Freethinkers Day - January 29, 2020

DIANE'S CORNER ... 

Celebrate Freethinkers Day

Freethinkers Day falls on the birthday of Thomas Paine, a prominent thinker whose work and publications promoting a philosophy of Enlightenment heavily influenced the course of the American and French revolutions.

Embrace Freethinkers Day by challenging arbitrary authority, questioning the status quo, and constructing logical and reasonable arguments against ingrained behavior.

Joke of the Day

POWER OF ADVERTISING

During a recent session of family court the wife was asked, "Why did you throw the pot of geraniums at your husband?"

"Because of the advertising, your honor."

"What advertising?"
"Say it with flowers."

Word of the Day

biblioclast

Anthony Comstock (1844-1915), destroyed 15 tons of books

MEANING:

noun: One who destroys or mutilates books.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek biblio- (book) + -clast (breaker). Earliest documented use: 1880.

USAGE:

“Mr Raving was none too subtle a blend of born-again Christian, mini-arsonist, and my computer studies master. Once during a lesson, I had to retrieve a text-book from my bag necessitating the removal of everything else. Raving went, well, raving when he saw a copy of Eric Von Daniken’s ‘Chariots of the Gods’ appear. He grabbed the book almost before it landed on my desk and, with a zeal that would have made a Nazi biblioclast proud, set it alight and threw it into the bin while crossing himself with a ruler. A week later I was summoned to the office of the school library to explain why I hadn’t returned said book. I said: ‘Because Mr Raving destroyed it, sir.’ Aghast he replied: ‘Another one?!’”
Spike Breakwell; Disabled: Joe Egg’s School Days; The Independent on Sunday (London, UK); Feb 29, 2004.

Idiom of the Day

PITCH IN

To join in, contribute or help with something
If we all pitch in we can get Charlie a really nice birthday present.

This Day in History

1802 - John Beckley became the first Librarian of Congress.

1845 - Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" was published for the first time in the "New York Evening Mirror."

1856 - Britain's highest military decoration, the Victoria Cross, was founded by Queen Victoria.


1861 - In America, Kansas became the 34th state of the Union.


1886 - The first successful petrol-driven motorcar, built by Karl Benz, was patented.


1924 - R. Taylor patented the ice cream cone rolling machine.


1962 - Warner Bros. Records signed Peter, Paul & Mary.


1972 - David Bowie performed as "Ziggy Stardust" for the first time.


1987 - "Physician’s Weekly" announced that the smile on the face of Leonardo DeVinci's Mona Lisa was caused by a "...facial paralysis resulting from a swollen nerve behind the ear."


1996 - La Fenice, the 204 year old opera house in Venice, was destroyed by fire. Arson was suspected.


2014 - Archaeologists announced that they had uncovered what they believed to be the oldest temple in Roman antiquity. The temple was found at the Sant'Omobono site in central Rome.

thanks, Julie



DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, January 29

You are extremely likable and quite brilliant. You love a good debate, friendly challenge, and stimulating conversations, and always have something unique to share. Although you seem wiser than your years while young, you have a youthful quality that is with you throughout your life. There is a gentle and caring quality about you that others love. While you could get away with a whole lot just because you are so easy to like, you are fair to an extreme and will always end up doing your share. Famous people born today:

1737 Thomas Paine, English-American political essayist (Common Sense, Age of Reason), born in Thetford, England (d. 1809)

1860 Anton Chekhov, Russian playwright (Cherry Orchard), born in Taganrog, Russia (d. 1904)

1874 John D. Rockefeller Jr, American financier and philanthropist, born in Cleveland, Ohio

1945 Tom Selleck, actor (Lance-Rockford Files, Magnum PI), born in Detroit, Michigan

1954 Oprah Winfrey, American TV talk show host and actress (The Oprah Winfrey Show, Colour Purple), born in Kosciusko, Mississippi

thanks, Riley

READERS INFO

1.

(Not So) Totally Useless Facts of The Day:

Paul David Hewson is most commonly known by his stage name Bono. He is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist
of the rock band U2. The name Bono was originally a nickname, short for "Bono Vox" given by his friend Gavin Friday. “Bono Vox" is an alteration of Bonavox, a Latin phrase which translates to "good voice". Hewson has been known as
"Bono" since the late 1970s. Although he uses Bono as his stage name, family and friends also refer to him as Bono, including fellow band members.

Madam CJ Walker (real name Sarah Breedlove) became America’s first African-American millionaire as well as the first woman to become a self-made millionaire. Her fortune came from selling her own line of hair products such as Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower and Madam Walker’s Vegetable Shampoo.

Although a number of people have received the honor twice, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the only person to have been named TIME Magazine's Person of the Year three times: 1932, 1934, and 1941. Every president since FDR (except Gerald Ford) has won as least once, and every
president who has been re-elected has won at least twice. Repeat winners of the award include Joseph Stalin, George Marshall, Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.

2.

1944 -

The USS Missouri was launched. On that day, it was christened by Margaret Truman, Harry Truman's daughter. It saw action in World War II, the Korean War and the Gulf War. On Sept. 2, 1945, the formal Japanese surrender ceremony, which officially ended World War II, was held aboard the ship. A plaque aboard the ship commemorates the event. The USS Missouri was decommissioned in 1955 but was reactivated and modernized in 1984. Margaret Truman was also present at the 1986 recommission ceremony. It was again decommissioned on March 31, 1992, and it later became a museum at Pearl Harbor.

3.

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo 2020

Jan 17 - Feb 8, 2020 | Fort Worth, TX 

Stock Show Grounds|3400 Burnett-Tandy Dr

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is over a hundred years old and still going strong. Several different events and attractions are showcased over the festival’s multiple weeks including special activities for kids. The Children’s Barnyard houses various mama animals and their babies, and an engaging magic show teaches children about agriculture. There’s also a parade, various animal and livestock classes and shows and of course, rodeos. Live music and delicious regional fare add to this delightfully Texan experience.

further information: Stock Show & Rodeo

4.

Saint Paul Winter Carnival 2020

Jan 23 - Feb 2, 2020 | Saint Paul, MN

Saint Paul is the Midwest champion of snow and ice. No one else knows how to waffle back and forth between hardcore survival mode and the let's-make-the-most-of-it type of fun. The bitter cold won't hold residents back from lively parades throughout the city, steep sledding hills, hundreds of craft beer selections and a snowplow competition. You'll soon realize that the Winter Carnival offers many more activities, wondering if the locals have ice coursing through their veins. 

further information: 2020 Saint Paul Winter Carnival

5.

Saranac Lake Winter Carnival 2020

Jan 31 - Feb 9, 2020 | Saranac Lake, NY 

It's gonna take a thick coat and even thicker skin to beat the cold. You should know better; you aren't going to warm up at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival if all you do is stand there. Over the course of 10 days, there will be plenty of winter-based activities to keep the blood pumping and your body temperature at normal levels. Ice skating, live entertainment, ski racing and watching firework shows are just some ideas to get you started, but there's much more for you to tackle while you're here.

further information: Saranac Lake Winter Carnival

6.

Chocolate Decadence on Automobile Alley 2020

Feb 6, 2020 | Oklahoma City, OK 

Hudson-Essex Loft Offices|825 N Broadway

You may not be the greatest-looking catch from the sea of rejected singles, but you are a decent catch nonetheless. When there's chocolate involved, you'll suddenly notice a slightly sweaty dream fishing for your attention from afar. The Chocolate Decadence festival is a gift from the Gods where delectable chocolates, savory wine and jazz music work together to craft a lovely Valentine's Day experience.

further information: Chocolate Decadence 2020



Pictures of the day

Alice Catherine Evans (January 29, 1881 – September 5, 1975) was a pioneering American microbiologist who conducted research  at the United States Department of Agriculture. She worked on  refining manufacturing processes for cheese and butter and  investigated the sources of bacterial contamination in milk  products. She studied the disease brucellosis, then known as  undulant fever, linking it to the consumption of cow's milk containing  the bacterium Brucella abortus. Evans advocated the pasteurization  of milk, but her results were greeted with skepticism, partially  because she was a woman and did not have a PhD, only being  accepted when scientists around the world confirmed her findings in  the 1920s. This photograph shows Evans at work in a laboratory at  the Dairy Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, taken some  time between 1913 and 1918.

Poland

The window of a car after the first snowfall this winter in Gdynia.

knit
thanks, Leah 

Painted Palette Scarf

knit

thanks, Patty

My Dear Stalker

knit

Make Your Own Knit Cat Bed

knit ... Valentine's Day

V-Day Knit Dishcloths

knit

Cross Roads Cable Knit Blanket

Knit Pattern of the Day: 

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Knit Muk Luks Slippers

crochet ... Valentine's Day
thanks, Ann

Bobble Heart Potholder

crochet
thanks, Doris

The Never Ending Wildflower

crochet ... vintage

Lacy Baby Sacque

crochet

Socks of loud chairs

crochet

Skittles Blanket

RECIPE

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Braised Beef Brisket with Onions, Mushrooms, and Balsamic

CROCKPOT RECIPE
thanks, Cora

Herbed Slow-Cooker Chicken

SWEETS

thanks, Sylvia

Jello Cookies

1/2 c. butter
1 small pkg. Jello + sugar to make 1 c.
1 egg
1-¾ c. flour
1 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
1 T. milk
½ t. vanilla extract

Use a cookie press; make into logs, roll in coloured sugar and chill before slicing; or roll out and use cookie cutters.

Bake cookies at 325 degrees until just lightly browned on edges, about 10-12 minutes.

(Use cherry and lime at Christmas time.)

ADULT COLORING

CRAFTS

thanks, Ellie

Creating Colorful book covers with Astrobrights Papers!

CHILDREN'S CORNER ... play

thanks, Vivian

Glow Stick Tic-Tac-Toe

PUZZLE

Orange Stripe Fish Jigsaw Puzzle



WORD SEARCH

about adore always appealing beast blame childlike color

feast fish hardwood helium kite lessen

mustard paint pane passionate paws pedal place porous prime

ramble rate rile scorn shake shirt shrine sneak surface

television third total weird wrong

SUDOKU ... medium

solution:

QUOTE

thanks, Karla

Grandma Gatewood

CLEVER 

thanks, Vicky

DIY Cat Toys from Wine Corks!

EYE OPENER 

thanks, Elaine

A few unknown facts to a lot of people 1. Houses had thatched roofs, thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs." 2. There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence. 3. 4. Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over they would hang up their bacon, to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "Bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around talking and ''chew the fat''.  5. Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often with tomatoes. So for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous. 6. Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or ''The Upper Crust''. 7. Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of ''Holding a Wake''.

 

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against its government. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (29 Jan 1927-1989)

OPTICAL ILLUSION

The Zollner Illusion

Sometimes the background of an image can interfere with how your brain interprets the image itself, as is the case with the Zollner illusion. This is one illusion that can actually make a viewer start to feel slightly queasy if you stare at it for too long!