Enkidu and Andromache, two today (probably).
Here’s a birthday portrait of Enkidu:
And here’s a birthday portrait of Andromache:
UPDATE! [11.30pm] Enkidu has marked his birthday by catching a mouse, bringing it inside, and playing with it on the carpet!
If (as we all hope and now, thank goodness, expect) Tony Blair announces his departure from politics tomorrow and resigns the leadership of the Labour Party immediately, does that mean John Prescott will be the Acting Leader over the Summer (just as Margaret Beckett held the fort during the Euro-elections in between John Smith’s death and Tony Blair’s election). Or if John Prescott is going at the same time, does this mean that we’ll have someone else as an interim leader? And, if so, who? Or will we have an acephalous Party for a bit?
As befits his Sumerian origins (more or less), Enkidu appears to have perfected his proskynesis technique (though I doubt I’ll ever capture this on film).
The rubbish wars are escalating here in Jericho. About ten days ago The News of the World van was spotted driving around with a chap dressed up as Robin from Batman (pretty similar, anyway), and now Channel Four’s Dispatches tell me they’d like to have two weeks’ worth of my rubbish, and have given us an enormous yellow wheelie bin to put it in. I dread to think what’s coming next.
Robert Jospin, French pacifist, socialist, Lavaliste, and father of Lionel; born 9 June 1899, died 9 May 1990.
Elias Motsoaledi, South African trade unionist and anti-apartheid militant; one of Nelson Mandela’s co-defendants in the Rivonia trial, he spent twenty six years on Robben Island, and died on the day that Mandela was inaugurated as President. Born 26 July 1924, died 9 May 1994.
Happy May Day!
I’m still in a far-too-busy-to-be-posting-much-of-anything kind of state right now, but the old May Day-themed Stoa posts are on this page, and Dave Osler’s got a suitable joke for us all to enjoy.
In several years of recording Dead Socialists, I still haven’t come across one who died on May Day. I hope this is not accidental (comrade).
And, Americans!, for you, as ever, it is Loyalty Day!
(Actually, “as ever” doesn’t seem to be quite right: wikipedia tells me that in 1921 it started out as Americanization Day, which is even funnier.)
Here in Oxford, of course, we have our own reactionary invented traditions.
UPDATE [11.30pm]: Americans! Here is your annual Loyalty Day Proclamation!
