Happy May Day everyone!
Category Fun May Day
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Happy May Day everyone! Today is May Day - and while it may be largely associated with Marxist communism, there is a rich history behind it - from ancient pagan rituals through the labor movement borne in recent history through today. Bob knows quite a bit about this (he's a history buff), so maybe I can prod him into writing a little bit more about it. In any case this is as good a day as any to celebrate Spring as it arrives, and the fantastic job our work force - which includes us hard-working geeks - do every day to keep this global economy moving forward.
This is also as good a day as any to come back to the blogging fold. I've been gone for awhile, but haven't forgotten you. I have just had a major case of burnout when it comes to blogging, and I have hit a "dry spell" on technical topics to blog about. I really didn't want to post only entertainment, family, my personal pain and disability issues, and political topics, so I chose not to blog at all. I'm not sure that was the right decision in hindsight, but it doesn't matter now. I have decided to start blogging again, and I'll just blog about whatever comes to mind, regardless of whether it is technical or not. This means that LotusGeek may not be the great technical resource of days past, but it will be an honest account of what's going on with me, both personally and professionally.
I have some ideas to blog about in the upcoming weeks - mostly around my family, some thoughts on the political landscape, and around my struggles with pain management - and yes, even some technical posts as well.
Finally, I'd like to ask you, gentle reader, to add the Teamstudio Voices blog to your feed reader. I've launched this blog, and it is my "work baby"; I think you'll find that the posts coming up in the near future are actually pretty interesting (and no, the Voices blog is NOT a marketing vehicle - it is just a way to give a voice to the great folks that make up Teamstudio, because they have some very interesting things to say).
Anyway, happy May Day. Be proud of your contributions to the work force, be thankful for the tenacity of our forbears in securing us a fair and fruitful work environment, and hug those who are special to you as they are your foundation.
Cheers!
Rock
Blog Roll
Comments
When called, I respond: "May Day" is called that because it occurs on May 1. The official name, however, (in English, at least) is "International Workers Day". It's essentially the European (though it's also celebrated in countries outside Europe) version of the U.S. "Labor Day".
One big difference, though, between their May Day and our Labor Day is that here in the U.S., Labor Day is really just a day off from work, and a time to follow the traditions of cooking food outside on a grill and marking the end of summer. In Europe, however, there is a tradition of labor organizations (mostly unions) using May Day to celebrate and encourage political action. It thus becomes a holiday to honor the achievments of the labor "Movement" -- especially unions, not just a day off work.
<b>Origins:</b> Wikipedia says ({ Link } that May 1 was traditionally a "paganist" holiday in many regions of Europe, going back centuries.
But the first country to establish a legal "workers holiday" was Australia in 1856 (Good on yer! Go Oz!). The idea was picked up by the Second International (an alliance of Socialist political parties, with participation by such prominent Marxists as Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky and Rosa Luxemburg, and eventually spread around the world.
After World War 1 and the Russian Revolution, capitalist fanatics in the United States became afraid of the May Day holiday's association with tne new Russian government, and refused to adopt it as a holiday. In 1958, the U.S. Congress declared May 1 to be "Loyalty Day", which somehow just never took off as a concept. Unfortunate, really, as the contributions that organized labor have made to American society and economy really need to be reinforced (IMHO).
hth
Posted by Bob Balaban At 10:41:50 AM On 05/01/2009 | - Website - |
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i had no idea the significance of May Day in terms of workers' rights until reading about it today - very interesting guys! thanks!
Posted by John Vaughan At 10:51:49 AM On 05/01/2009 | - Website - |
*chuckle* @ "fanatics" { Link }
Posted by Nathan T. Freeman At 10:56:09 AM On 05/01/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Devin Olson At 12:34:54 PM On 05/01/2009 | - Website - |
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Posted by John Vaughan At 08:57:46 PM On 05/03/2009 | - Website - |