Today is...

[IceWizard]

06 Apr 2017



Army Day



They’re there at the front line, holding positions in the most dangerous territory in any military theater. They march hundreds of miles with packs that easily way more than they do, carrying needed supplies and equipment into locations that are often under heavy enemy fire. For many of them, the constant sound of mortar fire is their lullaby, and a silent night is one to dread where the enemy can come at any time, and their plans remain largely a mystery to these noble men and women. Army Day celebrates these most fundamental of the armed forces, and reminds us of the sacrifices they make to protect home and country.

History of Army Day

World War II was in full swing when Franklin D. Roosevelt sat the American Presidency. He held an unenviable position at the time, leading the American nation into a war that followed on the heels of what had been called “The War to End All Wars”. Little did they know the war to follow would be the most devastating and destructive war in history, and more lives would be lost during it than could they possibly could have imagined in their worst horror-driven nightmares. Vital to the efforts of every member of the Allies was their military, and most importantly those men and women who crossed foreign ground on foot to defend, recover, and take enemy positions that would alter the flow of the war.

Army Day was established to commemorate all members of all armed forces and the civilians that support them. It was clear he truly understood the function of our military men and women when he cited them as “A Mighty Arm of the Tree of Liberty”, knowing that they were all that stood between the safety, security, and peace of those who fought against tyranny and the cruel and dominating forces of the Axis of Evil that sought to destroy it all. Army Day serves as a reminder that everything that we hold dear is thanks to the efforts of these men and women, and the blood they spill in the name of our freedoms.



And




Tartan Day



Tartan is one of the most recognizable patterns ever, and has a strong history for the people of Scotland. Tartan Day was created to celebrate Scottish history and the achievements of people of Scottish descent around the world. While some areas hold marches and parades, other people simply celebrate it amongst themselves. If you’ve ever been interested in Scottish history, Tartan Day is a great opportunity to research and learn.

Although Tartan Day was originally created to celebrate Scottish history, there is no reason people of non-Scottish heritage cannot join in the fun. Whether it be a scarf, skirt or even a kilt, show your love for the fabric that never goes out of fashion this Tartan Day by incorporating it into your outfit. If you don’t fancy wearing tartan, you could always celebrate by digging out an old Bay City Rollers classic and singing along to Bye Bye Baby!




And




Plan Your Epitaph Day



There comes a day in every person’s life when they have to face the inevitable, one day, they will be little more than food for worms. But this need not be a time for sorrow and somber reflection, but rather an opportunity to plan your last words to the world. This day, Plan Your Own Epitaph Day, is the perfect day to set aside some time to figure out what you’re going to have to say about yourself before you’re gone.

Your Epitaph is going to be that one thing that is remembered forever about you, even by those who never knew you. There have been some great epitaphs written, forever engraved on the stones that stand in graveyards, ancient and recent alike. Some of them are tongue in cheek, like the last words of one Johnny Yeast. “Here lies Johnny Yeast, pardon me for not rising”, while others are representative of the achievements of those who now lie resting. One Ludolph van Ceulen had the first 35 digits of Pi inscribed on his tombstone, as he was the first to calculate this delicious sounding number out to that many decimals.

The nature of one’s Epitaph, and its content, bears careful consideration. It will stay with you for as much of eternity as your headstone survives, and can serve as a warning to those coming down the path to deaths door behind you. Consider such epitaphs as “Consider, friend, as you pass by: As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, you too shall be. Prepare, therefore, to follow me.” Which is found on an old Scottish tombstone.

Some of the activities you can do to celebrate this day, is go to graveyards and look for inspiration in the stones of those who have already passed. Grave rubbings are a pasttime that has been enjoyed for a long time, and this is one more way to collect Epitaphs that have already been written to help inspire you to write yours! One particularly nifty part of this is that grave-rubbings can reveal epitaphs that are otherwise nearly illegible. To participate, you need nothing more than a piece of paper and a piece of charcoal. You place the paper against the surface of the gravestone, and rub the charcoal over it. It will produce a copy of whatever is engraved on the stone that you can take away!

Another thing you can do to celebrate this pasttime is to have picnics in the graveyard with likeminded friends. Together you can sit and brainstorm on what you’d like your final words to the world to be. If you’re one of the lucky ones who lives in the vicinity of a graveyard where the world’s great poets and authors were laid to rest, you could seek inspiration in their final verse.

Plan your own Epitaph day is a day for reflection on our own mortality, and thinking forward to what kind of legacy we want to leave behind for those who come after us. While we will live on in the minds of our family and friends, the story of who we are will only be told to strangers in our final message to the world, left engraved in the marble tablet of our headstone. So take some time to think about where you’ve been, what you’ve done, and what you’d like to say to those who come after, and start taking strides to make sure your Epitaph is worth reading!

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April 6 Birthdays




Merle Haggard - (1937 - 2016) (79)




Billy Dee Williams - 80




John Ratzenberger - 70




Marilu Henner - 65





April 6th

2008: Triumph was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the Juno Awards of 2008 in Calgary. Shortly after this Triumph announced plans for a reunion tour in 2009, which didn’t take place.

1999: During a fundraiser for Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, Gore’s wife Tipper sat in on conga drums with Grateful Dead members Bob Weir & Mickey Hart. They performed Queen Jane.

1996: The Beatles debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with Anthology 2 which spent one week on top of the chart & went on to be certified four times Platinum.

1993: Kiss drummer Peter Criss reached an out of court settlement with The Star hours before their trial was set to begin. Criss had filed a libel lawsuit against them for publishing a story that he was a homeless alcoholic.

1991: Over a year after its release, The Black Crowes peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with their debut album Shake Your Money Maker which went on to sell five million copies in the U.S.

1991: Tesla peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with their cover of Five Man Electrical Band’s “Signs” which was their second and final top ten single in the U.S.

1984: Steven Van Zandt announced he was leaving Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Van Zandt left amicably & shortly for Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. Van Zandt re-joined the E Street Band in 1999 when they reunited with Springsteen.

1974: The first California Jam was held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, CA which featured Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Eagles and Black Oak Arkansas.

1971: The Rolling Stones launched Rolling Stones Records which was initially distributed in the U.S. via Atlantic Records. The label was discontinued in 1992.

1968: Pink Floyd announced via press release that singer/guitarist Syd Barrett was no longer in the group.