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) *****
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
On this day in history:
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.
Born this day in:
“Civilization degrades the many to exalt the few.”
~~ Amos Bronson Alcott
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
Died this day in:
“Avant Garde is French for bullshit.” ~~ George Harrison-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,--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-Music goes here, iirc, well, With apologies ;-)-Jacob Gade--Billy Strayhorn-Merle Travis-Ed Bickert-John Mayall-Chuck Mangione-Felix Cavaliere-Silvio Rodríguez-Don Walker-Jennifer Batten-Dink Johnson-George Harrison, aka Nelson Wilbury-Oliver Cheatham--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