sixties and seventies

18
Apr
2024

Thirsty THURSDAY!

Today is Independence Day in Zimbabwe. This holiday marks independence from the United Kingdom on this day in 1980 and is the National Day of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe was first influenced by Europeans with the arrival of The British South Africa Company in the 1890s. The company had been founded by Cecil Rhodes in 1889 to colonize the region. The area became known as Southern Rhodesia (in honor of Cecil Rhodes) in 1895 and was governed by the British South Africa Company until 1922 when the European settlers voted to become a British Colony.

In 1953, Britain created the Central African Federation, made up of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Nyasaland (Malawi).

Following the breakup of the Federation in 1964, when Zambia and Malawi gained independence, Ian Smith became Prime Minister of the country (now called Rhodesia). Smith began a campaign for independence from Britain, with the government being run by the white minority. Independence was declared in 1965, but was not recognized internationally and led to sanctions against the country. This also led to an extensive campaign of guerilla warfare within Rhodesia.

Under this pressure, the white minority finally consented to multiracial elections in 1980. Robert Mugabe and his Zanu party won the independence elections, with Mugabe becoming Prime Minister and Zimbabwe’s independence being formally recognised on April 18th 1980.

translation…

Failed Geography…

Today is the birthday, in 1942, of Mike Vickers, British musician who came to prominence as guitarist, flautist and saxophonist with Manfred Mann, who had the 1964 UK & US No.1 single ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooeRA8ZhcoQ

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies, 0 comments
16
Apr
2024

It’s TUESDAY at my house

Today is Emancipation Day in Washington, DC. Emancipation Day marks April 16th 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act.

The Act freed over 3,000 slaves in the District of Columbia eight months before President Lincoln issued his broader Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War. The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act means the District has the distinction of being the only part of the United States to have compensated slave owners for freeing enslaved persons they held.




Bada Bing!!

I was disappointed to learn that the International Institute of Origami has folded. They lost their contract with PaperView.

You can’t fix stupid. But, you can sell it red hats, gold clown shoes, bibles, and worthless stock.

Now that the eclipse is over, those glasses can be used for viewing FOX news.

I think this ladder I’m on is unstab…

I went to the paint store to get thinner. It didn’t work.

I hope when I eventually choke to death on gummy bears, people will say I was killed by bears and leave it at that.

Dear Coca-Cola Company: No more new flavors. Either add the cocaine back or leave it alone.

We squint at the sun because it’s bright. We squint at some people because they’re not.

I watch so many crime programs when I turn off the TV, I wipe my fingerprints off the remote.

I didn’t know that Sylvester Stallone is on his third marriage…I guess his first one was rocky, and his second was rocky too.

Today is the birthday, in 1939, of English singer Dusty Springfield who had her first solo UK hit single in 1963 with ‘I Only Want To Be With You’, which reached No.4, the 1966 UK No.1 & US No.4 single with ‘You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me’ plus over 15 other UK Top 40 singles. With her brother Dion O’Brien (“Tom Springfield”) and Tim Feild, Springfield formed the folk-pop vocal trio The Springfields. Two of their five 1961–63 top 40 UK hits ‘Island of Dreams’ and ‘Say I Won’t Be There’ reached No. 5 on the charts. Her image, marked by a peroxide blonde bouffant/beehive hairstyle, heavy makeup and evening gowns, made her an icon of the Swinging Sixties. She died on 3 March 1999 age 59. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp4339EbVn8

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies, 0 comments
12
Apr
2024

Finally FRIDAY!

Sinhala and Tamil New Year Eve is today! Called Aluth Avurudda in Sinhala and Puthandu in Tamil, New Year’s Day is a statutory holiday in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, the public holidays for Tamil New Year also recognise that this is also Sinhalese New Year. Like Tamil New Year, it marks the end of the harvest and the arrival of spring as indicated by the sun moving from Meena Rashiya ( Pisces) to Mesha Rashiya (Aries).

To mark the new year, everyone in the country celebrates by wearing light golden clothes and turning towards the east.

The rituals include milk rice mixed with curd as well as sweetmeats with undu flour at specific propitious times of the morning. In Sri Lanka, the day is the time of the traditional first plowing of the ground to mark the start of the new agricultural season. It is a tradition that the first financial transaction of the year is when elders give gifts of money to the unmarried young, as a sign of good luck.

Today is the birthday, in 1950, of American actor, singer, songwriter, and guitarist David Cassidy, known for his role as Keith Partridge, the son of Shirley Partridge (played by his stepmother Shirley Jones), in the 1970s musical-sitcom The Partridge Family, which led to him becoming one of popular culture’s teen idols and pop singers of the 1970s. The Partridge Family had the 1970 US No.1 single ‘I Think I Love You’, and the 1972 UK No.3 single ‘Breaking Up Is Hard To Do’. As a solo artist he scored the 1972 UK No.1 single ‘How Can I Be Sure’. He he died of liver failure on November 21, 2017, aged 67. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW4E0jAeAf8

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies, 0 comments
05
Apr
2024

FRIDAYFRIDAYFRIDAYFRIDAY, ETC.

Today is Jumutal Bidah Day. It is a public holiday in Bangladesh and a regional holiday in the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand, where it is known as ‘Jumat-ul-Wida’.

Jumatul Bidah translates as ‘Friday of farewell’ and marks the last Friday prayers in the holy month of Ramadan. Some Muslims regard this day as the second holiest of Ramadan and spend a large part of the day in worship.

In Bangladesh, large numbers will attend prayers and the largest takes place at the National Mosque of Bangladesh in Dhaka known as Baitul Mokarram Mosque.

Today is the birthday, in 1950, of Swedish musician, singer, songwriter Agnetha Faltskog from ABBA. Their first UK hit was the 1974 No.1 ‘Waterloo’, followed by eight other UK No.1 singles and 9 UK No.1 albums as well as the 1977 US No.1 single ‘Dancing Queen’. Her self-penned debut single ‘Jag var så kär’ was released in 1967, and topped the Swedish Chart in 1968 which led to a successful solo career before joining ABBA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFk6-Mn-8yg

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies, 0 comments
03
Apr
2024

WEDNESDAY means rain..today

Today is Second Republic Day in Guinea. It commemorates the coup that overthrew the Toure government in 1984.

In 1958, the French Fourth Republic collapsed due to political instability and its failures in dealing with its colonies, especially Indochina and Algeria. The French Fifth Republic gave the colonies the choice of autonomy in a new French Community or immediate independence, in the referendum of 28 September 1958. Unlike most other colonies, Guinea voted overwhelmingly for independence. It was led by Ahmed Sékou Touré whose Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally (PDG) had won 56 of 60 seats in 1957 territorial elections. The French withdrew, and on 2 October 1958, Guinea proclaimed itself a sovereign and independent republic, with Sékou Touré as president.

The Washington Post observed the “brutal” French tearing down all that they considered their contributions to Guinea: “In reaction, and as a warning to other French-speaking territories, the French pulled out of Guinea over a two-month period, taking everything they could with them. They unscrewed lightbulbs, removed plans for sewage pipelines in Conakry, the capital, and even burned medicines rather than leave them for the Guineans.

Touré instituted a one-party system and ruled until 1984. He died during a heart operation in March and was meant to be succeeded by his lieutenant, Louis Lansana Beavogui. Hours before Beavoqui was due to be sworn in, colonels Lansana Conté and Diarra Traoré seized power in a bloodless coup and proclaimed the second republic.

Asked Alexa to announce to my wife, “please bring up 2 pillow cases por favor”

SIGNS!!!!!!

Today is the birthday, in 1941, of Jan Berry, who with Jan and Dean, had the 1963 US No.1 & UK No.26 single ‘Surf City’, co-written by The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson. Berry died on 26th March 2004 after being in poor health from the lingering effects of brain damage after a 1966 car crash. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYxPgFUjDpA

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies, 0 comments