The Shrinking Realm: Queen Elizabeth’s Commonwealth And The Future Of Its Nations

The Shrinking Realm: Queen Elizabeth’s Commonwealth And The Future Of Its Nations

Niamh Cavanagh·Producer Fri, September 16, 2022

Elizabeth II  Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand

LONDON — At its height, the British Empire’s rule oversaw 531 million people — over three continents spanning from North America to Oceania. It was once said that the sun never set on the British Empire, but as years passed, the monarchy’s global reach began to decline.

Six years after the devastation of World War I, Britain announced that each member of the Empire would be seen as equal. This meant that the monarchy and its Parliament had no power over the domestic and foreign policies of these “Dominions.

The officials in formal dress line up around the queen, who is wearing a crinoline and tiara, under a large chandelier.

Seven prime ministers posed in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace in London at a dinner party given by Queen Elizabeth II on Dec. 3, 1952, for ministers attending the Commonwealth Conference and their wives. From left: Dudley Senanayake, premier of Ceylon; Sir Godfrey Hugging, premier of Southern Rhodesia; Sidney Holland, premier of New Zealand; Winston Churchill, premier of the United Kingdom; the queen; Robert Menzies, premier of Australia; Louis St. Laurent; premier of Canada; Nicholas Havenga, South African minister of finance; Khawaja Nazimuddin, premier of Pakistan, and Sir Chintaman Deshmukh, India's minister of finance. (AP Photo)

After World War II, the British Empire would continue to contract, as countries under its colonial rule fought for and gained their independence. In 1949, the British Commonwealth of Nations would no longer ask members to swear allegiance to the crown, and all nations under the umbrella of the association would simply be known as the Commonwealth of Nations.

Elizabethan Era

Upon Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension to the throne in 1952, the Commonwealth had already lost Ireland, in 1948. Eire gained its autonomy in 1921 after 800 years of British involvement, leaving only the six counties in Northern Ireland, of the 32 counties on the island, as part of the United Kingdom.

During her coronation speech in 1953, the new monarch acknowledged and praised Britain’s imperial past. “I have behind me not only the splendid traditions and the annals of more than a thousand years, but the living strength and majesty of the Commonwealth and Empire,” she said.

The Queen, accompanied by Gov. Gurmukh Nihal Singh, wearing a turban and a beard, shakes hands with a line of dignitaries and military officials.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrive in Jaipur, India, on Jan. 22, 1961, met at the airport by Gov. Gurmukh Nihal Singh. (AP Photo)

Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-serving sovereign, was on the throne seven years longer than Queen Victoria, her great-great grandmother, who oversaw the expansion of Britain's colonial possessions.

“[The] Queen's reign is the kind of grand rebranding for the British Empire, which was originally kind of built on an ideology that dictated that white people and their settler descendants would be in charge,” Dr. Liam Liburd, assistant professor of Black British history at Durham University in England, told Yahoo News.

“The development of the Commonwealth after the Queen's coronation in 1953 can be seen as a kind of consolation prize for the British Empire.”

Decline of the Empire

Through the decades, the Commonwealth would see territories lost and countries depart, with some rejoining. By the 1960s, most of Britain’s colonies in Africa and Asia were independent, although some chose to remain as part of the Commonwealth, an option offered on a voluntary basis.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here: 

https://news.yahoo.com/queen-elizabeth-commonwealth-realm-shrinking-nations-203450220.html

Queen Elizabeth II’s Best Feminist Moments

Queen Elizabeth II’s Best Feminist Moments

Olivia Petter  Fri, September 16, 2022

Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96.

The monarch passed away “peacefully” in Balmoral Castle on Thursday 8 September. Her death comes almost a year and a half after the Duke of Edinburgh died on 9 April 2021.  Over the course of her reign, the Queen was the most powerful person in Britain, but she was also one of the most inspiring women in the world.

She was the UK’s longest-serving monarch, recording 70 years on the throne, and despite hardly ever discussing women’s rights, she had a watershed impact on empowering women everywhere throughout her reign.

The Queen was described by many as a feminist icon, including Olivia Colman, who played the monarch in the fourth season of The Crown.

The Oscar winner previously told Radio Times: “[The Queen is] the ultimate feminist. She’s the breadwinner. She’s the one on our coins and banknotes.”

In remembrance of the Queen, we’ve rounded up some of her best feminist moments.

When she took Saudi King Abdullah for a spin in her Land Rover

In 2003, the Queen famously took Abdullah, who died in 2015, for a drive in her Land Rover when he came to visit her in Balmoral, Scotland.

The story was told in a memoir by British diplomat Sir Sherard Cowper-Cowles, who was Ambassador to Saudi Arabia at the time.

“After lunch, the Queen had asked her royal guest whether he would like a tour of the estate,” wrote Cowper-Coles.

“Prompted by his foreign minister the urbane Prince Saud, an initially hesitant Abdullah had agreed. The royal Land Rovers were drawn up in front of the castle. As instructed, the Crown Prince climbed into the front seat of the front Land Rover, his interpreter in the seat behind.

“To his surprise, the Queen climbed into the driving seat, turned the ignition and drove off.”

The move was particularly significant considering women were not yet allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, and, as Cowper-Coles writes, “Abdullah was not used to being driven by a woman, let alone a Queen”.

When she quietly oversaw the change in royal rules of succession to allow the eldest woman to accede to the throne

In 2011, the Queen oversaw a major change to succession laws as agreed by the leaders of the 16 Commonwealth countries that meant sons and daughters of any future British monarch would have equal rights to the throne.

Up until that point, the laws of succession dictated that the heir to the throne is always the first-born son of the monarch.

But according to the new rules, had the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had a daughter first, she would have taken precedence to the throne over her younger brothers. As it so happens, the couple had a boy first, Prince George.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://news.yahoo.com/queen-elizabeth-ii-best-feminist-080007548.html

Queen Elizabeth II’s Role in Government—and 28 Things She Has the Power to Do

Queen Elizabeth II’s Role in Government—and 28 Things She Has the Power to Do

Lauren CahnLauren Cahn    Updated: Jun. 02, 2022

What does the queen of England do, exactly? A lot more than you might think, considering she doesn't actually rule the country.

Long Live The Queen

On February 6, 1953, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne upon the death of her father, King George VI. In so doing, she became the 40th British monarch since William the Conquerer took control of the land in 1066. Back then, the British Sovereign had nearly absolute authority over the matters that concerned the kingdom and its subjects. These circumstances began to change in 1215, when King John signed the Magna Carta, acknowledging certain limits to the sovereign’s powers with respect to rights like taxing citizens without adequate governmental representation.

Whether King John realized it or not, his signing of the Magna Carta set the wheels in motion for a gradual diminishing of the sovereign’s powers over the ensuing centuries. Today, the United Kingdom stands and functions as a constitutional monarchy under which a hereditary sovereign (in this case, the queen) is head of state but not the head of the government.

The power to govern resides in an elected governmental body known as parliament and in the delegates of it with regard to devolved matters (those that have been delegated to local governments of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland).

With royal mania hopping the pond and settling in stateside, you’re probably familiar with the royal family tree and the reasons why Queen Elizabeth isn’t stepping down anytime soon. Now for the tough questions: What does the queen of England do exactly? And perhaps more importantly, what does she even have the power to do? Read on to find out.

Serve As Queen Of More Than Just England

Go ahead and ask “What does the queen of England do?” Just don’t overlook this key fact: The Queen of England isn’t just the queen of England. She’s also the queen of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, which join England to compose the United Kingdom. She’s also the Queen of the 14 other nations that currently make up the “Commonwealth realm,” including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, and Jamaica. All 15 Commonwealth realms together comprise 150 million people.

What constitutes the queen’s “rule” over the Commonwealth realm is still up in the air. Although the power to govern resides in parliament, and the royal family (a.k.a. The Crown) fully acknowledges that its role is largely ceremonial, the queen possesses a great many powers and responsibilities. 

As the British Monarchist League explains, the role of the queen is far from just ceremonial but rather “encompasses a wide spectrum of official duties [and] constitutional powers,” which include those that can be exercised without the consent of any other member or agency of the government.

Choose To Rule (Or Not To Rule)

Because the queen ascended the throne as a result of a hereditary right, some viewed her reign as a “divine appointment.” But that’s just a royal family superstition. The crown is a choice for the queen, and if she wanted to, she could take a page from her uncle’s book and abdicate, which is how her father, George VI, became king. Though the 95-year-old monarch’s health has been in the spotlight in recent months, there is no reason to believe that the queen will abdicate, now or ever.

What she can’t do, though, is install a regent, like heir apparent Prince Charles. That only happens when a monarch is incapacitated, and it’s a highly unusual circumstance. The last regency was during the reign of King George III in the early 1800s.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.rd.com/list/queen-elizabeth-governing-power/

"Bits and Pieces" Posted by Mot at TNT

Mot:  Wyatt, do not let this world change your kind heart young man for its people like YOU that will change this world

August 22 at 7:31 PM  ·

I am praying this reaches this young mans parents!!!

 Tonight as I was leaving football practice with my three kiddos my 4 year old was so tired he started crying and acting a fool as we were getting in the van. My 7 year old daughter started crying because I told her we were having red potatoes as a side for dinner and clearly she wasn’t a fan sooo I threw my hands up and said FORGET it - McDonald’s tonight!!

 We go through the drive through order food all three kids are now crying for one reason or the other I go to pay - I LEFT MY PURSE AT HOME. Welp now I wanted to cry. I look at the young man with tears in my eyes just from being stressed and annoyed and say “hun I am so sorry but I have to cancel that order I left my purse at home when we went to football tonight” WITHOUT HESITATION he takes out his wallet and swipes his card before I could even say “no I will be right back!”

I was like wait no hun it’s ok I will come back through then he replies “no it’s totally fine, my pleasure”.

I snapped a quick picture and asked his name to which he replied Wyatt ma’am. I told him I would be right back with cash for him & he tried hard to talk me out of it.

 I just want his parents to know how KIND & COMPASSIONATE your son was tonight! He made this stressed out momma pause for a moment and realize this is exactly what we parents are trying to do, raise great humans. Well Wyatt sir, you are an amazing human!!!

I went back and handed him cash and had to make him take it because he didn’t want to take more than he had paid but I wanted him to know that when you put good out in the world it comes back to you ten fold!

Wyatt, do not let this world change your kind heart young man for its people like YOU that will change this world for the better!

Credit: Brittany Reed

**

Mot:  Always looking fer an easier way to Clean the House So When ~~

Mot:  .. I Just Love My New Cereal!!! ~~~~

Mot:  .... Can You Just Imagine Doing This!! ~~ prank paper bag

Mot:  .... Finally!!!! ---men naming eyeshadow

Mot:  . Thinking of Someone Having a Tough Day! ~~~

Three Presidents Die on July 4th: Just a Coincidence?

Three Presidents Die on July 4th: Just a Coincidence?

July 4, 2021 by NCC Staff

It is a fact of American history that three of the five Founding Father Presidents died on the Independence Day anniversary. But was it just a coincidence?

It is a fact of American history that three Founding Father Presidents—John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe—died on July 4, the Independence Day anniversary. But was it just a coincidence?

On July 4, 1831, James Monroe, the fifth President, died at the age of 73 at his son-in-law’s home in New York City. Monroe had been ill for some time and newspapers had reported on Monroe’s illness before his passing.

Local and national newspapers were also quick to report after Monroe’s death that they thought his July 4 passing was a “remarkable” coincidence, at the least, since Thomas Jefferson and John Adams had both also died on July 4, 1826 – the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The oddness of the events wasn’t lost on the New York Evening Post in 1831, when the newspaper founded by Alexander Hamilton called it a “coincidence that has no parallel”:  “Three of the four presidents who have left the scene of their usefulness and glory expired on the anniversary of the national birthday, a day which of all others, had it been permitted them to choose [they] would probably had selected for the termination of their careers,” the Post reported on July 5, 1831.

The New York Commercial Advertiser wrote on July 5, 1831:  “It would be difficult to find a parallel in history, three of them have been called away in a good all age, on the same proud anniversary."

And then the Boston Traveler wondered about the coincidence on July 8. “Again our national anniversary has been marked by one of those events, which it may be scarcely permitted to ascribe the chance.”

Then the Frederick, Maryland Town Herald marked Monroe’s passing on July 9, 1831 by also noting the “presidential coincidence”:  “This have three of our revolutionary presidents departed this life on the anniversary of our independence; presenting the most remarkable tissue of coincidences that have marked the history of nations,” the newspaper said.

The death of these three presidents on the same day of the year was a long shot. There is an interesting blog post at the Boston University’s History Society that excerpts Margaret P. Battin’s research on the coincidental deaths of Adams and Jefferson.

“Given the insufficient historical evidence available, we can’t know the truth about why Adams and Jefferson died on the same day,” Battin said. (She didn’t include Monroe in her study.) Battin evaluated the circumstances under six different criteria, ranging from mere coincidence and divine intervention, to the men’s willingness or desire to die on the anniversary day.

“We can reflect on whether it would make a difference to us if one or another of these explanations turned out to be true,” she concluded. “After all, the six possibilities these explanations raise are central to the very questions about death and dying that are so controversial today.”

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/three-presidents-die-on-july-4th-just-a-coincidence/

​Happy 4th of July

​Happy 4th of July

The Dinar Recaps Team wishes everyone a happy and safe 4th of July.

Due to the holiday, we will NOT have a 10pm (ET) email Newsletter Monday night.

Please check our BLOG page for any new postings throughout the day and evening.

Why Do We Celebrate July 4th With Fireworks?

Why Do We Celebrate July 4th With Fireworks?

Sarah Pruitt  Jul 3, 2019

It’s hard to imagine Independence Day without fireworks. But how did this tradition get started?

As it turns out, setting off mini-explosions of all shapes and colors (but particularly red, white and blue) on July 4 goes back almost as far as American independence itself.

Fireworks have a long and colorful history, but the story of how they became ubiquitous on July 4 dates to the summer of 1776, during the first months of the Revolutionary War. On July 1, delegates of the Continental Congress were in Philadelphia, debating over whether the 13 original colonies should declare their independence from Britain’s Parliament as well as King George III himself.

That night, news arrived that British ships had sailed into New York Harbor, posing an immediate threat to the Continental troops commanded by George Washington.

On July 2, delegates from 12 colonies voted in favor of independence (New York would follow suit on July 9) and the motion carried.

On July 3, even as Congress revised a draft of the declaration composed by Thomas Jefferson, an excited John Adams took up his pen to write to his wife, Abigail.

“The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America,” Adams wrote. “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival…It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” Adams was off by a couple of days.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.history.com/news/july-4-fireworks-independence-day-john-adams

 Macy’s July 4th Fireworks Spectacular —See Pics From The Gorgeous Displays Across NYC:

https://hollywoodlife.com/2020/07/04/macys-2020-fourth-of-july-fireworks-photos/

View of fireworks from the National Mall   KCTV5 News  July 4 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VD8h6Oenas

50 Happy 4th Of July Quotes To Celebrate The American Dream

50 Happy 4th Of July Quotes To Celebrate The American Dream

By Roman Chiarello — Written on Jul 03, 2021

Happy 4th of July! Celebrate the birth of the American dream with the collection below of the best 4th of July quotes from founding fathers and national patriots you can share with your friends and family.

On July 4, 1776, fifty-six leaders of the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. With this signing, our Founding Fathers declared the 2.5 million people living in the thirteen colonies members of a new, independent nation: The United States of America.

Every year, patriotic folks across the nation celebrate our freedom and this momentous occasion with fireworks, BBQ parties, parades, and outdoor games as scores of American flags can be seen soaring across the nation.

Displays and events like these bring people together to mark the day and put their American pride on full display. And being able to celebrate this American pride and patriotism is one of this country’s greatest hallmarks.

Here’s our collection of 50 of the best 4th of July quotes from founding fathers to national patriots to help you celebrate.

1. “Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people.” — Abraham Lincoln

2. “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” — Abraham Lincoln

3. “Freedom is one of the deepest and noblest aspirations of the human spirit.” — Ronald Reagan

4. “Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.” — John Dickinson

5. “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” — Elmer Davis

6. “America means opportunity, freedom, power.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

7. “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” — George Orwell

8. “America, to me, is freedom.” — Willie Nelson

9. “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” — Harry S. Truman

10. “The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” — James Madison

11. “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” — George S. Patton

12. “With freedom comes responsibility.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

13. “The winds that blow through the wide sky in these mounts, the winds that sweep from Canada to Mexico, from the Pacific to the Atlantic — have always blown on free men.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

14. “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” — Abraham Lincoln

15. “Liberty is the breath of life to nations.” — George Bernard Shaw

16. “One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, One Nation evermore!” — Oliver Wendell Holmes

17. “May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!” — Daniel Webster

18. “In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

19. “All we have of freedom, all we use or know — This our fathers bought for us long and long ago.” — Rudyard Kipling

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.yourtango.com/2018314492/fourth-of-july-quotes-independence-day

10 Fascinating Facts About The Declaration Of Independence

10 Fascinating Facts About The Declaration Of Independence

July 4, 2022 by NCC Staff

July 4th marks the annual holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. So how much do you know about this famous document?

1. Is Independence Day really July 2?

Officially, the Continental Congress declared its freedom from Britain on July 2, 1776, when it approved a resolution and delegates from New York were permitted to make it a unanimous vote. John Adams thought July 2 would be marked as a national holiday for generations to come.

2. July 4 is when the Declaration was adopted

After voting on independence, the Continental Congress needed to finalize a document explaining the move to the public. It had been proposed in draft form by the Committee of Five (John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson) and it took two days for the Congress to agree on the edits.

3. Six people signed the Declaration and also the Constitution

Franklin was among a handful of people who signed both historical documents. The others were George Read, Roger Sherman, Robert Morris, George Clymer and James Wilson.

4. But they didn’t sign the Declaration on July 4th!

Once the Congress approved the actual Declaration of Independence document on July 4, it ordered that it be sent to a printer named John Dunlap. About 200 copies of the Dunlap Broadside were printed, with John Hancock’s name printed at the bottom. Today, 26 copies remain.

5. So what if I stumble upon a lost version of the Dunlap Broadside at a flea market?

That’s what happened in 1989 in Adamstown, Pa. It was tucked behind an old picture in a frame and it cost the buyer $4. That version of the Declaration was eventually acquired by TV producer Norman Lear for $8.1 million.

6. OK – when was the Declaration actually signed?

Most of the members of the Continental Congress signed a version of the Declaration in early August 1776 in Philadelphia. The names of the signers were released publicly in early 1777. So that famous painting showing the signing of the Declaration on July 4, 1776, is a bit of an exaggeration.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-the-declaration-of-independence

The Story Behind the Star Spangled Banner (Copy)

The Story Behind the Star Spangled Banner

How the flag that flew proudly over Fort McHenry inspired an anthem and made its way to the Smithsonian

A conservator works on the Star-Spangled Banner in 1914. (Corbis)

By Cate Lineberry   SMITHSONIANMAG.COM   MARCH 1, 2007

On a rainy September 13, 1814, British warships sent a downpour of shells and rockets onto Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor, relentlessly pounding the American fort for 25 hours. The bombardment, known as the Battle of Baltimore, came only weeks after the British had attacked Washington, D.C., burning the Capitol, the Treasury and the President's house. It was another chapter in the ongoing War of 1812.

A week earlier, Francis Scott Key, a 35-year-old American lawyer, had boarded the flagship of the British fleet on the Chesapeake Bay in hopes of persuading the British to release a friend who had recently been arrested. Key's tactics were successful, but because he and his companions had gained knowledge of the impending attack on Baltimore, the British did not let them go. They allowed the Americans to return to their own vessel but continued guarding them. Under their scrutiny, Key watched on September 13 as the barrage of Fort McHenry began eight miles away.

"It seemed as though mother earth had opened and was vomiting shot and shell in a sheet of fire and brimstone," Key wrote later. But when darkness arrived, Key saw only red erupting in the night sky. Given the scale of the attack, he was certain the British would win. The hours passed slowly, but in the clearing smoke of "the dawn's early light" on September 14, he saw the American flag—not the British Union Jack—flying over the fort, announcing an American victory.

Key put his thoughts on paper while still on board the ship, setting his words to the tune of a popular English song. His brother-in-law, commander of a militia at Fort McHenry, read Key's work and had it distributed under the name "Defence of Fort M'Henry." The Baltimore Patriot newspaper soon printed it, and within weeks, Key's poem, now called "The Star-Spangled Banner," appeared in print across the country, immortalizing his words—and forever naming the flag it celebrated.

Nearly two centuries later, the flag that inspired Key still survives, though fragile and worn by the years. To preserve this American icon, experts at the National Museum of American History recently completed an eight-year conservation treatment with funds from Polo Ralph Lauren, The Pew Charitable Trusts and the U.S. Congress. And when the museum reopens in summer 2008, the Star-Spangled Banner will be its centerpiece, displayed in its own state-of-the-art gallery.

"The Star-Spangled Banner is a symbol of American history that ranks with the Statue of Liberty and the Charters of Freedom," says Brent D. Glass, the museum's director. "The fact that it has been entrusted to the National Museum of American History is an honor."

Started in 1996, the Star-Spangled Banner preservation project—which includes the flag's conservation and the creation of its new display in the renovated museum—was planned with the help of historians, conservators, curators, engineers and organic scientists. With the construction of the conservation lab completed in 1999, conservators began their work.

Over the next several years, they clipped 1.7 million stitches from the flag to remove a linen backing that had been added in 1914, lifted debris from the flag using dry cosmetic sponges and brushed it with an acetone-water mixture to remove soils embedded in fibers. Finally, they added a sheer polyester backing to help support the flag.

Be sure to click link below to view many pictures of flag

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-story-behind-the-star-spangled-banner-149220970/

A "Conglomeration of Inspiration" Tuesday Night

We noticed there is a lot of tension, frustration and downright grumpiness in Dinarland lately….Hope this conglomeration of inspiration helps a bit~ Your Dinar Recaps Team

Quotable Quotes: 

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.

The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking.”

All you can change is yourself, but sometimes that changes everything

If someone tells you, “You can’t” they really mean, “I can’t

The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them.

“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.”

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.

There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative

We are all here for some special reason. Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future

The next time you feel slightly uncomfortable with the pressure in your life, remember no pressure, no diamonds. Pressure is a part of success

With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.”

Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place

Lastly remember that everything happens for reason and there are no coincidences! Your time has been well spent and you have learned much.

~~~~~~~~~~~

More Quotable Quotes:

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress. Will Rogers

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible George Burns

Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year. Victor Borge

I am neither for nor against apathy.

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. Socrates

I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury. Groucho Marx

My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe. Jimmy Durante

My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying. Rodney Dangerfield

Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you. Winston Churchill

Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty. But everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out. Phyllis Diller

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat. Alex Levine

*************

ELO - All Over The World- (I dare you to be grumpy after watching this!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh3i3vWgPyk

How many movies did you know??   lol   Enjoy

Are YOU Ready !!!! 100 Movies Dance Scenes Mashup to Funk !!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EmnSm_d2ll4#t=0

The Jive Aces present "Bring Me Sunshine"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXvJ8UquYoo

God Bless The USA (Home Free Cover)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFt9D6ZIjOQ