Paracultural Calendar for July 20

[Mark Thibodeau]

<http://contraperiodismomatrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/conspiracionmkultra2.gif>

On this day in *1712*, the *Riot Act* of euphemism fame takes effect in
Great Britain, giving local authorities the power to declare any group of
more than twelve people to be "unlawfully assembled", thus forcing them to
disperse or face the consequences.

***

On this day in *1903*, the *Ford Motor Company* ships its first car. Today,
some industry analysts are wondering how long it will be before the day
they ship their last.

***

On this day in *1932*, in Washington, DC, police fire tear gas on World War
I veterans who were marching on the White House to demand their
long-promised and as-yet unpaid bonuses. Generals *MacArthur* and *Patton*,
with *Eisenhower*tagging along, were sent in to quash this surly display.
Hundreds of soldiers and their family members were injured, and several
were killed. It was, as the kids say today, "a bad scene, maaan."
Especially for President *Herbert Hoover*, who was voted out of the White
House a few months later.

***

On this day in *1969*, *Apollo 11* lands on the fucking Moon. It's been all
downhill for our species ever since. And don't come back at me with *Viking
1* landing on Mars exactly seven years later, to the day. That was one for
the robots.

***

On this day in *1977*, the *Central Intelligence Agency* releases documents
under the Freedom of Information Act revealing that it had engaged in
Nazi-style mind control experiments, code-named *MKUltra*. See? They
admitted it, and yet some people STILL don't believe it.

***

On this day in *1984*, the Miss America organization demands that *Vanessa
Lynn Williams* - the first African American Miss America - hand in her
tiara after Penthouse publishes a really hot naked lesbian photo-set in
which she had participated when she was young and hungry… for vagina!

***

Despite repeated post-9/11 claims that they had "no idea" that terrorists
might hijack commercial jetliners and use them as weapons, at the 27th
Annual G8 summit in Genoa, Italy - which started on this day in *2001* -
the city was ringed with anti-aircraft guns precisely to prepare for this
exact potential threat.

***

On this day in *2003*, the Director of BBC News reveals that WMD expert *Dr.
David Kelly* was the source of claims that Downing Street had "sexed up"
the infamous "Dodgy Dossier" that was a large part of the US and UK
justifications for invading Iraq. Shortly thereafter, in an alleged fit of
guilt, the good doctor wanders into the woods and commits suicide by
slashing his own arms open with a knife. It's true, I tells ya! He killed
himself! An inquest ruled it so!

***

On this day in *2012*, during a midnight showing of *The Dark Knight Rises*,
a gunman opens fire at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12
people and injuring 58.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://waste.org/pipermail/pynchon-l/attachments/20150721/d0b47484/attachment.html>