Nope, Not A Fiction Day, Sorry - It's Someone's Birthday

(Source)

That picture above?

Juvat's birthday cake, needs more candles but the fire marshal vetoed that.

But just in case, we've got this beauty on standby, ready to go.

In other news ...

Brutal day at work Monday, it's almost like I had to earn my pay for once. And I did, but with lots of help from my colleagues. No, they're not getting a cut of my wife's paycheck. I answer to a higher power.

Today would have been my Dad's 95th birthday, he's been gone for 13 years, but he's never far from my mind. Happy Birthday Dad! Miss you!

Dad in his soldiering days.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics ...

Not sure where this lies in the above, but, somethin' ain't quite right ...

I'm used to seeing roughly a 1,000 hits a day, with the occasional spike as can be seen between the 15th and 19th of May. But starting near the end of last month, views skyrocketed to well over 8,000 a day (and climbing!), not sure where this is coming from, but I have three theories:

1. Blogger doesn't really know how to count, or gather statistics if you ain't paying for the "good stuff" - statistics wise.
2. Russian (and probably other, but I suspect Russian) spambots get really active from time to time, then settle down. This is the first time I've seen the stats go through the roof for more than a couple of days. We're at one week and counting ... (Maybe they're fleeing Ukraine?)
3. The blog has become really, really popular and we are attracting thousands of new readers. No, I don't really buy into this one.

But hey, the high numbers help to boost my already inflated ego. However, when each individual post garners maybe 300 views (tops, lately it's 200, if we're lucky), how does the overall hit count get that high? I mean we do one post a day, usually, sometimes two, but normally one.

Hey, I don't mind, but I feel a little undeserving, know what I mean?

Anyhoo, everybody wish juvat a happy birthday, I might be back tomorrow with another episode of Les Cent Jours. Or maybe not, we'll see how the paying gig goes!

Happy Birthday, Methuselah juvat!

And last, and certainly not least, let's not forget what happened 79 years ago today. One of the members of The Chant even wrote a book about it. Maybe it'll get published someday. (If that certain someone ever gets off his arse!)

A LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel) from the U.S. Coast Guard-manned USS Samuel Chase disembarks troops of Company A, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division (the Big Red One) wading onto the Fox Green section of Omaha Beach (Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France) on the morning of June 6, 1944. American soldiers encountered the newly formed German 352nd Division when landing. During the initial landing two-thirds of Company E became casualties.
(Source)

May their memory be a blessing.