Today is day 333 of the Gregorian Calendar year,
Pungenday, The Aftermath 41, 3187 YOLD
And let us not forget 13.0.9.1.5 mlc (the Mayan Long Count)
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Back in the Fifties, The Eisenhower Administration intentionally set the US on a course to be a consumer society based on the ever increasing consumption of goods and services by its citizens comsumers. This was a conscious decision based on the idea that such an economy was the only way we could sustain and maintain the production, productivity and employment levels that resulted from WWII. They were aided and abetted by Edward Bernays and his students, imitators and followers.
The primary holiday for which the citizenry bought goods was Xmas, on December 25, and after a while advertisements, displays, advance sales, early bird specials and lay away plans were saturating everybody's daily lives well before Thanksgiving. This didn't sit well with those who saw Thanksgiving as a special holiday in its own right and really didn't generate the sales volume it should have. Luckily, a solution was found- Black Friday. This wasn't mere early Xmas shopping, but a holiday in its own right, a festival of purchasing and consumption second to none, and a wondereful holiday it was. Shoppers went into a frenzy and merchandise flew off of the shelves without diminishing or tarnishing Thanksgiving, because it was the day after.
As good as that might be, it still had its limits, even when "extended" via early-bird specials or by including Saturday and Sunday. Yet, the totally irrational goal of it all was Growth in Spending ever more and more goods sold. If only there were a quick and easy solution to the fact that Balck Friday was but one day, and, of course, there was. Enter Cyber Monday a special additional Shopping Holiday, special because of the tech focus, like all the hotels and wineries offering me Cyber Monday specials.
Soon, of course, we will need another. I propose December 1, Richard Pryor's birthday, becausse I suspect that he could have given this lunacy the kind of treatment it deserves.
~~ Maximum Consumption
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On this day in history:
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1612 – The Battle of Swally pitted the English against the Portuguese over India
1729 – Natchez Indians killed 138 French colonists at Fort Rosalie
1777 – San Jose, California, the first civilian settlement, or pueblo, in Alta California was founded by José Joaquín Moraga.
1781 – The crew of the slave ship Zong murdered 133 Africans for the insurance.
1807 – John VI of Portugal fled Lisbon, transferring the Portuguese court to Brazil.
1830 – An armed rebellion against Russia's rule in Poland began
1847 – The Sonderbund was defeated by the joint forces of other Swiss cantons
1847 – Cayuse and Umatilla Indians killed Marcus Whitman, his wife and 15 others are killed, because they thought he was poisoning them.
1864 – Colorado volunteers under John Chivington massacred at least 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho noncombatants at Sand Creek
1872 – The Modoc War begins with the Battle of Lost River.
1877 – Thomas Edison demonstrated his phonograph for the first time.
1890 – The Meiji Constitution went into effect in Japan
1929 – U.S. Admiral Richard E. Byrd led the first expedition to fly over the South Pole.
1944 – Albania was liberated by the Partisans.
1945 – The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia was declared.
1947 – Partition Plan: The UN General Assembly approved a plan for the partition of Palestine.
1947 – French forces carried out a massacre at M? Tr?ch, Vietnam.
1961 – Enos, a chimpanzee, was launched into space.
1963 – LBJ established the Warren Commission
1963 – the Beatles released "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in the UK
1972 – Atari released Pong, the first commercially successful video game.
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Born this day in:
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“Civilization degrades the many to exalt the few.”
~~ Amos Bronson Alcott
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1781 – Andrés Bello, poet and philosopher
1797 – Gaetano Donizetti, composer
1798 – Alexander Brullov, painter and architect, designed the Pulkovo Observatory
1799 – Amos Bronson Alcott, philosopher and academic
1803 – Christian Doppler, mathematician and physicist
1803 – Gottfried Semper, architect and academic, designed the Semper Opera House
1817 – William Ellery Channing, poet and author
1825 – Jean-Martin Charcot, neurologist and psychologist
1832 – Louisa May Alcott, novelist and poet
1843 – Gertrude Jekyll, horticulturist and writer
1873 – Suzan Rose Benedict, mathematician and academic
1874 – Egas Moniz, physician and neurologist
1879 – Jacob Gade, one hit wonder; Jalousie 1895 – Busby Berkeley, director and choreographer
1898 – C. S. Lewis, novelist, poet, and critic
1904 – Margaret Barr, choreographer and teacher of dance-drama
1906 – Barbara C. Freeman, writer and poet
1915 – Billy Strayhorn, pianist and composer
1917 – Merle Travis, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
1918 – Madeleine L'Engle, author and poet
1932 – Ed Bickert, jazz guitarist
1932 – John Gary, singer and television host
1933 – John Mayall, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1933 – James Rosenquist, painter and illustrator
1940 – Chuck Mangione, horn player and composer
1943 – Bobbi Martin, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
1943 – Sue Miller, novelist and short story writer
1944 – Felix Cavaliere, singer, songwriter, pianist, and producer
1946 – Silvio Rodríguez, singer, songwriter and guitarist
1947 – Petra Kelly, activist and politician
1947 – Ronnie Montrose, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1951 – Carl Finch, polka musician, songwriter, and record producer
1951 – Barry Goudreau, guitarist and songwriter
1951 – Roger Troutman, singer, songwriter, and producer
1951 – Don Walker, singer, songwriter, and pianist
1957 – Jennifer Batten, guitarist, songwriter, and producer
1959 – Richard Borcherds, mathematician and academic
1962 – Ronny Jordan, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
1963 – Will Downing, singer, songwriter, and producer
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Died this day in:
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“Avant Garde is French for bullshit.”
~~ George Harrison
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524 – Ahkal Mo' Naab' I, ruler of Palenque
1759 – Nicolaus I Bernoulli, mathematician and theorist
1872 – Mary Somerville, astronomer, mathematician, and author
1924 – Giacomo Puccini, composer and educator
1954 – Dink Johnson, pianist, clarinet player, and drummer
1980 – Dorothy Day, journalist and activist
1984 – Nora Thompson Dean, educator and author
1992 – Jean Dieudonné, mathematician and academic
1996 – Dan Flavin, sculptor and illustrator
2001 – George Harrison, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and music producer
2008 – Jørn Utzon, architect, designed the Sydney Opera House (
2009 – Robert Holdstock, author
2009 – Zuhair Al-Karmi, author, scientific programs presenter on TV
2010 – Bella Akhmadulina, poet and author
2010 – Maurice Wilkes, physicist and computer scientist
2013 – Oliver Cheatham, singer, songwriter,
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Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such:
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (United Nations)
Start of Hanukkah
National Chocolates Day
National Lemon Cream Pie Day
Cyber Monday
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Music goes here, iirc, well, With apologies ;-)
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Jacob Gade
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Billy Strayhorn
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Merle Travis
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Ed Bickert
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John Mayall
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Chuck Mangione
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Felix Cavaliere
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Silvio Rodríguez
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Don Walker
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Jennifer Batten
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Dink Johnson
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George Harrison, aka Nelson Wilbury
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Oliver Cheatham
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-Ok, it's an open thread, so it's up to you folks now. So what's on your mind?
Cross posted from http://caucus99percent.com