Paracultural Calendar for July 1

[Mark Thibodeau]

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.

***

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.

***

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

***

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.

***

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

***

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

***

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.

***

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.

***

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.

***

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.

***

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.

***

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.

***

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!"

***

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

***

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.
-
Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l