Human Rights Day - December 10, 2019

DIANE'S CORNER ... 

Celebrate Human Rights Day

Every so often a thing comes to pass that is of such astounding importance that we must stand up and recognize it. We must place this thing on the pedestal it deserves, and ensure that the precepts and policies put in place by it are adhered to, appreciated, and spread as far as the human voice will carry. Such is the sort of message sent by Human Rights Day.

History of Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day was established in 1948, and ever since that auspicious day it has stood as the first major stride forward in ensuring that the rights of every human across the globe are protected. From the most basic human needs such as food, shelter, and water, all the way up to access to free and uncensored information, such has been the goals and ambitions laid out that day.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was a shout across the world by the leading countries in the world, stating loud and clear that no matter where we live, what we believe, or how we love, we are each individually deserving of the most basic fundaments of human needs. Every year Human Rights Day marks conferences around the world dedicated to ensuring that these ideals are pursued, and that the basic Human Rights of every person is made a priority in the global theater.

Wrapping Paper Christmas Tree

Joke of the Day

HOW WAS I BORN?

A boy was assigned a paper on childbirth and asked his parents, "How was I born?"

"Well, Honey..." said the boy's mom, "the stork brought you to us."

"Oh," said the boy. "Well, how did you and daddy get born?" he asked.

"Oh, the stork brought us too," chimed in the dad.

"Well how were grandpa and grandma born?" he persisted.

"Well darling, the stork brought them too!" said the mom, by now starting to squirm a little in the Lazy Boy recliner.

Several days later, the boy handed in his paper to the teacher who read with confusion the opening sentence: "This report has been very difficult to write because there hasn't been a natural childbirth in my family for three generations."

Ladder Christmas Tree

Word of the Day

land of nod

Cain fleeing before Jehovah’s Curse
Cain heading to the land of Nod. But he doesn’t look that sleepy?!

MEANING:

noun: Sleep.

ETYMOLOGY:

From a punning reference to the land of Nod in the Bible. Earliest documented use: 1738.

NOTES:

In Genesis 4:16, Cain kills his brother Abel. When asked why, he retorts “Am I my brother’s keeper?” while not even looking up from his phone. God curses him to be a “fugitive and a vagabond”. Cain then goes to dwell in the “land of Nod, on the east of Eden”.

“Nod” is the root of the verb “to wander” in Hebrew. So going to the land of nod implied going to go wandering. Jonathan Swift first used “Nod” as a punning reference to sleeping, as in “to nod off” when drowsy:

Colonel Atwit: I’m going to the Land of Nod.
Mr Neverout: Faith, I’m for Bedfordshire.
(Swift; Complete Collection of Polite and Ingenious Conversation; 1738.)

Now you can go to the land of nod or to Bedfordshire when it’s time to catch some Zs.

USAGE:

“There is one objective on a Cabin (called SleepBus in an earlier iteration), and that is to reach the destination via the land of nod.”
Why an Eight-Hour Bus Ride from Los Angeles to San Francisco Might Beat a Flight; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 8, 2017.

Shelf-made Christmas Tree

Idiom of the Day

HIT THE SACK

To go to bed in order to sleep
It’s been a long day so I’m going to hit the sack. Night night!

Tripod Christmas Tree

This Day in History

1768 - The Royal Academy of Arts was founded in London by George III. Joshua Reynolds was its first president.

1817 - Mississippi was admitted to the Union as the 20th American state.


1830 - Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, MA. Only seven of her works were published while she was alive.


1851 - American librarian Melvil Dewey was born. He created the "Dewey Decimal Classification" system.


1901 - The first Nobel prizes were awarded.


1906 - U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt became the first American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for helping mediate an end to the Russo-Japanese War.


1927 - The Grand Old Opry made its first radio broadcast from Nashville, TN.


1931 - Jane Addams became a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, she was the first American woman to do so.


1948 - The United Nations General Assembly adopted its Universal Declaration on Human Rights.


1950 - Dr. Ralph J. Bunche was presented the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the first African-American to receive the award. Bunche was awarded the prize for his efforts in mediation between Israel and neighboring Arab states.


1953 - Hugh Hefner published the first "Playboy" magazine with an investment of $7,600.


1964 - In Oslo, Norway, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the youngest person to receive the award.


1965 - The Grateful Dead played their first concert. The show took place at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, CA.


1990 - The first Billboard Music Awards took place. Janet Jackson was the big winner with eight trophies.


1998 - Six astronauts opened the doors to the new international space station 250 miles above the Earth's surface.


2010 - Bob Dylan's handwritten lyrics for his song "The Times They Are a-Changin" sold at auction for $422,500.



DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, December 10

You are a person with strong convictions, but your morals are unusual or stretched. You are courageous, very sincere, and enjoy some level of risk-taking in your everyday life. You need to find a job that you love, for your work means so much to you. A solutions person, you love to solve problems--yours but especially others'. Still, you have some escapist tendencies. In others, you look for practical people with good, basic values and work ethic. You are very true to the ones you love. Famous people born today: 

1394 James I, King of Scotland (1406-37), born in Dunfermline Palace, Scotland (d. 1437)

1805 William Lloyd Garrison, American abolitionist publisher (The Liberator), born in Newburyport, Massachusetts (d. 1879)

1815 Ada Lovelace, English mathematician considered the first computer programmer, born in London (d. 1852)

1830 Emily Dickinson, American poet (Collected Poems), born in Amherst, Massachusetts (d. 1886)

1891 leonie "Nelly" Sachs, German Swedish poet and Playwright (O the Chimneys - Nobel Prize for Literature 1966), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1970)

READERS INFO

1.

(Not So) Totally Useless Facts of The Day:

Christmas Eve 1941, along the Western Front near Belgium during World War I. The German army was on one side and on the other side were the British soldiers and their French and Belgian allies. That is when it happened. That is when the Christmas Truce of World War I took place.

Both sides began to sing Christmas songs back and forth to each other. The following morning, on Christmas day, the soldiers came out of the trenches to greet each other. They spent the day exchanging gifts, sharing food, and some even playfully kicked around a ‘made on the spot’ soccer ball. In the end, it was estimated that about 100,000 soldiers participated in the day long cease fire.

It was Pope Benedict XV who originally requested the Christmas cease fire, but the idea was rejected. The soldiers then took it upon themselves to do what should have been done in the first place, look for peace and not war.

There is a Christmas tradition in Sweden that is quite like no other. When 3pm rolls around, on Christmas Eve, the entire family gathers around the television to watch Donald Duck.

The tradition started in 1960 and continues to this day. Family members of all ages get together and watch Disney’s “Kalle Anka och hans vanner onskar God Jul.”

Roughly translated, that means “From All of Us to All of You.”

5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Happy New Year!!! Did you know that in Italy, it is tradition to wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve?

In a ritual that goes back to medieval times, it is believed the wearing red underwear as you welcome in the new year will bring you good luck throughout it. It is interesting to note that while nowadays the color red is more often associated with love, passion, and happiness, there was a time when it was more associated with the devil, witchcraft, and blood.

2.

1947 - Awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine

Gerty Theresa Cori (née Radnitz; August 15, 1896 – October 26, 1957) was a Jewish Czech-American biochemist who became the third woman—and first American woman—to win a Nobel Prize in science, and the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

3.

Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show 2019

Dec 15, 2019 | Loveland, OH

Oasis Golf Club & Conference Center|902 Loveland-Miamiville Rd

Whether you’re braving the bitter cold or soaking in the sun’s rays, the Midwestern climate can’t stop you from admiring local artisanship. The Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show visits numerous cities throughout Ohio to showcase original arts and crafts produced by native Ohioans. Dress according to the season (if you wish) and you’ll stumble upon a masterfully created piece that’ll look magnificent at home.

further information: 2019 Cincinnati Winter Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show - Loveland, OH - Dec 15, 2019

4.

12 Days of Aspen 2019

Dec 20 - 31, 2019 | Aspen, CO 

If Harry and Lloyd can kick it in Aspen for a couple weeks, so can you. Twelve days sound like a lot to manage until it's all over in the blink of an eye, thanks to the abundance of fun you'll find in this world-famous city. There's a family skating party, story time for kids and adults, cookie decorating, film screenings and skiing among dozens of other activities. Twelve days may not even be enough.

further information: 12 Days of Aspen | Aspen CO Chamber

5.

North Alabama Flea Market 2019

Dec 20 - 22, 2019 | Muscle Shoals, AL

North Alabama Flea Market|65 Sportsplex Dr

Stroll through the market and shop antiques, clothing, arts and crafts, furniture, vintage, sporting items, cosmetics, jewelry, yard sale items, and much more. Also relish delicious food. 

further information: Home | North Alabama Flea Market

Cardholder Christmas Tree

Pictures of the day

The snowy egret (Egretta thula) is a small member of the heron family, Ardeidae, native to the Americas, where it has a widespread distribution. The bird forages for fish, frogs, crustaceans, insects and worms in marshes and shallow water habitats, applying various techniques to persuade the prey to reveal itself. A sociable species, it often forages in mixed species groups, and nests in the company of other herons and egrets. The bill is specially adapted for probing and stabbing. This picture shows a snowy egret photographed at Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds, near San Rafael, California.

TURTLE-BACK RIDE

The thing that draws me to the ocean the most is that I never know what I’m going to come across on any given day. I count myself extremely fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time to capture this image.

Felt Ball Christmas Tree

knit ... Christmas
thanks, Ruth

Elf Shoe Table leg Cover

knit
thanks, Ann

Easy Sleeve Interest Pullover

knit

Ladies' socks

knit

Rowan Scarf

knit ... Christmas

Present Dishcloth

Hardcover Christmas Tree

Knit Pattern of the Day: Christmas

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Santa Hat pattern by Adina Logsdon

Balloon Christmas Tree

crochet ... Christmas
thanks, Bertha

Bigli Migli - tiny

crochet
thanks, Ruth

Buddy the Bear

crochet

Pink HandWarmers

crochet 

Chic Cable Beanie

crochet ... Christmas

Snowman Scrubby

Egg Carton Christmas Tree

RECIPE ... Chanukah

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Cinnamon

Floating Ornament Christmas Tree

CROCKPOT RECIPE ... Chanukah

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Wine Cork Christmas Tree

SWEETS ... Chanukah

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Apple Butter Rugelach Recipe

Driftwood Christmas Tree

ADULT COLORING

Book Sculpture Christmas Tree

CRAFTS

thanks, Kathy

Paper Doily Folded Christmas Tree Ornament

Button Christmas Tree

CHILDREN'S CORNER ... Chanukah

thanks, Becky

Make Your Own Hanukkah Bath

Broccoli Salad Christmas Tree

PUZZLE

Wind Surfing Jigsaw Puzzle

Wall Collection Christmas Tree

WORD SEARCH

accuse bend capital charge child chocolate clicks coin

come consume corner corrode enforcement favor fire floor

happier history hope hustle little mature minimum minor

pill power rate regret respect rugby

shutter signify sleight throw trick watch wealth

Dry Wood Christmas Tree

SUDOKU ... very hard

solution:

Light Christmas Tree

QUOTE

Newspaper Christmas Tree

Strawberry Chocolate Christmas Tree

CLEVER ... Christmas

Use plastic cups to neatly store your ornaments.

thanks, Heide

EYE OPENER ... Christmas

thanks, Helen

23 Fun DIY Christmas Garlands

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Who has not found the heaven below / Will fail of it above. / God's residence is next to mine, / His furniture is love. -Emily Dickinson, poet (10 Dec 1830-1886)

Cushion Christmas Tree

OPTICAL ILLUSION

We’ve taken fashion into strange, new directions, but one trend that 

just will not die is our fascination with cameo print everything.

What are we trying to hide? No one’s getting drafted into the Army (hopefully). I think it’s time we do away with cameo clothing and 

accept that it really doesn’t look good on anybody.