daily humor

02
Aug
2024

First FRIDAY in August!

The Day of Our Lady of the Angels (Virgen de los Angeles) is a public holiday in Costa Rica observed on August 2nd each year. This important religious holiday honors the patron saint of Costa Rica, the Virgin Mary. It is not unusual for a country to venerate Mary, what is different in Costa Rica is that the holiday specifically honors a small statue of Mary.

The ‘La Negrita’ is a small statue of the Virgin Mary carved from dark wood, that was found on August 2nd 1635 by a native woman called Juana Pereira.

When Juana naturally picked up this statue to take it home. It then vanished, only to reappear at the same spot she originally found it. This happened again before the townspeople saw this as a sign of divine intervention and built a shrine around it. 

The Basilica Virgen de Los Angeles in Cartago was built over the shrine in 1639, but this was partially destroyed in an earthquake. A restored structure was completed in 1722.

In 1824, the Virgin was declared Costa Rica’s patron saint.

La Negrita is kept in the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in Cartago. Each year, the anniversary of the statue’s discovery is a popular pilgrimage, with thousands making the 22 km journey from San José to the basilica. Some will make the walk barefoot and many will complete the last few hundred meters to see La Negrita on their knees. 

When you skip anatomy class but still go to marketing class…

Today is the birthday, in 1937, of Canadian multi-instrumentalist and a master of the Lowrey organ, Garth Hudson, The The Hawks (Ronnie Hawkins’s backing group), who then became known as The Band and also backed Bob Dylan on his US tour in 1965 and world tour in 1966. The Band had the 1969 US No.25 single ‘Up On Cripple Creek’, 1970 UK No.16 single ‘Rag Mama Rag’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-w9OclUnns

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
01
Aug
2024

THURSDAY is hot, hot, hot…

Today is Independence Day in Benin, a public holiday and Benin’s National Day. This day commemorates full independence from France on August 1st 1960.

The region of modern day Benin first came to the attention of the Europeans as a source of slaves with the shores of the region earning the name ‘the Slave Coast’.

Local warlords made agreements with the Portuguese to supply slaves from captured prisoners. One important local kingdom at the time was the Dahomey, known for their military discipline, who grew to be the dominant power in the region.

With the abolition of the slave trade, the control of the Dahomey was weakened, allowing the French to take over the region at the end of the nineteenth century. In 1904, the colony of French Dahomey was incorporated within French West Africa.

In 1946 with the establishment of the Fourth French Republic, Dahomey became an overseas territory of France with its own parliament and representation in the French national assembly.

On December 4th 1958, it became the Republic of Dahomey (République du Dahomey), a self-governing autonomous republic within the French Community. On July 11th 1960 France agreed to Dahomey becoming fully independent. Dahomey gained its full independence on August 1st 1960, with Hubert Maga becoming Dahomey’s first president.

In 1975, the country changed its name to Benin, after the Bight of Benin, a large bay in the Gulf of Guinea.

Benin has one of the youngest populations in the world. With a median age of just 17, Benin has one of the youngest populations in the world. In fact, almost 65% of the country’s population is under 25 years old.

Today is the birthday, in 1951, of Canadian guitarist and vocalist Tim Bachman best known as a member of Bachman–Turner Overdrive (BTO). Bachman was one of the four founding members of BTO, a group that have sold nearly 30 million albums worldwide and also featured his brothers Randy (guitar/vocals) and Robbie (drums). He died on 28 April 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cia_v4vxfE

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
30
Jul
2024

Oh boy, it’s TUESDAY!!

Today is Enthronement Day, a public holiday in Morocco. Also known as Throne Day, this day marks the King’s accession to the throne on this day in 1999.

His Majesty King Mohammed VI, son of the late King H.M. Hassan II, was born on August 21st 1963, in Rabat.

Following the death of his father on July 23rd 1999, King Mohammed VI officially took the throne in accordance with Article 20 of the kingdom’s Constitution on Friday July 30th 1999.

This date then became Throne Day to be celebrated with a public holiday each year.

The Enthronement took place in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace in Rabat. After the ceremony, the new king solemnly performed the Friday prayer and pronounced His first Speech of the Throne. King Mohammed VI is the 23rd king of the Alaouite Dynasty, which has ruled Morocco since 1631.

Socrates vs Nietzsche…

BADA BING!!

I’m not brave. I’m just past the age when running is an option.

As I’ve aged, I’m eternally grateful that I’ve gotten fatter instead of more politically conservative.

I’m at the age where not finding parking for an event is enough to make me go home.

I really think I deserve an award for the amount of sarcastic comments I manage to keep to myself on a daily basis.

Don’t wear headphones while vacuuming. I’ve just finished the whole house before realizing the vacuum wasn’t plugged in.

Accidentally rubbed ketchup in my eyes. Now I have Heinzsight.

Free Marriage Tip: Don’t ask your wife when dinner will be ready while she is mowing the lawn.

I’ve never tried yoga but have tried bending over to pick up my car keys, so I’m pretty sure I’d hate yoga.

My wife left me today. She says I put sports ahead of our relationship. We were together for 6 seasons.

I hate that moment when you are tired and sleepy but as soon as you go to bed, your brain is like, “Just kidding”.

I thought the dryer made our clothes shrink. Turns out it’s the fridge.

I’ve learned so much from my mistakes, that I’m thinking about making a lot more.

I love reading motivational posts from people I know are toxic in real life.

Netflix needs to stop asking if I’m still watching and start asking if I moved the laundry to the dryer yet.

My housekeeping style is best described as ‘there appears to have been a struggle’.

Today is the birthday, in 1944, of Jamaican ska and reggae musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer Jimmy Cliff who had the 1969 UK No.6 & US No.25 single ‘Wonderful World Beautiful People’, and the 1970 UK No.8 hit with his version of Cat Stevens’ ‘Wild World’. He starred in the film The Harder They Come, which helped popularize reggae across the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrHxhQPOO2c

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, World
29
Jul
2024

Again…….MONDAY…….ugh

Today is Territory Day, a public holiday in the territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands. The day commemorates the islands becoming a French Overseas Territory on this day in 1961.

Wallis and Futuna is a French Island Collectivity located in the South Pacific situated between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast, Samoa to the east, and Tokelau to the northeast. Mata Utu is its capital and largest city. The territory’s land area is 142.42 km2 (54.99 sq mi). It had a population of 11,151.

The islands became a French protectorate at the end of the 19th century, before being annexed by France in 1917, becoming a colony, under the authority of New Caledonia.

In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French overseas territory, effective on July 29th 1961, thus ending their subordination to New Caledonia.

Today is the birthday, in 1953, of American singer-songwriter Patti Scialfa who has worked with The Rolling Stones and on Keith Richards’ Talk Is Cheap album. She toured with Bruce Springsteen Band from the 1984 Born in the USA tour and later married Springsteen on June 8th 1991. She has released two solo albums. Scialfa was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band. Here are Bruce and Patti in this wonderful song that has special meaning for us older couples. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYlZcFuAXmI

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music
26
Jul
2024

Did you say FRIDAY??!?

Today is Independence Day in Liberia. This is the National Day of Liberia and commemorates Liberia’s Independence from the USA and adoption of the constitution on July 26th 1847.

The Republic of Liberia began as a settlement of the American Colonization Society (ACS), who believed black people would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the United States.

Between 1822 and 1861, thousands of free blacks were relocated to the settlement at Cape Mesurado on the Pepper Coast of West Africa. In 1824 the colony was named Liberia, and the main settlement was named Monrovia, which remains the present-day capital.

The settlers faced immense hardships in the initial years with atrocious mortality rates due to disease and conflict with the indigenous peoples. Within twenty years, the colony had grown and established economic stability.

On July 26th 1847, the settlers issued a Declaration of Independence and promulgated a constitution. The constitution was heavily based on the United States Constitution and established the independent Republic of Liberia. The United Kingdom was the first country to recognize Liberia’s independence, the United States only recognized Liberia’s independence in 1862 during the American Civil War.

Liberia was the first African republic to proclaim its independence, and is Africa’s first and oldest modern republic, maintaining independence despite the colonial expansion in Africa in the late nineteenth century.

Today is the birthday, in 1943, of Mick Jagger, singer, songwriter with The Rolling Stones, (1969 UK & US No.1 single ‘Honky Tonk Women’, and over 35 UK & US Top 40 singles and albums). Solo (1985 UK No.1 single with David Bowie ‘Dancing In The Street’). 1985 UK No. 6 solo album ‘She’s The Boss.’ In 2003 he was knighted for his services to popular music and in early 2009 he joined the electric supergroup SuperHeavy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef9QnZVpVd8

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies