Sunday, December 4, 2022

ORANGE



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The word "orange" derives from the Arabic naranj and arrived in English as "narange" in the 14th century, gradually losing the initial "n". Orange was first used as the name for a color in 1542.

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There are almost no perfect rhymes with orange. There is only one word in the 20-volume historical Oxford English Dictionary that rhymes with orange, and it is sporange, a very rare alternative form of sporangium (a botanical term for a sac where spores are made). There is also a mountain in Wales called Blorenge.

As I was thinking while eating my orange,
About climbing to the top of Mount Blorenge.
Not because it’s there
But that it might be where
I could get my hands on some sporange.

Blorenge Mountain, Wales.

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Oranges as a fruit are a hybrid of tangerines and pomelos, also known as "Chinese grapefruit," and they were originally green, not orange.

Oranges are a subtropical fruit, but now that they exist in more temperate climates, they lose their chlorophyll-induced green and become their more familiar color when the weather warms up.

The color of an orange depends on where it grows. In more temperate climes, its green skin turns orange when the weather cools; but in countries where it's always hot, the chlorophyll is preserved and the fruit stays green.

Vietnamese oranges and Thai tangerines are still bright green on the outside and orange inside.

Asian green oranges

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Orange was a symbol of glory and fruits of the earth in the early Christian church.

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In Feng Shui orange is known as the “social color” because it helps draw people together and encourages conversation. It is a popular choice for kitchens, dining rooms, and even in restaurants to help activate appetite. Orange is a less intense color than red, so people sometimes like to use it in the bedroom to promote love and drawing or strengthening a romantic relationship. In Feng Shui and in colour therapy, orange is used to overcome abuse, shock, and depression.



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In the Elizabethan era, the brightest colours demanded a higher price tag and were only available to the upper class. The brightness of the colour and its richness were the determining factors as to how expensive it would be. 

Elizabethan clothing was a part of the social order. It was also indicative of a particular person’s status not only reflecting how wealthy or poor they are but also of their social reputation. The Elizabethan era clothing materials varied according to social status. The upper class of Elizabethan England wore elegant and luxurious clothing that was made of expensive velvet, exotic silk and satin. Only the members of the Royal Family were allowed to own robes which were trimmed with ermine. Less noble folk wore clothing trimmed with either fox or otter.

The dyes that were used to colour the lavish clothing of the noble of Elizabethan England cost a lot. In one of Elizabeth I’s surviving portraits, she was shown wearing a crimson robe. The deep crimson colouring was obtained from an insect which was only found in the Mediterranean.

The working class or peasants wore clothes dyed in yellow, orange, green, pale blue, pink and russet.

Middle class clothing:


Peasant clothing:


Upper class clothing:



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Orange is often biblically associated with saints and represents strength and courage.


Orange is obtained by mixing red (flesh) and yellow (trials). The result is a color of fire which represents the Fire of God, deliverance and passionate praise.

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The first operator in Europe to commit to pushing Near Field Communication (NFC) across its territories was the mobile network giant Orange. Orange’s well-known slogan was “the futures bright, the futures orange”.

From the past, a variation . . .


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An orange vehicle apparently says you are a fun loving and trendy person.


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Frank Sinatra had a love for the color orange, once saying “Orange is the happiest of colors.”


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The national colour of the Netherlands is orange.

It refers to the family name of the Dutch Royal Family, the House of Orange-Nassau. Their ancestor, William of Orange, is the founding father of the Netherlands. Orange symbolises national unity, the Dutch signifying their national pride by wearing orange.

William of Orange

The Netherlands soccer team, or ‘Oranje’, play in orange kits.

Oranje team

The Oranje Squad, Dutch soccer team supporters



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In 1688 King James fled England after William of Orange attacked England at the invitation of English nobles and clergy to depose James. The latter escaped and spent the rest of his life in exile in France. William’s ousting of James II ensured that the Protestant faith in Britain was firmly entrenched. His decisive victory over James at the battle of the Boyne is still celebrated annually in Northern Ireland, with the Orange Order marches.


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The Royal House of Orange was installed when William and Mary were crowned joint Monarchs of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1689, marking an important transition towards parliamentary rule as we know it today.


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Originally carrots weren’t orange; the most common color was purple. The orange variety came about by the 17th Century when Dutch growers seemingly crossbred white rooted, mutated yellow and wild carrots.


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Every 25th day of the month is known as “Orange Day” by the UN’s campaign called UNiTE to End Violence against Women. The day is to raise awareness and act to stop violence against women.



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Gallery:





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Saturday, December 3, 2022

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 



ROSES ARE RED . . .


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Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Instead of going to bed
I’m writing this for you.

Last week I posed some items that parodied and played on words for the old poem that has many variations but nearly always begins “Roses are red”, sometimes with the additional line “Violets are blue”.

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Some background and trivia . . .

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Benny Hill (who is now out of favour as being sexist, racist, ageist and a lot more ists) adapted the poem in one of his 1960’s comedy shows:

Roses are red and
Violets are blue,
So goes the age old rhyme.
But I know Rose’s are blue and
Violet’s are red -
I’ve seen them on the line.


Hill has been described as the a filmatographic version of British saucy seaside postcard humour.

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So what is the origin of those lines?

In 1590, Sir Edmund Spenser wrote the epic poem, The Faerie Queene, which covers 7 books. Book 3 contains the lines:

It was upon a Sommers shynie day,
When Titan faire his beames did display,
In a fresh fountaine, farre from all mens vew,
She bath’d her brest, the boyling heat t’allay;
She bath’d with roses red, and violets blew,
And all the sweetest flowres, that in the forest grew.

The line was used again in works which followed until In 1784 Joseph Ritson published a collection of English nursery rhymes for children that included the following:

The rose is red, the violet’s blue
The honey’s sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,
And Fortune said it shou’d be you

Many believe that the familiar “roses are red, violets are blue” originated from Ritson’s poem.

That nursery rhyme is no longer only a poem for children.

It has spawned flirtatious lines to use while dating, dirty jokes to laugh about with friends, corny poems, Valentine’s Day messages and even song lyrics.

Who remembers the 1962 song Roses are Red (My Love) by Bobby Vinton:

A long, long time ago
On graduation day
You handed me your book
I signed this way

"Roses are red, my love
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet, my love
But not as sweet as you"

We dated through high school
And when the big day came
I wrote into your book
Next to my name

"Roses are red, my love
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet, my love
But not as sweet as you"

Then I went far away
And you found someone new
I read your letter dear
And I wrote back to you

"Roses are red, my love
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet, my love
Good luck, may God bless you"

Is that your little girl?
She looks a lot like you
Someday, some boy will write
In her book too

"Roses are red, my love
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet, my love
But not as sweet as you"

So which is it:
😢
😂
👎

See and hear it by clicking on:

Those were the days when a set could consist of some boxes and stepladders.

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Some poetic examples:

Flirtatious:

Roses are red, violets are blue, is it hot in here? Or is it just you?

Roses are red, violets are blue, wine costs less than a dinner for two.

Roses are red, violets are blue, I just want to hook-up with you!

Roses are red, violets are blue, I’ve never met anyone as sexy as you.

Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m heading to bed. Would you like to join too?

Roses are red, violets are blue, jalapeños are hot and so are you!

Roses are red, white, pink, and yellow. By golly, I am one lucky fellow!

Roses are red, violets are blue, if I were you, I would want me too.

Roses are red, violets are violet, here’s my number cutie, go ahead and dial it.

Children:

Roses are red, violets are blue, I heard you pick your boogers… ew!

Roses are red, violets are blue, you look like a monkey and you smell like one too!

Roses are red, violets are blue, I can’t rhyme… apple!

Roses are red, violets are blue, one ripped condom was what caused you.

Family and Friends:

Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m not hungover, I just have the flu.

Roses are red, Facebook is blue, we have no mutual friends… who the hell are you?

Roses are red, I have a phone, but no one texts me, so I’m forever alone.

Roses are red, violets are blue, I was the favorite child until they had you.

Roses are red, violets are blue, my coffee is bitter, just like you.

Roses are red, violets are blue, you’re crazy but I still love you.

Roses are grey, violets are grey, you are grey, I’m a dog.

Roses are red, pizza sauce is too, I ordered a large but I’m not sharing with you.

Roses are red, violets are red, everything’s red, holy crap the yard is on fire!

Roses are red, violets are blue, if I had a brick, I would throw it at you.

Roasts and Insults:

Roses are red, violets are blue, I’d rather be alone than dating someone like you.

Roses are red, violets are blue, I can always find someone better than you.

Roses are red, violets are blue, you thought this would be a love poem but the joke is on you.

Roses are red, violets are blue, so happy I realized I can do better without you.

Roses are red, violets are blue, garbage gets dumped and now you do too.

Roses are red, that much is true, but violets are purple, not freaking blue.

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Friday, December 2, 2022

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 



FUNNY FRIDAY

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It’s so nice to know that posts are going out again each day, thanks to people who emailed me to check on my health and wellbeing.

Today there are some barber and hairdresser jokes, arising from the fact that I came across the below joke first up.

Enjoy it and the rest readers, we are now on the road to Christmas.


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SOME HUMOUR:
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A guy went to a barber’s shop for a shave...

The barber asked him to put a small wooden ball in his mouth so he could get a closer shave around his cheeks.

He asked: “But what if I swallow the ball?”

He replied: “No problem sir, you just bring it back tomorrow like everybody else.”
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I told my hairdresser I wanted my hair cut like Tom Cruise...

...so they gave me 2 cushions to sit on.
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A circus performer is late to his next gig

Driving as fast as he can, he is soon pulled over by the police. The cop asks for his license, registration, and proof of insurance, and then asks him where he was going so fast.

"Well, officer, I'm a circus performer, and I'm headed to Springfield to do my juggling act, and I'm late."

The officer looks at him and says "Juggling act, huh? Circus, eh? Well I happen to really love the circus, and I'm just at the end of my shift, so if you do your act for me, I'll let you off with a warning."

"Absolutely, officer." So the performer gets out his gear, and starts juggling bowling pins. The cop is smiling now. The performer gets out his unicycle, and starts juggling while riding the unicycle. The cop is laughing and clapping. The performer puts away the bowling pins and gets out his pyro sticks and lights them on fire, and is juggling them while still on his unicycle.

Just then, a car drives past, then slams on its brakes. The car backs up to just in front of the performers car, the driver gets out, and walks back to the police car, opens the back door, and gets in.

The cop goes to investigate. "Sir, what are you doing in the back seat of my car?"

"Well," the man says, "I'm drunk, and if that's the new sobriety test, I give up."
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A man was wandering around a fairground and he happened to see a fortune-teller's tent. Thinking it would be good for a laugh, he went inside and sat down.

"Ah...." said the woman as she gazed into her crystal ball. "I see you are the father of two children."

"That's what you think", the man laughed. "I'm the father of THREE children."

The woman looked st him and said, "That's what YOU think!"

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FROM THE VAULT:

A woman was at her hairdresser's getting her hair styled for a trip to Rome with her husband. She mentioned the trip to the hairdresser, who responded:

"Rome? Why would anyone want to go there? It's crowded and dirty. You're crazy to go to Rome. So, how are you getting there?"

"We're taking Continental," was the reply. "We got a great rate!"

"Continental?" exclaimed the hairdresser. "That's a terrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are ugly, and they're always late. So, where are you staying in Rome?"

"We'll be at this exclusive little place over on Rome's Tiber River called Teste."

"Don't go any further. I know that place. Everybody thinks it’s going to be something special and exclusive, but it's really a dump."

"We're going to go to see the Vatican and maybe get to see the Pope."

"That's rich," laughed the hairdresser. "You and a million other people trying to see him. He'll look the size of an ant. Boy, good luck on this lousy trip of yours. You're going to need it."

A month later, the woman came in for a hairdo. The hairdresser asked her about her trip to Rome.

"It was wonderful," explained the woman, "not only were we on time in one of Continental's brand new planes, but it was overbooked, and they bumped us up to first class. The food and wine were wonderful, and I had a handsome 28-year-old steward who waited on us hand and foot. And the hotel was great! They'd just finished a $5 million remodeling job, and now it's a jewel, the finest hotel in the city. They, too, were overbooked, so they apologized and gave us the owner's suite at no extra charge!".

"Well," muttered the hairdresser, "that's all well and good, but I know you didn't get to see the Pope."

"Actually, we were quite lucky, because as we toured the Vatican, a Swiss Guard tapped me on the shoulder, and explained that the Pope likes to meet some of the visitors, and if we’d be so kind as to step into his private room and wait, the Pope would personally greet us. Sure enough, five minutes later, the Pope walked through the door and shook my hand! I knelt down and he spoke a few words to me."

"Oh, really! What'd he say?"

He said: "Who fucked up your hair?"

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LIMERICK OF THE WEEK:

There was a young lady of Norwood
Whose ways were provokingly forward.
Her mother said ‘Dear,
Please don’t wiggle your rear
Like a trollop or tart or a whore would.’

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GALLERY:





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CORN CORNER:

I started a band called 999 Megabytes

We still haven't gotten a gig.
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My hairdresser went to jail for 9 years because he was drug dealing

All this time I've been going to him and I never knew that he was a hairdresser

Alternative version:

My hairdresser got arrested for dealing drugs and running an escort service.

Unbelievable. Been a customer for years and I never knew he was a hairdresser!
__________

Did you know Conan was a hairdresser before he was a warrior?

He was Conan the Barberarian
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Thursday, December 1, 2022

QUOTE FOR THE DAY




DECEMBER



Some facts and trvia . . .
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December starts on the same day of the week as September starts every year, and ends on the same day of the week as April ends every year.
__________

The name December comes from the Latin decem for “ten”, as it was the 10th month in the Roman calendar.
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The Anglo-Saxons called it “Winter monath” or “Yule monath” because of the custom of burning the Yule log around this time.

The Yule log, Yule clog, or Christmas block is a specially selected log burnt on a hearth as a winter tradition in regions of Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, and subsequently North America. The origin of the folk custom is unclear. Like other traditions associated with Yule, the custom may ultimately derive from Germanic paganism.

An illustration of people collecting a Yule log from Chambers Book of Days (1832)

This tradition of yuletide was observed for about 12 days and was later known as the 12 days of Christmas Eve.
__________

After many Anglo-Saxons became Christians they called it “Heligh monath” or holy month, because Christmas, the birth of Jesus is celebrated in December.
__________

December's birth flower is the narcissus.

December's birthstones are the turquoise, zircon, and tanzanite.

Tanzanite was given its name by Tiffany & Co. after Tanzania, the country in which it was discovered. The scientific name of "blue-violet zoisite" was not thought to be sufficiently consumer friendly by Tiffany's marketing department, who introduced it to the market in 1968. In 2002, the American Gem Trade Association chose tanzanite as a December birthstone, the first change to their birthstone list since 1912.
__________

December often marks the beginning of rain, snow, and cold weather in the northern hemisphere and is the beginning of summer in Oz, from 1 December to 28 February.

December in the Northern Hemisphere is similar to June in the Southern Hemisphere.
__________

December is associated with Christmas in many countries. There are Christmas decorations, sales, musicals, and parties. Many people spend their time Christmas shopping and Christmas holidays in such countries are common.

__________

Common decorations on a Christmas tree each have their specific meanings.

Candles signify the light of the world, the Star at the top is a reminder of the first Christmas night and candy canes are to represent the shepherd’s cane.
__________

“Jingle bells” was composed in 1857, and not for Christmas – it was meant to be a Thanksgiving song.
__________

In 1647 English Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell banned the festivities of Christmas as being immoral on such a holy day. The ban was lifted in 1660.
__________

An ancient legend states that forest animals can speak in human language on Christmas Eve.

Does that mean we will be able to speak in parseltongue?
__________

There are fewer daylight hours in December in the northern hemisphere, and more in the southern hemisphere, than in any other month.
__________

In the UK more drivers are breathalyzed during December than in any month. It is also the worst month for road deaths.
__________


On December 5th, 2013, the Texas A&M Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas completed building the largest gingerbread house in the world.
__________

December 6th is Saint Nicholas Day. St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, inspires traditions around the world from hunts for presents to stockings or shoes filled with sweets.
__________

December 7th is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in the US, the anniversary of the attack.
__________

Nobel Prizes are awarded on December 10th on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
__________

On December 11th 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne of England to marry a twice-divorced American named Wallis Warfield Simpson.  That's them on the right . . . 

__________

On December 17th, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright, two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, ushered in the era of flight and entered the history books . . .

__________

The summer solstice is the day with the longest period of daylight and shortest night of the year. It happens on 21 or 22 December each year in Oz.

In the US it is the first day of winter on either December 21st or 22nd, which is the shortest day of the year and the longest night.
__________

Times Square became the go-to place for New Year’s Eve revelers as early as 1904, but it was in 1907 that the New Year’s Eve Ball made its first appearance.
__________





Wednesday, November 30, 2022

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 



MORE IMPROVISING, ADAPTING AND OVERCOMING . . .


Yesterday I posted a quote from Clint Eastwood’s movie Heartbreak Ridge where he uses the phrase “You improvise! You overcome! You adapt! ”

You can see the clip at:

Here is another:

I mentioned that the phrase is an unofficial term of the US Marines.

It should be adopted by all of us to respond and deal with Life’s myriad situations.

Improvise:

Many commentators on military strategy, from Sun Tzu to Colin Powell, have said that the best laid plans last only until initial contact with the enemy.

Have a plan (or a series of contingency plans) but leave room for flexibility.

Shift plans to take advantage of situations as they arise!

Items can be repurposed or put to dual use.

Adapt:

Things are often going to be different from what you have planned or have planned for.

Expect this, be alert to it, be creative.

There may be new ways of doing old things and oif seeing things differently.

Overcome:

Don’t give up, keep pushing on.

Know what other options may be available.

If you encounter an obstacle, go through it, around it, over it, under it or remove the obstacle. Or do something different where the presence of the obstacle doesn’t matter. Come up with solutions.




Tuesday, November 29, 2022

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

 

“Improvise, Adapt, Overcome” is an unofficial slogan among Marines made popular by Clint Eastwood’s movie, Heartbreak Ridge.