“It’s late. Time to hit the road, deer.”
From the “Wish I’d Thought Of It First” Department.
[Found here.]
Category: Holidays
IL Giorno di Cristoforo Columbo
The first commemorative stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service honored Christopher Columbus on the 400th anniversary of his first voyage. $5 bucks in 1892 equates to about $130 in 2017 U.S. dollars, and not many could afford that steep price to ship something trivial.
The signature of Cristoforo Colombo [Italian], aka Cristóbal Colón [Spanish], aka Christophorus Columbus [Latin], aka Christopher Columbus [Anglic]. For the life of me I can’t decipher it, except that the “X” is likely the sign of Christ.
Apparently this mystery has stumped many, and it remains unsolved.
This one dollar Bahamian bill issued in 1974 features an image of Christopher Columbus and equals about $5 U.S. in 2017.
Columbus was a tyrannical leader by most accounts, but the fact that he made four round-trip voyages to The Americas tells us that he had men who were willing and able to take those dangerous risks on both sides of the Atlantic. (Note that Spanish law limited merchants to one slave per ship [source].)
As governor of Hispaniola and the Indies (1492-1499) he was a cruel despot and was removed and jailed by Queen Isabella I of Castile.
[Side note: Queen Isabella I presided over the final years of La Reconquista that began about 711AD. She didn’t put up with no jihad jibbajabba.]
Should we remove Christopher Columbus from history and kowtow to a relative handful of racist SJWs?
NO. His historical accomplishments far outweigh his failures, and he should be honored for his astounding bravery and seamanship in the face of the unknown, not his subsequent decline into dementia and moral turpitude. Any person, group or organization that attempts to rewrite history has nefarious motives in mind.
Independence Day: “Let despots remember…”
John Philip Sousa‘s sheet music for “The Stars and Stripes Forever! March” was first published in 1894, and his band recorded it in 1901. Check it out:
[Free audio download of Sousa’s recording here. Wanna see the Conductor’s Sheet Music? Click here.]
It’s been a century and a quarter yet it’s still one of the most recognizable marches in the world, especially around July 4th. An Act of Congress adopted it as the National March of the USA… in 1987. What I didn’t know is that Sousa penned lyrics for his timeless classic, and here is the last refrain:
“Hurrah for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever;
The gem of the land and the sea,
The ban-ner of the right.
Let despots remember the day,
When our fathers with mighty endeavor,
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray,
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.”
Note that The Founding Fathers were all British citizens, right up until the Declaration of Independence. If you’ve never read it, read it; and if you’ve read it, read it again. Then read the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Out loud.
Teach your kids and grandchilluns the meaning and importance of Independence Day, because nobody else will. Tell them how pissed off the colonists were, and why, and then tell them what they eventually did about it. Then grill a buncha hot dogs and hamburgers, take ’em to a local fireworks show and have a great Independence Day Celebration. See ya there!
14 June FLAG DAY – With Liberty And Justice For All.
[Top image h/t Savage via FaceBook.]
Memorial Day
Cinco De Mayo Taco Pizza. Have at it.
Just showed this to the missus. Her response was, “Taco pizza, pizza taco. What’s the difference?”
[Found *urp* here.]
El Dos de Mayo y General Grouchy
By 1808, Spain had had just about enough of French Imperialism and Napoleon‘s occupation armies, and there was a bloody rebellion in Madrid that lasted for days (and led to The Peninsula War).
Francisco Goya was commissioned for paintings to commemorate the rebellion of Dos de Mayo a few years later in 1814.
Oh, and BTW, General Grouchy was a real dickhead.
Easter
This disturbs me.
[Found on a small cutting board in our kitchen.]
Saturday Matinee – The Pogues, Ron Kavana & Rex McGhee
Every true Irishman knows that Saint Patrick’s Day doesn’t start at midnight. It begins at sunrise and ends at sunrise if you’re doing it right. My ancestry is Scots-Irish, which means I can drink without having to wear a kilt to play golf, and I don’t have to go to Confession afterwards.
One of The Pogues‘ classics.
Here’s another Pogues’ classic song, “Young Ned Of The Hill,” as performed by the original songwriter Ron Kavana (who didn’t write it).
This my favorite Irish Rebel Song:
Nell Flaherty’s Drake is a nice tune, but the original Broadside was pure sarcasm.
Have a great weekend, folks, and if we’re not back up on Sunday it’s due to an ongoing malware battle with a faux svchost.exe daemon.
Tacky Raccoons 