What Happened on New Year's Day ?

Here is just a few things I found that happened on New Years Day ...


1934: Prohibition (of alcohol) ends in US.


1941: In a speech decrying the war in Europe, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt announces America's principles of "Four Freedoms" (freedom of speech, freedom of worship, and freedom from want and fear) desired for the world--freedoms which pointedly were not encouraged, then or later, for countries whose dictators were installed and/or supported by the US for Cold War purposes.


1942: Rose Bowl played in North Carolina due to the Japanese threat to Pasadena.


1960: The Man in Black--singer/ex-convict Johnny Cash--plays San Quentin, the first of many concerts he will perform for to prison inmates.

1983: Women break into cruise missile base and dance on silos. Greenham Common, Britain.


1986: USSR leader Mikhael Gorbachev asks for world ban on atomic weapons.



And then there is the Chinese Calendar , Which makes interesting reading.




And finally, Harrods Christmas Lights, and me Wishing You All a Happy New Year ..

Speeding Ticket.

A man in his 40's bought a new BMW and was out driving on the motorway at top speed when he suddenly saw flashing police lights behind him. 'There's no way they can catch a BMW,' he thought to himself and sped up even more. Then the reality of the situation hit him, 'What the heck am I doing?' he thought and pulled over. The policeman came up to him, took his license without a word, and examined it and the car.

"It's been a long day, it is the end of my shift, and it's Friday the 13th. I don't feel like more paperwork, so if you can give me an excuse for your driving that I haven't heard before, you can go."

The guy thinks for a second and says, "Last week my wife ran off with a policeman. I was afraid you were trying to give her back."

"Have a nice weekend," said the officer.

Men strike back.

How many men does it take to open a beer?
None. It should be opened when she brings it. -------------------------------------------------------------------
Why is a Laundromat a really bad place to pick up a woman?
Because a woman who can't even afford a washing machine will probably never be able to support you.
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Why do women have smaller feet than men?
It's one of those "evolutionary things" that allows them to stand closer to the kitchen sink.
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How do you know when a woman is about to say something smart?
When she starts a sentence with "A man once told me..."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
How do you fix a woman's watch?
You don't. There is a clock on the oven.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
If your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling at the front door, who do you let in first?
The dog, of course. He'll shut up once you let him in.
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What's worse than a Male Chauvinist Pig?
A woman who won't do what she's told.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I married a Miss Right.
I just didn't know her first name was Always.
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Scientists have discovered a food that diminishes a woman's sex drive by 90%.
It's called a Wedding Cake.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Why do men die before their wives? They want to.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Memory Card Gone Faulty

I have my sister and her husband over from New Zealand for the Xmas holidays. Yesterday we went up to London (Oh, I hate that place).

Anyway, my sister took lots of photographs and while taking one the camera went beserk and showed that all the photos were gone. On arrival at home I tried to download these pictures but all were lost.


So it was down to Google, and it came up with This

After downloading the trail version and running it, it found all the photos on the card, although I was unable to recover them until I have purchased the full version. I thought it was worth a shot so I bought it, entered the registration number and bingo. My sister now has all the photos she took in London to take back for her memories.


So, if you have a problem with your memory cards, try this program. It works a treat.

From Pen to Paper

Find this poem on this Blog


I am very impressed with this poem.

The Christmas Truce of 1914

One of the most remarkable, and heavily mythologised, events concerns the 'Christmas Truce' of 1914, in which the soldiers of the Western Front laid down their arms on Christmas Day and met in No Man's Land.





The above link is a great site by Tom Morgan, Not been updated since 1997, but the information is excellent.

The movie Le Joyeux Noel explains the harmony between the two fighting forces.

Christmas Day ...

Author: Clement Clarke Moore

’T was the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring,—not even a mouse;



The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

Latest on Bird Flu !!!

See the effects of Bird Flu HERE

Toga

Who would want to steal this penguin, read the story HERE

Florida's First Case of BIRD FLU!!!

Take a look at "Save the Forrest Blog"


Is nothing safe from this threat !!!!!!

Artwork.

Some nice paintings here.







CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE.

How Evil or Good are you ?

How Evil Are You ?


Thank you to dubiouswonder for the link.



This would cause me some concern .....

Just a few lights !!!!!

This is out of this world. It must have taken ages to sort out.


Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.
-Unknown




Still working on my network, although its working fine, I am getting the BSOD (blue screen of death) now and again. After lots of phone calls with India, they have asked a experts in the UK to call me. As its Saturday they will probably ring one day next week and I will be back to work (had the week off). How do these expect me to sort out my laptop when I am at work and the laptop is at home ?

Oh well, back to a few more projects ... Soon you guys.

How not to design a Web Page ...

If you have a web site, try to avoid the Annoying Things
not to have on your site.



I have to admit that some of the annoying things mentioned are on my web pages, but what the heck, we have to learn new things to try ! Well, I like to learn, at the moment I have a number of projects on the go and I am enjoying everyone.


Take a look at the authors Own Site some interesting things there.

Network Setup

I have had a few problems with my Network since This Post .

I have been on the phone for quite a while, the network kept dropping, but it seems sorted now. They claim (Netgear) that my cordless phone was causing the trouble and it could even be the Mircowave.


I have to say that they were always helpful, but my only concern was that they were hard to understand, which makes me believe that it is a call centre in a different country (india, at a guess !), but it was a free phone line.


Which brings me to another subject. On sunday when I went to France for the day to collect my xmas goodies, the speaker on the boat was giving details of the law while driving in France. One of the things was that you had to have a GB sticker on the rear of your car, the guy standing next to said " GB - it should be a EU sticker cos we are in euorpe ......... Well I am British and proud of it , I dont want the Euro's, just the good old £sd (pounds shillings and pence).


Thats all for now, see you all soon.....

It's the birthday boy ......... again !

Well, I am a year older and what a year I have had, but we wont go into that!


" On Saturday I bought my Birthday present, but I dont know what it is yet, until the wife gives it to me tomorrow..."



Well, the present I recieved today (which I had no idea about (my fingers were crossed), was a network kit for my desktop and my laptop. Well I got the laptop working through the network and I think I will wait until tomorrow to sort out the desktop. It only took me two hours and most of that was on the phone to Netgear and BT broadband help line. Oh well, atleast its working now.

Birthday Boy !!!

Its my birthday tomorrow, anyone who reads my blog want to wish me a happy birthday .... On Saturday I bought my Birthday present, but I dont know what it is yet, until the wife gives it to me tomorrow...

Fire Fire.

We (my wife and I) have been away for the weekend, went to Maidstone for a party on Saturday night, so we stayed over from Friday night till Sunday morning.


Went shopping Saturday morning, got loads of pressies. The shopping centre is very large and has all the Top Shops and more, well worth a visit if you are in the area.


Anyway, on Saturday morning, we were in our room having a cup of tea and thinking of getting ready for breakfast. The fire alarm went off, so with only our outdoor coats on top our pyjamas , we go down stairs to find it was a false alarm. The new night porter had forgotten to put a fan on in the kithen. The surprise was that we were the only two. This Hotel has about 20 rooms and it was full up, but no one else acted to the fire alarm.










Are these people mad, one day they may not get up at all !

John Lennon

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they’re here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly, I’m not half the man I used to be,
There’s a shadow hanging over me.
Oh, yesterday came suddenly.

Why she had to go I don’t know she woldn’t say.
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday.

Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play.
Now I need a place to hide away.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.


I grew up with this man's music and views. You can read more about John Lennon here

Money Money Money

There was a very rich Irishman who had a little dog. It meant the world to him. When the dog died, he went to the priest. “Father Murphy, my little dog is dead. I’d sure enough appreciate it if ye’d say a public mass fer ‘im.”
“Sorry, Patrick,” said the priest,“We don’t say mass fer dogs ‘n’ the like. But you go on down there to the Protestant church.With their progressive thinking,who knows what they’ll do.”
“Well, Father, I wouldn’t want to offend them. Do ya think a donation of a 100,000 pounds would be fitting fer such a service?” Patrick asked.
“Now, Patrick, why didn’t ye tell me that there little dog was a Catholic in the first place!!!”

A Funny Thing ............

Driving my car today,I was asked "Is it bad luck to run over a Black Cat ? Well, the answer to that is yes ...... for the cat !!


Also a sign I found on the net which gave me a laugh .......

Swimming in the 1880's

I was going through some pictures in my collection, and found this one. Would you like to go swimming like this. I think it would be very hard. You might like to try it sometime !!



Have a look at The History of Swim-wear.

Aimee

My friends Richard and Carita sent me some new photographs of their baby Aimee. She was born on the 8th November at 03.47 weighing in at 6lb 7oz.







When I get more photo's I will post them here.....

George Best

Born: 22 May, 1946. Belfast, Northern Ireland



I heard lots of views, Why he had so many chances and then gave it all away. Maybe he did'nt get the help he needed or did not want the help on offer.


Whatever your views are reguarding his private life, I think one is for sure, he was a great footballer. His playing career was so short, and today we hear stories of young players with drink problems. Maybe the FA should investigate this problem in more detail and offer help and advise.

way to armadillo

Peter Kay eat your heart out.


Seems they had fun and this is the way of life, however bad it seems ...... keep smiling.




And then you have the BAD SIDE.

Erith, Gunpowder Explosion in 1864.

A picture from the London Illustrated News, depicting the aftermath of the gunpowder explosion in 1864. The following notes are taken from 'A History of Erith, Part 3: 1837 - 1894' by John A. Prichard:-





During the nineteenth century the Thames between Erith and Woolwich was the scene of two notable disasters. The first was the Gunpowder Explosion, which occurred on the 1st August, 1864. About 7 o'clock in the morning, two barges were being loaded with powder from one of the magazines on the marshes, when one barge exploded, instantly followed by the other, and then by the magazine. The explosion was heard all over London, and was felt 50 miles away. A tall column of black smoke rose above the area and hung for some minutes until dispersed by the wind. No trace of the barges was found, but bricks and timber from the magazine and nearby houses which were destroyed were scattered over a wide area.

Contemporary prints show a scene oddly prophetic of many from the Blitz of 80 years later. Considerable damage was done all over Erith and Belvedere and windows were broken several miles away. Ten persons were killed and many injured. One of the more alarming consequences of the explosion was that 300 feet of the river wall were destroyed by the blast. Fortunately it was low tide at the time, and prompt action by 1,500 soldiers from Woolwich helped to plug the gap in time to prevent flooding of the marshes. The cause of the explosion was never discovered.

Failure

1.) Go to www.google.com
2.) Type in the word "failure"
3.) Press "I'm feeling lucky" (instead of normal "google search")
4.) Laugh out loud when you realize that Google is smarter than you think


Try a Web search and then a "Pages from the UK" , the result are different pages but the same content !!!!

While shadows fall they march away

While shadows fall they march away
To fight for the dawn of a brighter day
When aggression and tyranny shall cease
And all men live in a world of peace

Flash of the Week.

I have updated my Flash of the Week link. Its one for the kids (young and old).


Have fun and let me know your thoughts.


CLICK HERE TO SEE FLASH OF THE WEEK.

On the subject of Marmite .........

Well at THIS SITE , the guy likes Marmite. There is lots of info here, so if you love it or hate it, you may find lots of useful information.


Oh, if you like vegemite then read about the History Here..


Also have a look at The FAQ pages here

Froggy's Living Passport

I was sent this link last night ......... Froggy's Living Passport


Have a look you may enjoy and also give you some idea's for yourself ........ Well done Craig and Tracy , a good site.

Medical History

I found a old magazine with medical pictures, and I was wondering what most of them were used for !!


I cannot think of the reason's to use the two examples I have posted here.


These must be around the late 1800's or early 1900's and I would think not all the people who dabbled in medicine would have known much about it. Everything was trail and error, like in most things in thier history.

If you have any idea what these things were for , please contact me.

Another View .....

Had a email from someone who read my blog .... we will call him Fred, and here is remarks,

" Guy Fawkes was nothing but a terrorist , yet we celebrate his failed attempt to blow up Parliament House.I wonder if in 400 years time, we will celebrate Adolf Hitler with an appropriate form of celebration, or Osama Bin Laden for that matter."



"To recognise the infamy of Guy Fawkes with the letting off of fireworks is, to me, quite obscene"


Well I find this a comment for replies.....

My Digital Camera Part Five

Well, my camera is getting fixed by a local shop and it is only going to cost me £45 instead of the £100 that Olympus wanted.

I will be giving that camera to the wife. I have bought a digital SLR from ebay, and I think I got a good buy. Well it means another camera to learn, but I think it will be fun.


It has more features than my older camera and I must make sure I take it with me most of the time, That picture may be just around the corner.

Who was Guy Fawkes !!

Many people may not know who or what Guy Fawkes was, or even the story behind this day. Some of the story will be explain in this Link.





It may be exactly 400 years since Guy Fawkes tried to complete what he believed in, some say I probably around about that time and helped him, but I am not that old !

Fireworks and things .....

I am not into Bonfire night, it has never been something I look forward to. You see kids mostly under the age of 18 playing silly billies with fireworks and every year the hospitals keep very busy, and then faulty fireworks get the blame ! not the fact that the kids were holding them in their hands and throwing them at each other.


The favourite past time in my area, placing fireworks in the fuel tanks of cars and if this means forcing the area around the fuel cap, well who cares, its not our car.

Times have changed, I have no problems with others having fun, but keep the lid on it guys and keep safe..

West Life - 'You Raise Me Up'

Well I am not a fan of West Life, but I heard the single today and I liked it.

So will they be the number one over xmas, we will have to see.

You can visit their Official Website Here



If you would like to listen to the song CLICK HERE

This post is for Tracy.....

A Prayer

Dear Lord,

There's a young man far from home,
called to serve his nation in time of war;
sent to defend our freedom
on some distant foreign shore.

We pray You keep him safe,
we pray You keep him strong,
we pray You send him safely home ...
for he's been away so long.

There's a young woman far from home,
serving her nation with pride.
Her step is strong, her step is sure,
there is courage in every stride.
We pray You keep her safe,
we pray You keep her strong,
we pray You send her safely home ...
for she's been away too long.

Bless those who await their safe return.
Bless those who mourn the lost.
Bless those who serve this country well,
no matter what the cost.

Author Unknown

If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It !

Found this quote today .......


AN old Indian chief sat in his hut on the reservation, smoking a ceremonial pipe eyeing two US government officials sent to interview him. "Chief Two Eagles," asked one official, "you have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his material wealth. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."
The chief nodded. "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?" The chief stared at the officials and calmly replied: "When white man found the land, Indians were running it. No taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, women did all work. "Medicine man treat patient free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing, and all night making love. Then the chief leaned back and smiled. "White man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."


Picture shows Geronimo (1829-1909) - "Goyathlay" ("One Who Yawns")

How Many Days Till Xmas

Not long now before the bank manager puts most of us in the Red ......... have a look here to keep you up to date.....



I Love Christmas




If you want to download it yourself to use on your web pages or even on your desktop, let me know and I will post the link.

Funny Old Day

Its been a funny day really, did nothing till about noon ,then all hell let loose.

Lots of drivers using mobile phones, I wish they would understand that it is dangerous.


I could not resist adding the picture below ..............




Here is a update about my earlier post of Private Harry Farr



See you all soon .......

Lets have a moan !!!!!

Mobile Phones. The latest hands free below.



Why do people insist on using their mobile phone while driving there car !!! Its against the law and the fines are heavy. It really gets my goat up to see these people , and a hands free kit is very cheap, even bluetooth is not a lot. So you lot who still use mobiles while driving ........ buy a hands free kit .

Private Harry Farr

Read the sad story of Private Harry Farr .


I have read the whole story from the page above and I think he was hard done by, have a look and make your own opinion.

You can read some of the witness statements and other comments.



Post a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Marmite - Love it of Hate it !!!!

Well, I love it. Spread heavily on toast or any thing if you cannot get toast. I like it straight from the jar......


Read this tip to keep the mosquitos away.



I am not sure if it works, but anything must be worth a try.




You can see more graphics on the Sevenoaks Art Web pages.


Most of the graphics are very good and they are free. There are Gifs and Flash to download.

Go on have a look.

Charlton Win Again ......

Another three points for Charlton, now second in the league. They need to keep focused and should finish in the top six.


The time now, is to dip into the transfer market in january and hopefully get some bargains who can keep Charlton in the top half of the table.

Breaker morant

Just been watching the film "Breaker Morant" starring Edward Woodward in the title role. It's a true story based on the story of Harry Morant who was Born at Bridgwater, England on 9 December 1864.

You can read more about Harry Morant here.

My Digital Camera Part Four

Well my camera was returned today, with a little note stating that they had not heard from me and my camera was returned unrepaired. I think we will close this subject before words flow from my mouth.


I shall be buying or receiving a new camera, I will post type and other information.

My Digital Camera Part Three

Been trying to contact Olympus about my camera, all you get is loads of options and then wait for 20 mins and still no human vioce. I have been trying to speak to someone since 11th October, whats wrong with them. Rang the head office and got through a human voice, but she was only the receptionist and she says she could not help, Great so when do I get my camera back.

Watch this space to find when I do receive my camera back.

Nice Picture

I like this picture .......

Who was Hannah Snell ?

On doing research on The US Navy, I came across the story of Hannah Snell. She concealed her true sex while serving in a regiment of the Royal Marines.

Born into a large Worcester family in the United Kingdom family in 1723.

Read her story here

Charlton

Just been watching Charlton on the TV. Only a draw but It is better than losing.

They are still riding high in the table and I hope they can do really well this season and end up in Europe.


CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE HOME PAGE OF CHARLTON ATHLETIC

Father of U.S. Navy

When I posted the image of US warship in a gale.

I never thought I would look into the US warships in more detail.

I came across Commodore John Barry.

John Barry was born in 1745 in Tacumshane in the county of Wexham in Ireland. He went to sea as a boy on merchant vessels. At the age of 30 he was a prosperous ship's master, his home was in Philadelphia.

With the outbreak of hostilities with Great Britian in 1776, he was given the command of the frigate "Lexington", he was the first to capture a British warship "The Edward", the following year he was transferred to command "The Effingham" and soon claimed another captive.




On signing of the armistic on 20th January 1783, Barry, on a Congress who were unwilling in granting funds, took eleven years of remonstrations and undening efforts and successive disappointments , his dream of building new warships were realized. The first of them was the frigate "United States", and was built under Barry's close supervision and he became her commaner.

Congress recognized his achievements of their naval hero, and Barry was given the rank of Commodore (the highest in the Navy at that time).

After his death in 1803, he was given the proud name of the "Father of U.S. navy".

You can read more about John Barry HERE

Danny Murphy

I put this on for the wife, who is a Charlton supporter. There game with Fulham is live on SKY TV on monday night. I always like watching them, they always give a 100 per cent.



You can read the full story here and visit Charlton Web Site Here

Famous Quote

Found this quote on the net this morning



"Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing - but none of them serious."


Find other quotes Here

A Friendship Prayer

 

Cat with two tongues

The cats name is "Five Toes" ....... Click On link below to see his photo's.


Cat Born With 2 Tongues

My Digital Camera Part Two

Olympus got back to me about my camera, they want nearly £100 to repair it. With the prices of Digital Camera's going down every week, I thought it best not to bother. I have now put a Digital Camera on my wish list for Xmas. I have told all my family about my broken camera and hopefully Santa will leave one by my chimney.

US War Ship in a Gale

This is a nice picture of a US war ship in a gale. Even though I have downsized it, you can still see all the detail.

Old Photographs

I was able to get my hands on some old photographs of my area. This photo was taken in 1905 and named Lodge Lane but in fact it is Lodge Hill (East Wickham). If anyone knows when it was changed please let me know. I am writing my new web pages, but ofcourse, it all takes time. I hope to incorperate a lot of these old images. Google earth gave me a good image of the area, so I hope to tie up the aerial views with other images of my area.

That's it.