Today is also the birthday of Wizard of Oz writer L Frank Baum, and of Meccano inventor Frank Hornby. Mike Oldfield was born on this day, taking seventeen years to create Tubular Bells. It was the Meccano that nearly claimed my life growing up in the US. I had a set, and wanted to make it really fancy, getting the wheels to turn. But to do that, I needed power. And the power point was the perfect height for me to access it. I knew that metal conducted electricity, so I lay a meccano piece across a power point and for the first time in my life, felt electricity. I didn't hold it for long, muscles contracted at the jolt. The metal piece blackened and sparked. Thank you, Mr Hornby sir. You ensured my education was complete. My mother never knew.
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For twenty two years I have been responsibly addressing an issue, and I cannot carry on. I am petitioning the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to remedy my distress. I leave it up to him if he chooses to address the issue. Regardless of your opinion of conservative government, the issue is pressing. Please sign my petition at https://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/tony-abbott-remedy-the-persecution-of-dd-ball
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Happy birthday and many happy returns Angelina Liashenko and Johnny Nam Nguyen. Born on the same day, across the years, on which, in 2010, Jessica Watson became the youngest person (3 days before her 17th birthday) to sail unassisted around the world and then dissed Rudd. You don't have to do that. As Pope Leo XIII wrote, also on this day, Rerum Novarum, which means you rock.
- 1397 – Sejong the Great, Korean king (d. 1450)
- 1567 – Claudio Monteverdi, Italian priest and composer (d. 1643)
- 1608 – René Goupil, French-American missionary (d. 1642)
- 1689 – Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, English author (d. 1762)
- 1856 – L. Frank Baum, American author (d. 1919)
- 1859 – Pierre Curie, French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1906)
- 1863 – Frank Hornby, English businessman and politician, invented Meccano (d. 1936)
- 1895 – Prescott Bush, American captain, banker, and politician (d. 1972)
- 1905 – Abraham Zapruder, American businessman, filmed the Zapruder film (d. 1970)
- 1935 – Utah Phillips, American singer-songwriter (d. 2008)
- 1941 – Jaxon, American illustrator and publisher, co-founded the Rip Off Press (d. 2006)
- 1946 – Thadeus Nguyễn Văn Lý, Vietnamese priest
- 1947 – Graeham Goble, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Little River Band, Mississippi, Travis Wellington Hedge, Birtles & Goble, and Birtles Shorrock Goble)
- 1948 – Brian Eno, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (Roxy Music and 801)
- 1953 – Mike Oldfield, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (The Sallyangie)
- 1987 – Andy Murray, Scottish tennis player
- 1997 – Precious Doe, American murder victim (d. 2001)
Matches
- 495 BC – A newly constructed temple in honour of the god Mercury was dedicated in ancient Rome on the Circus Maximus, between theAventine and Palatine hills. To spite the senate and the consuls, the people awarded the dedication to a senior military officer, Marcus Laetorius
- 392 – Emperor Valentinian II is assassinated while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurper Arbogast. He is found hanging in his residence at Vienne.
- 589 – King Authari marries Theodelinda, daughter of the Bavarian duke Garibald I. A Catholic, she has great influence among the Lombardnobility.
- 1252 – Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull ad extirpanda, which authorizes, but also limits, the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition.
- 1525 – Insurgent peasants led by Anabaptist pastor Thomas Müntzer were defeated at the Battle of Frankenhausen, ending the German Peasants' War in the Holy Roman Empire.
- 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, stands trial in London on charges of treason, adultery and incest. She is condemned to death by a specially-selected jury.
- 1567 – Mary, Queen of Scots marries James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, her third husband.
- 1618 – Johannes Kepler confirms his previously rejected discovery of the third law of planetary motion (he first discovered it on March 8 but soon rejected the idea after some initial calculations were made).
- 1718 – James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world's first machine gun.
- 1755 – Laredo, Texas is established by the Spaniards.
- 1791 – French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre proposes the Self-denying Ordinance.
- 1793 – Diego Marín Aguilera flies a glider for "about 360 meters", at a height of 5–6 meters, during one of the first attempted manned flights.
- 1796 – First Coalition: Napoleon enters Milan in triumph.
- 1800 – King George III of the United Kingdom survives an assassination attempt by James Hadfield, who is later acquitted by reason of insanity.
- 1817 – Opening of the first private mental health hospital in the United States, the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason (now Friends Hospital) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- 1836 – Francis Baily observes "Baily's beads" during an annular eclipse.
- 1858 – Opening of the present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London.
- 1862 – President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the United States Bureau of Agriculture. It is later renamed the United States Department of Agriculture.
- 1869 – Women's suffrage: in New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association.
- 1891 – Pope Leo XIII defends workers' rights and property rights in the encyclical Rerum Novarum, the beginning of modern Catholic social teaching.
- 1905 – Las Vegas, is founded when 110 acres (0.45 km2), in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off.
- 1911 – In Standard Oil Company of New Jersey v. United States, the United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be broken up.
- 1928 – Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, Plane Crazy
- 1932 – In an attempted coup d'état, the Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi is murdered.
- 1940 – World War II: After fierce fighting, the poorly trained and equipped Dutch troops surrender to Germany, marking the beginning of five years of occupation.
- 1940 – McDonald's opens its first restaurant in San Bernardino, California.
- 1941 – First flight of the Gloster E.28/39 the first British and Allied jet aircraft.
- 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Poljana, the final skirmish in Europe is fought near Prevalje, Slovenia.
- 1948 – Following the demise of Mandatory Palestine, the Kingdom of Egypt, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia invade Israel thus starting the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
- 1951 – The Polish cultural attaché in Paris, Czesław Miłosz, asks the French government for political asylum.
- 1963 – Project Mercury: The launch of the final Mercury mission, Mercury-Atlas 9 with astronaut L. Gordon Cooper on board. He becomes the first American to spend more than a day in space.
- 1969 – People's Park: California Governor Ronald Reagan has an impromptu student park owned by University of California at Berkeley fenced off from student anti-war protestors, sparking a riot called Bloody Thursday.
- 1970 – President Richard Nixon appoints Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington the first female United States Army Generals.
- 1972 – In Laurel, Maryland, Arthur Bremer shoots and paralyzes Alabama Governor George Wallace while he is campaigning to become President.
- 1974 – Ma'alot massacre: Members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine attack and take hostages at an Israeli school; a total of 31 people are killed, including 22 schoolchildren.
- 1987 – The Soviet Union launches the Polyus prototype orbital weapons platform. It fails to reach orbit.
- 1997 – The United States government acknowledges the existence of the "Secret War" in Laos and dedicates the Laos Memorial in honor of Hmong and other "Secret War" veterans.
- 2010 – Jessica Watson becomes the youngest person to sail, non-stop and unassisted around the world solo.
Despatches
- 392 – Valentinian II, Roman emperor (b. 371)
- 913 – Hatto I, German archbishop (b. 850)
- 1036 – Emperor Go-Ichijō of Japan (b. 1008)
- 1157 – Yuri Dolgorukiy, Russian prince and founded Moscow (b. 1099)
- 1700 – John Hale, American minister (b. 1636)
- 1886 – Emily Dickinson, American poet (b. 1830)
- 2003 – June Carter Cash, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress (Carter Family and The Carter Sisters) (b. 1929)
MIAMI EAT
Tim Blair – Thursday, May 15, 2014 (12:08pm)
Florida Democrat Joe Garcia is the new Kevin Rudd. He’s also a wax denialist.
(Via tree-hugging sister)
RECEIVE LESS
Tim Blair – Thursday, May 15, 2014 (11:38am)
Academic John Quiggin considers Australia’s economic situation:
… our structural problems can only be addressed if the 1% contribute more and receive less from the government …
Great idea, perfesser! Let’s start by cutting off the millions in taxpayer grants given to one-percenter John Quiggin:
Quiggin has received many research grants from the Australian Research Council (roughly the Australian equivalent to the National Science Foundation) and was recently honored with a Federation Fellowship …
A DENT IN THE COSMOS
Tim Blair – Thursday, May 15, 2014 (12:58am)
H. L. Mencken, possibly history’s finest columnist, interviewed just a few months prior to the 1948 stroke that ended his career:
Christopher!
Andrew Bolt May 15 2014 (5:32pm)
I thought we Adelaide boys were raised to speak nicely. And given one of us is the Education Minister…
===Now Premiers reach for your wallet to replace Abbott’s fake “cuts”
Andrew Bolt May 15 2014 (9:36am)
WE were promised lower
taxes. But the Abbott Government’s Budget risks leaving us not just with
its own two tax hikes but a higher GST, too.
Hear that squealing from the states? Watch out for those guys.
The states are now complaining the Abbott Government’s alleged $80 billion in cuts to hospitals and schools over the next decade will just force them to spend more themselves — and raise more taxes, too.
That most likely means the GST going up — the 10 per cent tax that the states share and set, with federal agreement.
(Read full article here.)
Hear that squealing from the states? Watch out for those guys.
The states are now complaining the Abbott Government’s alleged $80 billion in cuts to hospitals and schools over the next decade will just force them to spend more themselves — and raise more taxes, too.
That most likely means the GST going up — the 10 per cent tax that the states share and set, with federal agreement.
(Read full article here.)
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More taxes as far as the eye can see
Andrew Bolt May 15 2014 (9:32am)
So much for lower taxes. Terry McCrann:
===Higher and higher tax is the only real certainty in Joe Hockey’s first Budget, ostensibly built on slashing spending. Over the four years to 2017-18, tax revenues are projected to leap by just shy of a very neat $100 billion.
By 2017-18 total budget receipts (mostly, tax) will equal 24.9 per cent of GDP — what is essentially, total national income — up from 23 per cent in the current 2013-14 year.
The difference equates to an extra $36 billion of money flowing to Canberra in relative terms. In very clear-cut terms, Hockey gets two-thirds of his deficit elimination from (mostly, secret) higher taxes, just one-third from reduced spending.
Even more strikingly, most of the revenue growth, over and above the normal growth in the economy, will come from rising personal income tax; and a huge part of that will be from the silent but all-too real tax increase of bracket creep.
Over the four years net personal income tax revenues are going to leap by an astonishing $61 billion. All the other taxes, including company tax and the GST — and which right now rake in more than personal tax — will only increase by $38 billion.
Greens help Putin bully Europe
Andrew Bolt May 15 2014 (9:29am)
THE Green movement has
betrayed the West. It’s made Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin stronger
and democracies like ours more helpless. Wondered why Europe is doing so
little to stop Russia stealing Ukrainian territory?
It’s not just because Europe has let its military forces run down, but because it’s given Russia the power to cut off its heating next winter with a flick of a switch. Ukraine gets half its gas from Russia, which this week warned it could again cut supplies, as it did in 2009. But Russia also supplies all Europe with a third of its gas, giving it enormous leverage.
Germany, Europe’s strongest nation, is particularly vulnerable. It relies on Russia for a quarter of all its energy through imports of gas, oil and coal. Switching suppliers is too hard. Germany lacks the terminals to handle gas shipped from the US and North Sea fields are running low. Gas is also harder to buy since the Fukushima nuclear reactor scare of 2011 — the great beat-up that forced Japan to switch off nuclear reactors and use gas-fired generators instead.
(Read full article here.)
===It’s not just because Europe has let its military forces run down, but because it’s given Russia the power to cut off its heating next winter with a flick of a switch. Ukraine gets half its gas from Russia, which this week warned it could again cut supplies, as it did in 2009. But Russia also supplies all Europe with a third of its gas, giving it enormous leverage.
Germany, Europe’s strongest nation, is particularly vulnerable. It relies on Russia for a quarter of all its energy through imports of gas, oil and coal. Switching suppliers is too hard. Germany lacks the terminals to handle gas shipped from the US and North Sea fields are running low. Gas is also harder to buy since the Fukushima nuclear reactor scare of 2011 — the great beat-up that forced Japan to switch off nuclear reactors and use gas-fired generators instead.
(Read full article here.)
Who is minding the gate?
Andrew Bolt May 15 2014 (9:07am)
Who is minding the gate? Is this an example of our refugee intake? If so, is the program operating in the national interest?
From the County Court of Victoria:
===From the County Court of Victoria:
Garang Garang you ... have pleaded guilty to two indictments. The first charging you with four offences of obtaining property by deception, one offence of armed robbery and one of attempted armed robbery and the second charging you with causing serious injury intentionally. You have also admitted a number of prior convictions and court appearances.
...the first indictment involves you using a credit card that was stolen a few hours previously in the course of another robbery and your participation in an armed robbery and attempted armed robbery on soft targets, with others.... The second indictment concerns an offence of intentionally causing serious injury upon a Corrections officer who was overseeing you whilst you were in custody…
It will have been extremely difficulty for you to have made the journey that you did from Sudan to Australia via Egypt and to have sought to fit in to the Australian community not just with your background, but with the deficits, the impairments, mental impairments that arose from a series of events which seemed to have caused or contributed to your acquired brain injury and other mental impairments. No doubt they have interfered with your ability to complete your education satisfactorily and also made you more vulnerable to the influences of others who drew you in to use of illicit drugs in particular ice and in to criminal conduct.
It is noteworthy that you have acquired for a young man a bad criminal record with some serious criminal offences including intentionally causing injury and recklessly causing injury, recklessly causing serious injury and armed robbery. The report of Lindsay Vowles suggests ... a very low intelligence quotient ... as low as a full scale IQ of 57 which is extremely low…
Unless you get a good deal of support when you are released from prison I think your prospects of staying out of trouble in the future are poor. You are very fortunate to have people around you who have been prepared to really put themselves out…
I notice looking at the transcript on the proceedings before Her Honour Judge Gaynor in November of 2012 you were arguing with her as to her characterisation of you when she was describing you as dangerous. Within two weeks you poured boiling water over the head of a Corrections officer ...
Police uphold laws, and ethnic groups cannot negotiate a pass
Andrew Bolt May 15 2014 (8:52am)
It is unhealthy to have ethnic groups privately negotiating with police not to have laws enforced against their members. Another sign that immigration is becoming colonisation:
(Thanks to reader Straight Talk.)
===Key Muslim leaders in Sydney have appealed directly to the man most likely to become the next NSW police commissioner, asking him to back away from enforcing “draconian” laws that make it a crime to support the civil war in Syria.There is no evidence Kaldas for a second contemplated not upholding the law as a result of the meeting.
Current Deputy Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas was asked to convey that stark message not only to his colleagues in law enforcement agencies, but to politicians in the federal arena too.
The law in question is the Foreign Incursions Act, which makes it a crime to support the war in Syria by going over to fight, or by providing material and financial support to warring parties…
The highest official of Muslim religious law in Australia, Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, hosted the closed meeting with Deputy Commissioner Kaldas, but has maintained his usual silence on the matter.
(Thanks to reader Straight Talk.)
Can we stop appealing to resentment and more to reason?
Andrew Bolt May 15 2014 (8:41am)
The headline suggests another born-to-rule conservative politician kicking poor pensioners:
===What Truss actually said:
Never mind the truth, Los Angeles is doomed
Andrew Bolt May 15 2014 (8:38am)
A wild claim from Californian Governor Jerry Brown, reported without any scepticism by the LA Times:
Brown’s remarks came a day after the release of two studies finding that a slow-motion and irreversible collapse of a massive cluster of glaciers in Antarctica has begun and could cause sea levels to rise worldwide by four feet within 200 years.Really? Anthony Watts checks the evidence - and finds Brown is talking pure moonshine:
“If that happens, the Los Angeles airport’s going to be underwater,” Brown told reporters at a presentation of his revised state budget proposal in Los Angeles. “So is the San Francisco airport.”
Ok let’s do the math, first a look at the sea level rate from the Los Angeles tide gauge operated by NOAA:But who cares? Being an alarmist means you’re never wrong, even when you are.
...LAX airport elevation is 125 feet = 38100mm
At the rate of 0.83mm/yr sea level rise seen at Los Angeles (from NOAA graph above) it would take 45903.6 years to reach 125 feet, we’d be in a new ice age by then and sea levels would be falling…
So, at current rates, Brown’s claim is bogus.
But he’s saying it will be due to Antarctic’s western ice sheet melting… This study is available here…
NASA says of the paper ....
Even as Rignot and colleagues suggest that loss of the Amundsen Sea embayment glaciers appears inevitable, it remains extremely difficult to predict exactly how this ice loss will unfold and how long it will take. A conservative estimate is that it could take several centuries.4 feet, and LAX airport is 125 feet above sea level. SFO airport, also mentioned by Brown is Elevation: 13 ft. according to Airnav
The region contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by 4 feet (1.2 meters).
NASA even calculates for the worst case scenario:
The Amundsen Sea region is only a fraction of the whole West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which if melted completely would raise global sea level by about 16 feet (5 meters).So even 16 feet wouldn’t affect LAX airport, but might affect SFO …far in the future.
Governor Brown is in a gross error with his claims.
Only reckless spendthrifts may wear a nice dress
Andrew Bolt May 15 2014 (7:36am)
Totally OK from a politician who blew billions of dollars we didn’t actually have:
Totally callous from the banker wife of a politician now restoring the country’s finances:
===Ms Gillard attended last night’s event dressed in a black evening gown with lace detailing by Carla Zampatti, accompanied by an evening jacket by Perri Cutten.
Totally callous from the banker wife of a politician now restoring the country’s finances:
The cheap pandering to class-war resentments is appalling.
Warmists’ threats drive Lennart Bengtsson off sceptic board
Andrew Bolt May 15 2014 (7:24am)
Warmist climatologist
Lennart Bengtsson, former director of the Max Planck Institute for
Meteorology, has become a sceptic and decided to join the advisory board
of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, representing rational
scepticism.
And that’s when the threats and the thugs of warmist group-think got to work on him, proving how dangerous dissent is even for one of the most prominent scientists in the field. Bengtsson has now resigned from the GWPF, saying he even fears for his safety:
(Thanks to reader pbw.)
===And that’s when the threats and the thugs of warmist group-think got to work on him, proving how dangerous dissent is even for one of the most prominent scientists in the field. Bengtsson has now resigned from the GWPF, saying he even fears for his safety:
I have been put under such an enormous group pressure in recent days from all over the world that has become virtually unbearable to me. If this is going to continue I will be unable to conduct my normal work and will even start to worry about my health and safety. I see therefore no other way out therefore than resigning from GWPF. I had not expecting such an enormous world-wide pressure put at me from a community that I have been close to all my active life. Colleagues are withdrawing their support, other colleagues are withdrawing from joint authorship etc. I see no limit and end to what will happen. It is a situation that reminds me about the time of McCarthy. I would never have expecting anything similar in such an original peaceful community as meteorology. Apparently it has been transformed in recent years.Global warming is a faith policed by an inquisition. If dissent is so dangerous, how can anyone have faith that warmist scientists decide positions on reason alone?
Under these situation I will be unable to contribute positively to the work of GWPF and consequently therefore I believe it is the best for me to reverse my decision to join its Board at the earliest possible time.
(Thanks to reader pbw.)
How the Left got taxpayers to fund another Conversation of the Left
Andrew Bolt May 15 2014 (12:31am)
The Conversation soaks up a lot of money from state institutions:
===The Conversation is funded by CSIRO, Melbourne, Monash, RMIT, UTS, UWA, ACU, ANU, ASB, Canberra, CDU, Curtin, Deakin, Flinders, Griffith, JCU, La Trobe, Massey, Murdoch, Newcastle, QUT, SAHMRI, Swinburne, Sydney, UNE, UniSA, USC, USQ, UTAS, UWS, VU and Wollongong.A grateful Gillard Government tipped in even more:
The Conversation, run by former Age editor Andrew Jaspan, ... also received an annual effective grant of $2 million a year in the last federal budget.Its claimed aim:
The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public.But Ms X has counted who gets a run on The Conversation and discovers the site is just another taxpayer-funded soapbox for the Left:
Our team of professional editors work with university, CSIRO and research institute experts to unlock their knowledge for use by the wider public.
Most-published Labor/Greens authors
Geoff Gallop – 8 articlesThe only regular Right-wing or just not-Left authors they have are Sinclair Davidson and Timothy Lynch. But there’s certainly no litany of ex Coalition premiers, ministers and staffers writing. The bias is clear.
Barry Jones – 7 articles
Gareth Evans – 2 articles
Nick Reece (ex ALP State Sec) – 3 articles
Cheryl Kernot – 3 articles
Carmen Lawrence – 5 articles
Maxine McKew – 5 articles
Published in the Conversation
Left
Bob BrownRight
Melissa Parke
Christine Milne
Maxine McKew
Senator John Madigan - read it, makes very clear he is of the old Left
UK Labour Tom Watson MP – done when in Australia
Steve Bracks
Adam Bandt
Malcolm Fraser – read it, he’s a lefty these days
Mark Scott ABC
Will Steffen
Tony AbbottEx Fairfax/ABC/lefty journos on staff
Josh Frydenberg
Arthur Sinodinos
Cory Bernardi
Andrew Robb
Editor Andrew Jaspan – The AgeThe following two are interesting … unis fund these two, but they basically write exclusively for The Conversation. Interesting. I know Grattan does some Uni Canberra work, but it stinks.
Managing Editor Misha Ketchell – The Age, ABC, Crikey
Deputy Editor Helen Westerman – The Age
Sunanda Creagh – SMH
Catriona Menzies-Pike – New Matilda
Michael Hopkin – Fairfax (unspecified on his bio where)
Pat Hutchens – The Age/Fairfax
John Watson – The Age
Michael Lund – ABC
Liz Minchin – The Age
Tim Colebatch
Michelle Grattan
The air-brushed Gillard
Andrew Bolt May 15 2014 (12:16am)
Julia Gillard’s new book invites us to make a judgment we’ve made already:
‘I was Prime Minister for three years and three days.Three years and three days of resilience.Three years and three days of changing the nation.Three years and three days for you to judge.’Some boasts here jar with me - the bits I’ve put in bold:
Ms Gillard developed Australia’s guiding policy paper, Australia in the Asian Century. Ms Gillard delivered nation-changing policies including reforming Australia education at every level from early childhood to university education, creating an emissions trading scheme, improving the provision and sustainability of health care, aged care and dental care, commencing the nation’s first ever national scheme to care for people with disabilities and restructuring the telecommunications sector as well as building a national broadband network.In order, she actually created a carbon tax that even Labor agrees should go, her health promises were unfunded and unsustainable, the disabilities scheme was unfunded, the NBN is a colossal financial disaster, Indonesian ties were damaged badly by Gillard’s stumbles and her speech actually falsely slimed Tony Abbott as a woman-hater.
In foreign policy, Ms Gillard ... deepened ties with Japan, Indonesia and South Korea.... In October 2012, Ms Gillard received worldwide attention for her speech in Parliament on the treatment of women in professional and public life.
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=== Posts from last year ===
Two different Diamond Engagement Rings both handmade in our workshop, one ring features a Round Brilliant Cut Diamond and the other ring features a Princess Cut Diamond
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Labor continues to claim that the cause of its broken surplus promise is that revenue has crashed.
But Budget 2013 figures clearly show Labor has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Revenue is up on last year.
Please SHARE this to help refute Labor's false claims.
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I get how she is upset. Some of what she suggests is good. But she is going about it wrong. - ed
I've been pretty vocal this week about my opposition to a referendum to recognise local government in the Constitution. Find out why in this week's blog: http://
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4 her, so she can see how I see her
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It is a despicable guy who can't find a good woman .. there are lots .. but a good woman won't be interested in the wrong guy .. and yes, I know that some women are attracted to such .. - ed
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It was Chris Pyne debating School funding matters with minister Peter Garrett at MLC Strathfield last night. Chris was at his best exposing the Labor Governments policy on the run.
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Johnny Cash – Remember the Alamo
- Music Video -
At this link:
http://
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Today (May 15) is the International Day of Families.
"Families hold societies together, and intergenerational relationships extend this legacy over time. This year’s International Day of Families is an occasion to celebrate connections among all members of the constellation that makes up a family. It is also an opportunity to reflect on how they are affected by social and economic trends – and what we can do to strengthen families in response."
Ban Ki-moon
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Wayne Swan has just delivered his sixth Budget deficit in a row
Labor’s Budget is in chaos. Revenue is up over $80 billion since the last year of the Coalition government - and spending is up an incredible $120 billion over the same period.
Share this if you agree that Labor’s 2013 Budget shows it cannot manage Australia’s finances.
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Upcycling on a grand scale . . . 5,000 cds!!
The installation on a hotel in Madrid was completed by the interior design school Iade.
Under the title “Cambiando la piel” (Changing the skin), they produced a 12.78m long gecko lizard. According to its creators, “the animal” is searching for the sun’s light and symbolizes renewal, evolution, change, and lives with the garden plants in the hotel lobby.
Why not give this a try at home . . . on a smaller scale!!!
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Anytimers Try This Healthy Recipe......
Sweet Potato Egg Cups
Makes 12
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw shredded sweet potato
- salt and pepper, optional
- 12 eggs
- coconut oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 160°C
Grease a 12 cup muffin tin well with coconut oil. Press 1/4 cup of shredded sweet potato firmly into each muffin tin; forming a nest up the sides. Crack 1 egg into each sweet potato nest. Season with salt and pepper, if you like.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the eggs are done to your liking.
20 minutes=softer yolk, 25 minutes=firm yolk
Once you try this tasty treat give us your feedback.
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Pink Diamond Ring featuring an Argyle Pink Pear Shape Diamond surrounded by Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds
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Sin promises more than it can deliver. Takes you further than you want to go. Cost you more than you're willing to pay, and keeps you longer than you want to stay.. Holly
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- 1793 – Inventor Diego Marín Aguilera, the "father of aviation" in Spain, flew one of the first gliders for about 360 m (1,180 ft).
- 1864 – American Civil War: A small Confederate force, which included cadets from the Virginia Military Institute, forced the Union Army out of theShenandoah Valley.
- 1928 – Mickey and Minnie Mouse made their film debut in the animated cartoon Plane Crazy.
- 1974 – A unit of the Golani Brigade assaulted an elementary school in Ma'alot, Israel, where three armed members of theDemocratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine had taken 115 people hostage, resulting in 28 deaths.
- 1990 – Vincent van Gogh's Portrait of Dr. Gachet (pictured) was sold at auction in Christie's New York office for a total of US$82.5 million, at the time the world's most expensive painting.
Events[edit]
- 495 BC – A newly constructed temple in honour of the god Mercury was dedicated in ancient Rome on the Circus Maximus, between theAventine and Palatine hills. To spite the senate and the consuls, the people awarded the dedication to a senior military officer, Marcus Laetorius
- 392 – Emperor Valentinian II is assassinated while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurper Arbogast. He is found hanging in his residence at Vienne.
- 589 – King Authari marries Theodelinda, daughter of the Bavarian duke Garibald I. A Catholic, she has great influence among the Lombardnobility.
- 1252 – Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull ad extirpanda, which authorizes, but also limits, the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition.
- 1525 – Insurgent peasants led by Anabaptist pastor Thomas Müntzer were defeated at the Battle of Frankenhausen, ending the German Peasants' War in the Holy Roman Empire.
- 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, stands trial in London on charges of treason, adultery and incest. She is condemned to death by a specially-selected jury.
- 1567 – Mary, Queen of Scots marries James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, her third husband.
- 1602 – Bartholomew Gosnold becomes the first recorded European to see Cape Cod.
- 1618 – Johannes Kepler confirms his previously rejected discovery of the third law of planetary motion (he first discovered it on March 8 but soon rejected the idea after some initial calculations were made).
- 1648 – The Treaty of Westphalia is signed.
- 1701 – The War of the Spanish Succession begins.
- 1718 – James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world's first machine gun.
- 1755 – Laredo, Texas is established by the Spaniards.
- 1776 – American Revolution: the Virginia Convention instructs its Continental Congress delegation to propose a resolution of independence from Great Britain, paving the way for the United States Declaration of Independence.
- 1791 – French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre proposes the Self-denying Ordinance.
- 1792 – War of the First Coalition: France declares war on Kingdom of Sardinia.
- 1793 – Diego Marín Aguilera flies a glider for "about 360 meters", at a height of 5–6 meters, during one of the first attempted manned flights.
- 1796 – First Coalition: Napoleon enters Milan in triumph.
- 1800 – King George III of the United Kingdom survives an assassination attempt by James Hadfield, who is later acquitted by reason of insanity.
- 1811 – Paraguay declares independence from Spain.
- 1817 – Opening of the first private mental health hospital in the United States, the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason (now Friends Hospital) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- 1836 – Francis Baily observes "Baily's beads" during an annular eclipse.
- 1849 – Troops of the Two Sicilies take Palermo and crush the republican government of Sicily
- 1850 – The Bloody Island Massacre takes place in Lake County, California, in which a large number of Pomo Indians in Lake County are slaughtered by a regiment of the United States Cavalry, led by Nathaniel Lyon.
- 1858 – Opening of the present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London.
- 1862 – President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the United States Bureau of Agriculture. It is later renamed the United States Department of Agriculture.
- 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Resaca, Georgia ends.
- 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of New Market, Virginia – students from the Virginia Military Institute fight alongside the Confederate Army to force Union GeneralFranz Sigel out of the Shenandoah Valley.
- 1869 – Women's suffrage: in New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association.
- 1891 – Pope Leo XIII defends workers' rights and property rights in the encyclical Rerum Novarum, the beginning of modern Catholic social teaching.
- 1904 – Russo-Japanese War: The Russian minelayer Amur lays a minefield about 15 miles off Port Arthur and sinks Japan's battleships Hatsuse, 15,000 tons, with 496 crew and Yashima.
- 1905 – Las Vegas, is founded when 110 acres (0.45 km2), in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off.
- 1911 – In Standard Oil Company of New Jersey v. United States, the United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be broken up.
- 1919 – The Winnipeg General Strike begins. By 11:00, almost the whole working population of Winnipeg, Manitoba had walked off the job.
- 1919 – Greek invasion of Smyrna. During the invasion, the Greek army kills or wounds 350 Turks. Those responsible are punished by the Greek Commander Aristides Stergiades.
- 1928 – Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, Plane Crazy
- 1929 – A fire at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio kills 123.
- 1932 – In an attempted coup d'état, the Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi is murdered.
- 1934 – Kārlis Ulmanis establishes an authoritarian government in Latvia.
- 1935 – The Moscow Metro is opened to the public.
- 1940 – USS Sailfish is recommissioned. It was originally the USS Squalus.
- 1940 – World War II: After fierce fighting, the poorly trained and equipped Dutch troops surrender to Germany, marking the beginning of five years of occupation.
- 1940 – McDonald's opens its first restaurant in San Bernardino, California.
- 1941 – First flight of the Gloster E.28/39 the first British and Allied jet aircraft.
- 1942 – World War II: in the United States, a bill creating the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) is signed into law.
- 1943 – Joseph Stalin dissolves the Comintern (or Third International).
- 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Poljana, the final skirmish in Europe is fought near Prevalje, Slovenia.
- 1948 – Following the demise of Mandatory Palestine, the Kingdom of Egypt, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia invade Israel thus starting the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
- 1951 – The Polish cultural attaché in Paris, Czesław Miłosz, asks the French government for political asylum.
- 1953 – Cubmaster Don Murphy organized the first pinewood derby, in Manhattan Beach, California, by Pack 280c.
- 1957 – At Malden Island in the Pacific Ocean, Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb in Operation Grapple.
- 1958 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3.
- 1960 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 4.
- 1963 – Project Mercury: The launch of the final Mercury mission, Mercury-Atlas 9 with astronaut L. Gordon Cooper on board. He becomes the first American to spend more than a day in space.
- 1966 – After a policy dispute, Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ of South Vietnam's ruling junta launches a military attack on the forces of General Tôn Thất Đính, forcing him to abandon his command.
- 1969 – People's Park: California Governor Ronald Reagan has an impromptu student park owned by University of California at Berkeley fenced off from student anti-war protestors, sparking a riot called Bloody Thursday.
- 1970 – President Richard Nixon appoints Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington the first female United States Army Generals.
- 1970 – Philip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green are killed at Jackson State University by police during student protests.
- 1972 – Okinawa, under U.S. military governance since its conquest in 1945, reverts to Japanese control.
- 1972 – In Laurel, Maryland, Arthur Bremer shoots and paralyzes Alabama Governor George Wallace while he is campaigning to become President.
- 1974 – Ma'alot massacre: Members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine attack and take hostages at an Israeli school; a total of 31 people are killed, including 22 schoolchildren.
- 1986 – Elio de Angelis, was killed while testing the Brabham BT55 at the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet.
- 1987 – The Soviet Union launches the Polyus prototype orbital weapons platform. It fails to reach orbit.
- 1988 – Soviet war in Afghanistan: After more than eight years of fighting, the Soviet Army begins its withdrawal from Afghanistan.
- 1991 – Édith Cresson becomes France's first female premier.
- 1997 – The United States government acknowledges the existence of the "Secret War" in Laos and dedicates the Laos Memorial in honor of Hmong and other "Secret War" veterans.
- 2006 - Cloud Gate was formally dedicated in Chicago's Millennium Park.
- 2008 – California becomes the second U.S. state after Massachusetts in 2004 to legalize same-sex marriage after the state's own Supreme Court rules a previous ban unconstitutional.
- 2010 – Jessica Watson becomes the youngest person to sail, non-stop and unassisted around the world solo.
- 2013 – An upsurge in violence in Iraq leaves more than 389 people dead over three days.
Births[edit]
- 1397 – Sejong the Great, Korean king (d. 1450)
- 1567 – Claudio Monteverdi, Italian priest and composer (d. 1643)
- 1608 – René Goupil, French-American missionary (d. 1642)
- 1689 – Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, English author (d. 1762)
- 1720 – Maximilian Hell, Hungarian astronomer (d. 1792)
- 1749 – Levi Lincoln, Sr., American lawyer and politician, 4th United States Attorney General (d. 1820)
- 1764 – Johann Nepomuk Kalcher, German organist and composer (d. 1827)
- 1767 – Ezekiel Hart, Canadian businessman and politician (d. 1843)
- 1773 – Klemens von Metternich, German-Austrian politician, 1st State Chancellor of the Austrian Empire (d. 1859)
- 1786 – Dimitris Plapoutas, Greek general (d. 1864)
- 1808 – Michael William Balfe, Irish composer (d. 1870)
- 1817 – Debendranath Tagore, Indian philosopher (d. 1905)
- 1841 – Clarence Dutton, American geologist (d. 1912)
- 1848 – Viktor Vasnetsov, Russian painter (d. 1926)
- 1854 – Ioannis Psycharis, Ukrainian-French philologist and author (d. 1929)
- 1856 – L. Frank Baum, American author (d. 1919)
- 1856 – Matthias Zurbriggen, Swiss mountaineer (d. 1917)
- 1857 – Williamina Fleming, Scottish-American astronomer (d. 1911)
- 1859 – Pierre Curie, French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1906)
- 1862 – Arthur Schnitzler, Austrian author and playwright (d. 1931)
- 1863 – Frank Hornby, English businessman and politician, invented Meccano (d. 1936)
- 1869 – Paul Probst, Swiss target shooter (d. 1945)
- 1870 – Eddie Morton, American musician (d. 1930)
- 1890 – Katherine Anne Porter, American journalist and author (d. 1980)
- 1891 – Mikhail Bulgakov, Russian author and playwright (d. 1940)
- 1891 – Fritz Feigl, Austrian-Brazilian chemist (d. 1971)
- 1892 – Charles E. Rosendahl, American admiral (d. 1977)
- 1892 – Jimmy Wilde, Welsh boxer (d. 1969)
- 1894 – Feg Murray, American hurdler (d. 1973)
- 1895 – Prescott Bush, American captain, banker, and politician (d. 1972)
- 1895 – William D. Byron, American politician (d. 1941)
- 1895 – Astrid Zachrison, Swedish super-centenarian (d. 2008)
- 1898 – Arletty, French model, actress, and singer (d. 1992)
- 1899 – Jean-Étienne Valluy, French general (d. 1970)
- 1901 – Xavier Herbert, Australian author (d. 1984)
- 1901 – Luis Monti, Argentinian-Italian footballer and manager (d. 1983)
- 1902 – Richard J. Daley, American politician, 48th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1976)
- 1903 – Maria Reiche, German mathematician and archaeologist (d. 1998)
- 1904 – Clifton Fadiman, American game show host and author (d. 1999)
- 1905 – Joseph Cotten, American actor (d. 1994)
- 1905 – Abraham Zapruder, American businessman, filmed the Zapruder film (d. 1970)
- 1907 – Sukhdev Thapar, Indian activist (d. 1931)
- 1908 – S. M. Manickarajah, Ceylon Tamil politician
- 1909 – James Mason, English actor (d. 1984)
- 1909 – Clara Solovera, Chilean composer (d. 1992)
- 1910 – Constance Cummings, English actress (d. 2005)
- 1911 – Max Frisch, Swiss author and playwright (d. 1991)
- 1911 – Herta Oberheuser, German physician (d. 1978)
- 1912 – Arthur Berger, American composer (d. 2003)
- 1914 – Turk Broda, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1972)
- 1914 – Angus MacLean, Canadian politician, 25th Premier of Prince Edward Island (d. 2000)
- 1914 – Norrie Paramor, English composer, producer, and conductor (d. 1979)
- 1915 – Hilda Bernstein, English-South African author (d. 2006)
- 1915 – Paul Samuelson, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
- 1915 – Gus Viseur, Belgian-French accordion player (Quintette du Hot Club de France) (d. 1974)
- 1916 – Vera Gebuhr, Danish actress
- 1918 – Eddy Arnold, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2008)
- 1918 – Joseph Wiseman, Canadian-American actor (d. 2009)
- 1920 – Michel Audiard, French director and screenwriter (d. 1985)
- 1920 – Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, Lebanese patriarch
- 1920 – Louis Siminovitch, Canadian biologist
- 1922 – Sigurd Ottovich Schmidt, Russian historian and ethnographer (d. 2013)
- 1922 – Jakucho Setouchi, Japanese nun and author
- 1923 – Richard Avedon, American photographer (d. 2004)
- 1923 – John Lanchbery, English-Australian composer and conductor (d. 2003)
- 1924 – Maria Koepcke, German-Peruvian ornithologist (d. 1971)
- 1925 – Bert Bolin, Swedish meteorologist (d. 2007)
- 1925 – Mary Lyon, English geneticist
- 1925 – Roy Stewart, Jamaican-English actor and stuntman (d. 2008)
- 1926 – Clermont Pépin, Canadian pianist, composer, and educator (d. 2006)
- 1926 – Anthony Shaffer, English author and playwright (d. 2001)
- 1926 – Peter Shaffer, English playwright
- 1929 – George Selden, American author (d. 1989)
- 1930 – Jasper Johns, American painter
- 1931 – Ken Venturi, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 2013)
- 1932 – John Barnes, English jazz saxophonist and clarinettist
- 1935 – Don Bragg, American pole vaulter
- 1935 – Ted Dexter, English cricketer
- 1935 – Utah Phillips, American singer-songwriter (d. 2008)
- 1936 – Anna Maria Alberghetti, Italian-American actress and singer
- 1936 – Wavy Gravy, American clown and activist
- 1936 – Mart Laga, Estonian basketball player (d. 1977)
- 1936 – Ralph Steadman, English painter and illustrator
- 1936 – Paul Zindel, American author, playwright, and educator (d. 2003)
- 1937 – Madeleine Albright, Czech-American politician, 64th United States Secretary of State
- 1937 – Karin Krog, Norwegian jazz singer
- 1937 – Trini Lopez, American singer, guitarist, and actor
- 1937 – Joe Tait, American sportscaster
- 1938 – Mireille Darc, French actress
- 1938 – Diane Nash, American activist
- 1938 – Lenny Welch, American singer
- 1939 – Dorothy Shirley, English high jumper
- 1940 – Roger Ailes, American businessman
- 1940 – Lainie Kazan, American actress and singer
- 1940 – Don Nelson, American basketball player and coach
- 1941 – Jaxon, American illustrator and publisher, co-founded the Rip Off Press (d. 2006)
- 1942 – Jusuf Kalla, Indonesian politician, 10th Vice President of Indonesia
- 1942 – Doug Lowe, Australian politician, 35th Premier of Tasmania
- 1942 – K. T. Oslin, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1943 – Paul Bégin, Canadian politician
- 1943 – Freddie Perren, American songwriter, producer, and conductor (d. 2004)
- 1944 – Bill Alter, American politician
- 1944 – Ulrich Beck, German sociologist
- 1945 – Duarte Pio, Portuguese head of the House of Braganza
- 1945 – Michael Dexter, British haematologist
- 1946 – Aly Bain, Scottish fiddler (The Boys of the Lough)
- 1946 – Thadeus Nguyễn Văn Lý, Vietnamese priest
- 1947 – Graeham Goble, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Little River Band, Mississippi, Travis Wellington Hedge, Birtles & Goble, and Birtles Shorrock Goble)
- 1948 – Yutaka Enatsu, Japanese baseball player
- 1948 – Brian Eno, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (Roxy Music and 801)
- 1948 – Valentina Gerasimova, Kazakhstani middle-distance runner
- 1948 – Kathleen Sebelius, American politician, 44th Governor of Kansas
- 1949 – George Adams, American basketball player
- 1949 – Frank Culbertson, American astronaut
- 1949 – Steve Sparks, English volcanologist
- 1950 – Nicholas Hammond, American-Australian actor and singer
- 1950 – Keith Mills, English entrepreneur
- 1951 – Dennis Frederiksen, American singer-songwriter (Toto, Angel, and Le Roux) (d. 2014)
- 1951 – Chris Ham, British political scientist
- 1951 – Frank Wilczek, American mathematician and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1952 – Chazz Palminteri, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1952 – Phil Seymour, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1993)
- 1953 – George Brett, American baseball player and coach
- 1953 – Athene Donald, British physicist
- 1953 – Mike Oldfield, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (The Sallyangie)
- 1954 – Suzanne Basso, American murderer (d. 2014)
- 1954 – Diana Liverman, British environmental scientist
- 1954 – Caroline Thomson, British media executive
- 1955 – Mohamed Brahmi, Tunisian politician (d. 2013)
- 1955 – Lee Horsley, American actor
- 1955 – Lia Vissi, Greek singer
- 1956 – Andreas Loverdos, Greek lawyer and politician
- 1956 – Dan Patrick, American sportscaster
- 1956 – Peter Salmon, British television producer
- 1957 – Meg Gardiner, American crime fiction writer
- 1957 – Juan José Ibarretxe, Spanish politician
- 1957 – Kevin Von Erich, American wrestler
- 1958 – Ron Simmons, American football player and wrestler
- 1959 – Andrew Eldritch, English singer-songwriter (The Sisters of Mercy, The Sisterhood, and SSV)
- 1959 – Kaokor Galaxy, Thai boxer
- 1959 – Khaosai Galaxy, Thai boxer
- 1959 – Luis Pérez-Sala, Spanish race car driver
- 1959 – Beverly Jo Scott, American-Belgian singer-songwriter
- 1960 – Rob Bowman, American director and producer
- 1960 – Rhonda Burchmore, Australian actress, singer, and dancer
- 1960 – R. Kuhaneswaran, Sri Lankan Tamil politician
- 1960 – Rimas Kurtinaitis, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
- 1960 – Greg Wise, English actor and producer
- 1961 – Katrin Cartlidge, English actress (d. 2002)
- 1961 – Melle Mel, American rapper (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five)
- 1962 – Lisa Curry, Australian swimmer
- 1963 – Brenda Bakke, American actress
- 1964 – Digna Ochoa, Mexican lawyer (d. 2001)
- 1964 – Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Danish politician, 40th Prime Minister of Denmark
- 1965 – Raí, Brazilian footballer
- 1965 – André Abujamra, Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (Karnak)
- 1966 – Pete Wiggs, English keyboard player, songwriter, and producer (Saint Etienne)
- 1967 – Madhuri Dixit, Indian actress
- 1967 – Laura Hillenbrand, American journalist and author
- 1967 – John Smoltz, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1967 – Orlando Zapata, Cuban activist (d. 2010)
- 1968 – Cecilia Malmström, Swedish politician
- 1968 – Seth Putnam, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Anal Cunt, Post Mortem, and Siege) (d. 2011)
- 1968 – Sophie Raworth, British journalist and broadcaster
- 1969 – Hideki Irabu, Japanese-American baseball player (d. 2011)
- 1969 – Assala Nasri, Syrian singer
- 1969 – Emmitt Smith, American football player and sportscaster
- 1970 – Frank de Boer, Dutch footballer and manager
- 1970 – Ronald de Boer, Dutch footballer and manager
- 1970 – Desmond Howard, American football player and sportscaster
- 1970 – Alison Jackson, English photographic artist
- 1970 – Anne Akiko Meyers, American violinist
- 1970 – Martin Rossiter, Welsh singer-songwriter (Gene)
- 1970 – Rod Smith, American football player
- 1970 – Ben Wallace, English politician
- 1971 – Sarah Hadland, English actress
- 1971 – Karin Lušnic, Slovenian tennis player
- 1971 – Phil Pfister, American weightlifter and strongman
- 1972 – Danny Alexander, British politician
- 1972 – David Charvet, French actor and singer
- 1972 – Conrad Keely, British-born, American musician, known primarily as the lead singer for the rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
- 1973 – Emilia Tsoulfa, Greek sailor
- 1974 – Shiney Ahuja, Indian actor
- 1974 – Vassilis Kikilias, Greek basketball player and politician
- 1974 – Matthew Sadler, British chess grandmaster
- 1974 – Marko Tredup, German footballer and manager
- 1974 – Ahmet Zappa, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
- 1975 – Peter Iwers, Swedish bass player (In Flames)
- 1975 – Ray Lewis, American football player and sportscaster
- 1975 – Ales Michalevic, Belarusian lawyer and politician
- 1976 – Torraye Braggs, American basketball player
- 1976 – David Copeland, English terrorist
- 1976 – Jacek Krzynówek, Polish footballer
- 1976 – Ryan Leaf, American football player and coach
- 1976 – Tyler Walker, American baseball player
- 1978 – Amy Chow, American gymnast
- 1978 – Dwayne De Rosario, Canadian soccer player
- 1978 – Caroline Dhavernas, Canadian actress
- 1978 – Edu Gaspar, Brazilian footballer
- 1978 – David Krumholtz, American actor
- 1978 – Krissy Taylor, American model (d. 1995)
- 1979 – Adolfo Bautista, Mexican footballer
- 1979 – Daniel Caines, British sprinter
- 1979 – Chris Masoe, New Zealand rugby player
- 1979 – Robert Royal, American football player
- 1979 – Li Yanfeng, Chinese discus thrower
- 1980 – Josh Beckett, American baseball player
- 1980 – Rocky Marquette, American actor
- 1980 – Ariel X, American porn actress and model
- 1981 – Patrice Evra, French footballer
- 1981 – Justin Morneau, Canadian baseball player
- 1981 – Zara Phillips, English horse rider
- 1981 – Jamie-Lynn Sigler, American actress and singer
- 1982 – Alexandra Breckenridge, American actress
- 1982 – Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jamaican sprinter
- 1982 – Segundo Castillo, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1982 – Bradford Cox, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Deerhunter)
- 1982 – Tatsuya Fujiwara, Japanese actor
- 1982 – Jessica Sutta, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (The Pussycat Dolls)
- 1984 – Jeff Deslauriers, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1984 – Sérgio Jimenez, Brazilian race car driver
- 1985 – Cristiane, Brazilian footballer
- 1985 – Tania Cagnotto, Italian diver
- 1985 – Justine Robbeson, South African javelin thrower
- 1986 – Thomas Brown, American football player
- 1986 – Matías Fernández, Chilean footballer
- 1986 – Adam Moffat, Scottish footballer
- 1987 – Kévin Constant, French-Guinean footballer
- 1987 – Mark Fayne, American ice hockey player
- 1987 – Ersan İlyasova, Turkish basketball player
- 1987 – Jennylyn Mercado, Filipino singer-songwriter and actress
- 1987 – Andy Murray, Scottish tennis player
- 1987 - Leonardo Mayer, Argentinian tennis player
- 1988 – Nemanja Nešić, Serbian rower (d. 2012)
- 1989 – Sunny, American-South Korean singer, dancer, and actress (Girls' Generation)
- 1989 – Kiki Vidis, Australian porn actress
- 1990 – Jordan Eberle, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1990 – Lee Jong-hyun, South Korean singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (CNBLUE)
- 1991 – Mollee Gray, American actress, singer, and dancer
- 1993 – Mahfizur Rahman Sagor, Bangladeshi swimmer
- 1996 – Birdy, English singer
- 1997 – Precious Doe, American murder victim (d. 2001)
Deaths[edit]
- 392 – Valentinian II, Roman emperor (b. 371)
- 913 – Hatto I, German archbishop (b. 850)
- 1036 – Emperor Go-Ichijō of Japan (b. 1008)
- 1157 – Yuri Dolgorukiy, Russian prince and founded Moscow (b. 1099)
- 1174 – Nur ad-Din Zangi, Syrian ruler (b. 1118)
- 1381 – Eppelein von Gailingen, German warrior (b. 1315)
- 1585 – Niwa Nagahide, Japanese samurai (b. 1535)
- 1591 – Dmitry of Uglich (b. 1582)
- 1609 – Giovanni Croce, Italian composer (b. 1557)
- 1634 – Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (b. 1585)
- 1698 – Marie Champmeslé, French actress (b. 1642)
- 1699 – Sir Edward Petre, 3rd Baronet, English politician (b. 1631)
- 1700 – John Hale, American minister (b. 1636)
- 1740 – Ephraim Chambers, English encyclopaedist (b. 1680)
- 1773 – Alban Butler, English priest and hagiographer (b. 1710)
- 1845 – Braulio Carrillo Colina, Costa Rican politician, Head of State of Costa Rica (b. 1800)
- 1879 – Gottfried Semper, German architect and educator, designed the Semper Opera House (b. 1803)
- 1886 – Emily Dickinson, American poet (b. 1830)
- 1924 – Paul-Henri-Benjamin d'Estournelles de Constant, French diplomat and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
- 1928 – Umegatani Tōtarō I, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 15th Yokozuna (b. 1845)
- 1935 – Kazimir Malevich, Ukrainian-Russian painter (b. 1878)
- 1937 – Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1864)
- 1945 – Charles Williams, English author, poet, and critic (b. 1886)
- 1948 – Edward J. Flanagan, Irish-American priest, founded Boys Town (b. 1886)
- 1954 – William March, American author (b. 1893)
- 1956 – Austin Osman Spare, English painter and magician (b. 1886)
- 1957 – Dick Irvin, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1892)
- 1964 – Vladko Maček, Croatian politician (b. 1879)
- 1965 – Pio Pion, Italian entrepreneur (b. 1887)
- 1967 – Edward Hopper, American painter (b. 1882)
- 1969 – Joe Malone, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1890)
- 1971 – Tyrone Guthrie, English director, producer, and playwright (b. 1900)
- 1978 – Robert Menzies, Australian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1894)
- 1980 – Gordon Prange, American author (b. 1910)
- 1982 – Gordon Smiley, American race car driver (b. 1946)
- 1984 – Francis Schaeffer, American theologian, philosopher, and pastor (b. 1912)
- 1986 – Elio de Angelis, Italian race car driver (b. 1958)
- 1986 – Theodore H. White, American historian, journalist, and author (b. 1915)
- 1989 – Johnny Green, American composer and conductor (b. 1908)
- 1989 – Luc Lacourcière, Canadian author and ethnographer (b. 1910)
- 1991 – Andreas Floer, German mathematician (b. 1956)
- 1991 – Amadou Hampâté Bâ, Malian ethnologist (b. 1901)
- 1991 – Ronald Lacey, English actor (b. 1935)
- 1992 – Barbara Lee, American singer (The Chiffons) (b. 1947)
- 1992 – Jovy Marcelo, Filipino race car driver (b. 1965)
- 1993 – Salah Ahmed Ibrahim, Sudanese poet and diplomat (b. 1933)
- 1994 – Gilbert Roland, Mexican-American actor (b. 1905)
- 1995 – Eric Porter, English actor (b. 1928)
- 1996 – Charles B. Fulton, American lawyer and judge (b. 1910)
- 1998 – Earl Manigault, American basketball player (b. 1944)
- 2003 – June Carter Cash, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress (Carter Family and The Carter Sisters) (b. 1929)
- 2005 – Alan B. Gold, Canadian jurist (b. 1917)
- 2007 – Jerry Falwell, American pastor, founded Liberty University (b. 1933)
- 2007 – Yolanda King, American actress and activist (b. 1955)
- 2008 – Tommy Burns, Scottish footballer and manager (b. 1956)
- 2008 – Alexander Courage, American composer and conductor (b. 1919)
- 2008 – Robert Dunlop, Irish motorcycle racer (b. 1960)
- 2008 – Astrid Zachrison, Swedish super-centenarian (b. 1895)
- 2009 – Bud Tingwell, Australian actor, director, and producer (b. 1923)
- 2009 – Wayman Tisdale, American basketball player (b. 1964)
- 2010 – Besian Idrizaj, Austrian footballer (b. 1987)
- 2010 – Loris Kessel, Swiss race car driver (b. 1950)
- 2011 – Barbara Stuart, American actress (b. 1930)
- 2012 – Carlos Fuentes, Mexican author (b. 1928)
- 2012 – Jean Craighead George, American author (b. 1919)
- 2012 – Arno Lustiger, German historian and author (b. 1924)
- 2012 – Zakaria Mohieddin, Egyptian military officer and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of Egypt (b. 1918)
- 2012 – John Murray, 11th Duke of Atholl, South African surveyor (b. 1929)
- 2012 – George Wyllie, Scottish sculptor (b. 1921)
- 2013 – Paddy Buggy, Irish hurdler (b. 1929)
- 2013 – Linden Chiles, American actor (b. 1933)
- 2013 – Robert Hunt, English police officer (b. 1935)
- 2013 – Albert Lance, Australian-French tenor (b. 1925)
- 2013 – Billy Raymond, Scottish-Australian television host (b. 1938)
- 2013 – Henrique Rosa, Bissau-Guinean politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (b. 1946)
- 2013 – Fred White, American sportscaster (b. 1936)
Holidays and observances[edit]
- Aoi Matsuri (Kyoto)
- Christian feast day:
- Achillius of Larissa
- Athanasius of Alexandria (Coptic Church)
- Dymphna
- Hallvard Vebjørnsson (Norway)
- Hilary of Galeata
- Isidore the Laborer, celebrated with festivals in various countries, the beginning of bullfighting season in Madrid.
- Jean-Baptiste de La Salle (Roman Catholic Church)
- Peter, Andrew, Paul, and Denise (Roman Catholic Church)
- Reticius (Roman Catholic Church)
- Sophia of Rome (Roman Catholic church)
- May 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Constituent Assembly Day (Lithuania)
- Earliest date on which Armed Forces Day can fall, while May 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Saturday of May. (United States)
- Earliest date on which Bike-to-Work Day can fall, while May 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Friday of May. (United States)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Paraguay from Spain in 1811. Celebrations for the anniversary of the independence begin on Flag Day, May 14.
- International Day of Families (International)
- La Corsa dei Ceri begins on the eve of the feast day of Saint Ubaldo. (Gubbio)
- Mercuralia, in honour of Mercury. (Roman Empire)
- Nakba Day (Palestinian communities)
- Peace Officers Memorial Day (United States)
- Slovenian Army Day (Slovenia)
- Teachers' Day (Mexico and South Korea)
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” -Psalm 139:13-14
===
Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon
Morning
"Joint heirs with Christ."
Romans 8:17
Romans 8:17
The boundless realms of his Father's universe are Christ's by prescriptive right. As "heir of all things," he is the sole proprietor of the vast creation of God, and he has admitted us to claim the whole as ours, by virtue of that deed of joint-heirship which the Lord hath ratified with his chosen people. The golden streets of paradise, the pearly gates, the river of life, the transcendent bliss, and the unutterable glory, are, by our blessed Lord, made over to us for our everlasting possession. All that he has he shares with his people. The crown royal he has placed upon the head of his Church, appointing her a kingdom, and calling her sons a royal priesthood, a generation of priests and kings. He uncrowned himself that we might have a coronation of glory; he would not sit upon his own throne until he had procured a place upon it for all who overcome by his blood. Crown the head and the whole body shares the honour. Behold here the reward of every Christian conqueror! Christ's throne, crown, sceptre, palace, treasure, robes, heritage, are yours. Far superior to the jealousy, selfishness, and greed, which admit of no participation of their advantages, Christ deems his happiness completed by his people sharing it. "The glory which thou gavest me have I given them." "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." The smiles of his Father are all the sweeter to him, because his people share them. The honours of his kingdom are more pleasing, because his people appear with him in glory. More valuable to him are his conquests, since they have taught his people to overcome. He delights in his throne, because on it there is a place for them. He rejoices in his royal robes, since over them his skirts are spread. He delights the more in his joy, because he calls them to enter into it.
Evening
"He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom."
Isaiah 40:11
Isaiah 40:11
Who is he of whom such gracious words are spoken? He is the Good Shepherd. Why doth he carry the lambs in his bosom? Because He hath a tender heart, and any weakness at once melts his heart. The sighs, the ignorance, the feebleness of the little ones of his flock draw forth his compassion. It is his office, as a faithful High Priest, to consider the weak. Besides, he purchased them with blood, they are his property: he must and will care for that which cost him so dear. Then he is responsible for each lamb, bound by covenant engagements not to lose one. Moreover, they are all a part of his glory and reward.
But how may we understand the expression, "He will carry them"? Sometimes he carries them by not permitting them to endure much trial. Providence deals tenderly with them. Often they are "carried" by being filled with an unusual degree of love, so that they bear up and stand fast. Though their knowledge may not be deep, they have great sweetness in what they do know. Frequently he "carries" them by giving them a very simple faith, which takes the promise just as it stands, and believingly runs with every trouble straight to Jesus. The simplicity of their faith gives them an unusual degree of confidence, which carries them above the world.
"He carries the lambs in his bosom." Here is boundless affection. Would he put them in his bosom if he did not love them much? Here is tender nearness: so near are they, that they could not possibly be nearer. Here is hallowed familiarity: there are precious love-passages between Christ and his weak ones. Here is perfect safety: in his bosom who can hurt them? They must hurt the Shepherd first. Here is perfect rest and sweetest comfort. Surely we are not sufficiently sensible of the infinite tenderness of Jesus!
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Today's reading: 2 Kings 19-21, John 4:1-30 (NIV)
View today's reading on Bible GatewayToday's Old Testament reading: 2 Kings 19-21
Jerusalem's Deliverance Foretold
1 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. 2 He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 3 They told him, "This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. 4 It may be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives...."
Today's New Testament reading: John 4:1-30
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
1 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John-- 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon....
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