Lighthouse Day - August 7, 2019

DIANE'S CORNER ... 

Celebrate Lighthouse Day

A light that shines in the darkness to protect and alert. Sounds like something one would say about that friend or mentor whom helps us in the hardest of times, but alas, this is not that reference. This is a reference to the silent, but bright, guardians of our coastlines and ships, the majestic lighthouse.

History of Lighthouse Day

The lighthouse has been a staple of culture in the world since we built boats to sail the seas. Protection from fog, reefs, rocks and other hazards of the coastline have been signaled by these monoliths of light, even before the advent of electricity. Surprisingly, large fires were lit in the top of the early lighthouses, so ship captains knew not to sail to close to them in order to avoid dangers to their ships.

Some even used early forms of light refraction to make the light spread farther out to see – mirrors were used in some cases, but in many it was actually metal polished to a shine that was used as mirrors were not as easily come by as they are today.

Electricity and the light bulb paved the way for current lighthouses – the rotating beam of light that is done with some creative positioning of mirrors, glass and a motor to spin a curved mirror in a circle around the light bulb. This effect channels the light outwards in a beam, rotating around and around to catch the eye, and help the light pierce the fog.

thanks for the pics, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Word of the Day

pareidolia

MEANING:

noun: The tendency to see a specific pattern or meaningful images in random stimulus.

ETYMOLOGY:

From German Pareidolien, from Greek para- (along) + eidolon (image), from eidos (form, idea). Ultimately from the Indo-European root weid- (to see), which also gave us wise, view, supervise, wit, eidetic, eidos, vidimus, previse, hades, guy invidious, and vizard. Earliest documented use: 1962.

NOTES:

It’s human nature to see patterns where there might be none. If you have ever seen an elephant in the clouds, you have experienced pareidolia. Pareidolia is also responsible for constellations appearing in the shape of animals (Ursa major, Leo, etc.), profiles of men appearing on rock faces, Rorschach inkblot tests, UFO sightings, and Jesus on a toast. While toasts appear to be his favorite, he has also appeared on tortillas, chapatis, and potato chips. But you don’t have be at the mercy of random patterns and their whims. Command pareidolia with Grilled Cheesus Sandwich Press, or, even better, have your own face appear on a toast, no random numbers required. If you are a do-it-yourself type, here are instructions to have your own divinity appear on a toast.

USAGE:

“Perhaps pareidolia explains how changing clouds inspired widespread reports of armies in the sky during the political upheavals of the 1600s.”
Paul Simons; Weather Eye; The Times (London, UK); Mar 23, 2017.

Idiom of the Day

800 POUND GORILLA

The 800-pound gorilla is the dominant force in an industry (the classic example is Microsoft in the computer industry.)

This Day in History

1888 - Theophilus Van Kannel received a patent for the revolving door.


1934 - The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling striking down the government's attempt to ban the controversial James Joyce novel "Ulysses."


1947 - The balsa wood raft Kon-Tiki, which had carried a six-man crew 4,300 miles across the Pacific Ocean, crashed into a reef in a Polynesian archipelago.


1959 - The U.S. launched Explorer 6, which sent back a picture of the Earth.

1963 - The movie "Beach Party" opened in the U.S. It had its U.S. premiere on July 14.


1974 - French stuntman Philippe Petit walked a tightrope strung between the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center.


1981 - After 128 years of publication, "The Washington Star" ceased all operations.


1999 - Tony Gwynn (San Diego Padres) got his 3,000th hit of his major league career.

2000 - The family of Jimi Hendrix won a case at an international panel to evict the holder of the Internet address www.jimihendrix.com.


2003 - Stephen Geppi bought a 1963 G.I. Joe prototype for $200,000.

thanks, Mollie

DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, August 7

You are a person who is very concerned with balance so that you always aim to be fair. Even so, you are in fact given to excess and at times you can be quite indulgent, as you love all the good things in life. You are charismatic with a friendly, communicative matter but also a highly developed spiritual or imaginative side that others might not always know about. In love, you can sometimes be impulsive, as you follow your heart and not always logic, as logical as you are in other areas of life. You might notice that you are more accountable than most when things go wrong. Famous people born today: 

1742 Nathanael Greene, American military leader (major general during the American Revolutionary War), born in Potowomut, Rhode Island (d. 1786)

1876 Mata Hari [Margaretha Geertruida Zelle], Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan and convicted German WWI spy, born in Leeuwarden, Netherlands (d. 1917)

1903 Louis Leakey, British paleoanthropologist and archaeologist (1964 Richard Hooper Medal), born in Kabete, Kenya (d. 1972)

1904 Ralph Bunche, American diplomat to the UN (Nobel Peace Prize1950), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1971)

1932 Abebe Bikila, Ethiopian Olympic marathon champion (Olympic gold, marathon 1960, 64) and Africa's first world record breaking athlete in any sport, who won the 1960 Olympics marathon barefoot, born in Jato, Ethiopian Empire (d. 1973)

1975 Charlize Theron, South African actress (Mad Max, The Cider House Rules, Monster), born in Benoni, Transvaal

thanks, Olivia

READERS INFO

1.

(Not So) Totally Useless Fact of The Day:

The seventh U.S. President, Andrew Jackson is featured on the front side of the $20 bill since 1928; the White House is featured on the reverse. 

The placement of Jackson on the $20 bill may be a historical irony; as president, he vehemently opposed both the National Bank and paper money and made the goal of his  administration the destruction of the National Bank. In his farewell address to the nation, he cautioned the public about paper money. The average circulation life of a $20 bill is 7.9 years before it is replaced due to wear.

2.

Palmyra Pirate Weekend 2019

Aug 9 - 10, 2019 | Palmyra, NY 

Argh, Matey. The pirates have taken over the Erie Canal for one weekend of family-friendly activities and games. Find the secret treasure or embark on a journey through a mystical tale. The pirates know how to party.

further information: 2019 Palmyra Pirate Weekend HOME

3.

Valdese Waldensian Festival 2019

Aug 9 - 10, 2019 | Valdese, NC

Downtown Valdese|Faet St NW & Main St

This festival celebrates a long history of exile and return of the Waldenses. Continue the tradition by experiencing the authentic cuisine, eclectic crafts, and great entertainment. There are plenty of different things to do for the whole family.

further information: Waldensian Festival

4.

Sterling Renaissance Festival 2019

Jul 6 - Aug 18, 2019 | Sterling, NY

Sterling Renaissance Festival Grounds|15385 Farden Rd

The Sterling Renaissance Festival in Sterling, New York, is billed as one of the oldest and most successful interactive Renaissance festivals in the world. Running six weekends in the summer, the event that recreates an authentic English village from days of yore, featuring over 100 street performers as well as stages boasting musicians, professional actors, jugglers and comedians. Additional attractions include arts and crafts, a pub and of course, savory turkey legs.

further information: Homepage | Sterling Renaissance Festival



Pictures of the day

Farmhouse in Provence, also known as Entrance Gate to a Farm with Haystacks, is an oil-on-canvas painting by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, produced in 1888, at the height of his career. It was painted while Van Gogh was living in Arles, in southern France. Partially due to having been inspired by painter Adolphe Monticelli, he sought the Provence region of France to further expand his painting skill and experience. Van Gogh used several pairs of complementary colors in the painting, the color contrast bringing an intensity to his work. The painting now hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as part of the Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection.

Minnesota

A lone paddler watches the sun set upon the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

knit
thanks, Grace

Becca Tank

knit
thanks, Maddy

Quanta pattern by Dena Stelly

knit

Miss Piggy
knit

Women's top knitting pattern

knit

Chocolate Parfait Baby Blanket pattern by Narangkar Glover

Crochet Pattern of the Day: Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Angles Tunic

crochet
thanks, Marsha

Chiffon Cake with Fruit Topping Tissue Box Cover

crochet
thanks, Sharon

Lotus

crochet

Lion Pocket Pillow
crochet

Banana Bay
crochet

Flower Motif Table Runner

RECIPE

thanks, Marge

Baked mushrooms with ricotta & pesto

CROCKPOT RECIPE
thanks, Shelley

Slow-Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken

SWEETS

thanks, Abby

Apricot and Honey Banana Bread

ADULT COLORING

CRAFTS

thanks, Kathy

Use an eraser stamp to give new life to a pair of wedges

Stamped Wedges




CHILDREN'S CORNER ... nature

thanks, Joanne

Homemade Bird Feeders: Cookie Cutter Bird Feeders

PUZZLE

Heart Cake Jigsaw Puzzle



WORD SEARCH

SUDOKU ... hard

solution:

QUOTE

CLEVER

FISHING ROD ORGANIZER

I got sick and tired of my fishing rods getting tangled, so I came up with this easy fishing rod organizer. All you need is a length of 3-in.-diameter PVC pipe and a foam swimming pool noodle. Drill 1-in. holes spaced every 4 in. in the PVC pipe. Use a utility knife to cut slits in the foam noodle, spacing them 4 in. apart. Line up the pool noodle on the wall so that at least two of the slits sit over studs. Pull those slits apart, slide in a fender washer, and screw the noodle to the wall with 2-in. screws. Then screw the PVC pipe to the wall beneath it at a comfortable height and insert your fishing rods. Look Ma, no more tangles!

EYE OPENER

thanks, Frances

THINGS TO PONDER

1. If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?
2. Instead of talking to your plants, if you yelled at them would they still grow, only to be troubled and insecure?
3. What’s another word for synonym?
4. Isn’t it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do “practice”?

1. When sign makers go on strike, is anything written on their signs?
2. When you open a bag of cotton balls, is the top one meant to be thrown away?
3. Where do forest rangers go to “get away from it all”?
4. Why isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food?
5. Why do they report power outages on TV?

1. What should you do when you see an endangered animal that is eating an endangered plant?
2. Is it possible to be totally partial?
3. If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?
4. Would a fly that loses its wings be called a walk?
5. Why do they lock gas station bathrooms?  Are they afraid someone will clean them?
6. If a stealth bomber crashes in a forest, will it make a sound?

1. If a man speaks in the forest and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong?
2. If a turtle loses his shell, is it naked or homeless?
3. Why are there Braille signs on drive-up ATM’s?
4. If women wear a pair of pants, a pair of glasses, and a pair of ear-rings, why don’t they wear a pair of bras?
5. What is a “free” gift?  Aren’t all gifts free?
6. After eating, do amphibians have to wait one hour before getting out of the water?

1. If white wine goes with fish, do white grapes go with sushi?
2. Why are builders afraid to have a 13th floor but book publishers aren’t afraid to have a Chapter 11?
3. How can there be self-help groups?
4. Why do you need a driver’s license to buy liquor when you can’t drink and drive?
5. Why are cigarettes sold in gas stations when smoking is prohibited there?

1. If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose?
2. Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?
3. If olive oil comes from olives where does baby oil come from?
4. What happened to the first 6 “ups”?
5. If an orange is orange, why isn’t a lime called a green or a lemon called a yellow?

1. Why do feet smell and noses run?
2. If someone has a mid-life crisis while playing hide and seek, does he automatically lose because he can’t find himself?
3. If a book about failures doesn’t sell, is it a success?
4. I found a book in the library with the title “How to Read a Book” if you can’t read a book how can you read a book on how to read a book?
5. Why do manufactures of ladders put stickers on the top step of ladders warning you not to step on that step?  Wouldn’t it be better if there was no step to step on?

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

No amount of belief makes something a fact. -James Randi, magician and skeptic (b. 7 Aug 1928)