The folded paper crane is an international symbol of peace. However, there’s a lot more to origami than simple birds, and Origami Day is all about promoting the art of paper folding and showcasing incredible creations.
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (noun) Abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will. | ||
| Synonyms: | invective, vituperation | ||
| Usage: | At first, she patiently listened to him vent his frustration, but when he began to spout vitriol, she told him she had to leave. | ||
History
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 | Patton, nicknamed "Old Blood-and-Guts," was probably the most admired and most controversial American World War II general. Though he had a brilliant war record—he led successful military operations in Morocco and Sicily and spearheaded the spectacular sweep of US forces across northern France into Germany—he was a rigid disciplinarian and nearly lost his career for slapping a hospitalized soldier he suspected of feigning illness | ||
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 | A public holiday on the island of St. Martin in the West Indies, Concordia Day commemorates the 1648 agreement to divide the island between the Dutch and the French. To this day, St. Martin is the smallest territory shared by two sovereign states, with only a stone monument marking the boundary. Concordia Day celebrates the long-standing peaceful coexistence of the two countries by holding parades and a joint ceremony with French and Dutch officials at the border monument. November 11 is also the anniversary of the island's discovery in 1493 by Christopher Columbus. | ||
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| This office looks like a pretty typical co-working space, what with the guy with a ponytail coding in one corner, the pile of bikes clustered in another, and the minimalist desks spread across a light-filled room. | |||
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1851 - The telescope was patented by Alvan Clark
1920 - The body of an unknown British soldier was buried in Westminster Abbey. The service was recorded with the first electronic recording process developed by Lionel Guest and H.O. Merriman.
1921 - The Tomb of the Unknowns was dedicated at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia by U.S. President Harding.
1938 - Kate Smith first sang Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on network radio
1940 - The Jeep made its debut.
1981 - Stuntman Dan Goodwin scaled the outside of the 100-story John Hancock Center in Chicago in about six hours.
1992 - The Church of England voted to ordain women as priests.
1993 - In Washington, DC, the Vietnam Women's Memorial was dedicated to honor the more than 11,000 women who had served in the Vietnam War.
DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, November 11
You are a sensual, passionate person who possesses both natural charm and a strong will. You are a "benevolent leader" type—going your own way without ruffling too many feathers (at least not for too long). You may raise a few eyebrows at first, but then you'll find that people naturally follow your lead. A unique blend of sensitivity and softness, with strength and integrity, is all part of your charm. You truly stand out for your unique qualities. Famous people born today: Calista Flockhart, Ian Marsh, Demi Moore, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonathan Winters, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Daisy Bates, George Patton, Stanley Tucci.
| Picture of the day | |
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A World War I recruitment poster released in Ireland in 1915. Ireland entered the war in August 1914 as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, which was one of the Entente Powers. At the outbreak of the war, most Irish people supported the war effort, and both nationalist and unionist leaders initially backed it. In 1916, supporters of Irish independence took the opportunity to proclaim Ireland a republic and to defend it in an armed rebellion against British rule in Dublin. Britain's intention to impose conscription in Ireland in 1918 provoked widespread resistance.
Over 200,000 Irishmen fought in the war, in several theaters. The number of Irish soldiers killed is estimated as 49,400, of whom 30,000 were serving in the British forces.
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Pinniped Playground
Photograph by Megan Barrett
Photographer Megan Barrett had a ringside seat for this aquatic display in San Diego, California. "I happened upon this group of sea lion pups by chance after photographing smelt that were moving through the reefs around La Jolla Cove," she says. "I had never seen the pups band together like this—they were circling around me, porpoising and enjoying the bait swimming around in the water. It was around noon, so with the overhead light and the surf grass below, I felt as though I was watching children running wild on an underwater playground."
knit
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I-Love-Stockinette Baby Bib pattern by Laura Treadway
A simple baby bib pattern that would show off the beauty of stockinette stitch, for those of us who may prefer its smoothness to the texture of garter stitch.
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Preview by Yahoo
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knit, 4 - 10 yrs
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Mochi Plus Child's Shrug - free knit shrug pattern fo...
Mochi Plus Child's Shrug - free knit shrug pattern for girls - Crystal Palace Yarns
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Preview by Yahoo
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knit
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Elephant Footprint pattern by Gabrielle Danskknit
Elephant footprint?! Well, the pattern made me think of elephants’ footprints you would see on the sand, somewhere far away in Africa.
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knit
crochet
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Little Feet pattern by Joana Nossa
AmanitaHilllink text made the following suggestion so that the ankle is tighter, helping it to be snug enough to stay on without a tie.
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crochet
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The Wavelength pattern by Dawn Ellerd
Inspired by Lucy Neatby. I completely used one skein of Noro Kureyon Sock and my unblocked scarf was about 6 feet long and 8 inches wide. It’s a quite thi...
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crochet, 18"-28"
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Baby Kite Jacket pattern by Frankie Brown
A diagonally knitted garter stitch jacket inspired by Elizabeth Zimmermann, this is a fun and unnusual knit. It is worked in two identical pieces which are the...
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crochet
crochet
RECIPE
World's Easiest Chickn Empanada
WORLD'S EASIEST CHICKEN EMPANADAS
So not diet food, but low-cal anyway.
MAKE IT:
Heat oven to 375°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.
1. In a medium bowl, season 6 oz cooked, shredded skinless chicken breast (about 1 breast) with salt and pepper, then add ¼ cup salsa. Mix well.
2. Roll out 1 package Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheet into a large rectangle of even thickness. Cut lengthwise into two even strips. Next, cut each strip across its width into thirds, so you're left with six rectangles of dough.
3. Stretch out each rectangle just a bit. Evenly distribute chicken mixture among centers of dough.
4. Fold dough into triangles; then, using a fork dipped in water, press edges around filling to crimp and seal.
5. Place empanadas on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes.
CROCKPOT RECIPE
stephanie o'dea
Java Roast CrockPot Recipe
This is a fun roast! The coffee really tenderizes the meat, and it becomes fork-tender than other roast recipes. I tweaked her original recipe according to what we had in the pantry, and was pleased with the results. Adam and I ate ours with a spinach salad and the girls dipped their "steak" in barbecue sauce.The Ingredients.
--3 lb chuck roast, trimmed of fat
--3/4 cup brewed coffee
--1 yellow onion, chopped
--1 red bell pepper, chopped
--8 oz sliced mushrooms
--1 t garlic powder, or 4-5 chopped cloves
--1/2 tsp salt
--1/4 black pepper
--1 T Worcestershire sauce
--3 T red wine vinegar
--4 oz cream cheese (to add at the end)
The Directions.
Use a 4 quart or larger crockpot.
I opted to not brown the meat and onions, and instead plopped everything in to the crockpot. I put the vegetables on the bottom, and then the meat.
Add the coffee, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, and spices.
Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. I cooked our meat on low for exactly 8 hours, and then it was on warm for another 3.
Carefully remove the meat from the pot, and stir in the cream cheese. I'd cut the cream cheese in slices and add it one at a time, if you can, to help it from separating in little white dots the way mine did. I got impatient. If you do get a bunch of little white dots, they will taste fine, but annoy you.
The Verdict.
Yummy! If I didn't know coffee was in there, I wouldn't have guessed that's what the hint of flavor was. I liked how the gravy was dark brown, and rich. Adding the cream cheese thickened it up nicely, and gave it a creamy texture.
CRAFTS
(american, canadian or any country's flag)
CHILDREN'S CORNER ... crafts
enchanted learning
| Patriotic Pinwheel A simple-to-make pinwheel for older children. (This craft uses a push-pin, so it is not suitable for younger children.) |
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 | Start by making two square pieces of paper.To start making a square, put the two pieces of paper together. Fold the corner of the pieces of paper over as shown. |
 | To finish making the squares, cut off the small rectangles, forming two squares (which are already folded into a triangle). |
 | Fold the triangle in half.Unfold the paper. |  |
 | Decorate one side of each sheet of paper. |
 | Put the undecorated sides of the paper together.Make four cuts along the fold lines - about halfway to the center. |
 | Punch four holes in the pinwheel, one at each corner. |
 | Gently gather each of the four points (with a hole) to the center. (Be careful not to crease the paper.)Push a push-pin through the four punched holes through the center of the pinwheel to attach the pinwheel to the side of a pencil's eraser. |  |
PUZZLE
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Macaroon Three Jigsaw Puzzle
Macaroon Three Jigsaw Puzzle, 67 Piece Classic. A macaron is a French sweet meringue-based confection made with egg white,
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QUOTE
"Welcome" in Hassaniya (Mauritania) - Ehlen
CLEVER
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LibriVox | free public domain audiobooks
Free public domain audiobooks Read by volunteers from around the world.
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Preview by Yahoo
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EYE OPENER
Five War Heroes Who Also Happened to Be Dogs
Heroes come in many forms; some are even furry and four-legged. Due in part to their superior ability to sniff and hear trouble, dogs have long been a fantastic ally and a great protector of humans. After all, it was Lassie who, through a series of barks, told the grown-ups that Timmy was in trouble again (Note: Timmy never actually fell down a well. Mineshaft, sure, but no well.) Dogs can also be quite brave and have been known to run into dangerous situations without a moment of hesitation. Throughout history, several dogs have gained a reputation as being courageous in wartime.
Here are the stories of five such dogs that became war heroes and helped saved human lives:
Gunner – Australia’s Alarm
Japanese bombs started raining down on the capital city of Australia’s Northern Territory, Darwin, around 10 am on February 19, 1942, just over two months after the Japanese bombing of America’s Pearl Harbor. After the initial attack, which sunk eight ships and badly damaged 37 others, soldiers went looking for the injured among the rubble.
Under a destroyed mess hall, they found the smallest survivor of them all, a six-month-old male stray kelpie (an Australian sheep dog). He had a broken leg and was whimpering. Eventually, the injured pup ended up in the hands of Leading Aircraftman Percy Westcott. He made it his duty to get this dog help. Westcott took the dog to the doctor, who said he couldn’t treat any “man” who didn’t have a name or serial number. So, Westcott named the kelpie “Gunner” and gave him the number 0000. Satisfied, the doctor put a cast on Gunner’s leg and set them on their way.
From that point forward, Gunner and Westcott were inseparable. When Gunner’s leg began healing (despite his habit of chewing the cast), he would join Westcott on his daily tasks. One day not long after the attack, as the men worked on repairing several planes in the airfield, Gunner started barking and jumping up and down. The men paid no attention to the dog, but within a few minutes Japanese raiders swooped in and commenced shelling Darwin again.
Luckily, the men and Gunner managed to dive to safety, but it was another surprise attack. Well, to everyone but Gunner. In general, Australian Kelpie hearing, even more so than many other breeds of dogs, is fantastic. Two days later, Gunner again started making a commotion. This time, the men knew to find cover and prepare for the upcoming attack.
From February 1942 to November 1943, over sixty air raids were commenced on Darwin. Gunner warned the soldiers of nearly every one, saving countless lives. Another amazing aspect of this was that Gunner never barked when Australian planes took off or were returning. He was able to differentiate between Australian aircrafts and Japanese aircrafts. It is not known what happened to Gunner after the war.
Rip the Rescue Dog
The Blitz commenced on London on September 7, 1940. For the next 57 days, German bombers enveloped the city in destruction. Right after a particular heavy shelling during one of the first days of the Blitz, an Air Raid Warden named E. King found a hungry stray walking the streets. He threw it some meat and the dog refused to go away. The dog followed King back to his post and, eventually, became something of a mascot. But Rip, as they called him, soon showed his worth beyond a simple mascot.
Rip came out with King after a bombing one night and his nose started twitching. Rip followed the scent to a collapsed building and started digging. What Rip found was a man, still alive, buried beneath. It was probably the best image this man had ever seen; a barking, sniffing mutt.
Despite never being formally trained, Rip became England’s first urban search and rescue dog. It was reported that he found and rescued over hundred people with his sensitive, life-saving nose. Due to Rip, today London’s police force and military trains hundreds of dogs per year to be part of their urban search and rescue teams.
In 1945, Rip was awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery, an honor bestowed animals for their service during war. On the medal, it reads “For Gallantry. We Also Serve.” Rip passed away in 1946 and is buried in Ilford Animal Cemetery in London.
Antis – The “German” Who Saved Frenchmen
As French Air Force gunner Robert Bozdech came barreling toward Earth in his now-disabled plane, death was on his mind, not making a new best friend. But that is exactly what happened when he crashed landed in Northern France, ominously known as “No Man’s Land.” He, amazingly, emerged from the wreckage of his plane barely hurt, but heard sounds from a nearby farmhouse. Thinking it was the enemy, he took out his gun, ready to shoot. What emerged was a gray ball of fur, a German Shepard puppy. He took the pup in his leather jacket and hitched a ride back two hundred miles to St Dizier Air Base. Bozdech’s peers were stunned he was still alive, much less having a new best bud.
Antis, named so because Bozdech loved to fly Russian ANT dive-bombers, became not just a loyal friend, but a seasoned war veteran. Much like Gunner, he barked in warning about oncoming enemy fire. Just like Rip, he learned how to sniff and dig for survivors. Robert and his comrades also considered Antis a good luck charm and, most importantly, braver than many a human soldier. He would hide away in Bozdech’s gunner plane to ensure that he would be there to protect his pal. Antis would also run into enemy fire to notify others where the injured men were. He was even once injured himself, yet that didn’t stop him from performing his duties. Several days after being injured, he somehow snuck onto Bozdech’s plane as a stowaway.
After the war, Antis was also awarded the Dickin Medal and lived with Bozdech the rest of his life, passing away at the age of 14 in 1953.
Salty and Roselle Safely Guides on 9/11
While 9/11 wasn’t necessarily during war, it was certainly an act of war and war-like situation. Salty and Roselle were both part of the Guiding Eyes for the Blind program in New York, but came upon their fates differently. Roselle was only one and half when she was introduced to Michael Hingson, the man she was to guide. Hingson had been blind since birth, but earned a masters in physics from the University of California. On September 11, 2001, he was working as a computer sales manager on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center Tower 1.
Roselle was asleep when the plane struck the 99th floor. Calmly and cooly, she guided Hingson, and several others in the office, down over 1400 hundred darkened stairs and out of the door. The whole escape took about an hour, but within moments of making it to the street, Tower 2 collapsed, sending debris everywhere. Roselle was struck by pieces, but she was unfazed and continued moving, just like she was trained to do.
As Hingson said,
She saved my life. While everyone ran in panic, Roselle remained totally focused on her job. While debris fell around us, and even hit us, Roselle stayed calm.
Salty had always loved fast-paced, city-living. When he was introduced to Omar Rivera, it was a perfect match. Rivera had gone blind due to glaucoma, but continued to work for New York’s Port Authority as a senior systems designer. He was working on the 71st floor of the World Trade Center Tower 1 on 9/11. Salty was lying next to Rivera when the plane hit. The whole building swayed, but Salty calmly got up, offered Rivera his guidance, and lead them down the stairs. At one point a co-worker, thinking the dog needed help, tried to take Salty’s leash, but he refused to leave his master’s side. They made it out the door and were two or three blocks away when the second tower collapsed.
Both Salty and Roselle were given the Dickin medal for their heroics despite all the chaos around them. Salty passed away in 2008 and Roselle in 2011. They are remembered as American heroes.
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