Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 215

27 July 2016 - P. J. HARVEY

P. J. HARVEY
G'day folks,
Welcome to the life of a singer, songwriter and artist from the UK. Polly Jean Harvey, MBE, known as PJ Harvey, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, writer, poet, and composer. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments.

British singer and songwriter PJ Harvey was introduced to music at an early age and began writing songs as a teenager and joined with bassist Steve Vaughn and drummer Robert Ellis to create PJ Harvey in 1991. She is best known for her wide range of musical styles, exploring rock, electronica and folk. Outside of music, Harvey also expresses herself through art.


Born Polly Jean Harvey on October 9, 1969, in Corscombe, England, PJ spent her early years on her family's farm in rural England. Both of her parents loved music and introduced her to blues, jazz and rock.
 As a teenager, Harvey began writing songs and learning to play different instruments. She also had a passion for art. For a time, Harvey thought she would pursue a college degree in art, but music soon won out. She joined with bassist Steve Vaughn and drummer Robert Ellis to create PJ Harvey in 1991. The group released two singles in England—"Dress" and "Sheela-Na-Gig"—both of which attracted a lot of positive reviews. The trio built on their early success with their first album Drythe following year.



By the time the tour for their second album Rid of Me (1993) ended, Vaughn and Ellis had left the group. Harvey continued on, releasing her first truly solo effort, To Bring You My Love in 1995. "I knew all along that I'd want to work with different musicians eventually, which is why I used my own name for the group. I wanted to be completely freed up by not having to limit my writing to what I thought they would be able to perform," Harvey told the press at the time.
 The album proved to be a career breakthrough for Harvey. Praised by critics, To Bring You My Love made her into one of the darlings of alternative rock. It featured her greatest American hit to date, "Down by the Water." The video for the song was played frequently on MTV, and she developed quite a following among the modern rock set.

Since this first wave of success, Harvey has continued to record and tour. Her music has evolved over the years. One critic described her career as "brilliantly mercurial" with her songs "leaping between the intimate and the mythic." Still "her sound is too abrasive, her lyrics too intense to enter the mainstream," wrote another critic.


Harvey has also found time to work with other artists. One of her most fruitful collaborations has been with John Parish. She and Parish have recorded two albums together, Dance Hall at Louse Point (1996) and A Woman A Man Walked By (2009). Harvey has worked behind the scenes as well, serving as a producer for Tiffany Anders and Marianne Faithfull.
Most recently, Harvey released Let England Shake (2011), on which the artist took a more political stance. She told a reporter that she is "taking a look at the world and what happening in the current world affairs" on the album. But she doesn't "feel qualified to sing from a political standpoint. I sing as a human being affected by politics."
Outside of music, Harvey also expresses herself through her art. She has created and exhibited numerous paintings, drawings, and sculptures. At present, Harvey is working with photojournalist Seamus Murphy on a joint project.


Clancy's comment: Obviously a creative soul. Nothing wrong with that, eh?
I'm ...

26 July 2016 - ORIGINS OF THE WORD ' BARBARIANS'

ORIGINS OF THE WORD 'BARBARIANS'
G'day folks, 
Met any barbarians lately? Know where the word came from? Read on ...

The word “barbarian” originated in ancient Greece, and was initially used to describe all non-Greek-speaking peoples, including Persians, Egyptians, Medes and Phoenicians. The ancient Greek word “bárbaros,” from which it derives, meant “babbler,” and was onomatopoeic: In the Greek ear, speakers of a foreign tongue made unintelligible sounds (“bar bar bar”). Similar words exist in other Indo-European languages, including the Sanskrit “barbara,” which means “stammering.” 



It was the ancient Romans, who by the original definition were barbarians themselves, who first transformed the use of the term. Late in the Roman Empire, the word “barbarian” came to refer to all foreigners who lacked Greek and Roman traditions, especially the various tribes and armies putting pressure on Rome’s borders. 



There was never a single united barbarian group, and many of the different tribes–including Goths, Vandals, Saxons, Huns, Picts and many more–shifted alliances over the years or fought alongside Roman forces against other barbarian armies. Later scholars would expand on this use of the word when writing about attacks on cultures considered “civilizations” (be it ancient China or ancient Rome) by external enemies who don’t share that civilization’s traditions or structure. 



Today, the adjective “barbaric” is most commonly used to describe an act that is either brutal or cruel to the point of savagery or primitive and uncivilized (or all of the above) while a “barbarian” is a person who commits such acts or displays such characteristics. This more general–and explicitly negative–definition, when compared with either the Greek or Roman sense of the word, illustrates clearly just how far “barbarian” has been removed from its ancient roots.


Clancy's comment: Mm ... I guess the modern day barbarians are somewhere in a parliament, devising smart ways to send others to war.
I'm ...

25 July 2016 - PETER GABRIEL

PETER GABRIEL
G'day folks,
Welcome to some details on a very famous singer and songwriter. Once a member of the band Genesis, Peter Gabriel is a British singer and songwriter who had such hits as "Games Without Frontiers," "Sledgehammer" and "In Your Eyes."
Synopsis

British musician Peter Gabriel started the progressive rock group Genesis in the 1960s. After breaking from the band in 1975, he has gone on to enjoy tremendous success as a solo artist. His 1986 album So featured such hits as “Sledgehammer, “Big Time” and “In Your Eyes.” Gabriel later released Us(1992) and Up (2002). He is also one of the founders of the WOMAD Foundation and Real World Records. 
 Early Life Born on February 13, 1950, in Woking, England, musician and singer Peter Gabriel has created such hits as “Shock the Monkey,” “Sledgehammer,” “Big Time” and “In Your Eyes.” He grew up on a farm in Coxhill near Chobham. His father Ralph was an electric engineer and avid inventor. His mother Edith passed down her love of music to her son. After attending local schools, Gabriel went to Charterhouse, a boarding school, at the age of 13. At Charterhouse, Gabriel explored his interest in music. There he and friend Tony Banks perform together in a band called the Garden Wall and met fellow musicians Anthony Phillips and Mike Rutherford. The four eventually join forces to form the future progressive rock act Genesis. 


The Genesis Years 
Gabriel released his first single with Genesis in 1968, and the band released its first album From Genesis to Revelation in 1969. This record failed to attract much notice, but the group finally began to catch on with listeners by 1971’s Nursery Cryme. This album broke into the UK’s top 40 album chart. Their next effort, 1972’s Foxtrot, climbed higher, reaching the number 12 spot. The band was probably best known, however, for its live shows.  Gabriel gave intriguing performances on stage, often involving costumes and props. 
Genesis continued to thrive professionally over the next few years, but tensions began to emerge within the band. Gabriel took time away from the group to work on a project with director William Friedkin in 1974. "Genesis, at that time, were not into anyone having extracurricular activities," Gabriel told Rolling Stone. And there was also a certain jealousy, because as frontman I was being credited as sole creative source of the band, which was really unfair,” he added. Gabriel’s last album with Genesis was 1974’s The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. 


Successful Solo Artist 
After leaving Genesis, Gabriel soon embarked on a solo career. He put his first self-titled album in 1977, which featured the song “Solsbury Hill.” Quickly following up this initial effort, Gabriel released his second self-titled record the following year. One of the album’s best known tracks was “D.I.Y.” With 1980’s Peter Gabriel, he experienced his first major success on the music charts. The song, “Games Without Frontiers,” was a top 5 hit in Britain and made the top 40 in the United States. Another track from the record “Biko,” written about slain anti-Apartheid activist Steve Biko, “became a very important song for me,” Gabriel wrote on his website. “I’d not written an overtly political song before and was wondering if it would be accepted.” Interested in many of types of creative expression, he helped found the World of Music, Arts and Dance Foundation, better known as WOMAD, around this time.
 The organization held its first festival two years later. Gabriel also branched out into different music genres, composing the score for the 1984 film Birdy.  Gabriel reached even greater heights with So, his fifth studio album, in 1986. The energetic, catchy song “Sledgehammer” became a big hit for him, propelled in part by the accompanying creative video. “Big Time” was another popular, rhythmically driven track from the album. Gabriel also demonstrated his gift for slower, more dramatic songs such as “In Your Eyes” and “Don’t Give Up.” "In Your Eyes" drew a cult following after it was featured in the soundtrack of Cameron Crowe's iconic 1989 teen romance film Say Anything.


To support human rights, Gabriel participated in two tours for Amnesty International around this time. He also went on to win his first Grammy Award in 1989 for Passion: Music from The Last Temptation of Christ, which he wrote for Martin Scorsese’s film The Last Temptation of Christ. Around this time, Gabriel also helped establish the Real World Records label. He returned to the rock music scene with 1992’s Us, which featured such popular songs as “Steam” and Digging in the Dirt.” For both of these tunes, Gabriel picked up Grammy wins for their imaginative videos.

Nearly a decade after Us, Gabriel released Up(2002), which failed to match the success of his earlier efforts. Still songs such as “Signal to Noise” and “The Barry Williams Show” received positive notice. More recently, Gabriel worked on a pair of themed albums. First came Scratch My Back in 2010, which offered listeners Gabriel’s take on the music of other artists. Many of these artists returned the favor by covering some of Gabriel’s classic songs on And I’ll Scratch Yours(2013). In 2016, he announced that he will be touring with Sting that summer.

 Personal Life  Gabriel is married to Meabh Flynn. The couple has two sons, Isaac and Luc, together. Gabriel also has two daughters, Anna and Melanie, from his first marriage to Jill Moore.
 
Clancy's comment: Good for him. 
I'm ...






 

 

24 July 2016 - JOHN QUINLAN - Guest Model and Actor

JOHN QUINLAN- Guest Model and Actor -
G'day folks,
Today, I re-introduce a man who has been a guest before. However, John is now embarking on an acting career on the big screen. I have asked him my toughest questions and his replies are hereunder. It is in a different format but you will get the drift.
Welcome, John ... Take it away.

I am model and actor who is currently getting ready to film the role of US Army Captain Nixon in the film, A Sense of Purpose: Fighting For Our Lives. Coming to theaters 2017.
The happiest moment of my life would have to be the birth of my children which means I have 3 "happiest" moments of my life.
The saddest moment in my life would be when my grandfather passed away in front of me as he was life's greatest mentor.
To answer your question about who surprised me the most it would have to be myself as I never thought I would continue this journey after all these years without quitting or giving up. Through all the adversity and rough times I'm still here with some very special things in the near future.
My biggest disappointment probably would not be one specific thing. I truly believe sometimes I can be a perfectionist and when things don't go my way it's a disappointment. Any model will tell you anytime you don't get selected for a job you feel disappointment. I have been honored as a model to have been selected for some very special things and with that being said I have had my share of disappointments along the way. I think those disappointments taught me a lesson in life about how to handle adversity and become a better man and a stronger man in the process.


This is a very interesting question you ask me Clancy and I think many of my answers won't be specific one topic answers like this one. To answer your question about who I have misjudged I would have to say back in the day I would often miss judge people based on the outward appearance. Now that I have matured and I am older I can look at my own self who has been a victim of being misjudged based on his outward appearance. I have been labeled a troublemaker, thug and a punk among many others which I am none of. I take people for who they and not what they look like.
I think my biggest challenge what is starting off this life as a very very little kid who never was blessed with some of the God given talent that many of my peers were blessed with. I always felt I had to work double as hard as the next guy to achieve the same things that those took for granted. I think in doing so after all these years and never quitting and being consistent at this lifestyle it is finally paid off with some great things that are coming in the future.
I think my biggest regret that I have my life was when my grandmother was getting old I never took a few minutes to go visit her because I was wrapped up in my fitness projects and personal goals. I wish I can go back in time and spend a few minutes with her because I can never get that time back and that hurts me.
My last dying comment would be, "if you believe in a dream, never give up and keep fighting to attain it until you take your last breath."
Sadly with stuns me the most is all the great stars and people around me keep dying. For whatever reason, drugs, suicide or whatever it may be they are all far too young it's very sad to see.


To be quite honest with you one thing that stunned me the most in my life, being a great sports fan, will be when I watch Mike Tyson lose to James Buster Douglas as Tyson lost his aura of invincibility that night. He was like a God to all of us kids. I have always been a strong supporter of Mike Tyson and will continue to do so.
Written on my tombstone is very simple, "Beloved father of Troy, Cole and Mia." The most important thing in my life being a good dad which reigns supreme above all and it's what I am most proud of.
I would rather have not met Anton Antipov onstage at the 2012 NPC Rhode Island Men's Physique Overall Championship because he kicked my ass. He is one of the greatest models in the world so to lose to him is still quite an honor. In all seriousness, I'm honored to have met Anton as we are friends but it would have been nice to square off gainst somebody else that night. All in good fun.
I don't relly get envious of anybody. If I had to say any kind of envy that I may have it would be envious of those people who have God given talent or lots of money and things that I did not have working my way to the top. I would often say to myself, "imagine how good I could be if I had both of those on top of my drive to succeed."
I have forgiven many people in my life for doing terrible things and I don't believe in holding grudges forever. I think this question is more of a personal question and I'll just leave it at that.
The greatest moment in my life was the day my first child was born I said, "I can't believe I created something so beautiful." I was just amazed.
My greatest achievement in my own personal opinion is conveying to so many people what kind of a person I truly am. So many people come up to me and say we admire you for your attitude and hard work ethic so much. To earn the respect of so many people around me is the most meaningful to me.


Personality traits I would like to have in my next life have to remain mostly the same. Be respectful of others, be polite and treat others the way they want to be treated. Just try to be a good John Joseph Quinlan all over again in the next life.
Advice I would give today's world leaders would be stop forgetting about our veterans. So many veterans in the United States are forgotten about and live in poverty. They need to be taken care of because of what they did and how they sacrificed everything for the benefit of us.
As a parent myself the advice I would give to other parents is keep the communication window open with your children. Always communicate and be there for them so know they can go to you with any issue and feel comfortable.
If I was stuck on a desert island I would choose to be stuck with Tom Hanks because he survived in the film Castaway so he could definitely help me survive on the island.
Heroes I have always admired my personal life. My grandfather, who passed away in 2013,  because the way he was a role model to me and so many people. He always respected others and was kind. I never heard him talk bad of anybody in all the years I knew him. I have also always admired the actors who achieve greatness through hard work and persevered through the hard times. We've all heard the stories how they went through terrible periods of poverty and struggle in disappointment. They just kept going and never quit. They are an example of believing in a dream where you believe you can achieve it no matter what. All done with hard work and never giving up.
The legacy I would love to leave behind was recntly said perfectly to me in the words of director and producer Jillian Bullock. She said, "you want to leave behind a legacy as a great father and a great actor for your children." Very powerful words Jillian, thank you."


I think what is lacking in the world today is overall acceptance of people. Regardless of race, color, creed or sexual orientation I think many people are too judgemental. We need to take people for who they are and not what they are.
Pearls of Wisdom from John Quinlan would be, "always work hard and stay true to yourself because people respect you for it."
The last sentence I would ever write is the one I use on lots of my social media very often, "God Bless the Masses."
What inspired me the most to be where I am today are all the stories of those before me who worked so very hard to overcome adversity and reach the top of the world.
Is it a general answer. I have so many friends around me that make me laugh whenever I'm having a bad day. I have so many friends that say stupid jokes and funny things that I just laugh and forget about all my problems. I always said, "humor is the best medicine."
I think it will be a sports star, as I always respect athletes because they work so very hard perfecting their cradt. A Navy Seal as they are some the toughest human beings on Earth who command the upmost respect for what they do. I also think a police officer is right there as well because they protect us and they put their lives on the line every day to protect the public.


The prime focus in my life today is to be a good father to my kids along with being positive and focusing on my goals. Being humble in the process during the time it takes to make those dreams a reality.
I think I've lost the fear of doing something wrong because even as a model, for all the successes come just as many failures. The failures teach you how to handle these setbacks as well as helping you become a better man. The failures help you deal with adversity in life. I've learned it's okay to fail because on the road to great success failure is normal so I'm not afraid of it.
There are so many world events that have had significant impacts on me. I know it wakes you up as a young kid to see so much violence in the world. We all know it's a cliche phrase but World Peace would be nice. A world free of violence and and hate.
I believe these two go hand-in-hand. I think knowing the meaning of your own life and your life's purpose is significant. Fulfilling these purpose makes your life complete when you look back on it years later.
The way the world should go forward in my own personal perspective is a world free of hate and violence.  A world free of racism where everyone works together to achieve their American Dream.
If I had the chance to live again and had the chance to change one thing about me it would probably be to not make such quick decisions. Not to be so impulsive. Sit back and take my  time a bit more before deciding on things that will be life changing. So many times it's that one decision that has affected my entire future.
I have a bucket list like many people do. There are so many places I want to go, people I want to meet and things I want to accomplish. I am sure in time I will fulfill this list that is too long for me to mention.


I have been told one of my claims to fame is that I was the most tattoos male romance cover model in the world in 2013 and 2014. I was one the very first tattooed male romance cover models to be used mainstream on book covers. I helped pave the way for so many other tattooed male models that wanted to grace the covers of books who never thought they could. I finally broke that barrier and made it acceptable in the romance industry for them to do so which I am very proud of.
Let me just add how thankful I am to Clancy Tucker for this great interview today. I have nothing but respect for you my friend and I'll be honored to come back again in the future anytime you would like to have me. God bless.


Official Site - http://www.johnjquinlan.com/


Model & Actor Site - http://www.johnjosephquinlan.com/


Twitter - https://twitter.com/JohnJQuinlan


IMDb -

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnjosephquinlan/


Facebook Public Figure - https://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Quinlan/103131023060926


Clancy's comment: Well done, John. Thanks for coming on board. Two of my books are soon to be movies, so I wish you well. Let us now when your movie is on the big screen.
I'm ...

23 July 2016 - WEIRD STUFF

WEIRD STUFF
G'day folks,
Yep, it's time for some more weird stuff from around the world. Brace yourself ...









































Clancy's comment: Mm ... Different, eh? Those guys working on the power lines made the hairs rise on the back of my neck.
I'm ...

22 July 2016 - GENERAL FRANCO

GENERAL FRANCO
G'day folks,
I guess most of you have heard about this man. Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde, more commonly known as Francisco Franco, was a Spanish general and the Caudillo of Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975.


Francisco Franco led a successful military rebellion to overthrow the Spanish democratic republic in the Spanish Civil War (1936—1939), subsequently establishing his lasting dictatorship.
Born in El Ferrol, Spain, in 1892, Francisco Franco was a career soldier who rose through the ranks until the mid-1930s. When the social and economic structure of Spain, in the governing hands of the left, began to crumble, Franco joined the growing right-leaning rebel movement. He soon led an uprising against the Republican government and took control of Spain following the Spanish Civil War (1936–39). From then until his 1975 death, he presided over a repressive military dictatorship.


Francisco Franco was born on December 4, 1892, in El Ferrol, Spain, a north western port city with a long history of shipbuilding. The men in his family had served in the navy for generations, and the young Franco expected to follow in their footsteps. However, the economic and territorial aftermath of the Spanish-American War led to a reduction in the navy, and after completing his primary education at a Catholic school, Franco was forced to enlist at the Infantry Academy at Toledo instead. He graduated three years later with below-average marks. 
After an initial posting to El Ferrol, Franco volunteered to serve in Spain’s recently acquired protectorate Morocco, where the country’s native population was staging a resistance to Spain’s occupation. Stationed there from 1912 to 1926, Franco distinguished himself with his fearlessness, professionalism and ruthlessness and was frequently promoted. By 1920 he had been named second in command of the Spanish Foreign Legion, and three years later took full command. He also married during this period, to Carmen Polo y Martínez Valdéz, with whom he had one daughter.
In 1926, Franco’s role in suppressing the Moroccan rebellion earned him an appointment as general, which, at age 33, made him the youngest man to hold that post in all of Europe. Two years later he was also named director of the General Military Academy in Zaragoza, a position he would hold until three years later, when political changes in Spain would temporarily halt Franco’s steady rise.


Unrest
In April 1931, general elections led to the ousting of King Alfonso XIII, whose military dictatorship had been in place since the early 1920s. The moderate government of the Second Republic that replaced it led to a reduction in the power of the military, which resulted in the closing of Franco’s military academy. However, it also led to a deepening, often violent, social and political unrest in Spain, and when new elections were held in 1933, the Second Republic was replaced by a more right-leaning government and Franco returned to a position of power, which he wielded the following year in a ruthless suppression of a leftist revolt in north western Spain. 
But like the Second Republic before it, the new government could do little to quell the growing divide between left- and right-leaning factions in the country, and when elections held in February 1936 led to a shift in power to the left, the country slipped further into chaos. For his part, Franco was once again marginalized, with a new posting to the Canary Islands. Though Franco accepted what amounted to banishment with the professionalism for which he was known, other high-ranking members of the military began to discuss a coup. 


The Spanish Civil War
Though he initially kept his distance from the plot, on July 18, 1936, Franco announced the Nationalist manifesto in a broadcast from the Canary Islands as the uprising began in the northwest of Spain. The next day, he flew to Morocco to take control of the troops, and shortly thereafter gained the support of both Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, whose planes were used to shuttle Franco and his forces to Spain. Establishing his base of operations in Seville the following month, Franco began his military campaign, advancing north toward the seat of the Republican government in Madrid. Anticipating a swift victory, on October 1, 1936, the Nationalist forces declared Franco head of the government and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. However, when their initial assault on Madrid was repelled, the military coup evolved into the protracted conflict known as the Spanish Civil War.
 Over the next three years, the Nationalist forces—led by Franco and backed by right-wing militias, the Catholic Church and Germany and Italy—battled the left-wing Republicans, who received aid from the Soviet Union, as well as brigades of foreign volunteers. Though the Republicans were able to resist the Nationalist advance for a time, with far-superior military strength Franco and his forces were able to systematically and mercilessly defeat them, eliminating their opposition region by region. 


By the end of 1937, Franco had conquered the Basque lands and the Asturias and had also combined the fascist and monarchist political parties to form his Falange Española Tradicionalista while dissolving all others. In January 1939, the Republican stronghold of Barcelona fell to the Nationalists, followed two months later by Madrid, and on April 1, 1939, after receiving an unconditional surrender, Francisco Franco announced the end of the Spanish Civil War. Sources vary, but many estimate the number of casualties resulting from the war as high as 500,000, with perhaps as many as 200,000 the result of executions perpetrated by Franco and his forces. 
El Caudillo
For nearly four decades following the conflict, Franco—who became known as El Cedillo (the Leader)— would rule Spain through a repressive dictatorship. Immediately following the war, military tribunals were held that led to tens of thousands more being executed or imprisoned. Franco also outlawed unions and all religions except for Catholicism, as well as banning the Catalan and Basque languages. To enforce his power over Spain, he established a vast network of secret police.
However, five months after taking control of the country, Franco’s rule and Spain’s position in the international community were further complicated by the start of World War II. Initially declaring Spain’s neutrality, Franco was ideologically sympathetic to the Axis powers and met with Adolf Hitler to discuss the possibility of Spain joining them. Though Hitler ultimately rejected Franco’s conditions—which he deemed far too high—Franco would later send some 50,000 volunteers to fight alongside the Germans against the Soviets on the Eastern Front as well as opening Spain’s ports to German ships and submarines. 
When the tide of the war turned began to turn against the Axis powers in 1943, Franco once more declared Spain’s neutrality, but in the aftermath of the conflict his former allegiances were not forgotten and Spain was ostracized by the United Nations, placing significant economic strain on the country. However, circumstances changed with the advent of the Cold War, when Franco’s status as a staunch anti-communist led to economic and military assistance from the United States in exchange for the establishment of several military bases in Spain. 


Valley of the Fallen
Over time, Franco began to relax his control of Spain, removing some of the restraints of censorship, instituting economic reforms and promoting international tourism while at the same time maintaining his position as its head of states. In 1969, amidst a period of declining health, he also named his successor, Prince Juan Carlos, whom he believed would maintain the political structure that Franco had established and rule as a king. However, two days after Franco’s death on November 20, 1975, Juan Carlos I set about dismantling Spain’s authoritarian apparatus and reintroduced political parties in the country. In June 1977, the first elections were held since 1936. Spain has remained a democracy ever since. 
Francisco Franco was buried in a massive mausoleum at the Valley of the Fallen, constructed by Franco—with the use of forced labor—as a monument to the dead of the Spanish Civil War. In the decades since Franco’s rule, it has been the subject of frequent controversy, with many advocating for the removal of his remains. But amidst the often-fractured political environment in post-Franco Spain, the site remains more or less unchanged.
 
Clancy's comment: Another powerful figure in history.
I'm ...




 


  

21 July 2016 - THE NINE-DAY QUEEN

THE NINE-DAY QUEEN
G'day folks,
You might find this post interesting.  Lady Jane Grey, also known as Lady Jane Dudley or the Nine-Day Queen, was an English noblewoman and de facto monarch of England and Ireland from 10 July until 19 July 1553.


On July 10, 1553, Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen of England; nine days later, the shortest reigning monarch was deposed and sent to await her execution in the Tower of London. 

As the great-granddaughter of Henry VII and eldest daughter of Frances Grey (the Duchess of Suffolk), Lady Jane was cousin to King Edward VI, who was only 10 years old when he ascended to the throne. Sickened with tuberculosis, Edward relied heavily upon the advice of his regent, John Dudley, who became Duke of Northumberland in 1551. 



In an attempt to retain his power, Dudley, a Protestant, arranged for his son Lord Guilford Dudley to marry Jane, and when it became clear that Edward was dying, he convinced the king to name his daughter-in-law as his royal successor instead of Edward’s half sisters, Mary and Elizabeth Tudor. Mary, who was next in line for the throne, was Roman Catholic; fearing that she would reverse the changes made during the Protestant Reformation, Edward was persuaded to remove her from the line of succession by declaring her illegitimate.

 However, when Jane was crowned queen following Edward’s death, the country struggled to accept the news. Dudley was widely perceived to be the driving force behind many of the government’s unpopular policies, and it was assumed that he or his son would now effectively take command. Strengthened by the stability and stature of the Tudor name—and by popular support from countrymen who viewed her as the rightful heir—Mary assembled a military force, overthrew Jane and claimed her title as queen regnant.



Queen Mary had been willing to believe that Jane was relatively innocent in the scheme to bring her to power, and allowed her to live in comfort in the tower for months after being sentenced to death. But when Jane’s father participated in an insurrection against Mary following her announcement to wed Philip II of Spain, Jane’s death warrant was signed. On February 12, 1554, the 16-year-old was beheaded on the Tower Green.



Clancy's comment: Gulp. Wow, what a mean lot.
I'm ...

20 July 2016 - MORE WISE QUOTES

MORE WISE QUOTES
G'day folks,
Time for some more quotes that are worth reading.
People cannot go wrong, if you don't let them. They cannot go right, unless you let them. ~Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827


Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit. ~W. Somerset Maugham, The Summing Up, 1938


The vow that binds too strictly snaps itself. ~Alfred Lord Tennyson, "The Last Tournament," Idylls of the King


The secret to happiness in your work is to find a job in which your neurosis is constructive. ~Jeanne LaMont, MD


I make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes. ~Sara Teasdale, "The Philosopher"
 Every one should keep a mental wastepaper basket and the older he grows the more things he will consign to it — torn up to irrecoverable tatters. ~Samuel Butler


Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~Theodore Roosevelt


Whatever we worship, short of God, is sure to be our undoing. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960


Toss your dashed hopes not into a trash bin but into a drawer where you are likely to rummage some bright morning. ~Robert Brault


I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.... People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back. ~Alice Walker, The Color Purple, 1982


Be pleasant until ten o'clock in the morning and the rest of the day will take care of itself. ~Elbert Hubbard
   On the bathing-tub of King T'ang the following words were engraved: "If you would one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let there be daily renovation." ~Confucian Analects


The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. ~Jimmy Johnson


What a strange narrowness of mind now is that, to think the things we have not known are better than the things we have known. ~Samuel Johnson


To sensible men, every day is a day of reckoning. ~John W. Gardner


Folks, I'm telling you,
birthing is hard
and dying is mean—
so get yourself a little loving
in between.
~Langston Hughes (1902–1967)


There is a time for departure even when there's no certain place to go. ~Tennessee Williams (Thomas Lanier)


Clancy's comment: Mm ... Some good ones here. I hope you agree.
I'm ...

19 July 2016 - MOVING PICTURES

MOVING PICTURES
G'day folks,
Time to sit back and check out some more moving pictures.













































Clancy's comment: I love 'em!
I'm ...

18 July 2016 - KIDS FROM CAMBODIA

KIDS FROM CAMBODIA
G'day folks,
Welcome to another post about kids around the world. Cambodia is a Southeast Asian nation whose landscape spans low-lying plains, the Mekong Delta, mountains and Gulf of Thailand coastline. Its busy capital, Phnom Penh, is home to the art deco Central Market, glittering Royal Palace and the National Museum's historical and archaeological exhibits. In the country's northwest lie ruins of Angkor Wat, a massive stone temple complex built during the Khmer Empire. 
Continent: Southeastern Asia Climate: Tropical. Monsoon season runs from May to November
School: Only about 45% of Cambodian kids finish elementary school. The figure is much lower for children who live in rural villages. Cambodian children study math, history, geography, science, Khmer (Cambodia's official language), English, and French, as well as art, music, and dance. Most students wear uniforms.Play: Leak Kon Saeng is a popular game in Cambodia. The game is similar to “duck duck goose,” but instead of tapping a person on the head, the player who is “it” places a knotted piece of cloth behind the “goose.”Older children enjoy ang kunh. An ang kunh is an oval-shaped seed. Two teams stand about 10 feet apart and place three to five ang kunh in a semicircle. Each team tries to knock down the other team’s pieces by tossing an ang kunh.  Family: Many Cambodians live with members of their extended families. Parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins may live in the same home. The extended families often work together as well.Cambodian parents usually give their children symbolic names that rhyme with the name of another family member.Favorite food: Rice and fish! Cambodians eat rice at every meal. It is served fried, steamed, or in the form of noodles. Fish is eaten fresh, dried, smoked, or as a paste called prahok and is spiced with hot peppers, lemon grass, or mint. Cambodians even use rice in desserts. They combine it with fruit and coconut milk to create a sweet treat.Interesting animal:  The kouprey, a wild forest cow, is known for its long, curving horns. One of the rarest animals in the world, the kouprey is Cambodia's national animal.









 
Unique holiday: Bonn Om Teuk, or water festival, is celebrated in November at the end of the rainy season when the water of the Mekong River begins to recede. Cambodians hold rowing races on the river during the festival.
Did you know? Thousands of tourists travel to Cambodia each year to visit the temples at Angkor Wat. The temples were built in the 12th century.

 
Clancy's comment: Considering what these people have been through, they are wonderful, enterprising folks, and the kids are fabulous. Worth a visit.
I'm ...