Paracultural Calendar for Sept 16

[Mark Thibodeau]

<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cx9ToG606io/TwPgRYaIv-I/AAAAAAAAC-s/mTqmfy7LjAc/s400/torquemada.jpg>

On this day in *1498*, the most successful Inquisitor General in the long
and sordid history of the Catholic Church -*Tomas de Torquemada* - passes
away quietly in his sleep. His 11,500+ victims - Jews and others who were
systematically burned, bludgeoned, drowned, flayed, hanged, vivisected and
otherwise torn asunder - met far more unquiet fates.

***

On this day in *1620*, the Mayflower starts her voyage to North America

***

On this day in *1919*, the American Legion is incorporated.

***

On this day in *1920*, the Wall Street bombing takes place when a bomb in a
horse wagon explodes in front of the J. P. Morgan building in New York City
– 38 are killed and 400 injured.

***

On this day in *1941*, during World War II, concerned that *Reza Pahlavi* the
Shah of Persia is about to ally his petroleum-rich empire with Nazi
Germany, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union invade Iran in late August
and force the Shah to abdicate in favor of his son, *Mohammad Reza Pahlavi*.
So the Anglo world has been messing with Iran since even before *the
Mossadegh coup!
<http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/19/politics/cia-iran-1953-coup/index.html>*

***

On this day in *1959*, the first successful photocopier, the *Xerox 914*,
is introduced in a demonstration on live television from New York City.
This is a vitally important moment in the history of *samizdat
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samizdat>* and underground publishing.

***

On this day in *1982*, the *Sabra and Shatila
<http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/09/2012915163152213255.html>*
massacre
takes place in Lebanon.

***

On this day in the year *1983*, Austrian immigrant *Arnold
Schwarzenthingy* becomes
a citizen of the United States of America. Now all we have to do is figure
out a way to send him back.

***

On this day in *2001*, a satellite company beaming live footage from a
special Papal mass in celebration of the Feast of the Exaltation of the
Holy Cross (phew!) fucked up big-time, crossing video from the mass with
audio from a*hardcore porn movie* which the company was carrying on a
supposedly separate channel. So while the millions of Catholics who tuned
into the ceremony could see the assembled cardinals praying and waving
those smoking ball-and-chain thingies in the air, all they could hear were
the guttural moanings and squishy sex-sounds of copulating couples! But if
you think the Catholics were confused, just imagine the poor porn dogs who
tuned in to check out some flesh-flicks only to find a soundtrack of
prayers and Latin chanting playing over all that filthy, sinful fucking!
Talk about cognitive dissonance!

***

On this day in *2007*, mercenaries working for *Blackwater Worldwide* allegedly
shoot and kill 17 Iraqis in Nisour Square, Baghdad; all criminal charges
against them are later dismissed, sparking outrage in the Arab world.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://waste.org/pipermail/pynchon-l/attachments/20150918/108a770a/attachment.html>