Mother's Day is only about a week away. Wondering what to get her? If you're the president of a former Soviet republic, you can honor her with the best kind of gift: name a month after her. (All this info from the May 1, 2006 "New Yorker")
Saparmurat Niyazov is a former leader in the Soviet Union's Communist Party and is now the president of Turkmenistan. Only now his name is Turkmenbashi (Leader of all the Turkmen). Among other things he has done as president: forced doctors to say an oath to him rather than Hippocrates; named the month of January after himself; banned opera, ballet, beards, long hair and gold-capped teeth; demanded that drivers pass a morality test; and, for his mother, named the month of April for her. So make sure you call it Gurbansoltan eje when you're there next Easter.
The best thing he did, though was to create a 250-foot statue of himself that automatically rotates to face the sun. I think I'll bring that up at the next trustees meeting.
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