Crabs and Beer!

Today is Valencia Community Day. Celebrated annually on October 9th, this is a public holiday in the Valenciana region of Spain. Valencia is the principal city in the region. Known as ‘Día de la Comunidad Valenciana’, this holiday commemorates the capture of the city of Balansiya (Valencia) from Moorish forces in 1238 by King James I of Aragon

Founded as Valencia by the Romans, the city has passed from Christian to Moorish control from the 8th century to the 13th century. In 1238, King James I of Aragon laid siege to Valencia and after five months, the Moors finally surrendered on September 28th. On October 9th, James took possession of the city.

Whilst many people from different religions were allowed to stay, Fifty thousand Moors were forced to leave. After the Christian victory, the city was divided between the forces who had participated in the conquest.

James granted the city new charters of law (known as the Furs of Valencia). The changes brought by James redefined the city and the region in many ways, forming the basis of the character and key traditions of the Valencian regions.

The day features many activities, the most famous of which is the civic procession in Valencia. It has been held since 1338, when it was instituted by Peter IV of Aragon to celebrate the centenary of the Kingdom of Valencia and to demand protection to Saint Dionysius in the middle of a famine caused by poor rains.

---

SIGNZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

---

Today is the birthday, in 1940, of John Lennon singer, songwriter, guitarist, The Beatles who have sold over 20m singles in the UK (1962-1970), and scored more UK & US No.1 albums than any other group. Their 1967 Sgt. Pepper is the UK’s biggest selling album ever. In 1990 Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’ was played simultaneously in 130 countries to commemorate what would’ve been Lennon’s 50th birthday. He was shot dead in New York by Mark Chapman on 8th December 1980. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-VAxGJdJeQ

Today is the Battle of Angemos Holiday, a public holiday in Peru. The holiday commemorates a naval battle with Chile that took place on this date in 1879.

The Battle of Angamos (Combate naval de Angamos) was a naval battle fought on October 8th 1879, during the War of the Pacific (1879-1883). Also known as the Saltpeter War, the war began as a dispute between Chile and Bolivia over control of the Atacama Desert a region rich in valuable minerals. Peru became involved when Bolivia declared war on Chile and invoked Peru to fight on their side as part of a secret mutual agreement.

The Battle of Angamos took place off the coast of what was then Bolivia (the are is now part of present-day Chile), between the Chilean navy and the Peruvian navy. The Chilean Navy, under the command of Captains Galvarino Riveros and Juan Jose Latorre surrounded and captured the ironclad steam-propelled warship Huáscar. The captain of the Huáscar was Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario, who was killed by the Chileans.

---

No fact-checking…

BADA BINGGGGG!

Daughter: Daddy, I want ice cream. Dad: Believe me, me too honey. But Mommy only gave us enough money for 3 beers.

The bar I’m at doesn’t know it yet, but it’s about to be karaoke night.

Instead of going to Starbucks, I make my own coffee, yell my name out incorrectly, and then light a $5 bill on fire.

Nothing brings neighbors together like cop cars in front of another neighbor’s house.

That feeling you get when you tell everyone on your social media page that you’re taking a break and it gets the most likes you’ve ever had.

My dog and I have a lot in common: we both like sleeping, eating, and pretending we don’t hear anything.

As a kid did you ever knock on people’s doors and run away? UPS is hiring.

I’m starting a procrastinator support group. It’s called ‘wait watchers’.

I knew the psychic was no good the moment she accepted my check.

Patient: Doc, how often do people die during this procedure? Doc: Just once.

My talent is when you’re angry I can make you even angrier.

Just because it’s a bad idea doesn’t mean it won’t be fun.

A psychiatrist is just a friend you pay to listen to your problems because your other friends are tired of hearing about them.

Nurse: Step on the scale, please. Me: I was told there’d be no fact-checking.

---

Way back then….

---

Today is the birthday, in 1947, of American singer Sheila Ferguson from The Three Degrees, (singing lead vocals on most of the group’s biggest hits), most notably the 1974 ‘When Will I See You Again’, which was a huge international success topping the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number 2 on the US chart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6fVDAjs9f0

Today is Peat Cutting Monday, a public holiday in the Falkland Islands. Peat Cutting Day was the time of year when Falkland Islanders went out to cut cubes of surface-soil peat which was then used as the primary fuel for heating homes and cooking food in the islands.

Peat is found in pockets all around the Falklands with large deposits in the area around Stanley. Without such a handy supply of fuel, settlement of the Islands would have been unlikely. The use of peat continued for many years though today has been replaced by kerosene or diesel in most households.

The smell of peat burning is very nostalgic and remains in the air at some places around Stanley and elsewhere.  As the need for peat cutting has diminished, Islanders instead use the day to go fishing and camping.

---

Too late for flowers…

Homwork

Time for Dog Spider Costumes!

---

Saturday was the anniversary of the death of French composer Jacques Offenbach in 1880. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas and for his comic opera, Orpheus in the Underworld. In the last decade of the 19th century the Paris cabarets the Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergère adopted the music of the “Galop infernal” from the culminating scene of the opera to accompany the can-can, and ever since then the tune has been popularly associated with the dance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU0IyxvcH4E

Today is Independence Day, a public holiday in Lesotho observed on October 4th. This is Lesotho’s National Day and marks independence from Britain on this day in 1966.

Lesotho emerged in the 1820s, when Basutoland was founded by King Moshoeshoe I who united the tribes in the area in order to defend themselves from attacks by the Zulus.

Basutoland then found itself in territorial disputes with the Boer trekkers from the Orange Free State. King Moshoeshoe turned to the British for help and Basutoland was made a British protectorate in 1868, before gaining colony status in 1884.

On October 4th 1966, Basutoland was formally granted its independence from Great Britain as the Kingdom of Lesotho, with Moshoeshoe II as king and Chief Leabua Jonathan (Basotho National Party) as prime minister.

Lesotho is quite mountainous and can be quite cold in winter months. The lowest point in Lesotho is 1,500 meters above sea level, making it the country with the highest low point in the world.

---

He’s a Soupervisor…

SIGNZZZ

---

---

On this day in 2022, American country music singer and songwriter Loretta Lynn died at the age of 90. She was the first woman to be named Country Music Artist Entertainer Of The Year. Since her first No.1 ‘Fist City’, in 1967 she has scored another 16 chart toppers. Lynn wrote more than 160 songs and released 60 albums and won three Grammy Awards. Her best-selling 1976 autobiography was made into an Academy Award-winning film, Coal Miner’s Daughter, starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones in 1980. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9eHp7JJgq8

Today is German Unity Day. This is Germany’s National Day and marks the reunification of Germany that took place on this day in 1990. It is the only official national holiday. All other holidays are managed at a federal level.

On November 9th 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, paving the way towards the reunification of Germany which had been split at the end of the second world war. Following the GDR’s first free elections on March 18th 1990, negotiations between the GDR and FRG culminated in a Unification Treaty.

The reunification of Germany took place on October 3rd 1990 when the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) was incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). Further negotiations between the GDR and FRG and the four occupying powers produced the so-called “Two Plus Four Treaty” granting full sovereignty to a unified German state, whose two halves had previously been bound by a number of limitations as a result of its post-WWII-status as an occupied nation. The treaty was signed on September 20th 1990.

---

---

Today is the birthday, in 1941, of Chubby Checker, US singer, (Ernest Evans), 1960 US No.1 & UK No.14 single ‘The Twist’, 1962 UK No.2 single ‘Let’s Twist Again’). ‘The Twist’ is the only song to go to number 1 on the US singles charts twice. Once in 1960 and again in 1962.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDGprGUreOc