World Rainforest Day ... June 22. 2020

DIANE'S CORNER ... 

Celebrate World Rainforest Day

The rainforests are keeping our planet alive. They’re home to half the world’s animal species, they provide us with freshwater, and are essential for keeping our climate stable. Yet every second, one and a half hectares is lost, while each year, 78 million hectares of precious rainforest are destroyed. That’s why World Rainforest Day has been created to take decisive action to combat deforestation, reduce the effects of climate change, and protect our rainforests for future generations.

Learn about World Rainforest Day

World Rainforest Day was first created in 2017 by the Rainforest Partnership. They work with Indigenous Peoples living in rainforest environments and launch projects to help restore and regenerate healthy rainforests with local communities. The day is about raising awareness of the importance of the rainforest and what it does for us. By coming together on the day, we can all take positive and hopeful action to protect the rainforest and preserve its lifespan as it has maintained our own lives for thousands of years.

There are hundreds of events, from within local communities to virtual events, education initiatives in schools, charity projects, and the hundreds of small actions we can take each day ourselves to protect the rainforest. Whether you’re going solo in your rainforest approach or part of a group of friends, family members, or colleagues, you’ll be forming part of a community spanning the entire globe. The website has award-winning videos, educational material, and advice for people looking to protect the environment. 

The Rainforest Partnership itself has many community-based projects in the Amazon, but the day itself is backed up by the involvement of over 70 global partners, from environmental advocates to media outlets, all striving for positive and affirmative action that preserves the rainforest. The tagline for the event is “Because the World Can’t Wait”, a powerful statement and call to action for people worldwide.

History of World Rainforest Day

The key focus of the day is about remaining positive and focusing on what we can do to save the rainforest. Our rainforests have sustained us for thousands of years, circulating oxygen, keeping local communities alive, absorbing carbon dioxide, and keeping our water fresh and clean. The Rainforest Partnership has been spreading this optimistic message since 2007 when it launched to help protect biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples, and combat the effects of climate change.

The core focus of the Rainforest Partnership is to save the rainforest by working on rainforest-based community projects that create a positive impact on the local peoples and wildlife that rely on the rainforest each day. Although their headquarters are based in Texas, they are primarily in the rainforest with their Latin American based team. Why has the Rainforest Partnership been so successful? Because it’s partnered with organizations worldwide to create a unified response to deforestation. As an affiliated member of the UN Economic and Social Council, they can consult and advise organizations and businesses across the world on sustainable and ecologically led practices.

But just how long has the rainforest been helping us out for? The Amazon rainforest has existed for around 60 million years, forming when the Atlantic Ocean had expanded enough to create a tropical climate in the Amazon basin. Following the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, it is believed that a moister climate developed, leading to the expansion of the rainforest. Over millions of years, it is theorized that the rainforest might have suffered many reductions and expansions, caused by factors like expanding and contracting glaciers. 

So why is the disappearance of the rainforest so dangerous this time around? The leading causes of deforestation include logging, mining, and industrial development, as well as the clearance of land for agriculture. As more extensive areas are cleared for logging and pasture, more infrastructure is needed, leading to increased clearance to accommodate roads and large machinery. As more and more rainforest is removed, the surrounding wildlife habitats and homes of Indigenous Peoples are also more significantly disrupted. The scale of deforestation can cause climate change, flooding, desertification, and soil erosion—all things which threaten our planet and our way of life.

Face masks are sold at the entrance of this shopping mall in France

Joke of the Day

ALL THE ROTTEN EGGS

A man walks into the grocery store and ask to speak to the manager about buying all the rotten eggs.

"What do you want with all the rotten eggs?" the manager asks. "Are you going to see the new comedian at the theater tonight?"

"Sh-sh-sh!" hissed the buyer nervously. "I am the new comedian."

Grape agate, a form of botroydial chalcedony from Indonesia that looks just like a cludter of tasty grapes!

Word of the Day

golden calf

The Adoration of the Golden Calf, 1633-1634

MEANING:

noun: Someone or something unworthy that is excessively esteemed.

ETYMOLOGY:

In the biblical story Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying stone tablets with the Ten Commandments only to find Israelites worshiping a calf made of gold. Earliest documented use: 1575.

USAGE:

“[Conservatives] are about to elect a golden calf as their next leader and, by default, their prime minister.”
George Pitcher; It’s Time for Christians to Speak Out Against Boris Johnson; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 18, 2019.

An Arctic Hare sheds its white winter coat to a summer one that camouflages better.

Idiom of the Day

A day late and a dollar short

(USA) If something is a day late and a dollar short, it is too little, too late.

Big Lettuce

This Day in History

1807 - British seamen board the USS Chesapeake, a provocation leading to the War of 1812.

1870 - The U.S. Congress created the Department of Justice.

1874 - Dr. Andrew Taylor Still began the first known practice of osteopathy.

1911 - King George V of England was crowned.

1944 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the "GI Bill of Rights" to provide broad benefits for veterans of the war.

1959 - Eddie Lubanski rolled 24 consecutive strikes in a bowling tournament in Miami, FL.

1964 - The U.S. Supreme Court voted that Henry Miller's book, "Tropic of Cancer", could not be banned.

1970 - U.S. President Richard Nixon signed an extension of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It required that the voting age in the United States to be 18.

1974 - In Chicago, the Sears Tower Skydeck opened. (Willis Tower)

1978 - James W. Christy and Robert S. Harrington discovered the only known moon of Pluto. The moon is named Charon.

1990 - Billy Joel became the first rock artist to perform at Yankee Stadium.


1998 - The 75th National Marbles Tournament began in Wildwood, NJ.


2009 - Eastman Kodak Company announced that it would discontinue sales of the Kodachrome Color Film.

thanks, Julia

DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, June 22

You are an unusual, charming, and determined person. You have a bit of a perfectionist in you, and while you can be enormously sensitive, you are also so focused that you rarely give up on something (or someone, in some cases). You are dedicated, gentle yet strong, possess an unusual intelligence that might be defined as emotional intelligence, and you can be very stubborn in the pursuit of your goals. You are also very security-minded. Famous people born today:

1906 Anne Morrow Lindbergh, American author and aviator (Gift from the Sea), born in Englewood, New Jersey (d. 2001)

1906 Billy Wilder, Austrian-born American filmmaker (Some Like It Hot, Apartment, Stalag 17), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2002)

1918 Cicely Saunders, English nurse, physician and writer who founded the first modern hospice, born in Barnet, England (d. 2005)

1949 Meryl Streep, American actress (French Lieutenant's Woman, Sophie's Choice), born in Summit, New Jersey

1949 Elizabeth Warren, American academic and US Senator (D-Massachusetts 2013-), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

1964 Dan Brown, American author of thriller fiction (The Da Vinci Code), born in Exeter, New Hampshire

thanks, Patty

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Notice the nice social distancing?

READERS INFO

1.

(Not So) Totally Useless Facts of The Day:

It's hard to be a parent. It has been calculated that it'll cost approximately $245,000 to raise a child. Those numbers are PER child (and till college).

If each vampire ate just 1 meal a day, starting with just 1 vampire and each victim then turning into a vampire, it would take about 1 month for the entire human population to become vampires.

During his final days, before passing away, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs allegedly made a request for five different oxygen masks. He did that so he could choose the one with the best design.

2.

1944 -

On this day in 1944, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt 

signed the G.I. Bill, an act of legislation designed to 

compensate returning members of the armed services for 

their efforts in World War ll. As the last of its sweeping 

New Deal reforms, Roosevelt’s administration created the 

G.I. Bill, officially the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, hoping to avoid a relapse into the Great Depression after the war ended.

3.

Coronavirus Style by Sylvia, CAN DO Correspondent

Sometimes a young friend will grab me a few things when she is shopping, but mostly I use InstaCart. I very rarely go out. I do love a sweet after dinner. This little recipe is how I have been surviving, and it is very quick to make. But be warned – you will have to lick your fingers because it does melt at body temperature. 

The Afghan girl at 12 and at 30.

Pictures of the day

The large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) is a species of damselflies belonging to the family Coenagrionidae. Although called large, it is only 35 mm (1.4 in) long and 15 percent larger than the small red damselfly. This specimen, a mature male  photographed at Dry Sandford in Oxfordshire, England, is a  mature male; immature individuals of both sexes have yellow  shoulder stripes rather than red ones. Mature females come in  three different colour forms, but all have yellow bands round their  abdominal segments. This species occurs mainly in Europe and is on the wing from April or May onwards. The larvae are found  in ponds, lakes and ditches, and take two years to develop before they emerge as adults.

Sizing up 

A scattering of gecko droppings on the sunny veranda near Etang-Sale-les-Hauts, on the French island of Réunion, had attracted some unusual-looking insects. They were neriid long-legged flies. 

Underwater cave in Russia

knit
thanks, Sally

Knitables - TYT

knit
thanks, Rae

Mod Maude Shawl pattern by Wendy Neal

knit

Mitered Squares Pillow pattern by Steven Hicks

knit

Socks with Horizontal Rib Stitch

knit ... Canada Day

Very Amooseing Pillow

A praying mantis (hymenaea protera) trapped in amber, approximately 12 million years old.

Knit Pattern of the Day: 

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent


Crossover top

Razor Shell Knit Lace Shawl

Rarest image of San Francisco before it was a giant city.

crochet
thanks, Laura

Nurse Cat Amigurumi

crochet
thanks, Lois

Diamond Clusters Crochet Cardigan

crochet

Sturdy & Comfy Cat Bed pattern by Lauren Elizabeth

crochet

Strisce Crochet Ruffle Edge Wrap

crochet

Granny Square Blanket

Greek prostitutes would advertise via their shoes which would say “follow me” and that would be imprinted in the sand

Quarantine Cooking Recipes

thanks, Debbie

Belgian-Inspired Beef and Beer Recipe

An Akhal-Teke - a beautiful horse known for their intelligence, speed, and a coat that has a metallic sheen (hence their nickname "The Golden Horse"). There are 6,600 on Earth. DNA research found them to be one of the oldest horse breeds alive today.

RECIPE

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Everything Bagel Dinner Rolls

African Black Rain Frog

CROCKPOT RECIPE
thanks, Tina

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

On January 31, 1990, the first Soviet McDonald’s opened in Moscow. The first McDonald’s ever in Soviet Union.

SWEETS

thanks, Denise

How to Make a Firecracker Cake for the Fourth

World record kelsae onion weighing in at 18 lbs, 1 oz.

ADULT COLORING

34 Japanese Samurai photographed standing in front of the Great Sphinx of Giza in 1863.

FUN

Can you see the deadly snake hiding on this tree? 

+4

answer:

+4

The deadly tree-dwelling snake is an expert at hiding in plain sight.

One of the oldest diving suits.

CRAFTS

How To Make Yarn Pom Poms With Your Fingers!

Yield: 5Estimated Cost: $1

MATERIALS:

• Yarn

TOOLS:

• Scissors
• Your fingers

STEPS:

1. Place the end of the yarn on your fingers. Depending on the size you want, use two, three or four fingers.
2. Wrap yarn around your fingers. The more you wrap, the fuller the pom pom will be. Oh, and try not to wrap it too tight or you'll cut off the circulation in your fingers!
3. Cut the yarn and then cut a piece that is about 12 inches long. You don't need to measure, just make sure it's long enough to tie around the yarn and have some excess. Insert the end of the yarn between your fingers.
4. Pull the yarn through the other side of your fingers. You now have a piece of yarn on one side of the pom pom.
5. Wrap the yarn through the tips of the fingers and tie the beginning of a knot. Pull this tight. (After making a few of these, I found that tying the knot on the palm side of my hand was easier.)
6. Carefully slide the yarn off of your fingers.
7. Pull the yarn tight and finish off the knot, making sure it is secure.
8. Now it's time to cut your yarn. Slide your scissors into the loops and cut. Do this all the way around the pom pom. As you are doing this, be sure to keep your long pieces out of the way if you want to use them to hang the pom pom with.
9. Now give the pom pom a trim so it doesn't look so scraggly

Alphabet carved into a pencil

CHILDREN'S CORNER

thanks, Lucy

Popsicle Holder

Tusk of woolly mammoth, Siberia

PUZZLE

Peruvian Hairless Dog Jigsaw Puzzle

A 2000 years old Roman shoe found in a well in Saalburg, Germany.

WORD SEARCH

about address along angle cheer clear courage craft

daisy does early family float gamble guide jots

moisture money mood novelty null option phone player point

rocket school settle shower silver split strike

tenacious there throw tread under whey words would yell

Napoleon’s three chamber box lock pistol.

SUDOKU ... easy

solution:

Sewer tunnel in Mexico. Workers to scale.

QUOTE

thanks, Marge

Butterfly Eggs of the Nymphalis Antiopa.

The world's oldest library

These are frozen waves, formed before broken.
CLEVER 

thanks, Sofia

11 Simple Cleaning Habits That Are Obvious to Experts, But Maybe Not to You

One of the Hoover Dam pipes (1935).

EYE OPENER 

What Every US State Is Famous For, According To The People Who Live There

Arundel Mills, Maryland is going to be using plexiglass partitions on their poker tables when they Reopen post-Covid.

A close-up of dandelion seeds.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

This book ("All Quiet on the Western Front") is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war. -Erich Maria Remarque, novelist (22 Jun 1898-1970)

The orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) imitates a flower to lure its prey, pollen feeding insects, a strategy known as aggressive mimicry.

OPTICAL ILLUSION

This cloud is ...

resting on a tree branch.

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