I was at Barnes and Noble over the weekend and saw a coffee table style book on album covers. I paged through and realized what a lost art that this has become. Now artists will still have some sort of cover on a cd but it is so much smaller than the albums that were sold prior. Thumbing through and you see the Greteful Dead had many great coversand Muse has many as well. My favorite of all is easily Elton John’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy from 1975. Who knows what the artist, Alan Aldridge, was thinking with the animal heads, skulls and small village included on the cover. Only Elton John’s wild outfit near a piano make sense. Aldridge also did covers for the Beatles, Rolling Stones and a book of his works is due out next year, The Man with Kaleidoscope Eyes : The Art of Alan Aldridge .

I will be doing about cover art. I will try to do 1 post daily on what is good in my eyes. As always what I see and what you see can be vastly different.

Feroz Khan’s “Dharmatma” was one movie which had a story line based on Afghani background.
This movie was lapped up by its target audience and I am told that this movie became very popular in Afghanistan.

One big attraction of “Dharmatma” was its hit music,scored by Kalyanji Anandji, and the songs of “Dharmatma” played an important role in the success of this movie.

Here is the song that was most popular in “Dharmatma” and that can be said to have helped a great deal in making this movie a success, thus encouraging Feroz Khan to come up with similar movies with Kalyanji Anandji’s music in future too, viz “Qurbani”, “Jaanbaaz” etc.

Song-Kya khoob lagti ho (Dharmatma 1975 ) Singers- Mukesh, Kanchan,Lyrics- Indeewar, MD- Kalyanji Anandji

Lyrics

kyaa khoob lagti ho badi sundar dikhti ho
kyaa khoob lagti ho badi sundar dikhti ho
phir se kaho kahte raho achchhaa lagtaa hai
jeewan kaa har sapnaa ab sachchaa lagtaa hai
kyaa khoob lagti ho badi sundar dikhti ho
kyaa khoob lagti ho badi sundar dikhti ho

taareef karoge kab tak bolo kab tak
mere seene mein saans rahegi jab tak
kab tak main rahungi man mein haan man mein
sooraj hogaa jab tak neel gagan mein
phir se kaho kahte raho achchhaa lagtaa hai
jeewan kaa har sapnaa ab sachchaa lagtaa hai
ho kyaa khoob lagti ho badi sundar dikhti ho
tum pyaar se pyaari ho tum jaan hamaari ho

khush ho naa mujhe tum paa kar mujhe paakar
pyaase dil ko aaj milaa hai saagar
kyaa dil mein hai aur tamannaa hai tamannaa
har jeewan mein tum mere hi bananaa
phir se kaho kahti raho achchhaa lagtaa hai
jeewan kaa har sapnaa ab sachchaa lagtaa hai
phir se kaho kahti raho achchhaa lagtaa hai
jeewan kaa har sapnaa ab sachchaa lagtaa hai
ho ho kyaa khoob lagti ho badi sundar dikhti ho
tum pyaar se pyaare ho tum jaan hamaari ho
tum pyaar se pyaare ho tum jaan hamaari ho

Some kind soul unearthed this speech given by Ronald Reagan at the Conservative Political Action Convention on March 1, 1975. It still applies today.

The future President said:

That is what we need to do. The incoming Obama Administration and the Democrat-controlled Congress are most certainly going to trip up on their own promises and agendas. When (not if but when) that happens, we need to be ready with our message, a message that go right back to our Conservative roots.

More:

President Reagan had it exactly right back in 1975. His words are still relevant to us today.

You can access the complete speech on-line here:

Let Them Go Their Own Way
Ronald Reagan
CPAC
March 1, 1975

(1922-2001) Militar de carrera, el coronel Kopácsi había sido nombrado en 1953 jefe de la policía de Budapest. Aliado de Imre Nagy, se comprometió activamente con la insurrección de otoño de 1956 y colaboró en la organización de la Milicia Nacional. Formó parte de la comisión gestora del Partido Socialista Obrero Húngaro presidida por Kádár. Procesado en 1958 como miembro del grupo de Nagy, fue condenado a cadena perpetua. La amnistía de 1963 lo dejó en libertad. En 1975 emigró a Canadá y sólo regresó a Hungría en 1989 al desplomarse el sistema socialista.

Hoje, 11 de novembro, Angola comemora 33 anos do fim da colonização portuguesa. A fixação portuguesa no território africano começou ainda no fim do século XV, antes da chegada dos lusos ao Brasil. No início da década de 1960 os angolanos voltaram-se contra o jugo da metrópole européia e iniciou-se uma sangrenta guerra que culminou da proclamação de independência e reconhecimento português dessa liberdade em 1975.

Mas a tão sonhada liberdade e paz, depois de anos de conflito, não findou com a independência do país. A partir de 1975 iniciou-se outra batalha, mais sangrenta ainda, a guerra civil. O jugo de dominação que explorou o povo angolano foi substituído e intensificado com as disputas entre exército e revolucionários que duelaram por mais de 25 anos, até que em 2002 foi declarada trégua e anistia a todos.

É nesse contexto histórico, relembrando a situação social caótica do país, misturando com declarações e inserções verídicas de pessoas que o documentário Para não esquecer Angola vai tracejar a história do país africano. Acima, o trailer deste documentário com frases fortes e marcantes, do tipo: “Éramos escravos dentro de nossa própria terra”. Conhecer um pouco da história de um país tão longínquo e ao mesmo tempo tão próximo de nós por causa da língua é considerável, não só a língua, temos feridas em comum.

…

Amanhã uma prévia do que estamos preparando nesta semana e a edição de domingo em PDF. Abraços, Oniodi.

The Edmund Fitzgerald went down with all hands on November 10, 1975.  Having left port with 26,000 tons of taconite the day before, she was crossing Lake Superior to Detroit (and then to winter rest in Cleveland) when she ran into a ferocious winter storm.  Superior is known for its squalls, but this one was bad even by “Great Lake” standards, with winds reaching 60mph, heavy snow, and powerful waves more than 30 feet high.

The Edmund Fitzgerald was built for lake crossings, and one would have expected the boat to withstand even this foul weather.  What’s more, she had been practicing her craft for nearly 20 years, and had proven herself more than capable.  So there’s mystery concerning what actually happened just after 7pm that night.  Some have speculated that the cargo hatches didn’t properly close,  allowing water (which was constantly washing over the decks) to fill the boat and drag it down.  But there was no distress call of any kind…the boat was floating (with some difficulty and both bilge pumps running) and then, 10 minutes later, it was gone.

Others have stated that rogue waves, which were in the area that night and large enough to give off a radar return, acted in concert with the defective hatches.  The water slowly dragged the boat down and a massive rogue wave simply washed it below the surface, where it broke in two and sank with no real chance to cry for help.  Whatever the exact cause, the boat took twenty-nine men down with her.

Under normal circumstances, I suppose that this sinking, like the more than 300 on Superior before it, would have made the local and regional news for a couple days, and then faded away, leaving only the rusting hulk sitting in 530 feet of water and grieving families on land.  But normal circumstances wouldn’t have accounted for Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot, whose 1976 release of the song concerning the wreck was not only relatively accurate historically (as songs go), but was incredibly popular as well.  The song still gets airtime more than 30 years later, bringing the intrigue and mystery of Gitche Gumee (as well as a bit of history) to another generation of listeners.  But discussing Gordon Lightfoot too much is getting ahead of ourselves just a bit.  We’ll talk more about him in very short order.

Recommended Reading: Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Tomorow is a very important day.

Of course, whilst most of you know November 11th as Rememberance Day, aka the end of WW1, where we all stand for a minutes silence in the morning, for all the fallen soldiers of our wars, and whilst I do too, I also remember another very significant Australian historical event that happened on November 11th in 1975.

So I just want to get in first to wish you all a Happy 1975!

My favourite and yet saddest day in Australian history. Ok, so I wasn’t alive, hell my parents were still at school! (or, I think my dad was just starting uni…?) But Whitlam is the single coolest pollie we’ve ever had - seriously, he’s like 92 and he’s still cool!

For the ignorant, I’ll give you the VERY quick facts:
(if you want to know more, check out Whitlam Dismissal.com)

- Gough Whitlam was elected Prime Minister of Australia in 1972. The Labor Party had not been in power for like nearly 30 years. It was a pretty big deal.

- It was a very close win, and they didn’t quite hold a majority in the Senate - they needed other parties support.

- So the Senate was being a cow, and Whitlam’s government was unable to pass any bills because the Senate was a big poo and kept blocking them!

- In particular, the government was running out of money cos the Senate kept blocking various bills and the budget (and thus money flow to the government), and really, the Senate isn’t allowed to block the budget - it says so in the Constitution.

- There was a double dissolution (1974) - where both houses (House of Reps and Senate) go up for re-election. Whitlam was re-elected.

And from here on, everything happens in 1975:

- A senator died, a senator retired and a senator was appointed into another position. They were all replaced with people from other parties - despite convention that if you leave mid-term, you are replaced with someone from your party. Opposition held the balance of power.

- More problems, Senate continued to be a frigid bitch, so they had to hold a joint-sitting of the houses where they all sat down together and discussed some bills and passed them.

- So then the Opposition turns into a complete and utter cow and keeps blocking the supply until Whitlam calls an election due to the continued problems in the Senate. Whitlam is all like “excuse me, I am the mighty super Whitlam (because he is) and you are all dirty, corrupt pollies who want my job!” (which they were)

- Then there’s all these constitutional problems (you know, over how we elect government and the powers of the houses and conventions and such) and the whole parliament is messed up and it’s not fair because Whitlam was so what the country needed and it was all ruined!

- And then Governor General Kerr, who is the biggest villain in all of Australian history, goes and acts completely outside his powers and talks to Chief Justice Barwick (who I used to look up to, man!) and decides to take matters into his own hands.

- So Whitlam decides to announce a half-election of the Senate in an attempt to fix the problems once and forall and tells GG Kerr to go organise it.

- Kerr, the backstabber that he is, ignores Prime Minister Whitlam and then goes and DISMISSES (sacks) him from office! Because you know, he thought he could totally just act above the law and convention and ignore the will of Australia (who elected Whitlam) and just sack their saviour, even though this completely contradicts the whole idea of democracy and even though Whitlam was the reason Kerr-devil even got the job as Govenor General and even though it was clearly just the Senate that needed sacking.

And that final point happened on November 11th, 1975. Yes, on Rememberance Day.

And yes, my account is COMPLETELY and utterly bias, but it’s also pretty much factual as well, so whatevs in your face. Whitlam was amazing, and what he managed to get done was amazing and the people knew it, but the stupid snotty Liberal pollies were blind and didn’t know how to appreciate such an amazing political saviour.

In honour of Whitlam, please put some time aside to celebrate him tomorrow, maybe after your minutes silence, and maybe spare a moment or two for GG Kerr-upt, cos…

So here’s to Whitlam, the greatest Prime Minister of Australian history… until I get there.

And please don’t forget your red poppies (or your minutes silence) tomorrow for our fallen soldiers! They did us proud, no matter what you think of our involvement in the various wars of our history. (And let me tell you, I don’t agree to war ever, except maybe against Kerr-upt) I’ve already got my poppy attached to my bag.

The 11th of the 11th is a big day, you better go get a good nights rest.

Sweet dreams of Whitlam and poppies!

xoxo

My dad’s done a lot of driving over the years. He’s been from Alaska to Florida and practically every point in between. This particular photo is from 1975, along Highway 97 in northern BC, not far from the Yukon Border. The frozen lake is Muncho Lake, which appears to be one of the most beautiful in the province, if not the country.

Så då har man äntligen blivit med V8, för ca 4 veckor sedan köpte jag en Camaro LT från 1975. Bilen har endast två ägare innan mig var av den första köpte den ny på fabrik i Detroit och sedan körde till New York med frugan, när bilen väl hamnade i sverige så använde han den till och från golfbanan ut på vermdö. Personen jag köpte bilen av hade ägt den i ca 1år.
Bilen har gått ca 8000 mil och är helt orginal förutom lacken som enligt förra ägaren redna kom på i samband med att bilen kom till sverige, min teori är att den skadats i transporten - men funderar på att ringa den första ägaren… om han är i livet, han var nämligen 85år när han sålde kärran. Under dessa fyra veckor som jag ägt bilen har jag knappt rört eller kört den. Jag har dock nu hittat ett garage där det är 6 andra personer som skruvar med sina bilar.

This movie “Aakraman” had Rakesh Roshan and Rekha in lead roles. The movie itself hardly did much of note. But the song “Ye mausam aaya hai” from this movie was such a nice song to listen to It is a duet sung by Kishore and Lata, but it is Kishore Kumar who steals the show.

The picturisation on the lead actors was so so. Both Rakesh Roshan and Rekha were struggling in Bollywood. Rakesh Roshan never achieved anything of note as an actor, and critics used to say about Rekha that she needed to take her career seriously, else she would end up as another Fariyal ( now who was Fariyal ?). Fortunately, Rekha began to take her career seriously and turned over a new leaf starting from “Ghar” in 1978.

Coming to this song, I love this song for the amazing singing of Kishore Kumar. Of course, others in the team- viz Lata, Anand Bakshi, Laxmikant Pyarelal have also contributed significantly in creating this master piece.

Song- Ye mausam aaya hai (Aakraman 1975) Singers-Kishore, Lata, Lyrics- Anand Bakshi, MD-Laxmikant Pyarelal

Lyrics

ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho
ye mausam aayaa hai kitne saalon men
aajaa kho jaayen khwaabon khayaalon men
aajaa ke kho jaayen khwaabon khayaalon men
ye mausam aayaa hai kitne saalon men
aajaa kho jaayen khwaabon khayaalon men
aajaa ke kho jaayen khwaabon khayaalon men

aankhon ka milnaa khoob rahaa hai
aankhon ka milnaa khoob rahaa hai
ye dil deewaanaa doob rahaa hai
matwaale nainon ke
in sharbati nargisi jaalon men
aajaa kho jaayen khwaabon khayaalon men
aajaa ke kho jaayen khwaabon khyaalon men

ye mausam aayaa hai kitne saalon men
aajaa kho jaayen khwaabon khayaalon men
aajaa ke kho jaayen khwaabon khayaalon men

aaa aaa
kahnaa nahin thaa kahnaa padaa hai
kahnaa nahin thaa kahnaa padaa hai
pyaar ka jaadoo sabse badaa hai
meraa dil naa aa jaaye
is pyaar ki madbhari chaalon men
aajaa kho jaayen khwaabon khayaalon men
aajaa ke kho jaayen khwaabon khayaalon men
ye mausam aayaa hai kitne saalon men
aajaa kho jaayen khwaabon khyaalon men
aajaa ke kho jaayen khwaabon khyaalon men
khwaabon khyaalon men
khwaabon khyaalon men
khwaabon khyaalon men

SCARFACE - Dance To The Band / Tootsie Roll Baby (DJM 1975)

Here’s another good single on DJM records produced by Ron Rocker and Gerry Shury.
In 1976 “Dance To The Band” was also included in a weird Brazilian EP issued by “Young” records, along with Black Sabbath, Procol Harum and Geno Washington.

Tootsie Roll Baby

Here’s a rare video of Faye Wong (王菲) singing — and Dou Wei (窦唯) playing the drums for — “Don’t Break My Heart” at the Tokyo Budokan concert on March 11-12, 1999. This was the Japan leg of the HK Scenic Tour 98-99 concert series. For a related post, click here. At this concert, Faye also sang Queen’s 1975 hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” (click here for a related post).
done

The Rover 

 ”Guitar lost courtesy Nevison…

Salvaged by the grace of Harwood”

Motown goes Disco.

CORDELLS - Annie Get Your Yo-Yo / Me And Leahy (GTO 1975)
Italian and german issues of the Cordells’ single, produced, written and maybe performed by the legendary Ritchie Cordell who also penned bubblegum hits such as “Mony Mony, Gimme Gimme Good Lovin, Indian Giver” and co-produced the chart-topper “I Love Rock n Roll” by Joan Jett.

Artículo publicado por Historia en Presente el 21 de junio de 2008.

En el presente artículo nos ocuparemos de España, y más en concreto del periodo de transición a la democracia. He escrito esta crítica de un libro publicado recientemente por Salvador Sánchez-Terán, ministro en los gobiernos de Adolfo Suárez. En él se aborda el desarrollo histórico de esa etapa, pero también se realiza un profundo análisis de la misma. También incluyo un breve estado de la cuestión con sus citas bibliográficas, y notas biográficas sobre el autor.

Introducción: la responsabilidad de ser protagonista

“Creo que las personas que hemos tenido la oportunidad o el privilegio de protagonizar algún aspecto importante de la vida pública de nuestros pueblos, tenemos la obligación de dejar constancia, de algún modo, de nuestra experiencia histórica”. Así se expresaba Salvador Sánchez-Terán en el prólogo de su obra, fechada en 1988, De Franco a la Generalitat (Barcelona, Planeta, 1988). Con espíritu similar se publica, dos décadas después, La Transición. Síntesis y claves (Barcelona, Planeta, 2008). El autor analiza esos años decisivos en la Historia reciente de España desde la perspectiva del protagonista –gobernador civil de Barcelona, secretario de organización de UCD, ministro de Comunicación y Transportes, ministro de Trabajo, y miembro del Congreso de los Diputados-, pero también desde el punto de vista del antiguo constructor temeroso de que la deriva tomada por la actual política nacional eche por tierra ese edificio que, con tanto esfuerzo, construyeron los miembros de la llamada “Generación de la Concordia”. Se trata de un legado valiosísimo puesto por escrito por uno de los hombres que llevaron a cabo la Transición.

Como indicaba Ricardo García Cárcel en su reseña a este libro publicada en el Cultural de Abc, Sánchez-Terán “ha querido ejercer, más que de testigo directo, de historiador del proceso de transición”. Su obra poco se diferencia de la de otros estudiosos del pasado; es, al fin y al cabo, una síntesis de los acontecimientos que rodearon e hicieron posible la Transición. No obstante, esa visión general se ve enriquecida por las opiniones personales del autor, que no es un cualquiera, sino un protagonista que trató de tú a tú a muchos personajes influyentes de la época. A esto hemos de añadir la detallada descripción que hace de aquellos acontecimientos en los que jugó un papel protagónico (gobernador civil de Barcelona, operación Tarradellas, redacción de los estatutos de UCD…). En definitiva, nos encontramos ante un libro sobre la Transición que esconde algo personal en cada una de sus páginas.

La Transición: un estado de la cuestión

Hemos de situar La Transición. Síntesis y claves en el marco de obras que abordan la evolución política española entre 1973 y 1986. Cierto es que el autor, de manera justificada desde mi punto de vista, limita el periodo de la Transición a los años que van de 1975 a 1978. No obstante, teniendo en cuenta la notable disparidad de criterios existentes en torno a la cronología, hemos de abrir el marco bibliográfico a los textos que abordan la etapa comprendida entre la muerte de Carrero Blanco y el ingreso de España en las Comunidades Europeas.

El primer aspecto a señalar es la abundancia de obras relativas a esta temática, donde predominan los textos que repasan el desarrollo histórico del periodo o elementos puntuales del mismo. Por contra, son pocos los personajes que han sido estudiados en profundidad fuera de las grandes figuras. Esta laguna se subsana en parte con la proliferación de memorias escritas en su día por los hombres que en esa época jugaron un importante papel. La tarea llevada a cabo por Salvador Sánchez-Terán en su afán por conocer el contenido de unas y otras queda indicada de manera directa en las primeras páginas del libro, y se intuye en el resto del mismo. El autor se sirve en abundantes ocasiones de citas extraídas de otras obras y, en ocasiones, versa ideas de sus autores.

En el ámbito de los trabajos de Historia hemos de destacar a Javier Tusell, especialmente por La transición a la democracia (Madrid, Historia16, 1991) e Historia de la transición 1975-1986 (Madrid, Alianza, 1996), realizada con la colaboración de Álvaro Soto; el trabajo conjunto de Raymond Carr y Juan Pablo Fusi en España de la dictadura a la democracia (Barcelona, Planera, 1979); la obra de José María Maravall, La política de la transición 1975-1980 (Madrid, Taurus, 1980); y el repaso histórico realizado por Victoria Prego en Así se hizo la Transición (Barcelona, Plaza & Janés, 1996). También hemos de mencionar otros estudios como La apuesta del centro: Historia de UCD de Silvia Alonso-Castrillo (Madrid, Alianza, 1996), Elecciones y partidos en la transición española de Mario Caciagli (Madrid, Siglo XXI, 1986), y El triunfo de la democracia en España 1969-1982 de Paul Preston (Barcelona, Plaza & Janés, 1986).

En los que respecta a las memorias de los protagonistas me limitaré a mencionar algunas de las más importantes: Al servicio del Estado de Rodolfo Martín Villa (Barcelona, Planeta, 1984), Diario de un ministro de la monarquía de José María de Areilza (Barcelona, Planeta, 1978), En busca del tiempo servido de Manuel Fraga (Barcelona, Planeta, 1987), Al servicio de la Corona de Alfonso Armada (Barcelona, Planeta, 1983), Memoria viva de la transición de Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo (Barcelona, Planeta, 1990), Memorias de la transición de Santiago Carrillo (Barcelona, Grijalbo, 1983), Confesiones de Vicente Enrique y Tarancón (Madrid, Promoción Popular Cristiana, 1996), y, por supuesto, De Franco a la Generalitat de Salvador Sánchez-Terán (Barcelona, Planeta, 1988).

Como ya hemos indicado más arriba, hay pocos estudios biográficos realizados sobre los protagonistas de la Transición. Me limitaré a citar tres muy significativos, los referentes a las personas que ocupaban los puestos de Jefe de Estado, Presidente de las Cortes y Presidente del Gobierno en el momento de la Reforma Política. De las abundantes obras escritas en torno a la figura del Rey destacaría Juan Carlos I, un rey para la democracia de Charles Powell (Barcelona, Ariel-Planeta, 1995). En lo que se refiere a Torcuato Fernández-Miranda y a Adolfo Suárez existe menos bibliografía. Del primero de ellos tan sólo encontramos Lo que el Rey me ha pedido de Pilar y Alfonso Fernández-Miranda (Barcelona, Plaza & Janés, 1995); y del segundo, aunque existen varias obras, citaremos la de Carlos Albelda, Adolfo Suárez (Madrid, Espasa-Calpe, 1997). El recurso a Diccionario de la Transición de Victoria Prego (Barcelona, Plaza & Janés, 1996) es útil en tanto que en él encontramos referencias a todos los protagonistas del periodo; sin embargo, la información sobre ellos, lógicamente, es bastante limitada.

Sobre la Transición se ha escrito mucho, y existe una gran disparidad de opiniones en algunos aspectos –hemos citado tan sólo el cronológico-; no obstante, la mayor parte de los autores coinciden al calificarlo como un proceso positivo y exitoso. Aquí hemos seleccionado una serie de libros que, además, también recoge Sánchez-Terán en el apartado bibliográfico de La Transición. Síntesis y claves, pero podíamos haber citado muchos más. Tal como indicamos al iniciar el epígrafe, la cuestión a la que nos referimos, si bien no es un tema cerrado, si está abundantemente estudiado. A ese respecto, la obra que nos ocupa no viene a llenar ninguna de las lagunas existentes; se trata de un resumen histórico de la Transición como tantos otros de los citados anteriormente. Su valor radica en la categoría humana, profesional e histórica del autor, así como en su capacidad para ordenar la información y presentarla de manera sencilla.

El autor: Salvador Sánchez-Terán

Salvador Sánchez-Terán Hernández nació en Logroño el 19 de abril de1934. Cursó los estudios de Primaria y Bachillerato en el Colegio San José de los Maristas. Doctor Ingeniero de Caminos por la Escuela Técnica Superior de Madrid, obtuvo un diploma en dirección de empresas por el IESE, fue presidente de la COPE (1993); de Siderúrgicos Independientes asociados (SIDERINSA); de la AIE integrada por varias constructoras; del SEOPAN (1966); de Telefónica (1980-1982); y lo es en la actualidad del Consejo Social de la Universidad de Salamanca.

En otro orden de actividades, ha sido Presidente Nacional de la Juventud de Acción Católica (1959) y vicepresidente internacional de la Juventud de Estudiantes Católica (1963). En 1968 participó en la fundación del grupo editorial Prolesa, integrado por elementos de ideología democristiana y socialdemócrata. Fue también miembro del Consejo de administración del INI, director gerente de la Sociedad de Empresas de Obras Públicas de Ámbito Nacional (1966), y director General de RENFE (1970-1973). Desempeñó la función de Vicepresidente del Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos y de Presidente del patronato del CEU. Es patrono de la Fundación Villalar-Castilla y León en representación de los Consejos Sociales de las Universidades Públicas de Castilla y León. Recibió la distinción de la Gran Cruz de Carlos III.

En cuanto a su actividad propiamente política fue Secretario de Organización de UCD (1977) y diputado por Salamanca en 1977 y 1979. Como Gobernador civil de Barcelona (1976-1977) recibió el encargo por parte de Adolfo Suárez de las negociaciones para el restablecimiento de la Generalitat de Cataluña. Más tarde, fue nombrado Ministro de Transportes y Comunicaciones (de febrero de1978 a abril de1980), y de Trabajo (de mayo a septiembre de 1980). Con la desaparición de UCD se retiró de la política activa. Autor de De Franco a la Generalitat (Barcelona, Planeta, 1988), y de La Transición. Síntesis y claves (Barcelona, Planeta, 2008).

Estructura de la obra

Sánchez-Terán divide su obra en dos grandes bloques. En primer lugar nos encontramos con la “síntesis”, en cuyas páginas el autor resume el desarrollo histórico de la Transición española. Este repaso se inicia con un capítulo referido a los últimos tiempos de Franco. El autor deja bien claro que no considera como parte de la Transición esa etapa –ni siquiera desde la muerte de Carrero Blanco-, pero que para comprenderla es imprescindible saber qué pasó en los años finales del Régimen. El periodo que realmente pretende explicar, el comprendido entre noviembre de 1975 y diciembre de 1978, aparece dividido en tres partes: la primera etapa (noviembre de 1975 a julio de 1976), referida a la apertura de las libertades; la segunda (julio de 1976 a junio de 1977), concerniente a la reforma política; y la tercera (junio de 1977 a diciembre de 1978), que aborda el consenso constitucional y otros problemas de ese periodo.

En las páginas dedicadas a la “síntesis”, tal como ha quedado indicado más arriba, Sánchez-Terán no aporta nada nuevo a nuestro conocimiento sobre los hechos. Se trata de un resumen de lo acaecido muy similar al que podemos encontrar en otras obras sobre la Transición. No obstante, el autor expresa, en ocasiones, cual es su opinión sobre la actuación de los protagonistas de cada momento. Además, dedica el último epígrafe de los capítulos a lo que el llama “síntesis del período”, donde analiza de forma estructurada las claves de cada etapa. Este apartado, así como las referencias puntuales que hace sobre su propia actuación política, son los aspecto más interesantes del libro. De hecho, una de las mayores satisfacciones de la lectura de La Transición. Síntesis y claves es poder situar al autor en el transcurso de los hechos.

En el segundo bloque de su libro, Salvador Sánchez-Terán se centra en lo que él llama las “claves” de la Transición. Ahí analiza el papel jugado por algunos de los principales personajes e instituciones de la época. De esta manera, nos encontramos con valoraciones sobre la actuación del Rey, Adolfo Suárez, Torcuato Fernández-Miranda, el Ejército, la Iglesia Católica, el Partido Socialista, el Partidos Comunista, la Unión de Centro Democrático, Alianza Popular, el nacionalismo catalán, la prensa, las fuerzas sociales y económicas, y la Generación de la Concordia.

En el apartado dedicado a las “claves” el autor muestra una vez más su claridad de ideas, su excelente capacidad para el análisis, y su facilidad para hacerse entender por escrito; aunque hemos de contrastar esa claridad en su forma de escribir con cierta falta de elegancia en su prosa. A cada argumento expresado a favor o en contra de un personaje o institución, Sánchez-Terán nos muestra un ejemplo concreto de lo que pretende explicar. Su análisis no parte de ideas preconcebidas, sino de acontecimiento vividos. Además, sin ocultar errores y aciertos huye de la descalificación y del triunfalismo; explica los hechos más como un historiador que como un testigo.

El libro finaliza con un epílogo donde se analiza la Transición española dentro del marco establecido por Huntington: la tercera oleada democratizadora. En este epígrafe el autor hace gala de sus profundos conocimientos teóricos sobre la cuestión, manifestados principalmente a través de citas y explicaciones referidas a importantes teóricos de la ciencia política. Además, con la prosa sencilla y estructurada que le caracteriza, sabe analizar de una manera sintética los rasgos específicos de la experiencia española dentro de ese marco mundial que anteriormente ha definido.

Bibliografía:

[1] La Transición. Síntesis y claves; Salvador Sánchez-Terán – Barcelona – Planeta – 2008.

[2] La transición a la democracia; Javier Tusell – Madrid – Historia16 -1991.

[3] España de la dictadura a la democracia; Juan Pablo Fusi y Raymond Carr – Barcelona – Planeta – 1979.

[4] Así se hizo la Transición; Victoria Prego – Barcelona – Plaza & Janés– 1996.

[5] La apuesta del centro. Historia de la UCD; Silvia Alonso-Castrillo – Madrid – Alianza – 1996.

[6] De Franco a la Generalitat; Salvador Sánchez-Terán – Barcelona – Planeta – 1988.

[7] Juan Carlos I, un rey para la democracia; Charles Powell – Barcelona – Ariel-Planeta – 1995.

[8] Lo que el Rey me ha pedido; Pilar y Alfonso Fernández-Miranda – Barcelona – Plaza & Janés – 1995.

1975    

Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen, reduce dal successo di “Born to run”, è immortalato in contemporanea sulle copertine dei due settimanali americani più importanti, “Time” e “Newsweek”.

33 years ago today, Bruce Springsteen made the covers of both Time Magazine & Newsweek Magazine ON THE SAME DAY! A true turning point in rock history.

The Time Magazine article was called The Backstreet Phantom of Rock and can be read here

Avui a l’arxiu històric rescatem un article de l’arquitecte José Manuel Infiesta al nº 1970 del Semanari Destino (29 de juny al 5 de juliol de 1975).

On es descriu la gran especulació urbanísitca que va donar lloc al nostre barri i les nefastes condicions d’habitabilitat del barri fa uns 30 anys.

De les 3 pessetes/pam quadrat que van pagar les empreses promotores quan el terreny estava qualificat com a rústic, quan eran tot camps de cultiu, es van pasar a les 175 a l’any 1970 i a les 600 a l’any 1974.

L’article fa un repàs pel mal estat de diversos seveis com les escoles, comunicacions, zones verdas, sanitat, zones esportives, locals socials, esglésies,…

Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise. - James Madison

This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it. - John Adams

Religions are all alike - founded upon fables and mythologies. - Thomas Jefferson

Man is a marvelous curiosity…he thinks he is the Creator’s pet…he even believes the Creator loves him; has a passion for him; sits up nights to admire him; yes and watch over him and keep him out of trouble. He prays to him and thinks He listens. Isn’t it a quaint idea. - Mark Twain

All thinking men are atheists. - Ernest Hemingway

It may be that our role on this planet is not to worship God, but to create him. - Arthur C. Clarke

A man is not moral because he is obedient through fear or ignorance. Morality lives in the realm of perceived obligation… - Robert Ingersoll

Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. - Karl Marx

The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. - George Bernard Shaw

Creationists make it sound like a ‘theory’ is something you dreamt up after being drunk all night. - Isaac Asimov

We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further. - Richard Dawkins

“The time for respecting religous beliefs of that sort has long past”-Sam Harris at Idea City 05

“Thou shalt not take anything on faith”-Penn Jillette

“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
– Stephen Roberts

“Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned.”
– unknown

“Only Sheep need a shepherd!”
– unknown

“God is not dead. He is alive and working on a much less ambitious project.”
– graffito (1975), quoted from Jonathon Green, The Cassell Dictionary of Cynical Quotations

“Appraise the Lord: Tax church property.”
– bumper sticker

“Humanity without religion is like a serial killer without a chainsaw.”
– unknown

“Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color.”
–Don Hirschberg

“Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest”
–Denis Diderot

“The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers.”
– Denis Diderot

“the trouble with theocracy is that everyone wants to be Theo.”
– James Dunn

“Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet.”
–Napoleon Bonaparte, French emperor (1769-1821).

“The church says the earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church.”
–Ferdinand Magellan, (1480–1521), Portuguese navigator: discoverer of the Straits of Magellan 1520 and the Philippines 1521.

“Clearly the person who accepts the Church as an infallible guide will believe whatever the Church teaches.”
– Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Roman Catholic philosopher

“Don’t you know there ain’t no devil, it’s just god when he’s drunk.”
– Tom Waits

“An atheist is a man who has no invisible means of support.”
– John Buchan

“The atheist does not say ‘there is no God,’ but he says ‘I know not what you mean by God; I am without idea of God’; the word ‘God’ is to me a sound conveying no clear or distinct affirmation. … The Bible God I deny; the Christian God I disbelieve in; but I am not rash enough to say there is no God as long as you tell me you are unprepared to define God to me.”
– Charles Bradlaugh, ‘Plea for Atheism’

Eskimo: “If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?”
Priest: “No, not if you did not know.”
Eskimo: “Then why did you tell me?”
– Annie Dillard, ‘Pilgrim at Tinker Creek’

“I give money for church organs in the hope the organ music will distract the congregation’s attention from the rest of the service.”
– Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)

“Gods always behave like the people who created them”
– Zora Neale Hurston

“Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense.”
– Chapman Cohen

“Pray: To ask the laws of the universe to be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.”
– Ambrose Bierce

“I still say a church steeple with a lightening rod on top shows a lack of confidence.”
– Doug McLeod

“We must respect the other fellow’s religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.”
– H. L. Mencken

“Men never commit evil so fully and joyfuly as when they do it for religious convictions”
– Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

“Man has never been the same since God died. He has taken it very hard.”
– unknown

“The world holds two classes of men - intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence.”
– Abu Ala Al-Ma’arri (???? - 1059)

“No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.”
–Annie Wood Besant (1847-1933)

“Hey, let’s get serious… God knows what he’s doin’ He wrote this book here And the book says: ‘He made us all to be just like Him’, So… If we’re dumb… Then God is dumb… (And maybe even a little ugly on the side)”
- -Frank Zappa

“God created man in his own image. And man, being a gentleman, returned the favor.”
– Rousseau

“You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do.”
–[from Usenet]

“Atheism is a non-prophet organization”
– unknown

“Organizing atheists is like hurding cats”
– Madalyn Murray O’Hair

“In the absence of fear there is little faith.”
– Michael Pain

“If atheists are deaf to the word of God, then theists are blind to the ways of man.”
– Michael Pain

“You’ll never find a dead Christian in a foxhole who didn’t pray.”
– unnknown

“On the sixth day, God created man. On the seventh day, man returned the favor.”
– unknown

“Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer.”
– unknown

“For god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son,
that whosoever would believe in him would believe in anything.”
– unknown

“Theists think all gods but theirs are false. Atheists simply don’t make an exception for the last one.”
– unknown

“Fundamentalism means never having to say ‘I’m wrong.’”
– unknown

“Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day;
Give him a religion, and he’ll starve to death while praying for a fish”
– unknown

“You believe in a book that has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd and primitive stories, and you say that we are the ones that need help?”
– Dan Barker, Losing Faith in Faith

The mighty oak from an acorn came,

Bursting, throbbing, growing in strain;

Pulled up by the light, pushed up by the rain.

It didn’t happen over night.

No stalwart man is instant made.

It takes pressure, decisions, days of shade;

Pulled up by prayer, pushed by reading, rare.

Small souls and fires quickly fade.  -eab, 9/75

Written in Friendsville, Tennessee