Conversation 25

NATIONAL FreeBSD DAY

National FreeBSD Day on June 19 commemorates the launch date of an innovative technology that many of us use every day.

The open-source operating system called FreeBSD developed out of the University of California at Berkley in 1993. Billions of people around the globe use FreeBSD to teach operating system concepts in universities. Companies also develop products on FreeBSD, and universities use it as a research platform.

While you may not be familiar with FreeBSD, there’s a good chance you’re already using at least some code derived from it in your everyday life. For example, do you stream movies via Netflix? How about chat with friends on WhatsApp? Maybe you play the latest PlayStation 4 game sensation. If so, you’re already using FreeBSD.

NATIONAL GARFIELD THE CAT DAY

June 19 is National Garfield the Cat Day to honor the fictional cartoon character, Garfield. Jim Davis created the comic strip Garfield and the title’s protagonist, a tabby cat by the same name. The observance celebrates Garfield and the entertainment he brings us.

Garfield launched on June 19, 1978. The strip chronicled the life of the lead character, the cat Garfield (named after Jim Davis ’s grandfather). It also introduced Garfield’s owner, Jon Arbuckle and Jon’s dog, Odie. The publication became syndicated in 2013 in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals and holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip.

Garfield was one of the cartoon characters to appear in Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.

Set in Muncie, Indiana, common themes in the comic strip include Garfield’s laziness, obsessive eating, love for lasagna and coffee, and hatred of Mondays and diets. While the focus is mostly upon the interaction between Garfield, Jon, and Odie, the strip introduces other characters as well.

NATIONAL WATCH DAY

On June 19 we learn about National Watch Day and recognize an industry that has been around for more than 500 years and is steadily evolving. Choosing a watch is very personal as the choices are vast and numerous. Even with the advent of smartphones and smartwatches, the classic wristwatch signals individual taste, culture, and a rich history that cannot be disputed.

Enveloped in history and nostalgia, makers crafted watches not only for telling time but as a symbol of something personal. Watches present a statement of who we are. When we pass down timepieces from generation to generation, they often become family heirlooms. Watches also serve as a rite of passage in many cultures, signifying the passage of more than just time – an era perhaps.

The iconic watch brands also paved the way for new trends like vintage-inspired, slimmer profiles, and affordable luxury. Incorporating design, re-inventing a brand’s signature look often balances traditional aesthetics with modern details. By creating and recreating new concepts, watches became a fashion accessory much like scarves and bags.

JUNETEENTH
Each year on June 19, we celebrate Juneteenth to commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The celebration takes place each year on June 19th, recognizing an event that took place in Texas in 1865.

The story of Juneteenth begins in Texas when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, with an announcement. As the community listened to the reading of General Orders, Number 3, the people of Galveston learned for the first time that the Civil War was over. After more than a century of slavery and years of war, it was official. All slaves were now freedmen.

“…the 19th of June wasn’t the exact day the Negro was freed. But that’s the day they told them that they was free… And my daddy told me that they whooped and hollered and bored holes in trees with augers and stopped it up with [gun] powder and light and that would be their blast for the celebration.” – Haye Turner, former slave.

News traveled slowly, even stubbornly during and after the War between the States. Over two years earlier, President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William H. Seward signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Only two months before Major General Granger arrived in Galveston, General Lee surrendered at Appomattox. And the country was already mourning the assassination of President Lincoln. Just weeks before Granger arrived, the official final surrender took place. And yet, this community in the west remained the last to know of their freedom. They required word, official word, to feel the effects of what was already happening in the rest of the country.

The Spread of Juneteenth
Chiefly, the celebration of Juneteenth grew from the profound experiences that day when many learned of their freedom. From that freedom, it grew out of the surmounting challenges that lay ahead. And it continues to grow from the perseverance required and the dignity to overcome adversity and achieve fulfillment.

Juneteenth is also known as Freedom Day

Year after year, waves of people pilgrimaging to Galveston stand in one of the last places to receive the news. The celebrations spread much like the news spread to Galveston about freedom, slowly at first and then picking up speed. But Galveston isn’t the only place celebrations take place. Juneteenth Jubilees happen all over the country and world. Juneteenth celebrated its 150th anniversary and celebrations spread around the globe in 2015.

In the U.S., all 50 states officially recognize the observance. In June 2021, the U.S. Congress passed legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday. President Joseph Biden signed the legislation into law on June 18, 2021, declaring Juneteenth National Independence Day. Federal offices observe the day on the closest weekday if Juneteenth lands on the weekend.

Bonnie Tyler Lyrics
“Total Eclipse Of The Heart”

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit lonely
And you’re never coming ’round

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the sound of my tears

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit nervous
That the best of all the years have gone by

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit terrified
And then I see the look in your eyes

(Turn around, bright eyes)
Every now and then I fall apart
(Turn around, bright eyes)
Every now and then
I fall apart

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit restless
And I dream of something wild

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit helpless
And I’m lying like a child in your arms

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit angry
And I know I’ve got to get out and cry

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit terrified
But then I see the look in your eyes

(Turn around, bright eyes)
Every now and then
I fall apart
Turn around, bright eyes
Every now and then
I fall apart

And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight
We’ll be holding on forever
And we’ll only be making it right
‘Cause we’ll never be wrong

Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)

I don’t know what to do and I’m always in the dark
We’re living in a powder keg and giving off sparks

I really need you tonight
Forever’s gonna start tonight
(Forever’s gonna start tonight)

Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I’m only falling apart
There’s nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart

Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there’s only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart

(Turn around, bright eyes)
(Turn around, bright eyes)

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I know you’ll never be the boy
You always wanted to be

(Turn around)
But every now and then
I know you’ll always be the only boy
Who wanted me the way that I am

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I know there’s no one in the universe
As magical and wondrous as you

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I know there’s nothing any better
There’s nothing that I just wouldn’t do

(Turn around, bright eyes)
Every now and then I fall apart
(Turn around, bright eyes)
Every now and then I fall apart

And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight
We’ll be holding on forever
And we’ll only be making it right
‘Cause we’ll never be wrong

Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)

I don’t know what to do
I’m always in the dark
Living in a powder keg and giving off sparks

I really need you tonight
Forever’s gonna start tonight
(Forever’s gonna start tonight)

Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I’m only falling apart
Nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart

Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there’s only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart

A total eclipse of the heart
A total eclipse of the heart

(Turn around, bright eyes)
(Turn around, bright eyes)
(Turn around)

@shoelady60,

Good evening and almost goodnight. LOL! 💕😎The Finals were really good.
Hey a player was on the winning team went to the our kids University. We are
talking about him. Well done. 😎

I hope that cough is getting better.

Well you can look at it or do what you must do. LOL! 😎💕

Sweet Dreams. 🎈😎

@taci,

Good evening glad your weather is agreeing with you. OZ is in the upper 80’s tonight.
I am getting into the shower for a Perlier shower. I have the works in my spa bathroom.

Glad you will enjoy Father’s Day and I think that is every day just like Mother’s Day. 🎈😎

Taci California is still a cool place to Hike. 😎

@oodiebom,

Ditto. 😎😘🎈