Humor

28
May
2024

TUESDAY it is!

Today is Republic Day in Armenia. It marks the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic in 1918. It is also known as Day of Restoration of sovereignty and is considered to be Armenia’s National Day.

From the 15th century, Armenia had been part of the Ottoman Empire. By the 19th century, most of modern-day Armenia had come under the control of the Russian Empire.

With the Russian revolution ending the empire and the collapse of the Democratic Republic of Transcaucasia, the Armenian National Council Declared its sovereignty on May 28th 1918 and the First Armenian Republic was proclaimed, restoring Armenian statehood after six centuries of foreign control.

The republic proved to be short-lived. On December 2nd 1920, the Armenian government headed by Prime Minister Simon Vratsyan signed a treaty with the Bolsheviks and the Red Army entered Armenia and proclaimed it a Soviet Republic. The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic became a founding member of the Soviet Union in 1922.

Armenia regained its independence as the current Republic of Armenia on September 21st 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Armenia was the first non-Baltic republic to secede from the Soviet Union. This event is celebrated on Independence Day.

Google now puts ‘AI Overviews’ (AI generated answers) above search results for many queries. AI is NOT always right and can be wrong in spectacular ways…

Today is the birthday, in 1945, of American musician, singer, and songwriter John Fogerty from Creedence Clearwater Revival who had the 1969 UK No.1 and US No.2 single ‘Bad Moon Rising’, plus ten other US Top 30 hits and the 1970 US & UK No.1 album Cosmo’s Factory. After CCR parted ways in 1972 Fogerty had a successful solo career. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq3hEMUeBGQ

Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music
24
May
2024

It’s FRIDAY, boys and girls!!

Today is Battle of Pichincha Day, a public holiday in the Republic of Ecuador. This holiday commemorates the battle that secured independence on this day in 1822.

In the first decades of the 19th century, Spain was reeling after the French had invaded during the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon had installed his brother on the Spanish throne.

This meant that Spain’s colonies didn’t feel the sense of loyalty to Spain as they had done before and a movement for independence was sweeping across Latin America.

Ecuador’s decisive moment of liberation came on May 24th 1822, on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, 3,500 meters above sea level, next to the city of Quito. Victory was won by a Patriot army under General Antonio José de Sucre defeating a Royalist army commanded by Field Marshal Melchor Aymerich.

Done and dusted in three hours, this wasn’t a large battle with massive amounts of casualties. However, it was important as it allowed the Patriot army to enter Quito, where Sucre accepted the surrender of the Royalists. This meant Simon Bolivar could add the Province of Quito to the Republic of Colombia.

Good deal!


Enjoy the long weekend!!!

Today is the birthday, in 1944, of American singer, songwriter, Patti Labelle who scored the 1975 US No.1 & UK No.17 single ‘Lady Marmalade’, (with Labelle), and the 1986 US No.1 & UK No.2 single with Michael McDonald, ‘On My Own’. Labelle became the the first African-American vocal group to land the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn0-6n_dng4

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
23
May
2024

Could it be…THURSDAY?

Today is Labour Day in Jamaica – a national holiday. Labour Day in Jamaica commemorates a labor rebellion on this day in 1938 that contributed to Jamaican independence.

As part of the British Empire, Jamaica had historically had a public holiday on May 24th to mark Queen Victoria’s birthday. This holiday was known as Empire Day. Empire Day was renamed Commonwealth Day in the 1950s, but is still celebrated as Victoria Day in some places.

In 1962, Jamaica gained its independence from the United Kingdom. Celebrating Empire Day was no longer seen as relevant to the fledgling country and in 1961, Jamaican Chief Minister Norman Washington Manley proposed replacing Empire Day with a new holiday called Labour Day.

This new holiday was to be a commemoration of a labor rebellion on May 23rd 1938. The rebellion was led by Alexander Bustamante who gained prominence during the rebellion, becoming a noted trade union leader and eventually becoming Jamaica’s first prime minister following independence.

In 1972, Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley started the movement to make Labour Day a day when Jamaicans would get involved in local community projects. Today, on Labour Day, groups, individuals, and communities all over Jamaica will dedicate their time and labor to improve public areas, do repairs, paint or build homes, schools, and churches.

Cute…

I got my garden started and am looking forward to a big harvest…

Today is the birthday, in 1946, of Daniel Klein, bassist with American rock band The J Geils Band, who had the 1982 US No.1 & UK No.3 single ‘Centerfold’ which was taken from their US No.1 1981 album Freeze Frame. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqDjMZKf-wg

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
22
May
2024

WEDNESDAY is today (and vice versa)

Today is Abolition Day in Martinique. This is the National Day of Martinique and commemorates a slave rebellion in 1848 on Martinique that forced Governor Claude Rostoland to issue a decree abolishing slavery.

Martinique is an Overseas Department/region and single territorial collectivity of France, and therefore an integral part of the French Republic, located in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. Christopher Columbus sighted the island in 1493 and landed on it in 1502.

Like the other major European nations at the time, France was keen to expand its reach into the new world. It established colonies on the American mainland but also took control of several islands in the Caribbean.

These new settlements needed a plentiful supply of workers to drive labor-intensive activities with high mortality rates such as sugar cane plantations, with the French turning to slaves from Africa. By 1778, the French were importing approximately 13,000 Africans for enslavement to the French West Indies.

Louis X of France had abolished slavery within the Kingdom of France way back in 1315, but that particular law never applied to the colonies despite an attempt to extend it to all parts of the Kingdom in the 16th century.

On April 27th 1848, under the Second Republic, the decree-law of Schœlcher abolished slavery in all French colonies with a general and unconditional emancipation. The state bought the slaves from the colonists and then freed them.

SIGNS of the TIMES

Today is the birthday, in 1924, of Charles Aznavour, French singer, actor, public activist and diplomat, famous for his 1974 UK No.1 single ‘She’. He was one of France’s most popular and enduring singers and was dubbed France’s Frank Sinatra, selling more than 180 million records, recording more than 1,200 songs (interpreted in nine languages) and he wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 songs for himself and others. On 1 October 2018, Aznavour was found dead in a bathtub at his home at Mouriès at the age of 94. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajjdY070VU4

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, World
21
May
2024

2 2 2SDAY

Today is Navy Day in Chile. In Chile, it is known as The Day of the Glories of the Chilean Navy (‘Día de las Glorias Navales’) and marks the date of the battle of Iquique on May 21st 1879.

The battle took place during the War of the Pacific between Chile and Peru. The town of Iquique in the north of Chile was under Peruvian control. Chile had blockaded the port with two ships. In response, Peru sent two ships to break the blockade.

The Peruvian ships were more modern and the battle soon ended with defeat for the Chilean navy. At first glance, this may not seem to be a great basis for a holiday celebrating the glories of the navy, but during the battle, great courage was shown by the captain of one of the Chilean ships, Arturo Prat.

Prat’s bravery inspired many Chileans and following his death, there was a large rise in the number of men enlisting in the navy. The legacy of Prat’s heroism can be said to have led to the eventual victory of Chile in the War of the Pacific.

Bada Bing!!!!!

There is no such thing as a grouchy old person. The truth is, once you get old, you stop being polite and start being honest.

If I were a plastic surgeon, I would 100% put a squeaky toy in every breast implant.

Make your pancakes more awesome by referring to maple syrup as ‘tree blood’.

Overheard at a used book store – “Shouldn’t Orwell’s ‘1984’ be in the non-fiction section by now?”

Dad: Son, one day you’ll be a man. Son: Dad, I’m already 36. Dad: But the Autozone guy had to change your wiper blades.

Fellas, if the relationship fails don’t blame only her. It takes two people to mess up a relationship. Blame her and her mother.

Q: What candy do you eat on the playground? A: Recess Pieces!

Mom: What’s the magic word we use to get what we want? Son: I’m offended.

When I’m at a hospital I put half-eaten sandwiches in coma patients hands to give their families hope.

Statistics show that six out of seven dwarfs are not happy.

Unlike the brain, the stomach warns you when it’s empty.

One day you are young. The next day you have to use strategically placed pillows to sleep so your body doesn’t break in half.

If every time someone asks you to do something, you quietly gasp and mumble, “Like the prophecy foretold”, people will stop asking you to do things.

The fact that Jellyfish have survived for 650 million years despite not having brains gives hope to many people.

I was pulled over by a cop and he asked me if I had a police record. I said Roxanne.

More women may be psychopaths than previously thought says the Guardian.com. Yessss! I love to see more women in male dominated fields!

You can feed a lot of squirrels into those pneumatic tubes at the bank before the teller finds the shutoff switch.

Today is the birthday, in 1941, of Ronald Isley, from American group The Isley Brothers who first came to prominence in 1959 with their fourth single, ‘Shout’, and then the 1962 hit ‘Twist and Shout. The Isley Brothers also scored the hits ‘This Old Heart Of Mine’, ‘Summer Breeze’ and ‘Harvest for the World’. Sixteen of their albums charted in the Top 40. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEjLFpU2pJ4

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies