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Celebrate Poinsettia Day

Conversely, the red plant itself burns a brighter red when set off by the green than when it grows among its peers. In the bed I always reserved for poinsettia seedlings, there was little to distinguish one plant from its neighbors. My poinsettia did not turn scarlet until I planted it in new surroundings. Color is not something one has, color is bestowed on one by others.
Arthur Japin

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!

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History of Poinsettia Day

To find out where the Poinsettia flower originated from, we have to take a look in the past. In 1480 to his death, Aztec King Montezuma adorned his palace with Poinsettia or Cuetlaxochitl as it was known by the Aztecs, having his people cultivate the flower as a gift from the Gods.

Poinsettia was served as a reminder of the sacrifice that the Aztec gods had made to create the universe and that the debt would be repaid in human sacrifices. The Aztecs used the Poinsettia’s sap to cure fevers and the leaves make a dye.

Then, in the 17th century after the Conquistadors invaded Mexico, the blood red wild flower became a part of Christian ceremony for the first time when it was used in the nativity procession, the Fiesta of Santa Pesebre. It’s around this time that many legends originated, attempting to explain why the plant, beginning to be called “La flor de Nochebuena,” or Holy Night had acquired its bright and beautiful red color.

After being discovered in 1828 by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the poinsettia became a popular specimen among botanists. One Botanist in particular by the name of Wilenow, in 1833 he named the Poinsettia “Euporbia pulcherrima.” But after only four years another botanist by the name of William Hickling Prescott renamed the flower to “Poinsettia pulcherrima” in honor of the man who brought the flower back to be studied, Joel Poinsett.

Image result for Helen Frankenthaler (1928)

Image result for Helen Frankenthaler (1928)

Helen Frankenthaler (1928 - 2011) was an American abstract expressionist painter. She was a major contributor to the history of postwar American painting. Having exhibited her work for over six decades, she spanned several generations of abstract painters while continuing to produce vital and ever-changing new work.

Word of the Day

unbridled

Definition:

(adjective) Not restrained or controlled.

Synonyms:

unchecked, uncurbed, ungoverned

Usage:

My own spirits were high, and I bounded along with feelings of unbridled joy and hilarity.

Idiom of the Day

rubber jungle

— An aviation term among pilots and airline crew for the effect created when the rubber oxygen masks in a commercial aircraft deploy from its ceiling.

This Day in History

Clapham Junction Rail Crash (1988)

Image result for Clapham Junction Rail Crash (1988)

Near London on the morning of December 12, 1988, the driver of the 7:18 train from Basingstoke to Waterloo saw a signal in front of him abruptly change from green to red. He stopped his train and called the signalman, who told him to proceed. Before he could, however, the 6:14 from Poole rammed into his train's rear at about 40 mph (64 km/h). Then, an empty train traveling in the opposite direction hit the wreckage.

Helen Frankenthaler (1928)

A member of abstract expressionism's second generation, Frankenthaler was greatly influenced by Jackson Pollock. Inspired by his way of working on a canvas laid on the floor rather than mounted upright, Frankenthaler developed a technique for staining unprimed canvases with thinned pigments that she poured. Her work gave rise to the color-field movement of the late 50s. An appointee to the National Endowment for the Arts, she controversially opposed government grants to artists.

Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico, and on December 12 thousands of pilgrims flock to her shrine at the famous Church of Guadalupe outside Mexico City. On the evening of December 11, crowds have already gathered for singing and special ceremonies at midnight, which are carried on national television. This great religious festival commemorates the appearance of the Virgin Mary on Tepeyac Hill, north of present-day Mexico City. The story is reenacted in a puppet show each year, and relics of Our Lady of Guadalupe are sold in the streets.

International Space Station's artificial intelligence has turned belligerent

It's supposed to be a plastic pal who's fun to be with. CIMON isn't much to look at. It's just a floating ball with a cartoonish face on its touch screen. It's built to be a personal assistant for astronauts working on the International Space Station ..

READ MORE:
(Credit: Gary Hershorn, Fox News)

Space station robot goes rogue: International Space Station’s artificial intelligence has turned belligerent

Image result for 1787 - Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

Image result for 1787 - Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

1787 - Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

Image result for 1792 - In Vienna, 22-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven received one of his first lessons in music composition from Franz Joseph Haydn.

Image result for 1792 - In Vienna, 22-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven received one of his first lessons in music composition from Franz Joseph Haydn.

1792 - In Vienna, 22-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven received one of his first lessons in music composition from Franz Joseph Haydn.

Image result for 1800 - Washington, DC, was established as the capital of the United States.

Image result for 1800 - Washington, DC, was established as the capital of the United States.

1800 - Washington, DC, was established as the capital of the United States.

Image result for 1870 - Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina became the first black lawmaker to be sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives.

Image result for 1870 - Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina became the first black lawmaker to be sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives.

1870 - Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina became the first black lawmaker to be sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives.

Image result for 1897 - The comic strip"The Katzenjammer Kids" (Hans and Fritz), by Rudolph Dirks, appeared in the New York Journal for the first time.

Image result for 1897 - The comic strip"The Katzenjammer Kids" (Hans and Fritz), by Rudolph Dirks, appeared in the New York Journal for the first time.

1897 - The comic strip"The Katzenjammer Kids" (Hans and Fritz), by Rudolph Dirks, appeared in the New York Journal for the first time.
Image result for 1901 - The first radio signal to cross the Atlantic was picked up near St. John's Newfoundland, by inventor Guglielmo Marconi.

Image result for 1901 - The first radio signal to cross the Atlantic was picked up near St. John's Newfoundland, by inventor Guglielmo Marconi.

1901 - The first radio signal to cross the Atlantic was picked up near St. John's Newfoundland, by inventor Guglielmo Marconi.
Image result for 1917 - Father Edward Flanagan opened Boys Town in Nebraska. The farm village was for wayward boys. In 1979 it was opened to girls.

Image result for 1917 - Father Edward Flanagan opened Boys Town in Nebraska. The farm village was for wayward boys. In 1979 it was opened to girls.

1917 - Father Edward Flanagan opened Boys Town in Nebraska. The farm village was for wayward boys. In 1979 it was opened to girls.
Image result for 1925 - The "Motel Inn," the first motel in the world, opened in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Image result for 1925 - The "Motel Inn," the first motel in the world, opened in San Luis Obispo, CA.

1925 - The "Motel Inn," the first motel in the world, opened in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Image result for 1946 - A United Nations committee voted to accept a six-block tract of Manhattan real estate to be the site of the UN's headquarters. The land was offered as a gift by John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Image result for 1946 - A United Nations committee voted to accept a six-block tract of Manhattan real estate to be the site of the UN's headquarters. The land was offered as a gift by John D. Rockefeller Jr.

1946 - A United Nations committee voted to accept a six-block tract of Manhattan real estate to be the site of the UN's headquarters. The land was offered as a gift by John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Image result for 1955 - British engineer Christopher Cockerell patented the first hovercraft.

1955 - British engineer Christopher Cockerell patented the first hovercraft.

1955 - Bill Haley and the Comets recorded "See You Later Alligator."

1970 - In New Orleans, LA, the Doors made their last appearance with Jim Morrison.

Image result for 1984 - In a telephone conversation with U.S. President Reagan, William J. Schroeder complained of a delay in his Social Security benefits. Schroeder received a check the following day.

1984 - In a telephone conversation with U.S. President Reagan, William J. Schroeder complained of a delay in his Social Security benefits. Schroeder received a check the following day.

1985 - Dionne Warwick received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1997 - Denver Pyle received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2001 - Flutist James Galway received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.

Image result for EVERY WOMAN NEEDS A DECENT COFFEE

DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, December 12:

You have a distinctly dual nature that, at your best, makes you versatile, and at your worst, downright confused (and confusing!). While a great lover of peace and harmony, you are also determined and fiery. While idealistic, you mostly have your feet on the ground. In relationships, the need for partnering and cooperating is strong, but freedom also matters to you. You are a natural counselor, offering excellent advice. There is usually quite a bit of drama and colorful emotion in your relationships, whether it’s because you bring this to the table or attract these kinds of people. Famous people born today:

1745 John Jay, US statesman and 1st US Chief Justice, born in NYC, New York (d. 1829)

1863 Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter and print maker (The Scream), born in Ådalsbruk, Løten, Norway (d. 1944)

1915 Frank Sinatra, American singer (Strangers in the Night, My Way) and actor (From Here to Eternity) known as 'old blue eyes', born in Hoboken, New Jersey (d. 1998)

1932 Robert Pettit, American NBA star (Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks/1959 MVP), born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

READERS INFO

1946 -

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established on this day by the U.N. General Assembly. The fund provides relief to children in countries devastated by war.

2.
1980 -

Original series began on this day and aired till May 8, 1988
on the CBS television network.

Christmas at Meeker Mansion 2018

Nov 23 - Dec 18, 2018 | Puyallup, WA

Meeker Mansion|312 Spring St

Set in a 17-room Victorian compound, Christmas at Meeker Mansion in Puyallup, Washington, is an opulent holiday celebration. Held of the course of a few weeks, the engagement features tours of the home built in 1890, each room festooned with holiday trees and arts and crafts decorating the picturesque antique furniture.

further information: Candlelight Christmas 2018 (2018-12-07)

4.

Great Dickens Christmas Faire 2018

Dec 15-16, 2018 | Dec 22-23, 2018 | San Francisco, CA

The Cow Palace|2600 Geneva Ave
Image result for Great Dickens Christmas Fair 2018 Dec 15-16, 2018 | Dec 22-23, 2018 | San Francisco, CA

If you visit the Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco, you might think you’ve stepped back in time. That’s because this event transforms over three acres of vintage exhibition halls into a recreation of Victorian London complete with pubs and theatres, lamplit lanes, tearooms, music halls and shops. In this interactive holiday experience, you’ll come across an assortment of colorful characters from literature and history while the air fills with the enticing aroma of roasted chestnuts and other savory fare. You’ll be treated to performances on stages and in the streets, so don some festive period garb and immerse yourself in this unique holiday experience!

further information: The Great Dickens Fair

5.

Wizard World Comic Con 2019

Jan 4-6, 2019 | New Orleans, LA

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center|900 Convention Center Blvd
Image result for Wizard World Comic Con 2019 Jan 4-6, 2019 | New Orleans, LA

Wizard World Comic Con is a fan convention celebrating pop and comic culture across the United States with a whole host of attractions and entertainment geared towards all pop culture enthusiasts. Visitors don their most elaborate costumes and gather for a weekend of movie screenings, artist and celebrity Q&A panels, costume contests, a Masquerade Ball, autograph sessions and more. There are also numerous vendors selling comic books, original art, collectibles and memorabilia from your favorite franchises and genres.

further information: Wizard World New Orleans, Louisiana January 4–6, 2019

Image result for Helen Frankenthaler (1928)

Pictures of the day

The Ringling Brothers Circus was founded in the American city of Baraboo, Wisconsin, in 1884 by five of the seven Ringling brothers. In 1907 the brothers acquired the Barnum & Bailey Circus, merging it with their original circus in 1919 to form the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, promoted as The Greatest Show on Earth and operated until 2017.This is a poster for the circus produced around 1899 by the Coach Lithographic Company of Buffalo, New York.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle hold hands during their post-wedding carriage procession in Windsor, England, on May 19.