January

[No Elephants]

Birthstone, Garnet (red, green or black) Alternate birthstones: Onyx, Ruby, Turquoise, Blue Topaz, Lapis Lazuli

Flower: carnation (referred to contemptously by Charlotte during the Sex in the City series as "filler flowers.")

Zodiac signs

Capricorn - December 22 - January 20

Acquarius - January 21 - February 19

Now that New Year's Day and Epiphany have passed, this January's big days will beMartin Luther King, Jr. Day, which will be observed this year on January 20, and Chinese New Year, which begins this year on January 31. (Other January observances: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:January_observances)

Martin Luther King, Jr. had such impact on this nation that it's hard to remember that he was only 39 when he died in 1968 and only 35 when he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. (I think the Nobel Peace Prize may have meant something in 1964?)

After becoming a pastor, King began his doctoral studies at Boston University.

Born Michael King, his father changed his name in honor of German reformer Martin Luther. A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. With the SCLC, King led an unsuccessful struggle against segregation in Albany, Georgia, in 1962, and organized nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama, that attracted national attention following television news coverage of the brutal police response. King also helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history. He also established his reputation as a radical, and became an object of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's COINTELPRO for the rest of his life. FBI agents investigated him for possible communist ties, recorded his extramarital liaisons and reported on them to government officials, and on one occasion, mailed King a threatening anonymous letter that he interpreted as an attempt to make him commit suicide.

On October 14, 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence. In 1965, he and the SCLC helped to organize the Selma to Montgomery marches and the following year, he took the movement north to Chicago. In the final years of his life, King expanded his focus to include poverty and the Vietnam War, alienating many of his liberal allies with a 1967 speech titled "Beyond Vietnam". In 1968 King was planning a national occupation of Washington, D.C., to be called the Poor People's Campaign, when he was assassinated on April 4, in Memphis, Tennessee. His death was followed by riots in many U.S. cities. Allegations that James Earl Ray, the man convicted of killing King, had been framed or acted in concert with government agents persisted for decades after the shooting, and the jury of a 1999 civil trial found Loyd Jowers to be complicit in a conspiracy against King.

King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986. Hundreds of streets in the U.S. have been renamed in his honor. A memorial statue on the National Mall was opened to the public in 2011.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

Dr, King would have been 84 on January 15. RIP






On January 31, we begin the Year of the Wooden Horse. Why the Year of the Wooden Horse and not the Year of the Horse? I have no idea.

http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2014/2014Zodiac.htm


(Note: I do not find Chinese horoscopes especially accurate. I'll stick with the aspects of feng shui that emphasize things like de-cluttering and clear pathways.)

The celebration lasts about two weeks, giving family and friends plenty of time to visit each other. Symbols focus on good fortune, longevity and prosperity, much like Western New Year. There is an emphasis on eating foods whole, as opposed to cutting them up, which is thought to cut the luck, as well as the food. For instance, a fish will be served whole, head, tail, fins and all. though I don't think all of it has to be eaten. Foods of a golden color are also favored.

In case you think this has nothing to do with politics:

THE last day of January 2014 marks the first day of the New Year in the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Wooden Horse commences on January 31, 2014 and will end on February 18, 2015. REY LangitAccording to the Chinese calendar experts, the upcoming year is going to be high-spirited and full of adventure, and as the adage goes, it offers people an opportunity to make their lives better, especially those who hadn’t had much luck in the previous year.

I had the opportunity to interview psychic Maricel Gaskell on my radio show at DWIZ 882 AM to gain more insight on the upcoming Chinese calendar year. She said that the element of water, which was present in 2013 as it was Year of the Water Snake, was truly highlighted in the previous year, as the country experienced a lot of heavy rainfall and floods, all brought upon by the said element. She said that the element of wood is going to be present in 2014 and 2015, which is a good sign as the element symbolizes growth, progress and stability.

She noted that the numbers 3 and 4 are going to be lucky for men, while the number 2 is going to bring good luck for women. She said that people should look after their health, as diseases that attack the liver, pancreas, intestines, and the lungs are abound this year. She also mentioned that President Noynoy Aquino should take care of his own physical well-being and stop smoking in order to protect himself against lung and throat diseases.

She said that the Year of the Wooden Horse might not be a good year for the President, as he was born in the Year of the Metal Rat. Metal chops wood, and the fact that the President is turning 54 this year is not a good sign either, as ages whose digits equal to 9 aren’t considered lucky. She said the President should visit a Chinese temple soon, in order to gain favor for his fortunes. She also added that it would do the President good if he stays away from too much stress this upcoming year.

http://www.tempo.com.ph/2014/01/2014-the-year-of-the-wooden-horse/#.Us-zG7SvQ3w

When I think of wooden horses.......







And last, but not least....

[No Elephants]

1. More about January holidays and observances (lighter side, mostly)

http://www.brownielocks.com/january.htm

http://giftedkids.about.com/od/Monthly-Special-Days-Calendars/a/Special-Days-And-Observances-In-January.htm

http://www.holidays-and-observances.com/january-holidays.html

National soup month looks good to me, but celebrate before January 31 as soup prep requires a lot of chopping, which is no good for Chinese New Year.

[Enthusiast]

2. That's interesting.

I had no idea. I go through life a frequent victim of my own ignorance.

I really liked the soup recipes. I have the ability to almost taste a given recipe when I read it. I can be absorbed for hours just reading recipes.:)

[No Elephants]

3. Maybe you should do a cookbook.

Soup is a handy way to get lots of nutrition relatively cheaply (not much food is very cheap). Aside from nutrition, I enjoy a homemade soup very much. I even like those in restaurants or take out places, if they make them from scratch.

When I was in the hospital, the food was not great, except for the soups. So, whenever they let me try eating something besides clear liquids, I ordered soup. That is also what I buy whenever I am stuck eating from the hospital cafeteria.

My favorites from my own kitchen are chicken vegetable, made with tomatoes and potatoes because I love both of those, and pasta e fagiole, which you could probably have if you omitted the pasta or used gluten free pasta. Despite the name of the soup, pasta is not an important ingredient for me. For me, it's a white bean and tomato (I used canned) soup.

Good pancetta is not always easy to come by, except where I live. I guess one could try making it with bacon instead of pancetta. My supermarket sells Nature's Promise bacon, a brand with no chemicals. You have to use it relatively quickly or freeze it because it does not keep as well as the carcinogen-laden variety, but known carcinogens are where I draw the line when I buy food.