Lurking in the murky depths of many people’s wardrobes is a colorful, brash and (in most cases) highly embarrassing novelty Christmas jumper which, were it not for Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, would probably never see the light of day· When Ugly Christmas Sweater Day comes along, it’s time to stop being ashamed of the contents of your (likely gifted) wardrobe and start busting out the ugly· There is such a thing as ‘so awful you can’t really hate it’ (the nether-regions of Netflix has multiple movies that fit this criteria), and Ugly Christmas Sweaters fit the bill in your wardrobe.
Launched in 2011, this annual celebration, which is growing in popularity every year among adults and children, is not simply an excuse to parade humiliatingly-unfashionable seasonal knitwear featuring Rudolph, Christmas puddings and Frosty the Snowman; it is a light-hearted and enjoyable fundraising event with a serious aim in aid of Save the Children.
Since then it has been used as an important event to help drive charity funds for organizations that help children around the world deal with illnesses that shouldn’t be anything more than a minor inconvenience· The firm belief that children shouldn’t die from easily treated diseases is what brings this holiday to the fore· It’s often speculated that we subject ourselves to a minor harmless ailment, the sight of these hideous sweaters, to help save the children from medically similar situations.
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (noun) A warning or an intimation of something imminent, especially of impending danger. | ||
| Synonyms: | admonition, warning, word of advice | ||
| Usage: | Verily, all too well do I understand the dream's portent and monition. | ||
Idiom of the Day
be kept in the dark (about something)— To be kept uninformed (about something); to be excluded from full knowledge or disclosure (of something). |
History
Jens Olsen's World Clock Is Started by Danish King Frederick IX (1955)
Originally a skilled locksmith, Jens Olsen learned the trade of clock-making and, in the 1920s, designed an exceedingly intricate astronomical clock made of more than 14,000 parts. Today displayed in Copenhagen City Hall, the clock shows not only the time and date but also lunar and solar eclipses and the positions of stars and planets. The complex clock took over a decade to assemble, and Olsen died before his masterpiece was finally set in motion by King Frederick IX.
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (37 CE)
Nero became emperor of Rome by murdering his mother and step-brother. His respectful treatment of the Senate made him a popular emperor in the east, but his reign was marred by unemployment and a major revolt in Britain. After a fire ravaged Rome in 64 CE, he persecuted the Christians as scapegoats. With his reign in decline, Nero went on a murderous rampage, was condemned by the Senate, and chose suicide over execution. According to legend, Nero played the fiddle while Rome burned.
Bill of Rights Day
The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution of 1787—referred to collectively as the Bill of Rights—were ratified on December 15, 1791. This landmark document protected American citizens from specific abuses by their government and guaranteed such basic rights as the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated December 15 as Bill of Rights Day and called upon Americans to observe it with appropriate patriotic ceremonies.
Earth's Hum: Scientists Record the Very Sound of Earth-but Don't Know Why It Happens
Scientists have recorded the mysterious sound of the Earth deep underwater for the first time. The eerie hum could be key to understanding the makeup of the planet itself—but no one knows what makes it.
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1815 - Jane Austen's "Emma" was published.
1854 - In Philadelphia, the first street cleaning machine was put into use.
1877 - Thomas Edison patented the phonograph.
1938 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt presided over the ground-breaking ceremonies for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC.
1939 - "Gone With the Wind," produced by David O. Selznick based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell, premiered at Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta. The movie starred Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.
1944 - Dr. R. Townley Paton and a small group of doctors laid the groundwork for the Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration.
1964 - Canada's House of Commons approved a newly designed flag thereby dropping the Canadian "Red Ensign" flag.
1970 - The Soviet probe Venera 7 became the first spacecraft to land softly on the surface of Venus. The probe only survived the extreme heat and pressure for about 23 minutes and transmitted the first data received on Earth from the surface of another planet.
1997 - The San Francisco 49ers retired Joe Montana's number 16 during halftime of a game against the Denver Broncos.
2001 - It was announced that Siena Heights University would begin offering a class called "Animated Philosophy and Religion." The two-credit class would cover how religion and philosophy are part of popular culture and is based on the television series "The Simpsons."
DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, December 14
You are a spirited, sensitive, and intelligent person who has a true spirit for adventure, yet a down-to-earth side to you that is unmistakable. Enterprising and ambitious, you are also very versatile, sometimes to the point of leaving a trail of unfinished projects and endeavors behind you! You need to experiment and mix things up a little in order to feel like you are truly living. Intensely curious, you never stop learning. Because you are easily bored, there are times that you have the urge to stir up a bit of controversy just to get some sort of debate started. Others find you fascinating and multi-talented. Famous people born today: Patty Duke, Nostradamus, Margaret Chase Smith, Jane Burkin.
1.
1939:
The movie Gone With the Wind premiered at Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta, Ga. Many Hollywood stars attended the premiere including Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland, and Laurence Olivier (escorting Leigh). Unfortunately, Hattie McDaniel and other African-American cast members were prevented from attending the premiere due to segregation laws that existed at that time. The premiere drew crowds estimated at 300,000 people.
The movie was based on the book written by Margaret Mitchell, a native of Atlanta. Mitchell would win a Pulitzer Prize for the book. Gone With the Wind portrayed the story of a young Southern belle named Scarlett O'Hara (played by Vivien Leigh) during the Civil War and the following Reconstruction as she struggled to save Tara, her family's plantation. During the movie, Scarlett is married and widowed twice before she ultimately marries Rhett Butler (played by Clark Gable). The movie is a lengthy film, running for nearly four hours.
Gone With the Wind received eight Academy Awards including: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and others. Hattie McDaniel's Best Supporting Actress award for her role as Mammy made her the first African-American to win an Academy Award.
2.
Kennywood Holiday Lights 2017
Nov 24 - Dec 30, 2017 | West Mifflin, PA |
Kennywood Park|4800 Kennywood Blvd
If you're looking for the perfect winter wonderland overloaded with holiday fun, then you need not look farther than Kennywood. During the holiday season the park is covered in holiday decorations including almost two million lights and Pennsylvania's tallest Christmas Tree! Visitors can walk through Gingerbread Village, see an amazing light show on the lagoon, and listen to local choirs serenade the park with holiday favorites, as well as many other family friendly activities!
further information: Holiday Lights at Kennywood
3.
Christmas at Meeker Mansion 2017
Nov 24 - Dec 17, 2017 | Puyallup, WA
Meeker Mansion|312 Spring St
Set in a 17-room Victorian compound, Christmas at Meeker Mansion in Puyallup, Washington, is an opulent holiday celebration. Held of the course of a few weeks, the engagement features tours of the home built in 1890, each room festooned with holiday trees and arts and crafts decorating the picturesque antique furniture.
further information: Christmas at the Mansion
4.
Argosy Christmas Ship Festival 2017
Nov 24 - Dec 23, 2017 | Seattle, WA
Lake Union Park & Other Puget Sound Communities| 860 Terry Ave N
For fans of Christmas cheer and brisky Northwestern seaside breezes, the Argosy Christmas Ship Festival comes to town each year to delight thousands of revelers aboard a floating parade festooned with lights. Travelling along the Puget Sound and making stops to various waterfront towns and cities, the ship features a variety of holiday festivities to keep revelers on board smiling and dancing to a variety of performances by choirs and other live musical acts. What’s more, when revelers are guided back to shore, they can enjoy complimentary bonfires and fireside treats.
The Horse Fair is an oil painting on canvas completed by the French artist Rosa Bonheur between 1852 and 1853. Depicting dealers selling horses on the streets in Paris, the work was first exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1853. In 1887, having been held by several private collectors, the painting was donated by Cornelius Vanderbilt II to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is one of Bonheur's most popular works, such that Queen Victoria requested a private viewing at Buckingham Palace during the painting's 1855–1857 tour of England.
Out Of The Way
In Russia’s extreme north, century-long ways of life dominate the daily life of some of the most isolated parts of the desolate landscape. Modern civilization penetrates slowly and fragmentarily. There are no roads, and only one helicopter shuttle twice monthly. The residents’ ancestors can be traced back to hereditary hunters in a small settlement near Nizhnyaya Tunguska River, Russia, more than 300 years ago.
knit
thanks, Jennifer
knit
thanks, Kris
knit, Christmas ornament
crochet
thanks, Helen
crochet
thanks, Kris
crochet
crochet, Christmas ornament
RECIPE
thanks, Sally
CROCKPOT RECIPE
thanks, Ella
thanks, Shelley
thanks, Jeri
thanks, Grace
Koi Fish Orange Jigsaw Puzzle
| ability actor agony alone amazing angry annoy before bigger | country custard dual exciting foreign fresh fright | glass great guest heard illustrate ingredient major | nadir none owner rang reef seas slog smell stalk stuff | tart taste tell tourist transform violence voice |
solution:
For the beer drinkers: Layer bottles to form a very impressive Christmas tree display.
Stack green bottles on circles of glass to form a bottle Christmas tree. Wow! They are so cool with the green color and the Christmas light inside each one.
Reddy Brass Fire Extinguisher
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Question: Patented in 1925, this Reddy brass fire extinguisher appears to have never been used. There are a few different companies listed on the canister, including W.D. Allen Mfg. Co. and Underwriters Laboratories. What did each company contribute to the making of this safety device? Would a fire extinguisher like this have been in a private home or a business, such as a restaurant? What do you estimate to be its value?
Answer: The Pyrene Manufacturing Co. of Newark, N.J., applied for a patent for a fire extinguisher containing carbon tetrachloride in 1910. Because the liquid chemical was effective against liquid and electrical fires, motorists often carried these compact pump-type extinguishers in their vehicles. W.D. Allen Manufacturing Co. of Chicago, a major producer of larger soda-acid fire extinguishers, also made 1-quart carbon tetrachloride extinguishers during the first half of the 20th century. Environmental concerns over the chemical prompted the withdrawal of these extinguishers in the 1950s. Underwriters Laboratories was an independent product-safety organization that certified the fire extinguisher. The company is known today as UL. These small extinguishers usually sell for $20 to $25 apiece at auctions.
Lantern Lore
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Question: Although this Handlan #57 lantern is missing the cap for the fuel reservoir, it still makes an interesting addition to my home. Made of red glass and yellow metal, it measures about 8 inches high. How old do you believe it is, and how much would it be worth if the cap were still intact?
Answer: Handlan Inc., founded in 1856 in St. Louis, Mo., produced railroad signals and lanterns, marine and river lamps, and signals for the road-construction industry. This type of signal lamp, called a traffic guard, alerted motorists to construction sites and road hazards. Handlan introduced the #57 in the late 1940s, but the seam around the bottom developed leaks. This second-generation Handlan #57, which eliminated the bottom seam, went into production in 1957. I haven't determined when production ceased, but Handlan closed its St. Louis factory in 1964. Your traffic guard lamp is also missing its bail, from which the lantern was hung on a barricade. You might be able to replace the cap at a lamp-supply company. Handlan #57 lamps in good condition are found on internet sites priced from $40 to $70.
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