October 30, 2005
HOW OLD WOULD CYRUS BE THIS YEAR? (via Mike Daley):
Eurocrats to splash out millions on 50-day golden jubilee party (Justin Stares, 29/10/2005, Daily Telegraph)
How many Eurocrats does it take to organise a party? Preparations have just begun for the European Union's golden jubilee celebrations: 50 days and nights of back-to-back festivities.:On March 25, 2007, the Treaty of Rome, the founding document of the EU, will be half a century old. Brussels believes that this is such a key event that planning began last week, 17 months in advance.
The EU, together with the local Brussels government, envisages a massive programme of concerts, carnivals and firework displays.
Roy Mottahedeh explains, in Mantle of the Prophet, the importance of the Shah's decision to celebrate 2500 years of Persian Empire in 1971 and how the opulence of the celebration combined with the disregard for the organic realities of daily life in Iran, chiefly the fact that it is Islamic, to demonstrate just how distant his regime was from the people, no matter how well intended his rule. This celebration sounds like it could do the same thing.
Posted by Orrin Judd at October 30, 2005 8:03 AM
There was that episode of "The Simpsons" where Bart and Millhouse stole a car and went to the 1982 Knoxville World's Fair 10 years after it closed, and no one was there. I think with the EU celebration, they could probably remake that episode, only have then showing up on time, and finding nobody's there.
Posted by: John at October 30, 2005 9:22 AMWhen the guest of honor is dead, isn't the party called a wake?
Posted by: tefta at October 30, 2005 2:43 PM