Your Morning Man - along with Jen
Getting you up and off to work and school, starting your day with the morning show! Of course co-hosting with Jen! Feel free to Email me: brian@literock973.comr or you can find me on AIM - brianliterock973
Epiphany. Traditionally, the date the three wise men visited the baby Jesus (also known as Three Kings Day).
National “Smith” Day - Smith Day commemorates the Jan. 6, 1580, birthday of Captain John Smith, the English colonial leader who helped to settle Jamestown, Va., in 1607. Depending upon which history source you consult, Jan. 6 may also be the birthday of mountain man and explorer Jedediah Smith, who blazed trails across the West.
Bean Day
Cuddle Up Day
1994 - 15 years ago that somebody ran out of the audience in Detroit and clubbed skater Nancy kerrigan with an iron bar. The guy was later linked to skater Tonya Harding.
1997 - 12 years ago Matt Lauer replaced Bryant Gumbel on Today.
1838 - Samuel Morse introduced his “magic” telegraph machine to the public in Morristown, NJ.
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Today is Twelfth Night, and wassail is traditionally enjoyed. What the heck is that? Find our here!
And from the Old Farmers Almanac, here’s a great recipie for Light Wassail
Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings.
(Rum sometimes added)
1 gallon apple cider
2 cups cranberry juice
1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar, to taste
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 orange, thinly sliced
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan or pot, adjusting sugar to taste, and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve in mugs, or pour into a punch bowl and serve warm in cups.
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Ninth day of Christmas
New Year’s Resolutions Week
National Lose Weight Feel Great Week.
National Careers in Cosmetology Month
National Prune The Fat Month.
Beginning of Someday We’ll Laugh About This Week
Run up the Flagpole and See if Anyone Salutes Day
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You wake up with a stuffy nose and sore throat, look over at your gym clothes and think “should I really go to work today?” Chances are, you should. According to the New York Times, two little-known studies show that having a cold has no effect on lung function or exercise capacity. Researchers also found that recovery time and intensity of symptoms was no different between a group that exercised while they were sick and a group of cold-sufferers who rested. People who have complications like fever or chest congestion should take it easy, though. You should check with your doctor, especially if you have other complications. And if you do got to the gym with a cold, be considerate of your fellow gym rats and wipe down the equipment after you use it!
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We’ve all heard the advice: cover your head when it’s cold out because most of our body heat is lost through our heads. Don’t tell Mom, but it turns out that’s not exactly true. Researchers at the University of Iowa say that the myth likely started as a result of an old military study where scientists put subjects in arctic survival suits without hats and measured their heat loss in cold temperature. The subjects did lose most of their body heat through their heads but — duh! — that’s because the rest of their body was covered. I.U. researchers recommend keeping all parts of the body warm in cold weather, but point out that the head doesn’t require any special attention.
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1904 - The first New Year’s Eve celebration was held in Times Square, then known as Longacre Square, in NYC
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And from the Old Farmers Almanac:
If there is no wind on New Year’s Day, the summer will be dry; if there’s a good breeze, there will be rain enough for a decent crop.
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Mentalfloss.com had a great blog about Hangover cures! From B-12, to food, to pickle juice, even to Meundo (no not the singing group…well you really don’t want to know.) See the cures here..or decide to not drink or keep the hangover! # Wacky Things that Get Dropped on New Year’s Eve! And there are some strange festivals too! From the Peep show in Bethlehem Pa, to sausage fests in Ohio, and wait till you see what the drop in Key West!
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New Years Eve, and it’s resolution time for some. Here are some tips from Marie Claire to help you make them stick! From writing it down, to getting a buddy involved, and of course making it manageable!
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New Years probably has the most superstitions surrounding it, and Snopes.com has a great list of them. From Kissing at midnight, to paying bills, even who should be the first thru the door on New Years. There are many food superstitions as well, and this one deals with grapes:
For a long time, Spanish people have had a traditional custom of celebrating New Year’s Eve. On the last day of the year, the 31st of December, they wait until twelve p.m. Everybody has to have twelve grapes ready to eat when the clock starts to chime. It is traditional to eat them as you hear the clock from Puerta del Sol in Madrid chiming. When it is midnight, each time the clock chimes, they put a grape in their mouth. By the time the clock has finished chiming, everybody has to have finished their grapes and the New Year starts, but nobody ever finishes eating the grapes on time, and they start looking at each other and have to laugh. This tradition started in Spain because one year when there was a big grape harvest, the king of Spain decided to give grapes to everybody to eat on New Year’s Eve.
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Noisemaking at midnight on New Year’s Eve, is another tradition. Now looked upon as mere revelry, it once was considered protection against evil spirits, who would be scared off by all of the noise. Beware of the devil and his minnions! BUT!!!!!
Whistling, however, is strictly taboo; to whistle is to converse with the devil or invite him in. Sailors, actors and actresses, and miners are particularly cognizant of the ill luck associated with whistling. On board ship, whistling is thought to raise a storm. In the theatre, it is believed to close the show prematurely. For miners, it is a sign of alarm.
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Hope you all had a great holdiay! Back to business with things to celebrate today:
Sixth Day of Christmas - go see some geese!
Kwanzaa continues
Relaxation Day
Falling Needles Family Fest Day (is your tree drying out? Watch the needles fall today.
National Bicarbonate of Soda Day(doesn’t seem the right day..but go ahead!)
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Parents.com has compiled its list of the hottest baby names of 2008, with Aidan in the Number One spot for boys for the second year in a row, and Isabella tops for girls for the first time.
New names in the top 50 for girls are Aaliyah at No. 28 and Teagan at No. 44, while for boys, Micah debuts at No. 41 and Tristan at No. 40. See the full lists here.
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“Treecycling” is the act of recycling your Christmas tree so that it can be turned into compost or mulch. In a national survey, 93 percent of consumers who used a real Christmas tree recycled theirs in some type of community program. Locally, Moore Tree Farm on Rt 34 recycles trees.
Why Recycle a Tree?
Chipping (chippings are used for various things from mulch to hiking trails)
Beachfront erosion prevention
Lake and river shoreline stabilization
Fish habitat
River delta sedimentation management
Today around 98 percent of real Christmas trees are grown on farms throughout all 50 states and Canada. Real trees are a renewable, recyclable resource, and real trees are planted to be harvested just as corn and/or pumpkins are cultivated for a harvest.
For each real Christmas tree harvested, up to three new seedlings are planted in its place, depending on farm size and current field rotation. Young trees in their rapid growth years have a high rate of photosynthesis and thus produce more oxygen than older trees.
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The American Film Institute, famous for its lists of the best movies in various categories, has come up with what it calls 2008’s “Moments of Significance in Film, TV and the Web.” Per E! Online, topping the list is British director Danny Boyle’s acclaimed Hollywood-meets-Bollywood indie film Slumdog Millionaire, which AFI cited for being “a monument to the possibilities of cross-cultural storytelling.” Other moments of significance singled out by AFI include:
-Tina Fey’s double-duty as Emmy-winning writer/co-star of NBC’s 30 Rock and hilarious Sarah Palin impersonator on Saturday Night Live.
-Television coverage of the presidential race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.
-NBC’s coverage of the Beijing Summer Olympics and the network’s decision to install departing Tonight Show host Jay Leno into its 10 p.m. weeknight slot.
-Fast-growing website Hulu, a joint venture between various networks and film studios offering video of many popular shows.
-Joss Whedon’s surprise online hit, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, a 43-minute musical comedy starring Neil Patrick Harris.
-The endangered nature of independent filmmaking after major studios closed down specialty divisions such as Paramount Vantage, Warner Independent and New Line Cinema.
-The dwindling influence of mainstream media film critics caused by layoffs at big-name publications like Time, Newsweek and The Village Voice.
The American Film Institute’s “Moments of Significance” was chosen by a 13-person jury comprising scholars, film artists, critics and AFI trustees. The organization will officially recognize the moments in a January 9th ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.
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New words from this past year, and you can use them in the coming year, from Arizona Republic:
-Staycation (n.) also sta-cation - Came into wide use after gas hit $4 this summer, making family car trips an even less inviting prospect. Involves taking time off at or near home.
-401(k)o’d (adj.) - A retirement account that looks like it has gone 10 rounds with Oscar De La Hoya.
-Prehab: A program to prevent young stars from behaving inappropriately. “Looks like Miley Cyrus is the only one who’s been to prehab.”
-Ohnosecond: That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you’ve just made a BIG mistake. “It took only an ohnosecond before Tim realized he’d hit ‘reply to all’ on his email trashing the boss.”
In Oaxaca, Mexico, today, they’re holding The Feast of Radishes. Figurines of people and animals are carved out of radishes and sold and eaten.
The poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” by Clement Clarke Moore was first published anonymously, 1823. The poem is also known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
Wednesday (12-24):
National Egg Nog Day
Christmas Eve
Last-Minute Shopper’s Day
A plastic owl was confused for the real thing by RSPCA officers called to rescue it from a telegraph pole in Essex. The charity said it was contacted by a passer-by concerned for the welfare of the bird after seeing it perched in Rayleigh. Officers attended on Tuesday morning and called for help from fire crews. An RSPCA spokeswoman said “firefighters climbed the pole and realised it was a fake. It had been placed on the pole by BT to stop birds from perching there. It was a case of mistaken identity.”
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A 23-year-old mechanical engineering student downed 46 of the potato pancakes in eight minutes to win a contest at a Long Island deli.
Pete Czerwinski says he’d never eaten a latke before consuming about seven pounds of them Sunday at Zan’s in Lake Grove. The Toronto bodybuilder says he’s just “a power eater” whose brain never signals that he’s full, according to the Long Island daily Newsday.
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For an all-day pick-me-up, dab a little lemon or orange essential oil on a handkerchief to tuck in your pocket. How will citrus make me calmer? Certain citrus fragrances boost feelings of well-being and alleviate stress, according to depression studies. Here are some more ways to be calmer. #
Thursday (12-18): Bake Cookies Day National Roast Suckling Pig Day Wear A Plunger On Your Head Day International Migrants Day.
Friday (12-19): Oatmeal Muffin Day Look for an Evergreen Day Underdog Day
Saturday (12-20): Go Caroling Day
Sacagawea Day (anniversary of her death in 1812)She was the Indian guide /interpreter for the Lewis and Clark expedition and is credited with its success. She’s now on the U-S gold dollar coin.
It’s also Mudd day –when you’re supposed to consider the fate of Dr Samuel Mudd, who was sentenced to life in jail after giving aid to John Wilkes Booth, who was in disguise and fleeing for his life after shooting President Lincoln. He was actually jailed for four years before being pardoned by President Johnson. I wonder if this is where the old saying “Your name is mudd” comes from.
The U-S bought more than a million square miles from France for around $15-million in cash, or $20 bucks a square mile on this date in 1803. We now know it as the Louisiana Purchase, and most people believe it was the greatest real estate deal ever.
Winter officially begins (Winter solstice) at 7:04 am. It’s also the shortest day of the year –nine hours and 28 minutes– and the longest night of the year.
Don’t Be A Scrooge Day Flashlight Day Forefathers’ Day anniversary of Plymouth Rock landing, 1620. Humbug Day World Peace Day National Haiku Poetry Day.
On this day in 1999, Neli van der Hoven and Wanderley Costa de Silvaa completed the world’s longest kiss. They puckered up and locked lips in the Netherlands for 34 hours, 11 minutes and 37 seconds. They also won the first place prize of close to $7-thousand. (FYI: the old record was 30 hours, 45 minutes). Wonder if it was under the mistletoe.
On this day in 1882, for the first time, electric lights replaced candles on Christmas trees. It was Tom Edison that strung together the first lights. #
Making holiday cookies and they aren’t coming out like mom or grandma’s did?? The reason could be…..the butter! “It seems that home bakers don’t always follow instructions precisely,” said Amy Scherber, the owner of Amy’s Bread stores in Manhattan. The most common mistakes made by home bakers, professionals say, have to do with the care and handling of one ingredient: butter. Creaming butter correctly, keeping butter doughs cold, and starting with fresh, good-tasting butter are vital details that professionals take for granted, and home bakers often miss. Read the full, highly technical but interesting article here. #
Ever make a gingerbread house? I did, and my friend and I got frosting on the ceiling. And I still really don’t know how. Anyway, check out these interesting houses.
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A Christmas Carol is actually the short title for A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. It has been made into countless theater productions and films. #
An NYU graduate student created a pregnancy belt worn by his wife that notifies him via Twitter whenever their unborn baby kicks inside the womb. The New York Daily News reported that small sensors attached directly to the band transmit small but detectable voltages when they are triggered by movement underneath and a micro-controller wirelessly transmits the signals out to the Internet. Corey Menscher told the paper, “I have a vibrating device in my pocket at all times. Every time the baby kicks, it uploads a message to the server and I get a text message on my phone as well.” #
Clean Air Day
Maple Syrup Day
Cookie Cutter Day
The ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia was traditionally celebrated on this date. Ancient Roman god of agriculture.
The Simpsons premiered, 1989.
Anniversary of the first Wright Brothers plane flight –the first successful man-powered airplane flight– Dec 17, 1903 at Kitty Hawk, NC, at precisely 10:35 am.
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A Do or a Don’t: Regifting I know that many people are scaling down holiday celebrations this year, including shopping, which is probably why 64 percent of Glamour magazine readers admitted to regifting. It might not be the most PC thing to do, but if you’re going to do it, I’d say this is the year to do so. Is it ok? Another poll found these results!
71% see it as a do
29% for them it’s a don’t. Here’s a great article from MSN Money, with some do’s and don’ts on regifting! #
Tips For Minimizing Holiday Weight Gain from the DesMoines Register.
Did you know that most Americans gain 5 to 7 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Here are some tips for avoiding holiday weight gain.
1. Don’t save your favorite treats for only at the end of the year. If you know you’ll have it again within a year, you won’t feel the need to overindulge.
2. Offer more healthful hors d’oeuvres. Enjoy cheese-filled celery sticks and veggies with dip rather than meat and cheese trays and shrimp or bacon-wrapped chicken livers. Many crackers come in a reduced-fat version as well.
3. Don’t overload meals with starch. If you are serving stuffing with turkey, cut back on the potato or corn dishes. Serve more vegetables, and if serving bread, consider breadsticks instead of rolls to reduce the amount of starch consumed.
4. Don’t fill your plate to the max. Take something of everything you like, but in moderation. Once your plate is empty, take seconds only of your most favorite foods.
5. Don’t hurry through the meal. Social interaction is an important part of celebration. It’s a shame when preparing a meal can take five hours to make and 10 minutes to eat. Take a moment for meaningful discussion.
6. Take care with alcohol. Use diet soda or reduced-sugar juice as a mixer to lower calorie intake.
7. Don’t gorge out of guilt. If Grandma thinks you don’t love her if you don’t eat her food, tell her you plan on eating more later.
8. Drink water during meals. It helps fill you up without adding calories from wine or eggnog.
9. Don’t get sucked into snacking. If certain snacks, such as mixed nuts or peanut brittle, keep drawing you back, don’t eat any. Instead choose a less-addicting alternative, hopefully more healthful.
10. Eat at home before the party. Eat a healthy snack a few hours before the party, and you’ll be less ravenous at mealtime.
11. Choose desserts with fewer calories. Pick pumpkin custard over pumpkin pie; fruit and pumpkin bread instead of cake and ice cream, etc. Try using wheat flour in some of your holiday desserts to add more fiber. Numerous low-fat and reduced sugar options are available in most stores that can be incorporated into your holiday recipes.
12. Schedule time for physical activity. Involve the whole family for sledding or ice skating. If group activity isn’t possible, steal some time to go for a walk or to walk the dog. If you have eaten extra calories, you may want to go for a walk twice a day.
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The Christmas Star, is it real? YES!!! But in June! Here’s the story. #
Stupid Toy Day
Boston Tea Party Occurred 1773 - American colonists dressed up as Indians and dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston harbor to protest British taxes on tea.
Barney and Barbie Backlash Day
National Chocolate Covered-Anything Day
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Time Magazine has gone list crazy. Today the top 10 fleeting celebrities. Your 15 minutes of fame end now. Joe The Plumber leads the list, and I guarantee you won’t remember some of these already!
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Barney, the first family’s Scottish terrier, is joined by U.S. Olympians Michael Phelps and gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson in his final holiday video that was released by the White House yesterday (December 15th). The “Barney Cam” video starts with President Bush, his wife Laura and their two daughters, Jenna and Barbara, reminiscing about their times in the White House before sending Barney off to decorate. Barney then scampers around the White House, giving viewers a look at this year’s red, white and blue-themed holiday decorations. The Olympians make brief cameos, including eight-time gold medal winner Phelps, who says to Barney, “I’m glad the decorations are finally coming together and you’re using my favorite color — gold.” The Barney Cam holiday video was an instant hit when it was first introduced in 2002. See it here.
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A fire on any day seems bad, but a fire on Christmas seems to be the worst. Some 300 Christmas trees caught fire in one recent year, with electrical problems the most common culprit. Here’s how to keep your tree green and your presents safe. #
Former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin figures prominently in the third annual list of the year’s most memorable quotes compiled by Yale Law School associate librarian and legal research lecturer Fred R. Shapiro.
First place went to the quote, “I can see Russia from my house!,” spoken by actress Tina Fey in her satirical portrayal of Palin on Saturday Night Live.
Palin herself came in second for her inability to name newspapers she reads when asked about it by CBS anchor Katie Couric. Interestingly, President-elect Barack Obama, who dominated political headlines this year, isn’t on the list. Shapiro explained to AP that although Obama dominated the year and said memorable things, quote, “quotes from people like Palin were more celebrated and said more about our times than anything Obama said.” The full article and list can be found here. #
Keep your shoes on! No throwing of them! Did you know that throwing shoes is a very big negative comment in the middle eastern countries? So the journalist who threw his at Bush was just not throwing shoes, but really making a point.
Bill of Rights Day
Lemon Cupcake Day
Cat Herders Day
Underdog Day
Beginning of Halcyon Days, the seven days before and after the winter solstice.
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Auto paint supplier PPG Industries is forecasting that blue will soon surpass silver as the number one car color. He says blue is popular because of its environmental connotations of sky and water. Blue is also perceived as being a sophisticated color. Here’s the top 8 car colors in North America in 2008:
In response to allegations that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by president-elect Barack Obama — some with wicked senses of humor have started listing senate seats for sale on eBay in a mockery of the scandal. One such sale posted by an eBay member offers a folding chair with the sign “US Senate Illinois” at a starting bid price of $100,000. Another similar item got 78 bids, the last at $99,999,999 as of last week. Here is the listing.
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Word of the day: Academic Bulemia
The process of learning or memorizing by rote, subsequently followed by the regurgitation of that knowledge onto an exam answer sheet. Just as with the serious eating disorder, this form of bulemia results in no real retention of substance.
This term is frequently applied to describe a common practice of young medical students.
I can’t remember anything that I learned last night. It’s like I grabbed the answer sheet, puked out all the answers and forgot everything immediately. I’d say that’s academic bulemia. (urbandictonary.com)
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Because of the economy, you’re going to find a lot of great deals this holiday season. And a good way to save even more money is to do your shopping online. Here are five secrets that help online bargain hunters get the best deal possible . . .Yahoo.com has these tips
#1.) SHOP SMALL AND SAVE ON TAX. Most small internet retailers are located in only one state and won’t charge sales tax unless you live in the same state. Most websites list that information on their customer service or shipping page.
#2.) TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE SHIPPING. If you’re buying something on a website that offers free shipping, take a minute and look around for more gifts to check off your list. Anything you can add without paying more for shipping is money saved.
#3.) BUY IN BULK. Wine glasses and drinkware are always good gifts, and they’re also something you can buy in bulk at discounted prices. For the best deals, look for companies that sell to restaurants but don’t have a minimum amount you have to order.
#4.) SIGN UP FOR E-MAIL SPECIALS. Sign up to receive special email offers. A company’s e-mail list is essentially an online customer-appreciation program, and people who sign up almost always get the best offers available.
–And if you don’t want to clog your personal email account with a ton of emails about special offers all year long, just setup a separate free email account, and use THAT address when you sign up.
#5.) SEARCH FOR COUPONS. If you find a great website but don’t see any advertised deals, do a Google search for the store name and the word “coupon”. And check blogs and chat rooms too. Savvy shoppers list a ton of coupon codes there.
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