December 11, 2014

Daily Holidays - December 11

National Noodle Ring Day BAKED NOODLE RING
2 c. cooked noodles
2 c. med. white sauce
1/2 c. grated cheese (2 oz.)
1/2 c. pimento, finely chopped
1/4 c. green pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten
Blend white sauce, cheese, pimento and green pepper. Pour sauce over noodles and mix lightly. Butter ring. Pack noodle mixture in mold evenly. Place mold in hot water and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 30 to 40 minutes or until firm.
To unmold, loosen noodle mixture from side of mold with spatula. Let stand for 5 minutes. Turn out on platter and fill center with creamed fish, chicken or meat. Garnish with parsley or watercress. Serves 8 to 10. http://www.cooks.com/recipe/bw28v7c3/baked-noodle-ring.html


International Mountain Day International Mountain Day - 11 December 2014

Mountain Farming

International Mountain Day is an opportunity to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build partnerships that will bring positive change to the world’s mountains and highlands.

This year, the theme for International Mountain Day is Mountain Farming. Here we have an opportunity to raise awareness about how mountain agriculture, which is predominantly family farming, has been a model for sustainable development for centuries.

International Mountain Day 2014 provides an occasion to highlight how family farming in mountain regions is undergoing rapid transformation due to population growth, economic globalization, urbanization and the migration of men and youth to urban areas.

At the same time, these changes can provide opportunities for local development. People who reside in mountain areas can diversify their income by engaging activities such as tourism, high value mountain products and handicrafts. An enabling policy environment that includes tailored investments could improve farmers’ access to resources and increase their capacity to generate income. http://www.fao.org/forestry/internationalmountainday/en/


UNICEF Birthday The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF; /ˈjuːnɨsɛf/ ew-ni-sef)[1] is a United Nations Program headquartered in New York City that provides long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries. It is one of the members of the United Nations Development Group and its Executive Committee.[2]

UNICEF was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II. Ludwik Rajchman, a Polish bacteriologist, is regarded as the founder of UNICEF and was its first chairman from 1946 to 1950.[3] In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations System and its name was shortened from the original United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund but it has continued to be known by the popular acronym based on this previous title.

UNICEF relies on contributions from governments and private donors and UNICEF's total income for 2008 was $3,372,540,239.[4] Governments contribute two thirds of the organization's resources; private groups and some 6 million individuals contribute the rest through the National Committees. It is estimated that 91.8% of their revenue is distributed to Program Services.[5] UNICEF's programs emphasize developing community-level services to promote the health and well-being of children. UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 and the Prince of Asturias Award of Concord in 2006.

Most of UNICEF's work is in the field, with staff in over 190 countries and territories. More than 200 country offices carry out UNICEF's mission through a program developed with host governments. Seventeen regional offices provide technical assistance to country offices as needed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNICEF

December 10, 2014

Mexican Megafarms Supplying U.S. Market Are Rife With Labor Abuses

"Product of Mexico" — it's a label you see on fruit and vegetable stickers in supermarkets across the U.S.

It's also the name of an investigative series appearing this week in the Los Angeles Times.

Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep spoke to reporter Richard Marosi about his 18-month investigation in Mexico. Wednesday's story in the series follows Ricardo Martinez, a farmworker who tried, unsuccessfully, to leave a labor camp.

According to Marosi, the farmworkers are "the invisible people of Mexico, the poorest, the most discriminated." That's what makes them so vulnerable to abuse in farm labor camps.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/12/10/369645204/mexican-megafarms-supplying-u-s-market-are-rife-with-labor-abuses?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=202609

December 10, 2014

Daily Holidays - December 10

National Lager Day In December of 1890, the six original founders of the Narragansett Brewery brewed the first batch of Narragansett Lager Beer. The Lager went on to be the bestselling beer in New England from the 1930s to the 1970s, and the official beer of the Boston Red Sox from 1944-1975. What better way to celebrate National Lager Day on December 10th than with the beer that started it all. So today, we encourage you to raise a ‘Gansett with us as we salute our famous Lager! Visit your favorite pub or package store and enjoy some ‘Gansett today. Hi Neighbor, Have a ‘Gansett! Here’s more on this brew. http://www.narragansettbeer.com/2013/12/happy-national-lager-day-2?age-verified=7568a4241c


Dewey Decimal System Day

Human Rights Day The UN General Assembly proclaimed 10 December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to bring to the attention ‘of the peoples of the world’ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.
This year’s slogan, Human Rights 365, encompasses the idea that every day is Human Rights Day. It celebrates the fundamental proposition in the Universal Declaration that each one of us, everywhere, at all times is entitled to the full range of human rights, that human rights belong equally to each of us and bind us together as a global community with the same ideals and values. http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/

Jane Addams Day Jane Addams (1860-1935) was born in Cedarville, Illinois in a well-off Quaker family. After her studies, she visited Toynbee Hall in London and was inspired to develop a very similar initiative in Chicago in 1889. Together with her friend Ellen Starr, she started Hull House, the first settlement house in Near West Side, a neighbourhood with plenty of European immigrants. It quickly developed into a real action centre with plenty of room for children, education for adults, culture and focus on social progress. Following the model of Toynbee Hall, “Addams refused to call her neighbors clients or cases and could not fully respect younger social workers, for whom service meant an eight-hour day and a home far from the slums.” (Franklin, 1986) Addams not only worked with the poor but also engaged in political action aimed at establishing new laws to protect them. http://www.historyofsocialwork.org/eng/details.php?canon_id=137

Nobel Prize Day The Nobel Prize (Swedish pronunciation: [noˈbɛl], Swedish definite form, singular: Nobelpriset; Norwegian: Nobelprisen) is a set of annual international awards bestowed in a number of categories by Swedish and Norwegian committees in recognition of cultural and/or scientific advances. The will of the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel established the prizes in 1895. The prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace were first awarded in 1901.[1] The related Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was created in 1968. Between 1901 and 2012, the Nobel Prizes and the Prize in Economic Sciences were awarded 555 times to 856 people and organizations. With some receiving the Nobel Prize more than once, this makes a total of 835 individuals (791 men and 44 women)[2] and 21 organizations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize

December 9, 2014

Daily Holidays - December 9

National Pastry Day Dessert season is well underway and, not that anyone needs a good reason to indulge, the timing is perfect to partake in National Pastry Day on Tuesday, Dec. 9. http://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/dining/2014/12/04/national-pastry-day-east-valley-bake-shops/19886763/

International Anti-corruption Day “To dismantle corruption’s high walls, I urge every nation to ratify and implement the UN Convention against Corruption. Its ground breaking measures in the areas of prevention, criminalization, international cooperation and asset recovery have made important inroads, but there is much more to do.”

— Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message for the 2014 International Anti-Corruption Day
http://www.un.org/en/events/anticorruptionday/

Weary Willie Day Emmett Leo Kelly (December 9, 1898 - March 28, 1979) was an American circus performer, who created the memorable clown figure "Weary Willie", based on the hobos of the Depression era.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Kelly

December 8, 2014

Daily Holidays - December 8

National Chocolate Brownie Day Fun fact: Brownies were born in America in the early 1900s and were classified as a cookie (rather than a cake). Why? Because they’re eaten with your hands.

Really Fudgy Brownies
Brownie Pops
Brownie Caramel Cheesecake
Thin Mint Brownie Pie
Microwave Chocolate Mug Brownie
Toffee Brownies
Chocolate Chip Blonde Brownies
http://www.food.com/food-holidays/brownie-day-1208

Green Monday Best Days For Holiday Deals? Green Monday and Super Saturday, With Thanksgiving Day discounts, Black Friday door busters, Small Business Saturday specials and Cyber Monday savings all in the rear view mirror, are there any deals ahead for December shoppers?

Count on it, say consumer experts. Two of the season's best days for bargain hunters — Green Monday and Super Saturday — are just ahead.

After an unexpected dip in sales over Thanksgiving weekend, (the National Retail Federation estimates holiday sales dropped 11 percent over the four-day period), retailers will be doing their best to get shoppers to open their wallets between now and Christmas. http://www.courant.com/savvy-shopper/hc-holiday-sales-outlook-1209-20141207-story.html#page=1

Pretend To Be A Time Traveler Day Pretend to be a time traveller day is on December 8th – so we’re telling you in good time. Although you can pretend to be a time traveller every day. Or, indeed, be one.

December 8th has been declared “Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day.” The whole idea is to pretend for the day that you are a traveller from a different time – except that, of course, you can’t actually tell people you’re a time traveller, because they’ll think you’re crazy. There are, of course, options as to how a traveller from another timezone might act: http://www.mookychick.co.uk/opinion/geek-girl/pretend-to-be-a-time-traveller-day.php

December 7, 2014

Daily Holidays - December 7

National Cotton Candy Day Cotton candy was first recorded in Europe in the 18th century.[6] At that time, spun sugar was an expensive, labor-intensive endeavor and was not generally available to the average person.[6] Machine-spun cotton candy was invented in 1897 by the dentist William Morrison and confectioner John C. Wharton and first introduced to a wide audience at the 1904 World's Fair as "Fairy Floss"[7] with great success, selling 68,655 boxes at 25¢ per box (equivalent to $6 per box today). Joseph Lascaux, a dentist from New Orleans, Louisiana, invented a similar cotton candy machine in 1921. In fact, the Lascaux patent named the sweet confection “cotton candy” and the "fairy floss" name faded away, although it retains this name in Australia.[8][9] In the 1970s an automatic cotton candy machine was created which made the product and packaged it. This made it easier to produce and available to sell at carnivals, fairs, and stores in the 1970s and on. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_candy


National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

International Civil Aviation Day. International Civil Aviation Day was established in 1994 by ICAO, through Assembly Resolution A29-1, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Organization, created on 7 December 1944. In 1996, pursuant to an ICAO initiative and with the assistance of the Canadian Government, the United Nations General Assembly by resolution officially recognized 7 December as International Civil Aviation Day and listed it as an official UN day. The purpose of the global celebration is to generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation in the social and economic development of States, and of the role of ICAO in promoting the safety, efficiency and regularity of international air transport. http://www.icao.int/secretariat/SecretaryGeneral/Pages/aviation_day.aspx

December 6, 2014

Daily Holidays - December 6

National Gazpacho Day While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.
Baby, it's cold outside - December 6 is National Gazpacho Day!
You may have Jack Frost nipping at your nose and a chilly chin (for those mourning the end of Movember), but a cold serving of gazpacho is just the right way to fire up your taste buds!
If you're not entirely versed on this Spanish favorite, gazpacho is indeed a cold soup made with a tomato base and other raw veggies, like cucumbers, bell peppers, onion and garlic. The veggies are chopped and pounded with a mortar before adding soaked, stale bread cubes, olive oil, wine vinegar and salt. http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/12/06/breakfast-buffet-national-gazpacho-day/

Microwave Oven Day “Happy Microwave Oven Day!” Slashfood informs us today. “Now, I’m not sure if this means this is the day to buy a microwave oven or cook something in a microwave oven.” http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/06/how-to-celebrate-microwave-oven-day/?_r=0

Bartender Appreciation Day

Miners’ Day The effort to create a commemorative National Miner's Day, on December 6, was successful. A resolution was passed in the United States Senate on December 3, 2009.Thanks to the thousands of people who believe it is important to recognize the contributions of miners to the well being of all. http://www.minersday.org

National Pawnbrokers Day

St. Nicholas Day

December 5, 2014

Daily Holidays - December 5

Repeal (of Prohibition) Day

National Sacher Torte Day http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sacher-torte/

AFL-CIO Day http://www.aflcio.org

Bathtub Party Day Most people today don't have time for a leisurely bath. We barely have time for a quick shower! Well December 5th is different. "Bathtub Party Day" is a time to immerse yourself in a long leisurely bath. Invite a few friends over and make a party out of it! http://www.imgag.com/product/full/ap/3032657/

Columbian International Day of The Reef The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia in charge of formulating, implementing, and orienting environmental polices to ensure the sustainable development of the country. It is the lead institution of the National Environmental System, which is composed of 33 regional autonomous and seven large city enviromental authorities (responsible for the execution of the environmental policies at the regional and local level), the National Environmental Licensing Authority, the National Natural Parks System, and five research institutes (one with coastal and marine emphasis).

The only South American Country with both Pacific and Caribbean Coasts, Colombia has a total coastline of approximately 3,000km and an extensive marine area totaling 928,660km2. These marine and coastal areas host a diverse range of ecoystems including coral reefs, mangroves, beaches, seagrass beds, wetlands, seamounts, and other oceanic features. In 2011, Colombia’s National Development Plan (Law 1450/2011) established a legal framework for the conservation of marine ecosystems. In specific, Article 207 of the National Development Plan calls for the conservation of coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass ecosystems by establishing a prohibition for mining, oil exploration and exploitaion, as well as other activities on coral reefs and mangroves and calls for the development of integrated coastal zone management plans by the regional environmental authorities. In charge of leading these marine and coastal conservation initiatives is the directorate of Marine, Coastal and Aquatic Resources of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the coastal regional autonomous environmental authorities, which have marine jurisdiction. http://www.icriforum.org/about-icri/members-networks/colombia

Faux Fur Friday


International Ninja Day If you’ve ever fancied sneaking up on friends, colleagues or strangers while wearing a dark mask, then Friday is the day to do it.
Wannabe warriors across the globe will celebrate the Day of the Ninja by dressing up like a silent assassin.
The annual event, also known as International Ninja Day, is held each year on December 5.
The phenomenon was started in 2003 by parody website Ninja Burger, which also launched a role-playing video game.
Read more: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Day-Ninja-taking/story-25136972-detail/story.html#ixzz3L0kooj4r


International Volunteer Day for Economic & Social Development The International Volunteer Day (IVD) mandated by the UN General Assembly, is held each year on 5 December. It is viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.

Apart from mobilising thousands of volunteers every year, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development by advocating for the recognition of volunteers and working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming. Through the Online Volunteering service, volunteers can take action for sustainable human development by supporting the activities of development organizations over the Internet. Every day thousands of people are volunteering, online or on-site, contributing to peace and development, working to achieve the MDGs and engaging people to shape the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. http://www.un.org/en/events/volunteerday/

World Soil Day

December 4, 2014

All-Christmas radio: One of radio’s most profitable gimmicks

There’s something in the air this holiday season, and it’s not just the smell of eggnog and gingerbread houses. If you haven’t noticed, holiday music — from “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to “The Little Drummer Boy” — is back on the radio. All-Christmas music programming might just be one of radio’s most profitable gimmicks.

WEZW is a small, automated, 4,000-watt radio station in Atlantic City transmitting to Cape May County in southern New Jersey. WEZW is the very first radio station in the nation to go all Christmas music, 24 hours a day, beginning Oct. 17, a full two weeks before Halloween.

Gary Fisher, the president and owner of Equity Communications, WEZW’s parent company, says, “When we go to all Christmas, our ratings double, and under our signal, we become the No. 1 station in Cape May County. As a result, our revenues explode.”

According to him, flipping is like a Christmas present to this small station, providing an additional $250,000 in revenue each year. “The beauty of Christmas radio,” he says, “is that every retailer is a candidate for a Christmas promotion. Every retailer wants to make their year by powering out Christmas sales.”

http://alj.am/1rXDJyy

December 4, 2014

Wholesale food price inflation highest in 3 years: NRA

Year-to-date wholesale food prices are up 5.3%, the highest rate in three years, according to the National Restaurant Association.

The augmented prices are driven by high inflation of commodities like butter (39%), pork (22%), eggs (20%) and beef (18%).

Restaurants have not been passing all of the increased costs onto consumers. Year-to-date restaurant menu price inflation stands at 2.3%. In comparison, grocery store prices are up 2.2% this year and the general inflation rate stands at 1.7%, said the NRA.

The association related the wholesale price increases in its latest monthly Restaurant Performance Index report released on Monday. In October, the RPI was 102.8, an increase of 1.8% over September.


Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/wholesale-food-price-inflation-highest-3-years-nra#ixzz3Kv7kT7ty

Just in case anyone was not aware that prices are UP.