<> Tomorrow's food holidays(s):
* 'Homemade Bread Day'.
- From Wikipedia (Bread):
'Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour and water, usually
by baking. Throughout recorded history it has been popular around the world
and is one of the oldest artificial foods, having been of importance since
the dawn of agriculture.
Proportions of types of flour and other ingredients vary widely, as do
modes of preparation. As a result, types, shapes, sizes, and textures of
breads differ around the world. Bread may be leavened by processes such as
reliance on naturally occurring sourdough microbes, chemicals, industrially
produced yeast, or high-pressure aeration. Some bread is cooked before it
can leaven, including for traditional or religious reasons. Non-cereal
ingredients such as fruits, nuts and fats may be included. Commercial bread
commonly contains additives to improve flavor, texture, color, shelf life,
and ease of manufacturing.
Bread is served in various forms with any meal of the day. It is eaten as a
snack, and used as an ingredient in other culinary preparations, such as
sandwiches, and fried items coated in bread crumbs to prevent sticking. It
forms the bland main component of bread pudding, as well as of stuffings
designed to fill cavities or retain juices that otherwise might drip out.
Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods. Evidence from 30,000 years ago
in Europe revealed starch residue on rocks used for pounding plants. It is
possible that during this time, starch extract from the roots of plants,
such as cattails and ferns, was spread on a flat rock, placed over a fire
and cooked into a primitive form of flatbread. Around 10,000 BC, with the
dawn of the Neolithic age and the spread of agriculture, grains became the
mainstay of making bread. Yeast spores are ubiquitous, including on the
surface of cereal grains, so any dough left to rest leavens naturally.
There were multiple sources of leavening available for early bread.
Airborne yeasts could be harnessed by leaving uncooked dough exposed to air
for some time before cooking. Pliny the Elder reported that the Gauls and
Iberians used the foam skimmed from beer to produce a lighter kind of bread
than other peoples. Parts of the ancient world that drank wine instead of
beer used a paste composed of grape juice and flour that was allowed to
begin fermenting, or wheat bran steeped in wine, as a source for yeast. The
most common source of leavening was to retain a piece of dough from the
previous day to use as a form of sourdough starter, as Pliny also reported.
In 1961 the Chorleywood bread process was developed, which used the intense
mechanical working of dough to dramatically reduce the fermentation period
and the time taken to produce a loaf. The process, whose high-energy mixing
allows for the use of lower protein grain, is now widely used around the
world in large factories. As a result, bread can be produced very quickly
and at low costs to the manufacturer and the consumer. However, there has
been some criticism of the effect on nutritional value'.
[The Hankster says] People spend hundreds for a fragrance, and it right in their kitchen. How does it go. A loaf of bread, a glass of tea and me. OK, it's close (1 out of 3 isn't bad).
* 'National Baklava Day'.
- From Wikipedia (Baklava):
'Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped
nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. It is
characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, and is also
found in Central and West Asia.
The word baklava is first attested in English in 1650, a borrowing from
Ottoman Turkish. The name baklava is used in many languages with minor
phonetic and spelling variations.
Although the history of baklava is not well documented, there is evidence
that its current form was developed in the imperial kitchens of the Topkapi
Palace in Istanbul. The Sultan presented trays of baklava to the
Janissaries every 15th of the month of Ramadan in a ceremonial procession
called the Baklava Alayi'.
[The Hankster says] A honey of a treat. OK, not original, but bee sweet and let it fly this time. Probably one of the better desserts. Honey is good for you and it is so sweet you can only eat a small piece.
<> Other holidays / celebrations
* 'Take A Hike Day'.
- From Wikipedia (Hiking):
'Hiking is the preferred term, in Canada and the United States, for a long,
vigorous walk, usually on trails (footpaths), in the countryside, while the
word walking is used for shorter, particularly urban walks. On the other
hand, in the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland, the word walking
is acceptable to describe all forms of walking, whether it is a walk in the
park or backpacking in the Alps. The word hiking is also often used in the
UK, along with rambling (a slightly old-fashioned term), hillwalking, and
fell walking (a term mostly used for hillwalking in northern England). In
New Zealand a long, vigorous walk or hike is called tramping. It is a
popular activity with numerous hiking organizations worldwide, and studies
suggest that all forms of walking have health benefits.
An early example of an interest in hiking in the United States, is Abel
Crawford and his son Ethan's clearing of a trail to the summit of Mount
Washington, New Hampshire in 1819. This 8.5 mile path is the oldest
continually used hiking trail in the United States. The influence of
British and European Romanticism reached North America through the
transcendentalist movement, and both Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) and
Henry David Thoreau (1817-62) were important influences on the outdoors
movement in North America. Thoreau's writing on nature and on walking
include the posthumously published Walking (1862) While an earlier essay A
Walk to Wachusett (1842) describes a four-day walking tour he took with a
companion from Concord, Massachusetts to the summit of Mount Wachusett,
Princeton, Massachusetts and back. In 1876 the Appalachian Mountain Club,
America’s earliest recreation organization, was founded to protect the
trails and mountains in the northeastern United States'.
[The Hankster says] No I will not take a... Oh, walking, never mind.
* 'National Unfriend Day'.
Social media unfriend parody day.
[The Hankster says] Well, if you have made it this far, I guess you haven't done so yet. Wait a minute, where did you go ..
* 'Electronic Greeting Card Day'.
- From Wikipedia (E-card):
'An E-card is similar to a postcard or greeting card, with the primary
difference being that it is created using digital media instead of paper or
other traditional materials. E-cards are made available by publishers
usually on various Internet sites, where they can be sent to a recipient,
usually via e-mail. It is also considered more environmentally friendly
compared to traditional paper cards. E-card businesses are considered
environmentally friendly because their carbon footprint is generally much
lower compared to paper card companies because paper is not used in the end
product.
E-cards are digital content, which makes them much more versatile than
traditional greeting cards. For example, unlike traditional greetings,
E-cards can be easily sent to many people at once or extensively
personalized by the sender. Conceivably they could be saved to any computer
or electronic device or even viewed on a television set, and digital video
E-cards have begun emerging.
Typically an E-card sender chooses from an on-line catalog of E-cards made
available on a publisher's web site. After selecting a card, the sender can
personalize it to various degrees by adding a message, photo, or video.
Finally the sender specifies the recipient's e-mail address and the web
site delivers an e-mail message to the recipient on behalf of the sender'.
[The Hankster says] Hello, Yes, that is my electronic greeting to you. No, I call it simple, not cheap.
* 'Great American Smokeout'.
Thursday Before Thanksgiving.
- From Wikipedia (Great American Smokeout):
'The Great American Smokeout is an annual intervention event on the third
Thursday of November by the American Cancer Society. Approximately 40
million American adults still smoke, and
tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and
premature death in the country. The event challenges people to quit for on
that day, or use the day to make a plan to quit.
The first Great American Smokeout was held in San Francisco's Union Square
on November 16, 1977. The event evolved from a series of smaller-scale
initiatives. In 1970, in Randolph, Massachusetts, Arthur P. Mullaney
suggested people give up cigarettes for a day and donate the money to a
local high school. In 1974, a Don't Smoke Day (or D-Day) was promoted by
Lynn R. Smith of the Monticello Times in Monticello, Minnesota. On November
18, 1976, the California Division of the American Cancer Society
successfully prompted nearly one million smokers to quit for the day. That
California event marked the first Smokeout.
The name has resulted in some confusion due to colloquial usage of the term
smokeout, which, (among other things), suggests an activity centered on a
large amount of solo or group smoking'.
<> Awareness / Observances:
o Health
* 'World Prematurity Day'. Begun in 2009, it is designated as WPD since
2011. Supported by the National Premmmie Foundation and other
organizations. It focuses on the global problem of preterm birth.
- From Wikipedia (World Prematurity Day):
'World Prematurity Day is observed on 17 November each year to raise
awareness of preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their
families worldwide. Approximately 15 million babies are born preterm each
year, accounting for about one in 10 of all babies born worldwide.
The first international awareness day for preterm birth on 17 November was
created by European parent organizations in 2008. It has been celebrated as
World Prematurity Day since 2011.
Parent groups, families, health professionals, politicians, hospitals,
organisations and other stakeholders involved in preterm birth observe this
day with media campaigns, local events and other activities conducted on
local, regional, national or international level to raise awareness among
the public. In 2013, WPD was celebrated in over 60 countries'.
* 'World Pancreatic Cancer Day'. . By Pancreatic Cancer Canada Foundation.
- From Wikipedia (Pancreatic cancer):
'Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ
behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These
cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. There
are a number of types of pancreatic cancer. The most common, pancreatic
adenocarcinoma, accounts for about 85% of cases, and the term pancreatic
cancer is sometimes used to refer only to that type. These adenocarcinomas
start within the part of the pancreas which makes digestive enzymes.
Several other types of cancer, which collectively represent the majority of
the non-adenocarcinomas, can also arise from these cells. 1-2% of cases of
pancreatic cancer are neuroendocrine tumors, which arise from the
hormone-producing cells of the pancreas. These are generally less
aggressive than pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Signs and symptoms of the most common form of pancreatic cancer may include
yellow skin, abdominal or back pain, unexplained weight loss, light-colored
stools, dark urine and loss of appetite. There are usually no symptoms in
the disease's early stages, and symptoms that are specific enough to
suggest pancreatic cancer typically do not develop until the disease has
reached an advanced stage. By the time of diagnosis, pancreatic cancer has
often spread to other parts of the body.
Pancreatic cancer rarely occurs before the age of 40, and more than half of
cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma occur in those over 70. Risk factors for
pancreatic cancer include tobacco smoking, obesity, diabetes, and certain
rare genetic conditions. About 25% of cases are linked to smoking, and
5–10% are linked to inherited genes. Pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed
by a combination of medical imaging techniques such as ultrasound or
computed tomography, blood tests, and examination of tissue samples
(biopsy). The disease is divided into stages, from early (stage I) to late
(stage IV). Screening the general population has not been found to be
effective.
The risk of developing pancreatic cancer is lower among non-smokers, and
people who maintain a healthy weight and limit their consumption of red or
processed meat. A smoker's chance of developing the disease decreases if
they stop smoking, and almost returns to that of the rest of the population
after 20 years. Pancreatic cancer can be treated with surgery,
radiotherapy, chemotherapy, palliative care, or a combination of these.
Treatment options are partly based on the cancer stage. Surgery is the only
treatment that can cure pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and may also be done to
improve quality of life without the potential for cure. Pain management and
medications to improve digestion are sometimes needed. Early palliative
care is recommended even for those receiving treatment that aims for a
cure.
In 2012, pancreatic cancers of all types were the seventh most common cause
of cancer deaths, resulting in 330,000 deaths globally. Pancreatic cancer
is the fifth most common cause of death from cancer in the United Kingdom,
and the fourth most common in the United States. The disease occurs most
often in the developed world, where about 70% of the new cases in 2012
originated. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma typically has a very poor prognosis:
after diagnosis, 25% of people survive one year and 5% live for five years.
For cancers diagnosed early, the five-year survival rate rises to about
20%. Neuroendocrine cancers have better outcomes at five years from
diagnosis, 65% of those diagnosed are living, though survival varies
considerably depending on the type of tumor'.
o Animal and Pet:
* 'Black Cat Day in Italy'. Since 2007 by the Italian Association for the
Protection of Animals and the Environment (AIDAA). In the U.S. a similar
day is held in October. In some countries, black cats are still shunned or
killed for superstitious reasons.
o Other:
* 'International Students' Day'.
- From Wikipedia (International Students' Day):
'International Students' Day is an international observance of student
community, held annually on November 17. Originally commemorating the Nazi
German storming of Czech universities in 1939 and the subsequent killing
and sending of students to concentration camps, a number of universities
now mark it, sometimes on a day other than November 17, for a nonpolitical
celebration of the multiculturalism of their international students.
The date commemorates the anniversary of the 1939 German Nazi storming of
the University of Prague after demonstrations against the killing of Jan
Opletal and worker Václav Sedlácek as well as against the German occupation
of Czechoslovakia. The German Nazis rounded up the students, murdered nine
student leaders and sent over 1,200 students to concentration camps (mainly
Sachsenhausen concentration camp). Subsequently, they closed all Czech
universities and colleges. By this time Czechoslovakia no longer existed,
as it was divided by the Nazi Germany into Protectorate of Bohemia and
Moravia and Slovak Republic with a puppet fascist government.
The 17th of November was first marked as International Students' Day in
1941 in London by the International Students' Council (which had many
refugee members) in agreement with the Allies, and the tradition has been
kept up by the successor International Union of Students, which together
with the National Unions of Students in Europe and other groups has been
lobbying to make the day an official United Nations observance'.
* 'World Philosophy Day'. A U.N. UNESCC observance on the third Thursday
in November.
- From Wikipedia (World Philosophy Day):
'World Philosophy Day was proclaimed by UNESCO to be celebrated every 3rd
Thursday of November. It was first celebrated on 21 November 2002.
By celebrating World Philosophy Day each year, on the third Thursday of
November, UNESCO underlines the enduring value of philosophy for the
development of human thought, for each culture and for each individual.
UNESCO has always been closely linked to philosophy, not speculative or
normative philosophy, but critical questioning which enables it to give
meaning to life and action in the international context.
In establishing World Philosophy Day in 2005, UNESCO’s General Conference
highlighted the importance of this discipline, especially for young people,
underlining that “philosophy is a discipline that encourages critical and
independent thought and is capable of working towards a better
understanding of the world and promoting tolerance and peace”. UNESCO's
General Conference was convinced that “the institutionalization of
Philosophy Day at UNESCO as ‘World Philosophy Day’ would win recognition
for and give strong impetus to philosophy and, in particular, to the
teaching of philosophy in the world”'.
<> Historical events on November 17
* 'In 1869, The Suez Canal opens connecting the Red Sea with the
Mediterranean Sea. .
- From Wikipedia: 'The Suez Canal (Egyptian Arabic: Kanat El Sewes) is an
artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to
the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. It was constructed by the Suez
Canal Company between 1859 and 1869. After 10 years of construction, it was
officially opened on November 17, 1869. The canal offers watercraft a
shorter journey between the North Atlantic and northern Indian oceans via
the Mediterranean and Red seas by avoiding the South Atlantic and southern
Indian oceans, in turn reducing the journey by approximately 7,000
kilometres (4,300 mi). It extends from the northern terminus of Port Said
to the southern terminus of Port Tewfik at the city of Suez. Its length is
193.30 km (120.11 mi), including its northern and southern access channels.
In 2012, 17,225 vessels traversed the canal (47 per day).
The canal is a single-lane waterway with passing locations in the Ballah
Bypass and the Great Bitter Lake. It contains no locks system, with
seawater flowing freely through it. In general, the canal north of the
Bitter Lakes flows north in winter and south in summer. South of the lakes,
the current changes with the tide at Suez.
The canal is owned and maintained by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) of
Egypt. Under the Convention of Constantinople, it may be used in time of
war as in time of peace, by every vessel of commerce or of war, without
distinction of flag.
In August 2014, construction was launched to expand and widen the Ballah
Bypass for 35 km (22 mi) to speed the canal's transit time. The expansion
was planned to double the capacity of the Suez Canal from 49 to 97 ships a
day. At a cost of $8.4 billion, this project was funded with
interest-bearing investment certificates issued exclusively to Egyptian
entities and individuals. The New Suez Canal, as the expansion was dubbed,
was opened with great fanfare in a ceremony on 6 August 2015. On 24
February 2016, the Suez Canal Authority officially opened the new side
channel. This side channel, located at the northern side of the east
extension of the Suez Canal, will serve East Terminal for berthing and
unberthing vessels from the terminal anytime of day and night. East
Container Terminal is located in the Suez Canal itself before constructing
the new side channel, as long as the Suez Canal convoy was running, there
was no chance for vessels to berth or unberth at East Terminal'.
* 'In 1933, The Marx brothers film 'Duck Soup' starring the Marx Brothers
is released in the U.S. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Duck Soup is a 1933 Marx Brothers anarchic comedy film
written by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, with additional dialogue by Arthur
Sheekman and Nat Perrin, and directed by Leo McCarey. First released
theatrically by Paramount Pictures on November 17, 1933, it starred what
were then billed as the Four Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and
Zeppo) and also featured Margaret Dumont, Raquel Torres, Louis Calhern and
Edgar Kennedy. It was the last Marx Brothers film to feature Zeppo, and the
last of five Marx Brothers movies released by Paramount.
Compared to the Marx Brothers' previous Paramount films, Duck Soup was a
box-office disappointment, although it was not a flop as is sometimes
reported. The film opened to mixed reviews, although this by itself did not
end the group's business with Paramount. Bitter contract disputes,
including a threatened walk-out by the Marxes, crippled relationships
between them and Paramount just as Duck Soup went into production. After
the film fulfilled their five-picture contract with the studio, the Marxes
and Paramount agreed to part ways.
While contemporaneous critics of Duck Soup felt it did not quite meet the
standards of its predecessors, critical opinion has evolved and the film
has since achieved the status of a classic. Duck Soup is now widely
considered among critics to be a masterpiece of comedy, and the Marx
Brothers' finest film.
In 1990 the United States Library of Congress deemed Duck Soup culturally,
historically, or aesthetically significant and selected it for preservation
in the National Film Registry'.
* 'In 1970, Douglas Engelbart gets a patent for the first computer mouse. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Douglas Carl Engelbart (January 30, 1925 – July 2, 2013)
was an American engineer and inventor, and an early computer and Internet
pioneer. He is best known for his work on founding the field of
human–computer interaction, particularly while at his Augmentation Research
Center Lab in SRI International, which resulted in the invention of the
computer mouse, and the development of hypertext, networked computers, and
precursors to graphical user interfaces. These were demonstrated at The
Mother of All Demos in 1968. Engelbart's Law, the observation that the
intrinsic rate of human performance is exponential, is named after him.
In the early 1950s, he decided that instead of having a steady job – such
as his position at NASA's Ames Research Center – he would focus on making
the world a better place. He reasoned that because the complexity of the
world's problems were increasing, and that any effort to improve the world
would require the coordination of groups of people, the most effective way
to solve problems was to augment human intelligence and develop ways of
building collective intelligence. He believed that the computer, which was
at the time thought of only as a tool for automation, would be an essential
tool for future knowledge workers to solve such problems. He was a
committed, vocal proponent of the development and use of computers and
computer networks to help cope with the world’s increasingly urgent and
complex problems. Engelbart embedded a set of organizing principles in his
lab, which he termed bootstrapping His belief was that when human systems
and tool systems were aligned, such that workers spent time improving their
tools for improving their tools it would lead to an accelerating rate of
progress.
Engelbart applied for a patent in 1967 and received it in 1970, for the
wooden shell with two metal wheels (computer mouse – U.S. Patent
3,541,541), which he had developed with Bill English, his lead engineer, a
few years earlier. In the patent application it is described as an X-Y
position indicator for a display system Engelbart later revealed that it
was nicknamed the mouse because the tail came out the end. His group also
called the on-screen cursor a bug, but this term was not widely adopted.
He never received any royalties for his mouse invention. During an
interview, he said SRI patented the mouse, but they really had no idea of
its value. Some years later it was learned that they had licensed it to
Apple Computer for something like $40,000. Engelbart showcased the chorded
keyboard and many more of his and ARC's inventions in 1968 at The Mother of
All Demos'.
* 'In 1967, Surveyor 6 becomes the first man-made object to lift off the
Moon. It went up 12 feet and successfully lands again. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Surveyor 6 was the sixth lunar lander of the American
unmanned Surveyor program that reached the surface of the Moon. Surveyor 6
landed on the Sinus Medii. A total of 30,027 images were transmitted to
Earth.
This spacecraft was the fourth of the Surveyor series to successfully
achieve a soft landing on the moon, obtain post landing television
pictures, determine the abundance of the chemical elements in the lunar
soil, obtain touchdown dynamics data, obtain thermal and radar reflectivity
data, and conduct a Vernier engine erosion experiment. Virtually identical
to Surveyor 5, this spacecraft carried a television camera, a small bar
magnet attached to one footpad, and an alpha-scattering instrument as well
as the necessary engineering equipment. It landed on November 10, 1967, in
Sinus Medii, 0.49 deg in latitude and 1.40 deg w longitude (selenographic
coordinates)–the center of the moon's visible hemisphere. The spacecraft
accomplished all planned objectives. The successful completion of this
mission satisfied the Surveyor program's obligation to the Apollo project.
On November 24, 1967, the spacecraft was shut down for the two-week lunar
night. Contact was made on December 14, 1967, but no useful data was
obtained.
Lunar soil surveys were completed using photographic and alpha particle
backscattering methods. A similar instrument, the APXS, was used onboard
several Mars missions.
In a further test of space technology, Surveyor 6's engines were restarted
and burned for 2.5 seconds in the first lunar liftoff on November 17 at
10:32 UTC. This created 150 lbf (700 N) of thrust and lifted the vehicle 12
feet (4 m) from the lunar surface. After moving west 8 feet, (2.5 m) the
spacecraft once again successfully soft landed and continued functioning as
designed'.
* 'In 1970, The Soviet Union lands Lunokhod 1 on Mare Imbrium (Sea of
Rains) on the Moon. This is the first roving remote-controlled robot to
land on another world and is released by the orbiting Luna 17 spacecraft. .
No. 1 song
Top movie
Monthly holiday / awareness days in November
Food
Banana Pudding Lovers Month
Diabetic Eye Disease Month
Epilepsy Awareness Month
Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month
National Georgia Pecan Month
National Peanut Butter Lovers Month
National Pomegranate Month
Health
American and National Diabetes Month
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
MADD's Tie One On For Safety Holiday Campaign
National PPSI AIDS Awareness Month
National Alzheimer's Disease Month
National COPD Month
National Diabetes Month
National Family Caregivers Month
National Healthy Skin Month
National Home Care and Hospice Month
National Impotency Month
National Long-term Care Awareness Month
National PPSI Aids Awareness Month
NET Cancer Awareness Month
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
Stomach Cancer Awareness Month
Vegan Month
Animal and Pet
Adopt A Senior Pet Month
Adopt A Turkey Month
Manatee Awareness Month
National Pet Cancer Awareness Month
Pet Diabetes Month
Other
American Indian Heritage Month
Aviation History Month
Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month
Family Stories Month
Historic Bridge Awareness Month
Military Family Appreciation Month
National Entrepreneurship Month
National Inspirational Role Models Month
National Memoir Writing Month
National Native American Heritage Month
National Family Literacy Month
National Novel Writing Month
National Runaway Prevention Month
National Scholarship Month
Picture Book Month
November is:
November origin (from Wikipedia): 'November is the eleventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian
Calendars and one of four months with the length of 30 days. November was
the ninth month of the ancient Roman calendar. November retained its name
(from the Latin novem meaning 'nine') when January and February were added
to the Roman calendar.
'
'November is a month of spring in the Southern Hemisphere and autumn in
the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, November in the Southern Hemisphere
is the seasonal equivalent of May in the Northern Hemisphere and vice
versa.'
November 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