May 28, 2016

Today we celebrate:

National Brisket Day - Brisket is a specific cut of meat that comes from the lower chest of the animal. It is generally cooked low and slow, as my husband says, a phrase that you may not recognize if you are not an experienced cook or if my husband made it up. He means that you cook it for a long time over a low, or indirect, heat (if you are cooking it on a grill). All I know is that it is delicious!

International Jazz Day - On Saturday of Memorial Day weekend we are all about Jazz. Jazz music has been around for something like two hundred years. Its’ appeal has spread from sea to shining sea and beyond all the way around the world. Even people who say they don’t like Jazz, actually like Jazz. The best place to listen to it is, of course, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day – On this day Amateur Radio Operators from around the world are asked to team up to allow people from their local communities to gather in public areas and use the two way radio to verbally express their support and appreciation for members of the all branches of the military, and First Responders.

Julia Pierpont Day – Julia Pierpont is known for having the original idea for Memorial Day, which was first called Decoration Day, back in May of 1866. You can pay tribute today to Julia as well as our veterans by decorating veterans graves in order to prepare them for Memorial Day coming up in just two days.

National Hamburger Day - Hamburgers apparently originated in Hamburg, Germany but the Americans added their own spin to it by putting it on a bun. Seymour, Wisconsin lays claim to that addition and hosts a hamburger festival called Burger Fest every year. I haven’t yet heard about anyone disputing that claim, although maybe no one cares enough to do so.

Amnesty International Day – Amnesty International was founded in 1961 after an article was published on this day in 1961 by the The Observer entitled “The Forgotten Prisoners” by Peter Benenson. Amnesty's goal is to bring attention to the many cases of human rights abuse in the world and to bring pressure to governments whenever and wherever they can to try to get those abuses to end. The organization was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 for its “campaign against torture,” as well as the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 1978.

Sierra Club Day – Founded on this day in 1892, with John Muir as its' first President and a membership of 182 charter members, this club has worked tirelessly to, as John Muir said, “do something for wildness and make the mountains glad.” This club now has more than a million members and is the oldest environmental organization in the U.S.