Tom

WEDNESDAY, he sez

Today is Labour Day in Trinidad and Tobago. Labour Day marks an uprising in 1937, that is seen as the beginning of the modern trade union movement in Trinidad and Tobago.

While there had been some efforts to create a movement to support workers in Trinidad and Tobago in the early part of the twentieth century, progress had been slow and sporadic.

On 18 June 1937, workers at the Butler Oil fields began a strike against the inequality of earnings from the oil industry. Police tried to arrest the leader of the strike, Tubal Uriah ‘Buzz’ Butler on 19 June. This led to riots which resulted in the deaths of nine workers and two policemen. Butler went on the run from the authorities, giving himself up in September 1937 and spending two years in prison. The riots were seen as a precursor to the creation of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU), which became the first registered trade union in the country. The riots also led to a 1939 commission headed by Lord Moyne which attempted to investigate the causes of the riots and suggested recommendations to ensure that events wouldn’t be repeated.

Butler, a Grenadian immigrant, went on to form his own political party in the 1950’s and his efforts to improve rights of workers led to him being awarded the Trinity Cross, the nation’s highest honor. As well as having a major highway named after him, a statue of Butler stands at the Charlie King Junction in Fyzabad, the place where the police tried to arrest him in 1937.


Today is the birthday, in 1950, of Ann Wilson, lead singer of the American rock band Heart who scored the 1987 US No.1 & UK No.3 single ‘Alone’. Heart has sold over 35 million records worldwide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeMvMNpvB5M

Posted by Tom

TUESDAY – the back story

Today is King Mother Birthday, a public holiday in Cambodia. This day commemorates the birthday of Queen Mother Norodom Monineath in 1936.

Queen Mother Norodom Monineath was born on June 18th 1936 in Saigon, when it was part of French Indochina. Her birth name was Paule-Monique Izzi and her father was French.

She was queen consort of Cambodia from 1952 to 1955 and again from 1993 to 2004, as the wife of King Norodom Sihanouk. She first met Norodom Sihanouk in 1951 when he awarded her first prize in a beauty contest. They married the following year.

King Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in 2004, with his son becoming his successor, making Norodom Monineath the Queen Mother.


Good brickwork

Bada Bing!

Marjorie Taylor Greene warns that windmills will drive up the cost of wind.

I just want to know why my clothes only get stuck on the door handles when I’m in a bad mood.

Evangenitals: Fundamentalist Christians who are constantly interested in what’s in someone else’s pants.

I’m a modern man. I don’t have a problem buying tampons.

But apparently, they are not a proper birthday present.

Trying to think of a tree pun but I’m stumped.

I meant to behave but there were so many other options.

If a bag is not resealable, then it contains one serving.

If youโ€™re waiting for the folks in the cult to come to their senses, then you donโ€™t understand a cult.

Your phone won’t auto correct when you have caps lock on because it assumes you’re angry and doesn’t want to get involved.

People who love Chick-fil-A say they could eat there 24/6.

When you have bad handwriting, notes to yourself are just fun little mysteries you get to solve later.

I’m very sad to announce that my Origami business has folded.

If somebody is being snarky to you, just say, “Excuse me, you have something stuck in your teeth.” They’ll be looking for the nearest mirror in a heartbeat.

Remember if you work hard enough at your job, you get to do other people’s work too.

Of all the poop in the world, who decided that bat shit was the craziest?

A real man will never stand there and watch his woman pay for anything. He’ll go and wait in the car.

I came in early today and switched as many M and N keys on keyboards as I could.ย Some might say I’m a monster but others will say nomster.

I could never join a cult. I hate meetings.

I can’t watch a movie where a dog dies. But I can watch a serial killer movie where 27 people are murdered.

โ€œI think itโ€™s wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly.โ€

You know when you buy a bag of salad and it starts getting brown and has gross water in it? Doughnuts never do that.


Today is the birthday, in 1942, of Paul McCartney, The Beatles, Wings, solo. The most successful rock composer of all time. McCartney first met John Lennon on July 6th 1957, who was impressed that Paul could tune a guitar. With The Beatles he scored 21 US No.1 & 17 UK No.1 singles plus McCartney has scored over 30 US & UK solo Top 40 hit singles. He has written and co-written 188 charted records, of which 91 reached the Top 10 and 33 made it to No.1 totaling 1,662 weeks on the chart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpr_IDKVv9k

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies

Happy MONDAY, everyone!!

Today 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 recognised Iceland as an independent state under the Danish crown.

The formation of the republic in 1944 was based on a clause in the 1918 Act which allowed for a change to the relationship between Iceland and Denmark in 1943.

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%.

Although he would have preferred a different outcome in the referendum, King Christian X of Denmark sent a letter on June 17th 1944 congratulating Icelanders on forming their Republic.

The June 17th date was already a significant date in Iceland’s history as it is the birthday of Jรณn Sigurdsson who was the leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement which led to the 1918 Act of Union. Sigurdsson died in Copenhagen in 1879.


Juxtaposition…

Yesterday was Fathers’ Day


Today is the birthday, in 1957, of Philip Chevron, guitarist from Irish-British Celtic punk band The Pogues who scored the 1987 UK No.8 single ‘The Irish Rover’ and the 1987 UK No.2 single with Kirsty MaCcoll, ‘Fairytale Of New York’. Chevron died on October 8, 2013 in Dublin, Ireland from oesophageal cancer at age 56. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s11BuatTuXk

Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music

The dawn breaks and with it FRIDAY!

Today is King Charles’ Birthday. Now those of you who pay attention will know that King Charles was actually born on 14 November, 1948. However, now that he has taken the throne he receives the privilege of celebrating his birthday not once, but twice every year.

It was the same with Queen Elizabeth. Queen’s Birthday was celebrated in June each year, even though the Queen’s birthday was on April 21st.

The idea behind the double birthday is that having a summer birthday means a higher chance of good weather during the Trooping the Color parade, which marks the official celebration of the monarch’s birthday in the UK. Trooping the Color is held outside Buckingham Palace on a Saturday in early June and has marked the celebration for over 270 years.

The King is the monarch of 15 countries, the United Kingdom and 14 commonwealth realms.



OOPS!!


Today is the birthday, in 1961, of George O’Dowd, (Boy George), English singer, songwriter, DJ, fashion designer and photographer. As lead singer of the Grammy and Brit Award winning Culture Club, he scored the 1983 UK No.1 & 1984 US No.1 single ‘Karma Chameleon’ and global hits ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’, and ‘Time’ (Clock of the Heart). As a solo artists George had the 1987 UK No.1 single ‘Everything I Own’. He became a coach on The Voice UK in 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcA9LIIXWw

Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music

THURSDAY is a nice day

Today is the Feast of St. Anthony, a holiday in his hometown of Lisbon. It commemorates his death in 1231.

St. Anthony of Padua was born in Lisbon, Portugal to a wealthy family; his father was a captain in the Royal army. He was ordained as a priest and became inspired after meeting five Franciscan friars who were on their way to Muslim Morocco to preach the Gospel. A few months later he discovered that the monks were martyred and he joined the Franciscan order to follow in their path, adopting the name of Anthony, after Anthony the Great, who was one of the first monks and noted for his travels in desert lands.

Anthony’s life was changed when he was almost accidentally forced into giving a sermon. This uncovered his great gift for making speeches which led to Saint Francis asking him to travel around Italy preaching the Gospel which he did. He converted many people and became famed for his sermons.

In his hometown of Lisbon, festivities in his honor start on the evening of June 12th with a display of walking groups of singers and musicians, who parade along the Avenida da Liberdade. The celebration continues the next day with more processions and traditional dancing.


SIGNZZZZZZZZZZZZZ


Today is the birthday, in 1941, of Marv Tarplin, American guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for the Miracles from the 1950s through the early 1970s who co-wrote several of their biggest hits, including the 1965 Grammy Hall Of Fame inducted ‘The Tracks of My Tears’. He died aged 70 on 30 Sep 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCwkZrj2VT4

Posted by Tom in doo-wop, Humor, Music, sixties and seventies