sixties and seventies

18
Dec
2023

M is for wet MONDAY

Today is Qatari National Day. Qatar National Day (Al-Yaoum-al-Watani) commemorates the day in 1878 when Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani succeeded his father, Sheikh Muhammad Bin Thani, as the ruler of Qatar.

Qatar had started to develop into an important settlement in the eighteenth century. Following periods of control from various local regions, including agreements with the British, the Ottoman Empire arrived in 1871 at the request of the Emir.

On December 18th 1878, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, succeeded his father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani, as ruler of Qatar, becoming its first Emir in a lineage that continues to this day.

Ruling Qatar until his death in 1913, Sultan Jassim is revered in Qatar as ‘The Founder’ as under his rule he unified the tribes of the peninsula marking the creation of the modern state of Qatar. His leadership, both political and militarily, defined Qatar’s status a nation in the view of the two key powers in the region at that time – the Ottomans and the British.

In 1916 Qatar became a British protectorate. Qatar gained independence from the United Kingdom and became an independent sovereign state on September 3rd 1971. September 3rd was originally celebrated as Qatar’s National Day.

The ducks want an explanation.

“The quote is “I’m sexy and I know it”

sqrt(1+tan^2) can be verbalized as “sec” and so this formula is the “sec of c”

“I’m sec C and I know it””

Today is the birthday in 1943, of Keith Richards, ‘The Human Riff’, guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of The Rolling Stones who have had over 35 Top 40 singles and albums. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created ‘rock’s greatest single body of riffs’. Classic albums include: Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiRQT2AXGrw

Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
14
Dec
2023

It’s THURSDAY, I’m told

Today is the Day of the Workers of Oil, Gas, Power and Geological Industry in Turkmenistan. This holiday pays tribute to the hardworking individuals who contribute to the development and prosperity of Turkmenistan’s oil, gas, power, and geological industries. It is a time of great pride and celebration as the country recognizes the pivotal role these workers play in shaping its economy and future.

On this day, the streets of Turkmenistan come alive with colorful parades, traditional dances, and impressive displays of the latest technology and advancements in the energy sector. It is a perfect opportunity for travelers to immerse themselves in the local culture and witness the impressive strides made by the country in this field.

The oil and gas industries are very important to the Turkmenistan economy. As of May 2011, the Galkynysh Gas Field was estimated to possess the second-largest volume of gas in the world. Turkmenistan is home of the Darvaza Gas Crater (shown below) located in the Karakum Desert which has been burning since the 1980s.

SKULDAZE

Today is the birthday, in 1946, of Jane Birkin, English actress, singer, and songwriter who had the 1969 UK No.1 single with Serge Gainsbourg ‘Je t’aime…Moi non plus’, the only French language UK chart- topper. She is also known as being the namesake of the popular Hermès Birkin bag. Birkin was found dead at her home in Paris on 16 July 2023, age 76. I have no idea why this song was so popular – maybe you can figure it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahHWxwajQL0

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
13
Dec
2023

‘W’ (on my pillbox) means WEDNESDAY

Today is Saint Lucia National Day. It marks the Feast Day of Saint Lucia, the patron saint of the island.

The Windward Island now known as Saint Lucia was first discovered by Europeans in the late 15th or early 16th century. The first settlers were French and they named the island after Saint Lucia.

Saint Lucy (Lucia) of Syracuse was a young Christian martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire in 304 AD. According to legend, she converted to Christianity after an angel appeared to her. Lucy dedicated her life to Christianity and started giving away her family’s wealth to the poor and needy. She was betrothed to a man from a pagan family and when he heard that Lucy was giving away his dowry, he reported her to the authorities. Refusing to honor the Roman gods, she was put to death. She is one of the best known virgin martyrs, along with Agatha of Sicily, Agnes of Rome, Cecilia of Rome and Catherine of Alexandria.

Her Latin name derives from the same as that for light – lux, and this made her feast day a popular day as it fell on the Winter Solstice in the Julian calendar – the longest night of the year, when you want all the light-based help you can get.

Christmas Ads…

Today is the birthday, in 1952, of Berton Averre, lead guitarist with the Los Angeles rock band The Knack who scored the 1979 US No.1 single ‘My Sharona’. Their album Get the Knack became one of the most successful debuts in history, selling over one million copies in less than two months and spending five weeks at No.1 on the Billboard album chart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbr60I0u2Ng

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
11
Dec
2023

It’s MONDAY, boys and girls!

Today is Republic Day in Burkina Faso. This holiday commemorates the establishment of the Republic of Upper Volta on this day in 1958. The Republic of Upper Volta (French: République de Haute-Volta) was established on 11 December 1958 as a self-governing colony within the French Community. The name Upper Volta related to the nation’s location along the upper reaches of the Volta River. The river’s three tributaries are called the Black, White and Red Volta. These were expressed in the three colors of the former national flag.

Since it gained its independence, the country was subject to instability, droughts, famines and corruption. Various coups have also taken place in the country, in 1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, and twice in 2022, in January and in September, as well as an attempt in 1989 and another in 2015.

Thomas Sankara came to power following a successful coup in 1982. As president, Sankara embarked on a series of ambitious socioeconomic reforms which included a nationwide literacy campaign, land redistribution to peasants, providing vaccinations to over 2 million children, railway and road construction, equalized access to education, and the outlawing of female genital mutilation, forced marriages, and polygamy.

He renamed the country from the French colonial name Upper Volta to Burkina Faso (‘Land of Incorruptible People’), with its people being called Burkinabé (‘upright people’). His foreign policies were centered on anti-imperialism and he rejected aid from organizations such as the International Monetary Fund. Sankara welcomed foreign aid from other sources but tried to reduce reliance on aid by boosting domestic revenues and diversifying the sources of assistance.

He was, of course, assassinated in 1987, probably with the connivance of Western powers who saw him being a bit too independent.

Today is the birthday, in 1954, of Jermaine Jackson, from American family music group The Jackson 5. They were the first group to debut with four consecutive No.1 hits on the Hot 100 with the songs ‘I Want You Back’, ‘ABC’, ‘The Love You Save’, and ‘I’ll Be There’. And with The Jacksons, had the 1979 hit ‘Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2bVIBwpCTA

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
08
Dec
2023

f f f f f f f FRIDAY!!

Today is National Youth Day, a public holiday in Albania. This holiday commemorates the student demonstrations in 1990 which led to the end of the People’s Republic.

As the iron curtain fell across Eastern Europe after the end of the second world war, Albania became the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania.

Though never part of the Soviet Union, its government nonetheless followed a Marxist Communist approach with a high degree of state control and administration. This made Albania an isolated country and one of the hardest in the world to visit. Arguably it was one of the most successful communist regimes with a degree of economic success, albeit built on heavy borrowing from other socialist states. However, the state also suppressed many freedoms such as rights to political views and religious beliefs. It even banned Christmas, declaring itself the world’s first atheist country in 1967.

In 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall and more directly, the revolution in Romania that saw the execution of the leader, Nicolae Ceauşescu, worried the leaders of Albania. They moved away from the Warsaw pact and signed the Helsinki Agreement which improved some human rights.

In 1990, several demonstrations had taken place in different towns, but this moved up several gears when students began a protest in the capital, Tirana in the evening of December 8th 1990. The students actually began marching to protest about the loss of electricity, but as so often, the focus of the protestors soon turned to wider issues and within a few days, they were demanding political changes to the nation. The demonstrations became known as the “December Movement” and forced the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Labor of Albania to allow political pluralism. The Democratic Party was founded the next day.

Business names…

Today is the birthday, in 1942, of Bobby Elliott, drummer with British pop/rock group The Hollies who have scored over 30 top 40 hits, including ‘Just One Look’, ‘Bus Stop’, ‘Carrie Anne’, and later ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ and ‘The Air That I Breathe’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwy4eIUBDvE

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies