Happy Halloween!

Halloween as we know it today dates back to the early 20th century.

The holiday was relatively obscure in late 19th century America. It was brought to the country by Irish and Scottish immigrants, combining the features of the Celtic and Christian holidays, and celebrated with feasting, divinations, and mischief making.

 

Trick or Treat!

The general practice of going door-to-door for treats is clearly similar to a much older practice, "souling," in which the poor would go from house to house begging for alms or food. However, the specific practice of "trick-or-treating" dates to around the 1930s. It is possible—though by no means certain—that it evolved as an antidote for the increasingly rowdy and costly Halloween pranks. It provided a healthier activity for the young and gave them an incentive not to play tricks.

(Read more: Halloween Traditions — Infoplease.com )

Jack-O’-Lanterns, Massachusetts  

(National Geographic Photo of the Day)

How to make a Jack o' Lantern:

A jack-o-lantern is typically a carved pumpkin and was named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, called ignis fatuus or jack-o'-lantern. In a jack-o'-lantern, typically the top is cut off, and the inside flesh then scooped out; an image, usually a monstrous face, is carved onto the outside surface, and the lid replaced. (wikipedia.org)

State Department ExchangesConnect Photo Contest: WIN an iPad 2!

How do people express themselves through dance in your community?

From September 13 until October 25, 2011, you are invited to submit an original photo to the ExchangesConnect Photo Contest, “Dance with Us: Motion across Cultures.” ExchangesConnect is an international online community managed by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the U.S. Department of State that brings together over 32,000 members for people-to-people dialogue about U.S. Department of State-sponsored exchange and cultural programs. People all over the world, ages 14 and older, are invited to share personal perspectives on dance in their culture by submitting a photo and a short description to ExchangesConnect at http://connect.state.gov. Submissions will be judged on originality, creativity, effectiveness and photo quality. One U.S. and one non-U.S. grand-prize winners will receive an iPad 2 tablet computer and their photos will be displayed in U.S. Department of State venues. Eighteen runners-up will receive T-shirts and copies of the 20 top postcards. Winners will be announced on November 17, 2011.

Get started today – enter “Dance With Us: Motion Across Cultures” and share a photo that represents the movements and rhythms of your unique culture.

DC Comics artist Jamal Igle comes to Macedonia!

courtesy of Jamal Igle

COMIC WORKSHOP  with Artist Jamal Igle,

DC Comics

              Throughout his career, Jamal Igle has been working as an Art Instructor and creator of the first Comic Art course. He is the co-creator, graphic designer and illustrator of the Comic Book Graphic Album series ‘L’Armee des Anges” (Army of Angles) and the comic book series “VENTURE”.

As a Freelance Illustrator, he has worked on storyboards and character design, comic book illustrator, product design and freelance consulting for:

Byron Press Multimedia,

• DC Comics,
• Dark Angel Productions,
•  Harris Comics,
• Indigo Entertainment,
• Marvel Comics,
• Milton Bradely Toys,
• Starbright foundation,
• Scholastic Books,
• Scholastic Media and
• Wizard Entertainment.

Jamal is currently working as a Penciller in DC Comics, on Supergirl, Nightwing, and Firestorm the Nuclear Man.

Join him for the Skopje workshop on Thursday, October 13 at MKC (more info: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=300837656599859)

or for the Bitola workshop on Friday, October 14 (more info: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150423319050041&set=a.182088385040.159712.182025015040&type=1&ref=nf)

October Monthly Calendars

American Corner Struga

American Corner Bitola

American Corner Stip

American Corner Tetovo

American Corner Skopje

Steve Jobs - one of greatest of American innovators

President Obama on the Passing of Steve Jobs: "He changed the way each of us sees the world."

"The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him."

- read more

www.apple.com/stevejobs/

"Stay hungry. Stay Foolish".

October 4: World Animal Day

Starting from 1931, World Animal Day is observed every year on October 4.

Polar bear cub "Wilbaer", left, plays with his mother Corinna in the outdoor enclosure at Stuttgart Zoo, Southern Germany, on Tuesday June 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Daniel Maurer) #

The day is now set aside as a time to reflect on all of the animals we share this world with, and our involvement with them - and to spur action to commemorate that respectful relationship.

A zebra eyes visitors at the zoo in Chisinau, Moldova Sunday Sept. 28, 2008. (AP Photo/John McConnico) #

Sangworn, a mahout (elephant driver), stands with his 13 year old elephant, Bussaba, at his temporary camp September 26, 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand. While the elephant is a symbol of Thailand, it is a fairly common site to see the unemployed and homeless animals roaming the city streets begging for food. The tame elephants dodge the traffic as their mahouts sell sugar cane by the bag to tourists who then feed them. Thai officials frown upon the practice and have passed laws banning elephants from roadways but the mahouts still come risking fines in order to survive. Elephants have been big business for the country for centuries but now they are reduced to a major tourist attraction. Elephants are trained to paint, play musical instruments, and even kick soccer balls. Until Thailand banned logging in 1989, many Asian elephants were laborers working in the jungles. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images) #

Green Sea Turtles in the waters of Bora Bora, Tahiti are seen in this undated photograph from an exhibit titled "Irreplaceable: Wildlife in a Warming World," recently shown at the Peerless building in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. The exhibit showcased animals most threatened by global warming, such as green sea turtles. The gender of sea turtle eggs are determined by temperature, which means global warming would upset the natural gender balance. (Michele Westmorland)

This undated handout picture shows a Common Kingfisher with a fish in his beak. Germany's environmental protection organisations NABU (Naturschutzbund) and LBV (Landesbund fuer Vogelschutz) announced on October 10, 2008 that they had nominated the Common Kingfisher as "Bird of the Year 2009". (MANFRED DELPHO/AFP/Getty Images) #

A man leaves a stray dog adoption event with his new puppy in his arms after adopting it in Bucharest, Romania on October 4, 2008. There are 30,000 stray dogs in Romania's capital according to an animal rights group, Vier Pfoten Foundation. (REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel) #

The Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro, Massachusetts recently acquired a rare male white lion named Ramses, seen here basking in the afternoon sunshine. He is housed with two female lionesses who are sisters and who both carry the gene for the white color form. The zoo hopes to breed the male to the females. (Michele McDonald/Globe Staff) #

Emperor Penguins are seen in an undated photograph from an exhibit titled "Irreplaceable: Wildlife in a Warming World," recently shown at the Peerless building in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Warmer temperatures in Antarctica are causing declines in krill, one of the penguin's main food source. (Kevin Schaffer)