Under the slogan ‘nutritious seeds for a sustainable future,’ the United Nations, led by its Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on November 10, 2015 launched the 2016 International Year of Pulses to raise awareness about the protein power and health benefits of all kinds of dried beans and peas, boost their production and trade, and encourage new and smarter uses throughout the food chain.  “Pulses are important food crops for the food security of large proportions of populations, particularly in Latin America, Africa and Asia, where pulses are part of traditional diets and often grown by small farmers,” said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, in a news release.  “They have been an essential part of the human diet for centuries,” he added, “Yet, their nutritional value is not generally recognized and is frequently under-appreciated.”  According to FAO, pulses, including all kinds of dried beans and peas, are not merely cheap and delicious; they are also highly nutritious source of protein and vital micronutrients that can greatly benefit people’s health and livelihoods, particularly in developing countries.  There are hundreds of varieties of pulses grown throughout the world.  Popular ones include all varieties of dried beans, such as kidney beans, lima beans, butter beans and broad beans.  But also chickpeas, cowpeas, black-eyed peas and pigeon peas.  Speaking about their nutritional value, the FAO chief said that pulses have double the proteins found in wheat and triple the amount found in rice.  They are also rich in micronutrients, amino acids and b-vitamins.  Pulses also offer a great potential to lift farmers out of rural poverty, as they can yield two to three time higher prices than cereals, and their processing provides additional economic opportunities, especially for women.  http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52505#.VoLgvvkrKUk  See also http://iyp2016.org/

ANNIVERSARIES IN 2016

50th  The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 was passed primarily to acknowledge the importance of protecting our nation's heritage from rampant federal development.  It was the triumph of more than a century of struggle by a grassroots movement of committed preservationists.  Some key elements from the Act:  Sets the federal policy for preserving our nation's heritage; Establishes a federal-state and federal-tribal partnership; Establishes the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Programs; Mandates the selection of qualified State Historic Preservation Officers; Establishes the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; Charges Federal Agencies with responsible stewardship;

Establishes the role of Certified Local Governments within the States.  http://www.ncshpo.org/nhpa1966.shtml  See also The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended at http://www.achp.gov/nhpa.html

100th  To celebrate its centennial anniversary, the National Park Service is offering 16 days of free admission to 127 parks, including the Everglades, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, Alaska's Denali National Park and Joshua Tree National Park in California, which usually charge entrance fees.  In addition, every year, the Park Service waives admission fees, which range anywhere from $3 to $30, on certain special days, like Martin Luther King Jr. Day, National Park Week, National Park Service Birthday, National Public Lands Day and Veterans Day.  http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2015-12-29/national-park-service-announces-free-admission-days-for-2016  See also http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

200th  In 1816, E. T. A. Hoffman published The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.  See http://www.cgnutcracker.com/p/nutcracker-history.html and http://books.openedition.org/obp/612?lang=en 

200th  In 1816, Mary Shelley created Frankenstein.  The new Keats-Shelley Prize 2016 celebrates this famous work with a call for entries on the theme of After Frankenstein.  Find details at http://www.keats-shelley.co.uk/the-keats-shelley-prize/keats-shelley-prize-2016

300th anniversary of the birth of England's greatest gardener, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, best known for designing gardens and landscapes at some of the country's grandest stately homes including Blenheim Palace, Chatsworth, Highclere Castle, Burghley, Weston Park and Compton Verney.  ‘Capability’ Brown's landscape gardens are synonymous with England's green and pleasant land with their seemingly natural rolling hills, curving lakes, flowing rivers and majestic trees.  A nationwide festival and programme of events is planned with the opportunity to visit over 150 Brown gardens and landscapes in England, including some not usually open to visitors. https://www.visitengland.com/sites/default/files/downloads/capability_brown_background_-_2016_yeg.pdf

Paraphrases from The Danger, a novel by Dick Francis   Good news is brief news--if reporters think it's bad news, they'll keep on probing.  The reporters applauded her--an amazing tribute from the most cynical bunch in the world.

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.  It does not take policy positions.  The Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. It studies U.S. politics and policy; journalism and media; internet, science and technology; religion and public life; Hispanic trends; global attitudes and trends; and U.S. social and demographic trends.  All of the Center’s reports are available, including Parenting in America released December 17, 2015 at http://www.pewresearch.org/

Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder.  http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/files/2015/12/2015-12-17_parenting-in-america_FINAL.pdf

Inuksuk (also spelled inukshuk, plural inuksuit) is a figure made of piled stones or boulders constructed to communicate with humans throughout the Arctic.  Inuksuit are placed throughout the Arctic landscape acting as "helpers" to the Inuit.  Among their many practical functions, they are used as hunting and navigational aids, coordination points and message centres ( they might indicate where food was cached).  In addition to their earthly functions, certain inuksuk-like figures have spiritual connotations, and are objects of veneration, often marking the spiritual landscape of the Inummariit—the Inuit who know how to survive on the land living in their traditional way.  The Inuit also construct a stone figure called an inunnguaq, which means "in the likeness of a human."  This familiar stone figure with head, body, legs and arms is often mistakenly referred to as an inuksuk.  Its purpose is more symbolic than functional.  Because of its humanoid appearance in the likeness of a little person, its image has become a popular cross-cultural symbol.  Beyond being stacked one atop the other, large slabs of stone can be arranged in a number of ways.  They can stand on end to form supports for a lintel and thus become an elaborate structure rather than just a heap.  Many inuksuit, referred to as niungvaliruluit, are constructed with a "window" through which one can align with another inuksuk and thus project a sightline to a place below the horizon.  Many Inuit retain strong attachments to inuksuit believed to have been built by their ancestors.  Some of the old inuksuit are mentioned in Aya-yait, the traveling songs passed from one generation to the next to help travelers remember a series of directions for long trips.  http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/inuksuk-inukshuk/

An eye-popping and unprecedented Powerball jackpot whose rise to almost $1.6 billion became a national fascination will be split three ways.  Winning tickets for January 13, 2016's world record jackpot were sold in suburban Los Angeles, Florida and Tennessee.  Officials of the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs the Powerball game, said they expected more than 85 percent of the possible number combinations would have been bought for the drawing. The odds of winning were 1 in 292.2 million.  Winners have to pay 39.6 percent of the prize in federal income taxes, in addition to any state taxes.  Powerball tickets are sold in 44 states, as well as the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.  But residents in the six states that don't participate found ways to get their hands on tickets.  Some of the biggest Powerball sales have come from cities bordering states that don't sell the tickets, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.  The association oversees the Powerball Lottery, but management rotates annually among member states.  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/1-5b-powerball-jackpot-at-least-3-winning-tickets-sold/

Powerball is an American lottery game offered by 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), a nonprofit organization formed by an agreement with U.S. lotteries.  Powerball's minimum advertised jackpot is $40 million (annuity); Powerball's annuity is paid in 30 graduated installments; winners may choose cash instead.  Drawings are held Wednesday and Saturday evenings at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time.  Since October 7, 2015, the game uses a 5/69 (white balls) + 1/26 (Powerballs) matrix from which winning numbers are chosen.  Each play costs $2, or $3 with the Power Play option.  The official cutoff for ticket sales is 10 p.m. Eastern Time; some regional lottery organizations discontinue sales earlier.  The drawings are usually held at the Florida Lottery’s studio in Tallahassee.  Powerball's predecessor began in 1988; the multi-state game was known as Lotto*America. The game, and name, were changed to Powerball on April 19, 1992; its first drawing was held April 22.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerball

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1408  January 14, 2016  On this date in 1896, John Dos Passos, American author, poet, playwright, and painter, was born.  On this date in 1904,  Emily Hahn, American journalist and author, was born.