January 16, 2017

Daily Holidays - January 16

Martin Luther King Jr. Day King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr._Day

International Hot & Spicy Food Day For one red-hot day a year, the world’s chili heads, heat-seekers and extreme eaters can take their passion to extremes. International Hot and Spicy Foods Day sparks a wildfire of events, from habanero-eating challenges to fancy-dress contests and cook-offs of popular recipes. Among serious aficionados, it also re-kindles the great debate: which chili pepper tops the official Scoville heat scale? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/international-hot-and-spicy-food-day/

Appreciate A Dragon Day The dragon is a powerful symbol in mythology all over the world, from Europe to Asia and beyond. Appreciate A Dragon Day encourages you to explore the cultural significance of the dragon in your society and history! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/appreciate-a-dragon-day/

Nothing Day has been commemorated since 1973. The day is literally about doing nothing at all, placing it in a similar vein to other such surreal non-occasions as an Un-Birthday or Buy Nothing Day. There is absolutely no purpose or intended structure for this pointless celebration. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/nothing-day/

Religious Freedom Day On January 16, 1786, soon after the United States of America came into existence as a sovereign nation, the Virginia General Assembly adopted Thomas Jefferson’s landmark Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. This statute then became the basis for what we know today as the First Amendment, which guarantees religious freedom to all people residing in the U.S.A. Every year since then, an statement is released on this same day by the president f the United States officially proclaiming Religious Freedom day. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/religious-freedom-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january16.html

January 15, 2017

Daily Holidays - January 15

Strawberry Ice Cream Day Red, ripe, juicy strawberries churned and frozen with some fresh cream and a bit of sugar is all that is needed to make a delicious strawberry ice cream. And as it’s Strawberry Ice Cream Day, you don’t need to be named Ben or Jerry to celebrate – everyone can enjoy a bowlful! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/strawberry-ice-cream-day/

Hat Day “That season we were loaded with pizazz. Earrings of fuchsia and peach. Mind you, peach. And hats. Hats, hats, hats for career girls,” – This quote from Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, perhaps defines one of the most amazing things about hats. They enable the person wearing them to be absolutely anything, and to bring a sprig of style to an outfit, and truly round it out. From protecting your head from the cold or heat of the day, to just expressing who you are to the world, Hat Day is a great day to sport your best headwear! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/hat-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january15.html

January 14, 2017

Daily Holidays - January 14

Feeling a bit under the weather today. So this will be an abbreviated version.

National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day Every year on January 14, we pay homage to the wonderful sandwich-pioneers who brought this smoked meat classic, and celebrate in kind. Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day should be celebrated by a gathering of your closest friends and family, and giving thanks to this wonderful culinary invention. A hot pastrami sandwich should be enjoyed in the traditional sense, between two warmed slices of bread, and with plenty of mustard to add that certain je ne sais quoin. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/hot-pastrami-sandwich-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january14.html

January 13, 2017

Daily Holidays - January 13

National Peach Melba Day Peach Melba is sliced, fresh peaches in a raspberry sauce sweetened with icing sugar (also called melba sauce); and is usually served with vanilla ice cream. A noteworthy and delicious pudding – well worth singing its praises on Peach Melba Day! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/peach-melba-day/

Make Your Dream Come True Day People often make the mistake of letting their dreams remain just that: dreams. Dreams they have at night but then neglect in the morning. Dreams they hardly dare speak of lest they don’t come true. Little bits of fantasy doomed to remain that way. But they don’t have to! Of course, there are some dreams, like becoming a neon flying tiger that fights crime with Batman every night, that will likely never come true. But there are also thousands of dreams that are not early as impossible as we think them to be, and could be could in fact be fulfilled with a little planning and work, and sometimes just the courage to do something different than you have in the past. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/make-your-dream-come-true-day/

Public Radio Broadcasting Day Imagine life without the internet. This may not be all that hard for everyone, as there are many people who grew up without the internet and managed quite well. So now, try to imagine life without television. A little worse, right? But many people are not fans of sitting in front of the TV, so having so television may seem perfectly bearable as well. Now for the hardest part: imagine life without either of the aforementioned things, and now without radio, either.You come home after a long day at work, and are greeted by silence. Complete and utter silence. Even if you do like to read, you have to admit that a life without any kind of broadcasting whatsoever. And that’s what life was like just one hundred years ago. I think by now we can all agree that all forms of broadcasting have contributed to making our lives happier and more interesting, and have provided plenty of entertainment on cold dark nights that would have otherwise been spent, well, sleeping. Public Radio Broadcasting Day is a day dedicated to appreciating technology and how much it has improved our lives. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/public-radio-broadcasting-day/

Rubber Duckie Day Rubber Ducky’s have a long and respected history in the world of children, and most of us remember having at least one as part of our collection of bath-time toys. Rubber Duckies have a clouded history, no one really knows precisely where they came from, but whether it was our own bath time or the song from Ernie from The Muppets, we all knew of them and wanted one! Rubber Duckie day is here to help us remember to appreciate this part of our childhood cleansing ritual. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/rubber-duckie-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january13.html

January 12, 2017

Daily Holidays - January 12

Poetry At Work Day An ode to…the time clock? The assembly line? The office computer? The poem may need some work, but this is what Poetry At Work Day is all about – finding the beauty in your job and putting it into some form of artful prose. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/poetry-at-work-day/

Kiss A Ginger Day (Red Heads) Fiery red hair, pale skin, and eyes of blue or green. These are the defining characteristics of some of the most amazingly attractive human beings in existence. They were once held as being holy as they were believed to have stolen the very fire of the Gods and imbued their crimson locks with it. Kiss A Ginger Day is your opportunity to steal a kiss from one of these amazingly attractive genetic rarities. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/kiss-a-ginger-day/

Pharmacist's Day implores us to take a moment to think of all the people who work as pharmacists. They only see us when we’re sick with a cold, cough, measles or have a hangover… or when we’ve run out of toothpaste. These poor folks help us to feel better, and only ever see us at our worst. Take a moment to visit a pharmacy with a smile on your face and a healthy bounce to your step – we’re sure you’ll surprise them! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/pharmacist-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january12.html

January 11, 2017

Daily Holidays - January 11

Milk Day It is generally thought that Milk Day was created to celebrate the first time milk was delivered in glass bottles. Prior to this, conditions for milk delivery were fairly unsanitary but the new bottles enabled safe and clean storage. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/milk-day/

Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day Morse Code was one of the most important innovations of communications the world has seen, serving as the foundation of one of the first high-speed communications networks in the world. Used for everything from semaphore communication, to flashing with lights, to drawing it out as a sort of code, and most importantly, the use of telegraphs to help transmit information across vast distances in the days before the telephone, it’s hard to understate the importance of Morse Code. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/learn-your-name-in-morse-code-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january11.html

January 10, 2017

Wal-Mart is rolling back its workforce as layoffs loom by months end

A Walmart worker organizes products for the Christmas season at a Walmart store in Teterboro, New Jersey. Wal-Mart to cut hundreds of jobs: DJ
3 Hours Ago | 01:24
Wal-Mart Stores will be giving hundreds of additional workers pink slips as the discount retailer prepares a fresh round of job cuts, sources familiar with the matter told CNBC.

The layoffs were first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The cuts would affect both regional workers and employees at the company's headquarters, sources told the Journal. They added that many of the layoffs will impact its human resources department.

In a statement to CNBC, Wal-Mart said, "As we've previously shared, we are always looking for ways to operate more efficiently and effectively. While we continually look at our corporate structure, we have not made any announcements."

The move marks the latest in a series of cuts as the retailer pares some expenses. In September, it said it would slash 7,000 back-office jobs while it said in October 2015 that it was cutting hundreds of positions at headquarters.

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/10/wal-mart-is-rolling-back-its-workforce-as-layoffs-loom-by-months-end.html?__source=yahoo%7Cfinance%7Cheadline%7Cheadline%7Cstory&par=yahoo&doc=104210241&yptr=yahoo

January 10, 2017

Memo to Gov. Greitens: Heres how to KILL the middle class

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Supporters of the so-called “right-to-work” say it’s not about killing unions, but bringing more industry, thus jobs, to Missouri. We know the latter is not true because site selection experts don’t consider RTW in the top 10 reasons companies select new plant sites. This excerpted article shows the real impact on ALL Wisconsin workers. Missouri workers be warned, it’s just around the corner here.)

Back in 2009, Rick Erickson was happy with his job as a teacher in one of the state’s northernmost school districts on the shores of Lake Superior. He made $35,770 a year teaching chemistry and physics, which wasn’t a lot of money, but then again, he received stellar healthcare and pension benefits, and could talk honestly with administrators about what he needed as a teacher every two years when his union sat down with the school district in collective bargaining sessions.

Then, five years ago, Wisconsin passed Act 10, also known as the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill,(in Missouri, we call it the “paycheck deception” bill) which dramatically limited the ability of teachers and other public employees to bargain with employers on wages, benefits, and working conditions.

After Act 10:

Erickson saw his take-home pay drop dramatically: He now makes $30,650.
His wife is a teacher, too, and together they make 11 percent less than they did before Act 10.
The local union he once led — the Bayfield Education Association — is no longer certified to collectively bargain, so he can’t formally negotiate with the school district for things like prep time and sick days.
He pays more for health care and his pension, and he says both he and his wife may now not be able to retire until they are much older than they had planned.
“We still haven’t recovered from Act 10,” Erickson, who was Wisconsin’s 2014 High School Teacher of the Year, told me. “It’s definitely changed things.”

http://labortribune.com/memo-to-gov-greitens-heres-how-to-kill-the-middle-class/

January 10, 2017

Daily Holidays - January 10

Bittersweet Chocolate Day Sometimes the rich sweet flavor of milk chocolate just isn’t what you’re looking for, sometimes you want to relish in the underlying bitterness that is intrinsic to darker chocolates, and Bittersweet Chocolate Day is the day to celebrate them. There are a lot different types of chocolates, but dark chocolate reigns supreme on Bittersweet Chocolate Day. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/bittersweet-chocolate-day/

National Cut Your Energy Costs Day It’s been a long cold winter, and no doubt you’re still living under the weight of those winter heating bills. Ever wonder if there’s a way to break away from such high bills while not having to live in your house like you’re out in the cold? Cut Your Energy Costs Day is your opportunity to take a look at your life and your home, and find ways of reducing how much energy you’re using. Not just for focusing on the winter months, this is your chance to address the year ahead and find out how to make your energy bills more affordable all year long. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/cut-your-energy-costs-day/

Peculiar People Day s here to celebrate the leaders of the strange and unusual, those who refuse to succumb to the world’s idea of what is normal and sane. They challenge the status quo and utterly rebuke the concept that that which is out of the ordinary is bad. Whether they simply dress in their own style, or have very clear ideas of what is right and normal, Peculiar People Day is their opportunity to shine. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/peculiar-people-day/

House Plant Appreciation Day Houseplants are a wonderful addition to any home, adding the fresh scent of living earth, the subtle fragrance of your favorite flowers, or just a bit of the outdoors in the indoors. While some people have difficulty being able to sustain these little treasures, it has been shown to be incredibly therapeutic to have this blush of the natural world inside your home. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/houseplant-appreciation-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january10.html

January 9, 2017

Daily Holidays - January 9

National Apricot Day Apricots ripen in the early summer, but they’re quite commonly dried so that way we can enjoy them year round. The word ‘apricot’ in Latin purportedly means “precious”, but further investigation reveals that while this moniker is appropriate, it actually comes from Arabic ‘al barqūq’ (“early ripe”) via French ‘abricot’. “Early ripe” is appropriate because apricots tend to ripen earlier than most summer fruits. Drying apricots has been a common preservation practice for centuries. Most store-bought apricots retain the bright orange colour that the fruits have when ripe. Organic dried apricots would be more brown in colour and the bright orange is a sign that the fruits were treated with sulphur compounds. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/apricot-day/

Balloon Ascension Day Anyone who has ever been in a hot air balloon will tell you it is an incredible experience, especially if they have been on such a ride in a place that boasts a particularly majestic landscape. It may be hard for us to imagine nowadays, but there was a time, not quite so long ago, when humans had no idea how to go about getting up into the air and staying there in a way we take for granted today, via planes or helicopters. In those days, being able to fly, or even float, was a near-impossible goal that many strove to achieve, but only few succeeded. Jean Pierre Blanchard was one of those who succeeded, and January 9th is the day to remember his feat. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/balloon-ascension-day/

National Static Electricity Day It’s the bane of wool wearers, and the champion of older brothers. Static electricity has been experienced by all of us, whether we’re simply grabbing a door handle on a cool dry day, or experiencing the magnificence of natural lightning. Whether you got it from walking across a carpet in wool socks or from petting your friendly purr-box kitten, static electricity has occasionally added a little spark to your day. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/static-electricity-day/

Clean Off Your Desk Day heralds the beginning of some serious spring cleaning. Do you really need all that junk, old paperwork and mess on your desk? If the answer’s no, take the opportunity to do a little tidying! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/clean-off-your-desk-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january9.html