December 15, 2016

Daily Holidays - December 15

National Lemon Cupcake Day On December 15th, it’s time to pay special attention to cupcakes – one specific type, in fact. Lemon is a favorite flavor in the cake and sweets world, and this day is the perfect excuse to enjoy a sweet treat with that distinctive citrus twang. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/lemon-cupcake-day/

Re-Gifting Day Re-gifting day was mostly seen as an office holiday before October 24th 2008, which was the day that the state of Colorado declared December 18th as “National Re-gifting Day”. The origin of the holiday came from office workers who were given gifts that they didn’t really want, but didn’t want to throw away, so they re-gifted their present to someone who would want it and make good use of it. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/regifting-day/

Bill of Rights Day https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/12/14/presidential-proclamation-bill-rights-day-2016

Cat Herders Day You’ve probably heard the saying that something is as impossible as “herding cats,” used in reference to a seemingly futile or difficult task. Granted, if you have actually attempted to literally herd a bunch of cats for some reason or the other, you would know exactly how impossible this task actually is. All of that said, as far as we know, there’s no one out there who’s actually a professional cat herder. If there were, this day would actually be for those folks. This is a day for everyone who has to face the frustration of trying to manage the unmanageable, anyone whose day to day life involves insurmountable tasks. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/cat-herders-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/december15.html

December 14, 2016

He was minutes from retirement. But first, he blasted his bosses in a company-wide email.

After 35 years on the job, Michael Stuban was minutes away from retiring from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

Only one thing stood in his way: emailing his exit questionnaire to the Human Resources Department.

Stuban had already decided to use the questionnaire to get a few things off his chest, penning a brutally frank assessment of his colleagues and bosses and how they functioned inside the state-run agency.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2016/12/12/he-was-minutes-from-retirement-but-first-he-blasted-his-bosses-in-a-company-wide-email/?utm_term=.50b6bcc85e7f

December 14, 2016

A How-To in Solidarity: Teacher Takes Turkeys to Teamsters

What can you do to help your brothers and sisters when they’re on strike or locked out?

You might follow the example of Head Start teacher Jonathan Dudley. When Aubuchon Hardware locked out 60 workers in the town next door, he sprang into action and raised $1,830—enough to buy each worker a Thanksgiving turkey.

Aubuchon, a regional chain with 120 stores throughout New England, locked the warehouse workers and truck drivers out of its Westminster distribution center on November 8. The boss, fourth-generation owner Will Aubuchon, claims they struck.

Following what Teamsters Local 170 believed was a final negotiation session, Aubuchon had tried to slip language into the contract to make it easier to outsource distribution center work to a low-wage subcontractor in West Virginia. The union filed a bad-faith bargaining charge with the National Labor Relations Board.

http://labornotes.org/blogs/2016/12/how-solidarity-teacher-takes-turkeys-teamsters

December 14, 2016

Daily Holidays - December 14

National Bouillabaisse Day A bouillabaisse is a fish stew or soup dish, which originally came from France – as the name might suggest. The meal appears to have its origins in the port city of Marseilles, and traditionally it was made using rockfish and fennel seeds. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/bouillabaisse-day/

Monkey Day Monkeys are interesting creatures – cute, mischievous, and sometimes downright obnoxious (anyone who disagrees has obviously never had their laundry torn down by a family of primates when it’s hanging to dry). Many species of primates are also endangered, and then there are questions of animal rights and the usage of primates in medical research. That’s why there’s Monkey Day, a day that’s been dedicated to raising awareness about non-human primates. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/monkey-day/

Roast Chestnut Day In the chill of December, there’s one warming treat that is especially popular across the world to keep the cold away. Roasted chestnuts are often seen this time of year being cooked by street vendors, and the earthy, spicy scent is more than enough to get anyone into the Christmas spirit. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/roast-chestnuts-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/december14.html

December 13, 2016

RTW, other anti-union measures pre-filed in Missouri legislature

As expected, “right-to-work” has reared its ugly head in the Missouri legislature, along with a host of anti-worker legislation designed to cripple unions and lower wages.

Missouri Gov.-elect Eric Greitens has said passing “right-to-work” is one of his top priorities.

The “right-to-work” effort is being led in the House by Rep. Holly Rehder (R-Sikeston). Her bill (HB 91) would make it a class C misdemeanor for employers and unions to negotiate a contract requiring members of a bargaining unit to pay dues for service the union must provide under federal law.

A bill identical to Rehder’s (SB 19) has been pre-filed in the Senate by Sen. Dan Brown (R-Rolla). A similar right-to-work bill (HB 42) is being sponsored by Rep. Bill White (R-Joplin).

http://labortribune.com/rtw-other-anti-union-measures-pre-filed-in-missouri-legislature/

December 13, 2016

RTW, other anti-union measures pre-filed in Missouri legislature

As expected, “right-to-work” has reared its ugly head in the Missouri legislature, along with a host of anti-worker legislation designed to cripple unions and lower wages.

Missouri Gov.-elect Eric Greitens has said passing “right-to-work” is one of his top priorities.

The “right-to-work” effort is being led in the House by Rep. Holly Rehder (R-Sikeston). Her bill (HB 91) would make it a class C misdemeanor for employers and unions to negotiate a contract requiring members of a bargaining unit to pay dues for service the union must provide under federal law.

A bill identical to Rehder’s (SB 19) has been pre-filed in the Senate by Sen. Dan Brown (R-Rolla). A similar right-to-work bill (HB 42) is being sponsored by Rep. Bill White (R-Joplin).

http://labortribune.com/rtw-other-anti-union-measures-pre-filed-in-missouri-legislature/

December 13, 2016

Daily Holiday - December 13

Violin Day The violin is easily the most popular bowed string instrument across the world, and we’re really not all that surprised to see that the violin does in fact have a day dedicated to its existence. After all, everything from Western and Indian classical music to bluegrass and jazz would be unimaginable today without the violin. It’s quite possibly the most versatile instrument in the world in terms of repertoire, and that’s why there’s a Violin Day to celebrate it! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/violin-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/december13.html

December 12, 2016

Daily Holidays - December 12

Gingerbread House Day Gingerbread House Day should be a social event, and be used as something that engages children and adults alike. Children and parents can make a gingerbread house together and then, later, the gingerbread houses can be eaten at a party especially laid on for the occasion. Alternatively, a giant gingerbread house can be created by several people, with guests invited to decorate it with icing sugar or sweets. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/gingerbread-house-day/

Poinsettia Day a day to celebrate the ever popular red flower used around the Christmas holiday season. When looking at a Poinsettia, all we can think of is “The Poinsettia is to Christmas like a pumpkin is to Halloween” But where is the Poinsettia from, and how did it become a Christmas staple? That’s why we’re here to find out what Poinsettia Day is all about! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/poinsettia-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/december12.html

December 11, 2016

Daily Holidays - December 11

National Noodle Ring Day Because of their striking look and simplicity, noodle rings have been a favorite of dinner parties for generations. Even though they aren’t difficult to make, noodle rings can easily take up the centerpiece of any dinner table. They can be a great treat for vegetarians but work well with chicken and sauce too – the possibilities are endless. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/noodle-ring-day/

World Choral Day If there is one thing that has the ability to unify the world it’s music. Throughout the centuries it has had the power to bring people together from many different cultural backgrounds, enhancing peace and social togetherness. Music helps people to bond in many different ways, from making friends at different musical concerts, to allowing adults and children to dance and have fun in their own homes. If there is an aspect of talent that can be said to be universally wonderful, it’s to be musically inclined. There are no words that can describe how powerful music can really be when shared in the cause of peace and togetherness. World Choral Day is dedicated to those very principles, a world-wide goal to bring peace and harmony through the musical arts. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-choral-day/

International Mountain Day Towering, majestic, and beautiful. Mountains are some of the most beautiful of nature’s structures, stolid and regal they stand against the sky, of such a size that they can catch entire countryside’s in their shadow, and turn back the ravages of storms against their unflinching sides. They are the source of recreation and resource, with snow covered sides providing ski slopes to enthusiasts, and minerals in abundance to those brave enough to delve into their stony sides. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/mountain-day/

Worldwide Candle Lighting Day For hundreds of years, lighting a candle has been a way to show respect for those that have died. This beautiful gesture shows that although someone may be gone from this world, their memory will endure, and the light of their flame will continue to inspire and guide others. Worldwide Candle Lighting Day is a celebration of solidarity and memory. It’s a day on which people around the world gather to light candles for children who have died and to show that they will always be loved and never forgotten. The candles are lit at the same time in every time zone, meaning that a consistent warm glow passes around the planet for a full 24-hour day. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/worldwide-candle-lighting-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/december11.html

December 10, 2016

Daily Holidays -December 10

Human Rights Day was established in 1948, and ever since that auspicious day it has stood as the first major stride forward in ensuring that the rights of every human across the globe are protected. From the most basic human needs such as food, shelter, and water, all the way up to access to free and uncensored information, such has been the goals and ambitions laid out that day. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/human-rights-day/

Gingerbread Decorating Day Gingerbread is though to have been brought to Europe by an Armenian monk named Gregory of Nicopolis in the 10th century who had brought the necessary spices back from the Middle East, and then taught the art of gingerbread making, what with the spices and the molasses, to French Christians until his death. Gingerbread then made its way around Europe–in the 13th century, it made its way to Sweden, where it was baked by nuns to help soothe indigestion. There, it slowly became popular to paint the cookies and use them as window decorations as well. The 13th century also saw gingerbread make its debut in the city of Toruń in Poland, where the honey supplied by the local villages made the cookies especially delicious. To this day Pierniki Toruńskie, as they are known in Poland, are an icon of Poland’s national cuisine. From the 17th century onwards, gingerbread was sold in monasteries and pharmacies in England, where it was thought to have medicinal properties, and gingerbread became the symbol of the town of Market Drayton, which was particularly known for it. In the play, “Love’s Labour’s Lost”, Shakepeare himself wrote, “And I had but one penny in the world, thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread.” In 1875, the gingerbread man was first introduced to holiday traditions through a fairytale published in St. Nicholas magazine, where he was depicted as a holiday treat that was eventually eaten by a hungry fox. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/gingerbread-decorating-day/

International Shareware Day Of all of the underdogs and unsung heroes of our generation, computer programmers might be the most unsung of all. Spending hours upon hours in front of their computers daily, looking at screens of line of seemingly random letters, numbers and commands, they spend their lives making our lives better and rarely, if ever, get any sort of recognition for it. You may not think of it this way, but almost every little thing that you use in your 21st century life is operated by some sort of computer chip running on some sort of computer program that one or more computer programmers spent days on to make sure it worked so it could make your life easier. The electric windows in your car you can’t remember what life what like before, the blender you use so religiously to make all of your healthy shakes every single day, and that smartphone taxi app that prevents you from getting ripped off every time you come back from a party–these are all based on more or less complicated computer programs that people do their best to avoid paying for, thus stifling the programmers’ efforts. All in all, I think we can agree that International Shareware Day, a day dedicated to the programmers typing their lives away to make yours easier, is a day that needed to happen. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/international-shareware-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/december10.html