PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR JULY 25

[Mark Thibodeau]

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On this day in *1755*, British governor *Charles Lawrence* and the Nova
Scotia Council order the deportation of the*Acadians*. Thousands are sent
to the British Colonies in America, France and England. Some later move to
Louisiana, while others resettle in New Brunswick. That's what *my* ancestors
did, anyway.

***

On this day in *1946*, America's military scientists detonate the first
ever underwater atomic bomb off the Bikini atoll. Meanwhile, in Paris, a
new two-piece swimsuit makes its debut at a fancy-shmancy fashion show.
It's name? The *Bikini!*Coincidence? YOU BE THE JUDGE!

***

On this day in *1965*, folk singer *Bob Dylan* "goes electric" as he plugs
in at the Newport Folk Festival, signaling a major change in folk and rock
music. Some in the audience boo, but the world at large applauds.
Figuratively speaking, of course.

***

On this day in *1976*, the *Viking 1* probe takes the famous *Face on Mars*
 photo.

***

On this day in *1978*, the world's first "test tube baby", named *Louise
Brown*, is born.

***

On this day in 1984, Salyut 7 cosmonaut *Svetlana Savitskaya* becomes the
first woman to perform a space walk!

***

On this day in *1990*, US Ambassador to Iraq *April Glaspie* tells Iraqi
leader *Saddam Hussein*: "We have no opinion on your Arab-Arab conflicts,
such as your dispute with Kuwait. Secretary Baker has directed me to
emphasize the instruction, first given to Iraq in the 1960's, that the
Kuwait issue is not associated with America." Four days later, Iraq invades
Kuwait. A few months later, the United States bombs Iraq. BWAH-HA-HA-HA!!!
Suckers!

***

On this day in *1999,* a conflagration - half barbarian self-affirmation,
half banal suburban vandalism - erupts belch-like from the belly of a lost
generation. The children of the seventies and eighties - the children of
greed, selfishness and solipsism - have their *Woodstock*, and brother, it
ain't pretty. Better to call it *Altamont '99*, or *Woodstockalypse Now*.
It's pointless to compare the hellish negativity of Woodstock 99 with the
benign goofiness of the one that came thirty years before, so why bother?
There was public nudity at both events, sure, but the nudity of Woodstock
99 was confrontational, vile and pathetic... it stank of the peep-show
booth. Look at me! Touch me! It's all about my tits and cock!
Conservatives, of course, see in Woodstock 99 a confirmation of their
prejudices. "You see?! THIS is what happens when you allow a counterculture
to thrive!" But most of these kids were either born or raised during the
greatest surge of social conservatism this nation has ever known. These
kids who were setting fire to everything that would burn, these kids who
were overturning cars, trucks and ambulances for the rush of it, these kids
who looted concessions and sent merchants running for their lives, these
are the bastard offspring of the dog-eat-dog, every-man-for-himself
conservatism of *Ronald Reagan* and *Margaret Thatcher*. Brutal,
narcissistic and numb. Woodstock is dead... long live Woodstock.

***

On this day in *2010*, *WikiLeaks* publishes classified documents about the
War in Afghanistan, one of the largest leaks in U.S. military history.
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