Pondering birthdays. My fathers birthday is August 9th, and his sister’s (my aunt’s) birthday is August 6th.
On August 6th, 1945 the United States dropped the first Atomic Bomb. We dropped it on Hiroshima, Japan. On August 9th, the same year, we dropped the second Atomic bomb, the first plutonium bomb, on Nagasaki. The nuclear age had begun.
The first bomb was dropped from a B-29 Bomber names the Enola Gay. When looking up this song by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (a rather upbeat sounding song, and a little deceptive I admit, especially for those who lacking in history instruction or concentration during their formative years), it was interesting that the majority of the little rat ass You Tube commenters had no idea what Enola Gay was, or what the song referenced. I realize that You Tube comments are probably the best place to go to get a glimpse of stupidity, and they may not be totally representative of the world at large, but still. There are a few things we need to know to survive, and the history of the Atomic Bomb is definitely one of them.
Past Posts on Hiroshima.
Happy Birthday Hiroshima
Hiroshima Day
It is one of several things we should remember, question, and regret.
I’ve never heard that song, or of that group.
There are a few songs about nuclear war, and or atomic bombs. Not so many as there should be.
.-= john´s last blog ..Hiroshima Poetry =-.
There should be more. I’ve heard that song before, but know nothing of that group.
I wasn’t even aware that OMD had a song called that… and I liked OMD back in the 80′s and 90′s.
Does that make me worse than Youtube commenters?
.-= mojo shivers´s last blog ..Spinning Around, I’ve Got This Funny Feeling, Turning My Whole World Upside Down =-.
Somehow I knew you would know of this group mojo.
No they are all just stupid mean little cretins. I never knew there were so many ignorant little idiots until I started to read comments there.
That’s sad, it should be taught across the disciplines in high school.
I have never heard of that group or the song Enola Gay, interesting and weird.
.-= kait´s last blog ..Vera Goes With Black =-.
Yup.
A strange birthday coincidence, yea, lets remember Hiroshima and the rest. Learn from it we won’t, we are a stupid race, the human race.
“Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark” What a great name for a group.
.-= g´s last blog ..Surfer, Surfing, Blackberry’s =-.
It is a great name. I guess it’s OMD.
YouTube commentors are brutal. Never seen another venue where anonymity empowers people to be so mean.
Those two events were the beginning of U.S. infamy abroad.
Yea it’s horrible, I wonder at how awful humans can be when they have something to hide behind.
Wow, I don’t even remember OMD. Happy birthday to your dad and aunt. As it happens, my mom is 8/8.
.-= Doug´s last blog ..Grime =-.
Happy b day to your mom. Maybe we can have a line up sometime. Find us an 8/7 please. I already did 2.
Alfalfa and Alan Keyes?
.-= Doug´s last blog ..Geneology =-.
How do so many people not know of OMD? “If You Leave” is like required listening of any teenager.
Even more so now that John Hughes is dead since it’s because of his movie that song and that group got so famous…
.-= mojo shivers´s last blog ..Spinning Around, I’ve Got This Funny Feeling, Turning My Whole World Upside Down =-.
I don’t know mojo, that’s one I missed.
All government reports from the time concluded the bombs had no effect on Japan’s surrender. In other words it was pointless to drop them. Happy Birthday to your dad.
.-= Chris´s last blog ..Modern GOP Embraces Extremist Violence =-.
Not to mention the horror of it all.
I remember OMD. They did “If You Leave”, right?
Happy birthday to he who bore you :)
.-= Bone´s last blog ..Becoming "that" person =-.
Your guess is as good as mine . it seems mojo is the expert in this regard. I just happened on them by mistake. I pretty versed on old music, but that was one group my parents didn’t train me in.
cough! cough!
.-= sauerkraut´s last blog ..Cheerleading coach Tommie Hill earns Asshat of the Week Award =-.
I know the Enola Gay, of course. I know nothing about that group OMD. I can’t decide if I missed anything or not.
There are certain things everyone needs to know. I’d consider that time in history to be one of those things.
I’m still trying to decided that myself with mojo’s training video.
I don’t remember OMD. Do know Enola Gay. Yes everybody needs to know that time in history but I believe less and less that people know American history. Except if they’re addicted to the history channel
Glad you explained that your father’s sister is your aunt :)
.-= pia´s last blog ..A couple of nights on the Upper West Side =-.
The explanation was for Doug’s sake – his recent slow witted-ness and all.;)
OMD was one of those groups which had no real presence on the pop charts but their shows were magical. Only other groups with a similar cult-like following were Grateful Dead and Phish.
OMD followers tended towarded the bathed whereas Grateful Dead mostly smelled like last week’s mary jane and Phish followers… well, we won’t get into that.
.-= sauerkraut´s last blog ..Cheerleading coach Tommie Hill earns Asshat of the Week Award =-.
Used the tune but different version in an entry about North Korea…
.-= sauerkraut´s last blog ..Cheerleading coach Tommie Hill earns Asshat of the Week Award =-.
Phish I know and Grateful Dead know off of course but weirdly I’ve never heard of them.
Your version is better. I switched this one over.