My Daily Banana

Photo of the day:

The Beauty of Spring

 

 

Word of the day:

Bonnie

Attractive, or beautiful

My Bonnie Lass

 

 

Name of the day:

Vulcan

Comes from Latin fulgere meaning to flash. Roman god of fire

 

Spock the Vulcan

 

 

Event of the day:

13th May 1912

The Royal Flying Corps:

 was established (it later joined up with the Royal Naval Flying Service and formed the Royal Air Force)

RFC Hat Badge

RFC Recruiting Poster

 

 

When I think of the RAF there’s always one thing that comes into my mind.

 

 “Operation Black Buck”

 

Back in 1982 the Falkland War broke out, the British Navy and the Regular Army shipped off to recapture the island. They were fully equipped with war material including Sea Harriers; capable of carrying bombs missiles (all the atrocious man killing things).

Well the RAF couldn’t put up with being left out, they wanted to have their part in all the fun: So, they decided to send three Vulcans from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, England to their outmost post in the Atlantic, the Ascension Island. From there the bombers were to fly the rest of the way to the Falkland’s, destroy the Stanley Airfield and fly back to the Ascension Island.

6000 Kilometres from the Ascension Islands to the Falklands

Vulcan flying over water

 

 

You might say “A bonny idea”, but that’s a roundtrip of over twelve and a half-thousand kilometres, which had never been flown before. To accomplish this feat eleven Victor air fueling airplanes were sent from RAF Marham, Norforkshire, England to the Ascension Island. Eleven because they had to play a relay game fueling the Vulcans and fueling themselves in midair. There were seven sorties planned; only five were flown. The result of these five bombing trips one mobile radar was hit, one bomb exploded on the main runway, the airfield stores and facilities were severely damaged.

Fuelling a Vulcan in mid-air

A Victor fuelling a Vulcan

 

 

They did nothing to end the war, but the RAF chiefs got to play war and held the record for the longest ranged bombing raid; until 1991, when the Americans flew B52 bombers from mainland United States to Iraq and returning to RAF Mildenhall in England

 

Here a quote from Ian Dury:

"What A Waste!"

 

Birthday of the day:

13th May 1950

Stevie Wonder

Blind, black singer and songwriter. He signed on with Tamla Motown at eleven years old, a child “wonder”. One of the big money makers for Motown Records, selling over 100 million. He is also very politically involved; he campaigned for the day of Martin Luther’s birthday to become a public holiday.

Stevie the "Wonder" kid

I remember in the sixties he played in Boston, Lincolnshire and during the performance, jigging about as he does, he fell off the stage. What a fright; imagine if that happens as a seeing person it’s frightening and then as a blind person it must magnitude to terror.

Stevie in the seventies

I nearly forgot: Stevie wrote his own birthday song "Happy Birthday to You" and here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inS9gAgSENE 

 

Died on this day:

13th May 1961

In Los Angeles, California, United States

Born 7th May 1901

In Helena, Montana, United States

Gary Cooper

(aka Frank James Cooper)

Gary Cooper as Marshall Will Kane

 

Gary won his second Academy Award for his part as Marshall Will Kane in the film “High Noon” We all remember him and his duelers, the Miller Band going towards each other on Main Street ready to draw and his young bride fretting in the background, pining for him. Did he die? I don’t remember but I do remember the song “Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling”

Poster to the film

 

 

Trailer “High Noon”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9CR_tib0CA

and sung by Tex Ritter: “Do Not Forsake Mo Oh My Darling”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NREYLREGsv4

,

Non-Cycle ride of the day:

Lazy, lazy, lazy. I’m just having a short walking round today, have a cup of cappuccino and a raisin bun. Isn’t life good?

The coffee was good and we had time for ourselves, usually when I get home from work, it’s a quick cuppa, on with the Lycra and off on the bicycle. I’m missing it, maybe tomorrow?

On Wednesday I’ve got to be back on the bike, Heike’s expecting guests; her half-sister, our daughter Kirsty and her two youngest ones. Trouble in the house, time for me to take a “timeout”. Aren’t I a loving one?

The car was brought over from Victoria, Australia.

A wheel from a MGB, a state of art

 

The Challenge:

 

Well I cannot give you any news, there's a German quote that sums it up "Schweigen im Walde!" translated "Silence in the woods".

 

 

Bye, see you all tomorrow. Have a good day

My Daily Banana

Computer Banana

 

Photo of the day:

Wir sind uns einig, jetzt kommt blödsin!
(We both have the same thoughts, let's be mischievous)
 

 

And it came.

 

 

Selfie of the Week:

 

A reflection in the rain

 

 

Word of the day:

 

Digit

Comes from 10 digits (ancient Latin digiti means fingers) 10 itself consists of two digits the 1 and the 0. The year 2014 consists of four digits the 2 and the 0, the 1 and the 4.

The decimal system has (as the word deci proclaims) ten digits 0123456789

The binary system ( used in the computer world) has two digits 1 and 0

To round it all up, there is also the hexadecimal system which is based on sixteen digits 0123456789ABCDEF

 

Name of the day:

Perry

Comes from the English rock, also the France form of Peter or thirdly in Wales “the son of Harry”

An alcoholic fizzy drink made of pear-wine

Event of the day:

 

12th May 1941

the Z3 fully automatic computer was presented by its inventor and constructor Conrad Zuse. The computer filled a room, program and data were saved on punched film. It had 2000 relays built. What does a relay do? Its either on or off, that’s the whole principle of a computer 1 and 0: 1 is true and 0 is negative.

The Z3 was destroyed in 1943 during a bomb attack over Berlin. Zuse Company built a replica of it in the 1960’s, which can be seen in the “Deutsches Museum” in Munich, Germany.

The Zuse Z3, today it would fit into a pocket calculator
(a cheap one not a scientific calculator)

 

 

Birthday of the day:

12th May 1942

Harrow, London, England

Died 27^th March 2000

In London, England

Ian Dury

Ian looking good

Punk singer and songwriter. Founder of the group “The Blockheads”. They brought out such songs as “What a Waste” and “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick”.

As a child he suffered from polio
and was for the rest of his life disabled.
All except for his music!!

Hit Me With You Rhythm Stick:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WGVgfjnLqc

What a Waste:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmopROxBnBU

 

 

 

Died on this day:

12th May 2001

 

in Jupiter Inlet Colony, Florida, United States

 

Born 18th May 1912

 

in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, United States

Perry Como

Every mother's Prince Charming,
Perry Como
 

One of America’s most popular singers between the 1945 and the Rock’n’Roll era. He was one of the causes of Rock’n’Roll, the young were so fed up with listening to their parents tripe they longed for music that would reflect their lives and along came “The Pelvis”

Every mothers "Devil in Disguise"
 

 

Listen to one of Perry Como's soft listening hits "Don't Let The Sun Get in Your Eyes":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmkg_E2evbg

 

Here’s a soft version of Elvis’s first parent shocker “That’s All Right Mama”:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xslu3_elvis-presley-that-s-all-right-mama_music

 

Non-Cycle ride of the day:

It’s hit me. The cold has been knocking on my door for the past week and now I’ve let it in., that’s why I have to take a pause in cycling. If I’m lucky it’ll be gone in a week, I hope so, otherwise I’m going to have problems with our Challenge.

Met me on my walk, I wish it was my backside!

Today was my first day without cycling, instead I went for a long walk with Heike (usually it’s just a short one). It wasn’t bad and we stayed almost dry, it looked like rain when we set off and we both had our rain dress on: The Gore-Tex shoes, pvc coated rain over pants, rain jacket and I had my Burberry Wax cloth rain hat. Reminds me of my Boy Scout days

“Be Prepared!”

 

The Challenge:

Who carries the torch this week?

Raymond 96.7 kg

That’s a loss of 1100 grams this last week

Andrea

Fraser

Well done all three! Is it showing? Has the bulge shrunk?

 

Bye, see you all tomorrow. Have a good day

My Daily Banana

Highland Banana

Photo of the day:

Another well kept Thatched farm houe,
it dates back to about 1800

Nice touch with the flowers.
See the pantry built below in a half cellar?

Word of the day:

Euphoric

A feeling of great happiness

German: euphorisch

Name of the day:

Eric

Comes from the Danish name Eiríkr and means ruler

Event of the day:

11th May 1985

(this is something new to me)

Bradford City Stadium Fire:

It was a third league match, Bradford City against Lincoln City. Bradford City was to receive the Third League Cup and therefore the stadium was sold out, there had never been such a large crowd in the Valley Parade Stadium before.

The main tribune of the Valley Parade stadium was dated back to 1903 and was condemned and due to be demolished, under the seats the debris was piling high. At 3:40 pm the television-reporter announced in alarm, that a small fire had been sighted. Within four minutes the wind ignited it to a major fire, engulfing the whole tribune. Panic struck home and the crowd fled, trampling many of the still seated spectators. Fifty-six spectators died and at least two hundred and sixty-five were injured.

After this tragedy the British stadium standards were changed, all wooden roof constructions were forbidden.

Memorial to remember the casualties of the fire

The new Valley Parade Stadium

Birthday of the day:

11th May 1904

in Figueres, Spain

Died 23rd January 1989

in Fifueres, Spain

Salvador Dali

Surrealist painter, sculptor and performer.

I loved his melting clocks. There’s one story that comes to mind when I hear his name: Salvador arrived at an exhibition in his Rolls Royce, the door was opened but instead of Dali stepping out, cabbages spilled out of the car. The car was stuffed to the limit with heads of white cabbage and Dali hid underneath. Not a very dramatical scene but it shows what a childish imagination Dali managed to keep and show throughout his life; whereas I lost it when I grew up.

When I was a tripper, I was fascinated by his paintings, they tell so many stories grotesque, fierce, loving and sometimes mellow. I could explore a painting for hours.

Here's a collection of perfume bottles we collected.
They are formed after the painting:
Apparition-of-the-Face-of-Aphrodite 

Apparition-of-the-Face-of-Aphrodite

Another Birthday of the day:

11th May 1941

in Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Eric Burdon

Singer of the Animals! Who doesn’t know the hit where he sings:

 “My Mother was a tailor,

She sewed my new blue jeans,

My Father was a gambling man,

Down in New Orleans”

Of course it’s “the House of the Rising Sun”

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x15dmey_the-animals-house-of-the-rising-sun-1964_music

Died on this day:

11th May 1981

in Miami, Florida, United States

Born 6th February 1945

in Nine Mile, Saint Ann, Jamaica

Bob Marley

Jamaican reggae singer and song writer. He or should I say his inheritors are the third of the top earners (US$18 million) after Michael Jackson (US$160 million) and Elvis Presley (US$55 million).

The ironic thing about Bob Marley’s death is his vanity. Bob had skin cancer, the carcinoma started on his foot but he refused treatment; the radioactive/chemo therapy could have caused baldness. He didn’t want to lose his dreadlocks.

Is that possible? Had he never heard of wigs? What a waste!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGqrvn3q1oo

Cycle ride of the day:

Today we, Heike and I are looking after our grandchildren Fentje and Martje. Heike went straight there in the car and I did round on the bicycle with a detour that landed me at Kirsty’s house. The three girls were playing quietly with plastercine at the kitchen table, but when I arrived all hell let loose, the two little ones were so happy to see me. Well the first moment was great, such a greeting I thought “nice, but now you can cool down again” (I was knackered from cycling and needed a rest first). The only thing is kids don’t cool down immediately so there was nothing for me to do other than grit my teeth and bare it. I did and a couple of minutes later the euphoric feelings had simmered down.

Two wild ones

 

and two new friends

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/496821660

Bye, see you all tomorrow. Have a good day