Humor

22
Aug
2023

TOOT TOOT TOOSDAY!!!

Today is the Qixi Festival (also known as the Qiqiao Festival) in China. It celebrates the annual meeting of Zhinü and Niulang in Chinese mythology. A celebration of romantic love, the festival is often described as the traditional Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day. The festival is derived from Chinese mythology: people celebrate the romantic legend of two lovers, Zhinü and Niulang, who were the weaver girl and the cowherd, respectively. The tale of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl has been celebrated in the Qixi Festival since the Han dynasty.

The popular tale is a love story between Zhinü, the weaver girl, symbolized by the star Vega and Niulang, the cowherd, symbolized by the star Altair. Niulang was often abused by his sister-in-law. They eventually kicked him out of the house, and gave him nothing but an old cow. One day, the old cow suddenly spoke out, telling Niulang that there would be fairies bathing in the spring nearby that night. The fairy would stay there if she failed to go back to heaven before morning. In accordance with what the old cow said, Niulang saw those beautiful fairies in the spring, and fell in love with one of the beautiful fairies who was the heavenly weaver. In order to make her stay, he took her clothes that helped her to go back to heaven; this made her an ordinary earth woman without any power. Then they got married and had two children. The Emperor of Heaven, lit. ’The Jade Emperor’ found out about this and was furious, so he sent minions to escort the heavenly weaver back to heaven. Niulang was heartbroken. The old cow suddenly spoke out again, telling Niulang he could take his skin to make it into a flying coat to chase after them; and Niulang did. However, the Queen Mother of the West drew a Silver River (The Milky Way) in the sky and blocked his way. Meanwhile, the love between Niulang and the weaver moved the magpie, and so they built a bridge of magpies over the Silver River for them to meet. The Emperor of Heaven was also moved by the sight, and allowed this couple to meet on the Magpie Bridge. once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. That was the origin of the Qixi Festival.

‘Just take the stairs’, they said.

for a friend…

Today is the birthday, in 1862, of Claude Debussy, one of the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxcHoICbJlM

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Posted by Tom in classical, Humor, Music
21
Aug
2023

MUN-DAY

Today is San Martin’s Day – a public holiday in Argentina. This national holiday in Argentina commemorates the death of José de San Martín. San Martin is regarded as the most important Argentinian founding father, who liberated not only a part of Argentina but also helped liberate Chile and Peru along with O’Higgins and Bolívar.

He is regarded as a national hero in Argentina, Chile and Peru. San Martin’s exploits earned him a series of honorific names. In Argentina he is remembered as the “Padre de la Patria”, (Father of our Country). In Peru, he is known as, “Fundador de la Libertad del Peru”, (founder of the freedom of Peru), “Protector de Peru” (protector of Peru) and “Fundador de la República” y “Generalísimo de las Armas” ( founder of the Republic and supreme commander of weapons). In Chile, he is called simply “Captain General”.

Today is the birthday, in 1944, of Jackie DeShannon singer, (1969 US No.4 single ‘Put A Little Love In Your Heart’). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMj7UcjPZ0U

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
18
Aug
2023

and again it’s FRIDAY – two days in a row!!!

Today is Hawaiian Statehood Day. Also known as Admission Day, it commemorates the admission of the state to the Union in 1959.

From as early as 1849, there had been several attempts to make Hawaii a part of the United States.

Hawaii was annexed by the American in 1898, becoming the Territory of Hawaii.

In the 1940s, ballots during elections showed an increasing majority in favor of statehood and in 1959, the U.S. Congress approved a statehood bill, the Hawaii Admission Act. This was followed by a referendum in which Hawaiian residents voted 94% in support of statehood.

On August 21st 1959 (which was the third Friday in August in that year), President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the proclamation making Hawaii the 50th state.

compliance attempt

Introverts…

Today is the birthday, in 1953, of Marvin 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. Marvin Isley died from complications of diabetes on June 6, 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEjLFpU2pJ4

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
17
Aug
2023

FRI-FRI-FRIDAY!!!!!

Today is Independence Day for Indonesia. It marks Indonesia’s declaration of independence from the Netherlands in 1945 – immediately after the end of World War II. Indonesia had been a Dutch colony for over 300 years when a group of revolutionaries declared independence on 17 August 1945.

It took Indonesians four years of diplomacy and armed struggle before their independence was formally granted by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.

Indonesia is an archipelago of over 17,000 islands ( more than 2/3 are uninhabited). It is the world’s fourth most populous country. More than half of Indonesia’s population live on Java, making it the world’s most populous island.

Marco Polo was the first European to visit Indonesia in 1292.

According to his autobiography….

Today is the birthday, in 1953, of Kevin Rowland, singer, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, (1982 UK No.1 & 1983 US No.1 single ‘Come On Eileen’). Solo 1986 UK No.13 single ‘Because Of You’). This song and video may be in a category of its own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BODDyZRF6A

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Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music
16
Aug
2023

WENNNSSDA

Today is Restoration Day in the Dominican Republic. Known in Spanish as ‘el día de la Restauración Dominicana’, this holiday commemorates the start of the Dominican Restoration War on this day in 1863.

In 1844, the Dominican Republic had regained independence from Haiti. For political and economic reasons, Pedro Santana, the then President of the Dominican Republic signed a pact with Spain in 1861 to revert the status of the Dominican Republic to that of a colony of Spain.

The move led almost immediately to a failed rebellion and Santana realized his decision to impose Spanish rule had reduced his power, and he resigned in January 1862. On August 16th 1863, 15 men under the leadership of Santiago Rodríguez made a daring raid from the city of Dajabon and raised the Dominican flag on the Capotillo hill. This action, known as the ‘grito de Capotillo’, was the beginning of the Dominican Restoration War which was fought until 1865 between nationalist Dominicans and Spain.

The war ended when a decree of Queen Isabel II of Spain, on March 3rd 1865, repealed the Dominican Republic’s reinstatement to the Spanish Monarchy. The last Spanish troops left on July 15th 1865.

New Products

Today is the birthday, in 1945, of Gary Loizzo, from American rock band American Breed who scored the 1967 US No.5 single ‘Bend Me, Shape Me’, (a hit on the British charts for the British group Amen Corner). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWg0jPV6FiM

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies