Tom

Today is Republic Day, a public holiday in Mongolia. Also known as Proclamation Day, the day commemorates the proclamation of the Mongolian People’s Republic and the adoption of the first Constitution of Mongolia on this day in 1924.

From 1691, Outer Mongolia had been a territory of the Chinese Qing dynasty. A move for independence had been stoked at the start of the 20th century after the Qing dynasty implemented cultural assimilation policies in Outer Mongolia to strengthen the Chinese identity of the territory.

When the Qing dynasty collapsed in 1911, Mongolia declared independence. The newly formed Republic of China considered Outer Mongolia to be part of its territory; and emboldened by the collapse of the Russian Empire, Chinese troops were sent to occupy Mongolia. The Chinese were ousted in February 1921, when the Mongols received support from Russian soldiers fighting against the Bolsheviks.

This forced the hands of the Soviet Russians who supported the Mongolian People’s Party and on July 11th 1921, Mongolia again declared independence, starting a close relationship with the Soviet Union that would last until 1990. On November 26th 1924, the Mongolian People’s Republic was proclaimed and Mongolia became the world’s second communist country.

Traditional Mongolian Gers

---

BING BADA…

The mind-body problem…Mind: Get up! Body: NO!

They’re called “deviled eggs” because the voices whisper & make you eat 25 of them!

If you said joy and happiness won’t pay for your groceries, let me know how hatred and misery works out for you.

It’s hard to separate church from state when you can’t separate fact from fiction.

Idiocracy was meant to be a comedy. It became a documentary.

Thinking of starting a taxi service for seniors and calling it Oldsmobile.

Patient: Doc, why was I pausing after every word I said? Doc: You were in a comma.

If you wear a sweater and you sweat, are you the sweater?

Is a fibula just a little lie?

The police caught me exercising at a rest stop.

HABITAT: When you get a picture of a nun inked on your arm.

You call it OCD. I call it put the shit back where you found it!

Forest rangers shoot grizzlies with sedative darts before approaching. There’s safety in numb bears.

I always double-check to make sure the garage door is closed at night. I don’t want someone stealing the stuff I’ve been trying to get rid of for years.

Dr. Oz had to pay $5.25 million to settle a class action suit for promoting phony weight loss cures. He is a con man. No wonder Trump likes him.

I have a ‘dry clean only’ sweater that’s about to learn some unpleasant facts about living with me.

“How to remove leaves from your lawn,” By Ray King.

---

Bad Day…

---

Today is the birthday, in 1945, of John McVie, bassist with the rock band Fleetwood Mac who had the 1968 UK No.1 hit ‘Albatross’ and the hits ‘Man of the World’ and ‘Oh Well. In 1977 they scored the US No.1 single ‘Dreams’ taken from their worldwide No.1 album Rumours which spent 31 weeks on the US chart. He was also a member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ywicffOj4

Today is Statehood Day, a public holiday in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This day is generally accepted as the National Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina, though technically it is a regional holiday in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is one of the two confederal entities.

This holiday commemorates the anniversary of the day in 1943 when Bosnia and Herzegovina was re-established by the Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation of Yugoslavia.

---

decisions, decisions…

New Lego sets…

---

Today is the birthday, in 1960, of Amy Grant, singer, (1991 US No.1 & UK No.2 single ‘Baby Baby’). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMXuuYnoRdI

Today is the Descending Day of Lord Buddha, a public holiday in Bhutan and the Indian state of Sikkim. Also known as Lhabab Duchen is observed on the 22nd day of the ninth lunar month. The day marks the return of Lord Buddha to earth from the heavenly realm after three months of teaching.

On the sacred day of Lhabab Duchen, followers of Buddhism throng to monasteries to light butter lamps, burn incense and offer special prayers to Lord Buddha.

Monks and lamas spend the day reading the holy scriptures and purifying the air with their chanting of mantras.

An important highlight of this holy festival is marked by placing freshly painted ladders on the rocks by the monasteries to symbolize holy descent of Buddha from Trayastrimsa (The Heaven of Thirty Three).

---

SIGNZZZZZZ

---

Today is the birthday, in 1950, of American musician and actor Steven Van Zandt, (Little Steven or Miami Steve), guitarist with South Side Johnny, then Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul. Created music-industry activist group Artists United Against Apartheid as an action against the Sun City resort in South Africa, Springsteen, U2, Bob Dylan and Run DMC, collaborated on ‘Sun City’. He starred as Silvio Dante in the TV Series The Sopranos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBTL4IwOTaU

Today is Garifuna Settlement Day, a national holiday in Belize observed on November 19th each year. This holiday celebrates the settlement of the Garifuna (plural – Garinagu) people in Belize after being exiled from St. Vincent. This day highlights the rich cultural heritage of the Garinagu people — an ethnic group that emerged from the intermarriage of West Africans and the indigenous Arawak people.

In 1675, a cargo ship containing slaves from modern-day Nigeria was wrecked on a Caribbean island in the Grenadines. The local Carib took the survivors to the main island of St. Vincent where they established a community that would develop a unique afro-indigenous culture and group that became the Garifuna people. Known as the ‘Black Caribs’ they posed a formidable obstacle to the British or French taking control of the island group.

Chief Joseph Chatoyer was a Garifuna chief in St. Vincent. He forced the British to sign a peace treaty that set out the boundaries between British and Carib areas of the island. After the superior weaponry of the British finally subdued the Caribs and Garifuna, the British decide to exile the Garifuna as prisoners of war. In April 1797, over 5,000 Garifuna were transported on British ships and abandoned on the deserted Honduran Bay Island of Roatan.

The Garifuna people then travelled to the shores of Belize, mainland Honduras and Guatemala establishing permanent settlements. The first Garifuna arrived in Belize at Dangriga on November 19th 1832, which is still home to the largest Garifuna population in the country.

Today the Garifuna now account for about 7% of the population of Belize. They live mainly in the South of Belize in Garifuna villages like Seine Bight, Hopkins, Barranco and larger towns like Punta Gorda and Dangriga. The black, white and yellow Garifuna Flag was implemented by Thomas Vincent Ramos. The flag is accepted internationally as the flag of the Garifuna Nation and the colors have been used in any forum where Garifuna people assert their Garifuna identity.

---

BADA BINGLE!!

You know you’re old when you don’t recognize the host or the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.

Two deaf men were in a coffee shop discussing their wives. One signs to the other, “Boy was my wife mad at me last night. She went on and on and wouldn’t stop!” The other one says, “When my wife goes like that I just don’t listen.” “How do you manage that?” “It’s easy! I turn off the light!”

Oh great, Daylight Saving Time is over. Now we can all enjoy the sunset while we’re eating lunch.

Stop blaming everyone for all of your problems. Pick one person you don’t like and blame them for everything.

So just to be clear, Dems rigged the election against tRUMP in 2020 but then just forgot to do it this time around?

I’m not sure who needs to hear this, but you don’t need anything from Amazon today. HA!

We aren’t ending friendships over politics, we’re ending friendships over morals. There is a huge difference.

The only thing you can do about awful people is not be one of them.


You donate a kidney and you’re a hero.You donate five kidneys and suddenly the police are involved.

How long before Hannibal Lecter is nominated for Surgeon General?

A distraught senior citizen phoned her doctor’s office. She asked, “Is it true that the medicine you prescribed has to be taken for the rest of my life?” “Yes, I’m afraid so,” the doctor told her. She replies, “It has me concerned that the bottle says ‘no refills’.”

After watching his picks, I’m starting to understand how he bankrupted those casinos.

A funeral was held today for the inventor of the air conditioner. Thousands of fans attended.

The patron saint of copying people on email is St. Francis of a CC.

My wife asked me if I could clear the kitchen table. I had to go and get me a running start, but I made it!

My email password has been hacked again. That’s the 3rd time I’ve had to rename the cat.

If we remove all the margarine on Earth, the world would be a butter place.

Just saw a girl with six lip piercings at Target. It took all my power not to attach a shower curtain.

A 3 foot, 3 inch tall man knocked at my door this morning. I said: “Who are you?” He said: “I’m the meter man”.

When tall people go to bed they sleep longer.

I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.

---

Today is the birthday, in 1938, of Hank Medress, from American male doo-wop-style vocal group The Tokens who had the 1961 US No.1 & UK No.11 single with its cover of Solomon Linda’s ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’. He died from lung cancer on 25th June 2007 aged 68. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M40mBIKkc4

Today is Revolution Day in Mexico, a public holiday observed on the third Monday of November. This holiday celebrates the beginning of the Mexican Revolution in 1910.

For most of Mexico’s developing history, a small minority of the people were in control of most of the country’s power and wealth, while the majority of the population worked in poverty. As the rift between the poor and rich grew under the leadership of General Díaz, the political voice of the lower classes was also declining. Opposition of Díaz did surface when Francisco I. Madero, educated in Europe and at the University of California, led a series of strikes throughout the country.

Although Díaz was at one time a strong supporter of the one-term limit, he seemed to have changed his mind and had Madero imprisoned, feeling that the people of Mexico just weren’t ready for democracy.

Once Madero was released from prison, he continued his battle against Díaz in an attempt to have him overthrown. During this time, several other Mexican folk heroes began to emerge, including the well-known Pancho Villa in the north, and the peasant Emiliano Zapata in the south, who were able to harass the Mexican army and wrest control of their respective regions. Díaz was unable to control the spread of the insurgence and resigned in May 1911, with the signing of the Treaty of Ciudad Juárez, after which he fled to France.

Madero was elected president but received opposition from Emiliano Zapata who didn’t wish to wait for the orderly implementation of Madero’s desired land reforms. In November of the same year, Zapata denounced Madero as president and took the position for himself. He controlled the state of Morelos, where he chased out the estate owners and divided their lands to the peasants. Later, in 1919, Zapata was assassinated by Jesus Guajardo acting under orders from General Pablo Gonzalez.

It was during this time that the country broke into many different factions, and guerilla units roamed across the country destroying and burning down many large haciendas and ranchos. Madero was later taken prisoner and executed and the entire country existed in a state of disorder for several years, while Pancho Villa rampaged through the north, and different factions fought for presidential control.

Eventually, Venustiano Carranza rose to the presidency and organized an important convention whose outcome was the Constitution of 1917, which is still in effect today. Carranza made land reform an important part of that constitution. This resulted in the ejido, or farm cooperative program that redistributed much of the country’s land from the wealthy landholders to the peasants. The ejidos are still in place today and comprise nearly half of all the farmland in Mexico.

---

Crush…

Nominative Determinism…

---

Today is the birthday, in 1958, of Laura Lynch, American country musician and songwriter, a founding member of the all-woman country music band the Dixie Chicks. They scored the 1999 US No.1 album Wide Open Space. By July 2020, with 33 million certified albums sold and sales of 27.9 million albums in the US, the Chicks had become the best-selling all-woman band and best-selling country group. Lynch died in a traffic collision on 22 December 2023 near El Paso, Texas, at the age of 65. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw7gNf_9njs