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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| After Obama Hour - Ladybird Day | After Obama Hour - Ladybird Day |
| (5 months later) | |
| While the world absorbs the momentous news of Barack Obama's re-election, the United States is offering us another reason to celebrate, on this Saturday, 10 November. | While the world absorbs the momentous news of Barack Obama's re-election, the United States is offering us another reason to celebrate, on this Saturday, 10 November. |
| Retired maths teacher Ron Gordon, whose has a knack for brightening up a subject dour and challenging to many pupils, has declared it be Ladybird – or in American English, Ladybug – Day. This is his way of acknowledging its rare status as a date whose conventional designation of day/month/year forms a straightforward numerical sequence: in this case, 10/11/12. After next year's 11/12/13, there won't be another until the next century brings us 1/2/3. | Retired maths teacher Ron Gordon, whose has a knack for brightening up a subject dour and challenging to many pupils, has declared it be Ladybird – or in American English, Ladybug – Day. This is his way of acknowledging its rare status as a date whose conventional designation of day/month/year forms a straightforward numerical sequence: in this case, 10/11/12. After next year's 11/12/13, there won't be another until the next century brings us 1/2/3. |
| Gordon previously featured in the Guardian here for his designation of Odd Day on 7 September last year whose styling of 7/9/11 made it one of only five dates with three consecutive odd numbers this century. He is an admirable man who should be celebrated in the north of England, and elsewhere, as he goes against the US grain of running the month before the day in dating sequences. | Gordon previously featured in the Guardian here for his designation of Odd Day on 7 September last year whose styling of 7/9/11 made it one of only five dates with three consecutive odd numbers this century. He is an admirable man who should be celebrated in the north of England, and elsewhere, as he goes against the US grain of running the month before the day in dating sequences. |
| This is an exception to the day/month/year pattern adopted in most countries, but it does at least give him the chance to increase the number of his unusual days. Ladybug Day in the States, for example, was celebrated on October 11 this year which was 10/11/12 for them, while passing largely un-noticed as humdrum 11/10/12 in Manchester, Leeds and such. | This is an exception to the day/month/year pattern adopted in most countries, but it does at least give him the chance to increase the number of his unusual days. Ladybug Day in the States, for example, was celebrated on October 11 this year which was 10/11/12 for them, while passing largely un-noticed as humdrum 11/10/12 in Manchester, Leeds and such. |
| Gordon, who lives at Redwood City south of San Francisco, has a doughty ally in the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper in Pennsylvania which promotes his notions, as do we. His daughter Rachel, who is doing a teaching masters at the University of California in Santa Cruz, also has a Facebook page which joins in and has a tally of date-related goings on. | Gordon, who lives at Redwood City south of San Francisco, has a doughty ally in the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper in Pennsylvania which promotes his notions, as do we. His daughter Rachel, who is doing a teaching masters at the University of California in Santa Cruz, also has a Facebook page which joins in and has a tally of date-related goings on. |
| Gordon has written a special ditty to be recited as widely as possible on Saturday and here it is for you to practice: | Gordon has written a special ditty to be recited as widely as possible on Saturday and here it is for you to practice: |
| A 90-year wait For a Ladybug date Let's share this one And make it great | A 90-year wait For a Ladybug date Let's share this one And make it great |
| You can also watch the inspiration for his choice of name for Ladybird Day on this YouTube clip here of Sesame Street's famous Ladybug Song, courtesy of Sesame Workshop and also a brilliant counting aid. Be warned that, like Disney's Small, small world, you may not be able to get it out of your mind. | You can also watch the inspiration for his choice of name for Ladybird Day on this YouTube clip here of Sesame Street's famous Ladybug Song, courtesy of Sesame Workshop and also a brilliant counting aid. Be warned that, like Disney's Small, small world, you may not be able to get it out of your mind. |
| Gordon is also running a competition with a prize of the date in dollars and cents ($1,011.12) - more details here on the day's website. | Gordon is also running a competition with a prize of the date in dollars and cents ($1,011.12) - more details here on the day's website. |
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