February 13, 2015

Daily Holidays - February 13

National Tortellini Day Depending on who's telling the tale, legend has it that the goddess Venus was traveling through Northern Italy with Bacchus, Mars, Jupiter or a combination thereof (or it was possibly Lucrezia Borgia, flying solo), and decided to stop at an inn for the night. Either abandonment or romantic frolicking ensued and a chivalrous or libidinous innkeeper peered in through the keyhole. He got an eyeful of Venus' (or Borgia's) nekkid navel and was so very moved as to craft a pasta tribute in its likeness.

Creepy, yes, but don't let that stand between you and a bowlful of this Emilia-Romagna masterpiece.

To make tortellini, roll and cut pasta dough into thin, two-inch squares or rounds, then heap a small amount of filling in the center. Ricotta seasoned with black pepper and nutmeg is a popular option, as are ground pork or veal with proscuitto, mortadella and Parmesan cheese. Feel free to get creative with the fillings and the seasonings, but take the time to master the wrapping technique.

Brush a wash of of egg mixed with 1/2 teaspoon water on the edges, then fold the dough in half, making a triangle or half moon (depending on the shape you've selected) and press the edges together to seal them. Then hold the sealed pocket with the rounded side toward you, draw the points together, overlap them and press to seal into a ring shape. Ecco - tortellini! http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2013/02/13/national-tortellini-day/

Blame Someone Else Day The first Friday the 13th of the year

What a great time you can have on this day. Imagine all the problems, errors, and mistakes you could heap on someone else today. On this day you don't have to take responsibility, or the blame, for any faux pas on your part. On the downside, this day comes as a double edged sword. While you are busy putting the blame elsewhere, someone might just be putting the blame on you! http://holidayinsights.com/other/blamesomeoneday.htm


Desperation Day February the 13th, i.e. the day before Valentines day. On which single people try desperately to find someone to spend Valentines day with.

Considered by some men (and women) to be the best time of the year to pick up someone for a one night stand. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Desperation+Day

Employee Legal Awareness Day Employee Legal Awareness Day was established by an Australian lawyer, Paul Brennan. His aim was to emphasise the importance of legal education for employees and small businesses and reduce their risk of legal problems. The day isn’t only about laws though, Brennan also suggests that employees should increase their awareness of their company’s policies. According to him, it is important for employees to have a copy of the employer’s handbook, where you can find information about bereavement policy, attendance and punctuality, conflict of interest statements and non-disclosure agreements.

So, every year employees can get together on this day to celebrate and remember their legal rights, they can feel empowered by their knowledge and participate fully in the legal system that supports them and their business. Although it originated in Australia, this day can be celebrated in offices all over the world, everywhere that people are free to access legal services and their legal rights this day can be openly recognised. In countries with less legal freedom, perhaps the day could be marked by employee demonstrations in the streets or other protests to try and highlight the importance of legal awareness and legal practices in relation to employees and businesses. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/employee-legal-awareness-day/

Get a Different Name Day Get A Different Name Day, celebrated every February 13, is primarily for those who despise their names. Today, they get to pick a different name, and everyone has to go along with it (at least for the day ). https://ayearofholidays.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/february-13-get-a-different-name-day/

International Condom Day LOS ANGELES — AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, will celebrate International Condom Day (ICD)—a February 13th holiday observed in conjunction with Valentine’s Day—by promoting prevention of STDs and unwanted pregnancies through free condom distribution and safer sex awareness events in 31 countries around the world, including the United States. Domestically, AHF will host 37 ICD events across the country in the District of Columbia and states including California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas. This year’s ICD theme, “Condoms Are Cool”, combines the feel-good inspiration from one of today’s most iconic music hits, Pharrell Williams’s “Happy”, with retro branding and a condom-themed parody of the song to convey the message that safer sex through consistent condom usage can still be rewarding and exciting—and never goes out of style.

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2015/02/11/6790641_ahf-feb-13th-international-condom.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

Madly In Love With Me Day Ladies, every year on the day before you lavish the significant other in your life with all your love, step back and prepare by focusing as much attention on yourself.

Yes, you deserve every bit as much of your love as does the object of your affections.

That is the concept behind Madly In Love With Me Day, held on February 13th, the day before Valentines Day.
It was founded by Californian self-help guru Christine Arylo, author of “Madly In Love With ME, The Daring Adventure To Becoming Your Own Best Friend”.

The philosophy is that to truly be able to show love to others, a woman must first be empowered to love herself without apology so throw away those diet books for a day, treat yourself to your favorite lunch in the company of people you know love and respect you as you are today. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/madly-in-love-with-me-day/

World Radio Day World Radio Day is about celebrating radio, why we love it and why we need it today more than ever. A day to remember the unique power of radio to touch lives and bring people together across every corner of the globe. Join the celebration! http://www.diamundialradio.org/?q=en

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february13.html

February 12, 2015

More than $20 million for military incinerators up in smoke

Every day, U.S. troops stationed at military bases accumulate waste: from Styrofoam packaging, to batteries and used equipment. Despite health warnings, U.S. bases in Afghanistan have been using open-air burn pits to dispose of all this litter.

By 2011, the Department of Defense (DOD) began using other methods, including installing incinerators at some of the military bases. In its latest report on U.S. government spending in Afghanistan, a government watchdog has found that the U.S. military spent over $80 million on incinerators, but at least $20 million of that money was wasted because four bases never used the machines.

The Special Inspector General of Afghanistan Reconstruction [SIGAR] reported Thursday that 23 incinerators were built at nine U.S. military bases across Afghanistan since 2011 at a cost of $81.9 million.

The incinerators, along with landfill operations, were meant to replace the open-air burn pits, but because of inadequate planning, design and construction, four installations costing $20.1 million were never operational.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/2/12/more-than-20-million-for-afghan-burn-pits-up-in-smoke.html?utm_content=main&utm_campaign=ajam&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=SocialFlow

February 12, 2015

Even 'Proper' Technique Exposes Nurses' Spines To Dangerous Forces

Scientists say nurses like Sunny Vespico are prime examples of what nursing schools and hospitals are doing wrong: They keep teaching nursing employees how to lift and move patients in ways that could inadvertently result in career-ending back injuries.

Vespico, a registered nurse, was working the night shift in the intensive care unit at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia on March 31, 2012. At roughly 12:30 a.m., a large patient was having trouble breathing, so Vespico and a nursing assistant moved her to a special air bed designed for patients with respiratory problems.

"Immediately I felt a pop in my back and pain down my leg," Vespico says. "As a nurse, and understanding the mechanics of the body, I knew that there was something very wrong."

An MRI confirmed it: She had herniated one of her discs. And so began a saga of excruciating pain and months off from work.

http://www.npr.org/2015/02/11/383564180/even-proper-technique-exposes-nurses-spines-to-dangerous-forces?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150211

February 12, 2015

Daily Holidays - February 12

National Plum Pudding Day Each year on February 12th, and this year on February 12, 2015 we celebrate an unofficial National Plum Pudding Day. Plum pudding is a steamed or boiled pudding, generally made up of nutmeg, raisins, nuts, apples, cinnamon, dates, and with other ingredients, and mostly served during the holiday season. Interestingly enough, some plum pudding deserts done without plums. Enjoy a delicious plum pudding dessert and wishing everyone a Happy National Plum Pudding Day. http://activerain.trulia.com/blogsview/4600266/happy-national-plum-pudding-day

Darwin Day http://darwinday.org

Lincoln’s Birthday http://www.alplm.org

NAACP Day Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was one of the earliest and most influential civil rights organization in the United States. During its early years, the NAACP focused on legal strategies designed to confront the critical civil rights issues of the day. They called for federal anti-lynching laws and coordinated a series of challenges to state-sponsored segregation in public schools, an effort that led to the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which declared the doctrine of “separate but equal” to be unconstitutional. Though other civil rights groups emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, the NAACP retained a prominent role within the movement, co-organizing the 1963 March on Washington, and successfully lobbying for legislation that resulted in the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Act. http://www.history.com/topics/naacp

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february12.html

February 11, 2015

Urban farmers working vacant Kinloch property get surprise when land's rightful owner shows up

KINLOCH • Joe Spears was ready to give up the farm.

He had no legal claim to the plot of land in Kinloch, after all. Spears was just one of several dozen people who, without any official clearance, had been planting and harvesting greens, okra, melons, beans, tomatoes and peppers for the past 35 years on about nine vacant acres abutting North Hanley Road.

When an executive from one of the largest construction firms in the Midwest approached the amateur farmers in the fields last fall, it looked like a good thing was coming to an end.

“We were never trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes,” Spears, 70, of Rock Hill, said last week. “It wasn’t our property. And it wouldn’t be right for us to make a scene when the rightful owners told us to move on.”

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/urban-farmers-working-vacant-kinloch-property-get-surprise-when-land/article_a69bbb45-2cc1-542d-b7c0-51e6205c8e2c.html#utm_source=stltoday&utm_campaign=hot-topics-2&utm_medium=direct

February 11, 2015

Daily Holidays - February 11

Peppermint Patty Day Five Food Finds about Peppermint Patties
1. In 1940 York Cone Co. produces the first Peppermint Patties.
2. Peppermint Patties were sold only in northeastern states until 1975.
3. Peppermint Patties have one of the least about of calories and fat compared to other nationally popular candy bars.
4. Charles Schulz introduced “Peppermint Patty” to his Peanuts comic strip on August 22, 1966
5. Patricia Reichardt is Peppermint Patty’s actual name.
http://foodimentary.com/2012/02/11/national-peppermint-patties-day/

Be Electrific Day No, I did not make that up. But I know who did, and that someone started Be Electrific Day back in 1998. She is professional speaker Carolyn Finch, and she defines electrific as:
"an abbreviation for an electrification project - which means to put light where light has not been before."
Now, one could take this definition as the genteel version of that old admonition, "put it where the sun don't shine," but it actually has a much more positive intent. http://bugsandbunnies.blogspot.com/2009/02/february-11th-is-be-electrific-day.html

Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day National Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day - Milk Unleashed
National Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day is a great reminder to not let little things get you down.
- See more at: http://www.milkunleashed.com/press-room/item/national-don-t-cry-over-spilled-milk-day-milk-unleashed.html#sthash.Lqbkrrv0.dpuf

Get Out Your Guitar Day https://www.facebook.com/events/1458587594361152/?ref=22

Make A Friend's Day In honor of National Make a Friend Day, today is the perfect opportunity to begin a new friendship and while you are at it, do something nice for an old friend today as well. http://www.examiner.com/article/national-make-a-friend-day-best-quotes-and-sayings-about-friendship

Pro Sports Wives Day Pro Sport Wives Day is a national day where nearly 500,000 sports wives, both active and retired, are graciously given recognition throughout the country. This recognition serves to remind the general public of the fantastic job that pro sports personalities’ wives and partners conduct behind the scene of a $213 billion pro sports industry. We may see these sportsmen regularly and their actions, but not often enough do we think of the hard work carried out by those who support them most. Many pro sports wives act as silent partners and household managers: they keep their darling athletes focused; determined to win and succeed in meeting their dreams; to create the beautiful feeling of being a winner in every heart in the country. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/pro-sports-wives-day/

National Shut-in Visitation Day https://www.facebook.com/events/518661651487720/?ref=22

Satisfied Staying Single Day http://365reasonstocelebrate.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/february-11-satisfied-staying-single-day/

White Shirt Day or White T-shirt Day White Shirt Day honors original ‘Occupy’ movement http://www.uaw.org/story/white-shirt-day-honors-original-‘occupy’-movement

World Day of The Sick XXIII Annual
World Day of the Sick
February 11, 2015

The National Association of Catholic Chaplains has developed resources to help with the planning and celebration of World Day of the Sick. The resources include suggestions and prayers that can be used by individuals as well as by dioceses, parishes, health care institutions, and other organizations. http://www.nacc.org/resources/Wds/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february11.html

February 10, 2015

Daily Holidays - February 10

Cream Cheese
Brownie Day Today Is National Cream Cheese Brownie Day!

Try this wonderful recipe from Betty Crocker...

A brownie classic! Who can resist rich cream cheese marbled through rich fudgy brownies? http://www.wherefoodcomesfrom.com/article/12963/Food-Holidays-National-Cream-Cheese-Brownie-Day-February-10th#.VNnE0lo-CCk

Extraterrestrial Culture Day

Extraterrestrial Visitor Day

Plimsoll Day Plimsoll Day is set aside to remember Samuel Plimsoll, a member of the English Parliament back in the day who championed sailors' safety while traveling the world's waterways in crammed-full ships. He was instrumental in the amendment of Britain's Merchant Shipping Act, which came about in response to the then-national problem of dangerously overloaded ships. Plimsoll's bill, dubbed the Unseaworthy Ships Bill, passed in 1876, and required that a mark be present on a ship's hull to indicate the waterline at which maximum cargo capacity was reached for the vessel. http://bugsandbunnies.blogspot.com/2009/02/february-10th-is-plimsoll-day.html

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february10.html

February 9, 2015

Costco to pay $2.2B dividend

Costco Wholesale Corp. on Friday said that its board of directors has declared a special dividend of $5 per share payable on Feb. 27. The aggregate payment of approximately $2.2 billion will be in addition to Costco’s regular quarterly cash dividend of .355 per share.

"Today's announcement of a $5 special dividend is our latest step in returning capital to our shareholders while maintaining our conservative capital structure,” Richard Galanti, Costco’s CFO, said in a statement. “Our strong balance sheet and favorable access to the credit markets allow us to provide shareholders with this dividend, while also preserving financial and operational flexibility to grow our business globally; and allowing for ongoing dividend and share repurchase activities."

The Issaquah, Wash.-based company paid a $7 special cash dividend to shareholders in December 2012.

http://supermarketnews.com/membership-warehouse-clubs/costco-pay-22b-dividend

February 9, 2015

Shaw's layoffs ruled discriminatory

http://supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/shaws-layoffs-ruled-discriminatory

Shaw's Supermarkets’ move to lay off full-time workers in 2012 amounted to discrimination against company workers on the basis of their age, the Maine Human Rights Commission has ruled.

The commission, which heard complaints of three workers who were laid off by the chain in 2012, cleared the company of age discrimation based upon termination of the workers, but in a separate ruling found reasonable grounds to believe the policy that led to those terminations was discriminatory because it had a disparate effect on older workers.

The three workers who brought the complaint against Shaw's were each older than 55 and had worked for the company for more than 30 years, the Portland Press Herald reported. The three workers could seek to settle with Shaws, or file suit, the report said. In the latter case, as many as 60 other Maine residents who were also laid off by Shaw’s in 2012 could join the class.

A Shaws spokesman declined comment to SN about the matter. The layoffs occurred in 2012 when Shaws was under the ownership of Supervalu. Shaws has since been sold to Cerberus/Albertsons.

February 9, 2015

Daily Holidays - February 9

National Bagels and Lox Day Daily Five Food Finds: Bagels
1. The word Bagel is often thought to have derived from the ‘buckle‘ shape it has, but actually it is from a Yiddish word ‘beygl‘ meaning ring or hole.
2. Bagels are one of the few breads that are boiled then baked. creating the sought inside while retaining a crisp exterior.
3. Over a Billion dollars a year are spent on bagels in the US alone.
4. The top selling bagels are Plain(#1), Whole Wheat(#2) and Sesame Seed(#3)
5. Originally bagels were baked and sold by street vendors. They would have been carried around on a long string draped over the sellers’ shoulders.

http://foodimentary.com/2012/02/09/national-bagel-and-lox-day/


Pizza Pie Day Pizza Trivia

Over 5 billion pizzas are sold all over the world each year. Americans eat approximately 350 slices of pizza per second. And 36 percent of those pizza slices are pepperoni slices, making pepperoni the number one choice among pizza toppings in the United States. Saturday night is the most popular night to eat pizza. The world’s fastest pizza maker can make 14 pizza in 2 minutes and 35 seconds.

The first pizzeria in North America was opened in 1905 by Gennaro Lombardi at 53 1/3 Spring Street in New York City.

The first "Pizza Hut" a chain of pizza restaurants appeared in the United States during the 1930s. http://www.examiner.com/article/here-s-a-reason-to-order-a-pizza-february-9-is-national-pizza-pie-day

Read in the Bathtub Day A day for relaxing in style, Read In The Bathtub Day gives you the opportunity to have a guilt-free early, relaxing night with no pressures.

Disconnect the phone, lock the door, turn down the lights and pick out your favourite book safe in the knowledge that all you’ve got to worry about is enjoying yourself. Why not splash out on some scented candles, posh bubblebath and – for the more adventurous – a rubber ducky to keep you company? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/read-in-the-bathtub-day/

Toothache Day Toothaches are no fun, and so you will no doubt be surprised to learn that Toothache Day exists. Don’t be alarmed, though. This day is certainly not about celebrating the dreaded toothache. No way! Instead, Toothache Day is actually more about education and awareness and helping people learn how to prevent them happening to begin with and how best to make them go away, and quick!

It is so important that we learn how to take care of our teeth and not only get rid of nasty aches but also stop them coming back or turning into something more serious, and Toothache Day is a great opportunity to promote and celebrate health, share knowledge and fill your brain with info and facts in a fun and silly way. One thing is for sure though, there will be no sugary candy or soda involved! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/toothache-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february9.html