Kazoo Day celebrates the noble history of the buzzing distinctive music that comes only from the fantastic Kazoo! This is a sound that’s well known to students of all ages, and it has a truly unique sound. If you love the sound of this buzzing little pipe of madness, Kazoo Day is your opportunity to celebrate it!
History of Kazoo Day
This distinctively American musical instrument was designed in 1840 and brought to the world as the “Down South Submarine” in 1852 during the Georgia State Fair by Alabama Vest and Thaddeus Von Clegg, the latter a German-American clock maker. Nearly 60 years later the commercial production of this device started, and it began to enter the world created out of the dully shining silver of Tin.
This distinctively American musical instrument was designed in 1840 and brought to the world as the “Down South Submarine” in 1852 during the Georgia State Fair by Alabama Vest and Thaddeus Von Clegg, the latter a German-American clock maker. Nearly 60 years later the commercial production of this device started, and it began to enter the world created out of the dully shining silver of Tin.
Rather than having any particular keys or tuning devices, the music of the Kazoo is created by humming into the instrument, and actually heralds back to earlier instruments based on this kind of vibration. Believe it or not there is a strong history of instruments that function by altering the voice of the musician.
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (verb) Formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure. | ||
| Synonyms: | abjure, recant, resile, retract | ||
| Usage: | "It's rank poison," said he, grasping the bottle by the neck, "and I forswear it! I've given up gambling, and I'll give up this too." | ||
Idiom of the Day
look (at something) through rose-colored glasses— To assume a generally optimistic and cheerful attitude (toward something); to focus on the positive aspects (of something). Primarily heard in US. |
History
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The founder of Lego, a Danish carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen, began making wooden toys in 1932. By the late 1940s, he had begun making plastic ones, including "automatic binding bricks," which he patented in 1958. Today, Lego produces roughly 20 billion of those bricks annually, and today's pieces are still compatible with the originals.
Colette (1873)
| In her highly eventful life, French novelist Colette freely flouted convention and repeatedly scandalized the public, but by her later years, she had become a national icon. Her numerous novels are marked by sensitive observations—particularly of women—and an intimate style. Among her works are The Vagabond, a fictionalized account of her time as a music-hall performer, and Gigi, a comedy about a girl reared to be courtesan. |
St. Charlemagne's Day
| Charlemagne wasn't actually a saint at all; he was an emperor and the first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, crowned in 800 by Pope Leo III. Although he was never able to read and write himself, Charlemagne, whose name means "Charles the Great," founded the University of Paris. In fact, his reign was marked by a huge cultural revival, including significant advances in scholarship, literature, and philosophy. He died on January 28, 814. |
Concerns Grow That Infections From 'Zombie Deer' Meat Can Jump To Humans
Would you eat venison if there was a chance it could slowly eat away at your brain? If there's a slight possibility, it doesn't bother Patrick States. On the menu this evening for his wife and two daughters at their Northglenn, Colo., home are pan-seared ...
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Concerns Grow That Infections From 'Zombie Deer' Meat Can Jump To Humans
1722 - Composer Johann Ernst Bach was born.
1807 - London's Pall Mall became the first street lit by gaslight.
1878 - "The Yale News" was published for the first time. It was the first, daily, collegiate newspaper in the U.S.
1902 - The Carnegie Institution was established in Washington, DC. It began with a gift of $10 million from Andrew Carnegie.
1915 - The Coast Guard was created by an act of the U.S. Congress to fight contraband trade and aid distressed vessels at sea
1916 - Louis D. Brandeis was appointed by President Wilson to the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming its first Jewish member.
1957 - The Brooklyn Dodgers announced that circus clown Emmett Kelly had been hired to entertain fans at baseball games.
1973 - CBS-TV debuted "Barnaby Jones."
1985 - The song "We Are the World" was recorded. More than 40 artists were involved. The proceeds went toward worldwide hunger prevention.
1997 - Clive Davis received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
If You Were Born Today, January 28
You are highly idealistic and a bit of a perfectionist. You have excellent instincts and generally can size up a person or a situation quickly and quite accurately. While gentle and considerate overall, you do have a dominant or “rule the roost” side, and you can be quite stubborn. You are also very patient and strategic when you need to be, but you have little patience for close-minded people. You are clever and charismatic, with a flair for the dramatic. Famous people born today: Alan Alda, Elijah Wood, James Larkin, Nick Carter, Sarah McLachlan.
thanks, Lyn
MAGAZINE SUNDAY
Rho Ophiuchi is a multiple star system in the constellation Ophiuchus. The central system has an apparent magnitude of 4.63. Based on the central system's parallax of 9.03 mas, it is located about 360 light-years (110 parsecs) away. The other stars in the system are slightly farther away.
The Power of Nature – Sergio Tapiro Velasco
Powerful eruption of Colima Volcano in Mexico on December 13th, 2015. That night, the weather was dry and cold, friction of ash particles generated a big lightning of about 600 meters that connected ash and volcano, and illuminated most of the dark scene. On last part of 2015, this volcano showed a lot of eruptive activity with ash explosions that raised 2-3 km above the crater. Most of night explosions produced incandescent rock falls and lightning not bigger than 100 meters in average.
thanks, Ivy
Easy-wear Cape
knit
thanks, Connie
thanks, Patty
Dear Son,
Just a few lines to let you know I'm still alive. I'm writing this letter slowly because I know you can't read fast. We are all doing very well.
You won't recognise the house when you get home - we have moved. Your dad read in the newspaper that most accidents happen within 20 miles from your home, so we moved. I won't be able to send you the address because the last Irish family that lived here took the house numbers when they moved so that they wouldn't have to change their address.
This place is really nice. It even has a washing machine. I'm not sure it works so well though: last week I put a load in and pulled the chain and haven't seen them since.
Your father's got a really good job now. He's got 500 men under him. He's cutting the grass at the cemetery.
Your sister Mary had a baby this morning but I haven't found out if it's a boy or a girl, so I don't know whether you are an auntie or an uncle.
Your brother Tom is still in the army. He's only been there a short while and they've already made him a court martial!
Your Uncle Patrick drowned last week in a vat of whiskey in the Dublin Brewery. Some of his workmates tried to save him but he fought them off bravely. They cremated him and it took three days to put out the fire.
I'm sorry to say that your cousin Seamus was arrested while riding his bicycle last week. They are charging him with dope peddling.
I went to the doctor on Thursday and your father went with me. The doctor put a small tube in my mouth and told me not to talk for ten minutes. Your father offered to buy it from him.
The weather isn't bad here. It only rained twice this week, first for three days and then for four days. Monday was so windy one of the chickens laid the same egg four times.
We had a letter from the under-taker. He said if the last payment on your Grandmother's plot wasn't paid in seven days, up she comes.
About that coat you wanted me to send you, your Uncle Stanley said it would be too heavy to send in the mail with the buttons on, so we cut them off and put them in the pockets.
John locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were really worried because it took him two hours to get me and your father out.
Three of your friends went off a bridge in a pick-up truck. Ralph was driving. He rolled down the window and swam to safety. Your other two friends were in back. They drowned because they couldn't get the tailgate down.
There isn't much more news at this time. Nothing much has happened.
Your loving Mum
P.S. I was going to send you some money but I had already sealed the envelope.
crochet
crochet
thanks, Helen
crochet
Cloudberry Afghan
crochet
crochet
thanks, Shelley
thanks, Sally
thanks, Anita
Halvah Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups honey
- 1 1/2 cups tahini, well stirred to combine
- Up to 2 cups toasted sliced almonds or other nuts (optional)
Directions
Heat honey on medium heat until your candy or instant-read thermometer reads 240˚ F, or indicates the “soft ball” stage of candy making. To confirm that you are at the “soft ball” stage, drop a bit of the honey into a cup of cold water. It should form a sticky and soft ball that flattens when removed from the water.
Have the tahini ready to heat in a separate small pot, and once the honey is at the appropriate temperature, set the honey aside and heat tahini to 120˚ F.
Add the warmed tahini to the honey and mix with a wooden spoon to combine. At first it will look separated but after a few minutes, the mixture will come together smoothly.
Add the nuts, if using. Continue to mix until the mixture starts to stiffen, for a good 6-8 minutes. Pour mixture into a well-greased loaf pan, or into a greased cake pan with a removable bottom.
Let cool to room temperature and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Leave in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours. This will allow the sugar crystals to form, which will give the halvah its distinctive texture.
Invert to remove from pan and cut into pieces with a sharp knife.
Will keep for months in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in plastic–if you don’t eat it all first!
thanks, Cindy
Tulip Inside Jigsaw Puzzle
WORD SEARCH
accessory
agent
awake
bottle
carve
corner
counterdaylight
durable
equal
flame
foot
frame
freshgent
gloves
grade
ground
guard
heart
house
knocklate
laud
piece
roast
rocket
rule
sauce
sees
simplesleek
sobs
sound
south
sows
strange
television
throw
tissue
vomits
solution:
thanks, Susie, West Coast Correspondent
Spectacular Snow Sculptures (Part 1)
giveitlove
It takes a lot of skill and dedication to be an artist. Now imagine if your medium was snow! Each year, countries around the world hold incredible snow sculpting competitions. The participants create stunning works of art that only last for a short period of time as the snow melts. These are some of the most spectacular snow sculptures ever made.
Dreaming Snow Maiden
This incredible snow sculpture was featured at the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China on Sun Island. The island is most known for the festival, which draws millions of visitors every year. Harbin is the capital of China’s Heilongjiang province. Despite the cold weather, people arrive in droves to see the enormous sculptures, which are illuminated at night and are quite a sight to behold. On a good day, temperatures may reach eight degrees Fahrenheit in the northeastern city. In addition to the snow and ice festival, the city features Russian architectural-style buildings as well as Siberian tigers and Bengal tigers at its famous tiger park.
Nagoya Castle
Check out this incredibly detailed sculpture of the Nagoya Castle. It was created in 2005 during the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan. The festival takes place every year on the northern island of Hokkaido. The area gets tons of snowfall during the winter and celebrates the beauty of the season with a huge festival. The Sapporo Snow Festival takes place in February and lasts for about one week. Millions of visitors travel there to look at the snow sculptures and ice castles and to participate in various activities. The area includes heated sidewalks and underground malls, so you can have fun both inside and out.
Owls And Birds Of Prey
This lit-up sculpture features owls and birds of prey from the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido, Japan, in 2009. The event is one of the largest of its kind in the world. The theme of the festival varies from year to year, and usually feature an event, person, or building that made news the previous year. In addition to snow sculptures, people can enjoy musical performances and slide down long snow and ice slides. Visitors can also make their way through a maze made of snow and eat regional foods. Typically, around 400 snow sculptures are put on display.
Finnegan The Fish
Two brothers from New Brighton, Minnesota, created a huge goldfish snow sculpture in December 2016. Dubbed “Finnegan the Fish,” the snow sculpture was 22 feet tall and took the siblings over 350 hours to complete. They held a contest to decide the name of the fish, and Finnegan won out over “Madzi.” The Bartz brothers are well known in the area for building such incredible sculptures. They have been creating the snow art for the last six years. They wrote on Facebook: “Our hope is that our creative use of water will raise funds to help provide clean water to Malawi, Africa.”
Snow Star Wars
In 2015, Disney sponsored a giant snow sculpture at the Sapporo Snow Festival. The piece was used as a marketing tool to promote the upcoming Star Wars film that was being released in December. LucasFilms approved the sculpture, which featured Darth Vader with a lightsaber and three Stormtroopers. The sculpture, dubbed Snow Star Wars, was built by Japanese Army troops. The 11th Brigade of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force from Hokkaido used bulldozers and other tools to build the sculpture. It took them nearly a month to complete. The military has been part of the Sapporo Snow Festival since 1955.
Windblown Woman
Here is another amazing example from the Harbin International Snow Sculpture Art Expo in Sun Island Park in China. If you look closely, you can see how the woman’s hair appears to be windblown. The sculpture also features flowers and what looks to be Saturn. The sculpture was 380 feet long and 85 feet high. The snow festival is held from January through mid-March. Sculptures are displayed in numerous locations around the city. Visitors are advised to dress warmly in big jackets, hats, and gloves. Coffee huts enable visitors to warm up while exploring the area’s incredible snow sculptures.
Children & Earth
This snow sculpture is titled “The Earth and the Future of Our Children.” It was featured at the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan in 2008. The event first took place in 1950 and lasted only one day. It involved six high school students who created six sculptures in the snow. The festival stayed small until 1955 when the Japan Self-Defense Forces decided to get in on the action and built an enormous snow sculpture, turning the festival into what it is today. Now more than 2 million people from around the world visit Sapporo to see the incredible snow sculptures each year.
Dragon Castle
This snow sculpture, called “Dragon’s Castle,” appeared at the 2004 Asahikawa Winter Festival in Japan. It is one of the world’s largest snow sculptures ever built. It was so strong, people were allowed to walk on it. The Asahikawa Winter Festival is the second largest winter festival in Hokkaido after the Sapporo Snow Festival. The two festivals occur around the same time in February. Visitors can go to both because they are located within an 80-minute train ride from one another. Each year, one of the sculptures at Asahikawa is made into a stage for music and other performances.
Woman’s Head
Here is another example from the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in China. Notice how the woman looks very feminine and has such realistic details, including the hair and crown on her head. The overall effect is quite compelling. This snow sculpture was built in 2014.This festival has been taking place for about 33 years. Visitors wander around 750,000 square miles of area to take a look at the incredible sculptures that feature buildings, traditional characters, and other themes. The artists get very creative with their subjects and create everything from surreal environments to snow fairies and igloos.
Octavius The Octopus
Here’s another sculpture from the “famous” Bartz brothers (Austin, Trevor, and Connor.) Fans on Facebook voted and named this one Octavius in January 2016. The 18-foot-tall and 35-foot-wide octopus took a couple of weeks and long, 12-hour days to make. They put a donation box in front of their house to raise money for Haiti. Trevor told TwinCities.com: “I’d say we’ve had about 4,000 to 5,000 people here so far. There’s usually about 10 to 20 people in our front yard all night.” His brother Austin added: “It’s cool that so many people can come out and enjoy it.”
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