Countdown to Oscar 2015--A Brief History of the Awards

Good afternoon . . . hope you're all enjoying the sunny and relatively mild weather today since we're supposed to get more snow this weekend.

In today's post, I will discuss  briefly the history of the Academy Awards and present one of the games we are offering from the shop.

Douglas Fairbanks

In 1927, M-G-M studio chief Louis B. Mayer and his associates talked about creating an organized to benefit the growing film industry. A week later, the International Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded. Bylaws were incorporated and Douglas Fairbanks was elected the Academy's first president.

A year later, a committee called Awards of Merit was formed and members suggested that awards be presented in 12 categories: Outstanding Picture, Unique and Artistic Production, Best Director, Comedy Picture, Best Director, Dramatic Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Writing, Original Story, Best Writing, Adapted Story, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Engineering Effects, and Best Writing, Title Writing.

On May 16, 1929, the first Academy Awards presentation was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The ceremony was a private dinner with an audience of about 270 people. There was a post-awards party at the Mayfair Hotel. The cost of guest tickets in 1929 was $5, compared with $69 for this year's ceremonies. Fifteen statuettes were awarded to honor the artists, directors, and technicians for their work during 1927-28. The ceremony was a mere 15 minutes! 

The first Best Actor Oscar went to Emil Jannings for two performances in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. Janet Gaynor was honored as Best Actress for her performances in three films. "Wings," the first Best Picture winner, was a silent film.

Following the fourth ceremony, the system changed in which professionals were honored for a single performance. Beginning with the 1934 awards, the eligibility period changed from a span of two years to one year. Until 1954, Oscars were presented on a Thursday night. From 1955 to 1958, the ceremony was held on a Wednesday night. From 1959 through 1998, the ceremonies were presented on a Monday night but moved to Sunday in an effort to improve TV ratings.

For a comprehensive timeline of Oscar highlights, see the official Academy Awards website.

Oscar stands 13-1/2 inches tall and weighs about 8-1/2 pounds. The film reel he stands on represents the five original branches of the Academy: acting, directing, producing, technicians, and writing. Legend has it that upon seeing the statute for the first time, a librarian at the Academy remarked that it resembled her Uncle Oscar. The Academy didn't adopt the nickname until 1938. As of last year, a total of 2,809 Oscars have been awarded.

The Oscar ceremony is well-known for their speeches. Some are poignant while others are long-winded and boring. We have created a variation of our "Quote/Unquote" game where party guests will match the star with the text of his/her speech. 

Now for today's Listmania:

Matthew "Mack" Robinson

Black History Month Fun Fact of the Day: Each day during this month, we will present a fun fact about African-American history. Baseball legend Jackie Robinson had a track-star brother named Matthew "Mack" Robinson. He won a silver medal in the 200-yard dash in the 1936 Olympics and came in second to Jessie Owens.

Oscar Fun Fact of the Day: Nine out of 20 of this year's acting nominees portrayed real people: Stephen Hawking, Janet Wilde Hawking, Cheryl Strayed and her mother, Bobbi Grey, Alan Turing and his fellow codebreaker Joan Clark, "American Sniper" Chris Kyle, John E. duPont, and wrestler David Schultz.

Valentine's Day Party Idea of the Day: Whether you have a hot date or just going to brunch with your friends, Valentine's Day is a perfect day to dress up in something special. Some looks that I liked appear on Beauty Diaries, Her Campus. and Glamour. For women of a certain age (like me), I liked the outfits that appear on 40+ Style, one of my favorite style blogs.

Today's Birthdays: Gavin DeGraw (38), Natalie Imbruglia (40), Nicolle Wallace (43), Clint Black (53), Tim Both (55), Lisa Eichhorn (63), Michael Beck (66), Alice Cooper (57), Florence LaRue (73), John Steele (74), and Gary Conway (79). 

Holidaze: Today is National Thank a Mailman Day. The first organized postal service in American was established in 1775. and Benjamin Franklin was named the first Postmaster General. Since the days of the Pony Express, the motto of the U.S. Postal Service has always been "Neither rain, or snow, nor death of night, can keep us from our duty." In other milestones, postage stamps were invented in 1847 and Zip Codes began in 1963. This day is supposed to be a reminder of how important letter carriers are in our everyday lives. Because my building has a different carrier almost every day, it's hard to thank just one person! 

It is also National Create a Vacuum Day. A vacuum is merely a space of empty matter. How you want to interpret this day is up to your imagination. 

Tomorrow we'll continue our discussion of Oscar, and it's almost time for Freebie Friday! 

Have a PRINTASTIC Day! 

Kathy

Celebrating Black History Month

Carter G. Woodson

Good afternoon from a cold but sunny day in the city. Last night's commute was a disaster for many people in the Metropolitan area, and I hope everyone got home safely. At least there's no snow today.

During the month of February, we celebrate the achievements of African-Americans during Black History Month. This month-long celebration originated in 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson established "Negro History Week." Woodson was disturbed that history books ignored African-Americans. He decided to take on the challenge to include them in our nation's history. He chose the second week in February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Each year, Black History Month has a different theme. This year, it's "A Century of Black Life, History and Culture." 

W.E.B. DuBois

The month of February also marks some other significant in African-American history. 

• On February 3, 1870, the passage of the 15th Amendment granted blacks the right to vote.
• On February 12, 1909, the NAACP. was formed "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination." The organization was founded by W.E.B. DuBois and group of prominent civil rights activists to coincide with the 100th anniversary of President Lincoln's birth. Originally, the leadership of the organization was white and Jewish-American. In fact, the NAACP did not elect a black president until 1975.
• On February 1, 1960, a group of African-American college students in Greeensboro, NC staged a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in Woolworth's. This is considered one of the major milestones of the civil rights movement.
• On February 21, 1965, militant leader Malcolm X was assassinated by a group of Black Muslims.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford extended "Negro History Week" to a month-long celebration and renamed it Black History Month. This coincided with the U.S. Bicentennial celebration. Canada also celebrates their Black History Month in February. In the U.K. this celebration occurs in October.

According to the most recent census, the black population the U.S. is about 45 million, with New York City having the largest number of residents (3.7 million). There are 106 historically-black institutions that grant degrees, including Howard University, Spelman, Florida A&M University, Morehouse, and Grambling.

Infoplease.com provides a  comprehensive timeline of events in African-American history.

BlackPast.org has published a very interesting list of the first African-Americans in many areas of achievement, from entertainment to law to business and labor. Some of these name, such as Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Oprah Winfrey, Ella Fitzgerald, and Barack Obama are familiar to us all, but many of these achievers are less well-known. We applaud them all!

For Black History Month events in your area, please check with your local cultural institutions and libraries. There are also several television programs dedicated to the celebration. Consult your TV listings for more information.

Fun Fact of the Day: Did you know that potato chips were invented by an African-American chef named George Crum in 1853? A customer from his restaurant had sent back French Fries because they were too thick. The chef cut a bunch of potatoes as thin as he could, and the potato chip was born!

Party Idea of the Day: The website Love to Know offers several ways in which students can celebrate Black History Month. Ideas range from a neighborhood street party to dramatic reenactments. 

Today's birthdays: Sean Kingston (25), Rebel Wilson (29), Jessica Harp (33), Daddy Yankee (39), Maura Tierney (50), Thomas Calabro (56), Nathan Lane (59), Morgan Fairchild (65), Melanie (68), Dave Davies (68), Dennis Edwards (72), Blythe Danner (72), and Shelley Berman (90).

Holidaze: On this day in 1959, rockers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper) were killed in a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa. Twelve years later, Don McLean wrote about the "day the music died" in his song "American Pie." There are excellent biopics of two of the three musicians: "The Buddy Holly Story" (in which Gary Busey was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance) and "La Bamba," an account of the too-short life of Ritchie Valens. He was just 17 on that ill-fated day. Today has been declared "National the Day the Music Died Day."

Today is also National Carrot Cake Day. This isn't one of my favorite desserts, but I know several people who love it. Check out All Reckpes.com for variations to this treat.

More on Oscar Night and Valentine's Day tomorrow.

Have a PRINTASTIC Day!

Kathy

Battle of the Groundhogs

Happy Monday and Happy Groundhog Day! Super Bowl XLIX is over and the game was a close one, with the Patriots edging the Seahawks with a score of 28-24. Many people said that Katy Perry's halftime show was one of the best they'd seen in a long time, and Idina Menzel didn't miss a note of the National Anthem. The Washington Post published the five best moments, and The Verge weighed in their opinion of the best and worst ads of the game. 

Well folks, it's official. Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous of all groundhogs saw his shadow, as did several local groundhogs. That means six more weeks of winter. We're certainly seeing this today as we're being hit with an snow and freezing rain here in NYC. Today, we'll talk about the tradition and the history behind this day. We'll also present predictions of some of the most well-known groundhogs.

Fun facts about the groundhog:

• The groundhog is also known as a woodchuck or whistle-pig.
• The average groundhog is about 20 inches and usually weighs from 12 to 15 pounds.
• Groundhogs usually have grayish hairs sometimes tipped with brown or red fur. 
• The groundhog is an herbivore. Its diet consists of greens, fruits, and vegetables. Most of their liquids come from the dewy leaves they are consume.
• Groundhogs whistle when they are alarmed or when they are courting in the spring (that's why they are sometimes called whistle-pigs).
• When a groundhog hibernates, it is more like a deep coma than actual sleeping.
• Baby groundhogs (kits or cubs) are usually born in mid-April or May, and are able to go out on their own after just a couple of month.
• The average groundhog lives from six to eight years. 

What is the history behind the tradition?

As we all know, tradition states that if the groundhog comes out of his sleep to look for his shadow. If he sees it, there will be six more weeks winter and goes back to sleep. If he doesn't, he stays above ground because he sees it as a sign of spring.

The tradition stems from Candlemas Day, or Feast of the Presentation, which is also observed beginning today. The Feast of the Presentation dates back to early days of Christianity in Rome. The day marked a milestone in winter and the weather that day was important. If it was a nice, fair day, then winter would linger on. If it was a cloudy and rainy day, winter would end. This tradition was brought to the Teutons (ancient Germans), who added to it by concluding that an animal (the hedgehog) would cast its shadow, predicting six more weeks of bad weather.

The tradition in the U.S. traces its roots to the early settlers in Pennsylvania. Many of the state's earliest settlers were Germans and concluded that the groundhog, similar to the European hedgehog in appearance and intelligence, would decide if there would be another six weeks of winter.

Famous Groundhogs

Punxsutawney Phil

Punxsutawney Phil: The most famous groundhog, of course, is Punxsutawney Phil of Pennsylvania, who made his 129th prediction this year. He is called the "seer of seers" by his disciples. The town's local newspaper, Punxsutawney Spirit first printed the news of its most famous resident in 1886. At first, his observations were conducted privately, but he has made more frequent public appearances over the years, including some noteworthy highlights. Punxsutawney Phil is a little larger than the average groundhog and receives a "magical punch" each summer, which gives him seven more years of life. Since his first prediction, Phil has seen his shadow 102 times and not seen it on 17 occasions. Whether or not his predictions are correct are always controversial, since the day is observed at the mid-point in winter.

Staten Island Chuck

Staten Island Chuck: Contrary to Phil,'s prediction, Staten Island Chuck (actually Charlotte) did not see her shadow today. This year, Chuck was kept behind glass since NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped last year's groundhog, who died a week later. He also had a contentious relationship with former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who, he bit in 2009. Chuck first made predictions in 1981 and resides in the Staten Island Zoo. The public is invited to meet her today for free.

Birmingham Bill: This year, Birmingham Bill, who resides in Alabama's Birmingham Zoo, took the day off, but invited fans to look at old photos online and to watch the highlighted Punxsutawney Phil tradition.

Birmingham Bill

Potomoc Phil: From Washington, D.C., stuffed groundhog Potomoc Phil who also predicted a longer winter.

Wiarton Willie: From Ontario, Canada, Wiarton Willie predicted an early spring. I believe he is the world's only albino groundhog. A festival each year is held in his honor. Residents can expect parades, talent shows, fireworks, pub crawls, nightly entertainment, outdoor activities, ice carvings, dog sledding, scavenger hunts and so much more!

General Beauregard Lee: From Atalanta, GA, Beau woke up to 44 degree temperatures and did not see his shadow, predicting an early spring for the south.

Sir Walter Wally: In Raleigh, NC, Sir Walter Wally also predicted a shorter winter. According to his handlers, he's right about 47 percent of the time. A local museum was holding festivities for the kids all day today.

Jimmy the Groundhog and Wynter: In Sun Prairie Wisconsin, Jimmy the Groundhog predicted there would be a longer winter, according to his handlers, However, the mayor thought so otherwise and Jimmy got an earful after biting the mayor! Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Zoo Groundhog, Wynter, also predicted six more weeks of winter and crawled back into her hole.

Finally, the two Long Island groundhogs, Malverne Mel and Holtsville Hall, both predicted longer winters. Neither groundhog made public appearances because of today's icy weather. It was a close race, but it looks like Chuck, Willie, Wally, and Beau are outnumbered this year.

Now onto the usual lists:

Party Idea of the Day: Teachmama has some great ideas for classroom Valentine's parties from planning to group games. All it takes is a little organization and creativity. 

Today's Birthdays: Shakira (38), Marissa Jaret Winokur (42), Jennifer Westfeldt (45), Michael Talbott (60), Ross Valory (66), Brent Spiner (66), Ina Garten (67), Howard Bellamy (69), Bo Hopkins (71), Graham Nash (73), and Tommy Smothers (78).

Holidaze: With all the fuss around Groundhog Day, most people don't realize it's National Heavenly Hash. This dessert can ranger from vanilla and chocolate ice cream filled with white vanilla marshmallow swirls, chopped almonds, and dark chocolate chunks to a gelatin-like recipe of marshmallow, nuts, and fruit. Check out Cooks.com for a list of heavenly hash recipes.

We posted Oscar Night and movie-themed games at the shop last night. Stay tuned for more details regarding our offerings throughout the month.

February is Black History Month, which will be the topic of tomorrow's blog. Stay warm and dry!

Have a PRINTASTIC Day!

Kathy