The violin is easily the most popular bowed string instrument across the world, and we’re really not all that surprised to see that the violin does in fact have a day dedicated to its existence. After all, everything from Western and Indian classical music to bluegrass and jazz would be unimaginable today without the violin. It’s quite possibly the most versatile instrument in the world in terms of repertoire, and that’s why there’s a Violin Day to celebrate it!
History of Violin Day
The violin itself evolved from medieval fiddles, and came into a distinct form by the 15th century (most violins today are copies after either Stradivarius or Amati, the latter being active as a violin-maker in the 16th century), becoming the most popular virtuoso instrument in Europe by the 1660s.
Today, the violin not only remains an indispensable feature of western classical music, but has found its way into various forms of classical and folk music around the world as well as various other genres. There are a lot of violinists and fiddle players throughout the world today, so it we can see why Violin Day caught on.
In fact, the violin is present in the most prestigious musical groups in the world, including the Venetian Philharmonic Orchestra! Imagine an instrument with such humble beginnings becoming such an important mainstay of modern classical music.
Joke of the Day
SUBMARINE SANDWICH
Mikey: "I ate a submarine sandwich for lunch and I think I'm going to be sick."
Mother: "What makes you say that?"
Mikey: "It's starting to surface."
Word of the Day
goliath
David and Goliath Goliathhaus, Regensburg, Germany
MEANING:
noun: A giant; a person or organization of enormous size or power.
ETYMOLOGY:
After Goliath, a giant Philistine warrior, who was slain by David using a sling and a stone. Earliest documented use: 1607.
NOTES:
“David and Goliath” has become a metaphor for an underdog facing a much larger, powerful opponent, in sports, business, politics, and beyond.
USAGE:
“Amazon’s ‘second headquarters’ may be no such thing. Not for the first time, The Onion, a satirical website, got it right. ‘You are all inside Amazon’s second headquarters,’ Jeff Bezos announces to horrified Americans as massive dome envelops nation. That headline captured both the American e-commerce goliath’s endless expansion in recent years and the stratospheric level of hype around its quest to find a second headquarters.” HQ2 times 2; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 10, 2018.
Idiom of the Day
IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE
To say something isn’t very complicated You just need to fill in the form and you’ll get an e-ticket. It’s not rocket science!
This Day in History
1642 - New Zealand was discovered by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman. 1769 - Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire, received its charter.
1809 - The first abdominal surgical procedure was performed in Danville, KY, on Jane Todd Crawford. The operation was performed without an anesthetic. 1913 - It was announced by authorities in Florence, Italy, that the "Mona Lisa" had been recovered. The work was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris in 1911. 1918 - U.S. President Wilson arrived in France, becoming the first chief executive to visit a European country while holding office.
1928 - George Gershwin's musical work "An American in Paris" was premiered by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
1961 - Anna Mary Robertson Moses, "Grandma Moses," passed away at the age of 101.
1961 - The Beatles signed with manager Brian Epstein. 1966 - Jimi Hendrix released the single "Foxy Lady." The title was misprinted as "Foxey Lady" on the U.S. version of the album "Are You Experienced." 1997 - The Getty Center in Los Angeles, CA, was opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony. 2001 - NBC-TV announced that it would begin running hard liquor commercials. NBC issued a 19-point policy that outlined the conditions for accepting liquor ads. DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, December 13
You are a very versatile person with an adventurous spirit, yet a very grounded outlook. Material success is likely in your lifetime, as you are hard-working and proud. As well, you are filled with ideas, and they're usually quite marketable! A true problem solver, you love to find answers and help others to do so as well. There is a distinctly private element to your love life. You are often attracted to all that is forbidden. Famous people born today:
1816 [Ernst] Werner von Siemens, German inventor (siemens electrical conductance unit) and industrialist (Siemens corporation), born in Lenthe, German Confederation (d. 1892)
1818Mary Todd Lincoln, American wife of Abraham Lincoln and US First Lady (1861-65), born in Lexington, Kentucky (d. 1882)
1913Archie Moore, American light-heavyweight boxing champion (1952-60), born in Benoit, Mississippi, (d. 1998)
(Fox News) – A rare piece of American history went up for sale, just in time for Christmas last year. An original letter written and signed by President Abraham Lincoln in the
middle of the Civil War was recently discovered among a collection of family heirlooms belonging to the direct descendants of Mary Todd Lincoln. Written four days before Christmas in 1863, it requests that Mrs. Lincoln’s first cousin and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Craig, be allowed to safely return to their cotton plantation in Arkansas, which was by then in Union territory. “[I]t is my wish,” Lincoln writes “that they be permitted to do so, and that the United States military forces in that vicinity will not molest them or allow them to be molested, when within their power to prevent, as long as the said Mr. and Mrs. Craig shall demean themselves as peaceful and loyal citizens to the United States.” The letter was handed down from generation to generation, until it ultimately ended up in the care of a descendant now living in the Midwest. It was recently acquired directly from that descendant by the Raab Colllection and was for sale for $60,000. “Finding something from Abraham Lincoln that is still in the hands of the family of the recipient is increasingly rare,” says Nathan Raab, the vice president of the Raab Collection. “Something of this importance and connection to Lincoln’s family is very uncommon.” And he would certainly know. The Raab collection has worked on the sale and preservation of many important historical documents, and with the families of their authors, including Thomas Jefferson, Ulysses S. Grant and Ronald Reagan among others.
Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch Lake|2757 E Guadalupe Rd
Luminaries fail every poor schmuck who finds himself in a Christmas-themed horror movie. Not to worry here, festival-goer, because the blackened trail at Water Ranch Lake will be adequately lit after dark. Each bag along the way emits a calming glow that leads to singing carolers, the voices of the local school choir and other holiday entertainment.
Dedicated to celebrating Christmas as they did in the Old West, the National Ranching Heritage Center lights up a series of paved trails with hundreds of luminaries. Along the way you'll run into peopled dressed in Old West clothing, popular Christmas story reenactments, warm holiday meals and Christmas carolers belting seasonal numbers. Kids will especially love the opportunity to decorate their own gingerbread houses, but make sure they don't pick off their beloved gumdrop buttons.
Established in 1967, Christmas at the Zoo at the Indianapolis Zoo has become a Christmas tradition for the surrounding communities. Guests are invited to come and witness the zoo transform into a lit up winter wonderland. Additionally, the event features holiday-themed cuisine and campfires for guests to warm themselves around.
Muskoxen stampede over frozen tundra, unusual behaviour for these Arctic animals unless a pack of wolves is chasing them. The more common reaction of muskoxen is to face a predator in a line. If attacked by wolves, the group forms a compact circle, all facing out, with calves in the centre. What the wolves want to do is to spook the muskoxen and make them run, knowing that the weaker animals can be picked off by the pack.
The walls of books around me, dense with the past, formed a kind of insulation against the present world and its disasters. -Ross Macdonald, novelist (13 Dec 1915-1983)
OPTICAL ILLUSION
This would totally freak me out. So apparently, this isn’t a real pool, but it looks extremely pool-like. Poolish even.
My guess is that there’s just a piece of glass with some water on top to give the illusion these people are underwater. Suddenly I’m not as impressed at Leo’s death in Titanic.
1816 [Ernst] Werner von Siemens, German inventor (siemens electrical conductance unit) and industrialist (Siemens corporation), born in Lenthe, German Confederation (d. 1892)
1818 Mary Todd Lincoln, American wife of Abraham Lincoln and US First Lady (1861-65), born in Lexington, Kentucky (d. 1882)
1913 Archie Moore, American light-heavyweight boxing champion (1952-60), born in Benoit, Mississippi, (d. 1998)
1929 Christopher Plummer, Canadian actor (Sound of Music, Doll's House), born in Toronto, Ontario
1953 Ben Bernanke, American economist and Chairman of the Federal Reserve (2006-14), born in Augusta, Georgia
1967 Jamie Foxx, American actor (Ray, In Living Color) comedian and musician, born in Terrell, Texas
(Fox News) – A rare piece of American history went up for sale, just in time for Christmas last year. An original letter written and signed by President Abraham Lincoln in the
middle of the Civil War was recently discovered among a collection of family heirlooms belonging to the direct descendants of Mary Todd Lincoln. Written four days before Christmas in 1863, it requests that Mrs. Lincoln’s first cousin and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Craig, be allowed to safely return to their cotton plantation in Arkansas, which was by then in Union territory. “[I]t is my wish,” Lincoln writes “that they be permitted to do so, and that the United States military forces in that vicinity will not molest them or allow them to be molested, when within their power to prevent, as long as the said Mr. and Mrs. Craig shall demean themselves as peaceful and loyal citizens to the United States.” The letter was handed down from generation to generation, until it ultimately ended up in the care of a descendant now living in the Midwest. It was recently acquired directly from that descendant by the Raab Colllection and was for sale for $60,000. “Finding something from Abraham Lincoln that is still in the hands of the family of the recipient is increasingly rare,” says Nathan Raab, the vice president of the Raab Collection. “Something of this importance and connection to Lincoln’s family is very uncommon.” And he would certainly know. The Raab collection has worked on the sale and preservation of many important historical documents, and with the families of their authors, including Thomas Jefferson, Ulysses S. Grant and Ronald Reagan among others.
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