There are cynics out there who will say that true altruism is a myth, that it doesn’t exist, and that nobody is capable of doing anything unless they are motivated by their own self-interest in the end. But even the most embittered cynics would be hard-pressed to explain why anyone in their right mind would make the choice to travel to the poorest parts of the world, where hunger, sickness and war ravage the population and death is as commonplace as life, to help care for orphaned children. Or why a comfortable middle-class citizen would choose to spend his or her afternoons teaching neglected teenagers how to read in the dirtiest, most gang-ridden part of town. Or why any nurse would risk his or her life to care for wounded soldiers on the very front. Volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all the real-life saints and superheroes of this world. And although they don’t ask to be paid for all of their selfless work, they definitely deserve our utmost respect and appreciation, which is exactly what Volunteer Recognition Day is all about.
People who have risked their own safety in order to help others expecting nothing in return have existed for hundreds and thousands of years. Ben Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, was also the creator of the very first volunteer fire department that helped put out many Philadelphia fires. Florence Nightingale, often called the mother of modern nursing, was just as much a hero as any of the soldiers fighting in the Crimean War when she cared for the wounded. Acclaimed whodunit authoress Agatha Christie volunteered as a nurse in the Voluntary Aid Detachment of the Red Cross Hospital in Torquay from 1914 to 1917 when her husband Archie was fighting in World War I. More recently, many Hollywood celebrities such as Angelina Jolie have made numerous trips to various impoverished parts of the world in an attempt to understand the problems of those living there and find ways to help them. All of these people and many, many more, have changed the world for the better forever.
There are many ways you can celebrate this day in such a way so as to honor those who have dedicated large parts of their lives to helping the needy the world had forgotten about. The best one is to find a way you can help someone—of course, this does not mean you should drop everything and move to a third-world country. No matter where you live, there are people all around you who have been dealt a bad hand in life, and who need things that most of us take for granted, like a roof over their heads, clothing, a hot meal, or just a little bit of love and attention. This doesn’t just go for people, either—animal shelters are always bursting at the seams with lonely animals who just need someone to cuddle up to. So choose a cause that is especially close to your heart, and spend this day helping someone else. Chances are, you’ll find the experience more rewarding than any salary could ever be.
thanks for the pics, virg
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (adjective) Reduced or weakened, as in strength, value, or virulence. | ||
| Synonyms: | faded, weakened | ||
| Usage: | She placed a record in the player, and the attenuate tones of the old recording swept through the house. | ||
Idiom of the Day
derring-do— Heroic, brave, or daring deeds or spirit, especially when referring to swordplay or other action-adventure scenarios |
History
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 | After moving to Paris in 1778, Pinel, a French physician, was appointed director of the Bicêtre and Salpêtrière hospitals. His experiences there prompted him to advocate for the humane treatment of mentally ill persons—then called the insane—and for the empirical study of mental disease. He further contributed to the development of psychiatry by establishing the practice of thoroughly documenting psychiatric case histories for research. | ||
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| Putting clock-radio-style numbers on your skin might not seem all that desirable. But these flashing digits are the proof of concept for a new electronic skin. In theory, "e-skins" like the one described Friday in Science Advances could be used for everything from monitoring vital signs to making wearable electronics a whole lot of wearable. | |||
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1832 - Hot Springs National Park was established by an act of the U.S. Congress. It was the first national park in the U.S.
1837 - Erastus B. Bigelow was granted a patent for his power loom which made carpets.
1841 - In Philadelphia, PA, Edgar Allen Poe's first detective story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," was published in Graham's Magazine.
1865 - Safety matches were first advertised.
1879 - First mobile home (horse drawn) was used in a journey from London to Cyprus.
1902 - Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie isolated the radioactive element radium.
1912 - Fenway Park opened as the home of the Boston Red Sox.
1916 - Chicago's Wrigley Field held its first Cubs game with the first National League game at the ballpark. The Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 in 11 innings.
1940 - The First electron microscope was demonstrated by RCA.
1961 - FM stereo broadcasting was approved by the FCC.
1977 - Woody Allen's film "Annie Hall" premiered.
1999 - Jane Seymour received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, April 20
One of your strongest qualities is your resourcefulness. You are excellent at assessing what works and what doesn't, and you easily come up with a solid approach. You can be impatient at times in your drive to succeed. Your tastes are refined and pronounced. In love, you can have a dual personality - warm and sensitive one day, and distant the next. Famous people born today: Jessica Lange, Tito Puente, Carmen Electra, Ryan O'Neal, Luther Vandross.
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On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon, a semi-submersible Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit owned and operated by Transocean and drilling for BP in the Macondo Prospect oil field southeast of the Louisiana coast, exploded. The explosion killed eleven workers, injured sixteen others, and caused the Deepwater Horizon to catch fire and sink. The same blowout also caused a massive offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This spill has been considered the largest accidental marine oil spill to date, as well as the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.
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Spring Housekeeping
Photograph by Jim Brandenburg
Over 93 days in 2014, National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg shot springtime images in his home state of Minnesota. This image of spiders on moss was captured on day 67 of his project.
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Mother's day knitty brooch pattern by Claire Garland
A free Mother’s Day gift make - a simple knitted brooch!
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knit
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Day Dreams pattern by Stacy Collingham
A pullover that is knit from cuff to cuff with horizontal slits and a square neckline which is then picked up below bust and knit down.
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Preview by Yahoo
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knit, 6 - 18 mths
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knit
Lavalette - Design
My apologies for taking so long to get this pattern published. Life has been pretty hectic since school ended for the year. Three kids with jobs, two kids with ...
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Preview by Yahoo
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knit
knit, summer
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Preview by Yahoo
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crochet, MOTHER'S DAY
crochet
crochet
Crocheted Skinny Scalloped Scarf - creative jewish mom
Here it is, my friends, the crocheted skinny scalloped scarf. A super project for beginners and for anybody who'd like to whip up a load of handmade gifts in...
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crochet
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Southwestern Stripes pattern by Nicole Cormier
I love these socks. Just love ‘em. They fit like a knit sock and they feel great. They’re so uber quick, and I am definitely making more=) I wasn’t so sure abou...
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crochet
Craftside: How to make crochet candies from the book Sim...
Today I have a "sweet" crochet candy pattern from the new book Simply Adorable Crochet: 40 of the Cutest Projects Ever. Aren't these just adorable? Well,...
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Preview by Yahoo
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RECIPE, PASSOVER
CROCKPOT RECIPE, PASSOVER
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SWEETS, CROCKPOT
http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/walnut-ginger-and-cranberry-stuffed-apples/
CRAFTS, EARTH DAY
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How to Make an Upside-Down Tomato Planter Using an ...
Combine your passion for drinking soda and growing your own vegetables by making an upside-down tomato planter! This gardening project is especiall...
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CHILDREN'S CORNER ... MOTHER'S DAY craft
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Egg Carton Wreath
Egg Carton Wreath Save your old egg cartons for this fun and colourful wreath. Who knew something so boring could be turned into something so beautiful...
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Preview by Yahoo
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PUZZLE
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Preview by Yahoo
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QUOTE
CLEVER
EYE OPENER
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Domesblissity: 22 things to do with French knitting
My daughter has a French Knitting 'doll' and has made many lengths of French knit but we've not really been sure what to do with it all.
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Preview by Yahoo
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Love that championship cake cutting. Must remember that for our next party!
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