eighties music

Apr

2024

Do your TUESDAY dance!

Today is Reunification Day in Vietnam. Known as ‘Ngày Thống nhất’ in Vietnamese, it is also known as Victory Day or Liberation Day. It marks the fall of the Saigon government on April 30th 1975 when Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City).

This brought the Vietnam war to an end and began the process of unification of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North) in the North and the Republic of Vietnam (South). Unification of the two countries finally happened on July 2nd 1976, when the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was born.

Bada Bing!!

My friend went skydiving wearing a regular backpack instead of a parachute. He won’t make that mistake again.

Met this girl online yesterday. She’s so into me. She wants to know the name of my first pet, my mom’s maiden name, and where I was born.

I’m just laying here in bed, listening to the Doors and thinking to myself I really should oil those hinges.

My neighbor just yelled at her kids so loud that even I brushed my teeth and went to bed.

I’ve nearly finished my diploma in sandwich making. I’ve got my final eggs ham tomorrow.

I went to a costume party and the host immediately started to pick on me. “What’s your costume?” he asked. “A harp.” “You’re too small to be a harp,” he told me. I was indignant. “Are you calling me a lyre?”

I was at the same party! Saw a bloke wearing a bandana with a lady strapped to his back. He said he was a ninja turtle. ‘What’s the lady doing on your back?’ I asked. ‘It’s Michelle’ he replied.

I asked a magic 8-ball if I would ever get better in social situations. Not only did it not answer me, but I got yelled at and hit with a pool stick.

Ejaculate – What a Yorkshire person says to Jack when he’s not on time.

I didn’t find any good birthdays today so here is this great song by Queen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kijpcUv-b8M&list=PLyqXsO_d0hU1EqKKNY2MdtiXitI3zEVqg&index=12

Apr

2024

It’s FRIDAY boys and girls!

Today is Union Day, a public holiday in Tanzania. It commemorates the union of Zanzibar and Tanganyika on April 26th 1964.

The first European to visit Tanzania was Vasco da Gama in 1498. European colonialism in the region began on mainland Tanzania during the late 19th century when Germany formed German East Africa. Zanzibar, which was ruled by the Sultan of Oman became partially independent and became a center of the slave trade with more than 50,000 slaves a year passing through on their way primarily to the Arabian Peninsula.

Britain began to have more influence in Zanzibar as it was determined to end the slave trade and eventually Britain came to rule Zanzibar indirectly through viziers and sultans.

Following World War I, the mainland came under British control and was ruled as Tanganyika, with Zanzibar remaining a separate colonial jurisdiction.

Tanganyika gained its independence in 1961. The British ended the protectorate status of Zanzibar in December 1963 making it constitutional monarchy under the rule of Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah. A month later, the Sultan was deposed in a socialist revolution and there was fear that Zanzibar could become another ‘Cuba’.

On April 26, 1964, with a push from the United States and Britain, Zanzibar and Tanganyika became the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar with the country renamed to Tanzania in October of that year.

Tax on people with poor math skills…

buy two…

VIKINGS!!!

Today is the birthday, in 1970, of Tionne Watkins, T- Boz, singer with American girl group TLC. They scored nine top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including four No.1 singles, ‘Creep’, ‘Waterfalls’, ‘No Scrubs’, and ‘Unpretty’. Their 1999 US No.1 album Fanmail spent 57 weeks on the UK chart. Having sold over 65 million records worldwide, TLC is the best-selling American girl group. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrLequ6dUdM

Apr

2024

Finally…it’s MONDAY

Today is Saint George’s Day – a public holiday in parts of Canada. Saint George was a Roman soldier and a member of the Praetorian Guard for the Emperor Diocletian. He was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He is the patron saint of England, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Ukraine, Malta, Ethiopia, as well as Catalonia and Aragon in Spain, and Moscow in Russia.

A traditional custom on St. George’s day is fly or adorn the St. George’s Cross flag in some way: pubs in particular can be seen on 23 April festooned with garlands of St. George’s crosses. St. George is also the patron saint of the scout movement.

This painting of Saint George and the Dragon by Renaissance painter Raphael can be seen in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.

It’s EARTH DAY!

Today is the birthday, in 1937, of Jack Nitzsche, producer, songwriter. Produced The Rolling Stones, Neil Young and The Walker Brothers. Co-wrote, ‘Up Where We Belong’ with Buffy Sainte-Marie. Died of a heart attack on 25th August 2000. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjrOcrisGyI

Apr

2024

WEDNESDAY keeps coming around

Today is Evacuation Day, a public holiday in Syria. his is Syria’s National Day and commemorates the evacuation of the last French soldier from Syria on this day in 1946.

Syria had been part of the Ottoman Empire since the start of the 16th century. During the first world war, the Ottoman Empire entered the conflict on the side of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Defeat for the Ottomans meant that their territories in the middle east came under control of France and Great Britain.

The now-infamous, but at the time, secret pact of 1916, the Sykes-Picot Agreement split the region between the two European powers, with what is now Syria coming under French control. After the second world war, Syrian nationalists forced the French out of the country and on April 17th 1946, the last French soldiers left Syria.

unfortunate juxtaposition…

DOGS…

Today is the birthday, in 1974, of businesswoman, fashion designer, model and singer, Victoria Beckham, (Posh Spice), The Spice Girls who scored the 1996 UK No.1 & 1997 US No.1 single ‘Wannabe’, plus eight other UK No.1 singles). She had the solo 2000 UK No. 2 single ‘Out Of Your Mind’ and married footballer David Beckham at Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland in June 1999. Beckham has become an internationally recognized style icon and fashion designer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJLIiF15wjQ

Apr

2024

Like it or not…MONDAY

Today is the beginning of Thingyan Holiday in Myanmar. Thingyan culminates in the Burmese New Year and the period of holidays are the most important and the biggest festival in Myanmar. Formerly the dates of Thingyan would have been based on the Burma lunisolar calendar, but the dates have now been fixed on April 13th.

Thingyan is is celebrated at the same time as many other New Years in the region (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia). Thingyan historically marked the changing of the year by the sun moving from Pieces to Aries. The word Thingyan is thought to have derived from ancient Sanskrit and means ‘change’.

The legend of the origin of Thingyan relates to an argument over a mathematical problem between two gods. The loser of this argument had his head cut off. However, when his head hit the ground, the earth would burn; if thrown in the sea, the water would dry up and if thrown in the air, it would explode in a fireball. To keep this from happening, seven goddesses took turns holding the head for a year each, changing over on Thingyan. The winner of the argument cut off the head of an elephant and stuck it on the headless body, thereby creating the god, Ganesh.

Even though Thingyan has now been fixed in mid-April, its current date is a welcome position in the calendar as it occurs at the hottest time of the year in Myanmar and being a water festival, it is a great opportunity to cool down and get some relief from the sweltering heat.