Friday, November 30, 2012
Bound Periodical Tree!
Come check out the Christmas Tree made out of Bound Periodicals on the 2nd floor of Heterick Memorial Library.
Today is...Stay Home Because Your'e Well Day
Today is Stay Home Because You’re Well Day.
Since you are home, but not sick, here are some fun facts to entertain yourself with!
The Tea Act of 1773, which the Boston Tea Party was protesting, lowered the price of tea.
After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world.
The earliest records of tea consumption are in the 10th century BC in China.
Tea became popular during the Tang Dynasty, which is when it spread from China to Korea and Japan.
Chang'an (present day Xi'an) was the capital during the time of the Tang Dynasty and was the most populous city in the world at that time.
The Tang Dynasty developed woodblock printing.
Block printing was used in 15th century Europe as a cheaper alternative to movable type. Entire pages of books were cut into a block and then were printed by rubbing onto one side of paper.
Block printing was also used for creating playing cards.
The 52 card deck, with 4 suits of 13 cards is known as the French Deck.
The Jack is also known as the Knave, but the name was changed by Samuel Hart when he printed a J instead of a Kn on the card.
In traditional French decks, the Jack of Diamonds is the only card to show only one eye. The Jack of Diamonds is historically designed to be based on Hector, the Trojan prince and greatest Trojan fighter in the Trojan War.
The Trojan War was started by the stealing/elopement of Helen by Paris.
Helen is usually said to be the daughter of Leda and Zeus, who seduced/raped Leda in the form of a swan.
A group of swans is called a bevy. A group of flying swans is called a wedge.
The Queen of England retains the right of ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water.
Catherine of Braganza, wife of King Charles II of England, introduced the custom of drinking tea to Britain.
How are you feeling today?
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Today is...The Lighting of the Rockefeller Center Tree
Yesterday, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was lit.
A tree has been put up in Rockefeller Center every year since 1933 and is usually a Norway spruce that is 69-100 feet tall.
The star at the top of the tree was created by Michael Hammers in 2004 and is 9.5 feet in diameter and weights 550 pounds.
The tree this year came from Flanders, New Jersey. It is 80 ft. tall.
The skating rink was installed on Christmas Day in 1936.
The lights were turned on officially at 9 pm in the 80th annual celebration.
The celebration included performances by Rod Stewart, CeeLo Green, Scotty McCreery, Il Volo, Victoria Justice, Brooke White, Mariah Carey, Trace Adkins, and Tony Bennett; appearances were also made by Billy Crystal and Bette Miller.
The tree will be up until January 7, 2013, when it will be turned into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.
What is your favorite part of the holiday season?
A tree has been put up in Rockefeller Center every year since 1933 and is usually a Norway spruce that is 69-100 feet tall.
The star at the top of the tree was created by Michael Hammers in 2004 and is 9.5 feet in diameter and weights 550 pounds.
The tree this year came from Flanders, New Jersey. It is 80 ft. tall.
The skating rink was installed on Christmas Day in 1936.
The lights were turned on officially at 9 pm in the 80th annual celebration.
The celebration included performances by Rod Stewart, CeeLo Green, Scotty McCreery, Il Volo, Victoria Justice, Brooke White, Mariah Carey, Trace Adkins, and Tony Bennett; appearances were also made by Billy Crystal and Bette Miller.
The tree will be up until January 7, 2013, when it will be turned into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.
What is your favorite part of the holiday season?
Today is...Joel Coen's Birthday
The Coen Brother's first movie together was Blood Simple, which stars Frances McDormand, who later married Joel Coen.
The first Coen Brother's film to really become a hit was Raising Arizona, released in 1987, starring Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter. It was not a huge hit at the time, but is now a cult classic.
The 1996 Fargo earned seven Academy Award nominations, winning Best Original Screenplay and Best Leading Actress for Frances McDormand.
The Coen Brother's film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? was loosely based on Homer's Odyssey.
No Country for Old Man, based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Acor for Javier Bardem.
2010's True Grit was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, though did not win any.
The Coen Brothers tend to work with the same actors multiple times, including Jeff Bridges, George Clooney, Holly Hunter, Frances McDormand, John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Josh Brolin, John Goodman, and Stephen Root.
Until 2004, the director credits for all the movies went to Joel; starting in 2004 the credit was given to Joel & Ethan.
Joel and Ethan share credit for editor under the alias Roderick Jaynes.
What is your favorite Coen Brother's Movie?
The first Coen Brother's film to really become a hit was Raising Arizona, released in 1987, starring Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter. It was not a huge hit at the time, but is now a cult classic.
The 1996 Fargo earned seven Academy Award nominations, winning Best Original Screenplay and Best Leading Actress for Frances McDormand.
The Coen Brother's film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? was loosely based on Homer's Odyssey.
No Country for Old Man, based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Acor for Javier Bardem.
2010's True Grit was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, though did not win any.
The Coen Brothers tend to work with the same actors multiple times, including Jeff Bridges, George Clooney, Holly Hunter, Frances McDormand, John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Josh Brolin, John Goodman, and Stephen Root.
Until 2004, the director credits for all the movies went to Joel; starting in 2004 the credit was given to Joel & Ethan.
Joel and Ethan share credit for editor under the alias Roderick Jaynes.
What is your favorite Coen Brother's Movie?
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Today is...Jaleel White’s birthday.
Today is Jaleel White’s birthday. White is best known for playing Steve Urkel on Family Matters.
TGIF on ABC started in 1988 and originally ran until 2000.
Some shows, lasted a long time, like Family Matters (9 seasons) and Boy Meets World (7 seasons). Some lasted only a few weeks like Aliens in the Family (pulled after 2 weeks) and You Wish (pulled after 7 episodes, though 5 additional episodes were aired later).
The shows that aired on TGIF:
Perfect Strangers
Full House
Mr. Belvedere
Just the Ten of Us
Dinosaurs
Family Matters
Going Places
Baby Talk
Billy
Camp Wilder
Getting By
Where I Live
Hanging with Mr. Cooper
Boy Meets World
Step by Step
Sister, Sister
On Our Own
Muppets Tonight
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Clueless
You Wish
Teen Angel
Two of a Kind
The Hughleys
Odd Man Out
Making the Band
What is your favorite TGIF show?
TGIF on ABC started in 1988 and originally ran until 2000.
Some shows, lasted a long time, like Family Matters (9 seasons) and Boy Meets World (7 seasons). Some lasted only a few weeks like Aliens in the Family (pulled after 2 weeks) and You Wish (pulled after 7 episodes, though 5 additional episodes were aired later).
The shows that aired on TGIF:
Perfect Strangers
Full House
Mr. Belvedere
Just the Ten of Us
Dinosaurs
Family Matters
Going Places
Baby Talk
Billy
Camp Wilder
Getting By
Where I Live
Hanging with Mr. Cooper
Boy Meets World
Step by Step
Sister, Sister
On Our Own
Muppets Tonight
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Clueless
You Wish
Teen Angel
Two of a Kind
The Hughleys
Odd Man Out
Making the Band
What is your favorite TGIF show?
Monday, November 26, 2012
Today is...The Birth Anniversary of Charles Schulz
Charles Schulz was born on November 26, 1922 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Schulz is the creator the Peanuts comic strip, which ran from October 2, 1950 to February 13, 2000. 17,897 strips have been published, all written and illustrated by Schulz.
The initial cast consisted of only charlie Brown, Shermy, Patty, and Snoopy. The first additions from 1951-1954 were Violet, Schroeder, Lucy, Linus, and Pig-Pen.
Linus and Lucy's last name is Van Pelt.
Vince Guaraldi wrote the music for the Peanuts Christmas special, including the song "Linus and Lucy", which was played to the crew of Space Shuttle Endeavour as wake-up music on Day 2 of the STS-123 mission.
A Charlie Brown Christmas was the first prime-time animated TV special based on a comic strip.
The original air date of A Charlie Brown Christmas was Dec. 9, 1965 and has aired every year since.
What is your favorite comic?
Schulz is the creator the Peanuts comic strip, which ran from October 2, 1950 to February 13, 2000. 17,897 strips have been published, all written and illustrated by Schulz.
The initial cast consisted of only charlie Brown, Shermy, Patty, and Snoopy. The first additions from 1951-1954 were Violet, Schroeder, Lucy, Linus, and Pig-Pen.
Linus and Lucy's last name is Van Pelt.
Vince Guaraldi wrote the music for the Peanuts Christmas special, including the song "Linus and Lucy", which was played to the crew of Space Shuttle Endeavour as wake-up music on Day 2 of the STS-123 mission.
A Charlie Brown Christmas was the first prime-time animated TV special based on a comic strip.
The original air date of A Charlie Brown Christmas was Dec. 9, 1965 and has aired every year since.
What is your favorite comic?
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Today is...The 65th Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip
On November 20, 1947, Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Prior to marrying Elizabeth, Philip was Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. In order to marry, he abandoned his Greek and Danish royal titles, converted from Green Orthodoxy to Anglicanism and became a naturalized British subject.
Elizabeth II and Philip are second cousins once removed and third cousins. They initially met in 1934 at the wedding of Philip's cousin Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, when Philip was 13 and Elizabeth was 8.
Elizabeth fell in love with Philip at a meeting at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in 1939, when she was 13. They started a correspondence and became secretly engaged in 1946. It was officially announce on July 9, 1947, after Elizabeth had turned 21.
Elizabeth had to use ration coupons to buy the material for her wedding gown.
Prior to the wedding Philip took the names of Duke of Edignburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich of the County of London. After the wedding, until her coronation, Elizabeth took the name Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh.
Due to being so close after WWII, the Duke of Edinburgh's German relatives were not invited to the wedding, including his three sisters. Former King Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, was also not invited.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Today is...The 194th Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address
November 19, 1863 Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery.
The Gettysburg Address was only 10 sentences.
It took Lincoln only two or three minutes to give the speech.
Edward Everett, a former governor of Massachusetts and Secretary of State, spoke for 2 hours prior to Lincoln's speech.
There are five known copies of the Gettysburg Address, two written at the time of the address and three written later by Lincoln for charity purposes.
Lincoln was diagnosed with a mild case of small pox right after returning from Gettysburg.
The Gettysburg Address was only 10 sentences.
It took Lincoln only two or three minutes to give the speech.
Edward Everett, a former governor of Massachusetts and Secretary of State, spoke for 2 hours prior to Lincoln's speech.
There are five known copies of the Gettysburg Address, two written at the time of the address and three written later by Lincoln for charity purposes.
Lincoln was diagnosed with a mild case of small pox right after returning from Gettysburg.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Today is...the Anniversary of Lewis and Clark reaching the Pacific
Today in 1805, the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery reached the Pacific Ocean.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific coast undertaken in the US.
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were both veterans of the American Indian Wars.
Clark served under Major General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, who Fort Wayne, Indiana is named after.
When in the US Army, Clark was a commanding officer of Lewis.
President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Corps of Discovery and named Lewis as the leader, who chose Clark as his partner.
Sacagawea, a 15 or 16 year old Shoshone woman, aided the Corps of Discovery, acting as interpreter and guide.
Sacagawea's son (with her husband/owner Toussaint Charbonneau), Jean Baptitste Charbonneau was born during the expedition. After the expedition, he lived with Clark in St. Louis where he attended St. Louis academy, paid for by Clark.
Clark, due to not having any formal education, had issues with grammar and spelling in his journals, which he had corrected prior to their publication. He spelled "Sioux" 27 different ways.
Where would you like to explore?
The Lewis and Clark Expedition was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific coast undertaken in the US.
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were both veterans of the American Indian Wars.
Clark served under Major General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, who Fort Wayne, Indiana is named after.
When in the US Army, Clark was a commanding officer of Lewis.
President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Corps of Discovery and named Lewis as the leader, who chose Clark as his partner.
Sacagawea, a 15 or 16 year old Shoshone woman, aided the Corps of Discovery, acting as interpreter and guide.
Sacagawea's son (with her husband/owner Toussaint Charbonneau), Jean Baptitste Charbonneau was born during the expedition. After the expedition, he lived with Clark in St. Louis where he attended St. Louis academy, paid for by Clark.
Clark, due to not having any formal education, had issues with grammar and spelling in his journals, which he had corrected prior to their publication. He spelled "Sioux" 27 different ways.
Where would you like to explore?
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Today is...National Bundt Day
Today is National Bundt Day!
The Bundt Cake was originally a German ring-shaped tea-time cake called a Bundkuchen.
Cake is a form of bread and were originally fried breads in a disk shape.
Yeast cakes are the oldest type of cakes and are similar to Babka or Stollen, a yeast fruit cake.
Sponge cakes are the first non-yeast based cakes and were around as early at 1615 in England.
Butter cake is the quintessential American cake, and is derived from English pound cake.
Cheesecake is not cake at all, but is instead custard-filled pie.
On the flip-side, Boston Cream Pie is not a pie at all, but instead is a custard-filled cake.
What is your favorite kind of cake?
The Bundt Cake was originally a German ring-shaped tea-time cake called a Bundkuchen.
Cake is a form of bread and were originally fried breads in a disk shape.
Yeast cakes are the oldest type of cakes and are similar to Babka or Stollen, a yeast fruit cake.
Sponge cakes are the first non-yeast based cakes and were around as early at 1615 in England.
Butter cake is the quintessential American cake, and is derived from English pound cake.
Cheesecake is not cake at all, but is instead custard-filled pie.
On the flip-side, Boston Cream Pie is not a pie at all, but instead is a custard-filled cake.
What is your favorite kind of cake?
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