Crabs and Beer!

Thoughts from the depths of the Eastern Shore

It’s WEDNESDAY (not Friday)

Today is Qaumee Dhuvas (meaning ‘National Day’ in Dhivehi, the local language) in the Maldives, a public holiday and the National Day of the Maldives. This day celebrates the victory of Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al Auzam over the Portuguese occupation in 1573.

In 1558, the Portuguese established a garrison which they administered from Goa. They killed the Sultan Ali VI of the Maldives and effectively instigated colonial rule. In 1573, Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al Auzam along with his two brothers and companions led a local revolt when the Portuguese attempted to impose Christianity on the Muslim population. The attacks drove the Portuguese out of Maldives and ended fifteen years of colonial rule.

Muhammad Thakurufaanu ruled as Sultan until his death from natural causes on 26 August 1585. He is revered as the national hero of the Maldives and 1st of Rabee ul Awwal each Islamic year is marked as the National Day of the Maldives.

The Maldives is the smallest country in Asia. Including the sea, the territory spans roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi), with a land area of 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi). The Maldives is also the lowest country in the world, More than 80 per cent of the country’s land is composed of coral islands which rise less than one meter above sea level.


Good advice…



Today is the birthday, in 1981, of Beyoncé, American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. With Destiny’s Child she had the 2000 US No.1 single with ‘Say My Name’ and the 2001 US & UK No.1 single and album ‘Survivor’. Beyonce scored the 2003 US & UK No.1 single ‘Crazy In Love’ from the world-wide No.1 album Dangerously In Love. Throughout her career, she has sold an estimated 100 million records as a solo artist and a further 60 million records with the group Destiny’s Child. She has won 22 Grammy Awards and is the most nominated woman in the award’s history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQgd6MccwZc

Posted by Tom

TUESDAY – back to work

Today is Foundation Day in San Marino. It commemorates the foundation of San Marino on this day in 301 AD by Saint Marinus.

During the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284 – 306 AD), the imperial view of Christianity became less benign and Christians were increasingly being persecuted and killed for their faith.

In this atmosphere, Marinus, a stonemason, fled from Dalmatia (in modern-day Croatia) to escape from religious persecution for his Christian beliefs. He arrived at Monte Titano, where he founded and built a chapel and a monastery. 

Over the years, the monastery and the area around it grew until a sizable population had been established, safe high in the mountains from the persecution of Diocletian. When the mountain people were discovered, the landowner Felicissima bequeathed it to the community in perpetuity.

The first mention of a church named after Saint Marinus dates to the year 530. Today the old church has been replaced on the site by the Basilica of San Marino, which was built in the 19th century.


I hope you celebrated Labor Day!


Today is the birthday, in 1945, of George Biondo, from Steppenwolf who had the 1969 US No.2 hit single ‘Born To Be Wild’. Steppenwolf sold over 25 million records worldwide, released eight gold albums and scored 12 Billboard Hot 100 singles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egMWlD3fLJ8

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies

Finally…it’s FRIDAY everyone!!

Today is Victory Day (Zafer Bayramı), a national holiday in Turkey. Victory Day commemorates the victory in the Battle of Dumlupınar which was the decisive battle in the Turkish War of Independence in 1922.

Türkiye was occupied by Allied forces after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War (1914-1918). This led to the start of the Turkish War of Independence in 1919, with the Turkish forces led by General Mustafa Kemal.

By 1922, through adroit diplomatic maneuvering, the Allies were split with French and Italian sympathies lying with the Turks rather than the Greeks who were the occupying army at the time.

Greek forces were routed during the battle and the remains of the Greek army fled being pursued by the Turks. The Greeks suffered more than 100,000 casualties out of an army of about 250,000. By September 18, the last Greek soldiers were forced out of Anatolia and, on October 11 an armistice was signed by Turkey, Italy, France and Britain which Greece was forced to accede to.


Enjoy the Labor Day weekend! Here’s some fun music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuapCENFM2U

Posted by Tom

THURRRSSSDAY

Today is Slovak National Uprising Day (Výročie Slovenského národného povstania), a public holiday in Slovakia. This public holiday commemorates August 29th 1944, which marked the start of an uprising against the pro-Nazi government of the time. In 1938, the Munich agreement established the independent Slovak state, led by Jozef Tiso. In June 1944 Tiso declared martial law allowing the German army to occupy the country on August 29th.

Up to that point, there had been limited and sporadic guerrilla resistance operations across Slovakia. To counteract the planned occupation, a formal military plan was put in action by the exiled Czechoslovak government, Slovak partisans and deserters from the Slovak army. Headquartered in central Slovakia, the forces of the uprising consisted of several armoured units as well as part of the Slovak Air Force. Along with the Warsaw Uprising, it was the largest uprising against Nazism and its allies in Europe.


cookie-flavored cookies

SIGNZZZ


Today is the birthday, in 1958, of Michael Jackson singer, songwriter, Jackson 5, The Jacksons, and solo. Jackson is recognised as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. The music videos for ‘Beat It’, ‘Billie Jean’, and ‘Thriller’ are credited with breaking down racial barriers and transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool. His 1982 album Thriller, is the best-selling studio album of all time. Jackson died on 25th June 2009 at the age of 50, after suffering heart failure at his home in Beverly Hills. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsUXAEzaC3Q

Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music

WEDNESDAY already

Ayyankali Jayanthi is a regional Indian public holiday observed in Kerala on August 28th. The day commemorates the birth of a notable social reformer in Kerala who was born on this day in 1863.

AyyanKali was born on August 28th 1963 in a small village in the princely state of Travancore, now in the south of the modern-day state of Kerala. He was born into the Pulayar, the lowest social class in the caste system.

Growing up illiterate and seeing that many Pulayars were effectively rural slaves, he resolved to do what he could to remove limitations of the caste system. Ayyankali became a noted protestor for Pulayar rights gaining rights for the community by highlighting the injustices of the caste system.

Ayyankali sought to improve access to education, and as a result of the protests led by Ayyankali, in 1907 a decree was issued to admit students from the untouchable community to government schools. When a school was burned down because a Puluyar girl had tried to enrol, Ayyankali organised a strike by the agricultural workers in the region.

As well as addressing the lower levels of education level, he pushed for jobs for Dalits in government departments such as public works, police and excise. His aim was to provide better living amenities and dignity to the Dalits. Ayyankali worked tirelessly to make the Dalits a part of modern and civilized society.


BADA BINGGGGGGGGGG

The homeless always find markers to write signs. I can never find one in my house.

Using Fox News to support your arguments is like saying you’re a marine biologist because you watch Sponge Bob Squarepants.

I’m trying to figure out how to tell my boss I don’t want to work anymore but I still want the money.

The Roomba vacuum cleaner just beat me to a piece of popcorn I dropped on the floor and this is how the war against the machines begins.

Walmart is giving out free school supplies to anyone who can outrun security.

Fox News did to our parents what our parents were afraid video games would do to us. – Steven King

How is a $7,500 tax credit for buying a Tesla capitalism, but the $25,000 tax credit for buying a house is communism?

Believing that your behavior is affected by the phases of the moon is lunacy.

Gynecologist: What are you using for birth control? Patient: My personality.

My wife just completed a 40-week bodybuilding program this morning. It’s a girl and weighs 7lbs 12 oz.

I made a huge to-do list for today. I just can’t figure out who’s going to do it.

Interviewer: Do you have any accomplishments at your last job? Me: I’m personally responsible for several new rules in the employee handbook. Interviewer: Impressive. You wrote them? Me: That’s not what I said.

If I was a plastic surgeon I would 100% put a squeaky toy in every breast implant.

Living with a dog is mostly following each other around, watching each other go potty, and wondering what the other has in their mouth.

Somedays, the supply of available swear words are insufficient to meet my demands.


Today is the birthday, in 1965, of Shania Twain, Canadian singer, (Eilleen Regina Edwards). Her 1997 album ‘Come On Over’, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time selling more than 40 million copies worldwide. Twain has won 5 Grammy Awards and 27 BMI Songwriter awards and is sometimes referred to as “The Queen of Country Pop”, she is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time, having sold over 80 million albums. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJL4UGSbeFg

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music