The title of this entry is from an article in today's International Herald Tribune. Actually, it's a reprint from a few years ago, included today because its subject, President Niyazov of Turkmenistan died. Better known as Turkmanbashi (which means "the father of all Turkmen"), he was my favorite crazed dictator. I will always regret that it didn't make it to his nation while he ruled. I've heard from those who have about their purchases of Turkmenbashi cologne and Turkmenbashi vodka. (I assume you could also buy Turkmenbashbi cloth, but maybe the selling of fabric with the dictator's image is just an African thing?) But what I really wanted to see was the gold statue of Turkmenbashi in the central square of Ashkebad, a statue which allegedly rotates so he is always facing the sun. I'm also particularly fond of his having renamed the days of the week after himself and members of his family.
I am assuming that he will be embalmed in the Russian style and preserved in a glass coffin for all to file respectfully past. I wonder if they have the skill locally to do that or if they have to end him to Moscow. (By the way, the Vietnamese have to send Ho Chi Minh's body back periodically for maintenance.)
I prefer democracy personally, but if there must be dictators, they should at least be colorful.
As for what I actually did today, work was relatively quiet after one meeting this morning. The cookie exchange was reasonably successful, though I realized I really should have put icing collars on my butter cookie cats or maybe little silver bells. The recipe is not, alas, spectacular enough to bother making again. I'll have to try some of the dozens of other rolled cookie recipes I have to find perfection.
Finally, I will probably be unable to update again until Monday. I will most likely backfill entries, but I'm not sure.
Copyright 2006 Miriam H. Nadel