Month: November 2025

On this day in 1859, the first ‘trapeze routine’ was performed at the Cirque Napoleon in Paris by Jules Léotard.

Léotard was born in Toulouse, France, the son of a gymnastics instructor who ran a swimming pool in Toulouse. Léotard would practice his routines over the pool. He went on to study law, but at age 18 he began to experiment with trapeze bars, ropes, and rings suspended over a swimming pool.

In addition to his trapeze artistry, he also created and popularized the one-piece gym wear that now bears his name and inspired the 1867 song “The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze”.

Jules Léotard died in 1870 from an infectious disease (possibly smallpox).

Jules Léotard

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Who ya gonna call??

And one more thing…(before the drugs wear off)

mating dance…

BADA BING!

A girl once told me, “If you lost 45 pounds, you’d be cute”. I told her, “If I lost 45 pounds, I’d be talking to your friends.”

If you want flowers on February 14th, plant them now.

Some people call them swear words. I call them sentence enhancers.

Classy toilet paper is called butt napkins.

I think cheating should affect your credit score. If she can’t trust you, why should Capital One?

A teacher at a Jr. High and was walking behind two 7th graders in the hall… Boy 1: You’re a moron Boy 2: No I’m not, I’m a Baptist.

My female Dr. was looking at me without my shirt off. I figured she was looking at my muscles and she said, “You’re an old beast’. I said, ‘thank you’. But then my wife said, “Turn up your hearing aids. She said, ‘You’re Obese’.

Calling Donald Trump a sociopath feels like stating water is wet.

A guy walks into a bar and orders a round. He hears a small voice say, “You look nice today.” A few minutes later, it’s that voice again, “That’s a nice shirt.” The guy asks the bartender, “Who is that?” The bartender says, “It’s the peanuts. They’re complimentary!”

When I buy a pack of a dozen ribs, I only eat ribs 2, 3, 5, 7 and 11. I prefer prime ribs.

Republicans are so upset you’d think NYC elected a rapist with 34 felonies.

Q: Why would the Grim Reaper need a scythe if he can kill people just by touching them? A: Because he’s the Grim Reaper and he needs a scythe to reap. Otherwise, he would be known as the Grim Toucher and that might get him on a list.

It has begun! After only 2 days of Mamdani becoming the new NYC mayor, they’re teaching Arabic Numerals in NYC schools!

Me: “Change is inedible” Wife: “You mean inevitable” Me: *spitting out several nickels* “I do not”

Vegan food isn’t that bad once you add meat and cheese to it.

When I dunk my cookies in milk I think of you. I hold them under until the bubbles stop.

We live in a society where pizza gets to your house before the police.

I just heard Walmart is giving free turkeys to anyone who can outrun security.

If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, why isn’t anything in the store is free yet?

When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.

It matters not whether you win or lose: what matters is whether I win or lose.

I get confused by all the yard signs. I think I may have voted for a realtor.

I don’t understand why it isn’t socially acceptable to choose to be nocturnal. The angry hot sky ball is gone, my internet is fast, and everyone finally shut up. What’s not to like?!

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Lot of them here right now!

Today is the birthday, in 1945, of Neil Young, Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist who as a member of Buffalo Springfield had the 1967 US No.17 single ‘For What It’s Worth’. Joined Crosby, Stills Nash & Young who had the 1970 US No.1 and UK No.5 album DejVu. As a solo artist Young scored the 1972 US No.1 and UK No.10 single Heart Of Gold, and his 1972 UK No.7 album Harvest spent 66 weeks on the UK chart. In 2008 a newly discovered trapdoor spider Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi was named after the singer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZn9QZykx10

This day in 1951 marked the start of the North American Numbering Plan which we now refer to as ‘Area Codes’.

From the Bell System’s beginnings in 1876 and throughout the first part of the 20th century, telephone networks grew from essentially local or regional telephone systems. These systems expanded by growing their subscriber bases, as well as enlarging their service areas by implementing additional local exchanges that were interconnected with tie trunks. It was the responsibility of each local administration to devise telephone numbering plans that accommodated the local requirements and growth. As a result, the North American telephone service industry developed into an unorganized set of many differing local numbering systems. The diversity impeded the efficient operation and interconnection of exchanges into a nationwide system for long-distance telephone communication.

In October 1947, AT&T published the first nationwide numbering plan in coordination with the independent telephone operators. The plan divided most of North America into eighty-six numbering plan areas (NPAs). Each NPA was assigned a unique three-digit code, or simply area code. The goal of automatic service required additional technical advances in the latest generation of toll-switching systems, completed by the early 1950s, and installation of new toll-switching systems in most numbering plan areas. The first customer-dialed direct call using an area code was made on November 10, 1951, from Englewood, New Jersey, to Alameda, California. Direct distance dialing (DDD) was introduced subsequently across the country.

The North American Numbering Plan now covers twenty-five regions in twenty countries, primarily in North America and the Caribbean. This group is historically known as World Numbering Zone 1 and has the country code 1. Some North American countries, most notably Mexico, do not participate in the NANP.

Face of a 1939 rotary telephone dial with the telephone number LA-2697. The dial plate shows the mapping of the alphabet to digits. The telephone number includes the first two letters of Lakewood, New Jersey, as the central office prefix, later converted to LA6 in the new numbering plan.

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This is one of the wurst refrigerators…

Quiz…

FABRIC ART!!!!!

But first, a nice crocheted

BAGEL SMORG lunch!

Look how the quilt stitching incorporates the symbols of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, etc. Now THAT’S attention to detail!

AND FOR ALL YOU QUILTERS OUT THERE, THIS IS FOR YOU!!!!!!!

Thanks, Debra!!!

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Today is the birthday, in 1973, of British singer Jacqui Abbott, with The Beautiful South. Amongst their most successful hits during her stint with the group from 1994 to 2000, following the departure of Briana Corrigan were: ‘Rotterdam’, ‘Perfect 10’, ‘Don’t Marry Her’ and ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1s8vfihMbA

Today is the anniversary of Dunmore’s Proclamation, a historical document signed on November 7, 1775, by John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, royal governor of the British colony of Virginia. The proclamation declared martial law in the colony, and promised freedom for “all indented servants, negroes, or others”, who joined the British Army.

Formally proclaimed on November 15, its publication prompted between 800 and 2,000 slaves (from both Patriot and Loyalist owners) to run away and enlist with Dunmore. It also raised a furor among Virginia’s slave-owning elites (including those who had been sympathetic to Britain), to whom the possibility of a slave rebellion was a major fear. The proclamation ultimately failed in meeting Dunmore’s objectives; he was forced out of the colony in 1776, taking about 300 former slaves with him.

Later British commanders over the course of the American Revolutionary War followed Dunmore’s model in enticing slaves to defect—the 1779 Philipsburg Proclamation, which applied across all the colonies, was more successful. By the end of the war, at least 20,000 slaves had escaped from plantations into British service.

Sir Joshua Reynolds – John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore

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Tiddles

Doggies…

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Maybe go to both??

Today is the birthday, in 1996, of New Zealand singer-songwriter, Ella Yelich-O’Connor, known by her stage name Lorde who had the 2013 worldwide hit ‘Royals’, making her the first New Zealand solo artist to have a No.1 song in the United States. Her second studio album Melodrama topped charts in New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Canada. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlcIKh6sBtc

On this day in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States with almost 40 percent of the votes over John Breckenridge, John Bell and Stephen Douglas.

In 1860, the United States was divided over the issue of slavery. Four major political parties nominated candidates in the 1860 presidential election. Incumbent president James Buchanan, a Democrat, did not seek re-election. The anti-slavery Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln, a former one-term Whig Representative from Illinois, for president. Its platform promised not to interfere with slavery in the South, but opposed extension of slavery into the territories.

A group of former Whigs and Know Nothings formed the Constitutional Union Party, which sought to avoid disunion by resolving divisions over slavery with some new compromise. The 1860 Constitutional Union Convention put forward former Tennessee Senator John Bell for president.

After the 1860 Democratic National Convention adjourned without agreeing on a nominee, a second convention nominated Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas as the Democratic presidential candidate. Douglas’s support for the concept of popular sovereignty, which called for each territory’s settlers to decide locally on the status of slavery, alienated many radical pro-slavery Southern Democrats. With President Buchanan’s support, Southern Democrats held their own convention, nominating Vice President John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky for president.

Lincoln received a majority in the Electoral College, with all his Electoral College votes coming from Northern states. He prevailed in 18 states, won 180 electoral votes, and received 39.7% of the popular vote. Douglas won the second-highest popular vote total, but won only the state of Missouri; he was the only candidate in the 1860 election to win electoral votes in both free and slave states. Breckinridge won 11 states, finishing third in the popular vote, while Bell finished fourth in the popular vote and won the electoral votes of the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Lincoln’s election as the first Republican president served as the main catalyst for Southern secession and the American Civil War. His election motivated seven Southern states, all having voted for Breckinridge, to secede from the United States before Lincoln’s inauguration in March 1861. The Civil War began less than two months after the inauguration with the Battle of Fort Sumter.

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Now we’re adding labels to the White House????

Today is the birthday, in 1947, of John Wilson, drummer with the Northern Irish band Them who had the 1965 UK hits ‘Baby, Please Don’t Go’ and ‘Here Comes The Night’ with Van Morrison on lead vocals. Morrison quit the band in 1966 and went on to a successful career as a solo artist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbdA1_X913k

Today is, of course, the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. It was an unsuccessful attempt by a group of English Catholics led by Robert Catesby to overthrow the government of King James VI who was seen as intolerant. The plan was to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday 5 November 1605,^[a] as the prelude to a popular revolt in the Midlands during which King James’s nine-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, was to be installed as the new head of state.

Catesby is suspected by historians to have embarked on the scheme after hopes of greater religious tolerance under James had faded. A former soldier, Guy Fawkes, was given charge of the explosives. On 26 October 1605 an anonymous letter of warning was sent to William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle, a Catholic member of Parliament, who immediately showed it to the authorities. During a search of the House of Lords on the evening of 4 November, Fawkes was discovered guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder—enough to reduce the House of Lords to rubble—and arrested.

The conspirators were either killed or captured. At their trial on 27 January 1606, eight of the surviving conspirators, including Fawkes, were convicted and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered.

The event destroyed all hope for tolerance of the Catholics in England. In the summer of 1606, laws against recusancy were strengthened; the Popish Recusants Act returned England to the Elizabethan system of fines and restrictions, introduced a sacramental test, and an Oath of Allegiance, requiring Catholics to abjure as a “heresy” the doctrine that “princes excommunicated by the Pope could be deposed or assassinated”. Catholic emancipation took another 200 years.

The Discovery of the Gunpowder Plot (c. 1823), by Henry Perronet Briggs

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visualize this…

BADA BING!

Space alien: Take me to your leader. Earthling: You’ve sort of come at a bad time.

MAGA: Yay, Trump’s cutting off freeloaders!! ALSO MAGA: Hey why is my food stamp card not working!?

I’m trying to see things from your perspective, but I just can’t make myself that dumb.

I bought a second hand time machine next Sunday. They don’t make them like they’re going to anymore.

Had an elderly boss who got scammed out of $5000 in a “your mac is infected” call. I told her it was a scam and reported it to Chase credit. That night, she called the scammer, angry. “I’m sorry”. he said. “I’ll refund you! What’s your debit card info?” Guess what she did…

Coffee mug saying… I am a ray of fucking sunshine.

I was gonna start dieting, but Halloween is coming up, then Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Before you know it, it’s BBQ season again and I’m not about to turn down a cheeseburger.

My Girlfriend yelled at me, “Stop it with all your corny jokes!” I said, “What are you gonna do, call the crops?”

Tim decided to tie the knot with his long-time girlfriend. One evening, after the honeymoon, he was out in the garage organizing his golfing equipment. His wife came to the door and after a long period of silence, she said, “Tim, I’ve been thinking, now that we’re married, maybe it’s time you quit golfing. You spend so much time on the course. I’m sure you could probably get a good price for your clubs.” Tim got a horrified look on his face. His wife said, “Darling, what’s wrong?” Tim shook his head and said, “For a minute there, you started to sound like my ex-wife.” “Ex-wife!” she screamed, “I didn’t know you were married before!” He gave her a pointed look and said, “I wasn’t.”

A man and wife were sitting in their easy chairs… she was watching TV and he was reading…. she said, “Sam, if I died, do you think you would get married again?” He didn’t drop his paper and replied, “Oh, I don’t know… maybe, I guess…” She was taken aback. “What? You’d actually marry another woman after me?!” “I guess — I don’t know…” “Well, would you give her my golf clubs, too?” “No, she’s left-handed.”

When do flowers get their workouts in? Spring training.

What time does everyone love to drink? Wine o’clock.

What did police have to do when 500 hares got loose downtown? They had to comb the area.

Why do cows go to New York City? To see the moo-sicals.

A bear that got wet from a light rain is called what? A drizzly bear.

Where do dads store their dad jokes? In the dad-a-base.

What do you call Dracula with hay fever? The pollen Count.

Where do sports teams go to buy new uniforms? New Jersey.

What do you call an enlisted man who loves to cook? A grill sergeant.

A dog will love you more than any person.  But they’ll also steal your sandwich.

I’m collecting my thoughts. I almost have a full set.

Facebook has taught me a couple of things. First, there are some incredibly brilliant people in the world. Second, they are vastly outnumbered.

Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate Halloween. I guess they don’t appreciate random people coming up to their door.

Running is a great way to meet new people. Today, I met two EMTs, three nurses, and a cardiologist.

My fondest childhood memory is thinking $100 was a lot of money.

My body isn’t a temple. It’s a haunted house. It needs a lot of work, makes mysterious creaking sounds, and contains the spirit of a creepy old man that’s always mad about something.

I think my house is haunted by the ghost of a chicken. It’s a poultrygeist. A fowl spirit. I’m going to call an eggsorcist, to help it cross to the other side.

I might wake up early and go for a jog. I may also win the lottery. Odds are about the same.

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Today is the birthday, in 1956, of British musician Helen O’Hara. She was a member and violinist of Dexys Midnight Runners from 1982 to 1987. They are best known in the UK for their songs ‘Geno’ and ‘Come On Eileen’, both of which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, and achieved six other top-20 singles. ‘Come On Eileen’ also topped the US Billboard Hot 100. After leaving Dexys, O’Hara worked with Graham Parker, Tanita Tikaram (with whom she recorded ‘Good Tradition’ and toured from 1988 to 1990) and Mary Coughlan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BODDyZRF6A