Lurking in the murky depths of many people’s wardrobes is a colorful, brash and (in most cases) highly embarrassing novelty Christmas jumper which, were it not for Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, would probably never see the light of day. Launched in 2011, this annual celebration, which is growing in popularity every year among adults and children, is not simply an excuse to parade humiliatingly-unfashionable seasonal knitwear featuring Rudolph, Christmas puddings and Frosty the Snowman; it is a light-hearted and enjoyable fundraising event with a serious aim in aid of Save the Children.
In schools, colleges and offices Christmas jumpers are donned to raise money for the global charity that works to combat premature death among children from easily preventable diseases such as diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia, and whose mission is clinically summed-up in the slogan ‘No Child Born to Die’.
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (noun) A small quantity (especially of a liquid). | ||
| Synonyms: | drop | ||
| Usage: | A driblet of water escaped from the corner of her mouth. | ||
thanks, patty
History
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 | Perl is a high-level computer programming language written by Larry Wall that combines syntax from several Unix utilities and languages. Introduced in 1987, Perl is designed to handle a variety of system administrator functions and provides comprehensive string handling functions. Its use has grown significantly since its adoption as the language of choice of many Web developers, and Perl is now one of the most popular languages for writing CGI scripts | ||
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 | For 40 years, Moses—"master builder" of mid-20th-century New York—held a series of municipal positions that allowed him to radically change the city and its environs by creating a system of parkways, bridges, tunnels, and housing projects. Arguably the most powerful person in state government from the 1930s to the 1950s, he is credited with building 416 miles of parkway, 13 major bridges, and 658 playgrounds and setting aside over 2 million acres of parkland | ||
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 | The Virgen de la Soledad, or Our Lady of Solitude, is the patroness of the state ofOaxaca, Mexico. Preparations for her fiesta begin several days before December 18, when carnival rides and food booths are set up in the vicinity of the church. For several evenings there are calendas, processions of men and women carrying colored paper lanterns illuminated by candles. There are also floats and huge papier-mâché caricatures of well-known individuals. Thousands of pilgrims come from all over the state of Oaxaca to see the Virgin, who is dressed in velvet and satin gowns. | ||
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| Lots of aspiring engineers and programmers consider a gig at Google to be the holy grail of tech jobs. About 2 million hopefuls submit their resumes to the Mountain View, Calif.-based search giant every year, according to The Guardian. | |||
1862 - The first orthopedic hospital was organized in New York City. It was called the Hospital for Ruptured and Crippled.
1935 - A $1 silver certificate was issued for the first time in the U.S.
1936 - Su-Lin, the first giant panda to come to the U.S. from China, arrived in San Francisco, CA. The bear was sold to the Brookfield Zoo for $8,750.
1953 - WPTZ, in Philadelphia, PA, presented a Felso commercial, it was the first color telecast seen on a local station.
1956 - "To Tell the Truth" debuted on CBS-TV.
1965 - Kenneth LeBel jumped 17 barrels on ice skates.
1979 - The sound barrier was broken on land for the first time by Stanley Barrett when he drove at 739.6 mph.
1999 - After living atop an ancient redwood in Humboldt County, CA, for two years, environmental activist Julia "Butterfly" Hill came down, ending her anti-logging protest.
2009 - James Cameron's movie "Avatar" was released in the United States. On January 26, the movie became the highest-grossing film worldwide.
DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, December 18
You are a proud, idealistic person who is sometimes quite stubborn and set in your ways. You are more emotional than is obvious, and having a purpose and direction in life is vital to your emotional health. You need to feel proud of what you do, and the more you do, the stronger a leader you are. Your manner is regal and respectable, you are far from petty. Relationships define you, and many of you have a hard time being alone. You have great respect for others who are clever and witty. Famous people born today: Brad Pitt, Keith Richards, Katie Holmes, Ray Liotta, Christina Aguilera, Steven Spielberg.
knit, CHRISTMAS
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Knit Reindeer Beanie | Ashlee Marie
a knit beanie for newborns to toddlers with added knit reindeer antlers & ears. Great for Christmas or simply a cute winter hat for your baby
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Preview by Yahoo
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knit
0 - 12 yrs
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Preview by Yahoo
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knit, CHRISTMAS
knit
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Toasty Tomato Cowl pattern by Bobbi S
Braided cables surround a seed stitch center panel in this surprisingly simple cowl. The cowl is worked flat on a 36 stitch cast-on then joined when desired ...
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knit, CHRISTMAS
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crochet
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crochet, CHRISTMAS
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Vintage Granny Square Christmas Tree pattern by Dawn
Take basic plain green granny squares, edge them in white, and create a lovely Christmas tree for your wall.
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crochet
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Hooded Blanket Wrap pattern by Sara Sach
Hooded Wrap Blanket Crochet Pattern by Sara Sach
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crochet, CHRISTMAS
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Santa Ornament pattern by Lily / Sugar'n Cream
French version HERE.
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RECIPE, CHRISTMAS
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CROCKPOT RECIPE, CHRISTMAS
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/slow-cooker-maple-brown-sugar-ham/
CRAFTS, CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS CRAFT IDEAS
CHILDREN'S CORNER ... CHRISTMAS craft
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Kid's Fingerprint Handmade Christmas Ornaments - Cu...
Make these adorable handmade Christmas ornaments stamped with your children's fingerprints. Easy and fun to make with the kids!
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PUZZLE, CHRISTMAS
QUOTE
WILD BIRD BECOMES PART OF THE FAMILY
MAGPIE BIRD IS RESCUED BY FAMILY. “IT’S LIKE A DOG WAGGING ITS TAIL—SHE SITS THERE IN THE TREE AND FLAPS HER WINGS LIKE SHE’S EXCITED”
THE BLOOM’S HAVE AN INTERESTING ADDITION TO THEIR FAMILY.
About a year ago, Noah, the middle of three brothers, found a baby Magpie bird on the ground and brought her home.
They named her “Penguin” and learned to take care of her. In return, the bird became part of their family!
Just hanging around about the house.
Penguin became a celebrity online. People were amazed by the photos that showed how comfortable the feral bird had become with the family.
‘PENGUIN BLOOM’ SPENDS A LOT OF TIME WITH THE FAMILY BUT COMES AND GOES AS SHE PLEASES.
“It’s like a dog wagging its tail—She sits there in the tree and flaps her wings like she’s excited”
The bird hangs out and plays. Penguin likes perching near – or on – her human friends. The bird will lie on her back like a dog, and flies from person to person if they are playing catch!
And just when you think it couldn’t be more like a dog, here’s Penguin the Bird barking at a vacuum cleaner!
"Welcome" in Kaurareg (Australia) [come in] - Aye, ngapa mudhiya uth
CLEVER
try to figure out where you are in the world!
thanks, cher
EYE OPENER
Ridiculous 'Myths' About Animals That Are Actually True
thedodo
These animal facts are too absurd to be true — or are they? Check out these ridiculous "myths" that are aren't so ridiculous after all.
1. Dogs can detect cancer.
Those noses are useful for sniffing out more than just treats. It turns out dogs are capable of detecting specific smells linked to cancer. In one study the dogs had an accuracy rate of 98 percent for sniffing out colorectal cancer in humans.
2. Animals can predict earthquakes.
Anecdotal evidence of animals being able to predict earthquakes has been popping up since Ancient Greece. Scientists aren't entirely certain what's going on, but many believe animals are capable of detecting small tremors that precede earthquakes and that they can sense changes in the atmosphere and oxidization due to impending quakes.
3. An elephant never forgets.
Elephants have the biggest brains of any land mammal and they put them to good use. Studies have shown elephants never forget a face and go decades without seeing their friends and still remember them when reintroduced. Older elephants are also more likely to huddle in defensive positions when seeing a stranger than younger ones, because their vast memories teach them to remember the dangers of strange creatures.
4. Crocodiles cry like babies.
When someone pretends to feel remorse and they let loose a fake show of tears, we sometimes refer to these as crocodile tears. The term comes from the belief that crocodiles cry while eating their prey. Turns out it's true! Researches believe it's due to the jaw muscles squeezing moisture out of the lacrimal glandswhen chewing, or the result of too much hissing and huffing causing an overflow of fluid in the eyes.
5. Chickens can change their sex.
Female chickens have only one functional ovary, on the left, and a nonfunctional gonad on the right. If the chicken develops a tumor or cyst, or other similar medical condition, the functional left ovary can regress and become dormant. In response, the right gonad is capable of becoming active and giving the hen a more rooster-like appearance. Functionally, though, the new rooster will only have phenotypically switched genders and won't be able to produce offspring.
6. Koalas have human fingerprints.
It might be more accurate to say their fingerprints are human-esque — so much so, in fact, that it's nearly impossible to tell the difference! Marsupials and primates diverged on the evolutionary path 70 million years ago, so scientists are baffled as to why we share these markings, but they've mostly chalked it up to a koala's ability to grasp things like we do. However it happened, it's sure to make an excellent plot for a future episode of "CSI."
7. Zombie ants exist.
Don't worry, they're not after our brains. "Zombie" ants are actually ants infected with a particular type of fungus that takes over the nervous system. The fungus forces the ant's body to find a cool, moist place for it to reproduce and spread, completely controlling the actions of the "zombified" ant and eventually killing it, most often, oddly, right at high noon.
How handsome Penguin is!
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