Humor

26
Jun
2023

MUUUUUUUUNNDAY

Today is Independence Day in Madagascar. It is the National Day of Madagascar and marks the country’s independence from France in 1960.

Madagascar is a complicated country. It was first settled by austronesian people arriving from the area of Indonesia. Then Bantu people arrived from Africa, Arabs from the Arabian peninsula and traders/immigrants from India.

In the early 19th century, Madagascar was united and ruled 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 and imposing colonial rule in 1897. 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.

today is the birthday, in 1942, of Larry Taylor, bassist with American rock band Canned Heat. Two of their songs ‘Going Up the Country’ and ‘On the Road Again’ became international hits. He died on 19 August 2019 age 77. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBhpiUFSYWI

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
23
Jun
2023

FRIDAY….finally

June 23rd is Luxembourg’s National Day (Celebration publique de l’anniversaire du souverain) and the official birthday of the Grand Duke although no Grand Duke/Duchess has ever had a real birthday that fell on this day.

The Duke’s birthday doesn’t even commemorate the birth of a Duke, but a Duchess – the Grand Duchess Charlotte who ruled Luxembourg from 1919 – 1964.

The tradition of celebrating the monarch’s birthday started in the 19th Century when Luxembourg was still part of the Netherlands. It became an important patriotic holiday under the reign of Grand Duchess Charlotte who came to the throne in 1919.

Charlotte was actually born on January 23rd 1896, but the celebrations were shifted to June so that the celebrations should have more favorable weather.

Makes sense…

SIGNZ

THAT GUY

On this day in 1966, The Beatles had their tenth consecutive UK No.1 single with ‘Paperback Writer’ / ‘Rain.’ The track is marked by the boosted bass guitar sound throughout, partly in response to John Lennon demanding to know why the bass on a certain Wilson Pickett record far exceeded the bass on any Beatles records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYvkICbTZIQ

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
22
Jun
2023

THURSDAY already???

Today is Anti-Fascist Struggle Day in Croatia. It marks the beginning of the uprising of Croatian anti-fascist Partisans against German and Italian occupying forces.

On April 6th 1941, during the Second World War, the Wehrmacht (German armed forces) and their allies (Italy and Hungary) invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Meeting little in the way of organized resistance, within 11 days the country was fully under Axis control.

Despite this initial capitulation, it wasn’t long before the Yugoslavs started organizsing themselves and resistance movements started to emerge. On June 22nd 1941 in the Brezovica woods outside Sisak in central Croatia, the First Sisak Partisan Detachment was formed. This was the first military unit formed by a resistance movement in occupied Europe. Of the 77 fighters who formed the first Partisan unit, 38 survived the war. Most of them were from the Sisak area and were mostly members of the Communist Party.

The anti-fascist movement in Croatia grew from this first detachment into a nationwide resistance in which more than 500,000 Croatian citizens actively participated, including 230,000 armed fighters and is considered to be the most effective resistance movement active during the war.

Today is the birthday, in 1944, of Peter Asher, Peter &Gordon, who had the 1964 UK & US No.1 single ‘World Without Love’, written by Lennon & McCartney. Asher was a producer and Head of Apple Records in late 60s and went on to become James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt’s manager. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdx6lLvvRyg

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
21
Jun
2023

WEDNESDAY…and it’s raining here

Today is Greenland’s ‘National Day’. This public holiday is known as ‘Ullortuneq’, which meanings ‘the longest day’ as 21st June is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.

In most countries, the National Day is a chance to celebrate important events in that country’s nationhood, such as independence or adopting a constitution. In a few countries, it may be celebrated on the feast day of the patron saint of that country.

Greenland uniquely takes a different approach. At such high latitudes, the switch of the seasons is paramount to the survival of the nation, so marking its national day on the summer solstice, the day when the sun has reached its highest latitude for the year and daylight hours are at a maximum makes a great deal of sense.

The use of the sun as part of the national identity of Greenland doesn’t stop with Ullortuneq. Greenland’s flag was designed by a local artist and adopted on 21 June 1985. Using the Danish colors, white represents the ice and red is for the sun.

Bada Bing!

Our cleaning lady just called and said she’s working from home today. She will send instructions.

Q: If men didn’t exist, who would protect you? Her: Protect us from who?

tRUMP: Excuse me, excuse me! I haven’t finished incriminating myself yet!

People in LA are deathly afraid of gluten. I swear, you could rob a liquor store with a bagel.

I’m at the age where, whenever I think of my age, I think, “I should go lie down.”

Jim Gaffigan: They should bundle all the streaming services together and call it cable.

I realized I might have a road rage problem when my 4yo son started yelling “Pick a lane asshole!” in the grocery store.

The Roomba vacuum cleaner just beat me to a piece of popcorn I dropped on the floor and this is how the war against the machines begins.

I just won a competition to invent a silent doorbell. It’s always been my dream to get the no bell prize.

Today is the birthday, in 1948, of English composer and rock guitarist Joey Molland who with Badfinger, scored the hits ‘Come and Get It’ (written and produced by Paul McCartney), ‘No Matter What’, ‘Day After Day’ (produced by George Harrison) and ‘Baby Blue’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVnFJzggLHo

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
20
Jun
2023

TUESDAY (but may feel like Monday)

Today is Flag Day in Argentina. National Flag day commemorates the death of Manuel Belgrano, who created the current flag.

The national flag of Argentina dates from 1812. It is a triband, with three equally wide horizontal bands of light blue, white and light blue. In 1818, a ‘ Sun of May’ was added to the center.

During the Argentine War of Independence General Belgrano was leading a battle near Rosario. He noticed that both the Crown’s forces and the independence forces were using the same colors (Spain’s yellow and red).

After realizing this, Belgrano created a new flag using the colors that were used by the Criollos during the May Revolution in 1810.

Uh oh…

Debbie!!!

Today is the birthday, in 1947, of Dolores Brooks, second lead singer of the girl group the Crystals. She sang lead vocalist on both the Crystals’ 1963 Phil Spector produced hits ‘Then He Kissed Me’ and ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-qqi7-Q19k

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies