Celebrate May

[Jed_]

I agree with you remmy - MJ is hot. 

Nope.

Just took my temperature.   98.5

In the normal range according to webmd.com

And you know full well that’s not what they are talking about you sexy little minx.

[Remington555]

I agree with you remmy - MJ is hot. 

Nope.

Just took my temperature.   98.5

In the normal range according to webmd.com

According to webmd my symptoms indicate I died two years ago. 

Remmy

[_priapism]

May 1st:

Today is BROTHERS & SISTERS DAY a day not to be confused with National Siblings Day (April 10), today was created to specifically recognize the bond that only brothers and sisters can have. And it’s POLISH FLAG DAY, aka Flag of the Republic of Poland Day, or Dzień Flagi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, the anniversary of the raising of the Polish flag on the “The Victory Column” (German: Siegessäule) in the aftermath of the Battle of Berlin in 1945. And cousin Dom says it’s NATIONAL SWEET CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE DAY.                                                                                                                               

*1876: Robert’s Rules: The Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies (aka "Robert's Rules of Order")—a collection of rules re parliamentary procedure, was published: authored by New Jersey resident and retired U.S. Army officer/engineer Henry Martyn Robert. FN1

*1920: “Negro League” Begins: 1st game of the “Negro National League” baseball is played: Indianapolis ABCs beat Charles "Joe" Greene's Chicago Giants (4–2) in 1st game played in the inaugural season of the League, played at Washington Park in Indianapolis, IND.

*1945: Wöbbelin: 82nd Airborne Div liberated Wöbbelin concentration camp finding 1,000 dead prisoners; most had been starved to death. FN2

*1945: Reichstag Flag Raising: historic WW II photo of the Battle of Berlin depicts several Soviet troops raising the Soviet flag atop German Reichstag building, was taken by Soviet Navy Officer Yevgeny Khaldei, like another Jewish photographer’s (Joe Rosenthal’s) iconic WW II photo of Iwo Jima Flag Raising.

*1945: The “552nd Stopped the Death March”: a Nazi Death March from Dachau to Austrian border was halted by the US Army’s segregated, all-Nisei (Japanese -American) 522nd Field Artillery Bn in Southern Bavaria, saving several hundred Jewish prisoners. FN3

*1963: The Children’s Crusade: in Birmingham, Alabama over1,000 black schoolchildren skipped classes & and began to march downtown to talk to the mayor to protest racial segregation - hundreds were arrested during The Children's Crusade (May 2–5, 1963) initiated and organized by Rev. James Bevel.
       
Have a safe, healthy Sunday and remember all who served and still serve and protect others.

FN1: Retired US Army Corps of Engineers Brigadier General Henry Robert wrote his manual in response to his poor performance in leading a church meeting that  erupted into open conflict because of  concerns about the local defense at the First Baptist Church, in New Bedford, MASS. He resolved that he would learn about parliamentary procedure before he attended another meeting. His Rules are loosely based on procedures used in U.S. House of Representatives. At the time of publication, Robert was a resident of Haworth, a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey.
FN2: On May 7, 1945, the 82nd Airborne Div held funeral services for 200 inmates in the town of Ludwigslust. Attending were the towns’ citizens, captured German officers, and several hundred members of the Division. The U.S. Army chaplain at the service delivered a eulogy stating: "The crimes here committed in the name of the German People, and by their acquiescence, were minor compared to those to be found in concentration camps elsewhere in Germany. Here, there were no gas chambers, no crematoria; here, these men of Holland, Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and France were simply allowed to starve to death. Within four miles of your comfortable homes 4,000 men were forced to live like animals, deprived even of the food you would give to your dogs. In three weeks 1,000 of these men were starved to death; 800 of them were buried in pits in the nearby woods. These 200 who lie before us in these graves were found piled four and five feet high in one building and lying with the sick and dying in other buildings."
FN3: “GO FOR BROKE”: 4,000 men initially made up this segregated unit in 1943; they had to be replaced 3 times due to heavy casualties: in toto 14,000 men served, earning 9,486 Purple Hearts; and the unit was awarded 8 Presidential Unit Citations(5 earned in one month alone). And 21 of its members received the Medal of Honor. Its motto was "Go for Broke."

[msslave]

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

[Jed_]

Today, it’s beef and bean tacos and margaritas!

[Jed_]

[Shiela_M]

margaritas!

Who knew I was celebrating May all year long

[watcher1]

I did my part today. Had a nice meal while a Mariachi band playing as we dined. A fun time!

[_priapism]

Today is NATIONAL WAITERS & WAITRESSES DAY aka NATIONAL WAITSTAFF DAY – think of all the folks who serve you food and drinks: the barista who remembers how you like your incredibly complicated coffee, the waiter who helps sort all your large group’s orders, bartender who serves your martini with a side of English distillery history. My Cuz Dominic says it’s also NATIONAL STRAWBERRIES & CREAM DAY.   
*1881: ARC: The American Red Cross is established by Clara Barton in Dansville, NY.
*1920: 1st Radio Station: Montreal Radio Station XWA (now CINW) broadcast 1st regularly scheduled radio program in North America.   
*1927: Lucky Lindy: Charles Lindbergh landed at Le Bourget Field, Paris, completing the world's 1st solo nonstop flight across Atlantic Ocean.
*1932: Millie: Bad weather forced Amelia “Millie” Earhart to land in a pasture in Derry, Northern Ireland, 15 hours after leaving Newfoundland on the 5th Anniversary of Lindbergh's solo flight and thereby became 1st woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
*1945: Bogie & Bacall: Lauren Bacall (nee Betty Pinsker) & Humphrey “Bogie” Bogart were married (she was Jewish; Bogie was not).   
*2017: The Last Circus: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performed their final show at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (aka the Nassau Coliseum or The Coliseum, multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, NY, East of NYC next to the Meadowbrook Parkway.

[Pornhubby]

May 12 is Limerick Day: the unofficial holiday that encourages people to read and write limericks, a genre of humorous poetry that first originated in England in the 18th century. National Limerick Day honors the birthday of Edward Lear, English poet, and author. Born in 1812, Lear popularized this form of poetry in his 1846 book called A Book of Nonsense.

There once was a guy named Dave…
Who kept a dead whore in his cave.
He said “There’s no class
In screwing dead ass.
But look at the money you save!”

[msslave]

There was a young man from Boston
He drove a shiny new Aston
There was room for his ass and a gallon of gas.
But his balls hung out and he lost 'em.

[Pornhubby]

Today is ORTHODOX EASTER (PASCHA), CINCO de MAYO, FN1, COUNCIL OF EUROPE DAY FN2,  INTERNATIONAL MIDWIVES DAY FN3, and CARTOONISTS DAY FN4. My Cousin Dominic says today is NATIONAL HOAGIE DAY FN5 or to be very precise: GIORNATA NAZIONALE del PANINO FARCITO con MOLTI TIPI di INGREDIENTI, come PROSCIUTTO, FORMAGGIO, SALAME, TONNO, POMODORO, CIPOLLE, INSALATA e ALTRO. My Cuz Rose from B’klyn says today’s flower is LILY Of The Valley 은방울꽃– symbolizing exquisiteness.

*1313BC: Manna: Manna, מָן‎ mān,  the "bread from heaven," sustaining the Children of Israel during their 40 years in the desert, began to fall;

*1789: French Revolution Starts: Estates General convened for 1st time in 150 yrs – the 1st act in the French Revolution;

*1847: AMA: the American Medical Association was organized in Philadelphia;

*1925: Scopes’ Arrest: Dayton, Tennessee high school science teacher John T. Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution in Tennessee;

*1944: Kleisoura Massacre: German troops execute 216 men, women, children in the village of Κλεισούρα, aka Βλαχοκλεισούρα in Northern Greece;

*1960: 1st American Astronaut: Alan Shepard became the 1st American in space (aboard Freedom 7);

*1978: 1st Ben & Jerry: Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened an ice cream parlor at a converted gas station in Burlington, Vermont;

*2005: Cedar Revolution: under international pressure, Syria withdrew the last of its troops in Lebanon, ending 29-yr military domination of that country;

*2022 PHILLIES HISTORIC 9th INNING CHOKE: @ Citizens Bank Park - after Aron Nola pitched 7 beautiful innings vs Mets – PHILLIES’ 2 RELIEF PITCHERS - Norton & Kneubel – gave up 8 RUNS & the 7-1 lead to the NY METS & LOSE GAME 8-7!

*2023: End of COVID: the World Health Organization declared the end of COVID-19 pandemic as a global health emergency.
         
 
FN1: THE 1st BATTLE OF PUEBLA: "Fifth of May") is annual celebration to commemorate the Mexican Army's victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza. The victory of the smaller Mexican force vs larger French force was a boost to morale for the Mexicans. A year after this Battle, a larger French force defeated Zaragoza at the Second Battle of Puebla, and Mexico City soon fell to the French invaders.
 
FN2: PEACE & UNITY: In Europe, Europe Day is an annual celebration of peace and unity in Europe. There are 2 separate designations of Europe Day: 5 May for the Council of Europe, and 9 May for the European Union (EU).
 
FN3: ACCOUCHEMENT: International Midwives' Day, first celebrated May 5, 1991, has since been observed in over 50 nations around the world. Accoucheuse - to assist during an accouchement = time or act of giving birth. The idea of having a day to recognize and honor midwives came out of the 1987 International Confederation of Midwives conference in the Netherlands.
 
FN4: “YELLOW KID”: Today honors cartoonists & their unique artwork; it’s celebrated each year in honor of 1st  appearance of “The Yellow Kid” in New York World newspaper on May 5, 1895.
 
FN5: “SUB” or “SPUCKIE”? Today is NATIONAL HOAGIE DAY or to be very precise: GIORNATA NAZIONALE del PANINO FARCITO con MOLTI TIPI di INGREDIENTI, come PROSCIUTTO, FORMAGGIO, SALAME, TONNO, POMODORO, CIPOLLE, INSALATA e ALTROA; called a submarine sandwich, commonly known as a sub, hoagie (Philadelphia metro area & West PA English), hero (NYC English), Italian (Maine English), grinder (New Eng English), wedge (Westchester, NY), or a spuckie (Boston English) = it is simply a type of American cold or hot sandwich made with various fresh ingredients. . . and BTW THE HOAGIE IS THE OFFICIAL SANDWICH OF PHILADELPHIA.

[MintJulie]

I don't say it enough.  I love your 'monthly' updates. 

And Happy Cinco De Mayo

We were going to have tacos tonight, but after all the food last night we decided not to. Instead we had Chinese a couple of hours ago.  Crashed on the now.  Ready to watch the new Jerry Seinfeld movie, Unfrosted. I have a feeling I'm falling asleep during it.  A big bourbon night and only the 3rd time this year I've had a drink. I was overserved (by myself). 

[Pornhubby]

Today is GOLDEN SPIKE DAY FN1, and NATIONAL CLEAN UP YOUR ROOM DAY FN2, and my Cuz Dom says it’s NATIONAL LIVER AND ONIONS DAY or La GIORNATA NAZIONALE di FEGATO e CIPOLLE. Cuz Rose from B’klyn says today’s flower is the FLAG IRIS 꽃창포 – symbolizing an elegant heart.

*1752: Ben’s Conductor: Ben Franklin did his kite-flying experiment testing conductive rods to attract lightning to leyden (glass conductor) jar;

*1775: Ethan Allen: the Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen captured Fort Ticonderoga, NY from the British;

*1869: Golden Spike: the 1st Transcontinental Railroad, linking E & W was completed at Promontory Summit, Utah (not Promontory Point);

*1882: 1st US Kibbutz: Alliance Colony, 1st Jewish agricultural community in US, was founded in Pittsgrove Township, Salem County, NJ FN3;

*1908: 1st Mother’s Day: Mother's Day is observed for the first time in the US, in Grafton, West Virginia;

*1913: White Carnations: US House passed a resolution calling on all federal officials, from President down, to wear a white carnation next day to honor Mother's Day;

*1943: Books Never Die: actor Ralph Bellamy read from “They Burned the Books” by Stephen Vincent Benet to 1,000 people gathered  in front of the NY Pub Library “as part of the nation’s observance of the 10th anniversary of the Nazi burning of books in Berlin, Germany (See below);

*1973: Knicks’ Last Title: NY Knicks win NBA title in 5 games with a 102-93 victory over the LA Lakers – an exact reversal of the prior year, this time with Lakers winning Game 1 & Knicks taking next 4 games. Knicks center Willis Reed was named the NBA Finals MVP.

*2012: Constitutionally Kosher: 2nd Circuit Court in Manhattan ruled NY State Kosher Law Protection Act of 2004, regulating labeling and marketing of kosher food, did not violate the Constitution's First Amendment, after several butchers challenged the law.

Have a very happy and elegant hearted WHITE CARNATION MOTHERS’ DAY WEEKEND!
       
 
FN1: 17.6 KARAT “LAST SPIKE: The “Golden Spike,” aka The Last Spike, is the ceremonial 17.6-karat gold final spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the First Transcontinental RR across the US connecting the Central Pacific RR from Sacramento and the Union Pacific RR from Omaha on May 10, 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The spike is now displayed in the Cantor Arts Ctr at Stanford University.
 
FN2: SPRING CLEANING: this holiday of unknown origin aims at keeping the dust bunnies where they belong - the trash. The holiday promotes clean rooms & homes & encourages people to collect their cleaning supplies, don their cleaning clothes & gloves, and spend today spring cleaning.
 
FN3: ISRAELI KIBBUTZIM: Today, some 270 kibbutzim varying in size from 80 to over 2,000 people are scattered throughout Israel. With a total populace of around 120,000, they represent about 2.8 percent of Israel's population. Most kibbutz members work in some section of the kibbutz economy or in one of its maintenance units.

[Pornhubby]

Mystery Of Infamous 'New England Dark Day' Solved By Tree Rings

Source: University of Missouri-Columbia
   
FULL STORY

At noon, it was black as night. It was May 19, 1780 and some people in New England thought judgment day was at hand. Accounts of that day, which became known as 'New England's Dark Day,' include mentions of midday meals by candlelight, night birds coming out to sing, flowers folding their petals,and strange behavior from animals. The mystery of this day has been solved by researchers at the University of Missouri who say evidence from tree rings reveals massive wildfires as the likely cause, one of several theories proposed after the event, but dismissed as 'simple and absurd.'

"The patterns in tree rings tell a story," said Erin McMurry, research assistant in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Tree Ring Laboratory.

"We think of tree rings as ecological artifacts. We know how to date the rings and create a chronology, so we can tell when there has been a fire or a drought occurred and unlock the history the tree has been holding for years."

Limited ability for long-distance communication prevented colonists from knowing the cause of the darkness.

It was dark in Maine and along the southern coast of New England with the greatest intensity occurring in northeast Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and southwest Maine.

In the midst of the Revolutionary War, Gen. George Washington noted the dark day in his diary while he was in New Jersey.

Nearly 230 years later, MU researchers combined written accounts and fire scar evidence to determine that the dark day was caused by massive wildfires burning in Canada.

"A fire comes along and heat goes through the bark, killing the living tissue. A couple of years later, the bark falls off revealing the wood and an injury to the tree. When looking at the rings, you see charcoal formation on the outside and a resin formation on the top that creates a dark spot," said Richard Guyette, director of the Tree Ring Lab and research associate professor of forestry in the MU School of Natural Resources.

The researchers studied tree rings from the Algonquin Highlands of southern Ontario and many other locations.

They found that a major fire had burned in 1780 affecting atmospheric conditions hundred of miles away.

Large smoke columns were created and carried into the upper atmosphere.

"This study was a unique opportunity to take historical accounts and combine them with modern technology and the physical historical evidence from the tree rings and solve a mystery with science," McMurry said.

[msslave]

Well that was interesting. Here we are complaining about hazy skies and bad air warnings. I'm surprised Canada has any trees left.

[watcher1]

On May 21, 1924, two graduate students from the University of Chicago, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, thought they could commit the perfect crime by killing 14 year old Bobby Franks. The famous lawyer, Clarence Darrow, represented the two murderers and was able to get them life in prison rather than the death sentence.

[MintJulie]

Interesting story about the trees. 

Twice in the last year we learned that Smokey The Bear is responsible for the big out of control fires that we have now, that we didn't have 50 years ago. 

Nature took care of itself 50 years ago.  Fires came along every 10 years ago and the underbrush of forests were burned away, sort of like the forest giving itself a bath.  Then along came Smokey The Bear and wanting to prevent (and quickly put out) forest fires.  ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES.  Fires were easy to put out back then because it was only several years of underbrush.  AND BACK IN THE 50's and 60's fire fighters were not rushed to fires to extinguish them, they let them burn because in most cases they didn't have the resources and because the fire was not risk to life or property. 

Then in the 70's wherever there was a fire, even in the most remote of places, fire fighters were dispatched.  They quickly put out fires (well before it completed its 'cleansing')., allowing the forest floor to thicken more densely.  Now that well overgrown underbrush is not like it used to be.  It's thick and burns hotter.  Where before a fire used to burn the bigger trees bark, it now catches that tree on fire because of the added fuel of the thicker underbrush.  If humans wouldn't have interfered, nature would have taken care of itself and fires  would have been much less intense. 

And sadly, we can't reverse this cycle.  And it will continue to grow worse

[Pornhubby]

Today in May history:


*1626: Manhattan Sale: Peter Minuit bought Manhattan Island for 60 Dutch guilders of merchandise (approx. $24);

*1798: Irish Rebellion: Irish Rebellion of 1798 (Éirí Amach 1798) aka United Irishmen Rebellion, lasting several months vs British rule began;

*1844: Morse’s Message: Samuel F. B. Morse sent the message "What hath God wrought" (Biblical, Numbers 23:23) from the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the US Capitol to his assistant, Alfred Vail, in Baltimore, Maryland to inaugurate the 1st telegraph line;

*1883: B’klyn Bridge: Brooklyn Bridge opened to traffic after 14 yrs construction (from 1/3/1870), dedicated by Pres. Chester Arthur & NY Governor Grover Cleveland, FN6, FN7; 

*1929: Cocoanuts: Marx Brothers made movie history opening their 1st film "The Cocoanuts," with 5 of its tunes composed by Irving Berlin;

*1935: 1st Night Game: at Crosley Field, Cincinnati the era of night-time baseball began as 25,000 fans watched Reds beat Phillies 2-1 in 1st  MLB game ever played under lights; during pre-game ceremonies, President FDR pushed a button at the White House to illuminate the field;

*1966: Mame: the musical “Mame,” premiered on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre, starring Angela Lansbury;

*2002: Moscow Treaty: Russia & US sign Moscow Treaty. to reduce number of strategic nuclear warheads deployed by the two countries;

*2023: Miami Muzzling: Former US Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman's poem, “The Hill We Climb” is put on a restricted reading list at Bob Graham Education Center, in Miami Lakes, amid increasing censorship across the state of Florida.

[MintJulie]

Today in May history:


*2002: Moscow Treaty: Russia & US sign Moscow Treaty. to reduce number of strategic nuclear warheads deployed by the two countries;
.

And I'm sure they were both truthful with how much they've reduced their respective nuclear arsenals