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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Turkmenistan celebrates Melon Day
2005-08-15
Either Dean Martin or Turkmenbashi with a liberal application of Grecian Formula. I'm not sure which...
Turkmenistan's leader on Sunday congratulated citizens of the ex-Soviet republic on the Turkmen Melon Day he established to honour the favourite fruit of the sun-drenched Central Asian nation.
"Happy Melon Day, my fellow citizens!"
"And a happy Melon Day to you, too, O Turkmenbashi!"
The nation currently grows 500 varieties of melon, including the Czar Melon, grown to honour President Saparmurat Niyazov, and the Golden Age, meant to symbolise prosperity under the president, the Agriculture Ministry said. "Let the life of every Turkman be as beautiful as our melons," Niyazov said in a statement.
"Let's party hearty! Let the feast begin!"
"What're we having?"
"Melons."
"There is nothing like that in any country of the world," the state-run Neutral Turkmenistan daily said in a headline.
No ther country has a month named "Mom," either.
Niyazov has led the former Soviet republic, a largely desert nation rich in natural gas, since 1985 as Communist Party chief. He was elected president in 1992 in the wake of the Soviet collapse, and has since gone completely bonkers created a personality cult around himself.
Posted by:Fred

#9  See post above.
Posted by: Shipman   2005-08-15 17:56  

#8  Britain has a growing melon problem.

http://calderonswirbelwind.blogspot.com/2005/08/could-this-be-britains-next-terror.html
Posted by: Thriter Jamble9553   2005-08-15 16:26  

#7  
According to my Russian wife, all of Central Asia is full of "melons"! Of course, one of these guys has recently gone away... One less melon?

Niyazov, Nazurbayev, Karimov, Akayev (gone), and Rakhmanov...
Posted by: BigEd   2005-08-15 15:43  

#6  "There is nothing like that in any country of the world," the state-run Neutral Turkmenistan daily said in a headline.

Dude, the town I grew up in had a Gourd Festival. I know at least two towns that have Pumpkin Festivals. Your melons have NOTHING on those.
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2005-08-15 11:52  

#5  Everyday should be mellon day.
Posted by: MunkarKat   2005-08-15 11:21  

#4  I celebrate melons every day. It's good for you. (NSFW)

YS, d'you still have that graphic of the too-perfect 'lopes? I think Fred might prefer it - scaled-down a bit.
Posted by: .com   2005-08-15 10:19  

#3  He was elected president in 1992 in the wake of the Soviet collapse, and has created a personality cult around himself.


See. Spot's right. It is Wayne Newton...
Posted by: tu3031   2005-08-15 08:59  

#2  Looks more like Wayne Newton to me.
Posted by: Spot   2005-08-15 08:27  

#1  "Let the life of every Turkman be as beautiful as our melons,"
Anyone got pics of Turkmen woman and their melons?
Posted by: xbalanke   2005-08-15 00:52  

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