TODAY’S HOLIDAY: ST. PAUL WINTER CARNIVAL

St. Paul Winter Carnival

This 10-day winter festival was established in 1886 in response to a newspaper story that described St. Paul, Minnesota, as “another Siberia, unfit for human habitation.” A group of local businessmen set out to publicize the area’s winter attractions, and the first winter carnival featured an Ice Palace in St. Paul’s Central Park. Since that time, an entire legend has developed about the founding of St. Paul and is reenacted each year. Other highlights include ice golf, skating, skiing, sled dog races, softball on ice, ice carving and snow sculpture contests, and a parade. More… Discuss

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QUOTATION: Charlotte Bronte

Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow firm there, firm as weeds among stones.

Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) Discuss

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TODAY’S BIRTHDAY: TOKUGAWA IEYASU (1543)

Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543)

Along with Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa was one of the three unifiers of war-torn, premodern Japan. The three warriors established military control over the whole country and succeeded one another in the dictatorship. Tokugawa’s time as shogun, or military dictator, ushered in a period of internal peace, urban growth, increased literacy, and resistance to Western influences. He died in 1616, but the Tokugawa shogunate did not die with him. For how long did his heirs rule Japan?More… Discuss

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THIS DAY IN THE YESTERYEAR: THE NORTH SEA FLOOD (1953)

The North Sea Flood (1953)

When heavy winds struck the North Sea during the high spring tide in 1953, it created a severe flood that affected parts of the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK. Belgium suffered significant property damage but little loss of life. The Netherlands, on the other hand, had 1,836 reported deaths, and the UK had more than 500, with nearly half of the victims perishing at sea. The flood remains one of the UK’s worst natural disasters. What has been done to prevent future disasters of this sort? More… Discuss

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NEWS: SNOWDEN NOMINATED FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

 

Snowden Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

 

American National Security Agency contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden could join

 

 

the ranks of Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Barack Obama, and numerous others as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He was nominated as a candidate by two Norwegian members of parliament who contend that Snowden’s release of classified US documents will make the world a safer, more peaceful place—a controversial position to be sure. The winner of this year’s prize will be announced in October. More… Discuss

 

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• Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

 

Top 100 Songs of 1990-2012 – Video Montage

Eddie Vedder – No More (video)

[youtube.com/watch?v=qqPzS8Y27Ks]

EDDIE VEDDER LYRICS

“No More”

I speak for a man who gave for this land
Took a bullet in the back for his pay
Spilled his blood in the dirt and the dust
He’s back to say:What he has seen is hard to believe
And it does no good to just pray
He asks of us to stand
And we must end this war todayWith his mind, he’s saying, “No more!”
With his heart, he’s saying, “No more!”
With his life he’s saying, “No more war!”With his eyes, he’s saying, “No more!”
With his body, he’s saying, “No more!”
With his voice, he’s saying, “No more war!”

Yeah, nothing’s too good for a veteran
Yeah, this is what they say
So nothing is what they will get
In this new American way

The lies we were told to get us to go
Were criminal … let us be straight
Let’s get to the point where our voices get heard
And I know what I’ll say

With our minds, we’re saying, “No more!”
With our hearts, we’re saying, “No more!”
With our lives, we’re saying, “No more war!”

With our eyes, we’re saying, “No more!”
With our voices, we’re saying, “No more!”
With our bodies, we’re saying, “No more war!”

No more innocents dying
No more terrorizing
No more eulogizing
No more
No more evangelizing
No more
No more presidents lying
No more war

With our minds, we’re saying, “No more!”
With our hearts, we’re saying, “No more!”
With our lives, we’re saying, “No more war!”

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eddie Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson; December 23, 1964) is an American musician andsinger-songwriter^[2] who is best known for being the lead vocalist and one of three guitarists of thealternative rock band Pearl Jam. Known for his powerful vocals, he has been ranked at #7 on a list of “Best Lead Singers of All Time”, compiled by Rolling Stone.^[3] He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums by other artists. In 2007, Vedder released his first solo album as asoundtrack for the film Into the Wild (2007). His second album, Ukulele Songs, along with a live DVD titled Water on the Road, was released on 31 May 2011.^[4]

Eddie Vedder
Vedder on October 22, 2006
Background information
Birth name	Edward Louis Severson III
Also known as	Edward Mueller, Jerome Turner, Wes C. Addle
Born	December 23, 1964 (age 49) Evanston, Illinois, United States
Genres	Alternative rock, folk rock,grunge, hard rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Main: Vocals Occasional: guitar,harmonica, tambourineOther: mandolin, mandola,ukulele, keyboards, accordion,bass guitar, drums
Years active	1979–present
Labels	Universal Republic Records Republic Records,Monkeywrench, J Records
Associated acts	Pearl Jam, Glen Hansard, Bad Radio, Temple of the Dog,Hovercraft, 7 Worlds Collide, C Average, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Young
Notable instruments
Fender Telecaster Schecter PT Model Gibson SG Gibson SG Jr. Martin 0–18 Earnest Instruments Tululele, Custom Ukulele[1]

Buy “No More” on

Google Play, iTunes, AmazonMP3,
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{WonkViz} — Obama Issues Fewer Executive Orders than Any President Since the 1800s

{WonkViz} — Obama Issues Fewer Executive Orders than Any President Since the 1800s.

Quotation: ‘I’ll throw you off this f—ing balcony’ (Thug Congressman Michael Grimm Threatens to Break Reporter in Half)

Republican Congressman Michael Grimm threatened NY1 reporter Michael Scotto on LIVE television after the State of the Union 2014 on Tuesday. Scotto asked the GOP Staten Island Rep. about a scandal and the Congressman threatened to throw the reporter off the balcony and “break him like a boy”….

This clip from the Majority Report, live M-F at 12 noon EST and via daily podcast at http://Majority.FM

Subscribe to us on YouTube: http://youtube.com/user/SamSeder

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US congressman Michael Grimm threatens journalist: ‘I’ll break you in half like a boy’ – video | World news | theguardian.com

US congressman Michael Grimm threatens journalist: ‘I’ll break you in half like a boy’ – video | World news | theguardian.com.

GREAT COMPOSITIONS/PERFORMANCES: Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 “From The New World” / Karajan · Vienna Philarmonic

Great presentation of the Great Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan, playing the 9th Symphony of Antonin Dvorak “From the new world”. 

Gran presentación de la Filarmónica de Viena conducida por Herbert von Karajan, interpretando la novena sinfonía de Antonin Dvorak “Sinfonía del Nuevo Mundo”.

(C) Telemonde 1992, UMG and all their respective owners. No commercial use of this material.

(0:37) 1st mvt (Adagio, Allegro Molto)
(10:42) 2nd mvt (Largo)
(23:30) 3rd mvt (Scherzo, Molto Vivace)
(32:07) 4rth mvt (Allegro con fuoco)

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TODAY’S SAINTS/HOLIDAY: Day of the Three Archbishops

 

Day of the Three Archbishops

English: Icon for the Synaxis of the Three Holy Hierarchs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 11th-century Greece, there was a popular controversy over which of the three archbishops—Basil the Great,Gregory the Theologian, or John Chrysostom—was the greatest saint of the Greek Orthodox Church. In 1081, Bishop John of Galatia reported that the three saints had appeared to him in a vision to say that they were equal in the eyes of God. Their equality is celebrated on this day. In schools, special exercises are held in honor of the three saints, who supported classical Greek tradition at a time when many were opposed to all non-Christian literature. More… Discuss
VISIT THE BEAUTIFUL ROMANIAN MONASTERY  OF ‘TREI IERARHI’: http://www.manastireasftreiierarhi.ro/img/presentation2.jpg

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QUOTATION: Aesop

Evil companions bring more hurt than profit.

Aesop (620 BC–560 BC) Discuss

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TODAY’S BIRTHDAY: Max Theiler (1899)

Max Theiler (1899)

Born in South Africa, Theiler moved to the US in 1922 and became known for his research on yellow fever, encephalomyelitis, and other tropical viruses. At a time when yellow fever outbreaks were plague-like—one epidemic alone wiped out 20,000 people—his team proved that the disease is caused by a virus, not bacteria. Theiler’s development of a safe and effective vaccine brought yellow fever under control, earning him the 1951 Nobel Prize in medicine. On what did he initially test his vaccine?More… Discuss

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THIS DAY IN THE YESTERYEAR: BLOODY SUNDAY: THE BOGSIDE MASSACRE (1972)

Bloody Sunday: The Bogside Massacre (1972)

 

 

 

Mural of victim of Bloody Sunday (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

In 1968, civil rights protests by Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland sparked violent conflicts with Protestants, resulting in the occupation of the province by British troops. The Bogside Massacre greatly worsened the situation. On “Bloody Sunday”—January 30, 1972—British troops shot 26 unarmed civil rights protesters. Thirteen victims—seven of whom were teenagers—died almost immediately, and a fourteenth later succumbed to his injuries. What did the first inquiry into the massacre find? More… Discuss

 

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NEWS: US BULLYING EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS DOWN

US Bullying Emergency Room Visits Down

Nowadays, fewer kids are ending up in US emergency rooms as a result of violence in school, but fights with classmates are still responsible for about 100,000 such visits each year. This accounts for about 10 percent of all in-school injuries. These injuries tend to be more severe, with a greater risk of hospitalization than accidental ones. Boys and minority students are the most frequent bullying victims that need emergency medical attention.More… Discuss

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WORD: MALLEABLE

malleable 

Definition:	(adjective) Capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out.
Synonyms:	tractile, ductile, pliant, tensile
Usage:	I am not very handy with a chisel, so when I sculpt, I prefer to use malleable materials that I can bend and shape as I please.Discuss.

 

ARTICLE: ASTRONOMICAL TRANSIT

Astronomical Transit

An astronomical transit is the passage of a celestial body or satellite across the face of a relatively larger body. Transits are not the same thing as the familiar solar or lunar eclipse. In an eclipse, a large celestial body hides a major part of a smaller body. In an astronomical transit, a small body crosses in front of a larger one. An astronomical transit can involve two planets, but this has not been observed on Earth since 1818. When will the next planetary transit be visible from Earth? More… Discuss

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