Today is Independence Day in Madagascar, a public holiday. It is the National Day of Madagascar and marks the country’s independence from France in 1960.
In the early 19th century, Madagascar was united and ruled by the Merina dynasty as the Kingdom of Madagascar. Seen as a key strategic location by both France and Britain, France invaded Madagascar in 1883, eventually removing the monarchy and quashing resistance after a lengthy fight and imposing colonial rule in 1897.
During the second world war, the Vichy government of France unsuccessfully fought the British for the control of Madagascar. The actions of the French galvanised the growing call for independence, leading to the Malagasy Uprising of 1947. (commemorated on Martyrs’ Day on March 29th)
Though the uprising was subdued by the French, it forced the French to establish reformed institutions in 1956 and paved the way for Madagascar to move towards independence without the need for more violent insurrection.
The Malagasy Republic was proclaimed on October 14th 1958, as an autonomous state within the French Community. Soon after a constitution was adopted in 1959 and full independence as the Republic of Madagascar was gained on June 26th 1960.
Make allowances for those who are a little ‘slower’
Welcome to Scotland!
Today is the birthday, in 1961, of Terri Nunn, singer from American new wave band Berlin, who scored the 1986 UK & US No.1 single ‘Take My Breath Away’ which was featured in the 1986 film Top Gun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx51eegLTY8
Today is Statehood Day in Slovenia. Known as ‘Dan državnosti’, this holiday is Slovenia’s national day and commemorates Slovenia’s declaration of independence from Yugoslavia on June 25th 1991.
Historically part of the Austria-Hungarian Empire until its collapse at the end of World War I, Slovenia was one of the six republics that formed Yugoslavia. In December 1990, the Slovenian independence referendum had resulted in a 94.8% vote in favor of establishing an independent Slovenia.
The formal declaration of independence was on June 26th 1991, but since much of the legislation relating to independence was passed on June 25th, it is this date that is remembered and celebrated on Statehood Day.
The proclamation started the Ten-Day war with Yugoslavia. Yugoslav army tanks headed from barracks in Slovenia and Croatia to Slovenia’s borders with Italy, Austria and Hungary, triggering a ten-day war of independence.
Following a ceasefire based on the July 7th 1991 Brijuni Declaration, brokered by the EU’s predecessor, and a subsequent three-month independence process moratorium, the last Yugoslav troops left Slovenia in October 1991.
Croatia also celebrates Statehood day on the same day, as it was also a state created from the dissolution of Yugoslavia.
BADA BING!!
Q: Why are IT guys such dicks? It guy: I just drove two hours to push a power button on a server that three separate people assured me was already on.
I ate a clock yesterday. It was very time-consuming.
Rage Against the Machine never specified what type of machine they were furious with but I imagine it was probably a printer.
Apparently this week there will be constant rane, hale, gails, drissle, thundre, litnin, hy tydes, tawnaydoes and frizzing colde. Really bad spell of wether.
Chick-fil-A, Fathers eat free on Father’s Day.
Just finished reading a book called: ‘Fear of Sunlight’…by Gladys Knight.
There was an ambidextrous shop up the road. At first, I thought it had closed. But I guess it’s just changing hands.
I’ve reached the age where I can’t tell if I’ve sustained an injury or that’s just how I am now.
The older I get the tighter companies are putting the lids on jars.
If we get rid of all the margarine, the world will be a butter place.
From the pulpit: People can’t change genders insists a man who believes Jesus can be a biscuit.
Daughter: Mom, Dad, I’m 18 now. It’s time to say goodbye and spread my legs. Dad: It’s wings, spread your wings!
Mr & Mrs Case are proud to announce the birth of their baby boy. Justin.
I saw a microbiologist today. He was much bigger than I expected.
Today is the birthday, in 1945, of Carly Simon, US singer, songwriter, (1973 UK No.3 and US No.1 single ‘You’re So Vain’, 1974 US No.5 single with James Taylor ‘Mockingbird’). In 2015, after keeping quiet for more than 40 years, Carly Simon admitted that ‘You’re So Vain’ was about Warren Beatty, but only one verse of it. Simon said the other verses were about two other men. She also wrote and sang the very best James Bond song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaV-6qerkqI
Today is Jāņi, a public holiday in Latvia. The previous day, Midsummer Eve (Ligo) is also a public holiday. Depending on what day of the week, these holidays fall on, then additional bridge holidays may also be declared (Latvians know how to live).
Jāņi marks the summer solstice and the shortest night of the year and it has become one of the most important holidays in Latvia. Since ancient times, this midsummer day has been observed and celebrated by many cultures. In the agricultural calendar, it was a time to celebrate the sowing of the crops and enjoy the short break before harvest began. In Northern Europe, its effects are more pronounced with very long days, which of course is contrasted six months later when the winter solstice (Ziemassvētki) results in very long nights in that part of the world.
With the Christianisation of Latvia, Jāņi was moved to St. John’s Day.
During the Soviet era, the celebration of ethnic holidays such as Jāņi were suppressed by the authorities as they were seen as nationalistic when the focus should be on the Soviet Union as a collective.
Since independence in 1990, the holiday has been reinstated and the (at least) two-day break for Ligo and St. John’s Day has proved a popular holiday period for Latvians to take some time off and enjoy the weather at this time of year.
Cat Math
TRIANGLE
SQUARE
RECTANGLE
CIRCLE
HORIZONTAL
VERTICAL
OBLIQUE
EVEN NUMBER
ODD NUMBER
PRIME NUMBER
CONCENTRIC CIRCLES
EQUATION
MULTIPLICATION
DIVISION
PERPENDICULAR
RIGHT ANGLE
OBTUSE ANGLE
SPHERE
BELL CURVE
FIBONACCI SERIES
INFINITY
(all according to Bluebird of Bitterness)
Today is the birthday, in 1947, of Mick Fleetwood, drummer and co-founder of 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ywicffOj4
Today is Midsummer’s Day, a public holiday in Sweden and some other Nordic countries. Midsummer is one of the oldest and most important holidays in Sweden. Festivities start on the Friday before – Midsummer’s Eve (Midsommarafton).
Similar to New Year, the main celebrations take place on the eve of the day. Traditional events include raising and dancing around a huge maypole, in Swedish called the Midsommarstången.
Some believe it originated as a symbol of fertility. Even though the major fertility rites in ancient times, center around the beginning of spring, Midsummer was linked to an ancient fertility festival, as conception at this time would lead to a birth in March, which was traditionally seen as a good time for children to be born. Others think the shape of the pole has its roots in Norse mythology, and that it represents an axis linking the underworld, earth, and heavens. Many people will wear traditional folk costumes and listen to traditional music. It is also a holiday on which the Swedish will consume a large amount of alcohol and raucous drinking songs are a common sound during the celebrations.
Midsummer was considered to be one of the key times in the year when the power of magic was strongest and at it was thought to be a good time to perform rituals, particularly those which related to predicting the future. A tradition of this is one in which young people pick bouquets of seven or nine different flowers and put them under their pillow in the hope of dreaming about their future spouse.
BOOKS!!!
On this day in 1962, The “James Bond Theme”, first heard in the 1962 film Dr. No. The Bond Theme was recorded using five saxophones, nine brass instruments, a solo guitar and a rhythm section. The original recording of the theme was played by Vic Flick on a 1939 English Clifford Essex Paragon Deluxe guitar plugged into a Fender Vibrolux amplifier. Flick was paid a one-off fee of £6 for recording the famous James Bond Theme motif. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9-cDa4JCwM
Today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Chile. This public holiday in Chile takes place on the Winter Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. Inti Raymi in Quechua, Machaq Mara in Aymara, Huata Mosoj in Colla, WeTripantu in Mapudungun and Xóosink in the language of the Selk’nam are the ways of referring to this day in the different languages.
More than two million Chileans identify as belonging to an indigenous group. Of these, 1.7 million identify as Mapuche, 156,000 as Aymara and 88,000 as Diaguita, the three most numerous indigenous peoples in Chile, according to data from the 2017 census. The Chilean State recognizes the Mapuche, Aymara, Rapanui, Atacameño or Likan Antai, Quechua, Colla, Chango, Diaguita, Kawésqar and Yagán as the main indigenous peoples of Chile.
Mapuche peoplein Southern Chile
The Dogs of Pride
SIGNS!
Today is the birthday, in 1819, of Jacques Offenbach, German-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Franz von Suppé, Johann Strauss II and Arthur Sullivan. His best-known works were continually revived during the 20th century, and many of his operettas continue to be staged in the 21st. The Tales of Hoffmann remains part of the standard opera repertory.
In 1858 Offenbach produced his first full-length operetta, Orphée aux enfers (“Orpheus in the Underworld”), with its celebrated can-can; the work was exceptionally well received and has remained his most played. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU0IyxvcH4E
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