Paracultural Calendar for July 13

[Mark Thibodeau]

<http://www.findingdulcinea.com/docroot/dulcinea/fd_images/news/on-this-day/July-August-08/On-this-Day--New-York-Draft-Riots-Begin/news/0/image.jpg>

It was on this day in *432 B.C.* that the Metonic Cycle originated. The
Metonic Cycle is a period of 235 lunar months, or about 19 years in the
Julian calendar, at the end of which the phases of the moon recur in the
same order and on the same days as in the preceding cycle. Whoa, dude!

***

On this day in *1837*, *Queen Victoria* moves into Buckingham Palace. In a
nod to the commoners, she spends her first two months there cleaning the
mess left behind by the previous tenants - "a right herd of swine",
apparently - and living out of cardboard boxes.

***

On this day in the year *1863*, a mob of mostly Irish workers, disgruntled
with the fact that the government was drafting them to go off and fight a
war for the Black Man, riot in the streets of New York City, burning down
entire blocks, shooting cops and lynching blacks all the while. Eventually,
the Union army had to be called in. Open fighting in the streets continued
until July 16, with a total bodycount of well over one thousand dead…
mostly rioters felled by army bullets. We'll be seeing this kind of thing
again.

***

On this day in *1908*, chicks compete in modern Olympics for the first
time. Way to go, ladies!
***

On this day in *1917*, the *Virgin Mary* appears to three children - *Lucia*
, *Jacinta* and *Francisco* - at Fatima, Portugal, giving them three dire
predictions: *1.* The end of World War I.* 2.* the start of World War II.
*3.* An assassination attempt on the Pope. That last one might be bullshit,
though. You'll have to wait until you die to find out the REAL third
prophecy of Fatima..
***

On this day in *1945*, in the stark New Mexico desert of Alma Gordo, the
first *atom bomb* is detonated by American scientists. Upon viewing the
terrifying, awesome end-result of his team's frenzied research, Dr.
*Oppenheimer* quotes aloud a line from the sacred Hindu holy text, the
*Bhaggavad
Gita*: "I am become death." Others present for the show just laugh and say:
"She shore blowed up real good, din'she?!?"

***

The *New York City Blackout* took place on this day in *1977*. The city was
without power for 25 hours, and mass violence and looting took place. Check
out *Spike Lee*'s *Summer of Sam* for a fictionalized, but viscerally
verisimilitudinous, portrayal of that event.

***
On this day in *1983*, 3,000 Tamils are slaughtered in Sri Lanka… by a
bunch of Buddhists. Jesus Fucking Naiholes! BUDDHISTS!!! Is there any
religion in this world that doesn't cause its adherents to go batshit
fucking insane?!
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://waste.org/pipermail/pynchon-l/attachments/20150715/829d636f/attachment.html>