Good mornin friends of the page.. Here we go .. you know what day it is.. Grab a cup and lets see what observances and celebrations today promises to bring... Today is Friday May 16, 2014. Its Sea Monkey Day (Everybody loves Sea Monkeys – and Sea Monkey Day is the perfect opportunity to pay homage to our small, aquatic, frolicking friends.) Its Biographers 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, revisiting an old favorite, or perhaps even taking a look into Boswell’s ‘Life of Samuel Johnson’ itself.) Its Bike to Work Day (One of the most popular activities in Bike Month, is encouraging people to bicycle to work and forsake their motor vehicles for just one day. Bike to Work Week is the third week in May, and the third Friday in May is designated as National Bike to Work Day. The League was founded as the League of American Wheelmen in 1880. Bicyclists, known then as wheelmen, were challenged by rutted roads of gravel and dirt, and faced antagonism from horsemen, wagon drivers, and pedestrians. This day aims to encourage people to use their bike to get to work, which saves energy, protects the environment, and helps you to keep fit.) Endangered Species Day (Endangered Species Day highlights the plight of many at-risk and critically endangered species of wild animals, and highlights ways in which we can alter our behavior in small ways on a daily basis in order to help to protect and save these creatures) Its 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 savory toppings, tenderly amalgamated with molten cheese, onion and pepper.) Its International Virtual Assistants Day (The International Virtual Assistants Day is a day set aside to acknowledge the effort, determination and commitment of virtual assistants. Virtual assistants are individuals who mostly work on a freelance basis to deliver managerial, administrative and personal assistance related services to clients. They usually make extensive use of the latest technology and mostly the internet to undertake their duties. Tasks usually range from taking calls to carrying out online research.) Its Love a Tree Day (Trees play a significant role in reducing erosion and moderating the climate. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store large quantities of carbon in their tissues. Trees and forests provide a habitat for many species of animals and plants. Tropical rainforests are one of the most biodiverse habitats in the world. Trees provide shade and shelter, timber for construction, fuel for cooking and heating, and fruit for food as well as having many other uses.) Its Wear Purple for Peace Day. (Ok, I have researched a lot of days now but I think this is one of the oddest. Youd think that this day originated in protest of a particular war or conflict. Or, perhaps it should have been conceived by the UN, or another peacemaking or peace keeping group. This is a day to wear purple to promote peace and thats not so odd, you might be thinking... at least until I tell you that the peace in question is not between different countries or people, but between people and aliens. Thats right. We are supposed to wear purple today so that if any aliens happen to swing by, they will know that we have nothing but peaceful intentions. I am unsure how these aliens are supposed to know that purple means peace. I could not find an explanation for that.) Its National Defense Transportation Day (On May 16, 1957, Congress approved for the third Friday of May each year to be designated as National Defense Transportation Day. In 1962 Congress updated their request to include the whole week within which the Friday falls as National Transportation Week. National Defense Transportation Day recognizes the men and women who work in the transportation industry and who contribute to the nation’s well-being and defense.) The food holiday today is National Coquilles St. Jacques Day (For those who need to brush off the ol French translation books, today we’re celebrating scallops. Coquilles St. Jacques, or scallops St. James, is a classic French preparation of the soft, mildly sweet mollusks. It’s named for - you guessed it - St. James, who is reputedly buried in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Pilgrims visiting the cathedral would often carry scallop shells with them in the apostles honor. It’s said that the grooves on the shell represent the different paths pilgrims take, ultimately all winding up at the same destination - the cathedral. The scallop shells also served a more practical purpose, as water and food bowls. As for the actual dish, the scallops are poached in white wine, then placed back in a clean scallop shell over sautéed mushrooms. The dish is then topped with the reduced poaching liquid, cream, cheese and breadcrumbs and broiled until just crisp and brown.)
Posted on: Fri, 16 May 2014 11:00:00 +0000
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