★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥
February 6,2015
★~ Today’s Quote: “Ask me what is the greatest thing in the world, I will reply: It is people, it is people, it is people!” (New Zealand Proverb)
★~New Zealand Waitangi Day:
New Zealand – Waitangi Day commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6, 1840. This is the document that officially made New Zealand part of the British Empire, guaranteeing the indigenous people of New Zealand the rights to their land and the same personal rights as British citizens.
The indigenous people (called the Maori) viewed the treaty as a sacred pact. There are many customs associated with Waitangi Day including family gatherings, ceremonies, and parades to celebrate Maori culture. It is also the day that the Order of New Zealand is bestowed upon individuals who have given outstanding service to their country.
★~Frozen Yogurt Day:
Frozen yogurt has been around since the 1970s but was slow to catch and did not gain gain popularity until the 1990s when it claimed “10 percent of the frozen dessert market,” according to Coldstone Creamery.
While the initial attraction of frozen yogurt was that it was “healthier” than ice cream, you can still dress it up with candy, fruit and oreo’s crumbs if you are so inclined.
★~ Today in History:
♥~ 1932 – Dog sled racing happened for the first time in Olympic competition. The demonstration program was presented by the United States and Canada. “Mush! Mush! Onward you huskies!”
♥~ 1933 – The 20th Amendment to the Constitution was declared in effect. It moved the start of presidential, vice-presidential and congressional terms from March to January.
♥~ 1943 – Frank Sinatra made his debut as vocalist on radio’s Your Hit Parade
♥~ 1952 – Princess Elizabeth of England became Queen ElizabethII, upon the death of her father, King George VI.
♥~ 1971 – NASA Astronaut Alan B. Shepard took a six-iron that he had stashed away inside his spacecraft and swung at three golf balls on the surface of the moon. Shepard whiffed the first swing, so, he got a ‘Mulligan’ on that one. The others were good, crisp shots that went, oh, a few hundred yards in the vacuum of space.
★~Born Today:
♥~ 1878 – Walter B. Pitkin, one of the earliest self-help writers. despite dropping out of college, he was offered a position as a professor at Columbia University, where he taught psychology, philosophy, and journalism for 40 years. His books include The Psychology of Happiness (1929), Life Begins at Forty (1932), A Short Introduction to the History of Human Stupidity (1932), Take it Easy: The Art of Relaxation (1935), and Road to a Richer Life (1949).
♥~ 1895 – Babe (George Herman) Ruth‘The Sultan of Swat’, ‘The Bambino’: Baseball Hall of Famer: Boston Red Sox pitcher [won 89 games over six seasons/World Series: 1915, 1916, 1918], NY Yankees outfielder [World Series: 1921-1923, 1926-1928, 1932/60 home runs in 1927/all-star: 1933, 1934], Boston Braves; 714 home runs in 22 seasons.
♥~ 1911 – Ronald Wilson Reagan 40th U.S. President [1981-1989]; Ronald Wilson Reagan 40th U.S. President [1981-1989];
♥~ 1939 – Mike Farrell actor: M*A*S*H, The Interns, The Man and the City
♥~ 1940 – Tom Brokaw news anchor: NBC Nightly News, Today; author: The Greatest Generation
♥~ 1945 – Bob Marley singer, songwriter, musician: guitar: Easy Skanking, Natty Dread, No Woman No Cry, Mellow Mood; died May 11, 1981
♥~ 1950 – Natalie Cole Grammy Award-winning singer: Best New Artist [1975]; This Will Be, I’ve Got Love on My Mind; daughter of Nat ‘King’ Cole.
♥~ 1957 –Simon Phillips musician drums: groups: Toto, The Who, Jeff Beck, Whitesnake, Jack Bruce, Brian Eno, Duncan Browne, Toyah, Mike Oldfield, Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Gary Moore, 10cc
♥~ 1957 – Kathy Najimy voice of Peggy Hill. King of the Hill’
★~ New Zealand Gallimaufry:
♥~ While it is no longer the case, New Zealand was once governed as a part of the territory of New South Wales (later a part of Australia). When Australia federated in 1901, New Zealand was offered a place as one of their states. New Zealand refused and is its own country with no ties (other than economic and commonwealth) to Australia.
♥~ A kiwi is not a fruit – it is New Zealand’s native flightless bird (pictured above) and a slang term for a New Zealander. Kiwis call the fruit “kiwifruit” – they are also known as Chinese Gooseberries.
♥~ New Zealand was the first major nation to have universal suffrage. In 1893 it became legal for all male and female citizens of New Zealand to vote.
♥~ New Zealand was first discovered by Europeans in 1642 when Dutch sailor Abel Tasman arrived. He left New Zealand after several of his crew were killed by Maoris, and it was not until 1769 that English Captain James Cook arrived and mapped the land.
♥~ Queen Elizabeth II is officially Queen of New Zealand. She is represented in New Zealand by a Governor General, who ratifies all laws put before him or her by the elected parliament of New Zealand.
♥~ New Zealand is one of only three countries that have two official (and of equal standing) national Anthems. The first is God Save the Queen (the English National Anthem) and the other is God Defend New Zealand. The other two countries with two anthems are Denmark and Canada which both have a Royal Anthem and a State anthem.
♥~ Another native bird of New Zealand (the Moa) was one of the largest birds in history – standing up to 3.6m (12 foot) tall and weighing 300kg. Unfortunately they were hunted to extinction by the Maoris by the end of the 1500s.
♥~ When the Europeans arrived in New Zealand, it was already inhabited by the Maori people – Eastern polynesian settlers who arrived some time between 800 and 1300. Oral tradition says that they came from a place named Hawaiki; its location is unknown. The very strong linguistic connection to Cook Island Maori might suggest that they originated from that region of the Pacific.
♥~ Another group of settlers (who most likely came from the same group as the original Maoris) settled on the Chatham Islands. They were called the Morioris and they were pacifists. In 1835, groups of Maoris moved to the Chatham islands and wiped out nearly all of the Morioris – leaving only 100 by 1862. The last full-blooded Moriori (Tommy Solomon) died in 1933. [Image above: Tamati Waka Nene, a Maori Chief]
♥~ New Zealand was the first country to have its three top positions of power held simultaneously by women: The Prime Minister (Helen Clark), the Governor General (Dame Silvia Cartwright), and the Chief Justice (Sian Elias).
♥~ New Zealand has a strong hold on the international trade in sheep meat. There are presently around 9 sheep to every 1 human in New Zealand (the population of New Zealand is 4 million).
♥~ Wellington, the Capital City of New Zealand (and home to me!) is the southernmost capital city in the world. [Image: Wellington City]
♥~ New Zealand was forced out of the ANZUS (Australia, New Zealand, United States) alliance in the 1980s when it outlawed nuclear arms and power. To this day, there are no nuclear power stations in New Zealand, and a change of law would be required before one could be built. New Zealand retains its military ties with the United Kingdom.
♥~ New Zealand has one of the most liberal media arenas in the world. Distinctly left wing versus right wing press is not as obvious there as in other nations.
♥~ New Zealand is a plastic nation – almost all personal financial transactions are made with a card – credit or otherwise.
♥~ New Zealand is a fairly liberal nation with homosexual marriage (Civil Union) being legal and prostitution, soliciting, and brothel keeping being legal. The driving age is 15, the consensual sex age is 16, and the drinking age is 18 (though minors accompanied by adults are allowed alcohol in restaurants).
♥~ Lake Taupo (one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations) was the source of the largest known eruption in the world in the last 70 thousand years. It had a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8. It released over 530 cubit kilometers of magma. [Image: Lake Taupo]
♥~ New Zealand was the last major landmass to be populated (with the exception of the polar regions).
♥~ New Zealander and Nobel Prize Winner, Ernest Rutherford is known as the father of nuclear physics for his orbital theory of the atom.
♥~ Sir Edmund Hillary – the first man to reach the peak of Mount Everest was a New Zealander (born in Auckland) and his face is on the New Zealand $5 bill.
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Still in Albuquerque, still playing catch-up. We will catch up on Sunday’s post!
Odd Loves Company,
