★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
December 14, 2012

★~ Today’s Quote: Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town. George Carlin

★~ Monkey Day:

Quit monkeying around and take a moment to participate in this celebration of all things simian!

Did you know that there are three distinct types of simian primates? Familiar species like baboons and macaques are classified as Old World Monkeys; capuchins and howler monkeys are New World Monkeys, and chimpanzees and gorillas are Apes. There are currently 264 known monkey species in the world.

To celebrate Monkey Day, dress in your favorite monkey attire, share your favorite monkey photo with your friends, eat a banana, or donate to your favorite monkey charity. While you’re at it, don’t forget to indulge in some mischievous monkey business! For more ideas, visit the official Monkey Day website. Click for fascinating Monkey Facts.

★~ Bouillabaisse Day:

What the heck is bouillabaisse?” you ask. “Fish soup,” I say. “Yuck,” you reply. But before you go jumping to conclusions, give bouillabaisse a chance. After all, it’s trés chic in the Mediterranean, and French people have been slurping this soup since 600 B.C. And since when have the French ever eaten anything weird?

Bouillabaisse originated in Marseilles, France. Marseille fishermen typically make the dish when they return to port. Rather than using the more expensive fish that they catch, they use common fish like rockfish and shellfish. For flavor, different herbs and spices such as garlic, orange peel, basil, saffron, and bay leaf are added to the soup. Vegetables like tomatoes, onions, celery, and potatoes were added during the 17th century.

When bouillabaisse is made, it is rarely made for fewer than ten people. The more people who share the meal, the more different varieties of fish that are included in the soup, making it a tastier bouillabaisse.

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1798 – David Wilkinson of Rhode Island patented the nut and bolt machine, and the screw, too

♥~ 1819 –  Alabama became the 22nd United State.  Montgomery is the state capital;  the camellia, is the state flower, and the state bird, is the yellowhammer.

♥~ 1944 –  MGM released the movie National Velvet. Elizabeth Taylor starred as Velvet Brown.

♥~ 1985 – America’s winningest high school football coach called it quits this day. Gordon Wood, 71, of Brownwood High School in Central Texas retired after 43 years. Wood sported a career record of 405 wins, 88 losses and 12 ties. The football stadium at Brownwood High has since been rebuilt and named for him.

★~ Born Today:

♥~ 1946 – Patty (Anna Marie) Duke Academy Award-winning actress: The Miracle Worker [1962]; Emmy: Captains and the Kings [1976-1977]

♥~ 1949 – Cliff Williams musician: guitar: group: AC/DC:

★~ Did You Know:

♥~ Scrooge: Don’t mess with the Ghost of Christmas Present. During the scene where Carol Kane grabs Bill Murray’s lip, she really latched on and accidentally tore it so badly that they had to stop filming for a few days so Bill could heal and his injuries wouldn’t be so obvious on camera.

♥~ It’s a Wonderful Life: The movie received the “honor” of getting its own FBI file in 1947, when an analyst submitted the idea that the film was an obvious attempt to discredit bankers, a “common trick used by Communists.”

♥~ Miracle on 34th Street: The scenes of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are actually taken from the 1946 parade. The movie is credited with bringing the traditional parade to the national spotlight, and Macy’s employees were given half a day off so they could see the first showing of the movie

♥~ A Christmas Story: For anyone keeping count, Ralphie says he wants the Red Ryder BB Gun 28 times throughout the course of the movie.

♥~ National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: The Capra family must have Christmas in their genes. The assistant director of Christmas Vacation, Frank Capra III, is the grandson of the legendary Frank Capra, who directed It’s a Wonderful Life. The part where Clark “fixes” the newel post by sawing it off with a chainsaw is an homage to It’s a Wonderful Life – the newel post at the Bailey’s house was also loose. Also, Russ is watching It’s a Wonderful Life on TV when his grandparents arrive.

♥~ Elf: Gimbels Department Store was a real department store and competitor of Macy’s until it closed in 1987. It was also featured in Miracle on 34th Street. The Gimbels exterior in the movie is actually the 34th Street Macy’s in Manhattan with a bit of digital alteration.

♥~ Home Alone: Daniel Stern wasn’t crazy about having to film a scene with a tarantula on his face, but agreed to it in the condition that they do just one take. His scream had to be dubbed in later because a real scream would have scared the tarantula.

♥~ The Polar Express: When the conductor says “11344 Edbrooke” near the beginning of the film, he’s referring to director Robert Zemeckis’ actual childhood home in Chicago.

♥~

TGIF–Hope everyone has a FUN Friday.