Pull my finger
Happy Columbus Day, everyone. Or as we usually observe it, the annual Argue with Lefties About Columbus Day, Day.
Indigenous Peoples Day, indeed. Indigenous peoples is such a lumpen, juiceless expression. Who would want to be one of them?
I know from living in Rhode Island that Columbus Day is very much seen as a celebration of Italian immigrants. Good luck getting those guys to back off their special day.
Oddly enough, in countries all over South America, it’s called some variant of Día de la Raza or “Day of the Race” – a celebration of Hispanics arriving in the New World. Our neighbors to the south are much less shy about their European heritage. Or were until recently, anyway.
Oh, yah, you betcha – in predominantly Scandihoovian communities, they celebrate it as Leif Erikson Day, because by golly he got here first.
I think this one is too complicated to cancel, y’all.
Posted: October 10th, 2022 under holidays.
Comments: 12
Comments
Comment from Anonymous
Time: October 10, 2022, 7:11 pm
In recognition of the current wave of nationalism, let’s get Genoese nationalistic!
Happy Cristoforo Colombo Day!
I admire Colombo for his success in conning Spain’s Queen Isabella into funding his voyage. Little did she know how high the ROI would be, especially after Pope Alexander VI (a Spaniard, wouldn’t you know) established the Line of Demarcation divvying up South America between Spain and Portugal with Spain getting the lion’s share.
Comment from Uncle Al
Time: October 10, 2022, 7:54 pm
Oops. I forgot to enter my name above. Now you know who to blame.
Comment from Durnedyankee
Time: October 10, 2022, 10:27 pm
La Raza…yeah, Spanish colonies in the New World all did so so so well moving into the future as compared to the English ones…
And then, who wouldn’t want to go back to being ruled by the always benevolent government of Azteca! Presumably after the Indigs have annihilated La Raza.
Comment from Some imported Vegetable
Time: October 11, 2022, 1:33 am
What’s annoying about “Indigenous People’s Day” is that it is merely a participation trophy. Columbus DID something, and at considerable risk.
The situation reminds me of an old TV commercial where mother has cooked dinner and a 4-year-old girl says, “And I helped!” No, Honey, you just stood in the kitchen while things happened around you.
By definition, Indigenous People, being indigenous, discovered nothing. So perhaps even a participation trophy is a bit much. They merely stood and applauded (or perhaps booed) as Columbus did the heavy lifting of sailing into the unknown.
NB: While I completely recognize and applaud Leif Erickson and his achievement in getting here first, no lasting impact was felt from the Viking’s brief visits . We must recognize that Columbus didn’t know about Leif and thus wasn’t building on his shoulders. He really sail into the unknown on borrowed money and promises, and that should be worthy of applause.
Comment from Drew458
Time: October 11, 2022, 1:20 pm
And old Leif probably wasn’t first either. The Basques may have been coming over to this side to fish since the last Ice Age. Granted, anything they built on land – fish drying racks, a few huts – was wood, and decayed ages ago.
What mattered then, as now, is that you had good PR.
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: October 11, 2022, 5:55 pm
So, raise your hand if you remembered instantly that the ad Some Veg is talking about was Shake n Bake?
Comment from OldFert
Time: October 11, 2022, 6:52 pm
Hand held high.
It’s Shaik an’ baik! An’ I he’pt!
Comment from Durnedyankee
Time: October 11, 2022, 8:41 pm
I can even remember her goofy little face.
She taught her accent to Reba McEntire, who uses it to this very day.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bB7j3sUWohE
Pretty much what I remembered.
Comment from Uncle Al
Time: October 11, 2022, 8:43 pm
Hand up!
Comment from Durnedyankee
Time: October 12, 2022, 2:27 am
That same little girl now identifies as a 300 lb hairy bearded mule skinner named Rhodes. Her pronouns are “his majesty” and “Dread Pirate Roberts”.
Comment from BJM
Time: October 13, 2022, 2:07 am
I say let’s blame all the West’s woes on the Vikings and go have a nice Barolo and a NY slice.
Comment from Joan
Time: October 26, 2022, 4:41 pm
Statue’s face looks like Christopher Walken.
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