Research shows that multitasking is really inefficient. Trying to focus on and hop between multiple tasks dilutes focus, introduces delays, and makes things take longer to complete. Single Tasking Day, then, is about embracing one and only one task. Make a list, put it in order of priority, and get started on a task – and ignore everything else until you finish it!
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (verb) To use evasions or ambiguities; to change sides. | ||
| Synonyms: | equivocate, prevaricate, palter | ||
| Usage: | She refused to tergiversate on the subject, stating her opinion concisely and openly. | ||
Quick Quiz:
They got to see the final game, but they paid through the nose for their tickets because
They got to see the final game, but they paid through the nose for their tickets because
History
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 | Marbury v. Madison was a landmark case in American law that resulted in the first decision by the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional and void an act passed by Congress. It established the basis for the exercise of judicial review of federal statutes by the US Supreme Court. By identifying the Supreme Court as the authoritative interpreter of the Constitution, this decision bolstered power, respect, and prestige in the federal judiciary. | ||
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 | The story of how St. Matthias was elected to replace Judas Iscariot as one of the 12 apostles after Judas committed suicide can be found in the Bible's Book of Acts. There is no historical record of Matthias's deeds or death. His fame rests almost entirely upon the fact that he took the betrayer Judas' place, although legend claims that he was stoned and beheaded in Ethiopia in 64 CE. Episcopalians celebrate his feast day on February 24. | ||
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 | NASA's unmanned Dawn spacecraft will soon be visiting a planet that you've probably never heard of: Ceres, a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. When it arrives March 6, Dawn will become the first spacecraft to visit one of the five dwarf planets, whose ranks include the former planet Pluto. Ceres was likely becoming a full-sized planet before Jupiter stunted its growth 4.6 billion years ago. It is now the largest object between Mars and Jupiter, and the largest object between the Sun and Pluto that has not yet received a visit from Earth. | ||
1866 - In Washington, DC, an American flag made entirely of American bunting was displayed for the first time.
1900 - New York City Mayor Van Wyck signed the contract to begin work on New York's first rapid transit tunnel. The tunnel would link Manhattan and Brooklyn. The ground breaking ceremony was on March 24, 1900.
1938 - The first nylon bristle toothbrush was made. It was the first time that nylon yarn had been used commercially.
1942 - The Voice of America (VOA) aired for the first time.
1956 - The city of Cleveland invoked a 1931 law that barred people under the age of 18 from dancing in public without an adult guardian.
1981 - Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Britain's Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.
1987 - An exploding supernova was discovered in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy.
1993 - Eric Clapton won six Grammy Awards for the song "Tears In Heaven."
2007 - The Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution expressing "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery.
If You Were Born Today, February 24
Charming, quirky, and outgoing, it might surprise some that you require a lot of time to yourself to recharge and refresh yourself just to get back on track. You are an interesting conversationalist, including as many people as possible in the conversation, and you are extremely versatile as well. You bend over backwards to help those you care about. Your compassionate side is well-developed, but so is your business sense. You have a good head for business, although it may take you some time to choose the right career path for you. Famous people born today: Eddie Murray, Abe Vigoda, Steven Jobs, Paula Zahn.
Burmese Day
Photograph by Alexandros Tsoutis, National Geographic
While walking the mountain villages between Kalaw and Inle Lake in Myanmar (Burma), Alexandros Tsoutis woke early one morning to find this scene. “The foggy, exotic landscape gave me the opportunity to experience the beautiful sunrise hues while locals were making their way to the farms,” he writes.
1955
knit
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The Perfect Slouch Hat pattern by Kimmy Zalec
I’ve seen some similar slouch hats, but nothing exactly like this one. So I’ve written out the instructions, in case you’d like to make one just like mine. The ...
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Preview by Yahoo
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knit
knit
knit
knit
1960
crochet
crochet
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Flying Squirrel Duster pattern by Pierrot (Gosyo Co., Lt...
Both English and Japanese versions are fully charted using standard knitting and/or crochet symbols. Japanese version available here.
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crochet, 2 - 8 yrs
crochet
crochet
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APPLE BLOSSOMS crocheted hat pattern by Crochet- atelier
The pattern written in American crochet terms!!!!
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pour a rainbow!
MEMBER CHEF!
thanks, heide
Loaded Potato Chowder
8 slices bacon, cooked and cut up
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
8 cups milk( I use 4 chicken broth and 4 milk)
6 large potatoes peeled and cubed
3 stalks celery , sliced
3 carrots, sliced
4 green onion sliced
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
pepper & salt
In a large pot melt butter and whisk in flour.Add liquid slowly, stirring constantly til thickens.Add vegetables and bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until they are soft. Stir frequently to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot.Add bacon and cheese and sour cream...I also add a can of creamed corn and parsley to garnish. (I did not add salt as the bacon was plenty for me)
recipe!
by Misty Nicole Roberts
All Natural Cough Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
The juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- Start by mixing all dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Set aside.
- Next, in a small storage container, mix the vinegar and water.
- Now, dissolve the spices in the vinegar and water
- Add honey and shake it up.
Notes
- When dispensing, use 1 teaspoon every 4-6 hours to treat scratchy throats, and naturally alleviate season allergy symptoms. This blend also works well for sore throats due to post nasal drip, colds, and flu. You can also add 2 tablespoons of syrup to one cup lemonade or cider, served either hot or cold. Also note, the cayenne pepper is added as a natural decongestant to this blend, and this blend will last, refrigerated, for up to one year.
Original Taco Soup CrockPot Recipe
This was the recipe that made me fall in love with my crockpot. I first came across it a hundred million years ago on a message board.Carmen posted it. I have seen different variations, but in my not-so-humble-opinion, this one is the very best.
The Ingredients:
serves 8 to 10 as a full meal, but can get stretched to feed 16 or so if served over rice or chips
serves 8 to 10 as a full meal, but can get stretched to feed 16 or so if served over rice or chips
there are a lot of cans. recycle. make Al Gore happy.
--2(15-ounce) cans of kindey beans, drained and rinsed
--2 (15-ounce) cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
--2 (15-ounce) cans of corn (WITH juice!!)
--1 large can (26-ounces) of diced tomatoes (I have no idea why the can wasn't in this picture. I know I put it in. This is a mystery.)
--1 (10-ounce) can tomatoes and chiles (Rotel)
--1 packet taco seasoning (if you are gluten free, stick to McCormick)
--1 packet ranch dressing mix (make sure there isn't hidden gluten, I went with Hidden Valley)
--1 pound browned ground turkey or hamburger (optional.)
--shredded cheese and sour cream for embellishment (optional, unless you're in my house. then it's mandatory.)
The Directions:
Use the largest slow cooker you have in the house --- this is a BIG recipe, you need a 6-quart or above.
Use the largest slow cooker you have in the house --- this is a BIG recipe, you need a 6-quart or above.
--brown meat if you are going to use it
--drain fat and add to crockpot stoneware insert (the meat. not the fat.)
--sprinkle seasoning packets on top of meat
--drain and rinse the beans and add
--add the ENTIRE contents of the corn and tomato cans
--stir.
--stir.
cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5. I think the longer you cook soup, the better, so if you have the time, opt for cooking on low.
Stir well, and serve with a handful of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.
Stir well, and serve with a handful of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.
We brought this to a PTA potluck dinner this week and it was
well received.
I used painter's tape to secure the lid.
clever!
EYE OPENER!
Rarest Gems
The world's rarest gem is believed to be painite, a gem that most have never heard of. The painite is orangish or reddish brown and was first discovered in Burma in the '50s. Within the last couple of years, the source of the two original painite crystals was discovered and now a few hundred faceted stones exist. A more well-known (but still very rare) gem is the red diamond
Rarest Signature
He may have done a lot of writing, but with only 6 of them in existence William Shakespeare' s signature is one of the rarest of all and is valued somewhere around $3 million dollars.
Rarest Cats Dogs
Of the rarest cat breeds, the Ashera (pic. left) is the most expensive ($20K+), the Sokoke the most exotic (from the wilds of Africa), and the Egyptian Mau has the coolest history (lived with the Egyptians). As for dog breeds, the one that keeps popping up on all the "rare" lists is the Lundehund, originally bred by the Vikings to hunt Puffins. Other rare breeds include Otterhounds and Stabyhounds.
Rarest Stamps
According to Wikipedia, the most expensive item by weight and volume is the Treskilling Yellow stamp from Sweden. It has a current estimated worth of $2.3 million. Here's what makes it so valuable: In 1858, when the currency was known as the skilling, the 3-skilling stamp ("treskilling") was printed in blue. And an 8-skilling stamp was printed in yellow. But due to a printing error, a few 3-skilling stamps were printed in yellow.
Rarest Sea Salt
The earliest known sea salt produced by the Japanese may be the rarest of all. Called Amabito No Moshio ("Ancient Sea Salt"), unpolluted sea water is collected from the Seto-uchi inland sea, infused with seaweed to develop the "unami", and then processed by cooking in an iron kettle, put into a centrifuge, and finally, cooked over an open fire while stirring constantly. The salt is worth over $40 per pound.
Rarest Jeans
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the most valuable jeans are an original pair of Levi Strauss Co 501 jeans aged over 115 years old which were sold to a collector in Japan for $60,000 through eBay in 2005. Quite rare indeed considering a new pair sells for $46.
Rarest Baseball Cards
In February 2007, a "near mint-mint" Honus Wagner sold for $2.3 million, at that point probably the highest sale for a baseball card in history. Then, in September 2007, the same card was reportedly sold again. This time for $2.8 million to a private collector. The card in question, aT206 Honus Wagner, was made by the American Tobacco Company in 1909. It has been called the "Mona Lisa of baseball cards."
Rarest Comic Books
One of the rarest comic books still in existence in near-perfect condition is an issue of "Amazing Spider-Man #1," rare not only because of its singularity but also because of its quality. The comic book sold for only 12 cents per copy when it was published in March 1963, and is now worth over $40K -- not an exceedingly high price for comic books -- but extremely rare in such pristine condition.
Rarest Real Estate
At the intersection of location, exclusivity and history you find some of the rarest pieces of real estate. With that criterion, Luxist.com blogger's pick for the rarest piece of real estate currently on the market is Bran's castle, the castle in Transylvania that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula, which is expected to fetch upwards of $135 million.
Rarest Horses
The Sorraia Horse is said to be the direct descendant of the wild Iberian horse but only 200 currently remain living in South Iberia. The Tiger Horse is a rare breed which is said to have existed in Ancient Spain and the beginning of the New World. Rare in terms of its abilities and characteristics, is the Lipizzaner. Bred for its military prowess, one of these animals can sell for up to $100,000.
Rarest Books
There are countless rare books in the world, but by most experts' standards the rarest of them all is the Gutenberg Bible. It was the first book ever printed back in 1456, and although several hundred copies were originally printed finding a complete first edition would net you $25-$35 million. In today's market single pages alone go for $25K each, and several years ago just 1 volume (it's a 2 volume set) sold for $5.5M.
Rarest Necklaces
In the world of rare necklaces, a couple million dollars doesn't get you much. Even ten million dollars is cheap for these babies. The most expensive necklace may likely be one built around the Blue Empress, a rare natural blue diamond. The pear-shaped diamond weighs about 14 carats. It is set in 18k white gold and surrounded with white diamonds. It's estimated to be worth $16 million.
Rarest Wine
One of the rarest bottles of wine ever sold was purchased by Christopher Forbes for a mere £105,000 ($160,000). It was an unmarked green glass bottle with the inscription of "1787 Lafitte Th. J." (now known as Lafite and thought to be owned by Thomas Jefferson), found behind a wall in Paris.
Rarest Vases
In 2006, a 20-inch high blue and white Yuan Dynasty vase fetched over $2 million. That sounds rare but at the end of that year, casino owner Steve Wynn paid even more for a rare vase. The small copper red and white porcelain vase, is a 14th century Ming vase decorated in scrolling flowers. It is from the exceptionally rare Hongwu period and went for around $10.9 million, making it the world's most expensive.
Rarest Coins
As a general rule the more rare a coin is the more it's worth, so what's the rarest coin ever? It's a debatable subject as not all experts always agree, but if the Double Eagle isn't at the top of that list it's sure near it. Back in 2002 the only Double Eagle coin left to be in private hands (or so everybody thought) sold for $7.9 million dollars.
Rarest Food
Served in China for over 400 years, the primary ingredient in bird's nest soup or "Caviar of the East" is saliva nests built by cave swifts. Among one of the most expensive animal products consumed by humans it is believed to aid digestion, raise libido, and even alleviate asthma as it is dissolved in water to create a gelatinous soup. In Hong Kong, a bowl costs up to $30. Red version can cost $10K per gram.
Rarest Travel Trips
What is the rarest trip? There's no real consensus on this, but Luxist.com blogger Deidre Woodward says that the trek to summit Mount Everest still remains among the rarest trips in the world. But even this has become something that is accessible to more people. In two months and for around $60,000 you can join a group and make the attempt of a lifetime.
thank you so much, ellen, for designing this 'signature' for me .. mmm
I tried single-tasking....and I didn't even get that one task done. And there's a ton of clamoring things waiting in line. Great recipe for cough medicine...and with everything on hand I won't have to shovel out if I should need some:)
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