Crabs and Beer

Sep

2024

Ho hum, another TUESDAY

Today is the Fourth Day of Onam, a Hindu festival celebrated by the Malayali people of Kerala, India. Originally a harvest festival, it is the state festival of Kerala. The festival falls during the Malayalam month of Chingam (which usually falls in August or September) and marks the annual homecoming of the mythical King Mahabali who the Malayalees consider as their King.

The legend is that King Mahabali, also known as Bali was an Asura ruler during Hindu antiquity who was so powerful and adored by his subjects, that the followers of Hindu god Vishnu feared that Bali was getting more popular than their deity.

Vishnu disguised himself as a dwarf called Vamana. Vamana tricked Bali by asking for a piece of land he could cover in only three strides. When Bali agreed to this modest request by a dwarf, Vamana turned into a giant and his first step covered the earth and the second took him to heaven. With nowhere else to go, Bali offered his head as the third step. Vamana stepped on Bali pushing him down into to the underworld. Bali asked if he could be allowed to return once a year on Thiruvonam (the second day of Onam) to visit his people to make sure they were well, and Vamana agreed.

To welcome Bali home for his annual visit, the people of Kerala clean their homes and make elaborate floral displays called Pookkalam on the ground as a carpet to welcome Bali. They perform Kathakali, one of the major forms of classical Indian dance.

BADA BING!

That feeling you get when you’re the tech person in the family and you hear that grandma got a new phone.

I know it’s hard for some people to believe, but it’s entirely possible to have a fulfilling, rewarding life without owning an AR-15.

About to pull some steaks off the grill. It’s my neighbor’s grill, but he went inside and I don’t think he can see me.

If there’s watermelon, shouldn’t there be earthmelon, firemelon, and airmelon? The elemelons.

The leading cause of injury in old men is them thinking they are still young men.

Walmart thinks I want to put up my Christmas tree and eat turkey while wearing my Halloween costume.

The last time I danced like nobody was watching, someone stabbed me with an EpiPen.

Running feels great unless you compare it to not running.

The debate? Normally men have to pay to be dominated like that.

Them: She had special earrings that made her win.

Us: How would her earrings make him say incredibly stupid shit?

Her ability to stop herself from saying “this motherfucker” on national television requires the kind of willpower most of us could never dream of.

I set a new culinary milestone today. I set off the neighbor’s smoke alarm.

Most people don’t know that the opposite of a Croissant is actually a happy uncle.

I’m still amazed at how many people can confuse the term ‘…doing their research’ with the action ‘…conclusion-shopping their insane hypothesis’.

Today is the birthday, in 1923, of Hank Williams (born Hiram King Williams). The American singer-songwriter and musician is regarded as one of the most important country music artists of all time. Williams recorded 35 singles (five released posthumously) that would place in the Top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, including 11 that ranked No.1. During his last years Williams’s consumption of alcohol, morphine and painkillers severely compromised his professional life. Williams died aged 29 on January 1, 1953. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjCoKslQOEs

Sep

2024

Happy MONDAY, boys and girls

Today is Mexican Independence Day. Also known as ‘Día de la Independencia’ or ‘Grito de Dolores’, it marks the anniversary of the Mexican War of Independence against Spain on September 16th 1810.

Specifically, it commemorates a proclamation by Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla on September 16th 1810, in the village of Dolores, near Guanajuato. Hidalgo’s proclamation called for an end to Spanish rule in Mexico, encouraging rebellion and insurrection against the Spanish.

The Spanish Empire had been broken by Napoleon’s invasion of Spain, and imperial rule had been replaced by “juntas” in both Spain and the American colonies, while King Fernando VII was being held hostage by Napoleon.

Following his speech, Father Hidalgo raised an army and attempted to overthrow the Junta government, but he was eventually defeated. As his struggle against the establishment continued, he began to demand the full independence of all the Spanish American colonies, and the exile or arrest of all Spaniards within Mexico.

It was only after a ten year long War of Independence that Mexico’s independence was finally acknowledged by the Spanish viceroy on September 27th 1821.

Since the 1870s, re-enacting the proclamation has become a tradition. Every year, the national celebration begins on the night of September 15th. The Zócalo, one of the world’s largest city squares, serves as the focal point for the festivities in Mexico City, where over 500,000 people assemble each year.

The Mexican President rings Hidalgo’s bell (now kept at the National Palace in Mexico City) and repeats Hidalgo’s words at 11:00 pm on September 15th. The patriotic yell is met with an enthusiastic response of “Viva!” from the cheering throng. At the conclusion, spectacular pyrotechnics illuminate the night sky.

Today is the birthday, in 1950, of avid Bellamy, Bellamy Brothers, (1976 US No.1 single ‘Let Your Love Flow’, 1979 UK No.3 single ‘If I Said I Had A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me’). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ5aF7kbwCE

Sep

2024

vote for FRIDAY (the 13th)!

Today is Ramdev Jayanti and Teja Dashmi, a regional public holiday in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It occurs on the tenth day of the month of Bhadrapad in the Hindu calendar. This means it falls in either August or September in the Gregorian calendar.

Baba Ramdev is a Hindu folk deity from Rajasthan, India. He was a fourteenth-century ruler, said to have miraculous powers, who devoted his life to the upliftment of the downtrodden and poor people of society. He is regarded as an incarnation of Krishna.

On Ramdev Jayanti, the birth date of Ramdev, a fair is held at the Ramdevra temple, the resting place of Ramdev, attended by hundreds of thousands of devotees, both Hindu and Muslim.

Veer Teja or Tejaji is an even older Rajasthani folk deity. He is considered one of the major eleven incarnations of Shiva and worshipped as a deity in rural Rajasthan. Veer Teja was born in the mid-13th century in Khadnal, Rajasthan. Teja was the son of King Baksaji.

Legend has it that Teja died in 1304 from wounds inflicted while trying to rescue a herd of cows from a group of raiders. The story says that while he lay dying, he allowed a snake to bite his tongue, which was the only part of his body undamaged in the fight. In return, the snake promised that no person or animal would die from a snakebite if they sought the blessings of Teja.

the struggle is real…

Did you watch the debate???

Happy Friday! Here’s a fun video for the weekend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khpL08_O1WE

Sep

2024

Sunny and THURSDAY today

Today is a public holiday in Iran to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hasan al-Askari, the 11th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam, who was poisoned in 874 AD.

Hassan Agari was born in Medina on 8th of Rabi-ul-Akhar 232 AH His father was Ali Naqi, the 10th Shia Imam. Imam Ali Naqi lived under house arrest in a Samarra, a garrison town about 60 miles north of Baghdad. Hassan’s title became known as Asgari, meaning “the one who lived all his life in a garrison town.”

Even from an early age, Asgari was known for his divine knowledge and he became the 11th Shia Imam on the death of his father in 254 AH at the age of 22. Becoming the 11th Imam was a big deal. In both the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam, it is believed that the 12th Imam would be the final Imam who would be the ‘Mahdi’ or ‘Guide’ for humanity until the Day of Judgement.

Askari died aged 28 on 8th Rabi’ al-Awwal 260 AH (January 4th 874 AD) after being poisoned on the orders of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mu’tamid and was buried in Samarra, a town some 60 miles north of Baghdad.

Al-Askari died without leaving an obvious heir, which created widespread confusion and fragmented the Shia community into several sects, all of which disappeared within a few decades except the Twelver Shia. The Twelvers hold that al-Askari had a son, commonly known as Muhammad al-Mahdi (lit. ’the rightly guided’), who was kept hidden from the public out of the fear of Abbasid persecution. Al-Mahdi succeeded to the imamate after the death of his father and entered a state of occultation. His life is said to be miraculously prolonged until the day he manifests himself again by God’s permission to fill the earth with justice. Though in occultation, the Imam still remains responsible in Twelver belief for the spiritual guidance of humankind and the Shia accounts of his occasional encounters with the pious are numerous and popular.

Today is the birthday, in 1943, of Maria Muldaur (Maria D’Amato), American singer, songwriter, who had the 1974 US No.6 & UK No.21 single ‘Midnight At The Oasis’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGSRjTchL38

Sep

2024

Whoa! It’s WEDNESDAY already!!

Today is Ethiopian New Year, a public holiday in Ethiopia. Known in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia as Enkutatash, this holiday marks 1 Meskerem, the first day in the Ethiopian calendar.

The Ethiopian calendar is a solar calendar based on the Egyptian and Julian calendars and was brought to Ethiopia by missionaries. The year consists of 12 months of 30 days and a thirteenth month of five or six timekeeping days. Pagume, the 13th month in the Ethiopian calendar, comes from the Greek word epagomene, which means ‘days forgotten when a year is calculated’.

Enkutatash means the ‘gift of jewels’. It is said to refer to the Queen of Sheba returning from her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem in 980 BC. On the Queen’s arrival back in Ethiopia, her chiefs welcomed her by filling her treasury with jewels (‘enku’). It may also refer to the countryside, as this time of year coincides with the end of the rainy season meaning the landscape is covered with Adey Abeba, whose bright yellow flowers appear almost in celebration of the impending harvest.