February 29, 2016

Monday, February 29, 2016

The 60th day of the year

306 days left to go 

THIS WEEK IS 

• National Cheerleading Week
• National Ghostwriters Week
• National Pet Sitters Week  
• National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week
• Universal Human Beings Week 
• Will Eisner Week

TODAY IS 

• Bachelor's Day 
• International Underlings Day 
• Leap Year Day (read more)
• Rare Diseases Day (Read more)
• Surf and Turf Day (learn more)
• National Frog Legs Day (recipe)

ON THIS DATE

1504: Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse that night to convince Native Americans to provide him with supplies (Read more).

1692: Sarah Goode and Tituba were accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, sparking the hysteria that started the Salem Witch Trials (read more). 

1916: In South Carolina, the minimum working age for factory, mill, and mine workers is raised from twelve to fourteen years old.

1932: Bing Crosby and the Mills Brothers teamed up to record "Shine" for Brunswick Records (Song).

1940: Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Academy Award. She played Mammy in Gone with the Wind, 

1952: The first pedestrian "Walk/Don't Walk" signs were installed at 44th Street and Broadway at Times Square. 

1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson revealed that the U.S. secretly developed the Lockheed A-11 jet fighter. 

1964: The Beatles were hot in America. Their song, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was in its 5th week at #1 on the pop charts. It stayed there until March 21, when it was replaced by "She Loves You", which was replaced by "Can’t Buy Me Love", which was finally replaced by "Hello Dolly", by Louis Armstrong, on May 9, 1964. 

1972: The Carpenters received a gold record for the hit single Hurting Each Other (Song) 

1980: Buddy Holly’s glasses, lost since his death in 1959, are found in Mason City, Iowa

1992: Mr. Big hit it big this day, moving to #1 with "To Be with You". It was the biggest hit in the U.S. for three big weeks.

2004: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King wins 11 Oscars

HISTORY SPOTLIGHT 

Leap Year (Source) 

On February 29, 45 BCE, the first Leap Day was added to the calendar. Roman leader Julius Caesar was worried about how the calendar kept falling out of step with the seasons. Egyptian astronomers told him that the year, defined by how long it takes Earth to revolve around the sun, is 365.25 days long. To cover for the extra one-fourth of a day, Caesar added an extra day at the end of February every four years. 

The “Julian calendar” was the standard for most European calendars for more than a thousand years.

QUICK TRIVIA 

Five Food Finds about Frog Trivia & Frog Legs (Source) 

• In 1930 there were only 24 frog farms in the U.S. Now there are hundreds of commercial growers.
• The world’s largest Frog Leg festival, Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival, is held every January in Fellsmere, Florida. About 45,000 people attended last year’s festival and about 6,000 pounds of frog legs were served.
• The muppet Kermit the Frog was not originally a frog at all, he was a “green furry character” until he first appeared on Sesame Street.
• Strict religious laws forbid the consumption of frogs along with ants, bees, and sea birds by many Muslims and some Jewish faiths.
• What’s in a name? The Carlton Hotel in London, first served ‘cuisses de nymphes aurore’, or legs of the dawn nymphs in the 1930’s. the dish soon became a favorite of the Prince of Wales. Before them the idea of eating frog legs was considered “water rats” to most Londoners.

WORD FOR THE DAY 

inception  [in-sep-shuh n] 

1.  beginning; start; commencement.
2. (in science fiction) the act of instilling an idea into someone's mind by entering his or her dreams.


"Kelly and Carl had a special heart for the bowling club since they had been there since its inception"

WORD FROM THE WORD 

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.--Hebrews 9:22

Read "Our Daily Bread"

February 27, 2016

Saturday, February 27, 2016

The 58 day of the year

307 days left to go 

THIS WEEK IS

• National Entrepreneurship Week
• National Engineers Week
• National FFA Week
• Bird Health Awareness Week
• National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
• National Invasive Species Awareness Week

TODAY IS

• International Polar Bear Day (Link)
• National Day of Action (Peace Corps) 
• Read Me Day 
• National Strawberry Day
• National Kahlua Day

ON THIS DATE...
1801: The District of Columbia was placed under the jurisdiction of Congress.

1879: American chemists Ira Remsen and Constantine Fahlberg announced their discovery of saccharin.

1883: Oscar Hammerstein of New York City patented the first practical cigar-rolling machine (bio)
1897: Great Britain agreed to United States arbitration in a border dispute between Venezuela and British Guiana, defusing a diplomatic crisis.
1922: the first National Radio Conference took place in Washington, D.C.. 

1922: The 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, providing for female suffrage, was unanimously declared constitutional (read more).


1925: Alaska's Glacier Bay National Monument was dedicated. 

1939: The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed sit-down strikes.


1963: Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees signed a baseball contract worth $100,000
1964: the Italian government announces that it is accepting suggestions on how to save the renowned Leaning Tower of Pisa from collapse

1970: Simon and Garfunkel received a gold record for their hit single "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (song)

1988: Katarina Witt won the women's figure skating gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (read more). 

1991: President George Bush announced an end to the military offensive in Operation Desert Storm. 
1992: Elizabeth Taylor celebrated her 62nd birthday by closing Disneyland for an elaborate party with her friends. 
1997 - Divorce became legal in Ireland; it had been the only nation in Europe in which divorce was illegal.

2003: beloved children's television host Fred Rogers, better known as Mister Rogers, died after a brief battle with cancer.  He was 74.  For more than 30 years Rogers entertained millions of young children on his public television program "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."  
2003: the Dallas Cowboys released longtime running back Emmitt Smith.  Smith spent 13 seasons with team, helping the Cowboys to three Super Bowl Records.  He also became the NFL's all-time leading rusher during his career with the Cowboys, breaking NFL great Walter Payton's career mark 2002.  
2003: Oprah Winfrey became the first African-American woman to make "Forbes" magazine's list of Billionaires.  Winfrey empire which includes Harpo Productions, "O" magazine, the Oxygen Television Network, and countless charities, was estimated at more than $1 Billion.   

2010: Gatorade announced it was ending its endorsement deal with golfer Tiger Woods in the wake of reports about his extra marital affairs.  

2010: An earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale strikes central parts of Chile leaving over 500 victims, and thousands injured. The quake triggered a tsunami which struck Hawaii shortly after.

2013: former NBA star Dennis Rodman made headlines around the globe for his attendance at a basketball game in North Korea with controversial North Korean leader Kim Jung Un.  



HISTORY SPOTLIGHT

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Source) 

On February 27, 1964, the Italian government announces that it is accepting suggestions on how to save the renowned Leaning Tower of Pisa from collapse. The top of the 180-foot tower was hanging 17 feet south of the base, and studies showed that the tilt was increasing by a fraction every year. Experts warned that the medieval building--one of Italy's top tourist attractions--was in serious danger of toppling in an earthquake or storm. Proposals to save the Leaning Tower arrived in Pisa from all over the world, but it was not until 1999 that successful restorative work began.



QUICK TRIVIA 

Who made the first bowl of chili? No one knows as every state lays claim to the title. There are, however, certain facts that one cannot overlook. The mixture of meat, beans, peppers, and herbs was known to the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayan Indians long before Columbus and the conquistadors. (Link) 



WORD OF THE DAY 

carping  [kahr-ping]  

adjective

characterized by fussy or petulant faultfinding; querulous
petty fault-finding

"Because Harold's mother-in-law was coming to visit, he decided to stay away for most of the day in order to avoid her carping attitude."



WORD FROM THE WORD 

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.—Daniel 6:10


Read today's "Our Daily Bread"  

February 26, 2016

National Pistachio Day

  Friday, February 26, 2016

The 57 day of the year

309 days left to go 

THIS WEEK IS

• National Entrepreneurship Week
• Bird Health Awareness Week
• Brotherhood / Sisterhood Week
• National Date (fruit) Week
• National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
• National Engineers Week
• National FFA Week
• National Invasive Species Awareness Week
• National Pancake Week
• Through With The Chew

TODAY IS

• National Personal Chef's Day (Read more)
• For Pete's Sake Day (History of Phrase) 
• Levi Strauss Day
• World Pistachio Day  
• National Tell a Fairy Tale Day

ON THIS DATE...
1907: Members of the U.S. Congress raised their own pay to $7500 each.
1916: Mutual Film Corporation signed Charlie Chaplin to a film contract. 

1919: the Grand Canyon National Park was established by Congress (Read more) 


1933: Ground was broken for the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
1936: the first Volkswagen factory officially opened in Saxony, German. 
1942: "How Green Was My Valley" won the Academy Award for Best Picture. 

1951: the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, limiting a president to two terms in office (read more)


1957: the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award was established by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 

1966: Nancy Sinatra topped the pop singles chart with "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" (song)

1983: Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album hit number one on the U.S. album chart.  It remained in the top spot for 37 weeks, selling more than 40 million copies worldwide (Song). 

1985: Tina Turner was the big winner at the 27th Grammy Awards.  She picked up three awards including Best Song, Best Record and Best Vocal Performance by a Female.  Lionel Richie won the Grammy for Album of the Year.  
1993: a car bomb exploded at New York's World Trade Center.  The blast killed six people and injured more than a thousand. 

1996: Quincy Jones was named MusicCares Man of the Year.  Jones is the most-nominated artist in Grammy history with 77 nominations and 26 wins through his career.  

1998: a jury in Amarillo, Texas, rejected an $11 million lawsuit brought by Texas cattlemen who blamed Oprah Winfrey's talk show for a price fall after a segment on food safety that included a discussion about mad-cow disease. 

2009: NFL quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and supermodel Gisele Bundchen tied the knot in a twilight wedding at St. Monica's Church in Santa Monica, California.  

2012: rain forced the postponement of the Daytona 500 race car event for the first time in the event's 53-year history. 



HISTORY SPOTLIGHT

The World Trade Center Bombing (Source) 

At 12:18 p.m., a terrorist bomb explodes in a parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City, leaving a crater 60 feet wide and causing the collapse of several steel-reinforced concrete floors in the vicinity of the blast. Although the terrorist bomb failed to critically damage the main structure of the skyscrapers, six people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. The World Trade Center itself suffered more than $500 million in damage



QUICK TRIVIA 

Johnny Cash was born on this day in 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas.  Cash was one of seven children who grew up as cotton farmers. Music was an integral part of everyday life in the Cash household. (Link)





WORD OF THE DAY 

Monotony
[muh-not-n-ee]   noun 
1. wearisome uniformity or lack of variety, as in occupation or scenery. 
2. the continuance of an unvarying sound; monotone. 

"Jane, after eating salad for 6 days straight, loathed the sight of lettuce--it was becoming utter monotony"




WORD FROM THE WORD 

And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.--Isaiah 46:4

Read today's "Our Daily Bread"  

February 25, 2016

National Clam Chowder Day 

Thursday, February 25, 2016

The 57 day of the year

309 days left to go 

THIS WEEK IS

• National Entrepreneurship Week
• Bird Health Awareness Week
• Brotherhood / Sisterhood Week
• National Date (fruit) Week
• National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
• National Engineers Week
• National FFA Week
• National Invasive Species Awareness Week
• National Pancake Week
• Through With The Chew

TODAY IS

• Introduce A Girl to Engineering Day (Link)
• National Chili Day (Link)
• National Chocolate Covered Nut Day
• National Clam Chowder Day (Recipe) 

ON THIS DATE...
1570: Pope Pius the Fifth excommunicated England's Queen Elizabeth I.
1751: Edward Willet displayed the first trained monkey act in the U.S.
1793: George Washington convened the first U.S. Cabinet meeting -- at his home.

1836: Inventor Samuel Colt patented the revolver (bio)


1913: The Sixteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, authorizing the income tax, went into effect (Read more).
1919: Oregon became the first U.S. state to tax gasoline. The tax was 1 cent per gallon. 

1933: The USS Ranger is launched. It is the first US Navy ship to be built solely as an aircraft carrier (Read more).


1938: The nation's first drive-in theater opens in Miami. Admission was 35 cents per person, which was more than the average ticket price at an indoor theater. They eventually had to trim the price to 25 cents per person.
1956: Elvis Presley scored his first #1 country song with "I Forgot To Remember To Forget." Less than a month later "Heartbreak Hotel" would also hit #1 (Song).
1957: Buddy Holly and the Crickets recorded "That’ll Be the Day" in Clovis, New Mexico.

1964: 22-year-old Cassius Clay (who was a 7-1 underdog) defeated Sonny Liston to become the world heavyweight boxing champ. The next day he changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

1977: New Orleans' Pete Maravich sets NBA record for a guard with 68 pts

1978: The top three songs on the U.S. charts ("Stayin Alive," "How Deep Is Your Love," and "Night Fever") were all by the Bee Gees. The #4 song, Andy Gibb's "Love Is Thicker Than Water," and the #5 song, Samantha Sang's "Emotion," were written by the Bee Gees (Stayin Alive).

1989: Dallas Cowboys' new owner fires 29-year coach Tom Landry
1989: With his Fairview High School team trailing Iroquois 50-49 in Erie, Pennsylvania, 17-year-old Chris Eddy launched a desperation shot at the buzzer 90 feet 2 inches from the basket. Fairview won 51-50 with history's longest basketball goal.

1992: Singer Natalie Cole won seven awards at the 34th annual Grammys, including best album for "Unforgettable."

2004: The Mel Gibson film ''The Passion of the Christ'' opened in 3,000 U.S. theaters on Ash Wednesday.
2006 - The world's estimated population reaches 6.5 billion.



HISTORY SPOTLIGHT

U.S. Congress passes Legal Tender Act (Source and Source)

On this day in 1862, the U.S. Congress passes the Legal Tender Act, authorizing the use of paper notes to pay the government's bills. This ended the long-standing policy of using only gold or silver in transactions, and it allowed the government to finance the enormously costly Civil War long after its gold and silver reserves were depleted.



QUICK TRIVIA 

Giant Clams (Source)

These bottom-dwelling behemoths are the largest mollusks on Earth, capable of reaching 4 feet (1.2 meters) in length and weighing more than 500 pounds. Once it fastens itself to a spot on a reef, there it sits for the rest of its life.
Giant clams have a wildly undeserved reputation as man-eaters, with South Pacific legends describing clams that lie in wait to trap unsuspecting swimmers or swallow them whole. No account of a human death by giant clam has ever been substantiated, and scientists say its adductor muscles, used to close the shell, move far too slowly to take a swimmer by surprise. 


WORD OF THE DAY 

Denigrate 
[DEN-i-greyt]   verb:

to attack the character or reputation of; defame

"During his trial, false witnesses were brought in to attempt to denigrate the character of Jesus"




WORD FROM THE WORD 

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.--Psalm 37:7

Read today's "Our Daily Bread"  

February 24, 2016

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

The 55 day of the year

311 days left to go 

THIS WEEK IS

• National Entrepreneurship Week
• Bird Health Awareness Week
• Brotherhood / Sisterhood Week
• National Date (fruit) Week
• National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
• National Engineers Week
• National FFA Week
• National Invasive Species Awareness Week
• National Pancake Week
• Through With The Chew

TODAY IS

• World Bartender Day 
• Inconvenience Yourself Day (Link) 
• National Tortilla Chip Day

ON THIS DATE...

1582: The Gregorian Calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII; it replaced the Julian Calendar. (Read more) 

1803: the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it would be the final interpreter of constitutional issues.  The ruling came in the Marbury vs. Madison case. 
1821: Mexico declared its independence from Spain.  
1868: the U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Andrew Johnson following his attempted dismissal of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.  Johnson was later acquitted by the Senate (See History Spotlight).  
1868: the first parade featuring floats celebrated Mardi Gras.  The event was held in Mobile, Alabama. 

1938: the first nylon bristle toothbrush was made. 



1940: Disney's trademark song "When You Wish Upon a Star" was recorded by Frances Langford (Song). 

1942: the worldwide, shortwave radio service Voice of America signed on (Link)




1953: Winston Churchill was knighted by Queen Elizabeth the Second. 

1980: the U.S. hockey team clinched the gold medal with a four-to-two victory over Finland at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York (Final Minute). 



1981: Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer. 
1983: the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above the eleven-hundred mark for the first time. 

1987: after scoring more than 36-thousand points in his career, Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul Jabbar hit his very first three-point shot. 


1991: the United States and its Gulf War allies launched a large-scale ground assault against Iraqi troops.  
1992: singers Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love were married in Hawaii. 

1993: Detroit Red Wings center Steve Yzerman scored career point number one-thousand. 


1995: Olympic gold medal-winning diver Greg Louganis announced he had AIDS. 
1999: at the Grammys, hip-hop star Lauryn Hill broke a record for female artists with five Grammy Awards, including album of the year for her solo debut "The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill."  It was also the first time that a rap artist had ever won the major album Grammy.  
2007: Virginia lawmakers in both the House and Senate unanimously approved a resolution expressing "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery and the exploitation of Native Americans.  Sponsors of the resolution said it marked the first time that any state had formally expressed apology for slavery. 

2011: CBS announced it was suspending production on its sitcom "Two and a Half Men" after star Charlie Sheen went on a scathing rant about the network and show creator Chuck Lorre on a radio program. 

2013: Pope Benedict gave his final public blessing to a crowd of thousands at St. Peter's Square before stepping down. The Pope addressed his decision to step down as pontiff by saying the Lord has something different for him to do now. 
2013: "Argo" was awarded the Best Picture Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards.  Daniel Day Lewis was named Best Actor "Lincoln" and Jennifer Lawrence was honored as Best Actress for "Silver Linings Playbook." 




HISTORY SPOTLIGHT

President Andrew Johnson impeached (Source) 

The U.S. House of Representatives votes 11 articles of impeachment against President Andrew Johnson, nine of which cite Johnson's removal of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a violation of the Tenure of Office Act. The House vote made President Johnson the first president to be impeached in U.S. history.

On February 24, Johnson was impeached, and on March 13 his impeachment trial began in the Senate under the direction of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. The trial ended on May 26 with Johnson's opponents narrowly failing to achieve the two-thirds majority necessary to convict him.



QUICK TRIVIA 

The cupcake (Source) 

The term ‘cupcake’ was originally used in the late 19th century for cakes made from ingredients measured by the cupful. The traditional pound cake recipe was easy to remember for its pound of butter, pound of sugar, pound of flour, and pound of eggs. Likewise, the name “cupcake” comes from how recipe was measured: 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, and 4 eggs.



WORD OF THE DAY 

Flippant  [flip-uhnt]  adjective

1. frivolously disrespectful, shallow, or lacking in seriousness; characterized by levity: 


"Sally was taken aback by the flippant attitude of her fellow committee members"






WORD FROM THE WORD 

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.--Luke 2:25


Read today's "Our Daily Bread"