Tom

22
Jun
2023

THURSDAY already???

Today is Anti-Fascist Struggle Day in Croatia. It marks the beginning of the uprising of Croatian anti-fascist Partisans against German and Italian occupying forces.

On April 6th 1941, during the Second World War, the Wehrmacht (German armed forces) and their allies (Italy and Hungary) invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Meeting little in the way of organized resistance, within 11 days the country was fully under Axis control.

Despite this initial capitulation, it wasn’t long before the Yugoslavs started organizsing themselves and resistance movements started to emerge. On June 22nd 1941 in the Brezovica woods outside Sisak in central Croatia, the First Sisak Partisan Detachment was formed. This was the first military unit formed by a resistance movement in occupied Europe. Of the 77 fighters who formed the first Partisan unit, 38 survived the war. Most of them were from the Sisak area and were mostly members of the Communist Party.

The anti-fascist movement in Croatia grew from this first detachment into a nationwide resistance in which more than 500,000 Croatian citizens actively participated, including 230,000 armed fighters and is considered to be the most effective resistance movement active during the war.

Today is the birthday, in 1944, of Peter Asher, Peter &Gordon, who had the 1964 UK & US No.1 single ‘World Without Love’, written by Lennon & McCartney. Asher was a producer and Head of Apple Records in late 60s and went on to become James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt’s manager. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdx6lLvvRyg

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
21
Jun
2023

WEDNESDAY…and it’s raining here

Today is Greenland’s ‘National Day’. This public holiday is known as ‘Ullortuneq’, which meanings ‘the longest day’ as 21st June is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.

In most countries, the National Day is a chance to celebrate important events in that country’s nationhood, such as independence or adopting a constitution. In a few countries, it may be celebrated on the feast day of the patron saint of that country.

Greenland uniquely takes a different approach. At such high latitudes, the switch of the seasons is paramount to the survival of the nation, so marking its national day on the summer solstice, the day when the sun has reached its highest latitude for the year and daylight hours are at a maximum makes a great deal of sense.

The use of the sun as part of the national identity of Greenland doesn’t stop with Ullortuneq. Greenland’s flag was designed by a local artist and adopted on 21 June 1985. Using the Danish colors, white represents the ice and red is for the sun.

Bada Bing!

Our cleaning lady just called and said she’s working from home today. She will send instructions.

Q: If men didn’t exist, who would protect you? Her: Protect us from who?

tRUMP: Excuse me, excuse me! I haven’t finished incriminating myself yet!

People in LA are deathly afraid of gluten. I swear, you could rob a liquor store with a bagel.

I’m at the age where, whenever I think of my age, I think, “I should go lie down.”

Jim Gaffigan: They should bundle all the streaming services together and call it cable.

I realized I might have a road rage problem when my 4yo son started yelling “Pick a lane asshole!” in the grocery store.

The Roomba vacuum cleaner just beat me to a piece of popcorn I dropped on the floor and this is how the war against the machines begins.

I just won a competition to invent a silent doorbell. It’s always been my dream to get the no bell prize.

Today is the birthday, in 1948, of English composer and rock guitarist Joey Molland who with Badfinger, scored the hits ‘Come and Get It’ (written and produced by Paul McCartney), ‘No Matter What’, ‘Day After Day’ (produced by George Harrison) and ‘Baby Blue’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVnFJzggLHo

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
20
Jun
2023

TUESDAY (but may feel like Monday)

Today is Flag Day in Argentina. National Flag day commemorates the death of Manuel Belgrano, who created the current flag.

The national flag of Argentina dates from 1812. It is a triband, with three equally wide horizontal bands of light blue, white and light blue. In 1818, a ‘ Sun of May’ was added to the center.

During the Argentine War of Independence General Belgrano was leading a battle near Rosario. He noticed that both the Crown’s forces and the independence forces were using the same colors (Spain’s yellow and red).

After realizing this, Belgrano created a new flag using the colors that were used by the Criollos during the May Revolution in 1810.

Uh oh…

Debbie!!!

Today is the birthday, in 1947, of Dolores Brooks, second lead singer of the girl group the Crystals. She sang lead vocalist on both the Crystals’ 1963 Phil Spector produced hits ‘Then He Kissed Me’ and ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-qqi7-Q19k

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
16
Jun
2023

FRY-DAI

Tomorrow is Icelandic Independence Day. Also called Icelandic National Day or simply ‘the seventeenth of June’, the day marks Iceland’s move to complete independence from Denmark.

Iceland was proclaimed an independent republic on June 17th 1944. Iceland actually gained independence from Denmark much earlier, on December 1st 1918 with the signing of the Act of Union with Denmark. The Act recognized Iceland as an independent state under the Danish crown. During World War II, Denmark was occupied by Germany and there was a movement in Iceland for complete separation. The referendum was held in at the end of May 1944. Voters were asked whether the Union with Denmark should be abolished and whether to adopt a new republican constitution. Both measures were approved with more than 98% in favour and a voter turnout of 98.4%.

Uh Oh…

Today is the birthday, in 1843, of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nMUr8Rt2AI

Posted by Tom in classical, Humor, Music
15
Jun
2023

THURSDAAAAAAAAAAAY

Today is Youth Day in South Africa. Previously known as Soweto Day, Youth Day marks the start of the Soweto riots on this day in 1976. The riots were ignited by a government ruling that all teaching in black schools would be held in Afrikaans.

On June 16th 1976 nearly 30,000 pupils from Soweto joined a protest march. After several clashes with the police and sporadic violence over the next few weeks, approximately 700 people, many of them youths, had been killed and there was widespread destruction of property.

SIGNZZZZZZZ

Today is the birthday, in 1934, of Ruby Nash, American singer who led the rhythm and blues group Ruby & the Romantics who scored the 1963 US No.1 hit ‘Our Day Will Come’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfnEoou-FKU

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies