I heard one of the neighbours trying to learn violin.
Beautiful instrument when played properly, but man, seclude yourself. Youâre scaring the wildlife!
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My all time favourite violin piece - sit back, close your eyes and feel your very soul being uplifted.
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I absolutely love her, she is so good at what she does 
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It is Tuesday, 14 December 2021
(W50 | D348 | 17 rem)
Today is: 
International Monkey Day 
Monkeys are interesting creatures â cute, mischievous, and sometimes downright obnoxious (anyone who disagrees has obviously never had their laundry torn down by a family of primates when itâs hanging to dry).
Many species of primates are also endangered, and then there are questions of animal rights and the usage of primates in medical research. Thatâs why thereâs Monkey Day, a day thatâs been dedicated to raising awareness about non-human primates.
Monkey Day has been created to celebrate monkeys, as well as âall things simian,â which includes lemurs, tarsiers, apes, and other non-human primates. It is a great day when it comes to raising awareness about different types of monkeys and primates around the world, as well as the issues they face and how we can help them.
Environmental activists and animal rights activities are especially vocal and passionate about this date. The same goes for art institutions and visual artists. Supporters and celebrates of this date include the Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre Museum, Londonâs National Portrait Gallery, National Geographic, Greenpeace, and Jane Goodall.
Back in 2000, Casey Sorrow was an art student at Michigan State University, and he ended up writing âMonkey Dayâ on his friendâs calendar as a prank. But then they actually celebrated the occasion with other art students at MSU, and Sorrow later started collaborating with fellow MSU student on the Fetus-X comic strip, where the holiday was mentioned and popularized.
Since then, Monkey Day has been observed internationally as a day to celebrate primates (including monkeys, but also apes, lemurs, and tarsiers).
Sorrow himself still does much to promote the holiday and the cause of primate welfare, and in addition to the Monkey Day website, he also maintains a âMonkeys in the Newsâ blog which discusses primate-related news around the world and comes out with a list of the top ten primate-related news stories from the past year every Monkey Day.
Since Monkey Day was created, it really has gone from strength-to-strength. It is now celebrated in many different corners of the world. This includes Scotland, Turkey, Thailand, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Pakistan, India, Germany, and Canada. It has been described by the Washington Post as a day to:
âLearn something about these adorable and highly intelligent primates. Or you could use this day to act like a monkey.â 
Know More:
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Kill 'em!
Kill 'em all!
Evil things.
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I love monkeys. But not the fact that vervet monkeys are protected. They are a real nuisance. Our estate has turned into a prison because if you dare leave doors or windows open (EVEN WHILE HOME) you will be raided.
Some people say they were here first. So I say lets bring back the leopards.
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I can sympathise with your struggles @oltman
We had vervet monkeys chew through the mesh of our tent while we were camping and raid our food supplies, mess everywhere. The worst was the broken eggs and occasional faecesâŠ
And here I thought weâd be safe since Iâd padlocked the tent.
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It is Wednesay, 15 December 2021
(W50 | D349 | 16 rem)
Today is: National Cat Herders Day
You donât have to be a cat lover to celebrate Cat Herdersâ day, you only have to be someone attempting to complete a seemingly impossible task or working in a job that is a continual up-hill battle, tall-order, hard-work, or in short, some activity that is like âherding cats.â Have you ever seen a cowboy or cowgirl herding cats? Didnât think so â thatâs because if we ever attempted to it would take us longer than an infinite monkey to type the complete works of Shakespeare.
Youâve probably heard the saying that something is as impossible as âherding catsâ, used in reference to a seemingly futile or difficult task. Granted, if you have actually attempted to literally herd a bunch of cats for some reason or the other, you would know exactly how impossible this task actually is.
All of that said, as far as we know, thereâs no one out there whoâs actually a professional cat herder. If there were, this day would actually be for those folks. This is a day for everyone who has to face the frustration of trying to manage the unmanageable, anyone whose day to day life involves insurmountable tasks.
So who belongs to this lucky cat herding group who spend their lives on horseback searching the barren lands for cats to round up?
Originally it referred to project managers of one kind or another, corporate staff, that sort of thing. But the concept has broadened to include anyone who feels they might be under appreciated. Care workers, house moms and dads, factory workers, taxi drivers, office staff with piles of folders, or call centre folk with targets to hit. If youâre a member of this unfortunate group itâs time to count yourself lucky, because today, December 15th, all day, every year, belongs entirely to you.
While the idiom that something impossible is âlike herding catsâ is a popular saying now, the phrase has relatively recent origins â one story has it that IT expert Dave Platt popularised the phrase when he said that âmanaging senior programmers is like herding catsâ.
Another possibility is the popularity the phrase gained during the Super Bowl in the year 2000. Hewlett-Packard/EDS released an ad on that occasion boasting of their ability to serve customers, as easily as cowboys herding cats. (It is a very funny ad - see below in Know More.)
Since then the phrase has taken on a life of its own but in general is applied to those able to go above and beyond the call of duty, able to handle the impossible without thought of reward â in short, lifeâs thankless tasks.
What we can say is that the phrase is pretty suitable for what it describes. And while cats are independent, solitary, and easily distracted, many humans also share the same characteristics.
Itâs another fun holiday created by the good folk over at Wellcat, who suggest that:
If you can say that your job, or even your life, is like trying to herd cats, then this day is for you, with our sympathy.
From project managers to daycare workers, head out and let those who handle impossible tasks with aplomb every day know how much you appreciate and, frankly, stand in awe of them. Someone has to be there to get these tasks done, and without those who seem to be capable of herding felines of the metaphoric variety, the world may not work as well as it does.
Sometimes youâre the cat, sometimes youâre the catherd. Be the best at whichever side youâre on today, and have a great day!
Know More:
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It is Thursday, 16 December 2021
(W50 | D350 | 15 rem)
Today is: Chocolate Covered Anything Day chocolate 
Chocolate, a candy loved by both children and adults alike. But how much can it go on? What edible creations can molten chocolate create?
Chocolate Covered Anything Day is an annual feast celebrated on December 16th of every year. Crazy chocolate lovers have got yet another day to fill up the mouth with chocolate.
If you havenât tried topping your favourite items with molten chocolate, then itâs time for you to do it. Chocolate Covered Anything Day is the perfect occasion to eat chocolate-covered salads, desserts, and all your favourites.
The exact history, origin, and the founder of the Chocolate Covered Anything Day are unknown. However, chocolate, our all-time favourite, has a long tradition. Chocolate is a sweet brown food prepared from Theobroma cacao seeds, roasted and ground. Chocolate preparation dates as early as 1750 BCE.
Globally, chocolate has now become one of the most popular food types and flavours. It is used in the preparation of a vast number of foodstuffs, especially with desserts. It includes cakes, pudding, chocolate brownies, mousse, and chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate is even used in cold and hot beverages.
Chocolate is even a part of some alcoholic drinks, such as creme de cacao. There are several different types of chocolates available that can be used to top your food. It may be sweetened, unsweetened, semisweet, dark chocolate, cocoa, milk chocolate, white chocolate, bittersweet, and more.
Chocolate Covered Anything Day lets you taste your favourite fruits and chocolate-covered treats in a wide variety of flavours. You can make Chocolate Covered Almonds, Bacon, Beans, Raisins, Marshmallows, Peanuts, and anything else your heart and tastebuds desire.
The perfect way to celebrate the day is by filling up your mouth with chocolate-covered anything. Topping your food with chocolate ends with your imagination. Have a chocolate-covered salad breakfast. Share your lunch of chocolate-covered fruits, nuts, and finish your dinner with chocolate-covered ice cream. Taste how your fried chips taste when topped with chocolate.
Whatâs the weirdest combo that you can come up with, that is still edible?
Anyone up to try chocolate covered biltong and droewors?
Today is also Reconciliation Day
The Day of Reconciliation was introduced in 1994 as a way to heal the rift between the people of South Africa, and bring harmony to a nation still suffering from decades of injustice. (So howâs that going for us then?)
The Day of Reconciliation is a public holiday in South Africa held annually on 16 December. The holiday came into effect in 1995 after the end of apartheid, with the intention of fostering reconciliation and national unity for the country.
16 December is a day of great significance in South Africa due to two historical events that took place. The first of these was in 1838, when the Battle of Blood River took place between the Voortrekkers and the Zulus.
The second historical event that took place on 16 December was in 1961, when Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) was formed. This was the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC), which was launched to wage an armed struggle against the apartheid government.
Know More:
https://www.gov.za/ReconciliationMonth2020
https://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/day-reconciliation-celebrated-public-holiday-sa-first-time
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That Mexican food they use chocolate in.
Edit: Mole Sauce
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Was once at a chocolate fondue, and dipped my PS bar in the chocolate to make a chocolate covered chocolate bar 
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It is Friday, 17 December 2021
(W50 | D351 | 14 rem)
Today is: Wright Brothers Day
On the morning of 17 December, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright took turns piloting and monitoring their flying machine in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. That morning, the brothers became the first people to demonstrate sustained flight of a heavier-than-air machine under the complete control of the pilot.
For some years I have been afflicted with the belief that flight is possible to man. My disease has increased in severity and I feel that it will soon cost me an increased amount of money, if not my life. -Wilbur Wright-
One important day that changed the world was the day when a man was able to fly through the air in the style of a bird! Not only was this unprecedented, but it set the stage for a whole host of other ideas and inventions that have contributed to the advancement of technology as well as the adventure into space. The airplane has certainly made the globe a much smaller, more accessible place for humans. And right at the beginning of it all were two brothers from the US state of Ohio, Orville and Wilbur Wright.
On 24 September 1959, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared the anniversary of the Wright Flyerâs maiden flight in 1903 to be a codified holiday (it is a commemorative day on government calendars, but is not technically a government holiday).
It has been observed annually ever since that time, both in honour of the pioneering experiments of the Wrights as well as to focus on the history and future of aviation technologies.
It is widely accepted among many laypeople and historians that the Wright Brothers were the ones who first invented the airplane. However, there are several competing claims that make it difficult to determine whether or not they were actually the first to accomplish heavier-than-air powered flight.
Regardless of those competing claims, the Wright Flyer was the first aircraft that was patented in the United States. Orville and Wilbur Wright made further experiments during the first decade of the 20th century, which would prove indispensable to the development of the airplane. Quite simply, while we may never know if anyone flew before the Wrights, there is no doubt that they contributed significantly to the history of aviation.
While some people may look at photos of the Wright Flyer today and think that it seems to be old-fashioned, it is important to remember that it was actually the cutting edge of aviation technology back in 1903.
Each year, the president of the United States makes an annual proclamation inviting Americans to observe Wright Brothers Day with activities and ceremonies in honour of two rather important people in the history of the world.
Official observances for this day include the annual Wright Brothers Dinner in Washington D.C., where the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy is awarded.
In addition, there are planned celebrations in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where the Wright Flyer had its maiden flight, as well as in Dayton, Ohio, the hometown of the Wright brothers. Other activities include various luncheons in honour of the Wright brothers, school activities focused on aviation, and field trips to aviation museums or airports.
Keep flyinâ!
Know More:
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It is Saturday, 18 December 2021
(W50 | D352 | 13 rem)
Just 1 week until Christmas Day and 2 weeks to the New Year
Today is: Bake Cookies Day 
Bake Cookies Day occurs in the middle of the holiday season, and is a great excuse to bake some delicious cookies to help you get through the festive season days! Why not try some cinnamon flavoured cookies (such as the snickerdoodle) to get your kitchen smelling festive?
Or thereâs always the classic âsugar cookieâ with brightly colored royal icing, silver candy balls and sprinkles, cut into a myriad of seasonal shapes.
Bake Cookies Day is your excuse to indulge in the art (and eating) of cookies of every stripe and measure, especially those that remind you of the season.
Cookies arrived in America in the 17th century, although the word arrived much later with the Dutch in its original form of âkoekjeâ, meaning âlittle cakeâ. This was soon shortened to âcookyâ or âcookieâ, although cookies themselves seem to date back as far as 7th century Persia!
Since then theyâve become a global phenomena that come in more varieties, flavors, and styles than you can possibly imagine.
From fruit filled cookies to the simple but delectable sugar cookie (Yep, got a sugar cookie fixation, tis the season!), these âlittle cakesâ are simply the most amazing thing to come out of an oven since bread·
Every year people get together to celebrate Bake Cookies Day by baking dozens of cookies for charity drives, orphanages, and generally bringing joy to family and friends everywhere.
Cookies are made to be shared. No-one wants to eat a whole batch of cookies on their own like a blue furry monster with a big appetite. Itâs so good when a friend or stranger takes a bite of a cookie weâve made, and loves it! Even better if said cookie was invented by our own ideas.
Bake Cookies Day is the perfect excuse to have a gathering. Invite your friends and family round to help you bake up a few batches of a traditional recipe, or an invented one. Itâs the perfect opportunity to create the perfect Family Cookie.
And remember, Bake Cookies Day doesnât have to be only one day of the year. Use it as a springboard to inspire your baking imagination at other times of the year as well; after all, different seasons require different cookies
Cook them cookies, Cookie!!
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I should have gotten some chocolate chips in town 
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Try unique choco-much-later chip cookies?
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