Friday, July 11, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JULY 11



On this day in 1804, after decades of getting up each other's asses and for reasons far too complicated to get into here, Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and then-Vice-President Aaron Burr meet at the Weehawken, New Jersey dueling grounds at the crack of dawn to settle their differences at the end of a pair of pistols. What happened next depends entirely upon which eye-witness you choose to believe. Either Hamilton, in a poorly-timed attempt to prove himself a gentleman, fired into the air only to be shot square in the gut by Burr immediately afterwards, or else he simply took his shot and missed, leaving Burr to offer up a more accurate and deadly rebuttal. Whichever scenario is closest to the truth, the end results remain the same: Alexander Hamilton - the genius confidante of George Washington, the man who designed America's economic framework - was dead, and Aaron Burr's reputation as a vicious, villainous brute was firmly established. Now persona non grata, Burr and some foreign belligerents began formulating a plan to conquer Mexico - which, at the time, covered much of the South and Southwest - in order to set up a separate, independent, competing state. After being acquitted of treason, Burr kicked around Europe for a while, leaving a trail of angry creditors wherever he went. He eventually returned to the United States and lived long enough to witness the Texas Revolution, about which he mused: "What was treason in me thirty years ago, is patriotism now." Then he died.

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On this day in 1889, the Mexican city of Tijuana is born. Three days later, the place is declared a poverty-stricken tourist trap with an unwholesome fixation on the donkey, Mexico's national beast of burden.

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On this day in 1895, the Lumière brothers demonstrate film technology to scientists.

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On this day in 1921, Mongolia gains its independence from China. Considering the serious developmental difficulties that come with that extra chromosome of theirs, you have to admit that's pretty impressive. 

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On this day in 1921, former U.S. President William Howard Taft is sworn in as 10th Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, becoming the only person to ever be both President and Chief Justice.

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On this day in 1955, Congress authorizes all American currency to be printed with the motto: "In God We Trust." Unfortunately, they left off the funnier half: "All others pay cash." But seriously, it behooves us to recall that these four words were added to American money - along with the words "Under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance - at the behest of the Roman Catholic Knights of Columbus fraternal order. Not in 1776. Not in 1855. Not even in 1900... but in 1955. Ten years after the end of World War II. The year President Eisenhower sent the first American troops to Vietnam. The year of the first McDonald's restaurant, and Bill Haley's Rock Around the Clock. In other words, it was a knee-jerk addition based on a passing fad, and the time has come to drop it.

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On this day in 1979, the space station Skylab returns to Earth… the hard way. 

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The government of the United States awards the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the Presidential Medal of Freedom on this day in 1977, roughly nine years after awarding him the Troublemaker's Bullet of Shut-the-Fuck-Up in Memphis, Tennessee. And that's a fact, Jack.

Thursday, July 10, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JULY 10

On this day in 48 BC, Roman dictator Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia during the Battle of Dyrrhachium. The circumstances surrounding this battle were phenomenally complicated.

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On this day in 1212, London burns to the ground. Thousands perish in the blaze, which would be known as the Great Fire of London until 1666, when an even bigger fire came along to steal its thunder.

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On this day in 1821, the United States takes formal possession of Florida, which had been recently purchased from Spain. Imagine how pissed off they were when they got there and realized it was mostly swampland!

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On this day in 1832, US President Andrew Jackson vetoes a bill that would re-charter the Second Bank of the United States. Failing to secure recharter, the Second Bank became a private corporation in 1836, and underwent liquidation in 1841.

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On this day in 1890, Wyoming is admitted as the 44th U.S. state, thus paving the way for the possibility of Vice Preznit Dick Cheney. So to Hell with Wyoming.

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On this day in 1921, 16 people are killed and 161 houses destroyed during rioting and gun battles in Belfast, Northern Ireland in an event that will forever be remembered in Ireland (and by U2 fans curious enough to research the meaning of certain song lyrics) as Bloody Sunday.

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On this day in 1925 the so-called Monkey Trial begins in Dayton, Tennessee. John Scopes, a young high school science teacher, is accused of teaching his students evolution, which was a violation of Tennessee law. He actually lost the case, which is ironic when you consider that people in Tennessee are less evolved than the people in most other states. And unless you've been there and seen for yourself, don't contradict me on this.

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On this day in 1925, the guru Meher Baba begins his silence of 44 years. His followers observe Silence Day on this date in commemoration.

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On this day in 1962, the world's first communications satellite, called TELStar, is launched into orbit. 

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On this day in 1973, filthy rich Illuminati bloodline scion John Paul Getty III, grandson of the oil magnate J. Paul Getty, is kidnapped by Calabrese gangsters in Rome, Italy. The whole ordeal - involving cheapskate negotiation tactics by the elder Getty, even after the kidnappers cut off and mailed in one of John Paul's ears - is rather insane, and you can read all about it here.

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On this day in 1985, the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior is bombed and sunk in Auckland harbor by "elite" French military agents, killing Portuguese photographer Fernando Pereira in the process. It is the French military's finest hour since the days of Napoleon.

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On this day in 1985, after a mere three months of sticking to their guns, the Coca-Cola Company announces they will be bringing back Coca-Cola Classic, in what many take to be a full-blown admission that the decision to change the Coca-Cola recipe - sparking a nationwide Coca-Cola hoarding crisis - was sheer idiocy, regardless of what they paid Bill Cosby to say about it on the TV. New Coke, which was sold alongside Coca-Cola Classic for a while, was soon euthanized without fanfare... or hoarding.

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On this day in 1989, one of the most familiar voices in the world - dozens of them, actually - is silenced when Warner Bros. cartoon veteran Mel Blanc dies at the age of 81. The next day, in the trade paper Variety, some true gentleman at Warner Bros. takes out a two-page/one-word tribute/eulogy for their old friend, an image which to this day is capable of turning yer old pal Jerky into a blubbering, snot-bubble-popping wreck. I don't know why... it just gets me every time. It is reproduced above. Enjoy.

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On this day in 1992, President George Herbert "Poppy" Walker Bush has one of his many CIA criminal co-conspirators, former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, locked up for 40 years on drug and racketeering charges. It's a wonder he didn't end up dead, when you think about it. Hey, hold on a second… has anybody checked his cell lately? Maybe old Manuel is kickin' back, sipping boat drinks with Ken Lay on that fortified Costa Rican compound where The Powers That Be send all their invisible heavies these days.

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On this day in 2000, 250 villagers in Nigeria are killed in a massive fireball explosion while scavenging gasoline from a cracked petroleum pipeline. Don't laugh... the way gas prices are going, you'll be doing the same thing soon enough.

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JULY 9


On this day in 1850, the Persian prophet Báb is executed in Tabriz, Persia. As both self-declared Mahdi (Islamic Messiah) and as precursor to the intriguing new religious movement known as Bahai, the Bab is a very interesting character, indeed, and very much worthy of study.

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On this day in 1868, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified guaranteeing African Americans full citizenship and all persons in the United States due process of law.

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On this day in 1887, paper napkins were used for the first time ever by stationary manufacturer John Dickinson. This brings up a whole host of uncomfortable questions about toilet paper, and its various historical precursors.

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On this day in 1944, during World War II, American forces take the island of Saipan from the Japanese. It has been an American protectorate ever since. In recent years, right-wingers in government tried to turn it into a kind of testing ground for a libertarian tax-free and regulation-free zone. Sweatshop operators and sexual predators - who also just happened to be big Republican donors - thought the results of that experiment were fine and dandy.

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On this day in 1955, the controversial, pacifist-inclined Russell–Einstein Manifesto is released by philosopher Bertrand Russell in London, England, during one of the high-water marks of the Cold War. Albert Einstein, one of the fathers of the bomb, co-signed his approval to the anti-nuclear weapon document before dying only a few days later.

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On this day in 1958, Alaska’s Lituya Bay is hit by a megatsunami. The wave is recorded at an incredible 524 meters (1700 feet) high, the largest in recorded history by far...twice as high as the Empire State Building! Unfortunately, there is no video of the event. 

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On this day in 1979, a car bomb destroys an automobile owned by the famed Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA – the alleged post-war Nazi international remnant – claims responsibility.

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On this day in the year 1980, in Brazil, seven people are crushed to death as wave upon wave of idiots stampede into a huge outdoor stadium to catch a glimpse of that shimmering, spiritual pop-star: The Pope!

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On this day in 1981, the Nintendo video game Donkey Kong is released. The game marks the debut of Nintendo's future mascot, Mario.

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On this day in 1986, Attorney General Edwin Meese's "Commission on Pornography" is released. Meese was only one or two shades less of a psychopath than Dubya-era Witchfinder General John Ashcroft, and his report tried to establish a link between porn and sex crimes. Then, in the 1990's, something interesting happened. With the total proliferation of home video and the rise of the Internet, hard-core pornography became more widespread and readily available than ever… while violence and sex crime rates all dropped precipitously. Who'd have thunk it?

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JULY 8


On this day in 1680, the first ever American to be killed by a tornado is… um… killed by a tornado. In Massachusetts no less!

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On this day in 1872, a man by the name of John Blondel takes out a patent on the donut-cutter, thereby ushering in a bold new era of morbidly obese police officers.

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On this day in 1889, the first issue of the Wall Street Journal is published. For a while, it was a pretty decent conservative journal, but as this ridiculous interview with cartoon-like WSJ editorial board member Dorothy Rabinowitz amply illustrates, it has long since lost the plot and gone batshit crazy.

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On this day in 1896, presidential hopeful William Jennings Bryan gives his infamous "cross of gold" speech at the Democratic national convention. It's still an incredibly powerful piece of oratory. Read it here.

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On this day in 1932, the Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches a Depression era low-point of… 41! Ouch.

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On this day in 1937, the nations of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan sign the Treaty of Saadabad. And they all lived happily ever after.

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On this day in the year 1990, just past twelve-thirty in the afternoon, all the numbers in the standardized Western calendar and time code fall into absolute numeric sequence… or, in poker terms, a "straight." Here's how it works: 12:34:56, 7/8/90 equals 1234567890! Pretty cool, ain't it?

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On this day in 1996, the Israeli Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies publishes a paper titled “A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm.” The paper, whose lead author is the notorious, slug-like neoconservative Richard Perle, is meant to urge Israel's new PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, to seek the downfall of Arab states by exploiting the inherent tensions within and among them. The first step? Remove Saddam Hussein in order to "destabilize the entire Middle East", thus allowing governments in Syria, Iran, Lebanon, and other countries to be replaced. Other suggestions include abandoning the Oslo Accords, abandoning the notion of land for peace, and reestablishing a policy of preemptive strikes. The paper also fleshes out a vision that analyst Craig Unger has called "a secularized version of the theology of the American Christian Right", demanding “the unconditional acceptance of Arabs of our rights, especially in their territorial dimension”, and pushing the boundaries even further by using the Bible as grounds for Israeli dominion over all or parts of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and even Saudi Arabia. This link explains how the ideas in "Clean Break" were ultimately recycled by neocon "intellectuals" at the Project for a New American Century - PNAC - in their paper "Rebuilding America's Defenses", which controversially surmised that it would take "a new Pearl Harbor" for the nation to accept their proposed reforms... not too long before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, provided the newly empowered* neoconservative movement with exactly that.

* via the Bush Crime Family's theft of the White House in 2000

Monday, July 7, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JULY 7


On this day in 1863, the first ever American military draft begins. All males between the ages of 18 and 35 are potential targets… unless, of course, they can pay the $100 "exemption fee" required to skip duty.

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On this day in 1947, a bunch of little green men get blitzed on Venusian grog, then crash their flying saucer on a ranch near (you guessed it) Roswell, New Mexico. Tourism ensues.

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On this day in 1983, a U.S. schoolgirl by the name of Samantha Smith flies to the Soviet Union at the invitation of Secretary General Yuri Andropov. In short order, the bright and telegenic Smith became internationally renowned as a peace activist and good will ambassador, much to the annoyance of the Reagan/Bush administration and other right-wing and anti-communist elements the world over. Small wonder, then, that she should die in a small plane crash in the summer of 1985. The Soviets remembered her with a stamp. The Americans? Nothing.

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On this day in 2005, four explosions rip through London's public transportation system, killing 52 people along with four suicide bombers. It was later learned that this terrorist attack was masterminded by Haroon Rashid Aswat, an individual with curious connections to England's MI6 intelligence agency.

Sunday, July 6, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JULY 6



On this day in 1189, Richard I "the Lionheart" accedes to the English throne. He reigns during the time of the legendary bandit Robin Hood.

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On this day in 1483, a much different Richard - Richard III - is crowned King of England. Shakespeare writes a great play about this world historic asshole.

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On this day in 1785 the dollar is unanimously chosen as the monetary unit for the United States.

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On this day in 1854, in Jackson, Michigan, the first convention of the United States Republican Party was held. Chaos ensues.

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On this day in 1885, Louis Pasteur successfully tests his vaccine against rabies on Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog. The process is notoriously long and painful, and eventually gives The Powers That Be a “great idea” about how to control the global population.

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On this day in 1947, the AK-47 goes into production in the Soviet Union.

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On this day in 1957, John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles are introduced to each other when Lennon's band the Quarrymen performs at the St. Peter's Church Hall fête in Woolton.

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On this day in 1985, the National Wrestling Alliance holds their first ever Pay-Per-View event, The Great American Bash. It's a smashing success, giving credence to the old addage: "a wrestling fan and his money are soon parted."

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On this day in 1995, during the Bosnian War, under the command of General Ratko Mladić, Serbia begins its attack on the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, and kills more than 8000 Bosniaks, in what then- UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali calls "the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War".

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On this day in 2003, the 70-metre Eupatoria Planetary Radar sent a METI message (Cosmic Call 2) to 5 stars: Hip 4872, HD 245409, 55 Cancri (HD 75732), HD 10307 and 47 Ursae Majoris (HD 95128). The messages will arrive to these stars in 2036, 2040, 2044 and 2049 respectively.

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On this day in 2005, Time Magazine reporter Matt Cooper agrees to testify to a grand jury that Karl Rove revealed to him Valerie Plame's secret CIA identity. An extremely suspicious lack of chaos ensues.

Saturday, July 5, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JULY 5


On this day in 1456, in a case of closing the barn door after the horses have escaped, the tractor has been stolen and the barn, itself, has been reduced to kindling, a tribunal declares Joan of Arc to be innocent of the crimes for which she was burned at the stake.

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Happy birthday to John Paul Jones, born on this day in 1747! John Paul was the sea-going hero who uttered the immortal words: "I have not yet begun to fight." John Paul also stunned the scientific community when he went on to play bass for Led Zeppelin, even though he was well into his two-hundred-and-thirties. Way to keep on rockin' JPJ!

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On this day in 1811, Venezuela becomes the first South American country to declare independence from Spain. Always the trouble-makers, aren't they?

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On this day in 1830, France invades Algeria, and they all live happily ever after! Well... at least until this day in 1962 when, after years of bloody revolt, Algeria gains its independent from France. Huzzah!

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On this day in 1865, some Jesus-freak by the name of William Booth founds The Christian Mission, which would later be renamed The Salvation Army. They may eventually come to regret that name-change, as rumor has it that former Preznit Dubya once considered the possibility of deploying these bell-ringing pan-handlers to Iraq.

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On this day in 1944, the Ringling Brothers Circus lives up to its stated goal of providing the "Greatest Show on Earth" when their big-top catches fire in Hartford, Connecticut. 170 people are roasted to their deaths in the infernal conflagration, giving new meaning to the old showbiz term, SHOWSTOPPER!

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On this day in 1975, tennis player Arthur Ashe becomes the first - and last - black man to win the Wimbledon singles title. He then went on to die of AIDS. Coincidence? Pfeh! Don't make me laugh.

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On this day in 1989, thirty five years ago, the sitcom Seinfeld airs its first episode on NBC. All together now: "WHAT?!?!"

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On this day of the year 2014, half the back yards in America stink of spent gunpowder, cheap beer and boozy hot-dog vomit. Don't worry about it, though... they say it's good for the lawn!

Friday, July 4, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JULY 4



On this day in 1054, in a corner of the dark night sky, there is a bright white flowering. It shines for 23 days. The people of that era have no way to know that it is their privilege to be watching that rarest of cosmic spectacles: the death of a star. The super-nova actually happened 6000 years prior to its being witnessed by human eyes. Today, the resulting cloud of post-collapse debris is known as the Crab Nebula.

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On this day in 1776, the United States Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress. Happy Birthday, USA!

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On this day in 1826, second American President John Adams and third American President Thomas Jefferson both pass on to that big White House in the sky. Exactly five years later, in the year 1831, fifth American President James Monroe also dies. Timing your death to coincide with the fourth of July? Talk about PATRIOTISM!

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On this day in 1888, in the hot and dusty burg of Prescott, Arizona, the first ever organized rodeo competition is held. Unfortunately, videotape didn't exist at the time, so we can only experience Billy-Joe Tuller's horrific, 15 minute goring at the horns of Sir Stomps-a-Lot through eye-witness accounts.

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On this day in 1910, African-American boxer Jack Johnson knocks out white boxer Jim Jeffries in a heavyweight boxing match sparking race riots across the United States.

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On this day in 1918, Bolsheviks kill Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family at the Winter Palace.

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On this day in 1966, after making sure to destroy all the documents linking him to President Kennedy's assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Freedom of Information Act.

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On this day in 1969, two teens (one male, one female) are attacked at Blue Rock Springs in California. They are the second (known) victims of the Zodiac Killer. The male survives.

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On this day in 1976, Israeli commandos raid Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing all but four of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by Palestinian terrorists.

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On this day in 2004, the cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the site of the World Trade Center in New York City.

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On this day in 2012, the discovery of particles consistent with the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider is announced at CERN.

Thursday, July 3, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JULY 3



On this day in 987 AD, some Frenchie by the name of Hugh Capet is crowned King of France. He is the first of the Capetian dynasty that would rule over France until the French Revolution deposed them in 1792.

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On this day in 1608, the city of Quebec is founded by Samuel de Champlain, making it one of the oldest cities in North America. Also, the ramparts surrounding the Old Quebec region are the only still standing city walls that exist north of Mexico. It’s a great place to visit. Y’all should go sometime.

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On this day in 1754, American Revolutionary General George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity to French forces during the French and Indian Wars.

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On this day in 1819, the Bank of Savings in New York City, the first savings bank in the United States, opens.

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On this day in 1844, the last pair of Great Auks - a kind of clumsy, North Atlantic penguin - is killed.

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On this day in 1884, Dow Jones and Company publishes its first stock average.

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On this day in 1886, Karl Benz officially unveils the Benz Patent Motorwagen – the first purpose-built automobile.

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On this day in 1886, the New York Tribune becomes the first newspaper to use a linotype machine, eliminating typesetting by hand.

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On this day in 1939, baseballer Lou Gehrig makes his "luckiest man alive" speech at Yankee Stadium. This, despite the fact that he was suffering from Lou Gehrig's Disease, which would soon take his life. Imagine, dying of a disease whose name you share! What are the frickin' odds?!

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On this day in the year 1969, Rolling Stone guitarist Brian Jones drowns in his pool. When told about the tragedy, Keith Richards says: "Brian who?"

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On this day in 1971, Jim Morrison - frontman and founder of The Doors - dies of heart failure in a bathtub in Paris. Fussy Parisians take his death as a confirmation of the long-held superstition that bathing can kill you.

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On this day in 1979, U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul.

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On this day in 1988, the United States Navy shoots down an Iran Air jetliner over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 civilians on board. Oops!

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On this day in 1996, the Stone of Scone is returned to Scotland.

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JULY 2



On this day in 1777, Vermont becomes the first American territory to abolish slavery.

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On this day in 1839, twenty miles off the coast of Cuba, 53 rebelling African slaves led by Joseph Cinqué take over the slave ship Amistad. Spielberg eventually makes a movie about it.

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On this day in 1881, Charles J. Guiteau shoots and fatally wounds U.S. President James Garfield, who eventually dies from an infection on September 19.

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On this day in 1897, Italian scientist Guglielmo Marconi obtains a patent for radio in London.

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On this day in 1934, the Night of the Long Knives ends with the death of Brownshirts leader Ernst Röhm.

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On this day in 1937, an over-ambitious Amelia Earhart disappears over the Pacific ocean while attempting to be the first woman to circumnavigate the globe, inadvertently proving once and for all that chicks have no sense of direction.

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On this day in 1950, the Ed Wood science fiction classic Plan 9 From Outer Space debuts in a single Hollywood theater. One of the worst films ever made, it still beats the hell out of Battlefield Earth.

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On this day in 1962, the first ever Wal-Mart store opens for business in Rogers, Arkansas.

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On this day in 1964, US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 meant to prohibit segregation in public places. At the time, LBJ said "The Democrats have just lost the South for a generation." Turns out he was under-estimating the damage by a couple generations.

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On this day in 1966, the French military explodes a nuclear test bomb code-named Aldébaran in Mururoa, their first nuclear test in the Pacific.

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On this day in 1976, after the fall of "free" South Vietnam, Communist North Vietnam declares their union to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

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On this day in 1986, Rodrigo Rojas and Carmen Gloria Quintana are burnt alive during a street demonstration against the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet in Chile.

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On this day in 2000, Vicente Fox Quesada is elected the first President of México from an opposition party, the Partido Acción Nacional, after more than 70 years of continuous rule by the Partido Revolucionario Institucional.

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On this day in 2001, the AbioCor self-contained artificial heart is first implanted.

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On this day in 2002, millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon.

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JULY 1


On this day in 1862, the United States Congress passes a law which makes polygamy a crime. Thankfully, screwing around behind your wife's back remains perfectly legal, if risky.

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On this day in 1867, the Dominion of Canada is forged from the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. So wash down a bacon sandwich and a plate of poutine with a bottle of Moosehead. Or don't. It's entirely up to you.

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On this day in 1879, the first ever edition of the Jehovah’s Witness magazine The Watchtower is published by Charles Taze Russell.

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On this day in 1899, the Gideon Society is established with the stated goal of getting a bunch of crazy Christian folks to sneak a copy of the Holy Bible into every hotel room in the land, in the hopes that doing so will guarantee their ascent into heaven after they die… the poor, deluded fools.

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On this day in 1903, the first ever Tour de France bicycle race is run.

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On this day in 1908, SOS - short for "Save Our Souls" - is adopted as the international distress signal.

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On this day in 1963, ZIP Codes are introduced for United States mail. This will make it infinitely easier for the elites to herd us all into camps, when the time comes to do so.

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On this day in 1967, the European Community is formally created out of a merger with the Common Market, the European Coal and Steel Community, and the European Atomic Energy Commission.

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On this day in 1968, the CIA's Phoenix Program is officially established. It expressly targets North Vietnamese civilians for terrorization by covert forces, and is thus quite evil and not fondly remembered.

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On this day in 1968, the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., London and Moscow by sixty-two countries. Proliferation continues apace, regardless.

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On this day in 1980, O Canada officially becomes the national anthem of Canada. The song is already over 100 years old by this point in time.

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On this day in 1981, the Wonderland Murders occurr in the early morning hours, allegedly masterminded by businessman and drug dealer Eddie Nash and partially committed by pornography legend John Holmes.

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On this day in 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominates right-wing extremist Robert Bork for the United States Supreme Court. Thankfully the Democratic-controlled Senate has the good sense to reject this bug-eyed reactionary freak, and turned his last name into a verb. "Bork! Bork! Bork!"

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On this day in 1991, the Warsaw Pact is officially dissolved at a meeting in Prague.

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On this day in 2002, the International Criminal Court is established to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.

Monday, June 30, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JUNE 30


On this day in 1882, American preacher, lawyer, political writer and spurned stalker Charles J. Guiteau is hanged by the neck until dead in Washington DC after being found guilty of assassinating US President James Garfield, who died eleven weeks after Guiteau shot him.

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On this day in 1905, world historic genius physicist Albert Einstein publishes the article On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, in which he introduces special relativity. Very few people understand it, to this very day.

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On this day in 1908, a gigantic, gaseous fireball slams into the Siberian tundra at Tunguska, leveling trees for thousands of square miles. Some folks claim the incident was actually a UFO crash-landing, while others believe the explosion was caused by a small asteroid. Personally, I believe that there was a lot more to it than just that. Something... strange and otherworldly, perhaps.

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The so-called Night of the Long Knives took place on this day in 1934. Himmler, Goering and Goebbels convince Hitler that he needs to get rid of Ernst Roehm, who controlled the 3 million-strong Sturm Abteilung Brownshirt militia, without which Hitler probably would not have been able to seize power in Germany in the first place. Roughly 400 Nazi party members, including Roehm, are killed in the purge, which is only revealed to the German public half a month later.

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On this day in 1966, the United States' largest feminist organization - the National Organization for Women, or NOW - is founded in Washington DC. Today, it has over half a million dues paying members in over five hundred chapters all across the USA.

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On this day in 1971, the three-man crew of the Soviet Soyuz 11 spacecraft is killed during an accidental catastrophic depressurization event, causing their air supply to escape through a faulty valve coupling. Theirs remain the only human deaths in outer space (as opposed to the high atmosphere deaths of those killed in Space Shuttle missions).

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On this day in 1987, the Royal Canadian Mint introduces Canada’s new $1 coin to replace the paper banknote. Canadians immediately start referring to it as the Loonie, after the aquatic bird that graces one side of it.

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On this day in 1997, the United Kingdom transfers sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China. In hindsight, the transition appears to have gone off without a hitch or hiccup, and Hong Kong residents enjoy a certain degree of autonomy and freedom of expression not allowed to their mainland compatriots to this very day. Or not...

Sunday, June 29, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JUNE 29

On this day in the year 1149, the Crusader army of Raymond of Antioch is defeated by the Syrian army of Nur ad-Din at the Battle of Inab. After the battle, Raymond was beheaded by Shirkuh, uncle of the legendary Saladin, who then placed Raymond’s head in a silver box and sent it to the Caliph of Baghdad as a gift. 

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On this day in 1520, after attempting and failing to get his people to stop fighting back against Cortez and his Conquistadors, Moctezuma II, ruler of the Aztecs, is either stoned to death by his disgusted subjects or murdered by Cortez over his crappy negotiating skills. The truth is lost to history.

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On this day in 1864, a train passing through Mont St. Hilaire in the province of Quebec fails to acknowledge a stop signal and falls through an open swing bridge, plunging into the Richelieu River and killing 99 mostly German and Polish immigrants. It remains Canada’s worst rail disaster on record.

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On this day in 1881, Sudanese religious leader Muhammad Ahmad declares himself to be the Mahdi, the Messiah of Islamic prophecy, destined to rule for seven years during which time he would redeem the Islamic faith and rid the world of evil in preparation for the Day of Judgment. Unfortunately, he died a mere four years later.
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On this day in 1940, the USA passes the Smith Act, also known as the Alien Registration Act. This act set criminal penalties for “advocating the overthrow of the government.” Just over two hundred people were indicted under this legislation – mostly communists and a few fascists – until a number of Supreme Court decisions reversed many of the convictions. The statute is still technically on the books. 

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This day in 1946 was known as the “Black Shabbat” in Israel – then still known as Palestine – when British soldiers and police execute Operation Agatha, arresting 2700 members of such extremist Jewish groups as Haganah, Palmach, the Stern Gang and Irgun. While many of the targeted groups get the message and settle down, Irgun retaliates by bombing the King David Hotel. With a death toll of 91 victims, it remains, to this day, Israel’s worst terrorist bombing.

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On this day in 1967, actress Jayne Mansfield is killed in a horrific automobile wreck. Also killed in the crash is Mansfield’s abusive boyfriend/manager Sam Brody, who had recently been “cursed” by Church of Satan honcho Anton LaVey. Mansfield, who was an enthusiastic supporter of LaVey’s Church, was apparently just collateral damage.

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On this day in 1978, actor Bob Crane of Hogan’s Heroes fame is found bludgeoned to death in his apartment in Scottsdale, Arizona. In the years leading up to his death, Crane had begun videotaping his sexual escapades with the help of a Sony sales executive. In an ironic twist, police believe Crane was bludgeoned to death with a video camera tripod. His murder remains unsolved.

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On this day in 1995, the Sampoong Department Store collapses in Seoul, South Korea, killing 501 and injuring a thousand more.

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On this day in 2002, naval clashes between South Korea and North Korea lead to the death of six South Korean sailors and sinking of a North Korean vessel. Meanwhile, in the United States, Vice President Dick Cheney becomes “acting President” for two and a half hours while George W. Bush undergoes a colonoscopy.

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On this day in 2007, Apple enters the mobile phone market with their hugely popular iPhone line of products. 

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On this day in 2008, Thomas Beatie, the world's first pregnant man, gives birth to a daughter.

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On this day in 2009, financier and former NasDaq chairman Bernard Madoff receives a 150-year sentence – the maximum possible penalty – for his multibillion-dollar fraud scheme. In a recent letter to his daughter, Madoff bragged that he was being treated “like a Mafia Don” by both his fellow inmates and the staff at FCI Butner Medium Security Facility where he is serving out his sentence.

Saturday, June 28, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JUNE 28


On this day in 1820, brave colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson disproved the myth that tomatoes are poisonous by eating a crate of them on the courthouse steps in Salem, New Jersey. Today, the typical American consumes about 80 pounds of tomatoes per year (true fact!) most of it in "sauce" or "salsa" form.

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On this day in the year 1914, Austria's Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophia, are gunned down by a Serbian nationalist lunatic in the middle of a busy street in Sarajevo, thereby starting a little scrap the old-timers used to call World War One. That war would last five years to the DAY, ending with the Treaty of Versailles, which was signed in Paris on this day in 1919.

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On this day in 1964, Malcolm X forms the Organization of Afro-American Unity.

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On this day in 1969, the Stonewall Riots begin in New York City marking the start of the Gay Rights Movement.

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On this day in 1994, members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult release sarin gas in Matsumoto, Japan. Seven people are killed and 660 injured. The cult still exists, and it is now known as Aleph.

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On this day in 1975, at the Western Open, golfer Lee Trevino is hit by a bolt of lightning. I don't have a joke to go with this factoid, I just enjoy thinking about golfers getting hit by lightning. PEE-OW! Man, that must sting!

Friday, June 27, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JUNE 27


On this day in 1844, Mormon founder Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum are lynched (shot) by an angry mob outside a Carthage, Illinois jailhouse. To this day, some believe that a man who tried to decapitate the cult leader's corpse with a knife was prevented from doing so by a lightning bolt, but yer old pal Jerky suspects that story is bullshit.

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On this day in 1971, after only three years in business, rock promoter Bill Graham closes the Fillmore East in New York, New York, the "Church of Rock and Roll", but no before Frank Zappa and the Mothers record Fillmore East '71 there! Iridescent Naugahyde, baby!

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On this day in 1954, the CIA - using money, propaganda, weapons and personnel - overthrows the democratically elected government of Guatemala, installing some of the most profoundly evil fuckers in the hemisphere in their stead. The Powers That Be consider this a great moral victory.

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On this day in 1990, author Salman Rushdie - condemned to death by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeni for penning the "blasphemous" novel, The Satanic Verses - contributes $8600 to help earthquake victims in Iran. Unfortunately for Salman, Iran's leaders saw through his little good-will ploy and refused to revoke the fatwah.

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On this day in 1995, stammering sex symbol Hugh Grant and street-walking cocksucker Divine Brown are arrested by the LAPD for expressing their love for each other in the front seat of Grant's white BMW.

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On this day in 2001, people start saying some very disturbing things about quasi-autistic, sexually ambiguous "comedienne" Paula Poundstone when she's arrested for "lewd conduct with a minor". The media kept discussing it until the terrorist attacks of 9/11, after which they stop. Soon thereafter, she pleads guilty to a lesser charge, and the details of her indictment are never disclosed to the public.

Thursday, June 26, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JUNE 26

On this day in the year 1945, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill's plot to replace the doomed League of Nations with a new international organization to force their pinko-liberal agenda on ostensibly free nations in the postwar world came one step closer to reality when representatives from fifty nations gathered in the Herbst Theater auditorium in San Francisco (figures!) to sign the United Nations charter. The charter called for the U.N. to enforce international treaties, promote vile socialist programs, destroy national sovereignty by establishing international law, promote the dubious and sinister notion of so-called "human rights," and terrify many fine, upstanding Americans by building secret concentration camps right under our noses and flying black helicopters over empty fields throughout the Homeland's Heartland. Despite this endless parade of crimes against freedom and the Lord God Jesus, since 1945, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the United Nations, its organizations and officials a grand total of ten times, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that this shadowy cabal of egg-head Swedes are totally in cahoots with these fascistic, would-be international overlords.

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On this day in 1948, things were looking bleak in post-war Europe. The Soviet Union, upset over having been cut out of the decision-making process regarding Germany's economic future, had recently taken the rather bold, bullying move of imposing a military blockade, choking off all roads and rail-lines leading into the city of West Berlin, which was located entirely within the Soviet-controlled, East German zone of occupation. Figuring it would be bad form to spark World War III so soon after the end of World War II, President Harry Truman put the kaibosh on his Joint Cheifs of Staff, who recommended military retaliation. He opted instead to institute a massive airlift effort, flying in food, supplies and -- we can be pretty sure about this -- decks of cards with nekkid ladies on 'em to the city besieged. It was a public relations master-stroke that pretty much glued a black hat on the USSR, as far as Cold War role-playing game was concerned.

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On this day in 1974, the Universal Product Code (UPC) stripey-bar thingy is scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley's chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio. Next up? RFIDs!

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On this day in 1975, two FBI agents and a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) are killed in a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Leonard Peltier is later convicted of the murders in a controversial trial.

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JUNE 25



On this day in 253, Pope Cornelius is beheaded – some say “martyred” – during the anti-Christian persecutions promoted by Emperor Decius near Rome, Italy.

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On this day in 1798, the then-Federalist USG passes the first part of the so-called Alien and Sedition Acts. Read this article to see how many disturbing modern-day parallels you can spot.

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On this day in 1876, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer makes his legendary “Last Stand” during the Great Sioux War of 1876/77. He’s killed by forces led by Crazy Horse at the quasi-legendary Battle of the Little Bighorn, near Greasy Grass Creek in the Eastern Montana Territory.

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On this day in 1910, the United States Congress passes the Mann Act, which prohibits interstate transport of females for “immoral purposes”. The ambiguous language would be used to selectively prosecute people for years to come.

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On this day in 1947, the Diary of a Young Girl – better known as The Diary of Anne Frank – is first published.

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On this day in 1978, the rainbow flag representing Gay Pride is flown for the first time in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade.

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On this day in 1996, the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia kills 19 U.S. servicemen.

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JUNE 24

On this day in 1374, a sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.

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On this day in 1497, English explorer John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland, leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings.

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On this day in 1604, French explorer Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

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On this day in 1717, the Premier Grand Lodge of England, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now known as the United Grand Lodge of England), is founded in London, England. Is there no mercy for the widow's son?

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On this day in 1880, the first ever performance of O Canada, the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français.

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On this day in 1916, Canadian cutie Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million dollar contract.

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On this day in 1947, the first widely reported UFO sighting is reported by Kenneth Arnold near Mount Rainier, Washington. Read all about it, in his own words.

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On this day in the year 1963, the first ever videotape recorder is demonstrated before a rapt audience at BBC Studios in London... and thus, the first, tentative steps in the Great Pornpgraphy Revolution are taken.

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On this day in 1997, at a United Nations Earth Summit, the leaders of various island nations describe an apocalyptic scenario of flooded islands and submerged cities unless swift action is taken to curb Global Warming. Good thing we got right on that!

Monday, June 23, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JUNE 23



On this day in 1611, the mutinous crew of Henry Hudson's fourth voyage sets Henry, his son and seven loyal crewmembers adrift in an open boat in what is now Hudson Bay, one of the harshest, most unforgiving bodies of water on the planet. They are never heard from again, obviously.

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On this day in 1713, French-speaking residents of Acadia are given one year to declare allegiance to the British Crown, or be forced to leave their homeland. Most refuse, and are forcibly deported.

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On this day in 1810, Illuminati bloodline family head John Jacob Astor forms the Pacific Fur Company. Evil ensues.

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On this day in 1960, the US FDA declares Enovid to be the first officially approved combined oral contraceptive pill in the world, taking yet another step in the engineering of human population levels.

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On this day in 1961, the Antarctic Treaty comes into force. It sets aside the Antarctic as a scientific preserve and bans military activity on the continent. Of course, this is only because the world elites want to hide a) the Mountains of Madness, b) the hole to the Hollow Earth, c) a secret alien base, d) the remains of a pre-catastrophic Atlantis, or e) all of the above.

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On this day in 1970, one-hit-wonder Chubby Checker is arrested for possession of marijuana. Twisting ensues.

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On this day in 1972, President Richard Nixon and White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman are taped talking about using the CIA to obstruct the FBI’s investigation into the Watergate break-ins.

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On this day in 1985, a terrorist bomb aboard Air India flight 182 brings the Boeing 747 down off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 aboard, including 268 Canadians, 27 British citizens and 24 Indians. It was the largest mass murder in Canadian history and the deadliest aviation disaster to ever occur over a body of water. Canadian law enforcement determined that the main suspects in the bombing were members of the Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa and other related groups based in Canada. Though a handful of members were arrested and tried, Inderjit Singh Reyat, a Canadian resident, was the only person convicted of involvement in the bombing. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for building the bombs.

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On this day in 1993, Lorena Gallo Bobbitt slices off the top of hubby John Wayne's cock and tosses it into an empty field. Late-night talk show hosts are only now allowing us to forget this sordid bit of sorry trivia.

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On this day in 2001, a Senior Executive Intelligence Brief with the title Bin Laden Attacks May Be Imminent is sent to top White House officials. This means President George W. Bush received the warning during the previous day’s President Daily Briefing. Also on this day a CIA cable is distributed with the title, Possible Threat of Imminent Attack from Sunni Extremists. The cable warns that there is a high probability of near-term “spectacular” terrorist attacks resulting in numerous casualties. 

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On this day in 2006, the Miami Seven are arrested in connection with an alleged Sears Tower Plot. Check out this classic Daily Dirt article - THE MIAMI SEVEN : TERROR CELL OR WU-TARD CLAN? - to find out more about this ridiculous "gimme" for the US DOJ.

Sunday, June 22, 2025

PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JUNE 22


On this day in 1633, the Roman Catholic Church forces Galileo Galilei to disavow his theory that the Earth orbits around the Sun, rather than vice-versa. Three hundred and sixty years later, in 1992, the Vatican admits it made a mistake, and that Galileo was right. Which leads yer old pal Jerky to wonder... how long do you think it will be before they finally admit to making up all that GOD crap in order to keep the rabble in line?

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On this day in 1783, a poisonous cloud created by the eruption of the Laki volcanic fissure system in Iceland reaches the French mainland. All told, six million people around the world would die due to Laki’s multiple eruptions over a two year period, making it the deadliest volcanic event in history.


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On this day in 1813, after learning of American plans for a surprise attack on Beaver Dams in Ontario, Canada, a plucky gal by the name of Laura Secord sets out on a 30 kilometer journey on foot to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon. Chocolate ensues.
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On this day in the year 1847, Captain Hanson Gregory took the top of a round tin pepper box and pressed it down into one of his mother's uncooked miniature fried cakes, creating the world's first doughnut! Today, doughnuts are considered a separate food group in Canada, and they make up roughly 35% of the average police officer's diet.
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On this day in 1941, in one of the worst missteps of World War II, Hitler’s Germany invades the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa. Needless to say, things do NOT go Hitler’s way.
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On this day in 1954, in Christchurch, New Zealand, Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme murder Pauline's mother by caving in her skull with a rock. This they do because they believe dear old mum is interfering in their “close” friendship. In 1994, Peter Jackson made a movie about it - Heavenly Creatures – which also introduced Kate Winslet to the world.
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On this day in 1956, playwright Arthur Miller defies the House Committee on Un-American Activities by refusing to "name names," as they used to call it.
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On this day in 1969, the incredibly polluted Cuyahoga River catches fire – yep, you read right, a RIVER caught fire – in northeast Ohio. It is one of those watershed moments (no pun intended) that called attention to ecological concerns and led to an increase in environmental awareness the world over.
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On this day in 1978, American astronomer James W. Christy discovers Charon, a satellite of the dwarf planet Pluto. Creepy name for a creepy moon!