28th September

The First International met today in London in 1864. Its leader was the indefatigable Karl Marx (whose brother, Harpo, by coincidence died on this day in 1964). Among Marx's best known lines -

• Religion is the opium of the people.
• You have nothing to lose but your chains; you have a world to win.
• Friedrich, can you lend me ten bob 'til week Thursday.

In other news ...
Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick died today in 1891. The story, about a man's obsession to get revenge on a great, white whale, is an allegory on any number of levels and is quite brilliant. It would be unpublishable today because:

1. Greenpeace would object to whaling.
2. Captain Ahab has only one leg - health and safety implications.
3. The book has too many silly names for modern readers - Queequeg, Nantucket, Pequod.
4. The title is obscene and would have to be changed to Moby Male Member - mind you, the alliteration works!