DIANE'S CORNER ... Celebrate Opera Day

Operas have been captivating audiences since the sixteenth century, and this highly revered art form continues to gain new enthusiasts today. An opera is a piece of performance art that combines music with text, and is often a dramatic enaction of a story, complete with acting, scenery and costumes.

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There is no better time to celebrate your passion for opera than Opera Day. If you have yet to develop a passion for opera, Opera Day is the perfect day to begin. The most standard way of celebrating is to experience an opera for yourself. Check with your local theater and see if there is a performance you can attend. If this isn’t an option, the Internet has made it easy to experience the wonder of opera from the comfort of your home. Try browsing Youtube for performances of masterpieces by the likes of Verdi, Mozart and Wagner.

If you’re musically inclined, you can take your Opera Day celebrations a step further. Get together with your most musical friends, and put on an opera of your own. It is easy to find the text of famous operas online, and you can divide the parts up amongst yourselves and have a riot of a time.

Matt Wilson Upcycles Old Utensils Into Beautiful Birds Image result for Matt Wilson Upcycles Old Utensils

While some people visiting a junkyard might only see a pile of garbage, South Carolina-based upcycling artist Matt Wilson sees artistic potential. This talented craftsman transforms scrap metal, drift wood, and found objects into magnificent bird sculptures that look like they could come to life and fly away. Wilson says his work is a reflection of the environment he lives in. By working as a resident artist at Detyens Shipyard, he gives a longer life cycle to discarded materials. “The upcycled work I create is a testimony to the belief of conserving and appreciating our resources,” he explains.

Word of the Day

nidifugous

MEANING:

adjective: Well-developed and able to leave the nest soon after hatching.

NOTES:

The opposite of nidifugous is nidicolous (remaining with parents for a long time after birth). Etymologically speaking, these words apply to birds, but there’s no reason you can’t use them elsewhere. For example, if your adult child suggests living in your basement, you could simply say, “Don’t be nidicolous!”

USAGE:

“The young of all species are -- as you well know -- nidifugous, and ours will be no exception. And as they go, they will take some of their spirit with them, leaving us, the founders as mere husks.”
Malcolm Macdonald; Strange Music; Severn House; 2012.

Idiom of the Day

Give a Hand

To give someone a hand means to help someone do something, especially something that involves physical effort.

Example: Could you give me a hand with these boxes? Let me know when you're moving and I'll give you a hand.

Similar idiom: 'Lend a hand' - Jane is always willing to lend a hand with refreshments.

This Day in History

1693 - A charter was granted for the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA.

1802 - Simon Willard patented the banjo clock.

1910 - William D. Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America.

1918 - During World War I, "The Stars and Stripes" was published under orders from General John J. Pershing for the United States Army forces in France. It was published from February 8, 1918 to June 13, 1919.

1922 - The White House began using radio after U.S. President Harding had it installed.

1936 - The first National Football League draft was held. Jay Berwanger was the first to be selected. He went to the Philadelphia Eagles.

1952 - Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the British throne. Her father, George VI, had died on February 6.

1956 - Buddy Holly signed a recording contract with Decca Records. He left the "e" out of his last name (Holley) and dropped it from his stage name as well.

1965 - The Supremes' "Stop in the Name Of Love" was released.

1969 - The last issue of the "Saturday Evening Post" was published. It was revived in 1971 as a quarterly publication and later a 6 times a year.

1971 - The Nasdaq stock-market index debuted.

2002 - The exhibit "Places of Their Own" opened at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The works displayed were by Georgia O'Keeffe, Frida Kahlo and Emily Carr.

2006 - Kelly Clarkson won two Grammys. The awards were for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Since U Been Gone" and Best Pop Vocal Album for "Breakaway". She was the first "American Idol" participant to win a grammy. She also performed "Because of You" at the show.

DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, February 8

There is nothing modest about your ambitions, although you are generally patient enough to pursue your long-term goals. You also have the drive and spirit to achieve success. You are a responsible and respectable person who believes in being fair to all. You are confident and frank, but also friendly and tactful. Work is extremely important to you, and you have little patience for those who don't do their fair share. You possess much stamina. Others can truly count on you! Famous people born today:

1820 William Tecumseh Sherman, American Major General in the Union Army, born in Lancaster, Ohio (d. 1891)

1828 Jules Verne, French writer known as the "Father of Science Fiction" (Around the World in 80 days), born in Nantes, France (d. 1905)

1834 Dmitri Mendeleev, Russian chemist and inventor who devised the periodic table of the elements, born in Tobolsk, Russia (d. 1907)

1894 Billy Bishop, Canadian First World War flying ace, born in Owen Sound, Ontario (d. 1956)

1921 Lana Turner, American actress (Survivors, Falcon Crest, The Postman Always Rings Twice), born in Wallace, Idaho (d. 1995)

1925 Jack Lemmon, actor (Days of Wine & Roses, Missing), born in Boston, MassachusettS (D. 2001)

1931 James Dean, American actor and cultural icon (Giant, Rebel Without a Cause), and 1st actor to be posthumously nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award, born in Marion, Indiana (d. 1955)

1932 John Williams, American composerresponsible for some of the most recognizable film scores (Jaws, Star Wars, Harry Potter, India Jones, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), born in NYC, New York

1955 John Grisham, American writer (Client, Firm, Pelican Brief), born in Jonesboro, Arkansas

1990 Bethany Hamilton, Pro-surfer (Soul Surfer), born in Lihue Hawaii

READERS INFO

1.

1915 -

The Birth of a Nation (originally called The Clansman) is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed and co-produced by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from the novel and play The Clansman, both by Thomas Dixon Jr. Griffith co-wrote the screenplay (with Frank E. Woods), and co-produced the film (with Harry Aitken). The film premiered on this day.

2.

1945 -

Paul Brown agreed to coach a Cleveland football team as a part of the newly formed All-American Football Conference (AAFC). He had previously coached at both the high school and college level. Brown coached a high school team in Maryland before returning to his native Ohio to coach the Massillon Tigers, a high school football team. He was able to turn the struggling team into a very successful championship dynasty. In 1941, he took a coaching position at Ohio State University where he led the Buckeyes to their first national championship in 1942. In 1944, Brown became a lieutenant in the Navy and served at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, where he coached its football team.

Brown accepted the coaching job of the new Cleveland team in the AAFC, a league that was being created after the war ended. The Cleveland team did not have a name and held a naming contest. The name "Panthers" was chosen by the contest but was never used by the team. Instead, the name became the Cleveland Browns, despite Coach Brown's objections to the team being named after him.
The Cleveland Browns under Coach Paul Brown dominated the AAFC by winning four AAFC Championships (1946-1949). When the AAFC league ended, the Cleveland Browns became a part of the NFL and went on to win the NFL Championship game in 1950. The Browns competed in the 1951, 1952 and 1953 Championship games but lost. However, the Browns won Championships in 1954 and 1955.
Although the Cleveland Browns had its most successful years under Coach Brown, he was let go in 1963 due to disagreements with the team's owner. Brown later went on to coach the Cincinnati Bengals.
Brown retired from coaching in 1975. The legendary coach was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. He passed away on Aug. 5, 1991.

3.

High Plains Snow Goose Festival 2019

Feb 7 - 10, 2019 | Lamar, CO

Those who love nature and bird watching join together at the High Plains Snow Goose Festival every February to share their passion. Bird tours and programs, watching wildlife and celebrating southeastern Colorado heritage are all a part of the weekend festivities. Each year, the event features a different keynote speaker at the Saturday night banquet.

further information: High Plains Snow Goose Festival

4.

San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo 2019

Feb 1 - 17, 2019 | San Angelo, TX

San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo Fairgrounds|200 W 43rd St

Image result for San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo 2019 Feb 2019 Dates Unconfirmed | San Angelo, TX

Established in 1932, the San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo provides an opportunity for younger guests to come and participate in one of the largest stock shows and rodeos in Texas. The show includes nine different rodeo events, a livestock show, carnival and various kid's activities. The event serves as a way to engage Texas youth and to celebrate the continuation of western traditions.

further information: San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo

Pictures of the day

Panoramic view of the Amphitheatre of El Jem, an archaeological site in the city of El Djem, Tunisia. The amphitheatre, one of the best-preserved Roman ruins and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, was built around 238 AD, when modern Tunisia belonged to the Roman province of Africa. It is the third-biggest amphitheatre in the world, with axes of 148 m (486 ft) and 122 m (400 ft) and a seating capacity of 35,000, unique in Africa.

RED EARTH

A miner pauses in the ocher mines on the Iranian island of Hormuz. Ocher, which is naturally reddish brown, is used in products like paint, cosmetics, and ceramics.