as anime, and many creators work in both forms simultaneously, leading to an intrinsic linking of the two forms.

During the latter half of the 20th century comics became a very popular item for collectors and from the 1970s American comics publishers have actively encouraged collecting and shifted a large portion of comics publishing and production to appeal directly to the collector's community. Writing in 1972, Sir Ernst Gombrich felt Töpffer had evolved a new pictorial language, that of an abbreviated art style, which allowed the audience to fill in gaps with their imagination.

The modern double use of the term comic, as an adjective describing a genre, and a noun designating an entire medium, has been criticized as confusing and misleading. In the 1960s and 1970s, underground cartoonists used the spelling ,comix to distinguish their work from mainstream newspaper strips and juvenile comic books. Their work was written for an adult audience but was usually comedic, so the "comic" label was still appropriate. The term ,graphic novel was popularized in the late 1970s, having been coined at least two decades previous, to distance the material from this confusion,

In the 1980s, comics scholarship started to blossom in the U.S.,[29] and a resurgence in the popularity of comics was seen, with Alan Moore and Frank Miller producing notable superhero works and Bill Watterson's ,Calvin & Hobbes, and Gary Larson's ,The Far Side being syndicated.

Webcomics have grown in popularity since the mid 1990s. Since the inception of the World Wide Web, artists have been able to self-publish comics on the Internet for a low cost. Hosting providers specifically designed for webcomics, such as Keenspot and Modern Tales, allow for a type of syndication of webcomics. Scott McCloud described in 2000 how creators of online comics can revolutionize the medium by embracing the digital space and making use of techniques such as infinite canvas. Webcomics became more prolific in the early 2000s, as respected comics awards such as the Eagle and Eisner Awards started adding categories for digital comics.

Are you a comic reader? Marvel or DC? Or perhaps you're a fan of a DarkHorse or Valiant? Rachel and I hope you will enjoy our comic series- CENERGY! Coming out this fall.

On behalf of Rachel and myself, we thank you for joining our adventure. Until next time, fare thee well, friends.

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,https://www.facebook.com/ravennaelo

*** Data for this blog is listed in Wikipedia

Today’s Spotlight: An Interview with Rachel Fischer

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Welcome to the new edition of the OTC Blog.

This month we wanted to go behind the scene of the Raven Naelo series. And what better way, than for everyone to meet my better half... author Rachel Fischer. Our adventure all started with a DnD game in her cousin's kitchen! So who better to learn a bit more about the series than the creator herself! Here are ten questions that a lot of our fans ask us when we are at events. Enjoy!

Who is your favorite character- (other than Raven) and why? Eugor because he started it all during my first DnD campaign. Who is your favorite villain and why? Aushade because my son Austin created the character as a Christmas gift to me when he was 12. What was your favorite scene to write in Book One-Raven Naelo and the Artifact of the Stolen Souls and why? The Tavern fight in chapter one was my favorite. It had been in my mind for a decade and it was amazing to be able to finally write it down. What was your favorite scene to write in Book Two- Raven Naelo and the Fall of the Guardians, and why? I love Chapter 9. It is where we start to see humanity from Aushade and find out why he became the person he is. What was the hardest chapter to write so far in the trilogy? Chapter 22 in Book Two, Gideon's big battle scene. It has several complicated spells. It was so hard to write to appease the DnD fans and at the same time not confuse people that don’t play. It was very tricky. Can you tell us about how Eugor was created in the first DnD campaign and how that transitioned years later into the Raven character? Eugor was the first character that I asked to make. I wanted to play a rogue and as I was thinking about a name, I thought it was funny to just reverse the letters and got Eugor. When I decided to write this trilogy, I wanted it to be tied to the world we had already created. But wanted the main character to be female. So, I decided to make Eugor a family man with two daughters. The name Naelo is loosely translated to night breeze in the Elven language. Do you have any examples of how you created some of the other characters in the trilogy? We already discussed how my sons created Aushade and Jarz. But one character that stands out is the evolution of Izarra. Originally, she was called Thirteen and was a bard halfling. As I started to flush her out, something in the back of my mind kept thinking about my fascination with nymphs. So at the last minute, I changed her to a water half-nymph. I knew she would be close friends with Raven. And in an article, I read that half-nymphs had a fascination with half-elves. When did you start writing the trilogy? I started with the idea of writing one book about 13 years ago. It went through several changes and then my laptop died, and I couldn’t retrieve any of my files. I because frustrated and took a break until AnnMarie talked me into trying again. So, in 2017 I started all over with one major change. It was now a trilogy. Do you have any advice for writers? My advice is to have a solid beginning, middle, and end. And just have fun creating along the way. Tell us about your future projects? I have my first comic book coming out later this year. It’s the first volume of five. It’s a superhero comic. Why should DC and Marvel have all the fun! We are also working on book three and hope to have it out next year.

There you have it! What questions do you have for Rachel? Drop her a message at raf.authors@gmail.com!

On behalf of Rachel and myself, we thank you for joining our adventure. Until next time, fare thee well, friends.

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,https://www.facebook.com/ravennaelo

Today’s Spotlight: Summer Solstice

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Welcome to the new edition of the OTC Blog.

Summer is finally here! Well... it is for us in the Northern hemisphere. For Rachel and me, there is nothing better than being outside soaking up the sun! So we thought it would be fitting to blog about the history of Summer Solstice.

The summer solstice, also known as estival solstice or ,midsummer, occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the summer solstice is when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky (for areas outside of the tropics) and is the day with the longest period of daylight. Within the Arctic circle (for the northern hemisphere) or the Antarctic circle (for the southern hemisphere), there is continuous daylight around the summer solstice.

The summer solstice occurs during summer. This is the June solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the December solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the summer solstice occurs sometime between June 20 and June 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and between December 20 and December 23 in the Southern Hemisphere. The same dates in the opposite hemisphere are referred to as the winter solstice.

Since prehistory, the summer solstice has been seen as a significant time of year in many cultures and has been marked by festivals and rituals. Traditionally, in many temperate regions (especially in Europe), the summer solstice is seen as the middle of summer and referred to as "midsummer". Today, however, in some countries and calendars it is seen as the beginning of summer.

Although the summer solstice is the longest day of the year for that hemisphere, the dates of the earliest sunrise and latest sunset vary by a few days.This is because Earth orbits the Sun in an ellipse, and its orbital speed varies slightly during the year.

Although the Sun appears at its highest altitude from the viewpoint of an observer in outer space or a terrestrial observer outside tropical latitudes, the highest altitude occurs on a different day for certain locations in the tropics, specifically, those where the Sun is directly overhead (maximum 90 degrees elevation) at the subsolar point. This day occurs twice each year for all locations between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn because the overhead Sun appears to cross a given latitude once before the day of the solstice and once afterward. For example, Lahaina Noon occurs in May and July in Hawaii. See solstice article. For all observers, the apparent position of the noon sun is at its most northerly point on the June solstice and most southerly on the December solstice.

The significance given to the summer solstice has varied among cultures, but most recognize the event in some way with holidays, festivals, and rituals around that time with themes of religion or fertility. For example, in Sweden, midsummer is one of the year's major holidays when the country closes down as much as during Christmas. In some regions, the summer solstice is seen as the beginning of summer and the end of spring. In other cultural conventions, the solstice is closer to the middle of summer.

Solstice is derived from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).

Are you ready for summer? On any given day you will see Rachel and me lounging at the beach, gardening in our back yard, or searching for treasure at local flea markets.

What fun activities do you and your loved ones do this time of year?

On behalf of Rachel and myself, we thank you for joining our adventure. Until next time, fare thee well, friends.

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,https://www.facebook.com/ravennaelo

*** Data for this blog is listed in Wikipedia

Today’s Spotlight: To Larp or not to Larp.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Welcome to the new edition of the OTC Blog.

Did you know that across the world, there are fantasy fans living double lives? By day they may be teachers, college students, stay-at-home moms, or retired businessmen. But on the weekends, they clad themselves in their finest Elf, Orc, or Wizard attire and gather for epic battles. They hunt for treasure, slay dragons, and save the virtues of the innocent. This may seem silly to many. But these great adventurers take LARPing very seriously.

What is this LARPing you ask?

It is a live-action role-playing game (LARP) where the participants physically portray their characters. The players pursue goals within a fictional setting represented by real-world environments while interacting with each other in character. The outcome of player actions may be mediated by game rules or determined by consensus among players. Event arrangers are called gamemasters to decide the setting and rules to be used and facilitate play.

The first LARPs were run in the late 1970s, inspired by tabletop role-playing games and genre fiction. The activity spread internationally during the 1980s and has diversified into a wide variety of styles. Play may be very game-like or may be more concerned with dramatic or artistic expression. Events can also be designed to achieve educational or political goals. The fictional genres used vary greatly, from realistic modern or historical settings to fantastic or futuristic eras. Production values are sometimes minimal but can involve elaborate venues and costumes. LARPs range in size from small private events lasting a few hours to large public events with thousands of players lasting for days.

The participants in a LARP physically portray characters in a fictional setting, improvising their characters' speech and movements somewhat like actors in improvisational theatre. This is distinct from tabletop role-playing games, where character actions are described verbally. LARPs may be played in a public or private area and may last for hours or days. There is usually no audience. Players may dress as their characters and carry appropriate equipment, and the environment is sometimes decorated to resemble the setting. LARPs can be one-off events or a series of events in the same setting, and events can vary in size from a handful of players to several thousand.

Events are put on for the benefit of the players, who take on roles called ,player characters (PCs) that the players may create themselves or be given by the gamemasters. Players sometimes play the same character repeatedly at separate events, progressively developing the character and its relations with other characters and the setting.

Arrangers called gamemasters (GMs) determine the rules and setting of a LARP, and may also influence an event and act as referees while it is taking place. The GMs may also do the logistical work, or there may be other arrangers who handle details such as advertising the event, booking a venue, and financial management. Unlike the GM in a tabletop role-playing game, a LARP GM seldom has an overview of everything that is happening during play because numerous participants may be interacting at once. For this reason, a LARP GM's role is often less concerned with tightly maintaining a narrative or directly entertaining the players, and more with arranging the structure of the LARP before play begins and facilitating the players and crew to maintain the fictional environment during play.

Participants are sometimes known as the crew may help the GMs to set up and maintain the environment of the LARP during play by acting as stagehands or playing ,non-player characters (NPCs) who fill out the setting. The crew typically receive more information about the setting and more direction from the GMs than players do. In a tabletop role-playing game, a GM usually plays all the NPCs, whereas in a LARP, each NPC is typically played by a separate crew member. Sometimes players are asked to play NPCs for periods of an event.

Much of play consists of interactions between characters. Some LARP scenarios primarily feature interaction between PCs. Other scenarios focus on the interaction between PCs and aspects of the setting, including NPCs, that are under the direction of the GMs.

Most LARPs are intended as games for entertainment. Enjoyable aspects can include the collaborative creation of a story, the attempt to overcome challenges in pursuit of a character's objectives, and a sense of immersion in a fictional setting. LARPs may also include other game-like aspects such as intellectual puzzles, and sport-like aspects such as fighting with simulated weapons.

Some LARPs stress artistic considerations such as dramatic interaction or challenging subject matter. Avant-garde or arthaus events have especially experimental approaches and high culture aspirations and are occasionally held in fine art contexts such as festivals or art museums. The themes of avant-garde events often include politics, culture, religion, sexuality and the human condition.

So what do you choose? Will you be the newest LARPer and save the kingdom? What character would you like to play? Personally, I would love to don elven gear and search for the missing black dragon egg in Euphrasia. Perhaps once day we will meet on the battlefield?

On behalf of Rachel and myself, we thank you for joining our adventure. Until next time, fare thee well, friends.

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