DIANE'S CORNER: Skyscraper Day

DIANE'S CORNER .. Celebrate Skyscraper Day

The construction of tall buildings has become so commonplace in cities around the globe that the general public gives little thought to the visionaries responsible for creating a city’s unique skyline. Skyscraper Day provides the opportunity to learn more about the architects who commit a dream to paper and the construction crews that make it reality.

Whoever it was that first considered placing dwellings on top of each other instead of side-by-side would be astounded at how modern buildings literally seem to touch the sky.

What they may also find interesting is the status that is often attached to living or working at the highest level. Although this analogy is obvious there is another to be drawn from the consequences of a power failure. These are just a few aspects to ponder on a day that is set aside to reflect on man’s apparent conquest of upper space.

JOKE OF THE DAY

thanks, Jill

There once was a man from Tibet,
Who couldn't find a cigarette.
So he smoked all his socks,
and got chicken-pocks,
and had to go to the vet.

WORD OF THE DAY

sidhe

Riders of the Sidhe, 1911

MEANING:
noun:
1. A fairy.
2. The race of fairies.
3. A mound or hill where fairies are believed to live.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Irish sidh (fairy mound). Earliest documented use: 1724. Now you can see where banshee came from. A banshee is the anglicized spelling of bean sidhe (literally, woman of a fairyland).

USAGE:
“From cops to killers, from sidhe to ravens, Duff provides distinct voices to a wide cast of characters.”
Karen Toonen; The Absolute Book; The Booklist (Chicago, Illinois); May 1, 2021.

TODAY'S ARTIST
thanks, Natalie

Vincenzo Irolli (30 September 1860 – 27 November 1949)
was an Italian painter.

IDIOM OF THE DAY

What does 'Battle of nerves' mean?

Meaning: A battle of nerves is a situation where neither side in a conflict or dispute is willing to back down and is waiting for the other side to weaken. ('A war of nerves' is an alternative form.)

DAILY SQUEEK

If You Were Born Today, September 3:
You are success-oriented and willing to work hard for what you want. You appear confident, and you’re undoubtedly passionate, but you don’t always feel as strong as you appear. You have a good head for business, and you are also quick to respond to changes. Others know you to be hard-working and dedicated to whatever job you choose to do. While you get along with others, generally speaking, it is probably better for you to be in your own business or a managing and leading position. In truth, you prefer not to feel limited by others, and you don’t like being told what to do. Even so, you have a strong need for security so that whatever you do, you would fare best with a trusted partner or confidant. You reach out to others and love to share your ideas and opinions. Yours is a passionate and friendly approach to love. While you are generally quite decisive, you are not always as confident in matters of the heart. You are attracted to sociable, creative, and sensitive partners. Famous people born today:
1856 Louis Sullivan, American architect (father of skyscrapers), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1926)

1905 Carl David Anderson, American physicist (1936 Nobel Prize for physics), born in NYC, New York (d. 1991)

1965 Charlie Sheen [Carlos Estévez], American actor (Wall St, Platoon), born in NYC, New York

(Not So) TOTALLY USELESS FACTS OF THE DAY

Mark Twain was born on the day when Halley's Comet flew past Earth. He once said, "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it". Mark Twain died on April 21, 1910—the day after Halley's comet returned.

The United States is actually the serial killer capital of the world. The FBI compiled information about 4,743 known serial killers worldwide between 1900 and 2016, and discovered that 3,204 of them were from the US.

Horror movie soundtracks often use infrasound — frequencies that are below the range of human hearing. Infrasound can induce feelings of anxiety because, while we can't hear it, we can feel it.

READERS INFO
1.
2001 -
TODAY: In 2001, film critic Pauline Kael dies.

2.
Sept 4, 1951 -
President Harry S. Truman addressed the nation in the first live, coast-to-coast television broadcast. (AP)

President Harry S. Truman’s opening speech before a conference in San Francisco was broadcast across the nation, marking the first time a TV program was broadcast from coast to coast. The speech focused on Truman’s acceptance of a treaty that officially ended America’s post-World War II occupation of Japan. According to the CBS television network, the broadcast, via then-state-of-the-art microwave technology, was picked up by 87 stations in 47 cities.
3.
Sept 5, 1976 -
The first episode of The Muppet Show, which was cocreated by Jim Henson, aired, and the TV series became hugely popular, known for a cast of puppet characters that included Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.

4.
Coronavirus Style by Sylvia, CAN DO Correspondent

Eggplant Funghetto

PATTERN BOOK FRIDAY

14 free crochet hat patterns crochet beanie hats crochet cap patterns and more

COFFEE
thanks, Ella

PICTURES OF THE DAY

The star thistles, cornflowers and knapweeds are a group of thistle-like plants in the Genus Centaurea of the Family Asteraceae. Some 350 species of herbaceous flowering plants belong to Centaurea, most native to the Old World. One species in this genus is the Centaurea solstitialis, shown in the picture. Also called the Yellow star thistle, this is an annual that grows to a height of 1 to 2.5 feet. This plant is widely naturalized outside of its native Europe.

Resplendent delivery (Israel)

A pair of resplendent quetzals as they delivered fruits to their two chicks. Resplendent quetzals usually nest in thicker forest, but this pair had picked a tree in a partly logged area in the Costa Rican cloud forest of San Gerardo de Dota. The additional light made it easier to catch the iridescent colour of the male’s dazzling emerald and crimson body plumage and tail streamers.

knit
thanks, Sue

Child's Easy Pullover

knit
thanks, Maddy

Puppy Love Puffball

knit

Geometric_Weave_Poncho

knit

Moondoggie Bag

knit

Seitenstreifen Socks

KNIT PATTERNS OF THE DAY

thanks, Valerie, Canadian Correspondent

Mesh Pattern Ves t

Yarrow

crochet

thanks, Denise

White Filet Chemise pattern by Elena Kozhukhar

crochet
thanks, Ethel

Ternura Amigurumi

crochet

Baby Frock

crochet

Dreamcatcher as a Pillow

crochet

Ellie phant pattern by Joanne Jordan

RECIPE

thanks, Shelley, New York Food Correspondent

Classic Scones

PANTRY RECIPE

thanks, Debbie

White Wine Coq Au Vin

CROCKPOT RECIPE

thanks, Sara

Black Bean Potato Au Gratin

VEGAN/ VEGETARIAN RECIPE

Both vegetarian and vegan diets may provide health benefits, including reduced body weight, lower cholesterol levels, and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it is important for vegetarians and vegans to ensure that they are meeting all of their nutritional requirements.

thanks, Alice

Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Tempeh with Soy Dressing

COPYCAT RECIPE

thanks, Jenny

Easy Copycat Kit Kat Bars

RETRO RECIPE

thanks, Ann

German Potato Salad

SWEETS RECIPE

thanks, Lesley

Fast Creamy Baked Apples

COOKBOOK FRIDAY

52 Meatless Meals

ADULT COLORING

FUN

thanks, Cora

Each image was generated by AI based on a brief text description of a movie. Can you guess the movie from the image?

AI movie posters

CRAFTS

Neck Tie School Bag

CHILDREN'S CORNER

Glamorous Fashions of the Gilded Age Paper Dolls

PUZZLE

Bloom Yellow Daiz Jigsaw Puzzle

WORD SEARCH

absolutely
acetone
arrest
attack
awake

booze
borax

cheer
cycle

design
device
downtown

effect
ethanol
excuse

feint

harden
here
host

known

lager
lies

might

niche

raise
ready
research

scene
seat
seaweed

secret
sees
sites

topic

vibrant
vine
vodka

yeast

SUDOKU .. very hard

solution:

ICE BREAKER

thanks, Kris

You can use 'ice breaker questions' to build a rapport, enabling strangers to engage in back and forth conversion. With a little practice and possibly a beer or two, you’ll be breaking more ice than the Titanic.