Today is...

The moon is waning. The morning stars are Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. The evening stars are Venus, Mars, Mercury, Neptune and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Sagittarius.

They include the Roman emperor Nero in 37 A.D.; Polish linguist Ludwik Zamenhof, creator of the international language Esperanto, in 1859; French engineer Alexandre Eiffel, builder of the Paris tower that bears his name and engineer of the Statue of Liberty, in 1832; pioneer rock 'n' roll disc jockey Alan Freed in 1922; and actors Don Johnson in 1950 (age 53); and Garrett Wang ("Star Trek: Voyager") in 1968 (age 35).

On this date in history:

In 1791, the Bill of Rights, comprising the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, took effect.

In 1890, Sioux Indian leader Sitting Bull was killed in a skirmish with U.S. soldiers along the Grand River, S.D.

In 1939, "Gone With The Wind" premiered in Atlanta.

In 1954, what may be considered TV's first mini-series premiered. "Davy Crockett" aired in a series of five segments on Walt Disney's "Disneyland" show.

In 1966, Walt Disney died at the age of 65.

In 1992, Salvadorans celebrated the formal end to their country's 12-year civil war.

In 1993, British Prime Minister John Majors and Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds issued a "framework for lasting peace" in Northern Ireland.

Also in 1993, the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade ended with agreement on new global-trade regulations.

In 1996, Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas agreed to merge to form the world's largest aerospace company.

In 1998, President Clinton met with Israeli Prime Minister Binjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at an Israeli border point.

In 2002, former Vice President Al Gore announced he would not seek the presidency in 2004. Gore narrowly lost the 2000 election to George W. Bush.

Famous Quotes To Live By:

"The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become."
     --- Charles Du Bos

"The world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist."
     --- J. Harold Wilkins

ARTWORK OF THE WEEK

" Bentoon "

This is how I would like as a cartoon ;-) ...

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Recently, Melissa has danced the “Nutcracker” with the International Ballet Theatre of Russia and she is looking forward to going to the LADF competition in Oklahoma this January. Over the last summer, Melissa had a singing and dancing role in the Missouri Repertory Theatre's “Hans Christian Anderson Tales.” One of the reasons Melissa has stayed with dance so long is because of her old acting coach, Allan Kayser.

He was a big inspiration and really had a lot of faith in Melissa. You can catch him playing Bubba on Mama's Family, or even in the Zoog Disney movie, “Double Teamed,” in which he plays one of the basketball player’s father. Melissa plans to continue her dancing and acting career and to continue to take her talents to the highest possible levels. Maybe she’ll be able to co-star with Mr. Kayser someday soon.

Read more about Melissa and Vote for her story.

Check out the female hard rocker, SARAH. Sarah's track TAKE ME SERIOUS is a solid female anthem. Listen to 30-second sound clips to see if you are interested in downloading the complete quality MP3 song track for only 89 cents each. Check out this New Music. Awesome Music. Fresh Music. (sm)

If you have produced a studio quality CD that is ready to sell to the general public, then click on the sell music button to get the information on how to submit your CD for consideration on YoungTunes.com

If you have any questions about YoungTunes then let us know by clicking here.

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Your Holiday Wish List

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KidKountry.com has created the Holiday Wish List system for all of our visitors. Enter information about you and those special items or presents that you would be happy to receive this holiday season (birthday, graduation, or any special occasion).

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Seeking: a hip-hop dance instructor/performer, 18 years old or older, for regional residency and performances. Will work with teens at risk. Paid. Send sample VHS video and resume to:

The Berkshire Project
33 Saint Ann's Ave.
Lenox, MA 01240.

Read more auditions by clicking here.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 - cup butter
7/8 - cup packed light brown sugar
1 - teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 - tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 - cup molasses
2 - eggs
3 - cups all-purpose flour
2 - teaspoons baking powder
1 - tablespoon ground ginger
2 - teaspoons ground allspice
6 - egg whites
4 - (16 ounce) packages confectioners' sugar, sifted

DIRECTIONS:

1- First cut out in thin cardboard: a side wall, 4 1/2 x 8 inches; an end wall, 4 1/2x5 inches; a triangular gable, 4 1/2x3x3 inches; and a roof rectangle, 4 1/2x9 inches. Tape the rectangular end wall piece to the triangular gable piece: match the long side of the triangle, 4 1/2 inches, to one of the 4 1/2 inch sides of the end wall.

2- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and molasses. Gradually beat in 2 eggs. Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices together; stir into creamed mixture. Wrap dough in parchment paper, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 portions, 2 slightly larger than the others. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the 4 smaller pieces to approximately the size of the side wall and the end wall with gable templates; cut out two of each. Roll out remaining dough, and cut into two rectangular roof pieces. Transfer gingerbread onto greased baking trays.

4- In a preheated 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven, bake gingerbread for 10 minutes, or until crisp. When removing from the oven, leave the gingerbread on the baking trays for a few minutes to set, then transfer to wire racks. Leave out overnight to harden.

5- In a large bowl, lightly whisk 2 egg whites. Gradually beat in approximately 5 cups confectioners' sugar. The icing should be smooth and stand in firm peaks. Spread or pipe a 9 inch line of icing onto a cake board, and press in one of the side walls so that it sticks firmly and stands upright. If necessary, spread or pipe a little extra icing along either side to help support it. Take an end wall and ice both the side edges. Spread or pipe a line of icing on the board at a right angle to the first wall, and press the end wall into position.

6- Repeat this process with the other two walls until they are all in position. Leave the walls to harden together for at least two hours before putting on the roof. Spread or pipe a thick layer of icing on top of all the walls, and fix the roof pieces in position; the roof should overlap the walls to make the eaves. Pipe or spread a little icing along the crest of the roof to hold the two pieces firmly together. Leave overnight to set firmly.

7- When ready to decorate, make the remaining icing. In a large bowl, lightly whisk 4 egg whites, and mix in remaining confectioners' sugar as before. Use this to make snow on the roof, and to stick various candies for decoration. Finish with a fine dusting of sifted confectioners' sugar.

Makes 15 Servings

Happy Holidays !!!

Question 1:

In what country is the gift giver of the season an old woman?

Italy
Congo
Germany
Australia

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Question 2:

What does Kwanzaa mean in Swahili?

first fruits
new fruits
first life
yearly fruits

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Question 3:

Who started the Christmas tree decorating tradition?

Mayans
French
Pirates
Druids

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Question 4:

How many days does Kwanzaa last?

6
9
8
7

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Question 5:

What does Hanukkah mean?

Festival of Lights
Days of Giving
Eight Holy Days
Winter Celebration

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Question 6:

What kind of Holiday is Kwanzaa?

Federal
Religious
State
Celebratory

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Question 7:

What do kids in a lot of European countries do on St. Nicolas day?

put bells on their doors
leave their windows open
put a shoe outside the door
wear a hat to bed

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Question 8:

What is the name of the candle holder used during Hanukkah?

kinara
menorah
umoja
wreath

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Question 9:

What is the name of the song that starts 'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose.' ?

At the Fire's Side
Winter Nights
The Christmas Song
The Chestnut Song

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Question 10:

During what Hebrew month does Hanukkah take place?

Kislev
Adar
Tebet
Tammuz

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Question 11:

Who sang 'White Christmas' in the movie 'Holiday Inn'?

Dean Martin
Elvis
Bing Crosby
Mel Torme

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Question 12:

What classic Christmas special has Burl Ives singing as a snowman?

Frosty the Snowman
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The Isle of Lost Toys
The Charlie Brown Christmas Special

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What is the real name of this mis-phrased Christmas Carol?

"Move hitherward the entire assembly of those who are loyal in their belief."

Click Here for Answer

Question 1:

In what country is the gift giver of the season an old woman?

Italy
La Befana is said to be following the Magi to find the baby Jesus to give him presents. She stops at every child she finds and leaves presents for him or her.

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Question 2:

What does Kwanzaa mean in Swahili?

first fruits
Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966.

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Question 3:

Who started the Christmas tree decorating tradition?

Druids
The ancient pagan druids worshiped tree spirits and would essentially dress trees to appease them. This caught on in the Christian world and that's why we decorate trees.

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Question 4:

How many days does Kwanzaa last?

7
It starts on December 26 and ends on January 1.

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Question 5:

What does Hanukkah mean?

Festival of Lights
Eight nights of presents around the menorah, what a wonderful holiday!

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Question 6:

What kind of Holiday is Kwanzaa?

Celebratory
In Africa, the winter harvest time comes around December. This is the time that African-Americans have chosen to celebrate their heritage. It's not a religious holiday, but a holiday of solidarity and cultural awareness. The idea to celebrate it in the USA was conceived by African-American Maulann Karenga in 1966.

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Question 7:

What do kids in a lot of European countries do on St. Nicolas day?

put a shoe outside the door
On December 6, the shoes outside the door are filled with candy and toys, just like stockings in America. Fun!

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Question 8:

What is the name of the candle holder used during Hanukkah?

menorah

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Question 9:

What is the name of the song that starts 'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose.' ?

The Christmas Song
'The Christmas Song' written by the Velvet Fog, Mel Torme, is one of the most popular songs to be played during this season along with the next song.

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Question 10:

During what Hebrew month does Hanukkah take place?

Kislev

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Question 11:

Who sang 'White Christmas' in the movie 'Holiday Inn'?

Bing Crosby
'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know.' Elvis sang 'Blue Christmas.'

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Question 12:

What classic Christmas special has Burl Ives singing as a snowman?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Burl Ives is one of the USA's greatest voices. No one sings the folk tunes like he does.

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