Safer Internet Day - February 11, 2020

DIANE'S CORNER ... 
Celebrate Safer Internet Day

The internet has been a boon and a curse for teenagers.

J. K. Rowling

The Internet has been an amazing invention that has undoubtedly change the world in more ways than we can think of. Not all of those ways, unfortunately, have been positive. We can connect to people faster, find things easier, and transfer information at the speed of light. These very boons of communication can become the bane of safety. So much of our private lives and information get transferred over the internet, Safer Internet Day reminds us to protect ourselves from the dangers there and make the internet a little safer for everyone.

History of Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day came to exist officially in 2012, when the US Department of Homeland Security and the European Commission decided it was time to help shepherd the growing beast that was the Internet into a playground that was safer for our youth. In America things got really going in 2013 when ConnectSafely.org was appointed to coordinate the efforts in the American theater, and they’ve been driving it forward a little more every year. Each year they choose a theme to help promote, and a goal that they intend to reach. What kinds of goals?

In 2015 they began to promote that year’s theme “Actions & Activism Toward a Better Net & World”, where they focused on concerns like bullying and integration with the National Parent Teacher Association, and working to use technology to help effect social change. This is a particularly powerful use of the tool, given that people from every walk of life and culture from around the world can connect and communicate in ways they never could before. That’s what the Internet was for, what it brought to us, and the world it helped bring together.

Kees van Dongen, in full Cornelis Theodorus Marie van Dongen, (born Jan. 26, 1877, Delfshaven, Neth.—died May 28, 1968, Monte Carlo, Monaco), Dutch-born French painter and printmaker who was one of the leading Fauvists and was particularly renowned for his stylized, sensuously rendered portraits of women. In addition to portrait paintings, van Dongen also produced lithographs and painted richly coloured seascapes and scenes of Paris in an assured, economical style.

Joke of the Day

THE LOBSTER AND DINNER

A fisherman carrying a lobster bumped into a friend on the way home.

“Where are you going with the lobster under your arm?” asked his friend.

The fisherman answered, “I’m taking him home to dinner.”

Just then the lobster spoke up, “I’ve already had my dinner, can we go to a movie instead?”

Word of the Day

titular

MEANING:

adjective:
1. Of or relating to a title.
2. In the name only: having a title without accompanying responsibilities and powers.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin titulus (title). Earliest documented use: 1540.

USAGE:

“It is uncertain whether Prince Charles, her heir, will step into her shoes as titular head of the show.”
An Amiable Delusion; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 14, 2018.

Idiom of the Day

SCRATCH SOMEONE’S BACK

To do someone a favour in the hope that it will be returned, can relate to corruption (commonly used as: You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours)
My boss got caught taking free holidays from a company client! I think it was a case of “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”.

This Day in History

1752 - The Pennsylvania Hospital opened as the very first hospital in America.

1808 - Judge Jesse Fell experimented by burning anthracite coal to keep his house warm. He successfully showed how clean the coal burned and how cheaply it could be used as a heating fuel.


1812 - The term "gerrymandering" had its beginning when the governor of Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry, signed a redistricting law that favored his party.


1858 - A French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary near Lourdes.



1916 - The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra presented its first concert. The symphony was the first by a municipal orchestra to be supported by taxes.

1936 - Pumping began the process to build San Francisco's Treasure Island.


1943 - General Dwight David Eisenhower was selected to command the allied armies in Europe.


1957 - The NHL Players Association was formed in New York City.


1958 - Ruth Carol Taylor was the first black woman to become a stewardess by making her initial flight.


1960 - Jack Paar walked off while live on the air on the "Tonight Show" with four minutes left. He did this in response to censors cutting out a joke from the show the night before.


1966 - Cher recorded "Bang Bang."


1975 - Margaret Thatcher became the first woman to head a major party in Britain when she was elected leader of the Conservative Party.


1989 - Rev. Barbara C. Harris became the first woman to be consecrated as a bishop in the Episcopal Church.


1990 - Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in captivity.


1993 - Janet Reno was appointed to the position of attorney general by U.S. President Clinton. She was the first female to hold the position.


2002 - The six stars on NBC's "Friends" signed a deal for $24 million each for the ninth and final season of the series.


2006 - In Texas, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion during a quail hunt.

thanks, Joan



DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, February 11

Strong, success-oriented, and possessing tremendous personal presence and appeal, there is very little that can stop you from achieving your dreams in life. You also have the power to influence and inspire others. Your perspective is unique, sometimes to the point that you rarely feel understood. You possess the courage to take some risks and to experiment in life, and you are always aware of the need to go through transformations and periodic renewals in order to better yourself. You are extremely creative and imaginative. Famous people born today: 

1800 William Henry Fox Talbot, English photographic pioneer, born in Dorset, England (d. 1877)

1847 Thomas Edison, American inventor (lightbulb, phonograph, motion picture camera), born in Milan, Ohio (d. 1931)

1898 Leo Szilard, Hungarian-German-American nuclear physicist (Manhattan Project) and peace activist, born in Budapest, Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire (d. 1964)

1917 Sidney Sheldon, American novelist and playwright (Master of the Game, Bloodline, The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2007)

1936 Burt Reynolds, American actor (Deliverance, Evening Shade, Strip Tease, Cannonball), born in Lansing, Michigan (d. 2018)

1962 Sheryl Crow, American singer-songwriter (All I Want to Do-Grammy 1995), born in Kennett, Missouri

1969 Jennifer Aniston, American actress (Rachel-Friends), born in Los Angeles, California

thanks, Olivia

READERS INFO

1.

(Not So) Totally Useless Facts of The Day:

Greyhounds are universal blood donors. 

Most greyhounds have a blood type that can be given to almost any other breed of dog on the planet.
Body "detox" or "cleanse" products don't work; it's just a marketing tactic. There is no scientific or medical evidence to support any of the claims made by juices, teas, shakes, ionic foot pads, or other products that promise to remove toxins from the body. 

Aside from that, your body already has a built-in detox system, where your liver, kidneys, skin, and other natural defenses do the job on their own.

"L'appel du vide" is when you have self-destructive thoughts for a split second – like swerving your car into oncoming traffic or imagining yourself jumping when you're standing at the edge of a cliff even though you would never really do it.

The phrase literally translates as "the call of the void".

2.

San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo 2020

Jan 30 - Feb 16,  2020 | San Angelo, TX 

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

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 2020

3.

SF Beer Week 2020

Feb 7 - 16, 2020 | San Francisco, CA 

SF Beer Week takes over the Bay Area with a full week of premier beer events and entertainment. Boasting over 600 events, this festival offers a chance to savor the rarest and most sought after crafts, attend delicious beer dinners prepared by culinary experts and become immersed in one of the best beer cultures in the nation.

further information: SF Beer Week 2020

4.

Florida Marine Flea Market 2020

Feb 29 - Mar 1, 2020 | West Palm Beach, FL

South Florida Fairgrounds|9067 Southern Blvd

The Florida Marine Flea Market is home to all your marine and fishing needs. Life at sea will be much better once you're done sifting through hundreds of products that may prove useful. Because shopping often facilitates hunger, the best catch from the Florida coast will prevent your stomach from sucking up against your spine.

further information: Palm Beach Marine Flea Market and Boat Sale

Pictures of the day

Calumma brevicorne, the short-horned chameleon, has a  compressed body, spindly legs, grasping feet and a powerful  prehensile tail that allows it to negotiate the branches and  twigs of its arboreal habitat. Its most distinctive features are  its large, ear-like flaps, and the short bony appendage that  projects from the snout of the male. Chameleons are primarily  insectivores and feed by ballistically projecting their long  tongues from their mouths to capture prey located some  distance away. This picture shows a C. brevicorne female,  photographed at night near Analamazaotra Special Reserve,  part of Andasibe-Mantadia National Park in Madagascar, the  island to which the species is endemic. In these forests, the  population density of short-horned chameleons is  approximately 2.4 per hectare (1.0 per acre).

Respect, Kronotsky nature reserve, Russia

The cat, Ryska – her name means little lynx in Russian – stands outside her cabin and with aggressive posturing warns off a fox. In winter, foxes would regularly visit the cabin searching for food. If one peered in at the window, possible when the snow was deep, Ryska would sit on the other side, fur raised, and growl. When outside, she would hold her ground. The foxes were not always frightened and so encounters could be a sort of dance.

knit ... Valentine's Day
thanks, Rose

Valentin pattern by Annette Sager

knit ... Valentine's Day
thanks, Wendy

Hearts Scarf pattern by Andrea Mantler

knit

Past to Present

knit ... Easter

Rabbit

knit

Tiramisu Cowl

Knit Pattern of the Day: 

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Random Lace Tiles

crochet ... Valentine's Day
thanks, Laura

Valentin pattern by Anisbee Anisbee

crochet ... Valentine's Day
thanks, June

Mug Cozy with a Heart Applique pattern by Rajeshwari Singh

crochet

Egg Gathering Apron

crochet

Aesthetic Hooded Scarf

crochet

Zoodiacs C2C Crochet Afghan

RECIPE

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Ground Beef Stroganoff

CROCKPOT RECIPE
thanks, Tina

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

SWEETS

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Salted Caramel Apple Slab Pie

ADULT COLORING

CRAFTS

thanks, Stella

Acrylic Paint Transfer

CHILDREN'S CORNER ... Valentine's Day

thanks, Jill

3D Valentine Craft



PUZZLE

Nymphaeaceae Pair Jigsaw Puzzle



WORD SEARCH

affair aggressive anymore assistance battle bleak

circle courage cruise crush cultural demise dispute errs

great honor hurry include lowest

pierce poet prison rant represent result retire rotary

sheep shove simmer swing teeth throw tree water

SUDOKU ... hard

solution:

QUOTE

thanks, Karla

CLEVER 

As any insomniac will tell you, there's nothing like a good night's sleep. If you find that sleep doesn't come easily to you, you can learn a thing or two from ancient folk wisdom. 

Hops have been used for centuries as a sleeping aid, usually in the form of a small bundle of the vine's buds sewn into a bag and added to a pillow. For a faster, easier use of the same principle, wash your pillowcases in hoppy, strong-scented beer. The aroma of the hops will cling gently to your pillowcase – it won't smell like a bar, honestly – and help you drift off to a refreshing slumber.

EYE OPENER 

Every US President’s Favorite Food, Ranked

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The government ought not to be invested with power to control the affections, any more than the consciences of citizens. -Lydia Maria Child, activist, novelist, and journalist (11 Feb 1802-1880)

Kees van Dongen

OPTICAL ILLUSION