On this day in 930, the world’s oldest parliament, the Icelandic Althing was established at Þingvellir (‘thing fields’ or ‘assembly fields’), about 45 kilometres (28 mi) east of what later became the country’s capital, Reykjavík.
After Iceland’s union with Norway in 1262, the Althing lost its legislative power, which was not restored until 1904 when Iceland gained home rule from Denmark. For 641 years, the Althing did not serve as the parliament of Iceland; ultimate power rested with the Norwegian, and subsequently the Danish throne. Even after Iceland’s union with Norway in 1262, the Althing still held its sessions at Þingvellir until 1800, when it was discontinued. It was restored in 1844 by royal decree and moved to Reykjavík.
A view of Þingvellir National Park, Iceland By Ivan Sabljak
Uh oh…
Marriage…
When traditional relationships don’t work…
Grocery Store Math…
Still Pride Month…
On this day in 1965, The Miracles released ‘The Tracks of My Tears’ on Motown’s Tamla label. Written by Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, and Marv Tarplin, the song became a US Top 20 hit and peaked at No.2 on Billboard’s R&B chart. The broadly acclaimed song was reissued in the UK in 1969, where became a Top Ten hit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCwkZrj2VT4
Today is Juneteenth – a federal holiday in the United States and a state holiday in 28 states. Officially known as Emancipation Day and also called Juneteenth Independence Day and Freedom Day, Juneteenth is a portmanteau word for June and nineteenth and commemorates the June 19th 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas and the emancipation of African-American slaves throughout the Confederate South.
On January 1st 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared the end of slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation. Two and half years later, and two months after the end of the Civil War, Union troops arrived in Galveston on June 19th 1865 to find that news of the proclamation had not yet reached Galveston and that people were still being held as slaves in Texas.
The leader of the Union Troops, General Gordon Granger then formally announced the emancipation from the balcony of the former Confederate Army headquarters.
Granger’s order was based loosely on Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. (The Thirteenth Amendment, which made slavery unconstitutional, wasn’t ratified until December 6, 1865.) The order first declared that the formerly enslaved were free based on “absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property” between Black people and those who had presumed legal ownership of them.
Although the news of the emancipation reached towns at different times across the South, there was a collective decision to recognize 19th June as the date of the emancipation. The date of the proclamation itself (January 1st) wasn’t considered as the people wanted to mark the date when the slaves’ lives were actually affected by the new freedom.
Still Pride Month!
EDITORS NEEDED!
Thanks, Bob!
Today is the birthday, in 1950, of American singer and songwriter Ann Wilson, from American rock band Heart. They has sold over 35 million records worldwide, placed 29 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and have scored top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2010s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeMvMNpvB5M
On this day in 1812, the United States Congress declared war on the United Kingdom. Anglo–American tensions stemmed from long-standing differences over territorial expansion in North America and British support for Tecumseh’s confederacy, which resisted U.S. colonial settlement in the Old Northwest (now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan). In 1807, these tensions escalated after the Royal Navy began enforcing tighter restrictions on American trade with France and impressed sailors who were originally British subjects, even those who had acquired American citizenship.
At sea, the Royal Navy imposed an effective blockade on U.S. maritime trade, while between 1812 and 1814 British regulars and colonial militia defeated a series of American invasions on Upper Canada. The April 1814 abdication of Napoleon allowed the British to send additional forces to North America and reinforce the Royal Navy blockade, crippling the American economy. In August 1814, negotiations began in Ghent, with both sides wanting peace.
In August 1814, British troops captured Washington, before American victories at Baltimore and Plattsburgh in September ended fighting in the north. In the Southeastern United States, American forces and Indian allies defeated an anti-American faction of the Muscogee. The Treaty of Ghent was signed in December 1814, though it would be February before word reached the United States and the treaty was fully ratified. In the interim, American troops led by Andrew Jackson repulsed a major British attack on New Orleans.
One of the heroes of the war was Stephen Decatur who was born just a few miles from where I am writing this. His father was a naval officer. Decatur followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the U.S. Navy at age 19 as a midshipman.
Decatur supervised the construction of several U.S. naval vessels, one of which he later commanded. Promoted at age 25, he is the youngest man to reach the rank of captain in the history of the United States Navy. He served under three presidents and played a major role in the early development of the U.S. Navy. In almost every theater of operation, Decatur’s service was characterized by acts of heroism and exceptional performance. His service in the U.S. Navy took him through both Barbary Wars in North Africa, the Quasi-War with France, and the War of 1812 with Britain. Decatur’s naval victories in all three conflicts helped to establish the United States Navy as a rising power.
PortraitBy Charles Bird King
Daily affirmation…
NOPE!!!
SIGNZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…
Today is the birthday, in 1942, of Paul McCartney, The Beatles Wings, solo. The most successful rock composer of all time. McCartney first met John Lennon on July 6th 1957, who was impressed that Paul could tune a guitar. With The Beatles he scored 21 US No.1 & 17 UK No.1 singles plus McCartney has scored over 30 US & UK solo Top 40 hit singles. He has written and co-written 188 charted records, of which 91 reached the Top 10 and 33 made it to No.1 totalling 1,662 weeks on the chart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap87QgZKTNw
This day in 1631 saw the death of Mumtaz Mahal, beloved wife of the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. She died of postpartum hemorrhage while giving birth to her 14th child, after a prolonged labor of around 30 hours. She had been accompanying her husband while he was fighting a campaign in the Deccan Plateau. The Taj Mahal in Agra, often cited as one of the Wonders of the World, was commissioned by her husband to act as her tomb.
Mumtaz was remarkable in the field of learning and was a talented and cultured lady. She was well-versed in Arabic and Persian, and could compose poems in the latter. She was reputed to have a combination of modesty and candor, a woman warmly straightforward yet bemusedly self-possessed. Early in adolescence, she attracted the attention of important nobles of the realm. Jahangir must have heard about her, since he readily consented to Shah Jahan’s engagement with her.
Mumtaz Mahal was betrothed to Shah Jahan around 5 April 1607, when she was 14 years old and he was 15. They were, however, married five years after their betrothal on 10 May 1612 or 7 June 1612 in Agra. After their wedding celebrations, Shah Jahan, “finding her in appearance and character elect among all the women of the time”, gave her the title Mumtaz Mahal. ‘the exalted one of the Palace).
Mumtaz had a loving marriage with Shah Jahan. Even during her lifetime, poets would extol her beauty, grace, and compassion. Despite her frequent pregnancies, Mumtaz travelled with Shah Jahan’s entourage throughout his earlier military campaigns and the subsequent rebellion against his father. She was his constant companion and trusted confidant, leading court historians to go to unheard lengths to document the intimate and erotic relationship the couple enjoyed. In their 19 years of marriage, they had 14 children together.
Shah Jahan consulted Mumtaz in both private matters and the affairs of the state, and she served as his close confidant and trusted adviser and because of this, she had enormous political power. Like her predecessor and aunt Nur Jahan, Mumtaz sat next to the emperor in the Hall of Private Audience and Hall of Public Audience. She was hidden behind a curtain; if she did not agree with something, she would place her hand on his back, out of sight. At her intercession, he forgave enemies or commuted death sentences.
The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan to be built as a mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal. It is seen as an embodiment of undying love and marital devotion. English poet Sir Edwin Arnold describes it as “Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passion of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones.”
BADA BING!
My granddaughter asked me, “Grampa, today I watched someone do 50 pushups – do you think you could do that?” I said, “Of course, sweetheart. Don’t want to brag, but I could probably watch someone do 100 pushups.”
Bacon and eggs walk into a bar together. The bartender says, “Sorry, we don’t serve breakfast here.”
The police have spent hours questioning the egg. I think it’s about to crack.
I expect the people who have guns to defend themselves from a tyrannical government will be keeping the people of Los Angeles safe. Unless they were lying this whole time.
“Sorry I’m late”, I said as I got home from work. “Some guy lost a $50 dollar bill at the grocery store.” “Were you helping him look for it?”, asked my wife. “No, I was standing on it”.
The wheels came off their bromance so fast you’d think it was a Cybertruck.
Nothing gives me more pleasure than watching America’s two worst human beings finally turn on each other.
Never leave home without a kiss, a hug, and an “I love you.” Then remove the pet hair from your mouth as you walk to the car.
Welcome to your senior years – Where life is a delicate balance between trying to stay awake and trying to fall asleep.
It sickens me to hear Spanish being spoken on the streets of Los Angeles, San Diego, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Santa Ana, San Jose, Santa Barbera, San Bernadino, El Cerrito, La Miranda, and San Luis Obispo.
Leftover Fathers’ Day stuff…
Today is the birthday, in 1952, of Austin, Texas-based drummer Mike Buck who was a member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds who had two hit songs in the 1980s, ‘Tuff Enuff’ and ‘Wrap It Up.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcXT1clXc04
On this day in 1755, the French surrendered Fort Beauséjour to the British, leading to the expulsion of the Acadians (Le Grand Dérangement)). Acadia was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. Acadia was not under the political control of New France and the Acadians frequently found themselves caught in the middle between the English and the French. The English suspected that the Acadians were helping the French and, when the opportunity presented itself, they forcefully deported approximately 11,500 Acadians from the maritime region. Approximately one-third perished from disease and drowning.
After being expelled to France, many Acadians were eventually recruited by the Spanish government to migrate to Luisiana (present-day Louisiana). These Acadians settled into or alongside the existing Louisiana Creole settlements, sometimes intermarrying with Creoles, and gradually developed what became known as Cajun culture.
Deportation of the AcadiansBy Henri Beau – ameriquefrancaise.org
Florida People…
Waiting for my doctor to prescribe hot dogs…
Today is the birthday, in 1958, of Patrick Waite, Musical Youth, best remembered for their successful 1982 single ‘Pass the Dutchie’, which became a No.1 hit around the world. It was a cover version of two songs: ‘Gimme the Music’ by U Brown, and ‘Pass the Kouchie’ by Mighty Diamonds, which deals with the recreational use of cannabis (kouchie being slang for a cannabis pipe). Waite died on 13th February 1993. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsyUa63NM1E
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