EUROPEAN TREE OF THE YEAR, Part 1

 

I have previously posted about the European Tree of the Year.

It is an annual contest held to find the most 'loveable tree' in Europe and has been running since 2011. The contest selects a tree from participating countries (now 15 in number) by public vote. Most countries hold a national poll to select their entrant for each year. The winner is announced at an awards ceremony in late March held in the EU Parliament, Brussels.

The European Tree of the Year 2021 was announced last Sunday.

Working from the lowest number of votes to the greatest number, here are the nominated trees and their stories . . .

 

No:	14
Country:	Bulgaria
Tree:	The Old Mulberry
Species:	Mulberry
Age:	Around 450 years
Votes:	30,055
(Commentaries from the European Tree of the Year awards, being the text provided by the nominators) The Old Mulberry has proudly stood for centuries at the central town square – now a public garden. It brings together young and old people to pass time together and enjoy the tree and a fountain. Back in time, near the veteran tree was the town pub. The centuries have passed the story of Stefan Karadzha – renowned national revolutionary. He outwitted the head of the local administrative unit by succeeding to hide in this much visited and noticeable pub, during a chase by the Ottoman army unit.

 

 

No:	13
Country:	Slovakia
Tree:	Ancient Oak from Drnava
Species:	Oak
Age:	700 years
Votes:	30,058
The old oak is located next to the former grounds of Count Andrássy's famous iron-plant in Drnava. It was here in the 1940s that the structural parts of the famous Chain Bridge "Lánchíd" in Budapest were cast, for which the village earned the nickname "Kis Pest"- Little Pest. Today the tree is one of the stops on the nature trail on the old trade route and has been an integral symbol of the village for several generations. There is mention of the stout oak in the municipal chronicle as early as 1670.

 

 

No:	12
Country:	Belgium
Tree:	The Four-Trunked Survivor
Species:	Chestnut
Age:	160 years
Votes:	30,886
During the First World War the city of Ypres was totally destroyed, but the root stump of this tree remained alive there. From the base of the trunk 4 new side trunks grew up spontaneously. They also survived the Second World War, when Ypres was cold and almost all trees were cut down to firewood. The Four-trunked Chestnut became a unique survivor from pre-war Ypres. This living monument, with a trunk base of no less than 9.10 meters in circumference, now symbolizes the force of survival, located next to the world famous Menin Gate.

 

 

No:	11
Country:	Scotland
Tree:	The Survivor Tree
Species:	Rowan
Age:	70-100 years
Votes:	31,197
Borders Forest Trust based its slogan: “Where one tree survives, a million trees will grow,” on a lone rowan clinging to a stream bank in Carrifran Valley. Today that survivor tree is lonely no more! It is surrounded by a little forest of its children and In addition to its own children, the rowan tree now has over half a million other native Scottish trees for company. The rowan tree no longer stands alone and is a symbol of the 20-year journey to revive the wild heart of Southern Scotland.

 

No:	10
Country:	Croatia
Tree:	The Eldest Resident of Medulin – Chocolate Tree of our Memories
Species:	European Nettle Tree
Age:	115 years
Votes:	31,283
Years fly by she tells us. The town square was always alive. With a market, dances, centuries-old traditions as Carnival Prince burning or ritual May thefts when young men show courage and love to girls by stealing flowers, fences, cars or boats from locals who find them under the town square tree. Today she enjoys a movie or play, sways at summer concerts, sings for Christmas when she dresses up to spend time with locals and guests. Above all she loves children's play and laughter, she'll treat them to magical chocolate berries in the future too. So she says, the eldest resident of Medulin, our town square Nettle Tree.

 

No:	9
Country:	France
Tree:	The Pouplie
Species:	Black Poplar
Age:	200 – 300 years
Votes:	31,594
Fondly nicknamed The Pouplie for 2 centuries, this black poplar is huge for France (girth 9.6m and 38m high). Last of old poplars, soul of the village, her gold leaves adorns it's coat of arms. She is said to be the incarnation of a nymph, daughter of the sun, who mourned for her dead brother by the river. The Pouplie was a sentinel during WW1, soldiers watching the enemy from her heights. Located on a buildable private site and weakened by a fire, villagers wish to protect her for many more years.

 

 

No:	8
Country:	Hungary
Tree:	The Judas Tree on the Church Hill of Mélykút
Species:	Judas Tree
Age:	250 years
Votes:	31,867
The tree was planted in 1750 by Franciscan monks from Subotica on a hill in the north side of the church that was being built in the village at the time. It is a miracle that this Medditerrenean species is still alive there. Its spring blooming is admired by everyone and has become a symbol of the settlement. Countless seedlings from it live in the gardens of people from Mélykút, thus connecting the past with the present and the settlement with its former inhabitants around the world.

 

O

Part 2 to come.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

FUNNY FRIDAY

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Here we are again, readers, the end of the week so time for some chortles and chuckles, grins and giggles.

Enjoy.

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SOME HUMOUR:

Them: “Whose skull is that?”

Me: (Raising it to my lips to take a drink) “A guy named Phillip.”

Them: “What's in it?”

Me: “Vodka and orange juice.”

Them: “What?”

Me: “It's a Phillips Head Screw Driver."

----------oOo--------

One morning when Dorothy woke up, she walked outside and realized she wasn't in Kansas anymore.

Just then, a good witch appeared. "Welcome to the land of Oz," she said. "If you want to return home, you must follow the yellow-brick road to the Emerald City and speak directly to the Wizard of Oz himself." And so, Dorothy set off down the yellow-brick road.

Dorothy walked through a farm and met a scarecrow. "Where are you off to?" asked the scarecrow. "I'm off to see the Wizard to see if he can take me back to Kansas," said Dorothy.

"Do you think he can give me a brain?" asked the scarecrow. "I suppose," replied Dorothy. And so, Dorothy and the scarecrow set off down the yellow-brick road.

Dorothy and the scarecrow walked through a forest and met a man made of tin. "Where are you off to?" asked the tin man. "I'm off to see the Wizard to see if he can take me back to Kansas," said Dorothy. "And to see if he can give me a brain," added the scarecrow.

"Do you think he can give me a heart?" asked the tin man. "I suppose," replied Dorothy. And so, Dorothy, the scarecrow, and the tin man set off down the yellow-brick road.

Dorothy, the scarecrow, and the tin man walked through a jungle and met a lion. "Where are you off to?" asked the lion. "I'm off to see the Wizard to see if he can take me back to Kansas," said Dorothy. "And to see if he can give me a brain," added the scarecrow. "And to see if he can give me a heart," added the tin man.

"Do you think he can give me courage?" asked the lion. "I suppose," replied Dorothy. And so, Dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion set off down th yellow-brick road.

Finally, Dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion arrived at the Emerald City and met the Wizard. "What brings you here?" asked the Wizard. "I came here to see if you can take me back to Kansas," said Dorothy. "And to see if you can give me a brain," added the scarecrow. "And to see if you can give me a heart," added the tin man. "And to see if you can give me courage," added the lion.

The Wizard transported them all back to Kansas. "Hey!" said Dorothy. "Only I wanted to go back to Kansas! What about the other three?"

The Wizard turned to the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion. "This is the United States, where you don't need a brain, a heart, or courage," he said.

And thus began three successful political careers.

----------oOo--------

I used to work at a steakhouse, one of my duties was to make sure that the G on the neon Angus sign outside doesn't go out.

They called me the G-Spotter.

----------oOo--------

Abdul and his friend Mohammed are trying to migrate to Australia as skilled workers. They go to the Australian embassy in Lahore and start filling out the application.

Mohammed goes into an interview room with an embassy officer and they start discussing his work experience and whether he qualifies as skilled labour. ‘So what do you do, Mohammed?’ says the embassy worker.

‘I work in a women’s underwear factory and I cut out the underwear fabric before it’s gets stitched up.’

‘I’m sorry,’ says the embassy guy, ‘but that’s not skilled labor. We can’t give you a visa.’ A dejected Mohammed went back to the waiting room and waited for Abdul.

A few minutes later, Abdul comes out so excited. He got his work visa. He’s going to Australia. Disappointed, Mohammed asked the embassy worker why Abdul got a visa and not him.

‘Well’, said the embassy guy, ‘Abdul is a diesel fitter, which is the kind of skilled labour we need in Australia’.

‘What do you mean’, says Mohammed. ‘Abdul works at the same factory as me. I cut the underwears out, and then when the ladies come in to buy them from the shop, he holds up the underwears and says “These’ll fit her”’.

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FROM THE VAULT:

A classic oldie . . .

There had been an orgy in Vallhalla. The next morning there are prone bodies around the place and quite a bit of disarray.

As the bleary eyed God of Thunder tries to get up from a pile of people, a nearby hungover goddess raises her head and says “Who are you?”

“I’m Thor,” he replied.

“You’re thor?” she says. “I’m tho thor I can hardly pith."

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LIMERICK OF THE WEEK:

A crooner who lived in Lahore

Got his privates caught in a door.

Now his mezzo-soprano

Is rather piano,

Though he was a strong basso before.

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GALLERY:

Some advertising images . . . 

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CORN CORNER:

I switched all the labels on my wife’s spice rack....

I’m not in trouble yet but the thyme is cumin.

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Dad, are we pyromaniacs?

Yes, we arson.

----------oOo--------

Farts are like children.

You don’t mind your own, but you can’t stand other people’s.

----------oOo--------

I opened a fresh loaf of bread and found a baseball card wedged between two slices.

It was a Catcher in the Rye.

----------oOo--------

If Dorothy missed Kansas, what did Toto miss?

They missed the rains down in Africa.

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QUOTE FOR THE DAY

 

QUOTE WEEK, continued

There are various warnings on the internet about quotes incorrectly attributed:

Following are examples, and comments, on misquotes and misattributions . . .

Quotation	Comments
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” -        Gandhi	Actual quote by Gandhi: “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do.”
“The end justifies the means.” -        Machiavelli	·        The closest quote by Machiavelli is: “One must consider the final result.” ·        A closer quote is by the poet Ovid: “The result justifies the deeds.”
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” -        Neil Armstrong	Armstrong always maintained that he had said “a man” and that the word “a” had been obscured.  In 2006, a computer programmer analysed the audio and stated that the word “a” had been spoken by Armstrong.
“Let them eat cake.” -         Marie Antoinette	·        Marie Antoinette never actually said this. Instead, it came from a book titled Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, which was published in 1782—11 years before Marie Antoinette was executed. ·        Also, the line was “Let them eat brioche,” a kind of heavy, bread-like French pastry. ·        It’s likely the attribution to Marie Antoinette occurred because the commoners of France were hostile to the Royals.
“A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” -        Gloria Steinem	Australian writer Irina Dunn is credited with this phrase, which Dunn says she wrote on the door of public bathrooms when she was a student in the 70s.
"A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. -        Variously attributed to Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, Thomas Jefferson, Ann Landers, et al.	The phrase is an alteration of one made by Jonathan Swift: “Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it.”
"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto." -        Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (played by Judy Garland)	This phrase was never uttered by the character. What she really said was “Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.”
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" -        Voltaire	Thought to be words of Voltaire; it was actually written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall.
"Just the facts, ma'am." -        Joe Friday, Dragnet (original series)	·        This quote from the Jack Webb series Dragnet, was never said by Sgt. Friday in any of the Dragnet radio or television series. ·        The quote was, however, adopted in the 1987 Dragnet pseudo-parody film starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks in which Aykroyd played Sgt. Joe Friday. ·        Correct versions: "All we want are the facts, ma'am." "All we know are the facts, ma'am."
"Elementary, my dear Watson.” -         Sherlock Holmes	·        This phrase was never spoken by the character in any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's written works. ·        Though "Elementary," and "...my dear Watson." both appear near the beginning of The Crooked Man (1893), it is the "...my dear Watson" that appears first, and "Elementary" is the succinct reply to Watson's exclamation a few lines of dialogue later. This is the closest these four immortal words ever appear together in the Canon. ·        The first documented occurrence of this quote appears in the P. G. Wodehouse novel, "P Smith, Journalist", which was serialized in The Captain magazine (1909-10) then published in book form (1915) and contains the following dialogue: "That's right," said Billy Windsor. "Of course." “Elementary, my dear Watson, elementary," murmured P Smith
"It's life, Jim, but not as we know it." -        Dr McCoy, Star Trek	·        Attributed to Leonard McCoy from the run of Star Trek: The Original Series, but the phrase was never uttered. ·        The similar phrase "not life as we know it" is spoken by Spock in the season one episode "The Devil in the Dark". ·        The spurious phrase originated in the 1987 novelty song "Star Trekkin'", in which the quote is attributed to Spock. McCoy's line in the song was, "It's worse than that, he's dead, Jim!"
“If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain." -        Muhammad	·        Often attributed to the prophet Muhammad but there is no evidence that he actually said this. ·        This phrase actually originates in a retelling of the story of Muhammad by Francis Bacon in 1625:"Mahomet cald the Hill to come to him. And when the Hill stood still, he was neuer a whit abashed, but said; If the Hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet wil go to the Hill." ·        The original phrase used the term "hill", but John Owen's 1643 translation used the term "mountain". ·        This phrase is often misquoted due to widespread misunderstanding of the phrase's meaning. It does not refer to "going after opportunity instead of waiting for it to come to you". Its meaning translates, "If one's will does not prevail, one must submit to an alternative."
"I will return and I will be millions." -        This is often attributed to Eva Perón, and is on her tombstone,	·        There is no record she said it. ·        The belief that she did say it is probably because she does in a José María Castiñeira de Dios poem written in her voice nearly ten years after her 1952 death. ·        Túpac Katari, a leader of the Bolivian indigenous people's rebellion against Spanish rule, did in fact say something similar ("I shall die but return tomorrow multiplied ten thousandfold") before his 1781 execution; more recently, a slave in Howard Fast's contemporary novel Spartacus says the line as he is being crucified and the line is repeated in the 1960 Stanley Kubrick film version.
I love my cigar, but I take it out of my mouth once in a while!" -        Attributed to Groucho Marx.	·        According to urban legend, while interviewing Marion and Charlotte Story for a 1950 episode of You Bet Your Life, Marx uttered the phrase in response to Charlotte, who had mothered 20 children with her husband, saying how much she loved her husband. According to surviving recordings of the episode in question, Marx actually said "With each new kid, do you go around passing out cigars?" Although episodes of You Bet Your Life were known to be edited for content, Marx himself denied ever saying the more risqué phrase. ·        In another known episode with a child who was among 17 siblings, Groucho asked the girl what her father thought of having such a large family; when she responded that her father loves children, he replied "Well, I like pancakes, but I haven't got a closet full of them!" A conflation of this exchange with that of the Story family may have been the source of the more ribald misquotation.
“A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.” -        Samuel Goldwyn	One of many quirky Goldwynisms, this is a corruption of Goldwyn's actual quote praising a friend's trustworthy nature: "His verbal contract is worth more than the paper it's written on."
"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." -        A quote allegedly made by Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto regarding the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor,	·        The quote was first used in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora! and again in the 2001 film Pearl Harbor. ·        While this quote may have encapsulated his sentiments regarding the attack, there is no printed evidence to prove Yamamoto made this statement or wrote it down.
"Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely."	·        This misquote hearkens back to the British Lord Acton, a 19th century English historian who was commenting about tyrannical monarchs (Caesar, Henry VIII, Napoleon, various Russian tsars, etc.) ·        Lord Acton actually wrote: "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
Beam me up, Scotty" -        James T. Kirk	·        From the Star Trek science fiction television series. ·        Several variants of this occur in the series, such as "Energize", "Beam me aboard," "Beam us up home," or "Two to beam up," but "Beam me up, Scotty" was never said during the run of the original Star Trek series. ·        However, the quote "Beam us up, Scotty" was uttered in Star Trek: The Animated Series. ·        The movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home included the closest other variation: "Scotty, beam me up." ·        James Doohan, the actor who played Scotty, chose this phrase as the title of his 1996 autobiography.
Damn it, Jim! I'm a doctor, not a..." -        Leonard McCoy, from the Star Trek science fiction television series.	·        McCoy had several lines of this sort, except that he never said "damn it". Only one "swear word" was used on the original Star Trek series (before the movies): "hell". It was most famously spoken at the end of the episode entitled "City on the Edge of Forever": "Let's get the hell out of here" – J. T. Kirk. ·        The phrase, complete with "damn it" probably originated from Dan Ackroyd's Dr. McCoy impersonation during a skit on Saturday Night Live season 1 episode 22; although McCoy did eventually end up saying, "Damn it, Jim" in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, followed directly by, "what the hell's the matter with you?"
"Money is the root of all evil."	In context: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:10) KJV (The King James Bible)
"The only traditions of the Royal Navy are rum, sodomy and the lash." -        Attributed to Winston Churchill	Winston Churchill's personal secretary, Anthony Montague-Browne, said that although Churchill did not say this, he wished he had.
"Do you feel lucky, punk?" -        Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry	·        Correct quote plus context: "Ah-ah. I know what you're thinking: 'Did he fire six shots, or only five?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But, being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, PUNK?" ·        Jim Carrey's character in The Mask came closer to the correct quote: "Now you have to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well... do ya... PUNKS?"
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"	"The correct quotation is "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned/ Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." by William Congreve in The Mourning Bride of 1697.
"Houston, we have a problem"	·        This phrase, supposedly uttered by Apollo 13 commander, Jim Lovell was, in its original rendering: "Houston, we've had a problem. We've had a main B bus undervolt." ·        However, the first notification to Houston that there was a problem was by fellow astronaut Jack Swigert, who used almost identical words. ·        The official NASA chronology lists the messages as: 55:55:20 – Swigert: "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here." 55:55:28 – Lousma: "This is Houston. Say again please." 55:55:35 – Lovell: "Houston, we've had a problem. We've had a main B bus undervolt." ·        However, in the movie Apollo 13, Tom Hanks says Houston, we have a problem,.
Show me a young Conservative and I'll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old Liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains." -        Often attributed to Winston Churchill	·        The phrase originated with François Guizot (1787-1874): "Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." It was revived by French Premier Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929): "Not to be a socialist at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." ·        Referenced in Swimming with Sharks (1994) as "if you're not a rebel by the age of 20, you've got no heart, but if you haven't turned establishment by 30, you've got no brains."
“Luke, I am Your Father .” -        Darth Vader in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back	The correct quote is: Darth Vader: Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father. Luke Skywalker: He told me enough! He told me you killed him! Darth Vader: No. I am your father. Luke Skywalker: No... that's not true! That's impossible!
“Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.” -        The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1834).	Actual quote: Water, water, every where, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink.