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Spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner. Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 30th, and it signifies the unofficial kickoff of the summer season for many. But the first official day of summer isn't until June 21.
On May 1st, a leaked memo from July of 2002 creates controversy as England's Sunday Times reports the document indicated that, eight months prior to when the war in Iraq began, British foreign secretary Jack Straw acknowledged "the case for war was thin." The memo continued by saying the US wanted the war "justified by the conjunction of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, but the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy." Members of the US Armed Forces, however, have met many Iraqis who are grateful for deliverance from the oppressive Saddam Hussein.
Cinco de Mayo, which actually means "the fifth of May" falls on ... you guessed it, May 5th! The Mexican holiday is a celebration in honor of the great victory the Mexican army had over Napoleon's invading forces on May 5th of 1862.
Tony Blair is re-elected as British Prime Minister on May 5th and becomes the first Labor Party Prime Minister to win three successive terms. The party is somewhat damaged during the elections, winning just 36 percent of the national vote, which is the lowest percentage by a ruling party in England's history. The party's majority in the House of Commons falls from 161 seats to just 60.
May 7th finds an appeals court striking down a Federal Communications Commission rule that would have required all terrestrial digital tuning devices in the US to recognize a special signal, which was designed to prevent the sharing of broadcast TV programs on the Internet. The rule allowed broadcasters to transmit a "broadcast flag" in tandem with television programs that would be recognized by TV sets, and if the accompanying "flag" wasn't present with the program, the television would not play the program. The United States Court of Appeals said the FCC had "exceeded the scope of its delegated authority" by issuing a rule that had implications over what hardware manufacturers could produce. Broadcasters are expected to fight for the ruling to be overturned, while consumer electronics companies claim the rule is a Pandora's box of litigation that could cripple the industry.
Mother's Day falls on Sunday, May 8th. It's a great opportunity to shower mom with cards, flowers, candy, gifts and more.
The Indianapolis 500 takes place on May 29th. David Letterman's racing team, Rahal-Letterman Argent/Pioneer finds Vitor Meira finishing 2nd and Danika Patrick finishing 4th, which is the best ever for a female driver in the race. The race is won by Dan Wheldon for Andretti Green Honda Team.
The animated tale about zoo animals finding themselves in the wilderness, Madagascar , opens on May 27th.
Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith opens on May 19th and stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Samuel L. Jackson.
Here are some links for May:
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Cinco de Mayo History - Features details about the notable battle between Mexican and French forces, which might have inadvertently helped Union forces to prevail in America's Civil War.
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History Channel: Memorial Day - The popular cable television network offers a detailed examination of the holiday. Includes battle maps, discussion forums, multimedia clips and more.
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Barbecue Store - Order a host of barbecues and supplies, including charcoal briquettes, propane tanks, grill covers, aprons and much more.
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