May 17 - Don't fear a dirty family war

 It was on this day in 1756 that the power of Great Britain declared war on France as they decided to push into French territory in North America.

It ended after ... well, as it was known as the 7 Years War, after seven years.  It had lots of global impact as Brain and France's allies came to each other's aid throughout the globe.

War can be messy and dirty... and dirty is just how some comics are funny.  One I never knew was that 'blue' was Bob Saget, who was born on this day in 1956.

He was on a TV show all about a family and togetherness, and it was shattered when I watched the documentary "Aristocrats".  I thought it was funny.  Bob sadly died in 2022.

Something that isn't funny, no matter what is homophobia, and there is the International Day Against Homophobia that's observed today.

May 16 - The Maid of Orleans was a light peace

 Joan of Arc was probably one of the first 'female warrior prophets' people know of.  She claimed to have had a vision from God to drive out the English.

Ultimately, she was captured and put on trial for heresy (I mean, a woman wearing men's armour and hearing angels and saints?).  She was put to death by burning at the stake in May 30th 1431 but later found innocent just a mere 25 years too late.

On this day in 1920 she was canonized as a saint.

Speaking of saints and peacely things, today is International Day of Living Together in Peace, which may have come in handy on that time of Joan d'Arc.

It's also International Day of Light, so when it's peaceful, it can be sunny too!

May 13 - That guy in Cocktail flew a bird into a poem

 Aside from it being one of the few Friday the 13ths out there...

To get over some of that superstitious angst, might as well have a cocktail.  It is World Cocktail Day.

Do you want something with rum, or gin, or vodka.. or all 3 ... there's millions of options.  Just gotta try em all.

While you're at the pub, who doesn't love a little joke and rhyme.  It's National Limerick Day in the US.

The origins of limericks were hardly dirty and usually had a boring "oh that weird old man from York" or similar which is a callback from the opening line.

Now, the guy that was in a movie called Cocktail, Tom Cruise, was also in a movie called Top Gun.

That movie was screened May 12 (yesterday) in 1981, and the movie was 're-released' on this day last year (2021).  Somehow it's been translated into calling May 13 as Top Gun Day.

So, give the movie a watch.  But don't play that old NES game.

May 12 - D'oh biffed that landing

 The Simpsons, it seems timeless.  Even though as the season ages, none of the characters age... but canonically, Home Simpson does have a proper age.

He has shown his drivers license showing it was today in 1956.

That makes him 66 today.

So many people have been on the show making cameos, like Tony Hawk.

They fought each other in that episode, but they share a birthday (albeit, Hawk is 12 years younger)

May 11 - the rasta hiker

 On this day we lost two cool people.

In 1981 we lost Bob Marley to cancer, and then in 2001 my favourite author, Douglas Adams to a heart attack.

May 10 - Hulk and the Wolf

 It was on this day in 1962 that Stan and Jack launched a angry fella who, with the help of some gamma radiation, goes on to 'smash' the bad guys.

The Incredible Hulk was a bimonthly installment series way back then, but only lasted 6 episodes before the green dude was relegated to smaller stories for the next few years before coming back as a standalone in 1968.

Today is also World Lupus Day.

Lupus is a disease where your own body will attack itself.  Pretty scary.  And the day is to help raise awareness.

May 9 - European minors

 In Canada, the second week in May we call National Mining Week.

There are a lot of jobs tied up in the industry, so definitely worth celebrating it.

And since 1964 Europe has been celebrating today as Europe Day