Crabs and Beer!

On this day in 1429, Joan of Arc led the French forces against the English and relieved the siege of Orléans.

The siege of Orléans occurred during the Hundred Years’ War, an inheritance dispute over the French throne between the ruling houses of France and England. The conflict had begun in 1337 when England’s King Edward III decided to press his claim to the French throne, a claim based on his status as the son of Isabella of France and thus of the contested French royal line.

Following a decisive victory at Agincourt in 1415, the English gained the upper hand in the conflict, occupying much of northern France. Orléans, situated on the Loire River, was seen as the key, whose capture would open up Central France to conquest by the English and their Burgundian allies. The English armies surrounded Orléans intending to starve the city into submission.

Joan of Arc, a young peasant girl, believed she was divinely ordained to rescue the Dauphin Charles and deliver him to his coronation at Reims. She persuaded the Dauphin and French leaders to let her lead the French army to relieve Orléans.

On the morning of May 7, she led the French assault on Boulevart-Tourelles, an English redoubt at the southern end of the bridge over the Loire. Early in the morning, Joan was struck down while standing in the trench to the south of Les Tourelles, by a longbow arrow between the neck and left shoulder and was hurriedly taken away. Further assaults against Les Tourelles during the day were beaten back.

As evening was approaching, Joan went off for a period of quiet prayer, then returned to the area south of Les Tourelles, telling the troops that when her banner touched the fortress wall the place would be theirs. When one soldier shouted “It’s touching! (the wall)”, Joan replied “Tout est vostre – et y entrez!” (“All is yours, – go in!”). The French soldiery rushed in, swarming up the ladders into the fortification and forcing the English out.

The battle was a turning point in the war and the Dauphin Charles, with Joan at his side, was finally consecrated as King Charles VII of France on 17 July 1429.

Jeanne d’Arc at the Siege of Orléans by Jules Eugène Lenepveu, painted 1886–1890.

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More Executive Orders means more drinking…

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SIGNSSESS

Today is the birthday, in 1951, of English rock and blues guitarist Bernie Marsden. He is known for his work with Whitesnake, having written or co-written with David Coverdale many of the group’s hit songs, such as ‘Fool for Your Loving’, ‘Walking in the Shadow of the Blues’, ‘Ready an’ Willing’ and ‘Here I Go Again’. Marsden had also worked with UFO, Glenn Cornick’s Wild Turkey in 1973, Cozy Powell’s band Cozy Powell’s Hammer and Babe Ruth. He died on 24 August 2023 from bacterial meningitis age 72. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyF8RHM1OCg

On this day in 1527, Troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, broke into Rome and began looting, killing, raping and holding citizens for ransom without any restraint. Clement VII took refuge in Castel Sant’Angelo after the Swiss Guard were annihilated in a delaying rear guard action; he remained there until a ransom was paid to the pillagers. It was not until February 1528 that the spread of a plague and the approach of the relief forces under Odet de Foix forced the army to withdraw towards Naples from the city.

The Emperor denied responsibility for the sack and came to terms again with Clement VII, albeit under the Emperor’s control. On the other hand, the Sack of Rome further exacerbated religious hatred and antagonism between Catholics and Lutherans. Before the sack, Rome had been a center of Italian High Renaissance culture and patronage, and the main destination for any European artist eager for fame and wealth. Many of the great libraries and center’s of knowledge were destroyed.

Clement, never again to directly oppose the Emperor, rubber-stamped Charles’ demands – among them naming cardinals nominated by the latter; crowning Charles Holy Roman Emperor and King of Italy at Bologna in 1530; and refusing to annul the marriage of Charles’ beloved aunt, Catherine of Aragon, to King Henry VIII of England, prompting the English Reformation.

Sack of Rome by Francisco Javier Amérigo y Aparici 1884

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Yesterday…

Which right is that???

Lots of people have dogs…

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BADA BINGLE!!!!

I saw one of those martial arts guys do a spinning kick and thought it looked pretty easy. What I’m trying to say is, I need an ambulance.

Crazy how we used buy eggs to throw at houses now we cant even buy eggs or houses.

We are living is a day where people are proud of what they should be ashamed of.

Just because they make spandex and your size doesn’t mean you should be wearing it.

Being an adult is mostly realizing you don’t look as bad as you thought you did a few years ago because now you look worse.

tRUMP expected to rename San Andreas fault to Joe Bidens fault.

So much to do, so little desire to do it.

I used to be a people person but people ruined that for me.

I’m trying to decide between IDK, IDC, and IDGAF.

Cleaning is just putting stuff in less obvious places then wondering where you put them.

People at work tell me I have a lot of patience. Fact is… there are just way too many witnesses around.

Them: You told us you were busy! Me: I am. Busy avoiding people.

Knock knock. Who’s there? Candice. Candice who? Candice joke get any worse?

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It’s getting buggy…

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Every time I get out of the shower, I do the obligatory helicopter!
byu/NikonD3X1985 infunny

Today is the birthday, in 1951, of Scottish rock guitarist and vocalist Davey Johnstone best known for his work with Elton John. Johnstone’s debut album with Elton John as a full-time member of his band was on the 1972 Honky Chateau. On 10 June 2009, Johnstone played a landmark 2,000th show as a member of the Elton John Band at the SECC in Glasgow, Scotland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrpI7WbJcO8

Lot’s going on today – Children’s Day in Japan, Constitution Day in Kyrgyzstan, Independence Day in Latvia, Patriot’s Day in Ethiopia, Arrival Day in Guyana, The Buddha’s Birthday and some minor battle in Mexico. It is also Liberation Day in the Netherlands – the anniversary of the end of Nazi occupation in 1945.

At the outbreak of the second world war, the Netherlands had declared its neutrality from the conflict. However, this did not stop the country being invaded by Nazi Germany on May 10th 1940.

After landing in Normandy in June 1944, the allied forces advanced across Europe with key engagements taking place in the south of the Netherlands by September of that year.

The Netherlands was liberated in a large part by the Canadians, British and Polish armies.

On May 5th 1945, General Foulkes of the Canadian forces and the German Commander Blaskowitz reached an agreement on the surrender of the German forces in the Netherlands in Hotel de Wereld in Wageningen.

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Me too…

You were warned…

New Marvel Hero…

Canadians have had it with the U.S.A.

(Thanks, Debra)

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Today is the birthday, in 1951, of Rex Goh, guitarist, for the Australian soft rock band Air Supply who scored the 1980 UK No.11 single ‘All Out Of Love’ and the 1981 US No.1 single ‘The One That You Love’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY31ZH6hAFI

On this day in 1670, King Charles II granted a permanent charter to the Hudson’s Bay Company which included a monopoly over the region drained by all rivers and streams flowing into Hudson Bay in northern parts of present-day Canada, taking possession on behalf of England. The area was named “Rupert’s Land” after Prince Rupert, the first governor of the company appointed by the King. This drainage basin of Hudson Bay spans 3,861,400 square kilometers (1,490,900 sq mi), comprising over one-third of the area of modern-day Canada, and stretches into the present-day north-central United States.

The company established a number of posts along James Bay and Hudson Bay. During the fall and winter, First Nations men and European fur trappers accomplished the vast majority of the animal trapping and pelt preparation. They traveled by canoe and on foot to the forts to sell their pelts. In exchange they typically received popular trade-goods such as knives, kettles, beads, needles, and the Hudson’s Bay point blanket.

HBC traders explored and operated in much of what is now the northern and western United States. The company even established a presence in the Sandwich Islands (Now Hawaii) for a time.

In 1869, after rejecting the American government offer of CA$10 million, the company approved the return of Rupert’s Land to Britain. The government gave it to Canada and loaned the new country the £300,000 required to compensate HBC for its losses. HBC also received one-twentieth of the fertile areas to be opened for settlement and retained title to the lands on which it had built trading establishments. The deal, known as the Deed of Surrender, came into force the following year. The resulting territory, the North-West Territories, was brought under Canadian jurisdiction under the terms of the Rupert’s Land Act 1868, enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Deed enabled the admission of the fifth province, Manitoba, to the Confederation on 15 July 1870, the same day that the deed itself came into force.

Poundmaker, a chief of the plains Cree First Nation wearing a Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket, Image courtesy of the National Archives of Canada

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Cats have a bad reputation. Some people even think that cats are total a-holes. That’s actually not true at all. Cats are affectionate and loving creatures, they even gladly help their humans to solve puzzles!

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Here are some SIGNZZZZ

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Today is the birthday, in 1954, of Prescott Niles, bassist with The Knack. Their first single, ‘My Sharona’ was an international No.1 hit in 1979. 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

Today is Labor Day in much of the world. The holiday may also be known as International Worker’s Day or May Day and is marked with a public holiday in over 80 countries.

The first May Day celebrations focused on workers took place on May 1st 1890 after its proclamation by the first international congress of socialist parties in Europe on July 14th 1889 in Paris, France, to dedicate May 1st every year as the “Workers Day of International Unity and Solidarity.”

The date was chosen due to events on the other side of the Atlantic. In 1884 the American Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions demanded an eight-hour workday, to come in effect as of May 1st 1886. This resulted in the general strike and the Haymarket (in Chicago) Riot of 1886, but eventually also in the official sanction of the eight-hour workday.

In the 20th century, the holiday received the official endorsement of the Soviet Union, and it is also celebrated as the Day of the International Solidarity of Workers, especially in some Communist states. Curiously (given the origin of the May 1st date), the United States celebrates Labor Day on the first Monday of September. There is some suggestion that the reason for this was to avoid the commemoration of riots that had occurred in 1886. The adoption of May Day by communists and socialists as their primary holiday has been as another reason for the official resistance to May Day labor celebrations in America.

May 1st was also a pagan holiday in many parts of Europe, Its roots as a holiday stretch back to the Gaelic Beltane. It was considered the last day of winter when the beginning of summer was celebrated.

During Roman times, May 1st was seen as a key period to celebrate fertility and the arrival of spring. The Roman festival of Flora, the goddess of flowers and the season of spring, was held between April 28th and May 3rd.

Traditional English May Day rites and celebrations include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen, and dancing around a Maypole; festivities which made it a popular seasonal celebration in medieval England.

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fortuitous…

We don’t need no math in our schools…

Congratulations to Canada on their election!

These are kind of punny…

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Today is the birthday, in 1966, of merican bassist Johnny Colt with The Black Crowes who had the 1991 hit single ‘Hard To Handle’ and the 1992 US No.1 & UK No.2 album The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion. The band have sold more than 30 million albums. Colt also played with Lynyrd Skynyrd. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRcs_OzQb14