March 16th – Happy St. Urho’s Day

March 16, 2017 at 12:01 am | Posted in Today's Reasons To Celebrate | Leave a comment

Good morning party animals. Today is Thursday, March 16, 2017. Today’s reasons to celebrate are:

St. Urho’s Day

The legend of St. Urho (pronounced oor- ho) was the invention of a Finnish-American named Richard Mattson and originated in Northern Minnesota in the 1950′s, an area with a large population of people of Finnish lineage. He created it after an Irish co-worker was razzing him about Finland not having a patron Saint, like St. Patrick in Ireland (actually, Finland does have its own patron Saint; Henry, Bishop of Finland). The legend grew among North Americans of Finnish descent to the point where St. Urho is known and celebrated across the United States and Canada, and even in parts of Finland today.
St. Urho’s Day is celebrated on March 16th, the day prior to the better-known feast of some minor saint from Ireland, who was alleged to have driven the snakes from that island. The legend of St. Urho says he chased the grasshoppers out of ancient Finland, thus saving the grape crop and the jobs of Finnish vineyard workers. He did this by uttering the phrase, roughly translated into English as: “Grasshopper, grasshopper, go from hence to Hell!”. His feat is celebrated by wearing the colors Royal Purple and Nile Green, drinking copious amounts of wine and eating Mojakkaa, a fish soup, which purportedly gave Urho the strength to drive away the grasshoppers. St. Urho is nearly always represented with grapes and grasshoppers as part of the picture.
So, if you can’t wait for tomorrow’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities to begin, start the party today by celebrating St. Urho’s Day. Be sure to attire yourself in the appropriate purple and green colors for authenticity. Today, everyone is Finnish!

No Selfies Day

No Selfies Day, as the name implies, urges people to refrain from posting ‘selfies’ to any social media platform today. For all of you troglodytes out there, a ‘selfie’ is a photograph taken of oneself, usually by oneself either by utilizing a mirror or by extending one arm to capture the image.
No Selfies Day was proposed in 2014 by the Ocala Star-Banner and The Gainesville Sun and submitted to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” — a comprehensive a dictionary of holidays released every Oct. 1 that tracks what’s going on every day everywhere in the world. It was immediately accepted and first appeared in the 2015 edition.
Ironically, whether by coincidence or not, No Selfies Day is celebrated on the birthday of Philippe Kahn, the inventor of the cell phone camera and the first person to snap a picture with his phone—although it wasn’t a selfie…at least not to our knowledge.
So, take heed all of you narcissistic attention whores and ‘celebutantes’ – I don’t know if, as you seem to think, the world will end if you don’t post a picture of yourself in your underwear in front of a mirror every day…but I for one am willing to take the risk, so please celebrate No Selfies Day and give us a break.

Lips Appreciation Day

Everyone has lips and Lips Appreciation Day is the holiday to celebrate that fact. Show your appreciation of one of the most visible and expressive organs of the human body and one of the most beloved. Lips are the perfect frame for your smile. You paid your dentist thousands of dollars for it, so you may as well accent that expensive smile by taking care of your lips.
The lips are used for speech articulation, the playing of instruments, eating, drinking, a tactile sensory organ, and an erogenous organ. So celebrate today by putting those lips to work, through talking,  eating, sipping through a straw, playing the kazoo, or kissing your loved ones. It will be good practice for St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow when you’ll be babbling incoherently, slurring your words, eating too much corned beef and cabbage, drinking too much green beer, and kissing everyone in sight. Don’t forget to stock up on lip balm and/or Chapstick.

Freedom of Information Day

Freedom of Information Day is an annual holiday celebrated on the birthday of James Madison, who was born on this date in 1851, and who is widely regarded as the Father of the Constitution and as the foremost advocate for openness in government and as the key champion and author of the Bill of Rights.
The Freedom of Information Act was passed on July 4th, 1966 and went into effect the following year. It declared that every person has the right to get information to federal agency records that are not protected by one of nine exemptions, or special law enforcement record exclusions. This put into law the very concepts that James Madison had held so dear and ensured that every citizen of the United States would be able to obtain the information to which they were entitled.

Curlew Day

Curlew Day is another holiday celebrating migratory birds returning to their nesting grounds. What is a Curlew you say? The Curlew is a medium-sized wading bird with a long, slender, downward curved bill (about 1/3 of its total length). Every March 16th, they return from Mexico to the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon for mating season. They are also known as the sicklebird or candlestick bird. (Candlestick Park, former home to my beloved San Francisco Giants for so many years, derived its name from these birds).

Goddard Day

Goddard Day commemorates first liquid-fuel-powered rocket flight launched by Robert Hutchings Goddard at Auburn, MA on this date in 1926. He claims he got the idea for his revolutionary rocket engine from a book by Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. NASA’s first Space Flight Center, the Goddard Space Flight Center, is named after him. It was established in 1959 as a space research laboratory.

Everything You Do Is Right Day

Even if you decide not to celebrate any of the above holidays, it’s OK, because today is Everything You Do Is Right Day. It was created to counter yesterday’s holiday “Everything You Do Is Wrong Day”. You can’t go wrong with a holiday like this. No matter what you decide to do, you’re right. This might just be the perfect holiday.

National Artichoke Heart Day

Food Historians believe that the Artichoke plant originates from the Mediterranean — Some say the Sicily region while others believe Tunisia (Carthage). The plant is actually a flowering thistle. Artichokes also grow wildly in Southern Europe.
Eighty percent of Artichokes grown in the America come from Castroville, California. Spanish Settlers cultivated Artichokes in California during the 1600’s. However, California Artichokes did not gain popularity until the early 1900’s.
When you are shopping for Artichokes choose only those that are dark green with tight leaves, not leaves that appear to be opening. The Heart of the Artichoke is found once all the leaves are removed, at the base of the Artichoke. If you’re lazy, canned Artichoke Hearts available in most grocery stores.
Artichokes are high in antioxidants which are good for your liver and help promote healthy skin. Artichokes are also high in fiber, calcium, and protein while low in calories. They are fat-free and cholesterol-free (unless you slather them in some high-calorie dipping sauce), so they are truly a healthy food.
I dislike artichokes, so I have no intention of celebrating this holiday. If you have a problem with that, refer to the holiday above.
Artichoke Factoids:

  • Although usually referred to it as a vegetable, the artichokes we eat are actually the flower bud of the artichoke plant. If you let the flower blossom, it turns a beautiful violet-blue color. (See the pictures below).
  • In 1947, Castroville, California crowned its first “Artichoke Queen”. The winner was a young actress named Norma Jean Mortenson who later changed her name to Marilyn Monroe.

Below are a couple of pictures of an artichoke plant in our back yard that we let blossom a few years ago.
Arthchoke1 Artichoke2

More Holidays

On This Date 

  • In 1190 – The Crusaders began the massacre of Jews in York, England.
  • In 1521 – Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Philippines. He was killed the next month by natives.
  • In 1621 – Samoset walked into the settlement of Plymouth Colony, later Plymouth, MA. Samoset was a native from the Mohegan tribe in Maine who spoke English. He greeted the Pilgrims
  • by saying, “Welcome, Englishmen! My name is Samoset.”
  • In 1802 – Congress established the West Point Military Academy in New York.
  • In 1836 – The Republic of Texas approved a constitution.
  • In 1850 – The novel “The Scarlet Letter,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, was published.
  • In 1871 – The State of Delaware enacted the first fertilizer law. [In contrast to today, when everything that comes out of Congress is ‘fertilizer’].
  • In 1882 – The Senate approved a treaty allowing the United States to join the Red Cross.
  • In 1883 – Susan Hayhurst graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. She was the first woman pharmacy graduate.
  • In 1915 – The Federal Trade Commission began operation.
  • In 1935 – Adolf Hitler ordered a German rearmament and violated the Versailles Treaty.
  • In 1945 – Iwo Jima was declared secured by the Allies. However, small pockets of Japanese resistance still existed.
  • In 1960 – Alfred Hitchcock’s movie Psycho premiered. The film starring Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh is an all-time classic.
  • In 1964 – President Lyndon B. Johnson submitted a $1 billion war on poverty program to Congress.
  • In 1968 – United States troops in Vietnam destroyed a village consisting mostly of women and children.In all, 504 civilians were killed. The event is known as the My-Lai massacre.
  • In 1978 – Italian politician Aldo Moro was kidnapped by left-wing urban guerrillas. Moro was later murdered by the group.
  • In 1985 – Terry Anderson, an Associated Press newsman, was kidnapped in Beirut. He was released on December 4, 1991.
  • In 1988 – A poison gas attack killed 5000 civilians in the Kurdish town of Halabjah. The war crime was in all likelihood executed on the orders of Iraqi despot Saddam Hussein.
  • In 1988 – In Northern Ireland, an Ulster loyalist killed 3 people at a Provisional IRA funeral. Michael Stone was later convicted of the Milltown cemetery attack, which was filmed by news crews.
  • In 1988 – Indictments were issued for Lt. Colonel Oliver North, Vice Admiral John Poindexter of the National Security Council, and two others for their involvement in the Iran-Contra affair.
  • In 1988 – Mickey Thompson and his wife Trudy were shot to death in their driveway. Thompson, known as the “Speed King,” set nearly 500 auto speed endurance records including being the first person to travel more than 400 mph on land.
  • In 1993 – In France, ostrich meat was officially declared fit for human consumption.
  • In 1994 – Tonya Harding pled guilty in Portland, OR, to conspiracy to hinder prosecution for covering up the attack on her skating rival Nancy Kerrigan. She was fined $100,000. She was also banned from amateur figure skating. And good riddance. She got off lucky in my opinion.
  • In 1998 – Rwanda began mass trials for the 1994 genocide. They had 125,000 suspects for 500,000 murders.

If you were born on this date, Happy Birthday. You share your birthday with the following list of illustrious individuals – and about 20-million other people.

  • James Madison 1751 – Fourth POTUS.
  • George S. Ohm 1787 – Physicist.
  • Andrew S. Hallidie 1836 – Inventor.
  • Conrad Nagel 1896 – Actor.
  • Henny Youngman 1906 – Comedian.
  • Josef Mengele 1911 – Nazi war criminal.
  • Pat Nixon – Educator, 39th First Lady of the United States.
  • Jerry Lewis 1926 – Actor, comedian.
  • R. Walter Cunningham 1932 – Astronaut.
  • Bernardo Bertolucci 1940 – Director.
  • Chuck Woolery 1941 – Game show host.
  • Erik Estrada 1949 – Actor.
  • Kate Nelligan 1951 – Actress.
  • Nancy Wilson 1954 – Musician.
  • Rodney Peete 1966 – Football player.
  • Lauren Graham 1967 – Actress.
  • Brooke Burns 1978 – Actress.

March 15th – Beware the Ides of March

March 15, 2017 at 12:01 am | Posted in Today's Reasons To Celebrate | Leave a comment

Good morning doom and gloomers. Today is Wednesday, March 15, 2017. Today’s reasons to celebrate are: 

The Ides of March

On this date in 44 BC, Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by his closest friend, Marcus Brutus. You can thank William Shakespeare for creating the ominous superstitions that are associated with the Ides of March today. In his play “Julius Caesar”, Caesar is warned by a soothsayer to: “Beware the Ides of March”.
The Ides of March remind us that betrayal, backstabbing, and dirty politics aren’t necessarily a thing of the past. They are as widespread today as they were in the forums of ancient Rome. Watch your back, avoid office politics, and look out for your ‘friends’ today.
Author’s Note: Although March (Martius) was the third month of the Julian calendar, in the oldest Roman calendar it was the first month of the year. The holidays observed by the Romans from the first through the Ides often reflect their origin as new-year celebrations. The Romans did not number days of a month sequentially from the first through the last day. Instead, they counted back from three fixed points of the month: the Nones (5th or 7th, depending on the length of the month), the Ides (13th or 15th), and the Kalends (1st of the following month). The Ides occurred near the midpoint, on the 13th for most months, but on the 15th of March, May, July, and October. The Ides were supposed to be determined by the full moon, reflecting the lunar origin of the Roman calendar. On the earliest calendar, the Ides of March would have been the first full moon of the new year.

Dumbstruck Day  

Dictionary.com defines dumbstruck as: “temporarily deprived of the power of speech, as by surprise or confusion; dumbfounded. Using that definition, pretty much every day is Dumbstruck Day for me.
Every time I go on social media, read a newspaper, watch the evening news or the Sunday morning “talking head” shows, I am dumbstruck by how far our society has regressed. From simple things like grammar, punctuation, and spelling to the total lack of civility and the amount of misinformation being touted as “news” today, I am convinced that the “dumbing down” of America is complete – and I’m sure that I’m not alone.
My source revealed no information regarding by whom, when, or why Dumbstruck Day was created. It was merely listed among the holidays today…along with the definition of dumbstruck and some pabulum about being dumbstruck by what’s around you. So, I guess that how/if you celebrate Dumbstruck Day is up to you.

 Everything You Think is Wrong Day

Everything You Think Is Wrong Day, a holiday where making a decision should be avoided, as your thoughts are wrong…at least according to this holiday’s creator. It is also a holiday created for some people to realize that they are not always right. It is a holiday for all to contemplate our own lack of knowledge.
Everyone has one of those days once in a while where nothing goes right. Everything You Think is Wrong Day urges you to just grit your teeth and forge ahead. Instead of tackling big projects today, occupy yourself with menial tasks that don’t require much thought. Hopefully tomorrow, you’ll be back in the groove.

Buzzard Day

Buzzard Day celebrates the annual return of buzzards to Hinkley Ohio. Every March 15th, for at least the last 150 years, buzzards (turkey vultures) have returned to Hinkley Ohio from their winter habitats in the south.
It may seem odd to celebrate a bird whose circling overhead was once a signal to the cowboys of old that a once living creature had met its demise. Yet, each year, many Ohioans eagerly scan the skies watching for the buzzards to return. For them, the return of these graceful birds with their bald head and red beak signals rebirth and the approach of spring, not death.
Buzzard Day is reminiscent of a more celebrated return of birds from their winter environs…the swallows to Mission San Juan Capistrano in California later this month.

National Ag (Agriculture) Day 

National Ag Day was created by The Agriculture Council of America in 1973 and recognizes the abundance provided by agriculture. It is dedicated to increasing the public awareness of agriculture’s vital role in our society. Farm co-ops, universities, 4-H clubs, FFA clubs, businesses and other organizations at the city, county and state levels celebrate with a variety of events that give the general public an opportunity to see how their food, clothing and other products get from the farm to you.
The National Ag Day program encourages every American to understand how food and fiber products are produced, value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy, and appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products. Agriculture provides almost everything we eat, use and wear on a daily basis. But too few people truly understand or appreciate how vital to their existence agriculture really is. Each American farmer feeds more than 144 people … a dramatic increase from 25 people in the 1960’s. Quite simply, American agriculture is doing more – and doing it better. As the world population increases, there is an even greater demand for products produced in the United States.

National Pears Helene Day  

Pears Helene is basically pears poached in ‘simple syrup’, served with vanilla ice cream, and covered with chocolate sauce and originally, crystallized violets, but more commonly today, sliced almonds.  It was created around 1864 by Auguste Escoffier and named after the operetta La belle Hélène by Jacques Offenbach.
To celebrate National Pears Helene Day, try this recipe – unless you already have one.
Pear Facts:

  • There are more than 3,000 varieties of pears grown in the world.
  •  Pears are the third most important fruit crop in the United States (behind apples and peaches).
  • Washington, Oregon, and Northern California grow more than 95% of the pears that are sold in the United States.
  • California grows 60% of all Bartlett pears in the United States.
  • Pears ripen best off of the tree.
  • Pears are an excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C as well as copper, fiber, and potassium.
  • Pears are less allergenic than many other fruits.

More Holidays

On This Date

  • In 1781 – During the American Revolution, the Battle of Guilford Courthouse took place in North Carolina. British General Cornwallis’ 1,900 soldiers defeated an American force of 4,400.
  • In 1820 – Maine was admitted as the 23rd state of the Union.
  • In 1864 – Red River Campaign began as the Union forces reach Alexandria, LA.
  • In 1877 – The first cricket test between Australia and England was played in Melbourne. Australia won by 45 runs.
  • In 1892 – New York State unveiled the new automatic ballot voting machine.In 1892 – Jesse W. Reno patented the Reno Inclined Elevator. It was the first escalator.
  • In 1895 – Enrico Caruso made his stage debut. The Italian tenor is arguably the most famous opera singer of all time.
  • In 1907 – In Finland, women won their first seats in the Finnish Parliament. They took their seats on May 23.
  • In 1913 – President Woodrow Wilson held the first open presidential news conference.
  • In 1916 – President Woodrow Wilson sent 12,000 troops, under General Pershing, over the border of Mexico to pursue bandit Pancho Villa. The mission failed.
  • In 1917 – The last emperor of Russia abdicated. Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicated following the February Revolution. He was later executed together with his family and some of his servants.
  • In 1937 – In Chicago, IL, the first blood bank to preserve blood for transfusion by refrigeration was established at the Cook County Hospital.
  • In 1938 – Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia.
  • In 1951 – General de Lattre demanded that the French government send him more troops for their war in Vietnam.
  • In 1951 – The Persian parliament voted to nationalize the oil industry.
  • In 1955 – The U.S. Air Force unveiled a self-guided missile.
  • In 1960 – The first underwater park was established as Key Largo Coral Reef Preserve.
  • In 1968 – The U.S. mint halted the practice of buying and selling gold.
  • In 1971 – CBS television announced it was going to drop “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
  • In 1972 – Francis Ford Coppola’s movie, The Godfather, premiered. The gangster movie based on Mario Puzo’s novel is one of the most popular films of all time.
  • In 1977 – The House of Representatives began a 90-day test to determine the feasibility of showing its sessions on television.
  • In 1985 – In Brazil, two decades of military rule came to an end with the installation of a civilian government.
  • In 1985 – The world’s first internet domain name was registered. Symbolics Computer Corporation of Massachusetts registered symbolics.com. There are over 1 billion domains today.
  • In 1989 – The Food and Drug administration decided to impound all fruit imported from Chile after two cyanide-tainted grapes were found in Philadelphia, PA.
  • In 1989 – The Department of Veteran’s Affairs became the 14th Department of the President’s Cabinet.
  • In 1990 – Mikhail Gorbachev became President of the Soviet Union. His economic and political reforms, as well as his advocacy of free speech, strengthened pro-democracy movements in other Eastern European countries and ultimately led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War
  • In 1991 – Four Los Angeles police officers were indicted in the beating of Rodney King on March 3, 1991.
  • In 1998 – CBS’ “60 Minutes” aired an interview with former White House employee Kathleen Willey. Wiley said President Clinton made unwelcome sexual advances toward her in the Oval Office in 1993.
  • In 2002 – In Texas, Andrea Yates received a life sentence for drowning her five children on June 20, 2001.

Noteworthy Birthdays

If you were born on this date, Happy Birthday. You share your birthday with the following list of illustrious individuals – and about 20-million other people.

  • Andrew Jackson 1767 – Statesman.
  • Macdonald Carey 1913 – Actor.
  • Harry James 1916 – Musician.
  • Norm Van Brocklin 1926 – NFL.
  • Alan L. Bean 1932 – Astronaut.
  • Judd Hirsch 1935 – Actor.
  • Mike Love 1941 – Musician.
  • Sly Stone 1944 – Musician.
  • Tracy Smith 1945 – Newscaster.
  • Fabio 1961 – Model.
  • Kim Raver 1969 – Actress.
  • Eva Longoria 1975 – Actress.

March 14th – The Life of Pi

March 14, 2017 at 12:01 am | Posted in Today's Reasons To Celebrate | Leave a comment

Good morning mathematical constant fans. Today is Tuesday, March 14, 2017. Today’s reasons to celebrate are:

Pi Day

Pi Day is celebrated today because March 14th (3·14) represents the number used in mathematics to represent, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, which is approximately 3.14159. Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. It is an irrational number and will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern. The Greek letter “π” (Pi) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent it.
Coincidentally, or perhaps not,  Albert Einstein, one the best mathematicians ever, was born on this date in 1879. If you are a mathematician, solve an equation that involves the use of “π”. If you are not a mathematician, have a slice of Pi(e), or better yet, 3.14 pieces. Maybe not the healthiest decision, but certainly appropriate.

International Ask a Question Day

Did you know that today is Ask a Question Day? There, I have just started celebrating. Have you heard the old adage: “There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers?” Well, Ask a Question Day is the holiday to ask as many questions as you want.  Have you been curious about something, unclear about something, or perhaps just want more information on a given subject? If so, ask someone about it today.  The best way to learn is by asking questions. Albert Einstein once was quoted as saying, “The important thing is never to stop questioning.”

Learn About Butterflies Day

Butterflies are beautiful and delicate creatures. Soon, they will be flitting around your backyard going from flower to flower. Take some time today to learn more about butterflies, particularly those species of butterfly native to your region. Find out the types of flowers and plants they favor and plant some. This will attract them to your yard and give you hours of viewing opportunities.

Moth-er’s Day

No, that’s not a typo. Moth-er’s Day is a holiday set aside to honor moth collectors and specialists. In a world with so much natural beauty, there’s one creature that is often overlooked: the moth. Moths are often feared, disliked or ignored. While butterflies seem to get all the attention, some species of moths are just as colorful as butterflies.
Moth-er’s Day is a great opportunity to learn about moths and even get involved with their conservation. It’s an ideal study opportunity for children, who will be fascinated to learn more about the life cycle of egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and moth.

You may be asking yourself: “What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth?” The answer is that butterflies and moths are closely related, and share many of the same characteristics such as wings covered with scales.
In general, butterflies are very colorful and are active during the day, whereas, moths are drably colored and active at night. However, Mother Nature, being the impish prankster that she is, created quite a few exceptions to the above rule. The most definitive way to tell them apart, if you can get close enough, is by their antennae. A butterflies antenna are shaped like a golf club, with a long stem with a ‘club’ at the end. A moth’s antennae are either single filament tapering to a point at the end, or are very complicated structures with many cross filaments, resembling radar antennas. For more information about moths and/or butterflies go to either this website or this one. 

Celebrate Scientists Day

Celebrate Scientists Day honors scientists. It is celebrated on the birthday of one of the world’s preeminent scientists – Albert Einstein. Einstein discovered the Theory of Relativity and was born on this date in 1879 in Ulm, Germany.

National Potato Chip Day    

Just about everyone likes potato chips. Potato chips come in a variety of styles; regular, thick-cut ridged, and kettle-cooked, and they come in so many different flavors these days it is often hard to decide which to choose. Some of the most popular flavors, besides original, are sour cream and onion, barbecue, and salt and vinegar; but there are more exotic flavors available in ethnic specialty shops, such as seaweed, buffalo wing, and ketchup.

You might be asking: All that is well and good, but, “Who invented the potato chip?” Well, according to the Snack Food Association, the potato chip was born on August 24, 1853, in an elegant dining room at the fashionable Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga, New York. A testy older diner, Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt (yes of “the” Vanderbilt family), sent his food back to the kitchen, complaining that the fried potatoes were not sliced thin enough and were too soggy. The chef, George Crum, cut and fried a thinner batch, but these, too, were rejected. Equally testy, Crum decided to fight back by slicing the potatoes wafer-thin, frying them to a crisp in boiling oil and over-salting them. They were too crisp to eat: they could not be pierced with a fork without shattering, and no gentleman of the day would have dreamed of picking up food with his fingers at the dining table. However, to chef Crum’s  surprise, his fit of pique was rewarded with compliments to the chef: the Commodore much-loved the “crunch potato slices.” Other diners requested the potatoes (“I’ll have what he’s having”), and eventually, they appeared on the menu as Saratoga Chips, a house specialty. Soon the chips were packaged and sold, first locally, then throughout the New England area. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Celebrating this crunchy holiday is a no-brainer…have some of your favorite style and flavor potato chips, mundane or exotic, today. If you’re feeling adventurous, try making some homemade potato chips for a change. I know it’s a pain, but well worth the effort…at least you’ll be able to pronounce the ingredients.

More Holidays

On This Date

  • In 1489 – Catherine Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, sold her kingdom to Venice. She was the last of the Lusignan dynasty.
  • In 1629 –  A Royal charter was granted to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
  • In 1794 – Eli Whitney received a patent for his cotton gin.
  • In 1860 – The first baseball cap was designed.
  • In 1891 – The submarine Monarch laid telephone cable along the bottom of the English Channel to prepare for the first telephone links across the Channel.
  • In 1900 – United States currency went on the gold standard with the ratification of the Gold Standard Act.
  • In 1901 – Utah Governor Heber M. Wells vetoed a bill that would have relaxed restrictions on polygamy.
  • In 1903 – The Senate ratified the Hay-Herran Treaty that guaranteed the United States the right to build a canal at Panama. The Colombian Senate rejected the treaty.
  • In 1910 – The Lakeview Gusher in Kern County, California caused the largest accidental oil spill in history. The spill lasted 18 months and 9 million barrels of crude oil were released.
  • In 1914 – Henry Ford announced the new continuous motion method to assemble cars. The process decreased the time to make a car from 12½ hours to 93 minutes.
  • In 1923 – President Harding became the first U.S. President to file an income tax report.
  • In 1932 – George Eastman, the founder of the Kodak company, committed suicide.
  • In 1942 – For the first time in history, a dying patient’s life was saved by penicillin. Although some claim that the pioneering trials at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, England resulted in the first cures using penicillin, Orvan Hess, and John Bumstead are generally credited with the first documented successful treatment.
  • In 1943 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to fly in an airplane while in office.
  • In 1947 – The United States signed a 99-year lease on naval bases in the Philippines.
  • In 1951 – U.N. forces recaptured Seoul for the second time during the Korean War.
  • In 1958 – The government suspended arms shipments to the Batista government of Cuba.
  • In 1960 – The leaders of Germany and Israel confer for the first time since the holocaust. Fifteen years after the end of World War II, West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion met at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.
  • In 1964 – A Dallas jury found Jack Ruby guilty of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald.
  • In 1967 – John F. Kennedy’s body was moved from a temporary grave to a permanent one.
  • In 1979 – At least 200 people were killed when a plane crashed into a factory in China. According to some sources, the plane had previously been stolen by the pilot who was not qualified to fly it.
  • In 1981 – Three Pakistani airline hijackers surrendered in Syria after they had exchanged 100 passengers and crewmen for 54 Pakistani prisoners.
  • In 1989 – Imported assault guns were banned in the U.S. under President George H.W. Bush.
  • In 1991 – The Birmingham Six were released. The 6 men had been wrongly sentenced to life imprisonment in 1975 for the IRA Birmingham pub bombings.
  • In 1995 – American astronaut Norman Thagard became the first American to enter space aboard a Russian rocket.
  • In 2002 – A Scottish appeals court upheld the conviction of a Libyan intelligence agent for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. A five-judge court ruled unanimously that Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi was guilty of bringing down the plane over Lockerbie, Scotland.
  • In 2003 – Robert Blake was released from jail on a $1.5 million bond. Blake had been jailed for the murder of his wife Bonny Lee Bakley.

Noteworthy Birthdays

If you were born on this date, Happy Birthday. You share your birthday with the following list of illustrious individuals – and about 20-million other people.

  • Lucy Hobbs Taylor 1833 – First female dentist.
  • Casey Jones 1864 – Railroad engineer.
  • Albert Einstein 1879 – Mathematician.
  • Les Brown 1912 – Band leader.
  • Max Shulman 1919 – Humorist.
  • Hank Ketcham 1920 – Cartoonist.
  • Frank Borman II 1928 – Astronaut.
  • Quincy Jones 1933 – Composer.
  • Michael Caine 1933 – Actor.
  • Eugene Cernan 1934 – Astronaut.
  • Raymond J. Barry 1939 – Actor.
  • Michael Martin Murphey 1945 – Singer/songwriter.
  • Billy Crystal 1948 – Actor, comedian.
  • Rick Dees 1950 – Radio personality.
  • Adrian Zmed 1954 – Actor.
  • Prince Albert 1958 – Member of Monaco’s royal family.
  • Tamara Tunie 1959 – Actress.
  • Chris Klein 1979 – Actor.
  • Kate Maberly 1982 – Actress.

March 13th – K-9 Veteran’s Day

March 13, 2017 at 12:01 am | Posted in Today's Reasons To Celebrate | Leave a comment

Good morning dog lovers. Today is Monday, March 13, 2017. Today’s reasons to celebrate are:

K-9 Veteran’s Day 

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the day that the United States Army K-9 Corps was created, however, the earliest record of using dogs in war dates back to 600 BC. During the first world war, American soldiers took notice of the European use of canines as sentries, message carriers, and other functions. Because of that, the Dogs for Defense program was initiated by a private citizen by the name of Mrs. Alene Erlanger. Along with the American Kennel Club and a handful of breeders, the group aimed to train the dogs for military use. By November of 1942, the first Dogs for Defense were prepared for duty in North Africa. While at first, they were gun-shy, they proved to be well-trained. As the war progressed, Dogs for Defense was unable to keep up with the demand and the Remount Branch, Service Installations Divisions took over training of the dogs.
The idea of a K-9 Veterans Day originated with a retired military working dog trainer named Joseph Wright who wanted recognition for dogs who serve in the military, law enforcement, and service dogs. He selected this date because it coincides the creation of the Army K-9 Corps in 1942. To date, over 30,000 dogs have served in the military since the K-9 Corps was started, with over 1,500 deployed during the Korean conflict and 4,000 dogs deployed during the Vietnam conflicts. Currently, there are about 2500 K-9’s in service in the armed forces, with many more dogs serving with police departments, rescue operations, and as service animals. Over the years the military, police, and rescue have developed a variety of training methods for K-9 units. Their training is tailored to meet the demands of their specific job and the role of each animal and handler.
K-9 Veteran’s Day is a holiday to honor all “working dogs” – Military, law enforcement, search and rescue, assistance, and dogs trained in other specialized fields such as cadaver dogs.
Author’s Note: K-9 Veteran’s Day is not an official holiday –yet! Progress is being made, however. Legislators on both the federal and state level are showing support for national recognition of K-9 Veteran’s Day. Florida enacted legislation recognizing K-9 Veteran’s Day in 2009, as did Pennsylvania in 2014. Other states, New Jersey, Wisconsin, New York, and Kentucky to name a few have legislation pending. Who knows, maybe next year, K-9 Veteran’s Day will be a national holiday.

Good Samaritan Day  

Good Samaritan Day is a day to emphasize the importance of rendering aid to those who need it. the parable of the “good Samaritan” comes from the bible, Luke 10:25-37. Jesus told His disciples about a selfless person who assisted a man who had been stripped of his clothing, robbed of his money, beaten and left for dead. A Jewish priest walked by the victim, but went to the other side of the street and did nothing. Another person also walked by and did nothing. But the Good Samaritan saw the man, kneeled next to him, cleaned and bandaged his wounds. He then put the man on his donkey and took him to an inn. He gave the innkeeper money to care for the victim and told him if the bill exceeded the amount, he would pay the difference the next time he stays at the inn. Jesus instructed His disciples to “Go and do likewise.”
Unfortunately, this scenario occurs more often than one might think. People often ignore someone in desperate need, many times in broad daylight. While getting involved during an actual crime may not be advisable, the advancement of technology makes it easy for just about anyone to pick up the phone and call 9-1-1 for assistance from emergency responders. If the perpetrator in no longer around, do what you can to comfort and aid the victim until help arrives.
This holiday serves as an important reminder to help others in need. Whether it’s an elderly neighbor who needs a little help or a complete stranger in need, helping someone not only helps them, it sets a good example and makes you feel good too. And don’t forget the neglected and abused four-legged friends that need our help and compassion as well.
Good Samaritan Day is celebrated on this date because it is the anniversary of the murder of Catherine (Kitty) Genovese, Mar 13, 1964, in the Kew Gardens community, Queens, NY. Reportedly at least 38 of her neighbors, not wanting “to get involved,” witnessed and watched for nearly 30 minutes as the fleeing girl was pursued and repeatedly stabbed by her 29-year-old attacker.

Donald Duck Day

Donald Duck was first introduced in a 1924 comic strip. In 1934, the irascible character made his official debut in a cartoon by Walt Disney Productions titled “The Wise Little Hen”. His full name is Donald Fauntleroy Duck.
According to the 1941 publication “The Life of Donald Duck”, March 13th is his birthday. The evidence offered to back up this claim is his license plate number, 313. The cartoon “Donald’s Birthday” released in 1949 also offers more evidence. While his nephews Huey Dewey, and Louie are preparing for his celebration, there is a shot of a calendar showing the month of March with the 13th circled in red.
Although not my favorite cartoon character (I’m a Warner Brothers fan), in one recent survey, Donald Duck was voted the most popular animated character in the world – beating out Disney mascot Mickey Mouse.
Author’s Note: Some people celebrate Donald Duck Day on June 9th – the debut of his first cartoon.

Ken Day

A few days ago we celebrated Barbie’s birthday, so it seems only natural that there is also a Ken Day.
Ken Day marks the date in 1961 when Mattel released a ‘companion’ for their popular Barbie doll. According to Mattel, Ken (Carson) is Barbie’s boyfriend. Like Barbie, he is forever young and has been constantly reinvented. Ken is “into” everything – he’s had at least 40 ‘careers’, although his career-hopping is dwarfed by Barbie’s 78+ ‘careers’.  Apparently, one of the things that Ken wasn’t “into” was getting married. In 2004, after decades of being boyfriend-girlfriend, Barbie and Ken split up but, according to Mattel remained friends. On their 50th anniversary as a couple in 2011, according to Mattel, Ken launched a campaign to get Barbie back. and by Valentine’s Day of that year, they were reunited.
Unless you are still playing with dolls, I haven’t a clue about how you are supposed to celebrate Ken Day – but it might be an opportunity to have a “date night” with your significant other and use the opportunity go reaffirm your love and grow closer together.

National Jewel Day

National Jewel Day is a gem of a holiday that celebrates jewels of all shapes, sizes, cuts and colors. The origins of this holiday are unknown, but chances are pretty good that either a jeweler or girl came up with the idea. After all, diamonds are a girl’s best friend, right?
Fashion trends may come and go, but people have adorned themselves with jewels for centuries, and jewelry seems to be the one constant trend in fashion that never goes out of style. Early pieces of jewelry were made from stones, bones, teeth and shells. Over the years, jewelry has been worn for functional purposes, protection against various dangers (talismans), signs of political strength, decorations and as status symbols.
To celebrate National Jewel Day, “bling” yourself up and go out on the town.

Coconut Torte Day  

Together, coconut and tortes have no discernible history. However, separately, coconuts and tortes have a history of their own.
The first mention of the name coconut printed in English was in 1555. The word coconut comes from the Portuguese-Spanish word coco, and means monkey face. The Spanish and Portuguese saw the resemblance of a monkey’s face in the three round indented markings or “eyes” found at the base of the coconut. Like many different things in history, coconuts were used as currency. They were used as currency in the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean. Coconuts continued as a form of currency through the early part of the twentieth century. Coconuts are fruits of the coconut palms which are native to Malaysia, Polynesia and southern Asia. Through the advancement of modern global civilization, they are now prolific in South America, India, the Pacific Islands, Hawaii, and Florida. The coconut’s name is a not actually accurate. It is not a nut, but rather a seed and it the largest known seed in the plant world.
The word torte is German and literally, means cake. One of the oldest known tortes in the world is the Linzer Torte – which was named after the city of Linz, Austria. However, while torte is the German word for what we call cake, they can refer to different confections. British cakes, German tortes, and Italian tortas are generally heartier, denser creations. The French went for lighter, richer, layered affairs stuffed with custard, whipped cream or buttercream, frosted, and decorated with fresh fruit—oh la la, but very perishable. Tortes are rich, dense cakes made with many eggs and little or no flour, using ground nuts (and sometimes breadcrumbs) for texture.
Now, the next time you’re at a party and the subject of coconuts or tortes comes up, you’ll be prepared. To celebrate Coconut Torte Day, find a recipe online and enjoy a coconut torte for dessert tonight.

More Holidays

On This Date

  • In 0607 – The 12th recorded the passage of Halley’s Comet occurred.
  • In 1519 – Cortez landed in Mexico.
  • In 1639 – Harvard University was named for clergyman John Harvard.
  • In 1781 – Sir William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus.
  • In 1852 – The New York “Lantern” newspaper published the first “Uncle Sam cartoon”. It was drawn by Frank Henry Bellew.
  • In 1861 – Jefferson Davis signed a bill authorizing slaves to be used as soldiers for the Confederacy.
  • In 1868 – The U.S. Senate began the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson.
  • In 1877 – Chester Greenwood patented the earmuffs.
  • In 1878 – The first collegiate golf match was played between Oxford and Cambridge.
  • In 1901 – Andrew Carnegie announced that he was retiring from business and that he would spend the rest of his days giving away his fortune. His net worth was estimated at $300 million. In today’s dollars, that fortune equates to a little under 8.6 billion dollars…or enough to run the government fo 19¾ hours in today’s economy.
  • In 1911 – The U.S. Supreme Court approved corporate tax law.
  • In 1925 – A law in Tennessee prohibited the teaching of evolution.
  • In 1930 – It was announced that the planet Pluto had been discovered by scientist Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory.
  • In 1935 – Three-thousand-year-old archives were found in Jerusalem confirming some biblical history.
  • In 1942 – Julia Flikke of the Nurse Corps became the first woman colonel in the U.S. Army.
  • In 1943 – German troops liquidated the Jewish ghetto in Kraków. Thousands of men, women, and children were murdered by the nazis or deported to extermination camps. The horrific event is portrayed in the film, Schindler’s List.
  • In 1951 – The comic strip “Dennis the Menace” appeared for the first time in newspapers across the country.
  • In 1957 – Jimmy Hoffa was arrested by the FBI on bribery charges.
  • In 1969 – The Apollo 9 astronauts returned to Earth after the conclusion of a mission that included the successful testing of the Lunar Module.
  • In 1972 – “The Merv Griffin Show” debuted in syndication for Metromedia Television.
  • In 1974 – An embargo imposed by Arab oil-producing countries was lifted.
  • In 1980 – A jury in Winamac, IN, found Ford Motor Company innocent of reckless homicide in the deaths of three young women that had ridden in a Ford Pinto.
  • In 1991 – Exxon paid $1 billion in fines and for the clean-up of the Alaskan oil spill.
  • In 1997 – A series of unidentified lights appeared over Phoenix, Arizona. The Phoenix Lights caused heated debate in the UFO community. It emerged later that some of the lights were caused by illumination flares dropped from a U.S. Air Force plane.
  • In 1997 – Sister Nirmala was chosen by India’s Missionaries of Charity to succeed Mother Teresa as leader of the Catholic order.
  • In 2002 – Fox aired “Celebrity Boxing.” Tonya Harding beat Paula Jones, Danny Bonaduce beat Barry Williams and Todd Bridges defeated Vanilla Ice.
  • In 2003 – A report in the journal “Nature” reported that scientists had found 350,000-year-old human footprints in Italy. The 56 prints were made by three early, upright-walking humans that were descending the side of a volcano.

Noteworthy Birthdays

If you were born on this date, Happy Birthday. You share your birthday with the following list of illustrious individuals – and about 20-million other people.

  • Joseph Priestley 1733 – Theologian.
  • Charles Earl Grey 1764 – British statesman.
  • Lorenzo Delmonico 1813 – Restaurateur.
  • Percival Lowell 1855 – Astronomer.
  • Sammy Kaye 1910 – Band leader.
  • L. Ron Hubbard 1911 – Author.
  • Peter Breck 1929 – Actor.
  • Neil Sedaka 1939 – Singer, songwriter.
  • William H. Macy 1950 – Actor.
  • Deborah Raffin 1953 – Actress.
  • Dana Delany 1956 – Actress.
  • Christopher Collet 1968 – Actor.
  • Tracey Wells 1971 – Actress.
  • Annabeth Gish 1971 – Actress.
  • Danny Masterson 1976 – Actor.
  • Emile Hirsch 1985 – Actor.

March 12th – Another Bloomin’ Holiday

March 12, 2017 at 12:01 am | Posted in Today's Reasons To Celebrate | Leave a comment

Good morning flower children. Today is Sunday, March 12, 2017. Today’s reasons to celebrate are:

Plant A Flower Day  

Spring is nigh upon us, and there is no better indicator of that than blooming flowers…but first, you have to plant them. Plant A Flower Day is as good a day as any other to get outside and commune with nature. Gardening is a great hobby. It’s enjoyed by millions of people, old and young alike. It is something that virtually everyone can participate in, regardless of age, and health.
With over 400,000 flowering plant species in the world, it is almost certain that you can find a few varieties of flowers that you like. From the simple daisy to the elegant rose, and from the colorful wildflowers dotting the countryside to the elaborate and vibrant flowers of southeastern Asia, flowers have made our lives more colorful for millennia.
Flowers have been around for nearly as long as the planet itself. Over the centuries, flowers have served numerous purposes, from decorative to medicinal to ceremonial. As early as 2,500 BC, Egyptians were using flowers to adorn tables and great halls, as well as show respect for both the living and the dead, and a wide variety of flowers were even uncovered in the tombs of pharaohs. A couple of millennia later the Ancient Greeks and Romans began using flowers in much the same way as the Egyptians but also began using them as herbs. In China, flower arrangements became popular in the 3rd century BC, where they played important roles in religious practices and traditional medicine.
Flowers have also been a part of various religions and mythologies and their traditions and rituals. Imagine a wedding reception without the bouquet toss, imagine Christmas without poinsettias, and imagine what poetry and art would be without flowers.
Celebrating Plant A Flower Day is easy…go to the nursery and buy a variety of your favorite types of flowers. Then, take them home and plant them. Don’t be afraid to get a little dirt under your fingernails. And, don’t forget to take the time out, somewhere along the way, to stop and smell them.

Girl Scout Day  

Today marks the anniversary of the founding of the first Girl Scout troop. It was started in Savannah, GA by Juliette Gordon Low. There were 18 girls in the original troop. Low believed that all girls should have the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually. She organized service projects, outdoor adventures, and enrichment programs to get girls out of the house and into the community. The group eventually became a national organization and was chartered by Congress on March 16, 1950.
Today, over 3.2 million girls and adults are active Girl Scout members, and over 50 million women are Girl Scout alumnae. According to the mission statement of the organization, Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. And never forget, the Girl Scouts also sell us their delicious cookies every year.

Alfred Hitchcock Day

Since today marks neither the anniversary of his birth, nor the anniversary of his death, I can find no discernible reason why it is celebrated today, but a number of my sources indicate that it is true.
Many industry insiders consider Alfred Hitchcock to be the greatest filmmaker of all time. His career spanned over 6 decades. His use of lighting, camera angle, and music to manipulate his audiences is unparalleled. Today’s crop of gore-filled “slasher” flicks pale in comparison to his mastery of suspense.
As good as he was at keeping people on the edge of their seats, he had a wonderfully delightful, wry sense of humor, which was evident in the introductions to the dramas he presented on his long-running TV show “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”. It is also illustrated by one of his own quotes:

“The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder.” 

Tonight would be a good night to settle in with the family and watch a couple of his classic thrillers, or a few episodes from his TV series. Episodes are available here free of cost.

National Baked Scallops Day  

Scallops can be found in all of the world’s oceans. They are one of the most popular shellfish in the world and highly prized as a food source.
Scallops have two types of meat in one shell: the adductor muscle, called “scallop”, which is white and meaty, and the roe, called “coral”, which is red or white and soft. Scallops are very low in fat and are delicious prepared in a variety of ways, but since this holiday is National Baked Scallops Day, I guess you are supposed to bake them today. Baking them omits much of the butter and fat that otherwise go into cooking them. If you’re a seafood lover, try some tonight. This recipe is one of a gazillion recipes for baked scallops available online if you want to try to bake some at home.

More Holidays

On This Date

  • In 1496 – Jews were expelled from Syria.
  • In 1609 – The Bermuda Islands became an English colony.
  • In 1664 – New Jersey became a British colony. King Charles II granted land in the New World to his brother James (The Duke of York).
  • In 1755 – In North Arlington, NJ, the steam engine was used for the first time.
  • In 1789 – The U.S. Post Office was established.
  • In 1884 – Mississippi authorized the first state-supported college for women. It was called the Mississippi Industrial Institute and College.
  • In 1889 – Almon B. Stowger applied for a patent for his automatic telephone system.
  • In 1894 – Coca-Cola was sold in bottles for the first time.
  • In 1904 – After 30 years of drilling, the Holland tunnel under the Hudson River was completed. It linked Jersey City, NJ, and New York, NY.
  • In 1918 – Moscow became Russia’s capital city. St. Petersburg lost its status as the Russian capital following the Revolution of 1917, which dismantled the Tsarist autocracy.
  • In 1930 – Mahatma Gandhi embarked on his Salt March. The 240-mile march was an act of civil disobedience to protest the British monopoly on salt. It was one of the most significant events during the Indian independence movement.
  • In 1933 – President Franklin Roosevelt presented his first presidential address to the nation. It was the first of his “Fireside Chats.”
  • In 1938 – Hitler invaded Austria. The occupation of Hitler’s homeland is known as Anschluss, which is the German word for annexation.
  • In 1947 – President Truman established the “Truman Doctrine” to help Greece and Turkey resist Communism.
  • In 1959 – The House of Representatives joined the Senate in approving the statehood of Hawaii.
  • In 1967 – Suharto rose to power in Indonesia. His presidency, which lasted 31 years, was overshadowed by crass human rights violations and the occupation of East Timor.
  • In 1974 – “Wonder Woman” debuted on ABC-TV. The show later went to CBS-TV.
  • In 1985 – Former President Richard M. Nixon announced that he planned to drop Secret Service protection and hire his own bodyguards in an effort to lower the deficit by $3 million.
  • In 1989 – About 2,500 veterans and supporters marched at the Art Institute of Chicago to demand that officials remove an American flag placed on the floor as part of an exhibit.
  • In 1993 – The Pentagon called for the closure of 31 major military bases.
  • In 1994 – A photo by Marmaduke Wetherell of the Loch Ness monster was confirmed to be a hoax. The photo was taken of a toy submarine with a head and neck attached.
  • In 1994 – The Church of England ordained its first women priests.
  • In 1999 – Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic became members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). All three countries were members of the former Warsaw Pact.
  • In 2002 – U.S. homeland security chief Tom Ridge unveiled a color-coded system for terror warnings.
  • In 2003 – In Utah, Elizabeth Smart was reunited with her family, nine months after she was abducted from her home. She had been kidnapped on June 5, 2002, by a drifter that had previously worked at the Smart home.
  • In 2010 – Apple began taking pre-orders for the iPad.

Noteworthy Birthdays

If you were born on this date, Happy Birthday. You share your birthday with the following list of illustrious individuals – and about 20-million other people.

  • Clement Studebaker 1831 – Manufacturer.
  • Charles Boycott 1832 – Land agent.
  • Jane Delano 1862 – Founder of the Red Cross Nursing Service.
  • Wally Schirra 1913 – Astronaut.
  • Gordon MacRae 1921 – Actor.
  • Jack Kerouac 1922 – Author
  • Edward Albee 1928 – Playwright.
  • Barbara Feldon 1933 – Actress.
  • Lloyd Dobyns 1936 – TV reporter.
  • Liza Minnelli 1946 – Singer, actress.
  • Mitt Romney 1947 – Politician.
  • James Taylor 1948 – Singer, songwriter.
  • Jon Provost 1950 – Actor.
  • Marlon Jackson 1957 – Singer.
  • Darryl Strawberry 1962 – Baseball player.
  • Julia Campbell 1963 – Actress.
  • Aaron Eckhart 1968 – Actor.
  • Samm Levine 1982 – Actor.
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