День объятий

Hugging Day is an annual holiday created by Rev. Kevin Zaborney. It occurs on January 21 and is officially recognized by the United States Copyright Office, but is not a public holiday. The holiday was founded on January 21, 1986 in Michigan, and has since spread to multiple countries. The purpose for the holiday is to help everyone show more emotion in public. There is only one way you are supposed to celebrate the holiday, offer a hug to anyone and everyone you want. Whether you hug a family member or a stranger, the mental and physical health benefits are the same. Kevin Zaborney chose January 21 because it marks a midpoint between Christmas and Valentines day, where people are figured to be at their emotional low. Americans are embarrassed to show their feelings in public and hoped that a National Hug Day would change that. The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School has found that French couples spend 3 times as much time touching when compared to Americans. Studies have shown that human contact has many health benefits. It has been found that human contact, such as a hug, is essential for healthy social, psychological and physical development. Hugging can also help build a good immune system, decrease the risk of heart disease, and decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol in women.(from Wikipedia)

Мы любим Битлз

A student at Quarry Bank School in Liverpool named John Lennon decided to form a group in 1957 which laid the foundation of the most famous rock band of all time. John used the name of his school to name the group. He became a fan of American rock 'n' roll music that time and performed such music in the repertoire. On July 6, 1957, the boy from the group invited Paul McCartney to see their gig. The fifteen-year-old McCartney and sixteen-year-old Lennon began a unique song writing partnership. There were some changes in the membership of the group, but finally settled "The Beatles" went to their first trip to Hamburg in August, 1960. At that time The Beatles weren't considered to be the leading group in Liverpool. By this time, they had hired Brian Epstein as their manager and he signed them up for an audition with Decca Records. Their first single "Love Me Do" was issued on October 5, 1962, and became a hit. 1963 and 1964 proved to be the most important years.

С Новым годом!

Happy new year

Открытка предоставлена Mail.Ru

7 страшных грехов

7 Deadly Sins

Are you a miserable sinner? If you're not, you must be pretty exceptional -- a saint maybe, or perhaps an angel in disguise. The rest of us go about our daily lives committing sins left, right and centre. But be careful, because seven of them are deadly, and lead to eternal damnation in Hell.

Here they are, the famous Seven Deadly Sins:

Pride (гордость)
A too great belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with one's recognition of the grace of God. It is sometimes called the sin that causes all other sins. Pride is also known as Vanity.
Envy (зависть)
Discontent and a desire for another person's possessions, qualities or luck.
Gluttony (обжорство)
An excessive and habitual desire to eat more than one needs.
Lust (похоть)
An excessive sexual desire.
Anger (злость)
A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility, a kind of fury. Anger is also known as Wrath.
Covetousness (жадность)
A strong desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring spiritual things. Covetousness is also known as Greed.
Sloth (лень)
A reluctance to do physical or spiritual work, a very great laziness.
From http://www.englishclub.com

Забавная Рождественская песня

I wanna be a Christmas tree
And have twinkly lights all over me
Hold a star on top of my head
Stay up all night and never go to bed
I wanna be a Christmas tree,eat candy canes that hang from me
If I get thirsty, it will be so neat
To see me drink water from my feet
That's why I wanna be a Christmas tree, that's why I wanna be a Christmas tree
I wanna be a Christmas tree I could sing and dance on MTV
Arms for branches and have green hair
And pine cones in my underwear
I wanna be a Christmas tree
I'd be the best tree in history
Tinsel on my nose I'd look so fine
My underarms would smell like pine
That's why I wanna be a Christmas tree, that's why I wanna be a Christmas tree
Everyone would love me
My friends would say I'm cool
I'd be a tree that grows no balls
And ride my bike to school
That's why I wanna be a Christmas tree
I wanna be a Christmas tree
Mom and Dad would put presents under me
Since I'd be a tree, I'd never make a peep
I'd open up my presents when they go to sleep
That's why I wanna be a Christmas tree, that's why I wanna be,
that's why I wanna be, that's why I wanna be a Christmas tree!

I'd like to be a Christmas Tree with lots of coloured lights on me
I'd shine my star so bright above to tell the world of Jesus love.

Замечательный Стинг!

Sting is a singer, a songwriter and an actor. His born name is Gordon Matthew Sumner. He recived his nickname from his striped sweater in which he looked loke a bee during his early days as a musician. Sting was born on October 2, 1951, in Wallsend, England in the family of a milkman. He appeared first in a rock group "The Police" in the 1970s. "The Police" had a sound that was hard to pin down, filled with many influences from jazz to progressive rock. In 1980 the group won their first Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Also during this time, Sting tackled his first leading role in the 1982 film Brimstone and Treacle. Before his music career he was a ditch digger, a schoolteacher who taught English and a soccer coach. He recieve an honourary Doctorate of Music degree in 1992. He plays guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, piano, harmonica, saxophone and pan-flute. In addition to his musical caree, Sting has been active in human rihts and other social issues. Such as the Rainforest Foundation to help save the rainforests. He and his wife Trudie Styler have been married since 1992. The couple has six children, two of them from his first marriagewith an actress Frances Tomelty.

7 чудес света

7 Wonders of the Ancient World

A "wonder" is something beautiful or exceptional that gives us a feeling of surprise or admiration.The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were amazing buildings and structures in ancient times. Here is the generally accepted list:
The Great Pyramid of Giza (modern Egypt)
Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) at Giza, outside modern Cairo, is often called the first wonder of the world. This pyramid was built around the year 2560 BC and is the only Ancient Wonder to survive today.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (modern Iraq)
These beautiful gardens were probably built by King Nebuchadnezzar around the year 600 BC to please his queen, Amuhia. Their terraces perhaps rose as high as 300 feet.
The Statue of Zeus (Jupiter) at Olympia (modern Greece)
This was a colossal 40 ft high figure in gold and ivory. It was built by Phidias in the 5th century BC.

Против фашизма

9th November

International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism

After the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, Jews were subjected to increasingly discriminatory treatment accompanied by organised violence. On November 9th 1938, the Nazis stated a pogrom against the Jews. Synagogues were set on fire. Jewish shops had their windows smashed across the country, which gave rise to the name "Kristallnact", which freely translated the Night of Broken Glass. Many Jews physically attacked too. The "Kristallnacht" pogrom is usually seen as the symbolic beginning of the Holocaust. On 9 November each year a European-wide campaign is organised to commemorate the past and to protest against contemporary forms of fascism and anti-Semitism. From: http://www.unitedagainstracism.org/
Know that racism, fascism and anti-Semitism have resulted in the deaths of millions of people. Understand that intolerance is not something that is only in our past, but is also part of our present. Be aware that racism and fascism have many faces, and not all are so easy to recognise. Remember that brave men and women have resisted against fascism.