the Beatles Paris 1964

photographer Roger Kasparian.

"They were greeted by about sixty fans and more than a hundred journalists and photo reporters."

From George Harrison's column in the Daily Express, by Derek Taylor: "Paris, Tuesday. What a fantastic reception! Creepy, but very flattering. More than fifty French photographers and twenty English ones, judging by their clothes."

Roger Kasparyan (photographer): "When the Beatles arrived in Paris in January 1964, they landed at Le Bourget airport. They flew in from England, where beatlemania had already begun, but in France fans did not have access to them, as the police formed a cordon to prevent them from approaching. So they left the plane, went into the airport lobby and saw that no one was running towards them. Then Brian Epstein approached the police and told them that everything was fine, the Beatles returned to the runway, and once again headed to the lobby, but already running away from the fans, who were now allowed to run after them. I still laugh about it."

© Chronology of The Beatles

The Birmingham Church Bombing Occurred in Alabama, Killing four young Black Girls. September 15, 1963.

Image: The four girls killed in the bombing (clockwise from top left) Addie Mae Collins (14), Cynthia Wesley (14), Carole Robertson (14), and Carol Denise McNair (11). (Wikimedia Commons.) On this day in history, September 15, 1963, the Birmingham Church bombing occurred when an explosive device detonated prior to Sunday morning services at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama –…

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post-soviet town Kurchatov ( Kazakhstan ) - the former operations center for the adjoining Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

In total, there were 15-18 million people in the Gulals over the span of over 40 years (late 1920s-1960), until all Gulags were closed by Khruchev. Keep in mind that not only did "Gulags" (had a different name) exist in the Russian Empire before but also penal labor was pretty common in most of the world. Even today, if you look at the United States, which has still a kind of gulag form of punishment, has many more prisoners over the course of maybe 10-15 years and has the highest prison population in the world. This, despite being the richest nation, is far better off in everything compared to the isolated and devasted USSR of that time.

There were also trials and very detailed documents about each person if you look at the archive files. When compared to the Nazis, considering that they only existed for 12 years, most of the concentration camps meant for the mass extermination of ethnicities came into place just after the start of WW2.

Anyways, here are some really good podcasts for history lovers that I’ve found the past several months to listen to while I’m at work:

Dark Histories- Lots of topics on the macabre, the chilling, and the intriguing. Ranges from true crime, to hauntings, to hoaxes, to the origins of popular folklore. Also every Christmas, the host goes through emails from fans and reads strange or creepy experiences they’ve had as a sort of revival of Christmas time ghost stories. Ranges between 40-100 minutes per episode.

History Daily- Daily episodes on things that happened that particular day in history. Brief but gives a good amount of background. On Saturdays they do a matinee feature of a different history podcast episode. Ranges around 15-20 minutes per episode.

Real Dictators- Heavier stuff on dictators in world history. Detailed and comprehensive on each historical figure’s life, from birth to death, and the devastating effects their actions had on their countries and the world. Of course, with this particular topic, it’s going to dive into the grimmest facets of history. Episodes range around 40-60 minutes, but three to six episodes are spent on each political figure.

Short History Of...- Widely ranging topics, from places to people. Sometimes split into two episodes, but most are singular 40-60 minute episodes. I only just started listening to this one, so I don’t have as much to say on it yet, but it’s narrated by the same guy who narrates Real Dictators, so it’s good quality.

whitby abbey, where dracula arrived in england

Dracula Daily leading folks to read up on the historical background of its epistolary framing and discovering that same-day mail delivery used to be completely routine and not just a special perk available only to the largest corporations, and that its decline is a direct consequence of abolishing passenger rail in favour of ubiquitous car ownership isn’t the learning opportunity I expected this week, but you know what, I’ll take it.

A Short list of the things we focused on, just for the History books

Paprika

Foul bauble of Man's vanity

Dracula's three weed smoking girlfriends

Lucy's three weed smoking boyfriends

LIZARD FASHION!!!

Mr Swales. Also Accents!

The First Mate? The First Mate!

The Weather Correspondent

DOGULA!!!

CORN! CORN! AND CORN AGAIN!!!

Wait? It's garlic flowers???

VOLUPTUOUS

Beer for info

*Edit* Laconically

WINCHESTERS!!!!

Kukri

Train Fiend!!!

Fur Coats!!!!

*Edit* The marriage of Art and Jack

The very first person who portrayed Mina Murray on stage was Edith "Edy" Craig, in 1897, for Stoker's short-lived stage version of the novel. She was an actress, director, producer, designer, and pioneer of the women’s suffrage movement in England.

A German U-boat Sinks a British Troop Ship, the Laconia, Killing More Than 1,400 Men. September 12, 1942.

Image: Shuttle service for shipwrecked persons from the Laconia between U156 (foreground) and U507 (background). (Wikimedia Commons.) On this day in history, September 12, 1942, a German U-boat sinks a British troop ship, the Laconia, killing more than 1,400 men. The commander of the German submarine, Captain Werner Hartenstein, realizing that Italian POWs were among the passengers, strove to…

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Dracula Daily was mentioned in the New York Times magazine! The reference, of course, had to do with paprika

Pick-A-Girl Group: What Purpose Do the Women In Your Life Serve?

Continuing on with my Women’s History Month series, I am going to do a reading on how the women in your life feel about you and the effect of these feelings. I am going to be using the True Heart Tarot Deck and the Archetype Oracle Deck. These readings are supposed to uplift, relate to and inspire women so I hope they serve their purpose. I Without further ado, please pick your pile. 🫶

***Disclaimer: Regardless of your gender identity, the women that are in your life deserve to be celebrated as long as they have pure intentions. Much love. 🩷

Left-to-Right (1-4):

Pile One: If you resonate with the image of FLO, then you deserve the whole fucking world. Pile One, the women in your life absolutely adore you. You probably resonate with the song’s theme: recognizing beauty in yourself when everyone is against you, specifically as a black woman. You have come such a long way. The women that are currently in your life have seen you make mistakes and allowed you to do so. They recognize your evolution. A lot of you have a best friend who you’ve been friends with for a long time and she is so proud of you. She is proud of the person that you have become. This pile has some cheerleaders around them. I feel like the women in your life are meant to take inspiration from what you are going through right now. I think that you may be going through your redemption arc.You’re forgiving yourself for a lot of things that you’ve done in the past. The women in your life see that and are following suit. After all, living life does mean not being a robot. These women who are around you are all ears, very receptive to what it is that you are doing with your life. You’re like their Oprah, lol. If you have a story to tell, share it with her. She may need to hear it. I channeled the show: Beyond Scared Straight; specifically the parts where the prisoners talk to the kids about their life stories and the reasoning for why they should not end up in jail. I feel like you could be someone’s mentor, whether they’re younger or the same age as you, perhaps even older. You are someone’s Reesa Teesa too, lol. I get the feeling that you need to be talking about yourself, Pile One. There is an audience full of women who are willing to hear you out and listen. When I pulled from the oracle deck, I got the following cards: 

God: Benevolence and compassion. Recognizing the eternal force within yourself and others/Despotism and cruelty. Using power to control people 

Mother: Nurturance, patience, unconditional love. Joy in giving birth to life/Smothering or abandoning children. Instilling guilt in children for becoming independent.

Poet: Expresses soul insights in symbolic language/Turns a lyric gift to negative or destructive effect. 

Cards Used: 2 of Swords, 4 of Discs, 9 of Cups, Prince of Wands (RX), King of Discs, Four of Cups, Temperance.

Pile Two: If you resonate with the photo of Destiny’s Child, you got some ride or dies around you for real. I think that you’ve been through hell and back with the women in your life and they do not play about you. I think the women in your life want you to know that you are so worth it. I’m not going to lie Pile Two, it sounds like you’re in a toxic love situation and your girls want you out of it. Your friends, cousin or little sister could have told you that you need to exit stage left multiple times. They absolutely believe you deserve better. Hypothetically speaking, If y’all fell out today and an emergency happened tomorrow, they would be on the way to the hospital. I feel like family is so important to you. They feel like you’ve forgot about them but I don’t think that you have. Circumstances make it difficult for you all to see eye-to-eye. The women in your life want you to know that you are not alone. They will forever be there for you no matter what, even if you have lost your damn mind. These challenging times will make the bond between you and these women stronger. When I pulled from the oracle deck, I got the following cards: 

Artist: Expressing a dimension of life that is beyond the five senses. Inspiring others to see life symbolically / Using talent as an excuse to mistreat others. Posing as the Starving Artist to elicit pity.

God:  Benevolence and compassion. Recognizing the eternal force within yourself and others / Despotism and cruelty. Using power to control people 

Goddess: The feminine expressed through wisdom. Nature, life force, and sensuality / Exploitation of the female nature and form 

Cards Used: Ace of Discs, 9 of Swords, Princess of Cups (RX), Prince of Discs, The Hierophant, Princess of Discs, 4 of Cups (RX), The Devil (RX), 10 of Cups.

Pile Three: If you resonate with the photo of TWICE, you got the grandmother spirit around you. Did you grow up in the church? Or at least with a god-fearing grandmother? I feel like the women in your life hate to see you unhappy and this is what you’re feeling right now. I think that you may be uninspired/unfulfilled with what life is giving you right now. It’s not an uncommon feeling. But smiling can make all the difference. The women in your life want to see you smile, make you smile and laugh. They want to be there for you like how your grandmother was. No one will ever replace Granny but her presence is always there. You may be questioning God/your higher powers because of something that deeply affected you. But the women around you want you to not feel ashamed or want you to feel like they are judging you. They have been in the same predicament. They only want to see you get better. They hate to see you like this. It may be hard to do this but look at the glass half full, rather than half empty. They want you to get back to yourself, the version of you that isn’t defeated. When I pulled from the oracle deck, I got the following cards: 

Child: Nature: Friendships with animals. Communication with nature spirits / Tendency to abuse animals, people and the environment. 

Destroyer: Releasing what is potentially destructive. Preparing for new life / Intoxication with destructive power. Destroying others’ dreams or potential.

Child: Magical: Seeing the potential for sacred beauty in all things. The belief that everything is possible / Pessimism, depression and disbelief in miracles. Believing that energy and action are not required for growth.

Cards Used: The Devil, Princess of Cups, The Star, Judgment, The Moon, Temperance, Seven of Swords.

Pile Four: And lastly, if you resonated with the photo of the Spice Girls, you seem very sensual. Are you a SWer? Do you attend pole dancing classes for fun? Do you know someone who does either of these things? I feel like the women in your life appreciate how physical you are. You’re probably an artist and you're sensitive about your shit too. The women in your life feel as though you have a lot of talents. You’re very multifaceted and they love to brag about it, especially the older women. You could been the cousin who had to show off the latest dance move. So as a result, you became the leader of the pack. You can be naturally nurturing but it can drain you. The women around you feel like you need to put up some boundaries so that you can still worry about you. They respect your quality of being a giver, but do you even respect yours-[GUNSHOT]. There is a woman that you are close to that admires a quality that you hate. She compliments it any chance she can get because she wants to uplift you. I feel like people always try to touch you, whether it’s your hair, your arms, or even your butt. The women around you could immediately shut it down or call them out or defend it. They want to protect your innocence. Even though you are grown, you have that ingenue within you. They know how you can get (especially while under the influence) so they refuse to let you get that way. When I pulled from my oracle deck, I got the following cards: 

Servant: Delight in serving others with a free and loving heart / Using the lack of money as an excuse not to move forward with life 

Bully: Highlights your tendency to intimidate others. Helps you confront the inner fears that bully you / Conceals deep fears behind verbal or physical abuse.

Hedonist: Inspires creative energy to embrace the good things in life. Celebrates the beauty in yourself / Pursues pleasure to the detriment of health. Indulges at the expense of others.

Cards Used: The Star, The Lovers, Judgment, The Emperor, 7 of Cups, 10 of Swords, Ace of Cups, The Moon, 8 of Cups (RX).

Today in 1935, Gottfried Krueger Brewery sells the first canned beer in Richmond, Virginia. The American Can Company began experimenting with canned beer in 1909, but the cans couldn't withstand the pressure from carbonation. Right before the end of prohibition in 1933, the company developed a "keg-lining" technique coating the inside of the can, like a keg. Kruger had been brewing beer since the mid-1800s, and when first contacted by American Can they initially disliked the idea. However, American Can agreed to install the equipment for free, so it would be no loss for Kruger. Shockingly, canned beer was an immediate success, with a 91 percent approval rating from the public. By the end of 1935, 37 breweries followed suit as cans were easier to stack and transport, cheaper, and kept beer fresher.