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lonelywretchjervistetch · 5 months ago

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The State Birds Initiative: Pennsylvania (#2)

Welcome to the second official poll of the State Birds Initiative! Before the poll, though, one thing real quick. My suggestion is that you read the post below before voting in the poll below. That's especially important if you're lacking any context about the birds being presented as the new (or old) State Bird of the Keystone State, Pennsylvania. This is to be fully informed as to why these are being presented, and to make your choices appropriately. Lastly, some of these birds, you will notice, may go against some of the rules listed in the introduction post. All is explained after the jump where the explanations are, I promise you that. But with that...OK! Here's the poll! More choices this time, but that's definitely a bit deceptive. Trust me, read the stuff after the jump, you'll see why.

LET'S GO PHILLY

Kidding on two fronts. One, not a massive sports fan, and not really a fan of any Philadelphia teams (I love Gritty, though. Always and forever.). And two, this is obviously not a post about Philadelphia. So, let's talk about the Quaker State, Pennsylvania! The capital is Harrisburg, while its biggest city is Philadelphia. Pennsylvania is, of course, the first capital of these United States, and arguably the seat of the country. It's the home of Benjamin Franklin (even though it wasn't his birthplace), the Liberty Bell, the Constitution, and Rocky Balboa. And of course, its perfect symbol: Gritty.

God, he's beautiful. The perfect mascot. Who cares about the Flyers; Gritty's who I'm rooting for. Anyway, amazing and unassailable symbols of chaos aside, we're here to talk about Pennsylvania's natural world. So, what are we looking at. Well, it's a mostly deciduous forest-dominated state, so we're looking at seasonal forests and probably seasonal birds...for the most part. At the very least, our ideal bird is a forest resident and breeder in the state. Nothing too unusual or difficult to find.

Birding in Pennsylvania is pretty stereotypical to that of the northeastern United States. There are a few major spots, especially those that graze the Appalachian Mountain Range, which runs through the state. As for conservation concern, habitats of focus are the Appalachian forests that are often deforested for development, especially in the areas near Philadelphia. No real surprise, but that's a good target for conservation focus.

As for Pennsylvania's culture, it's famously descendant of the Quakers, who founded the state under the leadership of William Penn. This isn't to say that Pennsylvanians are Quakers; if you've been to Philadelphia, you know that's not true. According to a few accounts I've seen, that essentially means there's an attitude of helpfulness to your neighbor within the state, as well as a cultivation of the value of hard work. It's also a state that prides its history pretty thoroughly, from Philadelphia's various museums and public historical monuments, to the historical communities that thrive in the state, like the Lancaster Amish. Not sure how either of those will translate themselves into birds, but...hey, we'll see, right?

I also saw somebody refer to PA as heavily into "snack culture". And I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I WILL take the opportunity to say one thing: do not waste money on the cheesesteaks at Pat's or Geno's. It's meant to attract tourists, and they aren't worth it, BELIEVE ME. There are better cheesesteaks in the city, from what I've heard, but those two are...not worth the money. Just trust me on this one.

That said, it's time to look for a proper state bird for Pennsylvania. There's some emphasis there on the "proper", and the first entry in the following section has an explanation by that. With that, let's go for it! State Bird nominations for Pennsylvania below the jump!

Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus)

OK, let's start with the current bird highlighted by Pennsylvania, the Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus). Now, I love these guys. If you've never experienced it, walking through the woods and suddenly hearing a deep thrumming echo through the trees is...it's a unique sensation. You wonder where it's coming from, why and how it's so loud, what's making it, and then...it just pops up. Maybe it sees you looking for it, and you flush it out and watch a panicking male run away. Maybe he just looks back at you puffed up and stands his ground a bit (which is unlikely, but still). Either way, these guys never cease to put a smile on my face.

This behavior is called drumming, by the way, as pictured above. A male grouse will position themselves on a hollow fallen tree, and use it as a megaphone to send out these vibrations across swathes of territory. It is, unsurprisingly, a territorial behavior for the grouse, and iconic in its own way. Now, a few more facts about the Ruffed Grouse. The name, by the way, comes from the feathers on the sides of the male's neck, which are erected during courtship and territorial displays. It's obviously colored to camouflage in the fallen leaves of deciduous forests, where it resides throughout the year. They're granivorous members of the Galliformes (grouse, pheasants, quail, etc.), and fairly common in the Eastern United States. But with that said...here's the big problem with this choice for State Bird.

It isn't a State Bird. It's a State Game Bird.

Yeah, remember the Delaware Blue Hen from the last poll (assuming you read it, here it is if you didn't)? I suggested that it should be the State Game Bird of Delaware, rather than the State Bird. Well, right next door to Delaware, Pennsylvania already has a State Game Bird in the form of the Ruffed Grouse. Why, you ask? Well, first off, the Ruffed Grouse is actuall known as the "King of the Gamebirds" colloquially, crowned such by William Harnden Foster, the father of skeet shooting. Yes, actually. But anyway, the bird was declared the State Game Bird in 1931, but there was not real reason why outside of popularity with hunters. So...OK, fair enough. It just means that the Ruffed Grouse is not a State Bird. But should it be?

The question asked here is, should the Ruffed Grouse be promoted to a State Bird, since most Pennsylvanians seem to think of it as such anyway? Well, looking at the guidelines we've previously set and established...I don't know, honestly. And my main reason for doubt, personally, is the fact that the grouse, while found in Pennsylvania, is BARELY a breeder in the state. Only 0.4% of the bird's overall breeding population is in Pennsylvania, and only 13% is in the United States at all. And yes, that means the species is mostly found in...

So, when you think about it, is this truly the answer to the PA State Bird question? Well, it does represent much of the biome of Pennsylvania, a forest-dominated state squarely in the temperate and deciduous zone. It has a history and culture of hunting, and the grouse is certainly one of the most popular species on that front. And they're certainly iconic, and easy to hear in most forests, not to mention fun to look and listen for for beginning birders. The first time I stumbled on a Ruffed Grouse was, lemme tell you, a delight. And the second time, I LITERALLY stumbled on them, because a mother and her chicks were running away from me, and one of the chicks ran between my feet from behind me to join its mother, and I have NEVER BEFORE FELT MORE LIKE A DISNEY PRINCESS UNTIL THAT MOMENT IT WAS FUCKING MAGICAL

But, yeah, with that said, I submit the Ruffed Grouse for your deliberation as a State Bird. And as for a State Game Bird...oh, I've got a thought on that one, too. But I'll save that until the end, I think.

Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivaceus)

So, as before, let's start the replacement options with a bird suggested by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and a solid-ass pick for a number of reasons. The Scarlet Tanager is one of the most striking birds in the eastern United States, and there's no state with a larger breeding population of these birds than Pennsylvania. 13% of the species' global breeding population is found in PA, making the state a major staging point for the species. Native to and dependent upon the deciduous forests of the state, this is a hidden ornithological icon.

Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)

Well, if I had the Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) listed for Delaware, it only makes sense to list the Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) for Pennsylvania! Similarly, it's the only species that have Pennsylvania as a state in the species name. And trust me, this is a rare luxury, either because most states have no bird species named for them, or a LOT of bird species named for them. Just wait for the Carolinas or California, believe me. But that said, is the Chestnut-sided Warbler a good fit for Pennsylvania?

Well, it certainly breeds in the state; the majority of the global population breeds in Canada, like the Ruffed Grouse, but a good amount still breeds in the deciduous temperate forests of the USA. The PA breeding population represents 3% of the global breeding population, and as compared to Michigan's 7%, Pennsylvania still doesn't have the majority. But again, let's put that statistic to the wayside. Is there anything else about the Chestnut-sided Warbler that represents Pennsylvania in a meaningful way? Well...no. Not, not really. There is a story of John James Audubon (yes, that Audubon, the racist one), and his first AND ONLY sighting of the Chestnut-sided Warbler, which took place in eastern Pennsylvania, alongside his hunt for the species throughout his life. So, hey, there's a tie. But other than that, this is another opportunity to choose an handsome looking bird that serves as a unique bird to look for for Pennsylvanians, any of whom can say, "Hey, I've seen that bird! Cool!"

...Wait, I just realized something about this category of choice. Pennsylvania has more species name reputation than I thought...indirectly. Hmm. Let's combine their entries.

Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus) Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) Mourning Warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia)

There are, in total, three species that are named after the great city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And this is both the only one with the city name in its common name...and also the worst choice of the three. At least the Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) and the Mourning Warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia) breed in the state. And for the record, those are up for debate for this spot if anybody world prefer those go in there. But if those are better options (barely; both birds also barely breed in Pennsylvania), then why choose the Philadelphia Vireo?

Is it iconic? To birdwatchers, maybe, but mostly because it's a pretty difficult bird to get when you're starting out. I've seen them, but it's not easy to find them. And to the layman? It's a little green bird that lives in green trees. Oof. Hard sell for a state bird. At least Bonaparte's Gull (above) is visible on bodies of water, and a fairly common bird alongside being an unusual-looking gull for most people. Plus, hey, they're kinda handsome and cute in my opinion. What about the Mourning Warbler (below)? While also somewhat difficult to find by virtue of being a little green bird, has a notable and memorable appearance. But you could also argue that it belongs rightly to other states instead.

But the Philadelphia Vireo? Yeah, it's the worst candidate of the three, but...it's also the only warbler who once carried the name Brotherly-Love Vireo. Yeah. As in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love? That is a good reason. However, you could argue that, given the fact that the work "philadelphia" is literally Greek for "brotherly love"...it's still a flimsy argument. But hey, I'd be remiss if I didn't include these guys on this list for State Bird, even if I...doubt they're gonna get any votes.

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

For one of two conservation-related entries of this post, let's take a look at the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). Now, to get this out of the way, the Pileated Woodpecker is all over the Eastern USA. These big, crow-sized woodpeckers (and these guys are HUGE when you see them for the first time; love 'em) are a common sight in deciduous and coniferous forests (the predominant habitat in PA), and are most certainly breeders in Pennsylvania. They're iconic enough, fun to find, and can be detected through signs they leave in trees. Namely, of course, I'm referring to the nest hollows they make in trees for their offspring, as well as holes made to search for insects. But, OK, same question as always, why suggest it for the PA State Bird?

The pileated woodpecker, as the big bird it is, is an ecosystem modeler. What this means is, those holes they carve in trees are used by other species, including owls, squirrels, weasels, ducks, and various others that live in the same areas. Pennsylvania's wildlife isn't above using Pileated Woodpecker holes for their own uses, making the birds extremely important for other species. Ecosystem architects are not uncommon in nature. Most of your probably think of the American Beaver (Castor canadensis) or the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) when that topic comes up, but there are many others. In ecology, there's a term for species that modify their environments in ways that become significant for the survival of other species. Because other species rely on them, they're referred to as keystone species.

Get it?

Pennsylvania is also known as the Keystone State. And, like beavers and alligators before them, woodpeckers are also keystone species. This isn't a commonly talked about aspect of woodpeckers, but the Pileated Woodpecker in particular is getting some recent attention as a keystone species. So, why not highlight this recently proposed classification and give the Keystone State a Keystone Species for its State Bird? It serves as a lesson in ecology for everyone, school kids or the uninformed, and it's a great way to make the State Bird about Pennsylvania's ecosystems. Conservation-focused, and an iconic species to boot!

Do I think the Pileated Woodpecker is the best species for Pennsylvania on it's own merits? I don't know, honestly. Like I said before, it's a fun-to-find iconic bird, it breeds in the state, and there's not real reason it shouldn't be the state bird. But I really like the idea of giving the Keystone State a keystone species, and not a lot of North American birds act in that role. If anybody has a better suggestion, I am all ears, but I think this one works pretty well. Plus, hey, there's only one woodpecker amongst the State Birds, which is a shame! Who doesn't love woodpeckers?

American Goshawk (Accipiter atricapillus)

For the other conservation entry of this list, we once again turn to a raptor, and a damned cool one at that. Previously referred to as the northern goshawk, the American Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is a silent and efficient predator. One of the most skilled forest flyers amongst the accipiter hawks, these birds specialize in rodents and birds that live in the trees, and are amazing at weaving through the understory to catch their prey. I adore goshawks, and they're honestly a bit terrifying. I used to work at a raptor rehabilitation facility which bred these guys in central New York, and they're beautiful and terrifying. Also, I've held one in a towel burrito, and that was a highlight of my life.

Now, with that said, the goshawk is barely found in Pennsylvania in recent years, although it used to be quite common. The Fish and Game Department, alongside Audubon, have this as a species of major concern and focus in Pennsylvania, despite (for because of) a very small breeding population. But there's a sad reason for this, making this a VERY good candidate for State Bird. See, in the 1900s, goshawks were considered pests, due to their love of chicken and wild game birds. Therefore, they were regularly shot, and Pennsylvania in particular offered rewards for their bodies.

By 1931, goshawk populations in Pennsylvania plummeted. This was also when the early 20th century environmentalist movements started, and this issue in particular was noticed by environmentalist and suffragette Rosalie Edge. To save hawk populations in Pennsylvania, she purchased a piece of land to bar the hawk-hunters on the property. This was called Hawk Mountain, and was founded in 1934 as the world's first raptor preserve. Yeah. Not only was it the first of these, but one of the first (if not THE first) created by a woman. Let's fucking go. Rosalie was a known bad-ass in conservation, and regularly did shit like this for what she believed in. An unsung hero of conservation and ornithology.

The hawk hunts ended alongside the Pennsylvania Game Commission in the 1950s, and raptor conservation continued on as a major movement in the state of Pennsylvania. Hawk Mountain in particular became a massive centerpoint of this, and today, it's maybe the most famous place in the United States to watch the annual fall and spring migrations of raptors. The raptor counts at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary are an annual bonanza, attracting birders from near and far. Haven't made it there yet myself, but it's on my list of must-bird locations. I implore you to learn more about this wonderful place. Check out their YouTube channel if you want to know more from their perspective! And it's all based on the impressive conservation story of the American Goshawk. I think that makes it a pretty goddamn good candidate for State Bird. Brings attention to conservation history, and on a major natural phenomenon that can be seen every year in Pennsylvania. Pretty goddamn cool.

The hell is even left after that? Well...

Wild Turkey (Melagris gallopavo)

OK, hear me out here. Of ALL the birds in the USA, if there is any state should have more federal recognition, it's the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). It's the only bird that essentially has a holiday dedicated to it (OK, dedicated to killing and eating it, but you get what I mean). It's also, notoriously, the alleged runner-up for national bird, having lost to the Bald Eagle (Halieetus leucocephalus). To be fair, here, that's a potential urban myth, but an important one regardless, especially to Pennsylvania.

Other than this, though, everybody knows what a Turkey looks like. It's arguably one of the top 5 iconic wild birds of the USA, and is very common throughout the country. It is, in fact, found in every one of the Lower 48, and in Hawaii (introduced there). Not Alaska, though. Which is good, because frozen turkey is dangerous. Ha ha ha. But is that an argument for Pennsylvanis to have it as the State Bird, or even as the State Game Bird? Because that's also an option, for the record. I argue, though, that Alabama, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and South Carolina already have it as a State Game Bird, which especially makes sense for Alabama, which is prime turkey-hunting ground. As is, for that matter, Pennsylvania. Turkey season here is longer than in most places, and according to HuntStand, it's basically a culture there in and of itself. So, yeah, appropriate on that front alone. But that said...Pennsylvania should own the turkey for one more important reason.

I mean...Benjamin Franklin. Come on. You gotta give it to Pennsylvania's favorite son. I've been to the Franklin Institute, I KNOW how beloved he is in PA. And Benjamin Franklin, famously, loved two things: wild sex parties with older women, and the Wild Turkey. AND I QUOTE:

For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. ...For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America… He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”

Now, contrary to popular belief, this is not Franklin saying the Wild Turkey should be the national bird. This is, instead, Frankling saying that he fucking hates the Bald Eagle, whom he sees as a lazy, thieving, selfish, disrespectful, manipulative asshole. So, yeah, in retrospect, not an inappropriate symbol for some parts of the country. But regardless, he's right about turkeys: they do not give a shit about your boundaries if you're on their land. Trust me, I live in an area of New England where there are some BIG fuckin' turkeys, and they WILL CHASE YOU if you mess with them. I SEEN IT

With that, though, I think we've covered the major candidates for the State Bird of Pennsylvania. Any I've missed or forgotten? Any suggestions you may have? I'm all ears! Make sure to vote, and come back for state #3: New Jersey. Which...I think a lot of us have thoughts on. Although, hey...I don't hate the State Bird. Well, as a bird, anyway; I'm indifferent to it as NJ's bird. More context next time, I promise.

See you soon, and happy birding!

Introduction to the State Birds Initiative

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justinspoliticalcorner · 6 months ago

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Ryan W. Briggs, Max Marin, and Ellie Rushing at Philadelphia Inquirer:

BETHEL PARK, Pa. — In the sea of caps and gowns, Thomas Matthew Crooks hardly stood out. Few people clapped when his name was called. A YouTube video of his graduation two years ago from Bethel Park High School shows a slender and bespectacled student receiving his diploma with a soft smile. But the class of 2022 awoke Sunday to learn that the 20-year-old Allegheny County man was notorious, the shooter in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a rally that left an ex-firefighter, Corey Comperatore, dead and two other attendees wounded. U.S. Secret Service counter-snipers killed Crooks moments after he opened fire on the Saturday night rally from a nearby rooftop. The FBI said Sunday they believed he acted alone. He had not been on the bureau’s radar.

Crooks’ actions shocked residents in his hometown, sparked countless conspiracy theories online, and prompted investigators to begin combing through every aspect of his life, looking for motive. The mystery has been fueled by a near-total absence of Crooks’ social media postings, political writings, or other digital fingerprints. Several former classmates appeared on national television Sunday, quickly casting Crooks as a stereotypical loner who was bullied heavily during his time at Bethel Park. One of them, Jason Kohler, told reporters Sunday that students tormented Crooks “almost every day” and that he often wore “hunting” outfits to class. “He was just an outcast,” Kohler said, “and you know how kids are nowadays.” Yet, two former students interviewed by The Inquirer disputed the characterization. They did not recall specific incidents of violence or other antagonism involving their now-infamous classmate in the community they described as generally tight-knit.

[...] The slight traces of public information Crooks left behind leave few clues about his political ideology. Federal campaign finance records show he made a $15 donation to progressive political action committee in 2021 after President Joe Biden’s election, but later registered as a Republican, according to Pennsylvania voter data. His father was a registered Libertarian, his mother a Democrat. Crooks’ body was found on the rooftop of an agricultural tool manufacturing plant a few hundred feet from the rally with an AR-style semiautomatic rifle — legally purchased by his father. The shooter was wearing a T-shirt promoting “The Demolition Ranch,” a YouTube channel for gun enthusiasts. If Crooks maintained any personal social media presence, it went largely undetected on Sunday. Discord, an instant messaging platform mainly used by video gamers, released a statement acknowledging Crooks held a “rarely utilized” account that contained no information relevant to the shooting.

Sigafoos did not recall Crooks making political overtures in class, but rather as someone interested in how government works, and “not trying to insert his own beliefs into it.” Another former classmate did not share this view. Max R. Smith recalled taking an American history course with Crooks as a sophomore. He did recall Crooks making political statements — but they shed no light on his actions Saturday. “He definitely was conservative,” he said. “It makes me wonder why he would carry out an assassination attempt on the conservative candidate.” Smith recalled a mock debate in which their history professor posed government policy questions and asked students to stand on one side of the classroom or the other to signal their support or opposition for a given proposal. “The majority of the class were on the liberal side, but Tom, no matter what, always stood his ground on the conservative side,” Smith said. “That’s still the picture I have of him. Just standing alone on one side while the rest of the class was on the other.”

The gunman who killed rallygoer Corey Comperatore and attempted the assassination of Donald Trump at Saturday night’s Butler, PA rally was not only a registered Republican but also a vehement conservative.

This should hopefully put an end to the right-wing’s nonsensical claim that a “violent leftist”/”Antifa” tried to kill Trump.

#2024 Trump Assassination Attempt #Donald Trump #Thomas Matthew Crooks #Corey Comperatore #Assassination #Trump Rallies #Butler Pennsylvania

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black-arcana · 1 month ago

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SPIRITBOX Announces Spring 2025 North American Tour With LOATHE, DYING WISH And GEL

Two-time Grammy-nominated progressive metal band SPIRITBOX has announced the "Tsunami Sea" North American tour. Kicking off April 3 in Dallas, Texas, produced by Live Nation, the 24-date tour will hit cities across the U.S. and Canada with LOATHE, DYING WISH and GEL as support.

Tickets will first be available through a Citi presale starting today, December 3. The official artist presale begins on December 4 and will include a special Spiritboxoffice pop-up event in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Palladium from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. where fans can purchase tickets and meet the band. Additional presales will follow on December 5, ahead of the general onsale and Citi Cardmember Preferred Tickets, beginning Friday, December 6 at 10 a.m. local time on Spiritbox.com.

The tour wants to give fans, not scalpers, the best chance to buy tickets at face value. To make this possible they have chosen to use Ticketmaster's Face Value Exchange. If fans purchase tickets for a show in the U.S. or Canada and can't attend, they'll have the option to resell them to other fans at the original price paid. To help protect the Exchange, the tour has requested all tickets be mobile only and restricted from transfer. This applies to all shows except those in Colorado, Illinois, and New York where Face Value Exchange cannot be mandated. Please note, a valid bank account or debit card within the country of your event is required to sell on the Face Value Exchange.

Citi is the official card of the "Tsunami Sea" North American tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, December 3 at 12 p.m. ET until Thursday, December 5 at 10 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program.

The announcement follows SPIRITBOX's second consecutive Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance" ("Cellar Door") which no woman has ever won this sole category. The tour announcement also follows the reveal of their anticipated sophomore album, "Tsunami Sea", slated for release on March 7 via Pale Chord / Rise Records. The album's first two singles, the heavy hitter "Soft Spine" and melodic "Perfect Soul", showcase the band's dynamic range and their ability to seamlessly fuse diverse sonic influences, offering a glimpse into the depth and ambition of the forthcoming record.

In addition to SPIRITBOX's headline U.S. and European tours in 2025, the band will jump on select dates of LINKIN PARK's world tour, joining the rock icons for performances in Italy, the Netherlands and the U.K.

SPIRITBOX with LOATHE, DYING WISH and GEL 2025 North American tour dates:

April 03 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom April 04 - San Antonio, TX - Boeing Center at Tech Port April 05 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Center April 07 - Atlanta, GA - Coca-Cola Roxy April 08 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live April 11 - Washington, DC - MGM National Harbor April 12 - Pittsburgh, PA - UPMC Events Center April 14 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore April 15 - Montclair, NJ - The Wellmont Theater April 18 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom April 19 - Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway April 21 - Montreal, QC - M TELUS* April 23 - Toronto, ON - Great Canadian Casino April 25 - Chicago, IL - Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom April 26 - Madison, WI - The Sylvee April 27 - Grand Rapids, MI - GLC Live at 20 Monroe April 29 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant April 30 - Des Moines, IA - Vibrant Music Hall May 02 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium May 03 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex May 06 - Vancouver, BC - PNE Forum May 07 - Tacoma, WA - Temple Theatre May 09 - San Francisco, CA - The Masonic May 10 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium*

* Without GEL

Formed in 2017 in the picturesque-yet-isolated region of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, by singer Courtney Laplante and guitarist Mike Stringer, SPIRITBOX became a household name in rock circles in the summer of 2020 with the release of their blistering breakout single "Holy Roller", along with a host of other captivating singles shortly after, resulting in a media firestorm of hype.

With new and existing fans eagerly watching their next move, SPIRITBOX exceeded every expectation imaginable in 2021 with the release of their genre-defining debut studio album "Eternal Blue" via Pale Chord/Rise Records. "Eternal Blue", which debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200, kicked open the doors of the heavy metal scene and rewrote the genre's playbook with 12 stunning tracks that incorporated everything from djent and post-metal to infectious synth-laden pop sensibilities and cinematic arrangements, brought fully to life by the inimitable Laplante's ethereal and commanding vocal performances.

The album cycle for "Eternal Blue" saw SPIRITBOX not only grace the covers of esteemed music publications such as Revolver, Alternative Press, Rock Sound and Kerrang!, among many others but would also solidify the band as one of the most in-demand groups in live music today with their one-hundred percent sold out, first-ever headlining tour in support of the album which saw ticket sales over 40,000. The band would also share the stage with seasoned metal veterans such as LIMP BIZKIT and GHOST and win "Best International Breakthrough Band" at the 2021 Heavy Music Awards.

In 2022, SPIRITBOX secured highly-coveted spots at numerous major U.S. rock and metal festivals and were nominated for two Juno awards, respectively. SPIRITBOX would also round out their current lineup with the inclusion of drummer Zev Rose and bassist Josh Gilbert in addition to releasing their sonically experimental EP "Rotoscope" in June of that year as well as a cross-genre collaboration with dubstep artist Illenium for the track "Shivering".

During another whirlwind year for the band, including a U.S. tour with SHINEDOWN and PAPA ROACH, SPIRITBOX wrote and recorded their critically acclaimed EP "The Fear Of Fear", released in November 2023. The EP features the single "Jaded", which was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 66th annual Grammy Awards. In the same month, the band would make another genre-bending splash with a high-profile collaboration with rapper Megan Thee Stallion for a remix of her song "Cobra".

Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

#spiritbox

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tstourconnect · 2 years ago

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Hey Hi Hello!!!!

Welcome to TS Tour Connect, the Tumblr hub for signal boosting Swifties selling Eras Tour tickets to swifties who need them, & signal boosting tour posts - to help Tumblr Swifties both attend the Eras Tour and meet their friends there. There are plenty of ticket sale posts floating around and no centralized place to see them - so here it is!

We CANNOT validate tickets or be held liable for any issues or scams - purchase at your own risk. What we CAN and WILL do, though, is validate the fandom presence of anyone advertising tickets to ensure that you are buying from a real swiftie as opposed to someone hoping to make a quick buck. ONLY tickets from fan accounts that have clearly been around for a while will be advertised - to signal boost a ticket for sale, send us your ticket info and price as an ask - off anon - and, when your tickets are sold, reblog or comment with "SOLD".

The ask-er will handle and co-ordinate sales of the tickets and is responsible for providing proof. If you want to get an already existing "tickets for sale" post on our radar, send us a DM with the link to the post.

International dates will be added to and included in this once announced.

TICKETS FOR SALE & TOUR POSTS SORTED BY CITY IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER UNDER THE CUT

ATTENDANCE SPREADSHEET

GLENDALE, AZ: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS LAS VEGAS, NV: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS ARLINGTON, TX: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS TAMPA, FL: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS HOUSTON, TX: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS ATLANTA, GA: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS NASHVILLE, TN: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS PHILADELPHIA, PA: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS FOXBORO, MA: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS CHICAGO, IL: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS DETROIT, MI: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS PITTSBURGH, PA: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS MINNEAPOLIS, MN: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS CINCINATTI, OH: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS KANSAS CITY, MO: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS DENVER, CO: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS SEATTLE, WA: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS SANTA CLARA, CA: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS LOS ANGELES, CA: TICKETS // TOUR POSTS

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samfitz · 4 months ago

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SAM FITZSIMMONS. 29. CIS MALE. HE/HIM is here! They’ve lived in Asbury Park for [24 YEARS] and are originally from [PHILADELPHIA, PA]. They are a [CHEF @ HORIZON BAR AND GRILL] and in their downtime love [CHAINSMOKING] and [SLEEPING]. They look a lot like [COLSON BAKER/MGK] and live in [MEADOWLARK APARTMENTS]. The song that makes people think of them the most is [THE HELL SONG BY SUM 41].

This is Sam. Middle child, workaholic chef, and super recent resident of Meadowlark Apartments.

He's one of the main chefs but also lowkey the manager of Horizon Bar and Grill.

He's a muse I've had since 2015 but Carmy and The Bear inspired me to bring him back revamped.

Aggressively neurotic Virgo but that doesn't mean anything to him.

The Fitzsimmons family is originally from Philadelphia but moved to Asbury Park when Sam was 5 and Henry wanted to open a restaurant on the Jersey shore.

His dad opened Horizon Bar and Grill in 2002. It's been an up and down rollercoaster, including a rough time after hurricane Sandy when parts of the restaurant were damaged, but in the past decade the clientele has been steady.

Sam's worked at the restaurant every single summer since he was 13. His older sister Alicia and younger brother Isaac also helped out here and there, but Sam was always the one most keen to learn how things worked in the kitchen.

He got a scholarship to UPenn, mostly on his dad's insistence that he explore outside of the family business and make his own career path. He was an intended business major, but dropped out because his heart wasn't in it.

He applied to the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) instead and got in. He excelled there and over four years honed his craft as a chef, coming back to Asbury every summer to also work at Horizon.

Upon graduation from CIA in 2018, he got a job at a Michelin starred restaurant in Manhattan.

He worked there for about a year, it was hellish chaos and eventually he quit to come home and work at Horizon full time. He's been working there ever since.

You'll often catch him hanging around the boardwalk area outside of Horizon or just nearby it, probably on another smoke break. He lives and breathes work.

Recently broke up with his girlfriend of 7 years and moved into Meadowlark Apartments. His stuff is still in boxes.

Possible Connections ✰

Coworkers at Horizon (0/5) — Everyone who works at Horizon is family, no exception. The group is tight knit and the kitchen runs smoother as a result of it. Of course there are sometimes new hires who cause issues, but anyone who’s been in the 1+ year club would give you the shirt off your back. Sam is no exception.

The Gang (3/5) — (25-32 y.o.) The Gang is comprised of five friends: Sam, his ex Talia, their friend Cooper, [NAME HERE] and [NAME HERE]. They have known each other since college days and often hang out together, but since Sam and Talia split, things have been a little awkward in the group.

Family Friends — Henry Fitzsimmons has been an upstanding member of the Asbury Park community for years. As the owner of Horizon Bar and Grill, he has often done charity drives and other things to give back to the community. Sam's mom Luanne is a psychologist and also a well known and respected member of the community. Your character could be a friend of Henry and Luanne’s or know them through their jobs, etc, and know Sam through that.

Meadowlark Apts Neighbors — what it says on the tin. They could be next door neighbors, across-the-way neighbors, or just on the same floor. Maybe they've witnessed something weird in the building together. Trauma bonding!

Plug (0/1) — He's mainly just buying weed, but every now and then, dabbles in something a bit stronger.

Awkward hookup/one night stand (0/1) — Sam doesn't get laid much on account of working all the fucking time LOL, but this was the one exception. Bonus points if it's as awkward as possible.

Siblings’ Friends — HERE are Sam’s siblings. (Under Construction lololol)

Other — honestly I’m pretty laidback and down for whatever as long as it fits!

#asburyintro

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sethshead · 18 days ago

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One of my major motivations for supporting a two-state solution is my disgust at the settler movement. Their terrorism and violence is not a recent development, though it only ever seems to get worse. I want the settlers out of as much of the West Bank as possible and the Palestinians finally free of them.

I keep saying that what’s happening in Gaza is a war, but what’s happening in the West Bank is a travesty. Israel never holds these “hilltop youth” to account. They are not so much as imprisoned, and their illegal (even by the standards of Israeli law!) outposts are not dismantled. In fact, the current government has compiled a list of some to be scheduled and legitimized.

Compare this to Palestinians living under military law in Area C. Conviction rates for infractions exceed 90%. Homes are demolished for lacking permits, even though permits are stuck in red tape or denied, all for spite. It is draining and infuriating. And somehow, while the world’s eyes were distracted by Israel’s entirely legitimate offensive in Rafah and the Philadelphia Corridor, no one except Zionists like me comments on the unambiguously appalling behavior by Israel just a few miles north and to the east.

This is also why I’m so hard on Palestinian leadership, which prioritizes repatriation of Palestinians to Israel proper over negotiating for sovereignty and an end to the daily abuses committed against Palestinians under occupation. The failure of the PA to accept the Clinton parameters and of Hamas to concern itself with the welfare of civilians in any way or form has been a tragedy of decades’ duration. The Palestinians could have had a country over 20 years ago, and turned it down. Only suffering, for Palestinians and Israelis, has resulted from that decision.

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chronivore · 10 months ago

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This rare Irish needlework instruction book from 1833 contains samples of sewing, darning, embroidery, knitting and miniature clothing, and was used at the Female Model school in Kildare Place, Dublin.

It is called 'A Concise Account of the Mode of Instructing in Needle-Work', and was printed by Thomas I. White of Dublin in 1833. The cover is inscribed 'Sarah Darby 1837'. These are normal needlework instruction manuals that the students would paste their work into.

The book was auctioned by Freeman's Hindman of Philadelphia, PA, with an estimate of $3,000-$5,000

Source: Ireland and Peg's Cottage

#textile art

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airasilver · 6 months ago

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MALVERN, Pa. — In February, Patrice Motz, a veteran Spanish teacher at Great Valley Middle School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, was warned by another teacher that trouble was brewing.

Some eighth graders at her public school had set up TikTok accounts impersonating teachers. Motz, who had never used TikTok, created an account.

She found a fake profile for @patrice.motz, which had posted a real photo of her at the beach with her husband and their young children. “Do you like to touch kids?” a text in Spanish over the family vacation photo asked. “Answer: Sí.”

In the days that followed, some 20 educators — about one-quarter of the school’s faculty — discovered they were victims of fake teacher accounts rife with pedophilia innuendo, racist memes, homophobia and made-up sexual hookups among teachers. Hundreds of students soon viewed, followed or commented on the fraudulent accounts.

In the aftermath, the school district briefly suspended several students, teachers said. The principal during one lunch period chastised the eighth grade class for its behavior.

The biggest fallout has been for teachers like Motz, who said she felt “kicked in the stomach” that students would so casually savage teachers’ families. The online harassment has left some teachers worried that social media platforms are helping to stunt the growth of empathy in students. Some teachers are now hesitant to call out pupils who act up in class. Others said it had been challenging to keep teaching.

“It was so deflating,” said Motz, who has taught at the school, in a wealthy Philadelphia suburb, for 14 years. “I can’t believe I still get up and do this every day.”

The Great Valley incident is the first known group TikTok attack of its kind by middle schoolers on their teachers in the United States. It’s a significant escalation in how middle and high school students impersonate, troll and harass educators on social media. Before this year, students largely impersonated one teacher or principal at a time.

The middle schoolers’ attack also reflects broader concerns in schools about how students’ use, and abuse, of popular online tools is intruding on the classroom. Some states and districts have recently restricted or banned student cellphone use in schools, in part to limit peer harassment and cyberbullying on Instagram, Snap, TikTok and other apps.

Now social media has helped normalize anonymous aggressive posts and memes, leading some children to weaponize them against adults.

“We didn’t have to deal with teacher-targeting at this scale before,” said Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, the largest U.S. teachers union. “It’s not only demoralizing. It could push educators to question, ‘Why would I continue in this profession if students are doing this?’”

In a statement, the Great Valley School District said it had taken steps to address “22 fictitious TikTok accounts” impersonating teachers at the middle school. It described the incident as “a gross misuse of social media that profoundly impacted our staff.”

Last month, two female students at the school publicly posted an “apology” video on a TikTok account using the name of a seventh grade teacher as a handle. The pair, who did not disclose their names, described the impostor videos as a joke and said teachers had blown the situation out of proportion.

“We never meant for it to get this far, obviously,” one of the students said in the video. “I never wanted to get suspended.”

“Move on. Learn to joke,” the other student said about a teacher. “I am 13 years old,” she added, using an expletive for emphasis, “and you’re like 40 going on 50.”

In an email to The New York Times, one of the students said that the fake teacher accounts were intended as obvious jokes, but that some students had taken the impersonations too far.

A TikTok spokesperson said the platform’s guidelines prohibit misleading behavior, including accounts that pose as real people without disclosing that they are parodies or fan accounts. TikTok said a U.S.-based security team validated ID information — such as driver’s licenses — in impersonation cases and then deleted the data.

Great Valley Middle School, known locally as a close-knit community, serves about 1,100 students in a modern brick complex surrounded by a sea of bright green sports fields.

The impostor TikToks disrupted the school’s equilibrium, according to interviews with seven Great Valley teachers, four of whom requested anonymity for privacy reasons. Some teachers already used Instagram or Facebook but not TikTok.

The morning after Motz, the Spanish teacher, discovered her impersonator, the disparaging TikToks were already an open secret among students.

“There was this undercurrent conversation throughout the hallway,” said Shawn Whitelock, a longtime social studies teacher. “I noticed a group of students holding a cellphone up in front of a teacher and saying, ‘TikTok.’”

Students took images from the school’s website, copied family photos that teachers had posted in their classrooms and found others online. They made memes by cropping, cutting and pasting photos, then superimposing text.

The low-tech “cheapfake” images differ from recent incidents in schools where students used artificial intelligence apps to generate real-looking, digitally altered images known as “deepfakes.”

While some of the Great Valley teacher impostor posts seemed jokey and benign — like “Memorize your states, students!” — other posts were sexualized. One fake teacher account posted a collaged photo with the heads of two male teachers pasted onto a man and woman partially naked in bed.

Fake teacher accounts also followed and hit on other fake teachers.

“It very much became a distraction,” Bettina Scibilia, an eighth grade English teacher who has worked at the school for 19 years, said of the TikToks.

Students also targeted Whitelock, who was the faculty adviser for the school’s student council for years.

A fake @shawn.whitelock account posted a photo of Whitelock standing in a church during his wedding, with his wife mostly cropped out. The caption named a member of the school’s student council, implying the teacher had wed him instead. “I’m gonna touch you,” the impostor later commented.

“I spent 27 years building a reputation as a teacher who is dedicated to the profession of teaching,” Whitelock said in an interview. “An impersonator assassinated my character — and slandered me and my family in the process.”

Scibilia said a student had already posted a graphic death threat against her on TikTok earlier in the school year, which she reported to police. The teacher impersonations increased her concern.

“Many of my students spend hours and hours and hours on TikTok, and I think it’s just desensitized them to the fact that we’re real people,” she said. “They didn’t feel what a violation this was to create these accounts and impersonate us and mock our children and mock what we love.”

A few days after learning of the videos, Edward Souders, the principal of Great Valley Middle School, emailed the parents of eighth graders, describing the impostor accounts as portraying “our teachers in a disrespectful manner.”

The school also held an eighth grade assembly on responsible technology use.

But the school district said it had limited options to respond. Courts generally protect students’ rights to off-campus free speech, including parodying or disparaging educators online — unless the students’ posts threaten others or disrupt school.

“While we wish we could do more to hold students accountable, we are legally limited in what action we can take when students communicate off campus during nonschool hours on personal devices,” Daniel Goffredo, the district’s superintendent, said in a statement.

The district said it couldn’t comment on any disciplinary actions, to protect student privacy.

In mid-March, Nikki Salvatico, president of the Great Valley Education Association, a teachers union, warned the school board that the TikToks were disrupting the school’s “safe educational environment.”

“We need the message that this type of behavior is unacceptable,” Salvatico said at a school board meeting March 18.

The next day, Souders sent another email to parents. Some posts contained “offensive content,” he wrote, adding: “I am optimistic that by addressing it together, we can prevent it from happening again.”

While a few accounts disappeared — including those using the names of Motz, Whitelock and Scibilia — others popped up. In May, a second TikTok account impersonating Scibilia posted several new videos mocking her.

She and other Great Valley educators said they had reported the impostor accounts to TikTok, but had not heard back. But several teachers, who felt the videos had violated their privacy, said they did not provide TikTok with a personal ID to verify their identities.

On Wednesday, TikTok removed the account impersonating Scibilia and three other fake Great Valley teacher accounts flagged by a reporter.

Scibilia and other teachers are still processing the incident. Some teachers have stopped posing for and posting photographs, lest students misuse the images. Experts said this type of abuse could harm teachers’ mental health and reputations.

“That would be traumatizing to anyone,” said Susan D. McMahon, a psychology professor at DePaul University in Chicago and chair of the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on Violence Against Educators. She added that verbal student aggression against teachers was increasing.

Now teachers like Scibilia and Motz are pushing schools to educate students on how to use tech responsibly — and bolster policies to better protect teachers.

In the Great Valley students’ “apology” on TikTok last month, the two girls said they planned to post new videos. This time, they said, they would make the posts private so teachers couldn’t find them.

“We’re back, and we’ll be posting again,” one said. “And we are going to private all the videos at the beginning of next school year,” she added, “’cause then they can’t do anything.”

On Friday, after a Times reporter asked the school district to notify parents about this article, the students deleted the “apology” video and removed the teacher’s handle from their account. They also added a disclaimer: “Guys, we’re not acting as our teachers anymore that’s in the past !!”

c.2024 The New York Times Company

The whole damn school needs to be taught a lesson. Not just the ones who were caught or fessed up. The whole school. Actually the kids need to be held back and have it on their records for the rest of their lives. I’m saying this because if they are doing this now, what will they do in the future and be able to get away with? Or think they should? Give them consequences so they learn now and not later.

Technology is so helpful but it can be harmful also, as this shows.

#pennsylvania #school #schools #tiktok #students #teachers #opinion

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badstepsmoving · 9 months ago

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charlie's statistics.

statistics.

nickname/alias. char, charles age. 48 date of birth. july 4th gender. trans-man. to note: charlie is not publicly out, the only people who know are mac and dee. if you write either of those muses, you do not need to go along with this part of my canon (charlie will still be trans, but your mac or dee does not need to know). whatever you're comfortable with. pronouns. he/him/his orientation. biromantic, demisexual. race/ethnicity. white height. 5'5 hair. dark brown, graying at the sides right above his ears. often messy and unkept (and greasy) eyes. green piercings. n/a tattoos. "badnew" tattooes on his left forearm parents. shelley kelly (deceased), bonnie kelly siblings. bunny and candy kelly pets. n/a occupation. janitor and occasional bartender at paddy's irish pub hometown. philadelphia pennsylvania current residence. philadelphia, pennsylvania likes. slimy and slippery things, ghouls, adventures, cats, cheap beer dislikes. loud sudden noises, crowded spaces, being told what to do. hobbies. exploring, dressing in costumes, writing music, singing, hanging out under bridges, wandering the sewers. positive traits. kind, empathetic neutral traits. restless, concerned negative traits. emotionally reactive, quick to anger, reckless alignment. chaotic neutral neurodivergencies & disorders. anxiety, cptsd, depression, autism. personality. very kind and loving, has a big heart. can come across as a bit odd or silly but always means well.

biography.

charlie kelly was born on february 9th, 1976. charlie was raised by his mother, bonnie kelly. his father, however, was never in the picture. he often felt of himself as an outcast, having a hard time connecting with other children. he struggled in school with reading and writing. the only other kid he seemed to connect with was ronald mcdonald, who would end up dubbing the nickname “mac”. during high school charlie continued to be picked on by other students. he was often chastised and called “dirtgrub”. he didn’t fully understand that other kids were making fun of him. he stuck with his friends, spending most of his time skipping class with mac and spending it under the bleachers. when he looks back on his high school experience, he is convinced that he was a cool kid, blocking out a lot of the negative memories. charlie found his love for music in high school, finding it a good way to release his emotions. music always came easy to him. he was always able to listen to a song and play the melody on the piano, eventually he learned how to add harmonies and other musical elements. through out high school he also worked a series of odd jobs to get extra money, helping support his mother by pitching in money for bills. he didn’t spend much of it, he ended up putting most of it away in a savings account. in 1998 he began working as a manager at south philly skate, a local roller rink. mac also got a job at the roller rink. charlie was very passionate about his job, and once he heard word that the owner of the rink, smokey, was going to shut the rink down due to financial troubles, he knew he needed to save the business. so him, mac, and his friend dennis came up with an idea to buy the rink. when they approached smokey with the idea, he informed them that it wasn’t actually the roller rink that he was going to have to shut down, but a dive bar down the street. once “the gang” purchased paddy’s pub, charlie began working at the bar as a janitor.

verses.

one - set post season 16. charlie currently works at paddy's irish pub and lives in a small apartment with frank reynolds. two - charlie has just graduated from high school. he does odd jobs for people in his neighborhood, usually maintenance or plumbing work as well as pest control. (charlie can be anywhere from 18 - 22 in this verse). three - this verse is set right after charlie, mac, and dennis purchas paddy's pub from smoky. charlie is 25 in this verse, and just getting started as a janitor at paddy's. he lives in his own apartment. four - this verse is set after "the gang gets a new member". after charlie is kicked out of the gang, he ends up staying away. he kicks frank out of his apartment, and keeps his job as a high school janitor. he has moved on from the gang, gotten sober, and spends most of his free time creating and writing music.

#charlie / bio.

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