May 19, 2015

Daily Holidays - May 19

National Devil’s Food Cake Day National Devil’s Food Cake Day will be enjoyed chocolate cake lovers throughout the country and around the world.

“Devil’s Food” cake is rich, divine chocolate cake. It differs from a regular chocolate cake by its darker color and tends to be more moist and airy. A difference in preparing the “Devil’s Food” cake is that hot or boiling water is used as the main liquid. Cocoa is typically used in the batter, as opposed to chocolate, and coffee is added for a special flavor. A rich chocolate frosting usually accompanies the cake.

It is believed that the “Devil’s Food” cake was invented in the United States in the early 20th century. There is a recipe for a “Devil’s Food” cake as early as 1905.

It may be that this cake was named for its contrast to the snow-white “Angel Cakes” that were being made prior to the “Devil’s Food” cake.

“Devil’s Food” cake is one of the country’s most popular cakes. http://nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-devils-food-cake-day-may-19/

May Ray Day

Weather permitting, May Ray Day is an excuse to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Find ways to soak up some rays (assuming that it’s not raining) by inviting friends for BBQs, having picnics in the park, or taking a trip to the sea-side! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/may-ray-day/

Accounting Day
Let’s face it, for some unthinkable reason most of us avoid accountants like the plague, which is perfectly forgivable throughout the year, with one exception: Accounting Day. It may not be the most cheerful time of the year for those of us who still haven’t filed their tax returns, but this day is not about us.

No, this is the day we pick up the phone and call our accountants to show our appreciation for their hard work and dedication. This is the day business owners spoil their bookkeepers with a petty cash lunch on the house, the self-employed shower their accountants with wine vouchers, the audited give their auditors a pat on the back, and European and American accountants put their differences aside and pay each other compliments on their accounting standards. Let us celebrate this joyous occasion by paying off our accountants’ fees and by making a phone call to say ‘Happy Accounting Day!’, because luckily for us, they’re tax-deductible. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/accounting-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/may19.html

May 18, 2015

Daily Holidays - May 18

National Cheese Soufflé Day While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Do we seem a little puffed up today? It's not without reason - May 18 is National Cheese Soufflé Day!!

This savory, airy cake rises to the occasion nearly every time; the name comes from a French verb, souffler, which literally means to "blow up" or "puff up." That's the delicious alchemy that happens when custard and whipped egg whites take a leisurely loll in a hot, closed oven.

And yes, "closed" is key. There's a reason soufflés are so often played for laughs in film and television. They're temperamental little suckers, prone to falling flat as a result of temperature shifts and excess vibrations. http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/05/18/national-cheese-souffle-day/

No Dirty Dishes Day Piles of dirty dishes, endless scrubbing, and careful storing in cabinets: This is what we do every day. Washing up is the mother of all chores which we love to hate. No Dirty Dishes Day helps relieve the pain and resentment we all feel towards this daily obligation. It brings 24 dishwashing-free hours during which not a single dish or other eating utensil may be dirtied. Putting off the chore until tomorrow is not the point; eliminating it altogether and enjoying a sponge- and detergent-free day is!

There are many ways to make No Dirty Dish Day happen. An obvious solution is to switch to plastic plates, but this is by far the least glamorous way to mark this innovative holiday. Going out to a favourite restaurant or planning an outing on which you bring snacks or grill some goodies outdoors are just a couple of options which easily turn No Dirty Dish Day into a true festivity. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/no-dirty-dishes-day/

Visit Your Relatives Day Visit Your Relatives Day is an international holiday who’s origins are uncertain, but possibly related to other days such as Grandparent’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc. As the name implies, it is meant to encourage family visits, especially among relatives who don’t get the chance to see each other very often. Historically it has been commemorated on the 18th of May.

Visiting family is something that often falls by the wayside when schedules are busy, and many people wish they could see family more often.

If a face-to-face visit isn’t practical, Visit Your Family Day can be celebrated by sending cards and letters to far-away family members, or making time for a phone call or internet chat. Planning a family reunion to coincide with Visit Your Family Day is another great idea. Many websites offer free e-cards to be sent to relatives on this family-oriented holiday. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/visit-your-relatives-day/

Museum Day Few places in our world are more educational than museums. After all, where else could we hope to see so many pieces of actual history that tell so many stories about our ancestors? From prehistoric spears to Egyptian mummies, from ancient Greek sculptures to medieval armor, and from the first radio to to the first planes used in war during WWI, museums have it all. Unfortunately, there are millions of people with direct access to museums that have never even visited one. There are many possible reasons for this–perhaps they think just looking at old things would be boring, or perhaps they are unaware just how different the world was in the past and see no reason to take interest. Whatever the reason for not taking advantage of the incredible amount of tangible knowledge museums offer, and regardless of age, Museum Day is the time to invest in education in its most fascinating form. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/museum-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/may18.html

May 17, 2015

Daily Holidays - May 17

National Cherry Cobbler
 Day This fruit pie deserves its own holiday and today is a perfect day to bake cherry cobbler to celebrate with friends and family.
Cobblers appeared in the USA in the 19th century, when English settlers brought their recipes. They didn't have equipment to make the same dishes as in Great Britain, that is why many of them were to be adopted. Exactly at that time appeared first cobblers, as the adaptation of suet pudding. Settlers had to improvise and added uncooked dumplings or biscuits on top of the fruit filling.

For a long time cobbler wasn't considered as an appropriate dish for a party or to serve for guests. But everything changes and today cherry cobbler is one of America's favorites. You can bake cherry cobbler with bottom crust or with top layer only. Use canned, frozen or pitted fresh cherries to make the best cobbler. Add some vanilla or almond extract, lemon zest and nuts to make filling of your cherry cobbler even better! https://anydayguide.com/calendar/1020

International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is an annual campaign held on the third Sunday in May. It is coordinated by GNP+ – Global Network of People Living with HIV.
The first Candlelight Memorial was held in 1983 in San Francisco. At the time, very little was known about HIV and AIDS. Many people still thought that the disease only affected gay men, people with HIV/AIDS had almost no access to treatment and no political support.

Knowing they would die withing several months, four young man from the Castro District coordinated a small vigil under the motto “Fighting for Our Lives”. Thousands of people supported their idea, and the first vigil inspired a movement aimed at raising awareness of HIV/AIDS throughout the world.

On the third Sunday in May each year, millions of people light candles to honor those who died of AIDS and demonstrate their solidarity with people living with HIV. Since 2011, International AIDS Candlelight Memorial has been coordinated by GNP+. It is considered an important civil-society led effort that brings together people in more than 100 countries. It helps raise social conscience about HIV and AIDS, highlight the importance of HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. https://anydayguide.com/calendar/2002

Pack Rat Day We’re all a little bit materialistic, and tend to buy, own and hoard more ‘stuff’ than we might really need… We’re all pack rats, hoarders of treasures and possessions. Pack Rat Day encourages us to embrace the fact that we want to keep stuff, and suggests that you shouldn’t throw your old belongings, clothes or even rubbish away as it may be useful or valuable in days or years to come. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/pack-rat-day/

World Baking Day Crunchy cookies, chewy brownies, decadent tortes, cute cupcakes, crusty baked bread…baking is an art this world would just not be the same without. Do you even know anyone who could honestly say they don’t have deep, unconditional love for at least one of the above? We thought not! This World Baking Day, it’s time to dig out that rolling pin and prepare something delicious! Surprise a friend, coworker, neighbour or relative with a delicious sweet or savoury treat to let them know how much you care, or just make something to enjoy in your own home. However you decide to celebrate this day, make it day deliciously unforgettable! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-baking-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/may17.html

May 16, 2015

Daily Holidays - May 16

World Whisky Day is all about sharing good company, good times, and good whisky. Not a whisky person? This is a great excuse to give it a try! With events happening all over the world, from large gatherings to groups of friends sampling new varieties, why not try something a bit different? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-whisky-day/

Biographer's Day Biographies dominate the publishing industry’s bestseller lists. However biographical writing has not always enjoyed such popularity, and biographical conventions have evolved considerably over the centuries.

The modern style of biography originated in the eighteenth-century and is most closely associated with James Boswell, who undertook an extraordinary biography of his charismatic companion Samuel Johnson – poet, journalist, critic, and writer of the first English dictionary.

Warm, expansive, uncompromising, and exhaustively detailed, Boswell’s ‘Life of Samuel Johnson’ established a new way of writing biography and shaped the emergence of the biography format that is popular today.

Biographers Day commemorates the first meeting of Boswell and Johnson in 1763 in a London bookshop and it’s a great day to celebrate the genre. Why not mark Biographers Day by reading a new biography, revisting an old favourite, or perhaps even taking a look into Boswell’s ‘Life of Samuel Johnson’ itself. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/biographers-day/

National Sea Monkey Day Everybody loves Sea Monkeys – and Sea Monkey Day is the perfect opportunity to pay homage to our small, aquatic, frolicking friends. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/sea-monkey-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/may16.html

May 15, 2015

Daily Holidays - May 15

National Chocolate Chip
 Cookie Day Everybody loves chocolate chips! They’re great in cookies, ice cream, crepes and even on their own as a treat. For Chocolate Chip Day, celebrate by making something really special with chocolate chips. If you have children, making cookies is a really easy and fun way to celebrate, and they’ll enjoy eating them when they’re cooked as well! Mix things up by arranging the chocolate chips to make faces and other patterns so that when they’re cooked they’ll be unique.

A great way to celebrate Chocolate Chip Day and really get into the spirit of things is to make something and share it with friends or neighbours. If they like your cooking, encourage them to make something with chocolate chips and share it with one of their friends, too. This way everyone can enjoy Chocolate Chip Day with some great tasting treats! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/chocolate-chip-day/

Nylon Stockings Day Some holidays are there to celebrate events of momentous cultural significance; others are there to remind us of the little things in life. Nylon Stockings Day is very much in the second category, and a particularly quirky holiday it is too.

As might be guessed from the name, this is a day in which women across the world can celebrate stockings – a major part of day-to-day fashion for many women.

The stocking has come to represent a large number of different concepts, from femininity to sexuality, and so we should not be too surprised to find that there are people willing to celebrate it. Granted, setting an entire day aside may seem an excessive measure to some people, but that is business as usual with holidays – what is just another date on the calendar to one person may be a red-letter day to another. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/nylon-stockings-day/

Pizza Party Day ‘Mmm, pizzaaaa!’ as Joey Tribbiani from ‘Friends’ might once have said, or was it Michelangelo from ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’? Anyway, there is clearly nothing more delicious than a large pizza with its doughy yet crisp base, and its choice variety of savoury toppings, tenderly amalgamated with molten cheese, onion and pepper.

Here are some ideas on how you might mark Pizza Party Day:

Have your own pizza party and invite all your friends to your house to make their own pizzas or at least choose their own toppings. Inexpensive and fun!
Visit a local pizza restaurant, ideally one where the chefs toss the pizza dough about in front of you, for an authentic Italian pizza-eating experience.
Spend the day meditating about great pizzas you have enjoyed in the past, maybe compiling an all-time top ten of your favourite toppings.
Buon appetito! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/pizza-party-day/

Straw Hat Day Straw Hat Day marks the point when your day-to-day felt hats should be put away (until the Felt Hat Day on September 15th), and when you start start to wear a straw hat instead to keep cool (in both senses of the word!); modern research has tended to show, however, that straw hats aren’t nescessarily any cooler or better protection from the sun than other hat types. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/straw-hat-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/may15.html

May 14, 2015

Missouri House speaker resigning, after coming under fire over sexting scandal

Source: St. Louis Public Radio KWMU

Updated 1:40 p.m. Thurs, May 14: Missouri House Speaker John Diehl, R-Town and Country, has announced he's resigning as speaker and as a member of the Missouri House.

His statement was issued less than 28 hours after news broke that he had been exchanging sexually salacious texts with a college-age female intern earlier this spring.

Diehl's statement does not say, however, when he will step down. The General Assembly's legislative session officially ends at 6 p.m. Friday. State Rep. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, told reporters the House's GOP caucus will select a new speaker tonight.

Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, jabbed at Diehl for the behavior that forced him out. “Missourians deserve elected officials who reflect their values and comport themselves to the highest standards of integrity," the governor said. "Rep. John Diehl’s resignation from the position of speaker and state representative is an appropriate and necessary step. Our thoughts go out to the families who have been affected by the speaker’s conduct. I look forward to working with the next speaker to restore the public trust and continue building a brighter future for our state.”



Read more: http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/missouri-house-speaker-resigning-after-coming-under-fire-over-sexting-scandal

May 14, 2015

Missouri House speaker resigning, after coming under fire over sexting scandal

Updated 1:40 p.m. Thurs, May 14: Missouri House Speaker John Diehl, R-Town and Country, has announced he's resigning as speaker and as a member of the Missouri House.

His statement was issued less than 28 hours after news broke that he had been exchanging sexually salacious texts with a college-age female intern earlier this spring.

Diehl's statement does not say, however, when he will step down. The General Assembly's legislative session officially ends at 6 p.m. Friday. State Rep. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, told reporters the House's GOP caucus will select a new speaker tonight.

Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, jabbed at Diehl for the behavior that forced him out. “Missourians deserve elected officials who reflect their values and comport themselves to the highest standards of integrity," the governor said. "Rep. John Diehl’s resignation from the position of speaker and state representative is an appropriate and necessary step. Our thoughts go out to the families who have been affected by the speaker’s conduct. I look forward to working with the next speaker to restore the public trust and continue building a brighter future for our state.”

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/missouri-house-speaker-resigning-after-coming-under-fire-over-sexting-scandal

May 14, 2015

Missouri House speaker resigning, after coming under fire over sexting scandal

Updated 1:40 p.m. Thurs, May 14: Missouri House Speaker John Diehl, R-Town and Country, has announced he's resigning as speaker and as a member of the Missouri House.

His statement was issued less than 28 hours after news broke that he had been exchanging sexually salacious texts with a college-age female intern earlier this spring.

Diehl's statement does not say, however, when he will step down. The General Assembly's legislative session officially ends at 6 p.m. Friday. State Rep. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, told reporters the House's GOP caucus will select a new speaker tonight.

Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, jabbed at Diehl for the behavior that forced him out. “Missourians deserve elected officials who reflect their values and comport themselves to the highest standards of integrity," the governor said. "Rep. John Diehl’s resignation from the position of speaker and state representative is an appropriate and necessary step. Our thoughts go out to the families who have been affected by the speaker’s conduct. I look forward to working with the next speaker to restore the public trust and continue building a brighter future for our state.”

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/missouri-house-speaker-resigning-after-coming-under-fire-over-sexting-scandal

May 14, 2015

Missouri House speaker apparently hopes to weather sexting scandal

Updated May 14, 9:14 a.m. with correction about Diehl's responses - Late Wednesday night, House Speaker John Diehl, R-Town and Country, made an appearance outside his State Capitol office and briefly took questions from reporters regarding a Kansas City Star article that he exchanged sexually charged text messages with a former female intern.

"I've apologized for the poor decisions I've made," Diehl told reporters. "I've apologized to my caucus and to people in my life that are important to me ... it was very regrettable, it was a stupid thing to do, and I'm sorry."

Diehl then took a few questions, but the Q & A with reporters didn't go very well.

First question, From Eli Rosenberg, KMBC-TV, Kansas City: "How long did this go on?" Diehl: "My statement speaks for itself."

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/missouri-house-speaker-apparently-hopes-weather-sexting-scandal

May 14, 2015

Collective bargaining for pension plans across US at stake in Bricklayers Local 1 pension dispute

In an effort to try and bring Bricklayers Local 1 to their knees in current contract negotiations, the management trustees of the union’s pension plan have filed a lawsuit against the union trustees over a proposal to radically change the union’s pension plan. The outcome of this lawsuit has serious implications for Collective bargaining for pension plans across America at stake in Bricklayers 1 pension dispute for unions across America.

The management trustees of the Bricklayers pension fund want to end the current defined benefit plan and replace it with a defined contribution plan. (See separate story on Page 14 for the difference in the two concepts.) That is not unusual in the pension world today.

However, the management trustees want to kill one plan and start a new plan as an action of the pension trustees instead of the issue being a subject of collective bargaining during contract negotiations. In effect, the management trustees want to use the members’ own retirement funds to get something they could never achieve through collective bargaining.

http://labortribune.com/collective-bargain-for-pension-plans-across-america-at-stake-in-bricklayers-local-1-pension-dispute/