Paul Simon

Today is Prince Louis Rwagasore Day, a public holiday in Burundi. This holiday commemorates the life of one of Burundi’s national heroes, who was assassinated on this day in 1961.

Prince Louis Rwagasore was the son of King Mwambutsa IV. He was active in nationalist movements and campaigned for independence from Belgium. The Belgians had maintained a strong colonial rule by skillfully avoiding a unified Burundi nationalist movement by pitting the different ethnic groups against each other. Rwagasore diffused these tensions by organizing cooperatives and political parties that included members from all ethnic groups and my marrying outside his own ethnic group.

He antagonized the Belgian colonial administrators by creating power centers outside their control and because of his popularity among the people of Burundi. In the September 1961 elections before independence, he won 80% of the vote and became the first Prime Minister-elect.

He was gunned down in a hotel restaurant a few weeks later on October 13th 1961. Though his assassin was Greek, strong suspicions remain that his murder was sponsored by a pro-Belgian group.

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Today is the birthday, in 1941, of Paul Simon, singer, songwriter, (1970 UK & US No.1 single with Simon and Garfunkel, ‘Bridge Over Trouble Water.’ The duo’s 1970 album ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ spent 307 weeks on the UK chart). Solo, (1986 UK No.4 single ‘You Can Call Me Al’, 1986 UK No.1 album Graceland spent 115 weeks on the UK chart). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmf9ZJ_Yn0A

Today is Full Moon Day of Tabaung in Myanmar and the Eve of Purim in Israel and other countries.

Security.

How to improve your life (according to businesses a while ago) and only for women…

Here is a great music video by Paul Simon and some other guy.

It is, of course, Presidents’ Day in the United States. It is also Father Walter Lini Day in Vanuatu. A former Anglican priest, Father Walter Lini became the first prime minister of the newly independent country of Vanuatu in 1980. This holiday commemorates his death on this day in 1999.

There is a factory in Northern Minnesota that makes the Tickle Me Elmo toys. The toy laughs when you tickle it under the arms.
Well, Lena is hired at The Tickle Me Elmo factory and she reports for her first day promptly at 8:00AM. 
The next day at 8:45AM there is a knock at the Personnel Manager’s door. The Foreman throws open the door and begins to rant about the new employee. He complains that she is incredibly slow and the whole line is backing up, putting the entire production line behind schedule.

The Personnel Manager decides he should see this for himself, so the 2 men march down to the factory floor. 

When they get there the line is so backed up that there are Tickle Me Elmo’s all over the factory floor and they’re really beginning to pile up. At the end of the line stands Lena surrounded by mountains of Tickle Me Elmo’s. She has a roll of plush red fabric and a huge bag of small marbles. 

The 2 men watch in amazement as she cuts a little piece of fabric, wraps it around two marbles, and begins to carefully sew the little package between Elmo’s legs. 

The Personnel Manager says to her, barely able to keep a straight face, “I think you misunderstood the instructions I gave you yesterday. Your job is to give Elmo two test tickles.”

This is a wonderful video – take a minute or two to watch, listen and enjoy.