Showing posts with label Tony Blair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tony Blair. Show all posts

Monday, 8 June 2009

8 June - Historical Events and Special Celebrations



Flower of the Month


Rose


Gemstone of the Month: Pearl

First of all Nomanda would like to thank all our new readers! We have been getting more and more of you every day and we really appreciate you! If you are enjoying Nomanda’s blog please pass it on to your friends. And if you would like to make a comment or get your own special mention on your own special day just send us the details through the comments section and we’ll make sure we don’t forget you! Nomanda’s Happy Special Day blog is a celebration of events and anniversaries that have touched our lives. If today is your special day join us in looking at a few other events that have occurred on your day. Enjoy!



The 8th June is World Oceans Day so go out and hug an ocean, talk to the fishes, take a ride on the back of a dolphin, but whatever you do, don’t *** in it!



On a day that seems to have little in the way of fun or amusing historical events taking place the humble vacuum cleaner gets a mention. It was on this day in 1869 that the janitor Ives W McGaffy of Chicago patented the above noisy contraption. He called this first sweeping machine “Whirlwind” and that was about as much as it did, blowing dust from one place to another! It was a hand pumped machine made of wood and canvas. You have to be kidding! Nomanda has no mean experience of the modern model and I never thought I’d be as grateful for an electric motor as I’m feeling right now!



There are some days when it feels as though the whole world is against you so it comes as no surprise that another irritation of modern society should be invented on the same day as the vacuum cleaner. The parking meter was invented on this day in 1936. As all motorists know, the motivation behind the introduction of these grotesque devices that clutter our streets was pure civil greed. The inventor (I’ve omitted his name in an untypical act of generosity) even calculated how much revenue could be raised once they were installed in every city. Need I say more!

Now nearly every home is the proud owner of a vacuum cleaner with a parking meter out front! Thanks, guys!


On a far happier note it was on this day in 1994 that the then President Bill Clinton received an honorary degree from Oxford University; He had studied at the University but obviously didn’t make the cut first time around! In a typically quaint English way one of the academics described Bill Clinton as “An old boy and a young chief”. It was all very nice and English until you discover that the degree was in Civil Law. Aren’t there enough lawyers in the US already?


Another “young chief” clambering his way to the top of the trough was our old friend Tony Blair when on this day in 2001 he led the Labour Party to their second term of office with a nice comfortable overall majority of 167 seats. His old mate Gordon was still with him, and what’s worse, he’s still with us! Having spent most of his time at No.11 trying to persuade Tony Baby to move out of No.10 now he’s got his slippers inside No.10 he’s not going to go quietly despite all the efforts to remove him and the recent local government results to add fuel to the fire burning under his bum!


Our first birthday wishes today go to Nancy Sinatra, the girl with the golden dad, who was born on this day in 1940. She was a precocious child and soon learned to walk in her boots!



Totally eclipsing Nancy, born on this day in 1953 was the singer Bonnie Tyler, the girl with heart problems! Nomanda is pleased to say that she has made a complete recovery and had gone from strength to strength “Faster than the Speed of Light”.



June is the month for tennis with the French Open and Wimbledon both being held this month. It is remarkable just how many tennis stars have been born on this day on June. So, in birth order here they are; Stephane Simian, French (1967), Jamie Morgan, Australian (1971), Elena Brioukhovets, Ukrainian (1971), Lindsay Davenport, American (1976), Yvette Basting Dutch (1977) and last but by no means least, the star of them all, Kim Clijsters Belgian (1983).




Happy Special Day to one and all!!



If you know someone who is celebrating their birthday, anniversary or a special day today or sometime soon why not send them a nice e-card so they get it as soon as they log on! Even better, why not send this page to your friend!
Don’t know what to get for a present? Think about what your special person enjoys doing and the things they like.


For Girls, I know that flowers and chocolates are a bit cliché but nevertheless they always seem to work! Of course, if your budget stretches that far, jewellery, watches, perfume and fashion items are always appreciated!

For Boys, all boys like toys! It’s just as they get older the toys get more expensive. So gadgets and gimmicky things work. Again, if you have the budget then car accessories, sporting equipment and clothes, and man type jewellery like watches and gold chains will go down very well!

And, if all else fails, you could always send them a gift voucher and they can choose whatever they want!

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event today I hope you got lots of cards and presents and that there is someone special in your life who will make this day a very happy and special day for you.



Happy celebrations to you from the Happy Special Day Blog!!

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Wednesday, 6 May 2009

6 May - Historical Events and Special Celebrations



Flower of the Month

Lily of the Valley



Gemstone of the Month: Emerald




First of all Nomanda would like to thank all our new readers! We have been getting more and more of you every day and we really appreciate you! If you are enjoying Nomanda’s blog please pass it on to your friends. And if you would like to make a comment or get your own special mention on your own special day just send us the details through the comments section and we’ll make sure we don’t forget you!

Nomanda’s Happy Special Day blog is a celebration of events and anniversaries that have touched our lives. If today is your special day join us in looking at a few other events that have occurred on your day. Enjoy!



In a modest attempt to show that he wasn’t all bad it was in this day in 1536 that our old friend King Henry VIII ordered that a bible should be placed in every church. Where were they before?






No doubt singing “We plough the fields and scatter” it was on this day in 1833 that John Deere made his first steel plough. Motorists have been giving them wide berths intimidated by slow moving meandering tractors ever since. I suppose it depends where you live but have you ever noticed that whenever you’re in a hurry you always get stuck behind a tractor with a plough on the back.



Two patents that were to change the world were both registered on this day in 1851. The first was the “security lock” patented by none other that Linus Yale, whose name has become a generic for all similar locking devices. It was good for Linus that the “passe par tout”, the credit card wasn’t yet on the scene otherwise it would never have taken off. The other great invention of the day was Dr John Gorrie’s “refrigeration machine”. Cold beers for evermore!




In a prosecution that was to prove over zealous, the Dutch writer Maurits Dekker was sentenced to 50 days in prison on this day in 1938. The offence “offending a friendly head of state”, the head of state, Adolf Hitler! Ouch!





Breaking the first four minute mile on this day in 1954 was Roger Bannister who ran the distance in 3:59:4. Although it was dedicated to earlier runners I am reminded of the great film and music of “Chariots of Fire” which is well worth a view. Nomanda loves it!



In another, but maybe more bizarre, athletic achievement it was on this day in 1970 that one Yuichiro Miura of Japan skied down Mount Everest! Unbelievable but true. The only question I have is how much was the ski lifts pass? No,no,no, don’t tell me he carried his skis to the top, that would be really silly!



In what has been called the “Doughnutgate incident” it was on this day in 1988 that New Jersey Devils coach told the referee to “Eat another doughnut, you fat pig.” Sadly Jim was suspended; Nomanda thinks he should have been applauded!




No fat pigs on show at the next event which was on this day in 1994 that HRH Queen Elizabeth II and the French President, Francois Mitterrand, jointly opened the Channel Tunnel connecting England and France. It is a great engineering and money spending achievement that enables the Brits to get their cheaper booze and cigarettes quicker and the French to escape the hands of the French tax man. So, as Del Boy would say, “Everybody’s Happy!”




Birthday celebrities today are Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939) the guy who has been called the “father of psychology” and who though that everything we do is down to sex.





Of course the natural result of sex is babies, and beloved by babies and their mums everywhere, born on this day in 1839 was the inventor of strained baby food, Daniel Gerber. The story goes that his wife gave him the idea when she asked him to prepare their own baby’s food one mealtime. Fortunately he already had a food processing factory down the road so just a few more strainers and mashers and as Del Boy would also say, “Luvvly, Jubbly, job done!”



However our final birthday wishes and homage go to one of the greatest Englishmen of all times, the one and only Tony Blair (1953). At least that’s what Tony thinks! If there ever was an example of what happens to a guy when given a bit of power then have a look at our Tony. I’m sure he and Cherie will celebrate the occasion in style and luxury and if Nomanda knows anything about it, at someone else’s expense!


Happy Special Day to one and all!!


If you know someone who is celebrating their birthday, anniversary or a special day today or sometime soon why not send them a nice e-card so they get it as soon as they log on! Even better, why not send this page to your friend!
Don’t know what to get for a present? Think about what your special person enjoys doing and the things they like.


For Girls, I know that flowers and chocolates are a bit cliché but nevertheless they always seem to work! Of course, if your budget stretches that far, jewellery, watches, perfume and fashion items are always appreciated!

For Boys, all boys like toys! It’s just as they get older the toys get more expensive. So gadgets and gimmicky things work. Again, if you have the budget then car accessories, sporting equipment and clothes, and man type jewellery like watches and gold chains will go down very well!

And, if all else fails, you could always send them a gift voucher and they can choose whatever they want!

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event today I hope you got lots of cards and presents and that there is someone special in your life who will make this day a very happy and special day for you.



Happy celebrations to you from the Happy Special Day Blog!!


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Friday, 1 May 2009

1 May - Historical Events and Special Celebrations



Gemstone of the Month

Emerald



Flower of the Month: Lily of the Valley



First of all Nomanda would like to thank all our new readers! We have been getting more and more of you every day and we really appreciate you! If you are enjoying Nomanda’s blog please pass it on to your friends. And if you would like to make a comment or get your own special mention on your own special day just send us the details through the comments section and we’ll make sure we don’t forget you!

Nomanda’s Happy Special Day blog is a celebration of events and anniversaries that have touched our lives. If today is your special day join us in looking at a few other events that have occurred on your day. Enjoy!



The first day of May, A happy day throughout most of the world for workers as they get the day off! Frankly I think it’s a total misnomer calling the day Labour Day as of all the days the work forces skive instead of working they definitely don’t work on this one! The origins of the day come from our old colonial friends in Melbourne, Australia. As part of the “8 hour movement” they downed tools and marched to Parliament House on 21st April 1856 and demanded their 8 hour day (lazy sods!). Suffice it to say their protest was successful and inspired the celebration of Labour Day on the 1st May. Good on ‘y lads! Shovel leaners and work place chatterers have been celebrating it ever since.



There’s lots to celebrate today (I guess that since 1856 there’s been lots of time to do things on this day) but the first event pre-dates that. It was on this day in 1707 that England, Scotland and Wales decided to unite and form Great Britain and have all been trying to reverse the process ever since!



Queen Victoria was pretty chuffed on this day in 1840 as it was on this day that the 1st adhesive postage stamp was issued showing the Queen’s head. It was called the “penny black” and if you’ve got any in your stamp collection Nomanda will be happy to pay face value for them.



A couple of years later in 1844 on this day Samuel Morse sent out his first telegraphic message. We are not too sure of the contents but believe it went something like this
… --- . - .-- -.. .-.-.



We do however have a transcript of the conversation conducted between Samuel and the receiver through two old baked bean cans stretched on a bit of string in Samuel’s back garden.




“Did you get that?” “What?”
“The message I just sent you.”
“What message?”

“It went … --- . - .-- -.. .-.-.”
“Oh, that! I thought it was a bird jumping up and down on the string. Do you think this will really work?”



Queen Victoria was having a grand old time as it was on this day in 1851 that the Great Exhibition opened at Hyde Park, London. The 10,000 exhibitors were seen by 6 million visitors and the whole grand thing ended on 15th October. All the proceeds went to Prince Albert whose idea it was in the first place. Don’t you just love royal snouts in the trough! Karl Marx, who was around at the time, thought the whole thing demonstrated the Victorian obsession with “consumerism”. I bet he’s tuning over in his grave today!


On this day in 1912 a statue of Peter Pan was erected in Kensington Gardens. The whole job was commissioned and paid for by J M Barrie, the creator of the famous little boy who never grew up. The children were told that the statue had been put up by the fairies. And in those days a fairy was a fairy, if you know what I mean!




On this day apart from the “Follies Bergere” opening in Paris (1869), the Beverly Hills Hotel opening in Beverly Hills of course (1912), the Empire State Building opening in New York (1931) and Elvis marrying Priscilla (1967) nothing much else happened until ………..




1997 when on this day the crusading Tony Blair led the Labour Party to a landslide victory after 18 tears of Conservative government. Unfortunately the British electorate had been hoodwinked into thinking that Tony’s “New Labour” was something different to old Conservative. Well they were and it wasn’t. Even though Tony’s now gone off to pastures new and even more lucrative, the British population are left with his legacy, and even worse bottom lip sucker, Gordon! Thank goodness it looks as though he won’t make it to No.10 again, but then we’ll have Cameron. What a choice!



Birthday celebrities today start with Ethel Jane Cain (1909 – 1996), the girl with the golden voice who was the first UK speaking clock. It was a 24/24 and 7/7 job and very boring!





Also born on this day (1923 – 1999) was Joseph Heller the novelist of “Catch 22”. Read it, it’s very good.






The King of Calypso, Harry Belafonte was born on this day in 1927 and is still counting his bananas! Good on you, Harry!






Our final birthday wishes go to Julie Benz (1972) the vampire “Darla” from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”. Well loved by one of our Ozzie readers!




Happy Special Day to one and all!!



If you know someone who is celebrating their birthday, anniversary or a special day today or sometime soon why not send them a nice e-card so they get it as soon as they log on! Even better, why not send this page to your friend!
Don’t know what to get for a present? Think about what your special person enjoys doing and the things they like.


For Girls, I know that flowers and chocolates are a bit cliché but nevertheless they always seem to work! Of course, if your budget stretches that far, jewellery, watches, perfume and fashion items are always appreciated!

For Boys, all boys like toys! It’s just as they get older the toys get more expensive. So gadgets and gimmicky things work. Again, if you have the budget then car accessories, sporting equipment and clothes, and man type jewellery like watches and gold chains will go down very well!

And, if all else fails, you could always send them a gift voucher and they can choose whatever they want!

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event today I hope you got lots of cards and presents and that there is someone special in your life who will make this day a very happy and special day for you.



Happy celebrations to you from the Happy Special Day Blog!!



















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