Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Day of Reconciliation DECEMBER 16, 2015

DIANE'S CORNER ... Celebrate Day of Reconciliation

Day Of Reconciliation is an annual holiday that celebrates the bond between black and white South Africans. The day originally commemorated two different events. For members of South Africa’s Afrikaner community, it celebrated the Boer victory over the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River in 1838. By contrast, for black South Africans, the day was significant as the anniversary of the founding of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the anti-Apartheid African National Congress.
Both of the dates commemorate part of a history of violence between the black and white communities. After the end of Apartheid, however, the government made the day into a celebration of the end of that conflict. Reconciliation Day acknowledges that violence but forges the two separate holidays into a single holiday that unites the whole of the South African people.
Reconciliation Day was first celebrated by the South African people in 1994.



Word of the Day

ruffian 


Definition:(noun) A cruel and brutal fellow.
Synonyms:bully, hooligan, roughneck
Usage:He had been a bully in grade school, so no one was surprised to hear that he is still considered a ruffian.

thanks, patty

History

Wassily Kandinsky (1866)


Kandinsky, a Russian-born painter and art theorist, was one of the 20th century's most important artists, credited with painting the first abstract works in the history of modern art. He was a founder of the German expressionist group The Blue Rider, and he wrote Concerning the Spiritual in Art to champion ideas about color and nonrepresentational painting that he had developed after coming in contact with Neo-Impressionism and Fauvism

Open Wide! See How a Gorilla Visits the Dentist


While a root canal can be unpleasant for any patient, in the case of Pertinax, a nearly 400-pound gorilla, it can be a scary experience for the entire dental staff as well.
READ MORE:


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1773 - Nearly 350 chests of tea were dumped into Boston Harbor off of British ships by Colonial patriots. The patriots were disguised as Indians. The act was to protest taxation without representation and the monopoly the government granted to the East India Company. 

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1901 - "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," by Beatrix Potter, was printed for the first time. 

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1905 - Sime Silverman published the first issue of "Variety"

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 1985 - Reputed organized-crime chief Paul Castellano was shot to death outside a New York City restaurant. that happened, several years later, at a steak house restaurant, spark's, where my 1st husband and i celebrated our 1st anniversary dinner (after seeing 'an unmarried woman' lol)

1998 - Eric Michelman filed the earliest patent for a scroll wheel for a computer mouse. 

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 1999 - Sigourney Weaver received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame



 2009 - Astronomers discovered GJ1214b. It was the first-known exoplanet on which water could exist.




DAILY SQU-EEK




If You Were Born Today, December 16

You dislike planning ahead, preferring to wing it and then pick up the pieces, if necessary, later on. You see life as an adventure. Although your intuition is quite good, sometimes you act on impulse just for the sake of stirring things up. It's when you are acting on blind impulse rather than intuition that you are accident-prone (not just physically, either!). You are a natural psychologist, and your powers of observation when it comes to people are superb. Famous people born today: Ludwig van Beethoven, Benjamin Bratt, Jane Austen, Margaret Mead, Steven Bochco, Liv Ullmann.




Picture of the day
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Coward (1899–1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer. Coward published more than 50 plays, many of which have remained in the regular theatre repertoire. He composed hundreds of songs, well over a dozen musical theatreworks, screenplays, poetry, several volumes of short stories, a novel, and a three-volume autobiography. Coward's stage and film acting and directing career spanned six decades, during which he starred in many of his own works and won an Academy Honorary Award in 1943. In the 1950s he achieved fresh success as a cabaret performer, performing his own songs. His plays and songs achieved new popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, and his work and style continue to influence popular culture.


Picture of a girl walking on a Moroccan street

Out of the Blue

Photograph by Matt Dutile, National Geographic 
“The winding streets of Chefchaouen, Morocco, are coated in wonderful blue tones,” writes Matt Dutile. “I found the studded door in the background a really great example of the architectural character of the city but wanted to capture someone passing by to give the photo a sense of place. So I crouched down in another doorway down the alley and snapped images as people were passing by. I waited until I had just the right moment I wanted—the colorful pink of the young girl's dress [popped] out well as she hit stride in just the right spot. Patience pays off.”



knit, CHRISTMAS

knit

knit, CHRISTMAS

knit

knit, CHRISTMAS

thanks, patty


crochet, CHRISTMAS

crochet
 
 
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Drapey Crochet Cardigan
This drapey cardigan is very easy, yet the finished project is very impressive. Crochet it starting at the left front edge, work around the back, and end at the...
Preview by Yahoo
 


crochet, CHRISTMAS

crochet
 
 
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Sam, the Little Teddy Bear pattern by Carolina Guzman
Sam, the little Teddy Bear is the perfect friend for your child, sweet and charming, you can customize it as you like, making the boy or girl version… Sure y...
Preview by Yahoo
 


crochet, CHRISTMAS




RECIPES, CHRISTMAS





CROCKPOT RECIPE, CHRISTMAS




thanks, heide
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CRAFT, CHRISTMAS




CHILDREN'S CORNER ... CHRISTMAS craft

Embossed Yarn Ornaments

These are easy for kids to make and decorate!
Simple homemade Christmas ornaments- Embossed Ornaments | Easy project for kids and adults with stunning results! We used household aluminum foil to make them. Simple homemade Christmas ornaments- Embossed Ornaments | Easy project for kids and adults with stunning results! We used household aluminum foil to make them.

Materials 

  • Chipboard or Cereal box
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Jar lid
  • Scissors
  • Our favorite markers
  • Thin yarn or twine
  • Glue stick

Instructions

Simple homemade Christmas ornaments- Embossed Ornaments | Easy project for kids and adults with stunning results! We used household aluminum foil to make them.
  • Step One Draw a circle on a piece of chipboard using your jar lid. Cut out the circle.
  • Step Two Using a glue stick cover both sides of the circle with glue.
  • Step Three Cut an 18” length of yarn. Start wrapping your circle with the yarn to make patterned blocks.
  • Step Four When you are done wrapping add more glue on top of the yarn.
  • Step Five Cut out two pieces of aluminum foil, one slightly larger than your circle and one the same size as your circle.
  • Step Six Press the yarn wrapped circle down on the larger piece of foil then place the circle of foil on the back side of the circle.
  • Step Seven Trim the larger piece of foil to be roughly ¼” larger than the circle and fold the edges over.
  • Step Eight Emboss it! Using your finger press down on the front of the circle to reveal the yarn “lines.”
  • Step Nine Color in the pattern with sharpies! Use the yarn to guide your pen and stay within the lines.
  • Step Ten When you are done poke a hole in the top with a large needle, thread with embroidery thread, and hang it from your tree!
Simple homemade Christmas ornaments- Embossed Ornaments | Easy project for kids and adults with stunning results! We used household aluminum foil to make them.

Conclusion

If you decide to make homemade Christmas ornaments this year consider trying a few finger embossed ones, either style or both! They make a lovely addition to a Christmas tree and embossing is a great way to explore the sense of touch.
Simple homemade Christmas ornaments- Embossed Ornaments | Easy project for kids and adults with stunning results! We used household aluminum foil to make them.



PUZZLE, CHRISTMAS



thanks, patty


QUOTE


thanks, shelley





Minor league catcher Dave Bresnahan carved a potato into the shape of a baseball to deceive a base runner in 1987—it remains preserved in a specimen jar to this day! A group of parrots is called a pandemonium. Les Stewart of Mudjimba, Australia, wrote out every number from one to one million—requiring seven typewriters, 1,000 ink ribbons, 19,890 pages, and 16 years and seven months!


thanks, patty 



"Welcome" in Kasem (Ghana, Burkina Faso) - De zaanem


florian-7




CLEVER
pasted image


thanks, shelley


EYE OPENER

Twenty Interesting Things About…Niagara Falls

Twenty Interesting Things About…Niagara Falls

1. When European explorers began mapping the Great Lakes basins, they used accounts from local tribes. The name Niagara came from the tribe of the “thundering waters”, a neutral tribe who inhabited the Niagara region. Their actual name is long forgotten, but they were referred to as “Ongniaahra” by the Iroquois Nation of which they were a part.
2. The Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The Niagara River drains water from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario.
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3. The 3 waterfalls (American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and the Horseshoe Falls) combine to produce the highest flow rate of any waterfall on earth. The average American residence would need 7 1/2 years to use the same amount of water that flows over the Niagara Falls in one second (750,000 gallons).
4. It is estimated that roughly 13 million people visit Niagara Falls every year.
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5. The average depth of the water below Niagara Falls is 170 feet, which is as deep as the Niagara Gorge banks are high.
6. The American Falls is 180 feet from the top of the Falls to the river. The crest line is 850 feet wide. The Canadian Horseshoe Falls drops 188 feet and the crest line is 2200 feet.
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7. Niagara Falls has been one of the world’s most popular honeymoon destinations for nearly 200 years. If on the Canadian side of the Falls, honeymooners should contact the tourism office to receive a commemorative certificate and a pass for free admission to several area attractions.
8. The Maid of the Mist boat ride that takes visitors past the base of the American Falls, and into the basin of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, is North America’s oldest tourist attraction. The maiden voyage was in 1846.
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9. “The Old Scow” is the name of the wreck seen caught on the shoal just out of reach of Horseshoe Falls. In 1918 two men were on this scow dredging up sand banks from the Niagara river upstream of the waterfall. The scow broke loose from the tugboat that was to bring it back to shore, coming perilously close to plunging over the Falls. Both men were rescued 17 hours later via breeches buoy after the US Coast Guard sent a lifeline over to the barge.
10. The Falls current rate of erosion is estimated at 3-4 inches every 10 years. Scientists believe the Niagara Falls will be gone in around 50,000 years.
11. The Niagara Falls water power is shared between the U.S. and Canada. Today, Niagara is the biggest electricity producer in New York state – generating 2.4 million kilowatts; that is enough power to light 24 million 100-watt bulbs at once, and saves the state’s residents and businesses hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
12. Goat Island sits in the middle of the Niagara Falls, between Horseshoe Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.
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13. On June 30, 1859, Charles Blondin, dressed in pink tights, was the first man to walk a “not even an inch thick” tightrope suspended above Niagara Falls.
14. On October 24, 1901 Annie Taylor was the first person to ride over Horseshoe Falls in a custom-made, airtight barrel of oak and iron–padded with a mattress to cushion the impact of hitting the lower river. After Taylor climbed inside, the barrel’s air pressure was compressed to 30 p.s.i. using a bicycle pump; the hole used was plugged with a cork. She survived the stunt with only a small gash on her head.
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15. Two days before Taylor’s attempt, a domestic cat survived the Horseshoe Falls in Taylor’s barrel to test its strength.
16. On July 25, 1911, Bobby Leach was the second person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel (a steel barrel). He spent six months in the hospital recovering from his injuries, including two broken knee caps and a fractured jaw.
17. On July 11th 1920, Englishman Charles G. Stephens was the first person to lose their life going over the Horseshoe Falls. Stephens had made a fatal mistake of attaching an anvil to his feet. All that was found of Mr. Stephens was his arm, identified by a number of tattoos, still strapped into the harness.
18. There have been a total of fifteen (15) people challenge and survive the Horseshoe Falls in a craft or barrel, and one (1) who went over with just the clothes on his back. There are 5 who intentionally challenged the Falls and died.
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19. Every year between 20 and 25 people commit suicide at the Falls; over 5,000 bodies have been recovered from the bottom of the Falls since 1850.
20. An attempt at becoming a Niagara Falls “Daredevil” comes with a maximum fine of $10,000, plus the cost of rescue.




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1 comment:

  1. PattyDecember 16, 2015 at 10:49 AM

    I was heading to the Falls to try being a Daredevil! But looks like I'll have to save up for the fine. Do you have to pay before or after?

    ReplyDelete

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