PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER 10

On this day in 1988, a massive earthquake of Biblical proportions rips the Armenian city of Spitak and surrounding areas asunder, snuffing out 100,000 souls by the time it had run its course. Tiny, isolated Armenia had just over three million citizens to begin with. So to put those casualties in their proper, "per capita" perspective, you have to imagine some monstrous natural disaster - an asteroid collision, perhaps, or a massive tsunami - claiming TEN MILLION American lives. Kinda boggles the fricken' mind, don't it?

***

On this day in 2004, Gary Webb - the investigative journalist who dug deep into the cephalopodan entanglements between the CIA, right-wing Central American drug lords, New World Order elites and the crack cocaine pandemic that swept through America's inner cities - dies. Victim of an apparent suicide, Webb immediately ascended to the Paranoid's Pantheon alongside such notable truth-warriors as Dorothy Kilgallen, Danny Casolaro, Steve Kangas, Jim Hatfield, Mark Lombardi and countless others who've been rewarded for their efforts by being fed through the Buzzsaw. You can find a collection of Webb's stories on the Dark Alliance here. You can also read his final published story, The Killing Game, which examines the ulterior motives behind the Pentagon's free, online "first-person shooter" videogame, and the sinister implications of their subsequent observations of player behavior.

***

Some dude by the name of Gregory must have been pretty darn proud of himself on this day in 1582, when France switched over to the "Gregorian" calendar.

***

On this day in 1898, after costing nearly four thousand American military lives and untold "enemy" casualties, the Spanish-American War - in many ways, the Iraq War of its day - comes to an end with the USA in possession of the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam. These days, you can find Filipino restaurants in every big city, where you can also find lots and lots of Puerto Ricans. But what about Guam? So far, we've seen sweet fuck all from these fuckers. What's the matter, Guam? Aren't you glad America saved your asses from turn-of-the-century Spanish tyranny?! Send us some restaurants and/or sexy, big-assed actresses to drool over! It's long past time you paid the soldier's blood-debt you so clearly owe us.

***

On this day in 1971, racist sack of shit William Hubbs Rehnquist is confirmed by Richard Nixon to be a "justice" (how ironic) on the Supreme Court of the Land. Meanwhile, down in Hell, Satan, laughing, spreads his wings.