Paracultural Calendar for Aug 11

[Mark Thibodeau]

 <http://catatanbujangan.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/mayan-calendar.jpg>


On this day in *3114 BC*, the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by
several pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, notably the Mayans,
begins.

***

On this day in *2492 BC*, traditional date of the defeat of the tyrant
*Bel *by tribal leader* Hayk*, progenitor and founder of the *Armenian
nation <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayk>*.

***

On this day in *1919*, the constitution of the Weimar Republic is adopted.
Good musical theater, nice furniture, great (deviant) art and a really
"gay" metropolitan nightlife ensue.

***

On this day in *1965*, race riots flare up in the *Watts* area of Los
Angeles, California. The great novelist Thomas Pynchon wrote *this
interesting essay
<http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/05/18/reviews/pynchon-watts.html>* about
it.

***

On this day in *1972*, the mayor officially decrees it to be *Cheech and
Chong Day* in the city of San Antonio, Texas. Twenty years later, the
federal government passes an Omnibus bill which includes vaguely-worded
laws that make it illegal to sell "bongs" but not "water pipes." Twelve
years after *that*,*Tommy Chong* is sentenced to nine months in jail for
marketing a line of water pipes called *Chong's Bongs*. What the fuck
happened between then and now?

***

On this day in *1984*, Olympian *Carl Lewis* duplicates *Jesse Owens*' 1936
feat, winning 4 Olympic track gold medals. On the same day, during
preparations for a radio broadcast, president *Ronald Reagan* picks up a
microphone and says: "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today,
that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin
bombing in five minutes." Unfortunately, Ronnie had failed to notice that
the mic was already on, and that his little "joke" was being heard by
thousands of pants-shitting Americans, who'd already been rendered beat-dog
flinchy by the hyperbolic rhetoric of the Cold War's dying days.
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