<> Tomorrow's food holidays(s):
* 'National Greasy Food Day'.
[The Hankster says] A gourmet day for the rest of us.
* 'World Pasta Day'. . No, that was National Pasta Day we celebrated back
on the 17th.
- From Wikipedia (Pasta):
'Pasta (Italian pronunciation: ) is a staple food of traditional Italian
cuisine, with the first reference dating to 1154 in Sicily. It is also
commonly used to refer to the variety of pasta dishes. Typically, pasta is
a noodle made from an unleavened dough of a durum wheat flour mixed with
water or eggs and formed into sheets or various shapes, then cooked by
boiling or baking. It can also be made with flour from other cereals or
grains. Pastas may be divided into two broad categories, dried (pasta
secca) and fresh (pasta fresca).
Most dried pasta is commercially produced via an extrusion process. Fresh
pasta was traditionally produced by hand, sometimes with the aid of simple
machines, but today many varieties of fresh pasta are also commercially
produced by large-scale machines, and the products are widely available in
supermarkets.
Both dried and fresh pasta come in a number of shapes and varieties, with
310 specific forms known variably by over 1300 names having been
documented. In Italy the names of specific pasta shapes or types often vary
with locale. For example, the form cavatelli is known by 28 different names
depending on region and town. Common forms of pasta include long shapes,
short shapes, tubes, flat shapes and sheets, miniature soup shapes, filled
or stuffed, and specialty or decorative shapes.
As a category in Italian cuisine, both fresh and dried pastas are
classically used in one of three kinds of prepared dishes. As pasta
asciutta (or pastasciutta) cooked pasta is plated and served with a
complementary sauce or condiment. A second classification of pasta dishes
is pasta in brodo in which the pasta is part of a soup-type dish. A third
category is pasta al forno in which the pasta incorporated into a dish that
is subsequently baked.
Pasta is generally a simple dish, but comes in many varieties due to its
versatility. Some pasta dishes are served as a first course in Italy
because the portion sizes are small and simple. Pasta is also prepared in
light lunches, such as salads or large portion sizes for dinner. It can be
prepared by hand or food processor and served hot or cold. Pasta sauces
vary in taste, color and texture. When choosing which type of pasta and
sauce to serve together, there is a general rule regarding compatibility.
Simple sauces like pesto are ideal for long and thin strands of pasta while
tomato sauce combines well with thicker pastas. Thicker and chunkier sauces
have the better ability to cling onto the holes and cuts of short, tubular,
twisted pastas. The extra sauce left on the plate after all of the pasta is
eaten is often mopped up with a piece of bread'.
[The Hankster says] Wow, that many names. I can have one a day for a year. Then change the sauce and start all over again.
<> Other holidays / celebrations
* 'Sourest Day'.
A day to be grumpy and sour.
[The Hankster says] The only problem is that I get grumpy and sour waiting for this day each year.
* 'International Artists Day'.
Artist is used in the broad sense as a person who practices any of the
various creative arts, such as a painter, sculptor, novelist, poet,
filmmaker, etc.
[The Hankster says] I bow to those who can.
* 'Punk for a Day Day'.
Let's behave. This refers to punk rock music.
- From Wikipedia (Punk rock):
'Punk rock (or simply punk) is a rock music genre that developed between
1974 and 1976 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted
in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as proto-punk music,
punk rock bands rejected perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. Punk
bands typically use short or fast-paced songs, with hard-edged melodies and
singing styles, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political,
anti-establishment lyrics. Punk embraces a DIY ethic many bands
self-produced recordings and distributed them through informal channels'.
* 'Cartoonists Against Crime Day'.
Honors the crime prevention cartoons.
[The Hankster says] And a hardy bark, bark to you Mcgruff.
<> Awareness / Observances:
o Health
* 'World Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Day: From Wikipedia: 'Spina bifida
(Latin: 'split spine') is a birth defect where there is incomplete closing
of the backbone and membranes around the spinal cord'.
- From Wikipedia (Spina bifida):
'Spina bifida (Latin: split spine) is a birth defect where there is
incomplete closing of the backbone and membranes around the spinal cord.
There are three main types: spina bifida occulta, meningocele, and
myelomeningocele. The most common location is the lower back, but in rare
cases it may be the middle back or neck. Occulta has no or only mild signs.
Signs of occulta may include a hairy patch, dimple, dark spot, or swelling
on the back at the site of the gap in the spine. Meningocele typically
causes mild problems with a sac of fluid present at the gap in the spine.
Myelomeningocele, also known as open spina bifida, is the most severe form.
Associated problems include poor ability to walk, problems with bladder or
bowel control, hydrocephalus, a tethered spinal cord, and latex allergy.
Learning problems are relatively uncommon.
Spina bifida is believed to be due to a combination of genetic and
environmental factors. After having one child with the condition or if one
of the parents has the condition, there is a 4% chance that the next child
will also be affected. Not having enough folate in the diet during
pregnancy also plays a significant role. Other risk factors include certain
antiseizure medications, obesity, and poorly controlled diabetes. Diagnosis
may occur either before or after a child is born. Before birth if a blood
test or amniocentesis finds a high level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), there
is a higher risk of spina bifida. Ultrasound examination may also detect
the problem. Medical imaging can confirm the diagnosis after birth. It is a
type of neural tube defect with other types including anencephaly and
encephalocele.
Most cases of spina bifida can be prevented if the mother gets enough
folate before and during pregnancy. Adding folic acid to flour has been
found to be effective for most women. Open spina bifida can be surgically
closed before or after birth. A shunt may be needed in those with
hydrocephalus, and a tethered spinal cord may be surgically repaired.
Devices to help with movement such as crutches or wheelchairs may be
useful. Urinary catheterization may also be needed.
About 5% of people have spina bifida occulta. Rates of other types of spina
bifida vary significantly by country, from 0.1 to 5 per 1000 births. On
average in developed countries it occurs in about 0.4 per 1000 births. In
the United States, it affected about 0.4 per 1000 births, and in India,
about 1.9 per 1000 births. Part of this difference is believed to be due to
race – with Caucasians at higher risk – and partly due to environmental
factors'.
- From Wikipedia (Hydrocephalus):
'Hydrocephalus is a condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the brain. This typically causes increased
pressure inside the skull. Older people may have headaches, double vision,
poor balance, urinary incontinence, personality changes, or mental
impairment. In babies there may be a rapid increase in head size. Other
symptoms may include vomiting, sleepiness, seizures, and downward pointing
of the eyes.
Hydrocephalus can occur due to birth defects or be acquired later in life.
Associated birth defects include neural tube defects and those that result
in aqueductal stenosis. Other causes include meningitis, brain tumors,
traumatic brain injury, intraventricular hemorrhage, and subarachnoid
hemorrhage. There are four types of hydrocephalus: communicating,
non-communicating, ex-vacuo, and normal pressure. Diagnosis is typically by
examination and medical imaging.
Hydrocephalus is typically treated by the surgical placement of a shunt
system. A procedure called a third ventriculostomy may be an option in a
few people. Complications from shunts may include overdrainage,
underdrainage, mechanical failure, infection, or obstruction. This may
require replacement. Outcomes are variable however, many live normal lives.
Without treatment death may occur.
About one to two per 1,000 newborns have hydrocephalus. Rates in the
developing world may be more. Normal pressure hydrocephalus is estimated to
affect about 5 per 100,000 people with rates increasing with age.
Description of hydrocephalus by Hippocrates date back more than 2000 years.
The word hydrocephalus is from from Greek hydro-, meaning water, and
kephalos, meaning head'.
* 'National Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) Awareness Week'. October 25-31.
- From Wikipedia (DEBRA):
'DEBRA (formerly known as DebRA) is the name of an internaal medical
research charity dedicated to the curing of Epidermolysis Bullosa with
National Groups in over 40 countries (including the British and American)
and growing.
Debra is the first name of the daughter of Phyllis Hilton, the original
founder of the organisation in the UK, which began as a support group for
parents, guardians and carers of other young children with the condition.
Although the backronym of Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research
Association has been used by DEBRA UK in the past, the organisation
provides information, research funding and support for all forms of EB, not
just Dystrophic, which is one of three main sub-types of the condition: the
others being EB Simplex and Junctional EB.
The DebRA US organisation have continued to use the aforementioned acronym
DEBRA for the Dystrophic EB Research Association of America since their
formation in 1980.
Epidermolysis bullosa is a genetic condition that in its most severe forms
affects all of the body's linings, the skin, the linings of the mouth and
oesophagus, etc. - even the eyes. In its most severe forms the linings will
blister or rip away from the flesh under the lightest of frictions, for
example, rolling over in bed can cause skin to tear away from behind the
ears, and the sufferer may wake up with up to 30 blisters each morning.
There is no treatment bar the lancing and draining of these blisters to
stop their growth. Sufferers of the severest form die prematurely of skin
cancer (their life expectancy is usually reduced by 30–40 years) in some,
death occurs in infancy. Each day sufferers face a battle against fluid
loss and infections due to open wounds. Sufferers of the severest forms
have difficulties with feeding due to the rawness of their mouths and often
have to have a feeding tube fitted. There are milder forms of the condition
that only affect the hands and feet'.
<> Historical events on October 25
* 'In 1415, The army of Henry V of England defeats the French at the Battle
of Agincourt (A major English victory over France in the Hundred Years'
War.). .
- From Wikipedia: 'The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory in
the Hundred Years' War. The battle took place on Friday, 25 October 1415
(Saint Crispin's Day), near Azincourt, in northern France. Henry V's
victory at Agincourt, against a numerically superior French army, crippled
France and started a new period in the war during which Henry V married the
French king's daughter, and their son, later Henry VI of England and Henry
II of France, was made heir to the throne of France as well as of England.
Henry V led his troops into battle and participated in hand-to-hand
fighting. The French king of the time, Charles VI, did not command the
French army himself as he suffered from severe psychotic illnesses with
moderate mental incapacitation. Instead, the French were commanded by
Constable Charles d'Albret and various prominent French noblemen of the
Armagnac party.
This battle is notable for the use of the English longbow in very large
numbers, with English and Welsh archers forming most of Henry's army. The
battle is the centrepiece of the play Henry V by William Shakespeare'.
* 'In 1854, The 'Charge of the Light Brigade' occurs during the Battle of
Balaclava during the Crimean War (a conflict in which Russia lost to an
alliance of France, the United Kingdom, the Ottoman Empire, and Sardinia).
The order for the Light Brigade (Calvary) to charge had been given poorly
by subordinates and resulted in 40 percent casualties The event was made
famous in a 1854 narrative poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson. .
- From Wikipedia: 'The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British
light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle
of Balaclava on 25 October 1854, in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan, overall
commander of the British forces, had intended to send the Light Brigade to
prevent the Russians removing captured guns from overrun Turkish positions,
a task well-suited to light cavalry. However, due to miscommunication in
the chain of command, the Light Brigade was instead sent on a frontal
assault against a different artillery battery, one well-prepared with
excellent fields of defensive fire.
Although the Light Brigade reached the battery under withering direct fire
and scattered some of the gunners, the badly mauled brigade was forced to
retreat immediately. Thus, the assault ended with very high British
casualties and no decisive gains.
The events are best remembered as the subject of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's
narrative poem The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854). Published just six
weeks after the event, its lines emphasize the valour of the cavalry in
bravely carrying out their orders, regardless of the obvious outcome. Blame
for the miscommunication has remained controversial, as the original order
itself was vague, and the officer who delivered the written orders, with
some verbal interpretation, died in the first minute of the assault'.
* 'In 1955, The Microwave oven was first introduced, by Tappan Stove
Company.
- From Wikipedia: 'A microwave oven (commonly referred to as a microwave)
is a kitchen appliance that heats and cooks food by exposing it to
microwave radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum. This induces polar
molecules in the food to rotate and produce thermal energy in a process
known as dielectric heating. Microwave ovens heat foods quickly and
efficiently because excitation is fairly uniform in the outer 25–38 mm
(1–1.5 inches) of a homogeneous, high water content food item food is more
evenly heated throughout (except in heterogeneous, dense objects) than
generally occurs in other cooking techniques.
Percy Spencer is generally credited with inventing the modern microwave
oven after World War II from radar technology developed during the war.
Named the Radarange, it was first sold in 1946. Raytheon later licensed its
patents for a home-use microwave oven that was first introduced by Tappan
in 1955, but these units were still too large and expensive for general
home use. The countertop microwave oven was first introduced in 1967 by the
Amana Corporation, and their use has spread into commercial and residential
kitchens around the world.
Microwave ovens are popular for reheating previously cooked foods and
cooking a variety of foods. They are also useful for rapid heating of
otherwise slowly prepared cooking items, such as hot butter, fats, and
chocolate. Unlike conventional ovens, microwave ovens usually do not
directly brown or caramelize food, since they rarely attain the necessary
temperatures to produce Maillard reactions. Exceptions occur in rare cases
where the oven is used to heat frying-oil and other very oily items (such
as bacon), which attain far higher temperatures than that of boiling water.
Microwave ovens have a limited role in professional cooking, because the
boiling-range temperatures produced in especially hydrous foods impede
flavors produced by the higher temperatures of frying, browning, or baking.
However, additional heat sources can be added to microwave ovens, or into
combination microwave ovens, to produce these other heating effects, and
microwave heating may cut the overall time needed to prepare such dishes.
Some modern microwave ovens are part of over-the-range units with built-in
extractor hoods'.
* 'In 1964, - In American football, 'The Wrong Way Run' is made by Viking
Jim Marshall.
- From Wikipedia: 'During his time with the Minnesota Vikings, Marshall was
involved in what is considered by many, including SI.com author John Rolfe,
to be the most embarrassing moment in NFL history. On October 25, 1964, in
a game against the San Francisco 49ers, Marshall recovered a fumble and ran
66 yards with it the wrong way into his own end zone. Thinking that he had
scored a touchdown for the Vikings, Marshall then threw the ball away in
celebration. The ball landed out of bounds, resulting in a safety for the
49ers. According to Marshall, when he approached Vikings head coach Norm
Van Brocklin afterwards, Van Brocklin, after a pause, said, Jim, you did
the most interesting thing in this game today. Despite the gaffe, the
Vikings won the game 27–22, with the final margin of victory provided by a
Carl Eller touchdown return of a fumble caused by a Marshall sack. Marshall
later received a letter from Roy Riegels, infamous for a wrong-way run in
the 1929 Rose Bowl, stating, Welcome to the club'.
* 'In 1978, The movie 'Halloween' is released. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Halloween is a 1978 American independent slasher film
directed and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with producer Debra Hill,
and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut. The
film was the first installment in what has become the Halloween franchise.
The plot is set in the fictional Midwestern town of Haddonfield, Illinois.
On Halloween night in 1963, a six-year-old Michael Myers inexplicably
murders his sister and is committed. Fifteen years later, he escapes and
returns home to kill again, all the while eluding his psychiatrist, Dr. Sam
Loomis, who suspects Michael's intentions, following him back to
Haddonfield.
Halloween was produced on a budget of $300,000 and grossed $47 million at
the box office in the United States, and $70 million worldwide, equivalent
to roughly $267 million as of 2016, becoming one of the most profitable
independent films. Many critics credit the film as the first in a long line
of slasher films inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). Halloween
had many imitators and originated several clichés found in low-budget
horror films of the 1980s and 1990s. Unlike many of its imitators,
Halloween contains little graphic violence and gore. It was one of the
first horror films to introduce the concept of the killer dying and coming
back to life again within the same film. In 2006, the film was selected for
preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of
Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant
Some critics have suggested that Halloween may encourage sadism and
misogyny by audiences identifying with its villain. Other critics have
suggested the film is a social critique of the immorality of youth and
teenagers in 1970s America, with many of Myers' victims being sexually
promiscuous substance abusers, while the lone heroine is depicted as
innocent and pure, hence her survival. Nevertheless, Carpenter dismisses
such analyses. Several of Halloween's techniques and plot elements,
although not founded in this film, have nonetheless become standard slasher
movie tropes. Halloween spawned seven sequels and was rebooted by Rob
Zombie in 2007. The first sequel to the original movie, Halloween II, was
released in 1981, three years after its predecessor'.
* 'In 1980, Barbra Streisand's 'Guilty' album (duet with Barry Gibb) goes
#1 for 3 weeks and her single 'Woman In Love', goes #1 for 3 weeks. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Guilty is a vocal duet between Barbra Streisand and
Barry Gibb. The song was written by all three Bee Gees: Barry, Robin and
Maurice Gibb. Released as a single from Streisand's 1980 album of the same
name. Guilty peaked at #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 pop chart and #5 on
the adult contemporary chart. In the UK, the song reached #34 on the UK
Singles Chart. The single was certified gold by the RIAA. In addition,
Guilty won a Grammy Award in the category Best Pop Vocal Performance, Duo
or Group. The song also appeared on the 2001 Bee Gees compilation, Their
Greatest Hits: The Record.
British singer Maria Lawson revealed in her 2008 autobiography Life Starts
Now that she recorded a version of the song in 1996 which was scheduled to
be her debut solo single, produced by XL Records. This version also
featured British rapper Dark Man who at the time was signed to Polydor
Records. The song experienced several delays and remains unreleased. There
is also a version by Tom Jones and Gladys Knight. It's also used in the
film Madea's Witness Protection'.
No. 1 song
Top movie
Monthly holiday / awareness days in October
Food
American Cheese Month
Apple Month
Corn Month
Go Hog Wild - Eat Country Ham
National Bake and Decorate Month
National Caramel Month
National Cookbook Month
National Popcorn Poppin' Month
National Pork Month
Pizza Month
Sausage Month
Spinach Lovers Month
Vegetarian Month
Health
AIDS Awareness Month
American Pharmacists Month
Antidepressant Death Awareness Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Bullying Prevention Month
World Blindness Awareness Month
Caffeine Addiction Recovery Month
Celiac Disease Awareness Month
Christmas Seal Campaign
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Down Syndrome Awareness Month
Dyslexia Awareness Month
Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month
Emotional Wellness Month
Eye Injury Prevention Month
Global ADHD Awareness Month
Global Diversity Awareness Month
Health Literacy Month
Home Eye Safety Month
Long Term Care Planning Month
National AIDS Awareness Month
National Audiology/Protect Your Hearing Month
National Critical Illness Awareness Month
National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
National Dental Hygiene Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
National Depression Education and Awareness Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
National Down Syndrome Month
National Liver Awareness Month
National Medical Librarian Month
National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month
National Orthodontic Health Month
National Physical Therapy Month
National Protect Your Hearing Month
National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
National Spina Bifida Awareness Month
National Stop Bullying Month
National Substance Abuse Prevention Month
Rett Syndrome Awareness Month
Organize Your Medical Information Month
Talk About Prescriptions Month
World Menopause Month
Animal and Pet
Adopt A Dog Month
Adopt A Shelter Dog Month
Bat Appreciation Month
National Animal Safety and Protection Month
Wishbones for Pets Month
Other
Celebrating The Bilingual Child Month
Children's Magazine Month
Class Reunion Month
Country Music Month
Employee Ownership Month
Energy Management is a Family Affair
Fair Trade Month
Financial Planning Month
German-American Heritage Month
Halloween Safety Month
Head Start Awareness Month
Italian-American Heritage Month
International Strategic Planning Month
International Walk To School Month
Intergeneration Month
Learn To Bowl Month
National Arts and Humanities Month
National Chili Month
National Crime Prevention Month
National Cyber Security Awareness Month
National Ergonomics Month
National Field Trip Month
National Kitchen and Bath Month
National Reading Group Month
National Roller Skating Month
National Stamp Collecting Month
National Work and Family Month
Photographer Appreciation Month
Polish American Heritage Month
Self-Promotion Month
October is:
October origin (from Wikipedia): October is the tenth month of the year
in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with a
length of 31 days. The eighth month in the old Roman calendar, October
retained its name (from the Greek meaning 'eight') after January
and February were inserted into the calendar that had originally been
created by the Romans.
"
October is commonly associated with the season of autumn in the Northern
hemisphere and spring in the Southern hemisphere, where it is the seasonal
equivalent to April in the Northern hemisphere and vice versa.
October at Wikipedia: More
If you couldn't afford 90 cents for a movie ticket, 50 years ago,
or your 45 RPM record player was broke, you might watch one of these shows on TV.
From this Wikipedia article: More
Best selling books of 1966 More
Sites for downloading or reading free Public Domain eBooks. Available in various formats. More