Religious Freedom Day - January 16, 2020

DIANE'S CORNER ... 
Celebrate Religious Freedom Day

Religions and religious organizations have been responsible for a great deal of good being done in the world, from the founding of worldwide charity organizations to simply inspiring people to be kinder and humbler on a daily basis, as well as more sympathetic to the plight of his fellow man. Unfortunately, an often-observed characteristic of many religions is that their faithful often try to convert others to their faith, and when those others refuse, the consequences can be grave.

From the Roman persecutions of Christians in the ancient times, to the infamous Spanish Inquisition, to the witch hunts of Puritan America, to the Islamic Jihads still occurring today, it is easy to see how dangerous religions can be if not checked, and how overzealous believers in a certain god or no god at all can be in attempting to force everyone else to believe as they do.

This is why it is enormously important to make sure religious freedom is granted and protected to all, and this is why the Founding Fathers of the United States of America saw this as such.

The History of Religious Freedom Day

On January 16, 1786, soon after the United States of America came into existence as a sovereign nation, the Virginia General Assembly adopted Thomas Jefferson’s landmark Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. This statute then became the basis for what we know today as the First Amendment, which guarantees religious freedom to all people residing in the U.S.A. Every year since then, a statement is released on this same day by the president of the United States officially proclaiming Religious Freedom Day.

Joke of the Day

THE JOYS OF BASIC TRAINING

My MTI (Military Training Instructor) once told me that I was outstanding... I thanked him... He then said that I was out standing in the sun too long and it affected my brain.

Word of the Day

certes

MEANING:

adverb: Certainly.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Old French certes, from Latin certus (certain). Earliest documented use: 1250.

USAGE:

“Certes, no man in his right mind would come near her with a huge wolfhound at her side.”
Shari Anton; Twilight Magic; Grand Central Publishing; 2007.

Idiom of the Day

NO-BRAINER

An easy decision, something you don’t need to think too hard about
Person A: “Do you think I should get travel insurance before I go to Nigeria?” Person B: “That’s a no-brainer. Of course you should!”

This Day in History

1759 - The British Museum opened.

1896 - The first five-player college basketball game was played at Iowa City, IA.


1920 - Prohibition went into effect in the U.S.


1957 - Little Richard recorded "Lucille."


1961 - Mickey Mantle signed a contract that made him the highest paid baseball player in the American League at $75,000 for the 1961 season.


1970 - Buckminster Fuller, the designer of the geodesic dome, was awarded the Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architects.


1996 - Wayne Newton performed his 25,000th Las Vegas show.


1998 - Researchers announce that an altered gene helped to defend against HIV.


2009 - The iTunes Music Store reached 500 million applications downloaded.

thanks, Joan



DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, January 16

You are playful yet ambitious. While security is extremely important to you, so is personal freedom and you have a very determined, self-centered streak. You are smart, a little defiant at times, and very convincing and persuasive. There is certainly a bit of an entertainer in you, even those of you who are on the shy side. While you are a real thinker and dreamer, you are also a doer. You are spiritual and always aware that life is about something much more than the mundane. Famous people born today:

1853 Andre Michelin, French industrialist, tire manufacturer (Michelin) and publisher of the Michelin Guide, born in Paris (d. 1931)

1933 Susan Sontag, American author & film director (Benefactor, 1966 Pol Award), born in NYC, New York (d. 2004)

1948 John Carpenter, American film director (Halloween, The Thing), born in Carthage, New York

1974 Kate Moss, English model, born in Croydon, England

READERS INFO

1.

(Not So) Totally Useless Facts of The Day:

Yes, you too can now have a PhD in the field of monsters and ghouls. Students pursuing their Doctorate in Parapsychology at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, will come across monsters and ghouls of the real life as they study the beliefs of the paranormal as well as past accounts of paranormal activity.

Pablo Picasso’s full name was Pablo Diego Jose Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Maria de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santisma Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso.
His fans are known as Hulkamaniacs. He is arguably the most influential superstar in the sport of pro wrestling. He is Terry Gene Bollea, better known by his ring name as Hulk Hogan. 

Hulk Hogan was one of the most beloved figures in the World Wrestling Federation during the 1980s, known for his flamboyance and the frenzy of his fans, which was referred to as “Hulkamania.” Hulk Hogan began his professional wrestling career in 1977. He quickly rose to super-stardom, and the resulting fan frenzy, nicknamed Hulkamania, became legendary.

2.

DreamWeek San Antonio 2020

Jan 10 - 26, 2020 | San Antonio, TX

DreamWeek seeks to promote the exchange of ideas on universal issues that our multi-cultural communities often face, advancing and modernizing the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to create conversation across cultures.

further information: 2020 DreamWeek Schedule of Events

3.

Soulard Mardi Gras 2020

Jan 6 - Feb 25, 2020 | Saint Louis, MO

New Orleans isn't in the cards for you, but luckily St. Louis' oldest neighborhood is stepping up to the challenge to deliver a quality Mardi Gras experience. Deep into the winter, you and the family will have gobs of fun participating in an eclectic mix of activities. If Weiner dog racing, sipping on fine wine and beer, a snowman softball tournament and a Cajun cook-off don't tickle your fancy, then what the hell are you doing stepping out of the house?

further information: Soulard Mardi Gras 2020

4.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Festival 2020

Jan 20, 2020 | Los Angeles, CA

Hosted by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California, this week-long festival celebrates the historical accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. with various plays, film showcases, interfaith prayers and more. Please check the festival calendar for specific event dates.

further information: 2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Festival in South LA

Pictures of the day

Sunrise, Inverness Copse, is a 1918 artwork by the British war artist Paul Nash (1889–1946). It shows a desolate Western Front landscape at Inverness Copse, near Ypres in Belgium; the sun is rising over the hills to reveal shattered trees standing among mounds of earth and an expanse of mud, pock-marked by shell-holes and devoid of vegetation. The pen-and-ink drawing, with watercolour and chalk, is held by the Imperial War Museum in London. After a period serving in the Artists Rifles following the outbreak of the First World War, Nash was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Hampshire Regiment. He was sent to Flanders in February 1917, but was invalided back to London in May 1917, a few days before his unit was nearly obliterated at the Battle of Messines. Nash became an official war artist and returned to the Ypres Salient, where he was shocked by the devastation caused by war. In six weeks on the Western Front, he completed what he called "fifty drawings of muddy places". He later used this drawing as the basis for his 1918 oil painting We Are Making a New World.

Who Knew?

Folded snow.

knit ... Valentine's Day
thanks, Vicky

Have a Heart Afghan pattern by Knit Simple
knit
thanks, Connie

Síndria pattern by Mercè Janerknit

Multi-Directional Men's Tie

knit

Scarf For the Birds pattern by Andre Sue

knit

Esprit Chemo Turban



Crochet Pattern of the Day: 

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Eva Cardigan

crochet ... Valentine's Day
thanks, Phyllis

Valentine's Day crochet heart pattern by Anabelia Handmade

crochet

thanks, Helen

How to plan a year-long crochet temperature project

crochet

Belu

crochet

Dahlia Palm Scrubby

crochet

Coffee Tapestry Square Afghan Project – Square 7 -

RECIPE

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Sloppy Joes Recipe

CROCKPOT RECIPE

Slow-Cooker Barbecue Ribs Recipe

SWEETS

thanks, Julia

Granola Baked Apples

ADULT COLORING

CRAFTS
thanks, Hazel

Who knew Soap Could Look This Good

CHILDREN'S CORNER ... crafts

thanks, Gwen

Recycled Cardboard Zoo Animals!

PUZZLE

Model Racetrack Jigsaw Puzzle



WORD SEARCH

alive bloom catch combination crate crust curve

desserts dies display disrupt examine exchange expedition

flower force forest fresh heaven legacy lemon

maid mash middle mitt moist orchid pickle quest

relax salad seen smudge spiel summer trees woods

SUDOKU ... hard

solution:







QUOTE

thanks, Ella

CLEVER 

Freeze whipped cream on a cookie sheet and use a cookie cutter to make hot chocolate hearts.

EYE OPENER 

Notable Deaths 2019

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young, / Who loved thee so fondly as he? / He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, / And joined in thy innocent glee. -Margaret Courtney, poet (1822-1862)

OPTICAL ILLUSION

Fix your eyes on this black dot and the grey stripe will turn blue.