Tom

Today is Commonwealth Day, the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations held on the second Monday of March. The Commonwealth of Nations is an international association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire from which it developed. They are connected through their use of the English language and historical-cultural ties.

The event traces its origins to Empire Day, an event initially conceived to celebrate the British Empire. It was originally observed on Queen Victoria’s birthdate, May 24th, or the last weekday before it. In the latter half of the 20th century, the celebration’s focus shifted towards emphasising the modern Commonwealth of Nations, with the event being renamed Commonwealth Day in 1958, and its date moved to the second Monday in March in 1977.

At its height in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the British Empire became the largest empire in history and, for a century, was the foremost global power. By 1913, the British Empire held sway over 412 million people, 23 percent of the world population at the time, and by 1920, it covered 35.5 million km² (13.7 million sq mi), 24 per cent of the Earth’s total land area. As a result, its constitutional, legal, linguistic, and cultural legacy is widespread.

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Amazing Cats

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Today is the birthday, in 1940, of Dean Torrence, who with Jan and Dean had the 1963 US No.1 & UK No.26, single ‘Surf City’, co written by The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson). Jan and Dean were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf music styles. Other hits include, Subsequent top 10 hits included ‘Drag City’ , ‘Dead Man’s Curve’ and ‘The Little Old Lady from Pasadena.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYxPgFUjDpA

Today is the anniversary of ‘Bloody Sunday’. On this day in 1965, Civil rights marchers began their march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama to advocate for African-Americans to be able to exercise their constitutional right to vote. The march was ended by state troopers and county possemen, who charged on about 600 unarmed protesters with batons and tear gas after they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the direction of Montgomery.

Law enforcement beat one of the leaders, Amelia Boynton unconscious, and the media publicized worldwide a picture of her lying wounded on the bridge. The second march took place two days later but King cut it short as a federal court issued a temporary injunction against further marches. That night, an anti-civil rights group murdered civil rights activist James Reeb, a Unitarian Universalist minister from Boston.

The violence of “Bloody Sunday” and Reeb’s murder resulted in a national outcry, and the marches were widely discussed in national and international news media. The protesters campaigned for a new federal voting rights law to enable African Americans to register and vote without harassment. President Lyndon B. Johnson seized the opportunity and held a historic, nationally televised joint session of Congress on March 15, asking lawmakers to pass what is now known as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It was passed and he signed it on August 6, removing obstacles for Blacks to register.

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Work from home??

Simone Weil…

There have been some great album covers, but some have been not so great…

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Signssess

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song for Elon… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi8sqFwIClM

Today is Independence Day in Ghana. It is Ghana’s National Day and commemorates Ghana’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1957.

The earliest kingdoms to emerge in Ghana were Bonoman in the south and the Kingdom of Dagbon in the north, with Bonoman existing in the area during the 11th century.^[The Ashanti Empire and other Akan kingdoms in the south emerged over the centuries.^[13] Beginning in the 15th century, the Portuguese Empire, followed by other European powers, contested the area for trading rights, until the British ultimately established control of the coast by the 19th century.

Following more than a century of colonial resistance, the current borders of the country took shape, encompassing four separate British colonial territories: Gold Coast, Ashanti, the Northern Territories, and British Togoland. These were unified as an independent dominion within the Commonwealth of Nations. On 6 March 1957 Ghana became the first colony in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sovereignty – that is, gain independence. Under President Kwame Nkrumah, it became influential in decolonization efforts and the Pan-African movement.

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That Vance fella wants us all to say ‘Thank You’.

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Stay away…

Today is the birthday, in 1944, of Mary Wilson, vocals, The Supremes who had the 1964 UK & US No.1 single ‘Baby Love’ plus 11 other US No.1 singles. Wilson died in her sleep on 8 February 2021 age of 76 from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at her home in Henderson, Nevada. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_y6nFjoVp4

Today is ‘Custom Chiefs Day’, a public holiday in Vanuatu. This is a day to commemorate and preserve the traditional tribal customs observed on many islands.

Vanuatu is an archipelago of over 80 islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Many of these islands have resisted European and Western influences and still live according to traditional customs. This includes a system where the tribes are still ruled by chiefs.

Though the customs may differ from island to island, the chief is recognized as the uppermost figure in a community.

 In 1977 a National Council of Chiefs (Malvatu Mauri) was set up by the government to advise and propose ways to ensure the preservation of traditional ways of life through Vanuatu. One outcome was the establishment of this public holiday on March 5th to recognize the commitment and prominent role of the chiefs.

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Parking lot outside eye doctor’s office

Thanks, RFK Jr.!

Simone Weil…

Vance…

RFK Jr. has HHS working on some new cereals to ‘make America healthy’.

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and…Canadians are still pissed…

thanks to Gordie Howe, “Mr Elbows,” for teaching generations of us how to do what has become our Canadian ninja move —

The Elbow is even immortalized by Gordie Howe’s statue in his hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan —

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Nothing to see here. Just an elephant walking her camels
byu/Justin_Godfrey infunny

Sometimes we text the wrong number…

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Today is the birthday, in 1958, of English singer and songwriter Andy Gibb the younger brother of Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, of The Bee Gees. Through the early 1980s, he released eight singles which reached the Top 20 of the US Hot 100, three of which went to No.1, ‘I Just Want to Be Your Everything’ (1977), ‘(Love Is) Thicker Than Water’ (1977), and ‘Shadow Dancing’ (1978). Gibb would later struggle with drug addiction and depression. He died on 10 March 1988, five days after his 30th birthday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_izvAbhExY

Today is Mardi Gras, Carnival, Carnaval, Shrove Tuesday and many other names. It is the last day before the beginning of Lent and the last chance to feast before the fasting period of Lent. It is celebrated, for the most part, where there has been a large Roman Catholic tradition. In some countries it is a massive holiday with music, parades and dancers. Here are a few pictures from Brazil.

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Paris’ Boulevard Saint Denis in 1910 against modern background

Training…

Just before the accident…

Some people don’t like our current president…

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And the Canadians are not happy with us…

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Bada Bing!!!!

I’m thinking of taking this wine box back to complain. It says once opened it will last for 6 weeks. It only lasted 3 days.

An old guy at the gym asked the trainer what he needed to use to impress the young ladies. He directed him to the ATM in the lobby.

Elon Musk gets a lot of hate. But it’s not enough. We can do better.

Maybe two men who fathered 17 children with 6 different women between them shouldn’t be lecturing us about family values.

I really didn’t think I would spend my 70s fighting fascism.

Sometimes my dog is so happy to see me that he pees a little. None of my friends have ever been that happy to see me.

Trump, Vance, Musk, RFK Jr, and Patel just scored 100% on the US Constitution test. However, it was a combined score!

My lawyer proved that at a speed of 187mph the 40mph sign is impossible to read.

I’ve asked myself for the 5th time today, “is this a real problem or do I just need to eat a cookie?”

It turns out that no matter how early I go to bed… I still don’t want to get up the next day.

I used to wonder why my parents couldn’t grasp new technology. But now anytime I see something new I’m like, “I’m not learning that unless someone makes me.”

t was taking years to develop birth control for men. But I’m so glad the CyberTruck arrived and fixed all that.

No one in my entire life has believed in me more than the server who gave me a single napkin to use while eating my lunch.

Attention: April Fool’s Day has been cancelled. There’s just no way to pull off a bigger prank than the clowns running America right now.

I was thinking of killing off a few characters in the book I’m writing. It would really spice my autobiography up a little.

My psychiatrist tells me that my narcissism causes me to misread social situations, but I’m pretty sure that was her way of hitting on me.

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David Johansen, (Buster Poindexter) the singer and songwriter who was at the vanguard of glam rock and punk as the frontman of the New York Dolls, died yesterday at his home on Staten Island. He was 75. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhZba-P7R18