A busy week for floods, riots, apologies and team sports. Aside from our own goings on with the everlasting Gulf of Mexico catastrophe and mumbled "sorry 'bout that's" from CEO's, the rest of the world was having its own set of trials and tribulations to deal with. From the release of a report on a 1972 massacre in Ireland and its reaction in the town where it happened, to another scene of violence in a former breakaway republic in Eastern Europe. The specter of Darfur raised its genocidal eye this week. Further evidence our climate is going haywire if you were living in Southwest France and The World Cup heads into the end of its first week.

(Getting to be a familiar scene)

The violence in Kyrgyzstan erupted again this past week with civil unrest claiming more lives and another flood of refugees. This report from Voice of Russia's Hourly News from June 14th gives some details.

(opening old wounds)

Shocking enough when it happened in 1972. The demonstration turned ugly in January of 1972 when British troops opened fire on a group of unarmed civilians, killing 13 in a day to be know forever as Bloody Sunday. Initially the report claimed the troops were fired on. But an inquest brought about by pressure to the Blair government reopened the old wound and fresh details and horrifying revelations came out. The revelations were such that it prompted Prime Minister Cameron to publicly apologize for unwarranted behavior on the part of the Army. This report from the BBC World Service Newshour program of June 15th also features the statement as well as reaction from the government.

(and thirty-eight years after this scene . . .still seems like yesterday to some)

RTE in Ireland, as part of their News At One program from the 16th of June went to the scene of the original massacre to get reactions from those who were there at the time to see how the report and the apology set with the people who were most effected.

(A possibility of justice)

From the BBC Africa Service also on June 16th, came word of the indictment and arraignment of Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus, the two Sudanese Rebel leaders accused of mass murder during the Darfur conflict. Now comes the trial, the revelations and the opening of old wounds for this part of the world. Seems to be a lot of that going on lately.

(George Osborne - wading through the sea of financial debris)

As BBC Radio 4's Today Program reported, The Bank of England has put into place a scheme to regulate the UK financial sector in an attempt to get a handle on the seemingly on-going crisis. Spearheading that campaign is Chancellor George Osborne, who was interviewed on the program and gives details and points a few fingers in the process. Yes, the first decade of the new millennium was something of a free-for-all for people in banking.

(It seems no one is particularly immune to flooding these days)

While we've been going through our own horror stories of flooding around the U.S. in recent weeks, it's cold comfort in knowing the same is going on in Southwest France at the moment. According to this report from Radio France International's English Service "Focus On France" program from June 17th, this was the worst flooding in the region in over 200 years. Gives further evidence our climate changes aren't imaginary - oh, but some will still think so anyway.

(A very familiar sight this week)

And finally, the Friday installment of the World Cup Daily reports from BBC 5Live. When this piece went to press (at around 6 this morning) the U.S. hadn't played their latest game, so there's no word on the outcome. But I'm sure you've heard about it by now.

Another week in paradise. And another one is poised to appear shortly.

With a Guilty verdict for Voluntary Manslaughter, rather than the hoped for Guilty of Murder, convicted killer of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, Dan White, triggered a night of violence that saw scores of arrests and some 60 Policeman injured as San Francisco's Gay community vented its outrage at what was considered almost an acquittal. The fallout from the verdicts and the damage done, primarily to relations between the City and the Gay Community, would have long term and lasting affects.

Another set of protests went on in the wake of executions of convicted killers John Spenkelink and Willie Darden in Florida - the first to be held in that state since 1964. At the time of this broadcast, appeals were still pending.

Also pending was the outcome of elections in Canada which, according to polls, was a neck-and-neck race between incumbent Pierre Elliot Trudeau and challenger Joe Clark.

Secretary of State Vance went on a meet-and-greet with members of newly elected Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's government while on a visit to London.

On Capitol Hill - Ethics hearings were continuing for Herman Talmadge and a Grand Jury were meeting to determine what would happen next in the brewing scandal of Bert Lance.

And California may become the first state to relax it's odd-even Gas rationing since it was being better-than-good about reduced driving and consumption, resulting in more plentiful gas supplies. Like the oil companies really cared.

And so went this particular May 22 in 1979 - an Even Day, if you were sitting at a gas station on Empty. All reported on The CBS World News Roundup.

Update: Still hovering at the 3/4 mark with just a little ways left to go. My deepest appreciation and sinceret thanks to those of you who have donated in the last few hours. Your contributions have been lifesaving. We're so close to hitting our goal and I am so blown away by your support of this site and what we're trying to do. We're getting there and,with your help, we'll succeed. Any amount you're comfortable with, it is all needed and it all chips away at the problem. You're making a huge difference. Just a little bit more to go - we can do it - we are doing it! You are all amazing.

April 29th may have marked the 20th anniversary of the start of the now-famous Rodney King Trial verdict insurrection, but April 30th was when the shit truly hit the fan and the streets were filled with anger and violence. Fires sprang up everywhere, most raging out of control because fire fighters were in short supply and the ones who did respond were attacked. The Police were mostly powerless to stop the rage and stores and businesses throughout the city were broken into, ransacked and burned. As of the start of the morning of the 30th, 9 had already been reported dead, with scores injured and a city in chaos and spreading.

Here is coverage, as presented by Public radio station KCRW, who also broke in and out to carry news reports from the local TV outlets as well as CNN. This recording covers the period of time from 8:55 am until roughly 10:00 am on the morning of the 30th. There are two press conferences, one from Mayor Braddley assessing the situation and Chief Darryl Gates. Also covered are statements from President Bush and a lot of eyewitness accounts.

And this day was only starting.

Looking for that June 3rd where things weren't busting out all over, we came up woefully short with this one from 1967. Starting off with Soviet protests lodged against the U.S. for the bombing of a Russian Naval vessel where two seamen were killed. This hot on the tail of allegations the U.S. has been killing Russians like crazy in North Vietnam. And speaking of Vietnam - Operation Union 2 on the outskirts of Da Nang continued with reports of massive North Vietnamese casualties (we would hear about those lopsided casualty lists many years later). President Johnson and Prime Minster Harold Wilson meeting in Washington over the brewing crisis in the Middle East, centered around the Gulf of Aqaba and the relentless pounding of War drums in that region. The hand-wringing would do very little good because shortly after the famous Six Day War would break out. Reports of the Sixth Fleet playing hide-and-seek in the Mediterranean with two Soviet Spy Ships closely tailing. Red China calls for an immediate overthrow of the Hong Kong government. And why was that day any different than all the other days they called for an overthrow of the colonial Hong Kong government? Who knows. And only Mao did for sure.

On the domestic front - A proposed merger between AT&T and ABC got a jaundiced eyeful from the FCC, an attempted land-grab in New Mexico (some 600,000 acres worth) didn't come off according to plan and Mothers on Welfare ripped it up a bit in the Boston suburb of Roxbury over rumored cuts in Welfare funds.

And an inch and a half of rain fell in less than 24 hours in San Francisco. Contrary to optimistic re-writes, the Summer of Love was rather soggy.

All this and so much more via ABC Radio's News Around The World for June 3, 1967. The perfect day for slathering on Patchouli Oil and forgetting about it.

This day in 1947 was rather violent as days go. Strikes and riots in Italy. Strikes and riots in France. Riots and street battles in Palestine and all over the region. Demonstrations everywhere. Russia having economic problems. The Partitioning of Palestine was the topic of discussion at the United Nations with talk of setting up a peacekeeping force for the region when the British finally left. The U.N. mulling the possibilities of combined Russian and U.S. peacekeeping troops serving side by side. Domestic inflation was a concern with meat consumption skyrocketing in recent months and talk of price controls.

Small wonder Alka-Seltzer sponsored this newscast from December 3, 1947.

(and if you woke up in Newark this morning in 1967 it would look like this)

In true Dickensian fashion, it was the best of times and worst of times. While the Summer of Love was flourishing so was the Long Hot Summer, the Summer of Discontent. While the Anti-War Movement spread around the country, so did civil unrest. It was, for all intents and purposes, a year of simultaneous extremes.

So this newscast, News Around The World from ABC Radio on July 29, 1967 tried to chronicle the events of another baffling week, this summer of 1967.

Among those voices was Dr. Martin Luther King.

Dr. Martin Luther King: “A nation that can spend thirty five billion dollars to fight what I consider an unjust ill-considered war in Vietnam and spend twenty billion dollars to put a man on the Moon can certainly spend billions of dollars to put God’s children on their own two feet right here on earth.”

And there was really no letup in sight. But it does make you understand a bit better why so many people opted to drop out.

(If they only had Mick - they would have out Rolling Stoned The Rolling Stones)

Of all the so-called "British Invasion" bands of the 1964-1965 period, the one that stands out as being criminally ignored by U.S. audiences would have to be The Pretty Things. They were without question one of the most raw, loud and rowdy bands of the period, which may have been the reason they weren't picked up by any labels in the States until the late 60s. Reading press reports from New Musical Express and Melody Maker, their concerts and club dates were near-riots and their personal exploits became stuff of rock n' roll legend. It was said The Rolling Stones, whom various members of The Pretty Things were associated with early on, paled by comparison. They were, above all, a huge influence on a number of blues-based bands of the period - not only The Rolling Stones, but The Yardbirds and several others.

This track, Can't Stand The Pain, epitomized who they were during those early days when I picked up one of their first eps on import "The Pretty Things On Film".

If you're not familiar with them - now's the time to get acquainted with a legend.

(East Berlin 1953 - Getting to be an all-too-familiar image: Rocks vs. Tanks)

As the Cold War trudged on during the 1950s, there were a few uprisings that became wrinkles in the Iron Curtain. One was the East Berlin riots that began in June of 1953. They were quickly joined by other disturbances around East Germany, with a few cities in the Eastern Bloc joining in. They were quickly extinguished but gave the West a glimpse that not all was as it was portrayed to be. As these newscasts from June 17-23rd attest.

(Budapest on November 4 - Waking up to smell the sulfur)

Just when the world thought the Cold War wasn't going to get any colder, this happens. Only twelve days earlier, Hungary went through something of an upheaval with anti-Soviet riots springing up all over the country and a return to power of Imre Nagy (pronounced: Imray Nahj), the moderate who was ousted by pro-Soviet Premier Andras Hegedus in 1955.

So on the morning of November 4th, 1956 when you fell out of bed, it sounded like this:

Bob Pfeiffer (CBS News announcer): “ The latest word from Budapest is that Soviet armored forces seized Budapest in a surprise attack today and captured the government of Premier Imre Nagy. According to communications from Vienna the last words at 8:24 am from the . . .one of the news bureaus in Vienna was – ‘we shall leave our post, we shall leave our post’, according to the Budapest operator ‘goodbye friends, goodbye friends. God save our souls, the Russians are too near’. And then the line from Budapest went dead. Repeating – the Soviet armored forces seized Budapest in a surprise attack today and captured the government of Premier Imre Nagy.”

The Russian army quickly captured Budapest and within days the revolt was crushed and the pro-Soviet hardline regime of Janos Kadar was installed. Hungary would slip back into the Soviet Bloc and not really re-emerge until the collapse of the Soviet Union some 30 years later.

At the time the situation was worrisome as it came hot on the heels of a number of violent clashes in 1956 - the Suez Canal crisis, the Algerian conflict and the anti-communist riots in Poland. It also came at a time when Russia, under the leadership of Nikita Khruschev, was denouncing the Stalin regime and the hope was the new leadership would reflect a moderation on the hardline policies of the past.

No such luck.

Oh . . .the fabulous fifties.

(Billy James Hargis - you would think butter didn't melt - the butter had different ideas)

It's endless - the parade of hypocrites masquerading as "People of God". The Pious, the righteous, the smug - all doling out edicts under the premise of "being chosen" while ingratiating themselves in the acts they so claim to despise.

So another one shows up in the history books - maybe forgotten now, but in the 1960s railed against all the godless fornicators, the infidels, the non-believers. Billy James Hargis, bible thumping anti-communist conservative, built up a sizable congregation of followers, a daily radio show and an empire until it came crashing down, as so many others have done before and since, with widespread allegations of sexual misconduct - in his case, a very public outing via Time Magazine.

But in the late 1960s he was still going full steam, as is evidenced by this interview (supposedly debate but the debater seems hopelessly challenged) where Hargis offers a few bon mots:

Hargis: “Now look at the Jewish people, this is a prime example. I’ve never seen a hungry Jew. I’ve never seen a Jew begging. I’ve never seen a Jew without work. That religion takes care of their people. They don’t ask the state for help, they take care of their own. And we believe that Christianity is nothing more than a continuation of this Jewish concept of . . .with the gospel of Christ relating to salvation being added to that concept.”

Hargis: “I doubt very sincerely that those things (the riots in Detroit and Newark in 1968) were the results of people being mistreated. I think it was results of people maybe being treated too well by the state. They were told they didn’t have to work. They were told they didn’t have to provide for their own. They were told they could get security from the cradle to the grave and these people wanted more and more and more. We’re covetous by nature. We want more and more and more. We see someone with something we don’t have we covet it, we want it. The bible warns against covetesness. Christ told us never to covet somebody else’s. They worked for it, they were entitled to it They had a right to it.”

Hargis: “I’m telling the Negro people to quit whining. I’m telling the poor white people to quit whining. Quit whining about injustices, real or imagined. But get out and better your situation. Stand up on your own two feet. Don’t wait until someone comes along and gives you life on a silver platter.”

The arrogance, as always, is mystifying. That it comes under the guise of compassion is bizarre. That it continues in exactly the same way is astonishing.

Welcome to the Religious Right.