On Bat Appreciation Day, take a moment to consider the humble bat. Bats are mysterious, enigmatic creatures which are all around us, though we may not be aware of them. Some species are as small as a thumb, and yet are capable of flying hundreds of miles over land and sea to migrate each year. Bats navigate the dark areas they live in using echolocation, and they’re also responsible for keeping many pests at bay, including mosquitoes.
Unfortunately, several bat species are facing extinction, due to many factors, including offshore wind farms and loss of their habitats. On Bat Appreciation Day, why not take the time to learn more about this amazing creatures, and how you can help in their conservation. Many zoos feature a nocturnal house where you can see bats up close and personal, so it’s also a great excuse for a family day out at the zoo.
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (verb) To censure strongly. | ||
| Synonyms: | abrade, condemn, denounce | ||
| Usage: | The newspaper printed an editorial that excoriated the administration for its inaction. | ||
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History
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 | Better known by her pen name Isak Dinesen, Baroness Karen Blixen was a 20th-century Danish author who wrote primarily in English. Published in 1937, her autobiographical Out of Africa, an account of life on a Kenyan coffee plantation, was adapted into a 1985 film that won seven Academy Awards. Another adaptation of one of her stories, Babette's Feast, was the first Danish film to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. | ||
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 | Scientists equipped with an MRI scanner, a finger-pulling device, and a man they call the "Wayne Gretzky of knuckle-cracking" say they have cracked the mystery of that popping sound your knuckles make when cracked. In a University of Alberta press release, the team says their video reveals that hthe sound is caused by the formation of a gas-filled bubble created by a drop in pressure when the joints are separated. | ||
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1492 - Christopher Columbus signed a contract with Spain to find a passage to Asia and the Indies.
1524 - New York Harbor was discovered by Giovanni Verrazano.
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1875 - The game "snooker" was invented by Sir Neville Chamberlain
1964 - Jerrie Mock became first woman to fly an airplane solo around the world.
1983 - In New York, a transit strike that began on March 7 ended. (which was the beginning of working people wearing 'sneakers' instead of 'sneakers' - later called 'deck shoes')
Born, 1921
Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (April 16, 1921 – March 28, 20004)
British born Ustinov was the winner of numerous awards during his
career, including two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor,
Emmy Awards Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards for acting. He
made his stage debut in 1938 at the prestigious Players’ Theater
prior to serving in the British Army.
career, including two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor,
Emmy Awards Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards for acting. He
made his stage debut in 1938 at the prestigious Players’ Theater
prior to serving in the British Army.
If You Were Born Today, April 17
You have inner strength and persistence that helps you to overcome obstacles. You understand things that go over others' heads, and your sense of humor is spirited. The drive for material security is strong. Power struggles are often present in your love relationships, generally because you tend to be attracted to people who as strong-minded as you are. Famous people born today: Victoria Beckham, Thornton Wilder, Jennifer Garner, Rooney Mara.
Intelligent Travel
Photograph by Brian Skerry, National Geographic
Spinner dolphins return from foraging to a bay off Oahu, Hawaii. Garrulous and gregarious, spinners gather in groups that can number in the thousands.
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Crocodilly Mocs for Newborns pattern by Kris Basta - Kri...
I love the crochet crocodile stitch and I wish it could be replicated exactly in knitting. This crocodile stitch isn’t quite as heavy in the texture but still has a...
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crochetReaching out, one stitch at a time.
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How to: Crochet fortune cookie pattern | Life According ...
I couldn't find a pattern for an amigurumi or crocheted fortune cookie when I was crocheting tons of play food for Lil' Miss last summer and since she dem...
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Crocheted Daisy Potholder Pattern
This free crocheted daisy potholder is a classic 1947 pattern, but you can follow the directions quite easily with modern threads and crochet hooks.
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Dada's place: Teddy Bear Granny Square Tutorial
And finally, here it is, Teddy Bear Granny Square Tutorial! My very first one!
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CROCKPOT RECIPE
stephanie o'dea
CrockPot Spanish Rice Casserole
Growing up, this was one of my favorite dinners. Both my mom and my grandma made Spanish rice and I always ate at least two servings. I brought up this memory the other night while talking at the dinner table, and realized that I haven't ever made it on my own. So I did. In the crockpot.
The Ingredients.
--1 lb of ground meat (I used turkey)
--1 cup long grain brown rice
--1 can diced tomatoes
--1 T dried minced onion (I tossed our last fresh onion because it went slimy)
--1 t Italian seasoning
--2 cloves chopped garlic
The Directions.
You have to brown the meat. I'm sorry.
I browned the meat with a bit of olive oil, and tossed the onion, the Italian seasoning, and the garlic in too.
After your meat has browned, toss it into the crock and add the 1 cup of rice.
open the tomato can, and drain the liquid into a measuring cup. You're going to need 2 cups of liquid, so add enough water to the measuring cup to equal two cups.
this is very scientific.
then dump in the tomatoes.
Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours, or until the rice is cooked and tender.
I cooked this in my oval 6 qt. for 3 1/2 hours, then flipped it to warm for the next 3 hours.
The Verdict.
This made enough for 4 servings. It was plenty for us, but if you have a large family or want a bunch of leftovers, make more.I served this with some fresh asparagus. The kids added shredded cheese and sour cream to their servings, Adam added salsa.I really liked it a lot---the rice ended up being a little mushy. Just like I remembered.
PUZZLE
'where's the bathroom?' in Russian - Gde naŃ
oditsa tualet?
CRAFT
GARDENING HANG-UPS
- plants
- plastic plant containers
- wire hangers
- spray paint
- 2 pieces of rebar 4′L x 1/4″dia.
- 2 ladder hooks
- pliers
- screw driver
- blue painters tape
- Space ladder hooks apart, just less than the full length of your rebar
- Set rebar in ladder hooks
- Spray paint containers, sectioning off colors with painters tape
- Once dry, fill containers with plants and potting soil
- Measure the height at which you want each pot to hang, and clip the wire hangers accordingly
- Use pliers to bend the two ends of the hanger into small hooks and hook onto the lip of pots. note: if there’s no a lip to hook the hanger onto, you can use a craft knife to cut slits into the pots
- Hang, position and enjoy!
CHILDREN'S CORNER ... coloring
QUOTE
INSPIRING PORTRAITS OF PEACE ICONS
Michael Volpicelli is a veteran with a passion for art and peace. His unique portraits uses the words of notable peacemakers to create their likenesses.He created these five portraits to represent people who are doing things to help spread identity and compassion.
MARIANNE PEARL
Marianne Pearl is a journalist whose husband was killed at the start of the Iraq war. In her grief she did not seek revenge on the people that killed her husband, but instead she sought out places where the Taliban would recruit poor poverty-stricken people and tried to raise awareness of the pain and suffering they were suffering.
She did this to give the poor a voice and to help raise understanding of what might make somebody do such horrible things such as kidnapping or beheading somebody. She thought by showing compassion to them, it might help bring them a voice that may lead to government and private aid, and thereby remove the hardships a person might face that would lead them to terrorism.
ISRAEL KAMAKAWIWO
Israel Kamakawiwo is a native Hawaiian who has a lot of pride for his people. In his song “Hawaii ’78” he talks about the loss of his father to depression and to obesity.
He felt that his father was depressed because their culture was dying due to an increase of Western economic interest in the Hawaiian Islands. He felt that he was losing his identity as a native Hawaiian. He wanted to do something about it and instead of acting out violently he made some of the most beautiful music a person could ever hear.
MAXI JAZZ
Maxi Jazz sings about when he used to be a criminal, a gang member, and a substance abuser. He was married and had a child when he was young, and due to the life he led, both his wife and his child left to live a safer life. This caused him to spiral downward until he hit rock bottom. At the bottom, instead of letting his own personal darkness consume him, he wrote music about compassion and about the struggles of homeless and poverty-stricken people within London.
He wanted to give a voice to their suffering. He was able to do this through his songs. He began to make a lot of money with his music, which he was then able to use to help spread compassion through financial contributions to charities. He helped build up the community from which he came so others might have a fighting chance.
MALALA YOUSAFZAI
This portrait is of Malala Yousafzai. She is a 16-year-old girl that grew up in Pakistan, and her father was a teacher at a local school. Because her father promoted education for women he was put on a Taliban kill list.
She would grow up in fear for many years that one night the Taliban would break into her home and kill her and her family. Instead of this fear controlling her she fought back by giving speeches on pro-education for female children at her school. That then put her on a Taliban kill list.
One day the Taliban showed up at her school and shot her in the head. They had hoped to kill her, but instead they made her an international icon for education. After she was shot she was invited by the United Nations to give a speech to spread awareness of the endeavors women face in many countries. In her speech she doesn’t condemn anybody or vow for revenge; instead, she tries to promote a message of love and mutual respect for all people regardless of color, race, religion, gender, or whatever else.
THICH NHAT HAN
Thich Nhat Han is a Vietnamese Zen Master. He joined the monkshood at a young age and lived through the Vietnam war as a monk. During this time he made it his mission to try and help those suffering through times of war by founding the school of youth Social Service, that helped rebuild bombed homes, set up schools, and medical centers.
In 1966, Thich Nhat Han was banned from returning to Vietnam but he never stopped trying to find ways of spreading movements for peace. His work included making a case for peace to federal and pentagon officials, and even talked with Martin Luther King Jr. to oppose the Vietnam war publicly and help to create the peace movement as a whole.
In 1982, he founded the Plum Village in France, which is a Buddhist community where he continues to try and ease suffering for families in Vietnam and throughout the third world where he still resides today.
Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese refugee who, instead of becoming bitter after being sent into exile, set up foundations to help other refugees that were too poor to buy food and clothes. He tried to teach people to be mindful of the natural world through poetry and lectures. Even though things were bad, he did his best to remain positive.
CLEVER
Phone Book Pencil Cups
EYE OPENER
The 25 Cutest Miniature Crochet Animals Ever
twisted shifter
Su Ami are a family of five artists from Vietnam who crochet the cutest miniature animals ever. Some fit on the tip of your finger while others fit in the palm of your hand.
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Our bats have taken a pounding with white nose syndrome. I do like seeing them take to the sky outdoors, but confess to having mixed feeling when we have to corral them and get them out of our house. Love the Peace Icons!
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