<> Tomorrow's food holidays(s):
* 'National Sachertorte Day'. It was created by Austrian Franz Sacher in
1832. It's a very fancy chocolate torte.
- From Wikipedia (Sachertorte):
'Sachertorte is a specific type of chocolate cake, or torte, invented by
Austrian Franz Sacher in 1832 for Prince Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna,
Austria. It is one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties. 5
December is National Sachertorte Day.
Recipes similar to that of the Sachertorte appeared as early as the 18th
century, one instance being in the 1718 cookbook of Conrad Hagger, another
individual represented in Gartler-Hickmann's 1749 Tried and True Viennese
Cookbook (Wienerisches bewährtes Kochbuch).
In 1832, Prince Wenzel von Metternich charged his personal chef with
creating a special dessert for several important guests. The head chef,
having taken ill, let the task fall to his sixteen-year-old apprentice,
Franz Sacher, then in his second year of training in Metternich's kitchen.
The Prince is reported to have declared, Let there be no shame on me
tonight! While the torte created by Sacher on this occasion is said to have
delighted Metternich's guests, the dessert received no immediate further
attention. Sacher completed his training as a chef and afterward spent time
in Bratislava (Pressburg) and Budapest, ultimately settling in his hometown
of Vienna, where he opened a specialty delicatessen and wine shop.
Sacher's eldest son Eduard carried on his father's culinary legacy,
completing his own training in Vienna with the Royal and Imperial Pastry
Chef at the Demel bakery and chocolatier, during which time he perfected
his father's recipe and developed the torte into its current form. The cake
was first served at the Demel and later at the Hotel Sacher, established by
Eduard in 1876. Since then, the cake remains among the most famous of
Vienna's culinary specialties'.
[The Hankster says] Funny name, but familiar ingredients. I'll take 6, 7 or a dozen or so and a tall glass of cold milk.
<> Other holidays / celebrations
* 'Day of the Ninja'.
Created in 2003 by parody website Ninja Burger. The date is that of the
release of the movie, The Last Samurai.
- From Wikipedia (Ninja Burger):
'Ninja Burger is a parody website started in late 1999, purporting that a
sect of noble ninja have taken to secretly delivering fast food meals,
anywhere, anytime, within 30 minutes or less. Failure to deliver within the
ascribed time limit results in Seppuku. Some of Ninja Burger's rivals
include Pirate Pizza, Otaku Bell and Samurai Burger. The site riffs on many
of the same points as Real Ultimate Power, another ninja parody website.
Ninja Burger became well known after appearing on and becoming an affiliate
of Fark.com, and soon after it was turned into a role-playing game. The
site has also spawned a series of comic strips, several short films, a
second role-playing game, a card game, a multimedia CD, and a book. On
March 9, 2003, portions of a commercial for the website aired on the Food
Network the full version of this commercial is now available on YouTube.
In 2003, the creators of Ninja Burger declared that December 5 would be
celebrated as Day of the Ninja. On this day, people are encouraged to dress
as ninja, engage in ninja-related activities, and spread information on
ninja online. December 5 was originally chosen because December 5, 2003
marked the release of Tom Cruise's film The Last Samurai (which featured a
scene where samurai battled ninja). Since then the focus has shifted
towards the more familiar Pirates versus Ninjas conflict, and the day has
served as a virtual counterpoint to International Talk Like a Pirate Day'.
[The Hankster says] I ain't opening the door to anyone dressed in black with star shaped things in their free hand. Pizza cutters are round.
<> Awareness / Observances:
o Other:
* 'International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development'. A U.N.
volunteer recognition and promotion day, since 1985.
- From Wikipedia (International Volunteer Day):
'International Volunteer Day (IVD) (originally and still known as
International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development) (December
5) is an international observance designated by the United Nations since
1985. It offers an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual
volunteers to make their contributions visible - at local, national and
international levels - to the achievement of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs).
The International Volunteer Day is marked by many non-governmental
organizations, including Red Cross, scouts and others. It is also marked
and supported by United Nations Volunteers.
Apart from mobilising thousands of volunteers every year, the United
Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme works closely with partners and
governments to establish national volunteer programmes to create structures
that foster and sustain local volunteerism in countries. Through the Online
Volunteering service volunteers can take action for sustainable human
development by supporting the activities of development organizations over
the Internet.
The main focus of IVD 2014 is not only celebrate volunteerism in all its
facets – but also pay special tribute to people’s participation in making a
difference locally, nationally and globally. IVD 2014 highlights the
contribution of volunteers in engaging people from the grass-roots in
decision-making processes, ultimately creating space for participation that
leads to: stronger governance, social cohesion, peace, love and sustainable
development'.
* 'World Soil Day'. Since 2002 by the Union of Soil Sciences. It was
adopted by the contribute to the special year'.
- From Wikipedia (International Year of Soil):
'The International Year of Soils, 2015 (IYS 2015) was declared by the
Sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly on December
20th, 2013 after recognizing December 5th as World Soil Day.
The purpose of the IYS is to raise awareness worldwide of the importance of
soils for food security, agriculture, as well as in mitigation of climate
change, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development.
A website, logo and activities for The International Year of Soil have been
planned by an organization called The Global Soil Partnership. Agricultural
and environmental organizations around the world have planned local events
to U.N. in 2013.
<> Historical events on December 5
* 'In 1848, President Polk triggers the Gold Rush of 1849 by confirming the
discovery of gold in California. .
- From Wikipedia: 'The California Gold Rush began at Sutter's Mill, near
Coloma. On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall, a foreman working for
Sacramento pioneer John Sutter, found shiny metal in the tailrace of a
lumber mill Marshall was building for Sutter on the American River.
Marshall brought what he found to John Sutter, and the two privately tested
the metal. After the tests showed that it was gold, Sutter expressed
dismay: he wanted to keep the news quiet because he feared what would
happen to his plans for an agricultural empire if there were a mass search
for gold.
However, rumors soon started to spread and were confirmed in March 1848 by
San Francisco newspaper publisher and merchant Samuel Brannan. The most
famous quote of the California Gold Rush was by Brannan after he had
hurriedly set up a store to sell gold prospecting supplies, Brannan strode
through the streets of San Francisco, holding aloft a vial of gold,
shouting Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River!
On August 19, 1848, the New York Herald was the first major newspaper on
the East Coast to report the discovery of gold. On December 5, 1848,
President James Polk confirmed the discovery of gold in an address to
Congress. Soon, waves of immigrants from around the world, later called the
forty-niners, invaded the Gold Country of California or Mother Lode As
Sutter had feared, he was ruined his workers left in search of gold, and
squatters took over his land and stole his crops and cattle.
San Francisco had been a tiny settlement before the rush began. When
residents learned about the discovery, it at first became a ghost town of
abandoned ships and businesses, but then boomed as merchants and new people
arrived. The population of San Francisco exploded from perhaps about 1,000
in 1848 to 25,000 full-time residents by 1850. Miners lived in tents, wood
shanties, or deck cabins removed from abandoned ships'.
* 'In 1876, Daniel Stillson patents the first adjustable pipe wrench. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Daniel Chapman Stillson (March 25, 1826 - August 23,
1899) was an American inventor. He invented the modern adjustable pipe
wrench.
He was a machinist during the American Civil War and served on David
Glasgow Farragut's first voyage as a vice admiral. At the end of the Civil
War, Stillson returned to Charlestown, Massachusetts, and eventually he
moved to Somerville, Massachusetts. He then worked as a machinist at the J.
J. Walworth Company in the Cambridgeport section of Cambridge,
Massachusetts. While at the J. J. Walworth Company, he developed his pipe
wrench. On September 13, 1870, he was issued his patent. Stillson was paid
about $80,000 in royalties during his lifetime.
He died on August 23, 1899, and is buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery in
Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts'.
* 'In 1893, The first appearance of an electric car is made in Canada by
William Still. It ran about 15 miles on a charge. Better performance and
distance gasoline powered autos greatly reduced it's popularity. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Electric vehicles first appeared in the mid-19th
century. An electric vehicle held the vehicular land speed record until
around 1900. The high cost, low top speed, and short range of battery
electric vehicles, compared to later internal combustion engine vehicles,
led to a worldwide decline in their use although electric vehicles have
continued to be used in the form of electric trains and other niche uses.
At the beginning of the 21st century, interest in electric and other
alternative fuel vehicles has increased due to growing concern over the
problems associated with hydrocarbon-fueled vehicles, including damage to
the environment caused by their emissions, and the sustainability of the
current hydrocarbon-based transportation infrastructure as well as
improvements in electric vehicle technology. Since 2010, combined sales of
all-electric cars and utility vans achieved 1 million units delivered
globally in September 2016.
The invention of the first model electric vehicle is attributed to various
people. In 1828, Ányos Jedlik, a Hungarian who invented an early type of
electric motor, created a small model car powered by his new motor. In
1834, Vermont blacksmith Thomas Davenport built a similar contraption which
operated on a short, circular, electrified track. In 1835, Professor
Sibrandus Stratingh of Groningen, the Netherlands and his assistant
Christopher Becker created a small-scale electrical car, powered by
non-rechargeable primary cells. Electric locomotives
The first known electric car was built in 1837 by chemist Robert Davidson
of Aberdeen. It was powered by galvanic cells (batteries). Davidson later
built a larger locomotive named Galvani, exhibited at the Royal Scottish
Society of Arts Exhibition in 1841. The seven-ton vehicle had two
direct-drive reluctance motors, with fixed electromagnets acting on iron
bars attached to a wooden cylinder on each axle, and simple commutators. It
hauled a load of six tons at four miles per hour for a distance of one and
a half miles. It was tested on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway in
September of the following year, but the limited power from batteries
prevented its general use. It was destroyed by railway workers, who saw it
as a threat to their security of employment.
Between 1832 and 1839, British inventor Robert Anderson also invented a
crude electrical carriage. A patent for the use of rails as conductors of
electric current was granted in England in 1840, and similar patents were
issued to Lilley and Colten in the United States in 1847.
Rechargeable batteries that provided a viable means for storing electricity
on board a vehicle did not come into being until 1859, with the invention
of the lead–acid battery by French physicist Gaston Planté. Camille
Alphonse Faure, another French scientist, significantly improved the design
of the battery in 1881 his improvements greatly increased the capacity of
such batteries and led directly to their manufacture on an industrial
scale.
An early electric-powered two-wheel cycle was put on display at the 1867
World Exposition in Paris by the Austrian inventor Franz Kravogl, but it
was regarded as a curiosity and could not drive reliably in the street.
Another cycle, this time with three wheels, was tested along a Paris street
in April 1881 by French inventor Gustave Trouvé
nglish inventor Thomas Parker, who was responsible for innovations such as
electrifying the London Underground, overhead tramways in Liverpool and
Birmingham, and the smokeless fuel coalite, built the first production
electric car in London in 1884, using his own specially designed
high-capacity rechargeable batteries. Parker's long-held interest in the
construction of more fuel-efficient vehicles led him to experiment with
electric vehicles. He also may have been concerned about the malign effects
smoke and pollution were having in London.
Production of the car was in the hands of the Elwell-Parker Company,
established in 1882 for the construction and sale of electric trams. The
company merged with other rivals in 1888 to form the Electric Construction
Corporation this company had a virtual monopoly on the British electric car
market in the 1890s. The company manufactured the first electric 'dog cart'
in 1896. Flocken Elektrowagen, 1888 (reconstruction, 2011) German electric
car, 1904, with the chauffeur on top
France and the United Kingdom were the first nations to support the
widespread development of electric vehicles. The first electric car in
Germany was built by the engineer Andreas Flocken in 1888.
The first American electric car was developed in 1890-91 by William
Morrison of Des Moines, Iowa the vehicle was a six-passenger wagon capable
of reaching a speed of 14 miles per hour (23 km/h). It was not until 1895
that Americans began to devote attention to electric vehicles, after A.L.
Ryker introduced the first electric tricycles to the U.S., by that point,
Europeans had been making use of electric tricycles, bicycles, and cars for
almost 15 years'.
* 'In 1908, The University of Pittsburgh is the first to have used uniform
numbers in a football game. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Uniform numbers in American football are unusual
compared to those in other sports. They are displayed in more locations on
the uniform they are universally worn on both the front and back of the
jersey and in many cases TV numbers are displayed on either the jersey
sleeves, the shoulder pad, or occasionally on the helmets. The numbers on
the front and back of the jersey also are very large, covering most of the
jersey. More important, certain numbers may only be worn by players playing
specific positions thus, the jersey numbers assist the officials in
determining possible rules infractions by players.
Under current rules in all three of the most prominent levels of American
football (high school football, college football and professional
football), all players must wear a number between 1 and 99, and no two
players may wear the same number on the field at the same time. In the
past, players have used the numbers 0, 00 and in two special cases 100. (0
and 00 are still allowed and used in Canadian football.) Those who wear
numbers between 50 and 79 are, by rule, prohibited from catching or
touching forward passes if their team is in possession of the ball, unless
explicitly indicated to the referee during a Tackle-eligible play. Other
than this, the correspondence between jersey numbers and player positions
is largely an issue of semantics.
The National Football League numbering system dates from a large scale
change of their rules in 1973, subsequently amended in various minor ways.
As of 2015, players are generally required to wear numbers within ranges
based on their positions ...'
* 'In 1951, The police drama TV show 'Dragnet', premieres. It starred Jack
Webb Ben Alexander, Harry Morgan. The number of episodes were: 314 (radio
1949-1957), 276 (TV 1951–1959), 98 (TV 1967–1970), 52 (TV 1989–1991), 22
(TV 2003–2004), 762 (total). .
- From Wikipedia: 'Dragnet was an American radio, television and motion
picture series, enacting the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police
detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name
from the police term dragnet, meaning a system of coordinated measures for
apprehending criminals or suspects.
Dragnet is perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural drama
in media history. The series gave audience members a feel for the danger
and heroism of police work. Dragnet earned praise for improving the public
opinion of police officers.
Actor and producer Jack Webb's aims in Dragnet were for realism and
unpretentious acting he achieved both goals, and Dragnet remains a key
influence on subsequent police dramas in many media.
The show's cultural impact is such that after five decades, elements of
Dragnet are familiar to those who have never seen or heard the program:
The ominous, four-note introduction to the brass and tympani theme music
(titled Danger Ahead) is instantly recognizable (though its origins date to
Miklós Rózsa's score for the 1946 film version of The Killers).
Another Dragnet trademark is the show's opening narration: Ladies and
gentlemen: the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have
been changed to protect the innocent. This underwent minor revisions over
time. The only and ladies and gentlemen were dropped at some point, and for
the television version hear was changed to see Variations on this narration
have been featured in subsequent crime dramas, and in parodies of the
dramas (e.g. Only the facts have been changed to protect the guilty)'.
* 'In 1955, The American Federation of Labor merges with the Congress of
Industrial Organizations, to form the AFL-CIO. .
- From Wikipedia: 'The American Federation of Labor and Congress of
Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is a national trade union center and the
largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of
fifty-six national and international unions, together representing more
than 12 million active and retired workers. The AFL–CIO engages in
substantial political spending and activism.
The AFL–CIO was formed in 1955 when the AFL and the CIO merged after a long
estrangement. Membership in the union peaked in 1979, when the AFL–CIO had
nearly twenty million members. From 1955 until 2005, the AFL–CIO's member
unions represented nearly all unionized workers in the United States.
Several large unions split away from AFL–CIO and formed the rival Change to
Win Federation in 2005, although a number of those unions have since
re-affiliated. The largest union currently in the AFL–CIO is the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), with
approximately 1.4 million members'.
* 'In 1973, Monty Python's final episode airs on BBC. It starred Graham
Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin,
With, Carol Cleveland, Ian Davidson, Connie Booth. It ran for for 4
seasons, 45 ep. from December 5,, 1969..
- From Wikipedia: 'Monty Python’s Flying Circus (known during the final
series as just Monty Python) is a British sketch comedy series created by
the comedy group Monty Python and broadcast by the BBC from 1969 to 1974.
The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour,
sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines. It also featured
animations by group member Terry Gilliam, often sequenced or merged with
live action. The first episode was recorded on 7 September and premiered on
5 October 1969 on BBC One, with 45 episodes airing over four series from
1969 to 1974, plus two episodes for German TV.
The show often targets the idiosyncrasies of British life, especially that
of professionals, and is at times politically charged. The members of Monty
Python were highly educated. Terry Jones and Michael Palin are Oxford
University graduates Eric Idle, John Cleese, and Graham Chapman attended
Cambridge University and American-born member Gilliam is an Occidental
College graduate. Their comedy is often pointedly intellectual, with
numerous erudite references to philosophers and literary figures. The
series followed and elaborated upon the style used by Spike Milligan in his
ground breaking series Q5, rather than the traditional sketch show format.
The team intended their humour to be impossible to categorise, and
succeeded so completely that the adjective Pythonesque was invented to
define it and, later, similar material.
The Pythons play the majority of the series characters themselves,
including the majority of the female characters, but occasionally they cast
an extra actor. Regular supporting cast members include Carol Cleveland
(referred to by the team as the unofficial Seventh Python), Connie Booth
(Cleese's first wife), series Producer Ian MacNaughton, Ian Davidson, Neil
Innes (in the fourth series), and Fred Tomlinson and the Fred Tomlinson
Singers (for musical numbers).
The series' theme tune is the first segment of John Philip Sousa's The
Liberty Bell, as played by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, and chosen
because it was in the public domain and thus could be used without charge'.
No. 1 song
Top movie
Monthly holiday / awareness days in December
Food
Buckwheat Month
Worldwide Food Service Safety Month
Health
Aids Awareness Month
National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month
National Impaired Driving Prevention Month
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
Animal and Pet
Operation Santa Paws
Other
National Tie Month
National Write A Business Plan Month
Universal Human Rights Month
Youngsters on The Air Month
December is:
December origin (from Wikipedia): '
December gets its name from the Latin word decem (meaning ten) because it was originally the tenth month of the year in the Roman calendar, which began in March. The winter days following December were not included as part of any month. Later, the months of January and February were created out of the monthless period and added to the beginning of the calendar, but December retained its name.
'
'
December is the first month of meteorological winter in the Northern
Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, December is the seasonal equivalent
to June in the Northern hemisphere, which is the first month of summer. D
ecember is the month with the shortest daylight hours of the year in the
Northern Hemisphere and the longest daylight hours of the year in the
Southern Hemisphere.
'
December 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
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Sites for downloading or reading free Public Domain eBooks. Available in various formats. More