#Earn Points Guam
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Experience convenience and rewards like never before with the Alpha Plus Guam mobile app! This Guam mobile app lets you earn points, track rewards, and access exclusive offers while shopping or dining at your favorite local spots. Stay connected and enjoy a seamless experience with just a few taps. Download the Alpha Plus Guam app today and elevate your lifestyle. Visit Alpha Plus Guam for more details!
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Need a reliable Software Developer in Guam? Look no further than GuamWEBZ! We offer custom software development services tailored to your business needs. Our expert developers create efficient, scalable, and secure software solutions that streamline operations and drive growth. Whether you need a new application, system integration, or software upgrade, our team has the expertise to deliver high-quality results. Trust GuamWEBZ to bring your software projects to life. Contact us today to discuss your requirements and take your business to the next level!
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Final Fantasy XIV has a collab going on with Mountain Dew (US & Guam residents only) to celebrate the release of Dawntrail! There's in-game items you can earn, as well as physical merch.
Here are what flavors give points. It has to be the bottles labeled with "unlock gaming rewards"
Here's a link to the MTN DEW reward site for anyone interested in the rewards: https://www.mtndewgaming.com/market
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Hello!
I am English and wish to earn pedestrian points! Is this possible without moving to America?
It is not currently possible to earn Pedestrian Points for any acts of pedestrian stymieing that occur outside of US states and territories (excluding Guam), as the BVC is an agency of the United States.
The Ministry of Automobile Cudgeling offers a similar system for UK residents in the form of Automobile Strike Rewards. These rewards are only available in England and Wales, and are subject to different laws and ordinances than in the United States.
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Recycle Glass Bottles & Jars for Cash: Get Paid up to 15¢ per Bottle
Glass bottle redemption is one of the sure ways to make money because you have lots of it around you. Just as you can make money by recycling aluminum cans, you can also recycle glass bottles and jars and get paid up to 15¢ per Bottle. If you go through many glass containers in your house, such as soda, beer, or other glass beverage containers, or if you know others who buy a lot of bottled beverages, this could be a good way to make some extra money. Recycling glass bottles and jars don't make you rich, but it will help you earn extra cash while helping the environment stay greener. Here's some information on how much companies pay to take your glass recyclables and other important information if you're thinking about starting a side business recycling glass bottles and jars. Cans made of aluminum can be recycled for money. But it isn't the only item that you can recycle. Glass bottles can also be collected and given to redemption centers for cash. Related: 6 Ways to Recycle Computers for Money
What Kind of Glass Can You Recycle?
Definitely, you can make money with plastic bottles redemption. (that is, recycle plastic bottles for cash). However, not all types of Glass can be recycled. In addition, the materials used in producing different glasses differ greatly �� This is why different glasses melt at different temperatures. Because different types of Glass are used to make jars, not all are recyclable. Most glass bottles, on the other hand, are recyclable. Here are some examples of glass items that recycling centers are unlikely to accept: - Jars made of frosted Glass - Wine glasses and - Pyrex dishes Although there may be some exceptions, most states that allow residents to recycle glass bottles and jars accept the following types of bottles: - Bottles of malt liquor - Glass water bottle varieties - Vinegar bottles - Pickle jars and applesauce jars are examples of food bottles - Bottles of beer - Coca-Cola bottles - Mixed drinks and other types of beverage bottles Because each state accepts different types of glass bottles for recycling, before collecting bottles and bringing them in for recycling, check your state laws to see which glass products are recyclable for cash in your area. This brings me to the next point to consider when recycling glass bottles and jars: Residents in some states can bring them in and get paid to recycle them. When collecting Glass for recycling purposes, you must target soda glasses, beer glasses, wine, and alcoholic bottles. States that Pay For Glass Bottles and Jars Most states in America do not have recycling programs that compensate individuals for collecting glasses. In addition, only ten states in America currently have Container Deposit Legislation in place. The term "container-deposit legislation" (CDL) refers to a law that mandates individuals to seek monetary rewards for collecting non-alcoholic beverages, juice containers, milk bottles, and other reusable packages/bottles. You first need to check to see whether the "Bottle Bill" is in effect in your state. Here are the 10 states that offer Container Deposit Legislation: - California - Connecticut - Hawaii - Iowa - Maine - Massachusett - Michigan - The Big Apple - Oregon - Vermont Most glass bottles contain signs like ME-VT-CT-MA-NY-OR-IA-5¢ MI-CA 10¢ on their bottom. With this sign, you can determine how much you are eligible to receive for presenting used glass bottles. Furthermore, Guam, a US territory, has a "Bottle Bill" for its residents. Examine the bottoms of your glass bottles to see how much you can get for each one. Note that the cities of Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, and Iowa should be mentioned on the bottles. In addition, you can get ten cents for every glass bottle you recycle in Michigan and California. On the other hand, some states will pay up to 15 cents per Bottle, depending on the type (usually reserved for liquor bottles, which use more Glass than others). Checking each Bottle should reveal which states pay for glass bottles and how much you can earn in each state. More states may join in on this venture as environmentalists continue to push for new legislation to encourage people to recycle and help the environment. Can I Recycle Glass Bottles For Cash If I Don't Live in any of Those States?
Other options remain available if you do not live in one of the ten states that pay for glass bottle recycling. Those living near a state with a paid glass recycling program may believe they can take a quick road trip across the border and recycle their bottles there. Unfortunately, that is not how the bottle bill works because the bills are based on the deposit you pay when you purchase a bottle. Conduct some preliminary research because some states have laws prohibiting the transport of recyclables from one state to another. Work With Your State Representatives on a Recycling Programme Working with your state representatives and campaigning to make the paid recycling program available in your state is another viable option that may require a little more effort. This will require you to look up your state's representatives, find their contact information, and call (or write) them about your concerns. Clearly, your primary motivation for wanting a paid recycling program is to help the environment. Many representatives are deeply concerned about the Earth and its protection for our present and future generations, so mentioning this will help explain the value of such a program. Also, provide some details about how the program might work. Obtaining as many signatures as possible from your friends and family, people they know, respected environmental leaders in your community, and even representatives from local recycling centers would be even more beneficial. Your case will be better if you gather more signatures, especially from people and businesses closely associated with the eco-friendly community. How Much Money Can I Make From Recycling Glass Bottles
In most cases, you can earn between 5 and 25 cents for each glass bottle you present. But this depends on the state you reside in. The different states pay differently. So you should conduct research by calling up the recycling facilities in your area. This research will enable you to discover the types of glass bottles they accept and how much you can be paid for each Bottle you present. What Do I Need To Start Recycling Glass?
Recycling glass is a simple and inexpensive way to supplement your income, but you will need a few supplies and other items to start. First and foremost, ensure that you have enough time to invest. Although this is a relatively simple procedure to begin earning money, you will need time to look for recyclable glass bottles and clean them sufficiently to take them to a recycling center. If you want to do this on a large scale, you'll need to set aside several hours per week to collect bottles, clean them, and transport them to a recycling center. Second, get large recycling bins and line them with strong, long-lasting bags. You'll need mobility to transport glass bottles from your house to recycling centers. A pickup with plenty of bed space for collecting and transporting your glass bottles will also be beneficial. Also, get sponges and dish soap to clean bottles, which most recycling centers will require before paying you. A large bucket could also be useful. Finally, keep yourself safe while gathering your bottles. Wear safety goggles and gloves to protect yourself from debris in or around the bottles and potential cuts on your arms and hands. How to Start Redeeming Glass Bottles for Recycling Purposes
Before going into the glass recycling business, you need to have plans on the ground. First, you need to determine the places to get free glass bottles. Bars and restaurants have a lot of used glass bottles. So it's best to seek their permission before collecting their glasses. You can also place glass recycling containers near bars, restaurants, and convenience stores. This will enable people to throw in their used glass bottles. Gather these containers once every week, and endeavor to sort out broken or damaged bottles. Once this is done, wash and rinse the bottles before taking them to a recycling center. 1. Gather the Bottles You can accomplish this by gathering the bottles you use at home. You can also ask friends, family members, and neighbors if you could collect their bottles. First, make certain that the jars have been thoroughly rinsed. As with aluminum cans, many people do not take the time to bring the bottles in for a refund; instead, they simply throw them in the regular trash or place them in the curbside recycling bucket provided by their trash collection service. If they don't intend to return them for a deposit refund, you might as well do it for them and earn some extra cash. Contacting local bars and restaurants may also help you collect glass bottles. Restaurants and bars/grills that serve alcohol probably accumulate a large number of glass bottles every week and would be an excellent source of recyclable Glass. If they don't mind you collecting their recyclable Glass, you can place a container where they can see it and collect the recyclable contents regularly. For example, you'd probably need to collect from restaurants once or twice weekly. 2. Check if the Glass Bottles are Recyclable
You should also check to see if the glass bottles can be recycled. Always choose bottles that are clear. Glass bottles that are clear, green, or brown are very easy to recycle. When you bring glass bottles to a recycling center, you will probably have to sort them by color. Also, make sure the Bottle is made for drinks or food. Most of the time, you can recycle the glass bottles that hold drinks like beer and wine. But you should check with your local recycling program to find out more about their rules. 3. Place the Glass Bottles in a Recycling Bin After finding out if the glass bottles can be recycled, the next step is to put them in the recycle bin. Then, you will need to put the recycling bin out once a week where it is picked up so the recycling plant can get it. Or, check the website for your town or city to find out when recycling day is so you can put your bin out for pickup. If that doesn't work, you can look for recycling bins in public parks, schools, and community centers. In addition, most neighborhoods in towns and cities have recycling bins on street corners. 4. Return the Bottles for a Refund. Most states with CDL or bottle bills have multiple recycling centers located throughout the state. Bottlebill.org is a website that can tell you more about each state's specific bottle recycling legislation and direct you to where you might be able to bring the bottles for a refund. This website can provide detailed information about the dos and don'ts of glass bottle recycling in each state. It will also tell you how much each state pays for glass bottles that it accepts.
Where Can I Find Glass Bottles for Recycling
Residents of bottle bill states do not always recycle their bottles to receive their deposits back. You can profit by capitalizing on this fact and collecting those bottles for recycling. As we said earlier, check with the owners of your local bars and restaurants to see if they are interested in starting a recycling program. The good news is that bars and restaurants have a lot of glass bottles that need to be recycled. Place a few containers outside the kitchens of restaurants that have agreed to participate in your recycling program. First, make a note of the fact that your containers are only for Glass. Then, return once or twice weekly to collect the Glass in these containers. You may want to also check how to make money recycling aluminum. If you need to collect many glass bottles, consider hiring a van or another large vehicle. Determine which broken bottles will be accepted at a recycling center and which will not. Remove non-recyclable glass items like light bulbs, mirrors, and window parts. Before bringing the bottles to a recycling center, rinse and dry them. Where To Find Glass Bottles and Jars for Cash Here are some other locations where you might be able to place containers to collect glass bottles, with permission from the owner, of course: - The Local Parks Neighborhood parks tend to have a lot of trash, so placing glass recycling containers near trash cans may encourage visitors to leave their glass bottles. You could also search the grounds yourself, as community parks are notorious for littering. - Hotels and Apartment Complexes Hotel and apartment managers may appreciate the extra recycling assistance with your containers. They may even assist in keeping their grounds clean and litter-free! - Schools Some schools permit students and teachers to bring glass bottles to school for lunch. Contact the schools to see if they allow glass bottles, and if so, ask if you can store them in the lunchrooms and hallways. Also, organize a community recycling event to encourage students to drop off their glass bottles for you to collect. - Hospitals Some hospitals prohibit using glass containers, while others are more lenient. Placing some containers throughout the hospital can make recycling easier for visitors and staff. - Other Community Centres Consider other places in your neighborhood. For example, are there any walking paths? What about convention centers? Sporting grounds? Any of these locations would be ideal for storing recycling bins for future collection. Where Else Can You Recycle Glass Bottles and Jars?
Contrary to popular belief, recycling centers are not the only places where you can get cash for your bottles. You could also take them to a grocery store, liquor store, or convenience store that sells glass bottle products. However, if you're bringing in a large number of bottles that will take a long time to count, it's best to bring them to a recycling center or call a store ahead of time to make an appointment. In other words, don't be surprised if you bring in a bag of bottles and the store owner says that, due to time constraints, they won't be able to process your payment right away. What Should I Know Before I Start Recycling Glass Bottles for Cash?
Here are some additional facts about making money by recycling glass bottles and jars that you may find useful. To begin, if you do not live in a bottle bill state but rather in a state that borders one, you cannot necessarily bring bottles across the state border for recycling. Many bottle bill states have laws that make it illegal to transport bottles across state lines for recycling. For more information on bringing bottles across the border, consult the bottle bill state's specific laws. Start a Bottle Bill Second, you might be able to approach your state's legislators about introducing a bottle bill. Contact your local legislators to learn more about how that works and whether your state representatives are willing to consider a bottle bill. Third, in addition to several states in the United States, many other countries have Container Deposit Legislation laws. Other areas may pay more. If you live in Canada, Germany, or Sweden, you may be able to recycle bottles for money. Recycling Companies Do Regret Broken Glasses Fourth, most recycling centers only accept intact bottles and will not accept broken bottles or jars. Broken bottles must be removed from the bottle collection you are bringing in for a refund. Remove any other types of Glass that may have become mixed in with the recyclable Glass, such as mirrors, light bulbs, or non-acceptable food jars. When you take your recyclable bottles and jars to your local recycling center, they usually count them and pay you right away. However, depending on the number of bottles you bring in, some states may pay you based on weight rather than per Bottle. Some states may also impose limits on the number of bottles that can be turned in per trip. Any bottle number limits should be listed on the recycling center's website. Then, return the bottles to receive a refund. Most states with CDL or bottle bills have multiple recycling centers nationwide. Bottlebill.org is a website that can tell you more about each state's specific bottle recycling legislation and point you toward a location where you can bring the bottles for a refund. This website can give you specific information about each state's dos and don'ts of glass bottle recycling. It will also tell you how much each state pays for accepted glass bottles. Make Money Recycling Your Glass Bottles at Home At home. Read the full article
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They're trying to make a Puerto Rico without Puertoricans
Puerto Rico, la isla del encanto, a land filled with rich land and sights that would make anyone who steps foot upon its wonders fall in love. It is also the world's oldest colony under the tyranny of the United States government, along with the US Virgin Islands and Guam. Keeping it undercover as a “non-included territory”, the United States have managed to silence the damage they have caused over decades of treating Puerto Ricans as second hand citizens. They own citizenship but most of the rights the constitution provides do not apply to them in legal proceedings, they have political autonomy but have an imposed board that dictates every economic decision made in the island. Ever since they washed up on Guanicas shores Puerto Rico has been subjected to a false sense of autonomy , a dictatorship disguised as democracy.
Puerto Rico is riddled in debt thanks to American investors (vultures) buying bonds to our already broke government, the debt with interest kept piling up until the island was left in the brink of bankruptcy with no way to pay back to these billionaire investors. A lot can be said on why Puerto Rico had been unable to produce its own money to pay back towards the money the government borrowed, including but not limited under the Jones act Pueryo Ricans can trade or produce goods for any other nation besides the US, but the result of all these inconveniences make it so the Puertorican government is more focused on paying the debt than actually having livable conditions for puerto ricans. Neither the puerto rican nor american government care about puerto ricans, in their own land, because they see us as a means to eradicate the debt. We’ve learnt over the past few years that they’ll always put the debt over our lives, and what's happening right now is a prime example of that. The government, in their desperate search to find ways to balance the economy, have tried to attract more wealthy Americans looking to start businesses. Part of these attempts is act 60,
Now what is act 60 and how is it harming Puerto Ricans
In simple terms, act 60 is a code of incentives that amends and measures the return of investments for all Puertorican incentives laws (like act 20/22). It's supposed to open new business opportunities to non puerto-ricans and foster tourism and development of activities to move the economy of the island. As I stated earlier, the government's main focus is attracting new vultures (investors) to Puerto Rico, relocate their businesses to the island with these attractive tax incentives. These businesses would be able to benefit from 4% corporate tax rate (opposed to the United States 21%), full tax exemption on distribution from earning and profits, 50% municipality tax evasions among others. All of these benefits align perfectly so rich Americans can come to the island and build an empire of profit with this act. To the point most Americans are calling Puerto Rico a tax haven, some even feel entitled to promote our land as a “cryptocurrency utopia”.
Most investors see this as the opportunity of their life without even taking a glimpse into the the amount of damage they'd be doing to puerto ricans
First, id like us to take a look at how this “project” is being sold by american media to americans
“Aiming to become an international hub of service providers, Puerto Rico encourages businesses and entrepreneurs to connect with clients outside the island. The exports sector, therefore, gets the main tax advantages. If an entity provides services through its Puerto Rico entity to other countries, it is likely an export-service company and can qualify for a 2% income tax under Act 60” - Sources here
“Tax incentive to foster research and development activity conducted at local universities in Puerto Rico, allowing qualified Principal Investigators or a Co-Principal Investigator to seek tax exemptions for salaries earned from eligible R&D research grants. The main objective of this incentive is to attract and retain competitive researchers to strengthen Puerto Rico’s performance in science and technology and the Island’s position in the knowledge economy” - Source here
This among many others make it seem as if the act is solely responsible for economic development and wondrous ones in a lifetime opportunities, but for us residents of the island, this act is nothing short of gentrification. Starting with the fact Puerto Ricans cannot benefit from the tax incentives as foreign investors could, it tips you off that these laws were not created to benefit us in any way. Ever since more Americans found out about the tax incentives and started moving to the island, they've started to displace native residents making it almost inhabitable for us to stay. They move and buy public spaces (like beaches) as if it had always been their right to own. Buy our ecologically protected land in order to make profit with tourism opportunities. There is no care for who or what lies within the land they buy, act 60 just wants Americans to buy land so they can create their profit enriching both the economy and themselves.
Since the arrival of this act, both housing and food prices have skyrocketed to the point many natives wonder if they can even afford to live on their own island. They want to make Puerto Rico a tourism attraction for the upper class. They disregard that the land they destroy is still the home of an entire ethnic group, we are slowly being kicked out of our island and the world is silent. They gentrify communities, erase the protection of natural resources, buy puertorican soil and displace everyone who lived in it, and exploit the culture we’ve tried so hard to conserve.
If you want example here are multiple threads to get more educated on the situation
Displacement of of residents of Viejo San Juan
Putting our situation with displacement into context
Selling of land adjacent to the Yunque national forest
I’ll also add this article, to have an example of just why I’m so terrified of what american greed might do to my land
They are re-colonizing already colonized land. Feeding on the labor and blood of millions of underpaid Puerto Ricans, taking advantage of the US thinks and treats us like second class citizens. They want Puerto Rico without puertoricans, it has been unmistakably aware to us they would rather leave us to starve than take us into consideration. We need to create awareness to the situation in order to see any change, Puerto Rico has a history of being silenced but with this new era of social media we can create awareness.
How you can help?
UPLIFT PUERTORICAN VOICES
Draw attention to the situation, amplify our struggles so they can't be ignored
Reach out to legislators/ politicians to demand the repeal of Act 60
Sign petitions to abolish Act 60 like this one
Follow an interact with media about the abolishment movement of act 60 like @abolishact60 (instagram)
“Los jóvenes tienen el deber de defender su patria con las armas del conocimiento”/ “The youth has the duty to protect their home with weapon of knowledge” - Pedro Albizu Campos
Only by spreading awareness can we find a way to see change within, as a puertorican woman I beg anyone who comes across this to at least take the time to read. You don't know the power education could have.
#important#im so sorry my brain finally decided to write this on valentines day of all days but ive been working on this for weeks#ill be reblogging this a couple of times on none festive occations#puertorico para los puertorriqueños#gringo go home#abolish act 60
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Specificity matters. [...]
As [...] Teresia Teaiwa, a scholar of Banaban and I-Kiribati heritage [...], punned in her own writing, it is essential to emphasize the urgency of specific notions [...] of Oceanian history and art: the specificities of genealogies, crossings, colonialisms, wars, struggles, and resilience of the people who live throughout the Great Ocean. [...] [T]he influential and oft-quoted Tongan thinker Epeli Hauʻofa [...] used that word [”Oceania”] to gesture toward an expanded and decolonized view of the Pacific Islands as the largest region on earth, and who described it as a “sea of islands” interconnected by ocean, rather than disparate and remote landmasses. [...]
Increasingly, historians and curators from outside the region over-quote Hau’ofa’s landmark manifesto “Our Sea of Islands” with utopian and pan-Oceanian glee, thus making it seem as if decolonization is complete, while wallpapering over the immense differences between island topographies, Islander cultures, and contrasting colonial histories. After all, just as there are diverse islands, there are multiple Pacifics: competing imaginaries seen from different colonial vantage points. Western mappings of the Great Ocean created the legacy of the “nesias” -- Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia -- based [...] on racialized perversions and fantasies of European explorers [...]. Mapmakers romanticized Polynesians as “noble savages,” termed Melanesians solely for the darkness of their skin [...], and coined “Micronesia” as a belittling term to cover all the miscellaneous scraps and leftover islands [...]. Japan, too, had its own imaginary of Oceania, which it called Nanyo -- a vague and broad frontier originating in Micronesia and eventually including all of the island Pacific and Southeast Asia. (“Nanyo” [...] means “The South” -- from a Japanese perspective.) In the twentieth century, Japan would attempt, and mostly succeed, to subsume this entire southern frontier, until it was wrested away by the United States and its allies and mostly reborn in the form of the postwar American Empire. [...]
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It is the Western obsession with concrete that explains why Spain has already begun making a big fuss about the voyage of Ferdinand Magellan, notwithstanding that 2021 also marks the five-hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the European-led genocidal violence he initiated in Oceania. It was really only Magellan’s bad luck, ignorance, and the sheer enormity of the Great Ocean that enabled him to cross southeast to northwest without making landfall once until his crew, starving, exhausted, and bored, reached Guahan (Guam) in March 1521, having declared this ocean so uneventful and unimpressive that it earned the moniker “pacifico” -- the name Pacific stuck. Sailing into the bay of Humatak, Magellan proceeded to order the burning of the entire village and the murder of many innocent Chamoru people, after which his crew reportedly cannibalized these bodies to replenish their health. [...]
That was the gruesome beginning of Western consumption of “The Pacific,” and it has continued ever since. And since the trespasses of Magellan, James Cook, and many others like them, it has been fashionable for Outsiders to project their imperial fantasies of Paradise onto the Pacific Islands, erasing like the military airstrips and concrete resort hotels of Honolulu the lives of real people [...].
And for all the fantasies of Pacific Paradise there are just as many nightmares of a Pacific Hell; for the Pacific Islands regularly show up in Western imaginations -- including in journalism and contemporary art -- as the condemned nuclear wastelands of the past or the doomed bleached reefs and submerged homelands of the future, often devoid of the Pacific Islanders for whom these places matter the most. [...]
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There has, nonetheless, been momentum building toward a fairer conversation and reclamation of agency by Pacific artists closer to home for many decades [...].
For over forty years, the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FESTPAC) has been held every four years to celebrate and perpetuate Indigenous Pacific Islander art throughout the region, most recently in Guahan in 2016. Aotearoa-New Zealand has also long been a major, thriving center for Pacific art, as a gathering place of both Maori Indigenous communities and the Pacific Islander diaspora in urban spaces like Auckland and Wellington [...]. More recently, however, Indigenous art, especially from Oceania, has gained an international foothold, such as in the formation of the Honolulu Biennial or the latest iteration of the Sydney Biennale, which featured mainly Indigenous and First Nations artists. But these kinds of spaces and movements are still few and far between, and are lacking in significant parts of the greater Pacific Ocean area, particularly in smaller islands and up in the northern hemisphere, such as in Japan, where “art from Oceania” still means dusty artifacts devoid of context or genealogy on display at the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka. Isolated showings of contemporary Pacific artists have been held from time to time, most recently in the 2015 Aichi Triennale or 2020 Yokohama Triennale, but these works have not been linked to larger conversations around decolonization or confrontation with Japan’s colonial past [...].
Creating space for conversation, respect, and ritual is perhaps one of the most central elements -- both in practice and outcome -- of art from Oceania. We see this even in the work of emerging artists from the region, such as Auckland-based young urban Pacific Islander artist collective FAFSWAG, who see themselves as “navigating together as a family” around core values of mutual respect for each other and for their communities, while also holding space for marginalized queer indigenous and Pacific Islander youth. [...] [T]heir projects have crisscrossed interactive filmmaking initiatives, online spaces, [...] vogue ball events and sites, and reconfigurations of postcolonial gender and sexuality, drawing on tradition and bravely tackling [...] other Western influences to carve out a queer and gender-nonconforming genealogy of their own that is built on support and care.
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Greg Dvorak. “S/pacific Islands: Some Reflections on Identity and Art in Contemporary Oceania.” e-flux Journal Issue #112. October 2020. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]
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The principles that built the immigration policy in the US
When I was a child, I become aware of some parents going to work to earn a handsome amount of money by leaving their families behind here in the Philippines. Maybe it was because of poverty, a good opportunity abroad, or their dream. But whatever the reason is, the idea of working in other country is better than here leads them to that point of decision. However, a sacrifice must be made.
We all know that aside from working at Asia, America is one of the countries with largest population of immigrants. Immigrants that not only Filipinos but also, all people coming from diverse communities, hoping to achieve that American dream they goal. And as the number of immigrants increase, their government must build a law for immigration.
According to American Immigration Council site, the immigration law in the United States has been built upon the following principles: the reunification of families, admitting immigrants with skills that are valuable to the U.S. economy, protecting refugees, and promoting diversity.
More on the site, it mentions that family unification is an important principle governing immigration policy. This allows U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to bring certain family members to the United States. Family-based immigrants are admitted either as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens or through the family preference system. This shows the power of the immigration law to unite families after sacrificing a long time to become a permanent resident. One notable example is in Hello Love, Goodbye, wherein the male lead’s father had been given a chance to migrate his family where he is.
Second is the employment-based immigration. This gives the US and other countries to provide various ways for immigrants with valuable skills to come to the country on either a permanent or a temporary basis. Personally, I think my uncle fits on this one, he is a temporary immigrant in Guam because his skills are very valuable in the project he works for.
Third ground for US immigration is for refugees, asylees and other vulnerable population. According to Immigration and Nationality Act, refugees are admitted to the United States based upon an inability to return to their home countries because of a “well-founded fear of persecution” due to their race, membership in a particular social group, political opinion, religion, or national origin. There is a specific guideline as to how refugees can be an immigrant in United States. But in my perspective, this law gives chance to the refugees who are victims per se, to have a safer environment to live in.
Last on the list is Diversity Visa Program. Based on the mention site, the Diversity Visa lottery was created by the Immigration Act of 1990 as a dedicated channel for immigrants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. As we know, the world is going for globalization. Every country is becoming more welcoming to people from different race, culture and ages. I think being more open gives everyone an opportunity to be more knowledgeable that gives fresh ideas and experiences.
There are more criteria as to how US immigration policy works. As quoted, U.S. immigration law is complex, and there is much confusion as to how it works. And I agree on this. Not only because it is for U.S. or an immigration law, but because it is also applicable to other countries and laws. But one things for sure, these laws gives authority and influence to the common good to reach a common goal. I think that’s where the real power of a law lies.
Source of the picture : Pinterest
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SECRET SIBLING: EPISODES 5 & 6
Timeline: October/November 2020
On-Set Filming Dates: Varies by pair + November 9
Deadline: November 19, 11:59PM KST
Those involved in Secret Sibling this month may earn up to 8 points total for writing, by the end of November 19 KST:
Completions of the two interviews included in the in-character prompt. (1 point each, up to 2 points total)
One solo para of 400+ words based on filming for episodes 5 & 6. (2 points).
A threads of at least six posts (three per participant, including the starter) with their assigned Secret Sibling taking place during filming for episodes 5 & 6. (2 points).
A threads of at least six posts (three per participant, including the starter) with a muse other than their assigned Secret Sibling taking place during the finale Sibling Games. (2 points)
These do not count toward monthly limits or toward normal schedule points. All posts for this task block should be tagged with #fmdsecret3.
There are not tasks available for muses outside of the main cast for this task block.
IN-’VERSE INFO
After their trip around Korea last month, the pairs are informed shortly after their Chuseok filming that they’ll be going on either a two day-one night trip or a one day-two night trip out of the country with their partner for the first part of filming for the final two episodes. At the time, they’re told the city and the dates they’re scheduled to travel.
Assigned cities(/counties) and the dates the pairs will be visiting are as follows:
October 18-20 (one day, two nights): Knight’s Duri & Unity’s Jaeyeol - Hong Kong
October 20-21 (two days, one night): Lipstick’s Artemisia & Fuse’s Sooah - Seattle, USA
October 21-22 (two days, one night): Lipstick’s Ruby & Lucid’s Hyoyeon - Gold Coast, Australia
October 22-23 (two days, one night): Lipstick’s Minnie & Lucid’s Wei - Guam
October 25-27 (one day, two nights): Decipher’s Taejin & Knight’s Heesung - Hanoi, Vietnam
October 27-28 (two days, one night): Fuse’s Miyeon & WISH’s Rina - Chiang Mai, Thailand
October 29-30 (two days, one night): Fuse’s Minjung & Lucid’s Alice - Singapore
November 1-3 (one day, two nights): Alien’s San & Unity’s Ting - Taipei, Taiwan
(admin note: The date of filming should have been checked to work around all muses’ schedules with the consideration idols from the three companies do not attend music shows on Mondays, but if you notice any problems, please send in a message and the date will be fixed!)
The aim for this trip is to show how the pair have grown more comfortable together, from a full day in together to a small trip outside of the city to an out-of-country trip. Each member of the pair will be asked to write a letter to the other that they’ll exchange in the final hours of their trip.
Before the trip each member of the pair will be pulled aside to film a talking head interview:
Have you ever been to the city you’ll be visiting with your sibling before? If so, what do you remember it being like? If not, what do you expect it to be like?
You’ve been tasked with writing a letter to your sibling. Do you know what you want to say to them in it yet?
What is the top thing you want to do, eat, or see in the city you’ll be visiting?
Each pair will have relative freedom as to where they go and what they do during their short trip (as long as all activities are family friendly, image appropriate, within a reasonable budget, and reasonably able to be filmed) and a small crew will be sent with them to their location. They’ll stay in a hotel room together (with two beds) at their location for either one night or two nights depending on their assigned trip type. For two day, one night trips, pairs will arrive on the morning of the first date and depart in the evening of the second date. For one day, two night trips, pairs will arrive in the evening or night of the first date and leave early in the morning of the third date. The show will pay for necessities like transportation and food during the trip, but any souvenirs and the like will have to be bought with the cast member’s own money. Each cast member will be given a self-cam during this trip in addition to the camera crew that will go with them.
After all pairs have returned from their trip, the second part of the episodes will be filmed on November 9 at a large house outside of Seoul that has been rented out for the day for filming. This will be the final filming of this season of the show and it will another meeting of all of the siblings where everyone will show off the bond they’ve formed over the course of the show by competing in games against each other. These will consist of physical games like wheelbarrow races and pair volleyball as well as less physical games like charades and paired video games. Not all pairs will participate in all games, but all pairs must participate in a full-group sibling version of The Newlywed Game where the pairs are asked a question about one "sibling” and the other sibling must give the same answer their sibling gave to see how well they’ve come to know each other.
At the conclusion of their final day of filming, each member of the sibling pair will do their final talking head interviews:
Think about the first time you met your sibling. How has your relationship with them grown since then?
Do you feel you’ve gotten to know your sibling better over the course of the show?
Would you like to keep in touch with your sibling now that the show’s come to an end?
You’ve already exchanged letters with your sibling, but is there anything you’d like to tell them now for them to hear when they watch the finale of the show?
OUT OF ‘VERSE INFO
Any questions can be directed to the main’s ask box!
#fmdbase#fmdsecretsibling#fmdsecret3#fmdtaejin#fmdheesung#fmdartemisia#fmdsooah#fmdminah#fmdhyoyeon#fmdminhee#fmdxsuwei#fmdsan#fmdeunwoo#durifmd#fmdjaeyeol#miyeonfmd#fmdrina#fmdminjung#alicefmd#fmdhyuk#fmdting#queued post
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Operation Christmas Drop (2020)
I didn’t know Operation Christmas Drop existed until this movie, which means it earns points for teaching me something. The issue is, this isn’t a documentary; it’s a fictional story with elements of real-life sprinkled in. The characters and their drama become the least interesting aspect of this light holiday tale.
Congressional assistant Erica (Kat Graham) is sent to investigate what appears to be an egregious waste of taxpayers’ money. Every year, the US Air Force base in Guam airdrops gifts and supplies to the surrounding islands. Captain Andrew “Claws” Jantz (Alexander Ludwig) assures her it’s a training exercise that doubles-up as a humanitarian effort. She’ll need some convincing before writing her report.
Director Martin Wood could’ve begun the film with a “based on a true story” title card but decided not to. This choice was good. I had never heard of “Operation Christmas Drop” and was as skeptical as our heroine going in. Well, maybe not quite as much. I knew I was watching a holiday film, which practically guarantees a happy ending. The point is, as Andrew explains the intricacies of the operation – the way money and supplies are raised, where the drops are going, how everyone ensures it's all done by-the-book to avoid this kind of audit - you get sold on the concept. You want it to keep going. There’s no doubt “Operation Christmas Drop” will bring further attention to the mission, which has been going strong since 1952. Had I already known this, I would’ve known how the film would conclude even more than I already did. This would've greatly reduced my interest in the plot.
The main plot is about Andrew convincing Erica. On the side, there’s a developing romance between them. That’s nothing special. They don’t have the kind of chemistry necessary to generate intrigue. Their jobs pit them against each other but he wants her to join his side. What’s missing is an irresistible attraction that makes Erica wonder if she isn’t believing what she wants to believe. It’s obvious to everyone watching that the yearly airlifting of goods is beneficial, necessary, and 100% altruistic. How could it not be when the man in charge of them is practically a saint to the point of being boring? To inject drama, writers Gregg Rossen and Brian Sawyer must therefore resort to contrivances and artificial plot points.
There’s a built-in flaw with the film’s romance as well. She’s working all the way in Washington, DC. He’s in Guam and far too busy with the Christmas Drop to foster any kind of relationship – much less one that’s long-distance. This means the movie has an ending that makes you go “ok... but what now?”
Operation Christmas Drop does generate warm holiday sensations despite its flaws. There's no way it'll be anything you'll be compelled to revisit but as something you can throw on TV and have the whole family get together and watch, it gets a mild recommendation. (December 14, 2020)
#OperationChristmasDrop#movies#films#MovieReviews#FilmReviews#Christmas#ChristmasMovies#ChristmasFilms#MartinWood#GreggRossen#briansawyer#katgraha#AlexanderLudwig#2020movies#2020films
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how do i breathe
i’m avoiding my responsibilities and my longer fics because they’re intimidating me, so i decided i’m just going to gradually write every single one of @acomebackstory‘s wlw headcanons because she had multiple aspec related things and i’m a sucker for that. anyway lesbian cam being fwb with bisexual kyle
“You wanna try something a little unconventional?”
“We literally just had sex in Alex’s bed instead of simply taking his dog for a walk and leaving, what could possibly be more unconventional?”
Jenna rolled her eyes as she shifted to face Kyle better. He was handsome. Like, cover of a magazine handsome. She knew that. She had sex with that. And it was good. And, still, it wasn’t hitting the right marks. She was running out of things to try to see what filled those gaps.
“Do you want to go to a gay bar with me this weekend?” she asked. Kyle furrowed his eyebrows and then turned to face her. He was silent and she didn’t prod. Hell, she was just as lost, but he was the only one aside from Alex she trusted not to make a big deal out of her request. And Alex was traveling the world to dismantle a giant fucking conspiracy that had hubs in Guam, San Juan, Fortaleza, and a million other places.
“Sure, we can go,” Kyle said instead of asking questions. She was thankful. Primarily because she didn’t have answers.
“Cool.”
-
Jenna was a very well-to-do, established, put-together woman.
And by the time she’d been sent the fourth drink by random women, she realized she was in way over her head.
“This was a bad idea,” she said, turning to Kyle. He was staring into his drink with a face that looked like he’d just been told he was pregnant and was trying to work out how that happened.
“Yeah, maybe,” he agreed.
“This is just too much at once,” she continued and didn’t try to figure out what exactly that meant. She was just overwhelmed and couldn’t think.
“Yeah,” he said.
The left the bar faster than they’d entered.
“Are you okay?” she asked him. He licked his lips and looked at her, opening and closing his mouth a few times as if he had something to say because didn’t have the words. She waited for him to call her out. She waited for him to say words that had been floating in her mind since she was a teenager, but she’d always pushed away and decided she’d deal with it later.
But now it was later and she needed help.
“I’m fine,” Kyle decided and then held out his hand. She took it thankfully and smiled when he gave it a comforting squeeze. “Let’s go to a bar that we actually are prepared to enter.”
“Lead the way.”
They both climbed into the front seat of the car, but the car never started. They simply sat there and stared out the front glass in silence. The longer she stared, the more Jenna’s throat tightened and she felt like she was going to cry. Which was bullshit. There was nothing cry-worthy about this. Nothing happened.
But, then again, that was the point. Nothing happened.
“Are you okay?” Kyle asked softly.
Jenna took a deep breath and let out a shaky laugh. “No.”
“Wanna talk about it?” he wondered. Jenna sniffled and turned to him. He was her best friend. She trusted him more than anyone. She loved him. And yet she didn’t love him.
“Can I ask you a question?” she said. He nodded without hesitation. “Can you tell me why I was able to sleep with you, the most conventionally attractive man in the world, acknowledge that it was super good, and still not really be into it? What the fuck is wrong with me?”
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you,” Kyle said, thankfully not offended, “Maybe I’m just not what you really want.”
“What do I want?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Well, I wish someone would because this is fucking ridiculous,” Jenna laughed. Tears slipped past her eyes and she instantly started feeling like a baby, but she needed to get it out. She needed to speak. “Sorry, I just... I don’t get it. Nothing works. I feel... I feel disconnected, like something’s wrong with me. Like every man I’m with is just... fine. I’m going through the motions. I look at these couples and I see what they have and I want it and I can’t fucking find it. I feel like I’m holding my breath and waiting for someone to come along and remind me how to breathe, but it’s never there. Nothing is ever there. I’m-I’m suffocating.”
“Hey,” Kyle said softly, reaching across the center console and grabbing her hand again. He made her look at him, “Yesterday, I went to the gym like I often do. There was this guy there that’s there all the time, he’s spotted me a couple times. Big, buff guy, probably in his late 30s. Super good looking, like, makes me look like a thumb in comparison.”
Jenna laughed softly, “Is there a reason for this story or did you just feel the need to tell me about this guy?”
“There’s a reason,” he promised, chuckling softly, “Anyway, yesterday, he asked me to coffee. Like, a date.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh?”
“Mhm,” Kyle said, shaking his eye and closing his eyes in embarrassment, “And I cried in the bathroom.” She squeezed his hand like he’d done for her and waited. “I basically avoided him and ran out and tried to go bury myself in Project Shepard work so I could focus on literally anything else other than the fucking swarm of feelings I had from that two-second encounter. And then fucking Guerin of all people came down and forced me to talk. And you know what he said?”
“What?” Jenna asked, genuinely curious.
“He said that being queer isn’t that big of a concept and that I should accept because I had bigger issues to deal with and that I had people around me who didn’t care and would love me regardless. He told me if I thought that guy was hot, then I should go to coffee with him, even if I was still unsure because the best way to figure it out is to try. He said as long as you’re upfront with the fact that you’re trying to figure shit out, then no one gets hurt,” Kyle said, taking a deep breath and smiling, “So I’m passing his advice onto you.”
Jenna closed her eyes and folded her lips in. And then she smiled.
“Okay. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now let’s go dismantle a government conspiracy.”
-
“You look like shit.”
Jenna snorted as she looked up to Maria. She was gorgeous and had eyes that felt like a challenge. Jenna liked that about her. She liked the way she was blunt and open, but not necessarily mean about it. Which is precisely why they hung out multiple nights in a row. She felt safe. Like Kyle felt safe except, while she knew Kyle like a children’s book she’d memorized, Maria was a new novel with a summary that was just her cup of tea.
“Thanks,” she said, taking a sip of her whiskey. It stung the back of her throat and Maria simply smiled when she didn’t make a face.
“What’s wrong?” Maria prodded, “And don’t lie. I’m psychic.”
Jenna scoffed, looking at the bartender and hoping maybe she could solve all her problems. But perhaps that was the whiskey talking. Maria simply leaned forward and pushed her to speak with a raised eyebrow.
“If you’re so psychic,” Jenna started, “Then what am I thinking right now?”
She swallowed and took ahold of her confidence and looked up to Maria with a smile. Maria licked her lips and let out a soft laugh.
“You’re thinking that we close in twenty minutes and that you really don’t want to go so soon,” Maria decided. Jenna shrugged and brought her glass to her lips.
“Sounds right to me.”
The twenty minutes went by both too fast and not fast enough. Then she waited the extra thirty minutes that it took for them to close up and then the other bartenders left and it was just them. Excitement prodded at her, eager for whatever this meant. She was so curious to figure out if she’d finally solved the puzzle. She was sure she had, but... confirmation was important.
“You look good out of uniform, by the way,” Maria said, now sitting on the barstool beside her. Jenna was very, very aware of each time their legs brushed and their elbows bumped. So, so, aware. “Not that you don’t look fantastic in uniform. Because... you really do.”
Kyle’s words rang in her mind. As long as you’re upfront then no one gets hurt. Jenna turned to face her completely and took a deep breath. She had enough whiskey in her system to make a move, might as well be now.
“I think I’m gay and I have no idea because I’m 28 years old and managed to bypass all experimenting ages and all I know is I think you’re really fucking gorgeous,” Jenna said in the same blunt tone that Maria used all the time. Maria’s eyebrows raised and she smiled pleasantly. “Your turn.”
Maria turned to face her entirely too and then hopped off the stool. Jenna could hear her heart in her ears as Maria stepped close. She held her breath.
“I was 22 when I realized whatever I felt for my dead best friend wasn’t platonic,” Maria admitted, “I know all about being confused and feeling too old to have first experiences.”
“Okay,” Jenna said, nodding as a small hand rested on her thigh and long nails gently tracing the seam of her jeans. Her whole body went tense and heat pooled in her stomach in a way that had never occurred with any man. Not even one has hot as Kyle.
“If you need someone to experiment with, I’m here. No judgment,” Maria said, sweet smile in place. Jenna swallowed and tried not to focus too hard on that smile.
“Yeah. I would appreciate that.”
“Now?” Maria asked, tilting her head curiously. Jenna nodded and almost cursed at herself for how embarrassing that must’ve looked. No judgment came from it.
Instead, a gentle hand pressed on her chin and a soft kiss was pressed to her lips. Jenna gasped involuntarily which earned a smile and then another kiss. She got kissed over and over, in all sorts of way and covered in all sorts of touches. There was something exhilarating about manicured nails scratching into her hair, soft skin and feminine curves under her palms, and the promise of lipstick stains whenever she was done. It made sense. For once, it made sense.
“How do you feel?” Maria asked.
Jenna sucked in a heavy breath.
“Like I can breathe.”
#jenna & kyle#jenna & kyle fic#camluca#camluca fic#jenna cameron#jenna cameron fic#kyle valenti#kyle valenti fic#maria deluca#maria deluca fic#roswell new mexico#roswell new mexico fic#rnm#rnm fic#my fic
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Desmond Thomas Doss
The Real Desmond Doss:
Desmond Thomas Doss was born on February 17, 1919 in Lynchburg, Virginia. He was the middle child of William Thomas and Bertha Oliver Doss. His older sister, Audrey, was born in 1916 and his younger brother, Harold, was born in 1922.
His mother was a Seventh-day Adventist, a Protestant Christian denomination, and she passed her beliefs onto her children, which included not working on Saturdays (the Sabbath) and not eating meat. Desmond was devoted to the Ten Commandments, of which “Thou Shall Not Kill” played a pivotal role in his life.
The film based on Desmond Doss and his bravery, Hacksaw Ridge, takes certain liberties with his childhood. But his father, like seen in the movie, had an alcohol problem. His heavy drinking led to a brawl with the youngest of the children, Harold, and almost ended in tragedy when his father pulled a gun on Harold. Luckily, his father did not fire the gun but the event still affected Desmond heavily.
After he completed one year of high school, he became a carpenter. He later worked at Newport News Shipyard as a ship joiner. Although this job would allow him to not enlist or be drafted, he decided it was his duty to enlist. He enlisted on April 1, 1942 and he was quickly sent to Camp Lee.
Desmond refused to carry arms. He was a conscientious objector. Which caused great unease and suspicion around him. There were many reasons for an army man to fear a CO. Some men claimed the status simply to avoid combat. They had to have religious reasons to be a CO and not simply a hatred of the war. Most of these COs trained like the rest of the men, but not pick up a gun or weapon. Many COs, like Desmond, became medics. There were 43,000 COs during World War II. 25,000 of them were medics/noncombatants.
He wouldn’t pick up a gun or fire one. He refused to carry a single weapon. He requested to become a medic instead. "I specifically requested medical duty," Doss said, "because I felt that while I could not kill, I could help save human life."
Much like the movie shows, Desmond and his fellow soldiers did not get along. His unit was the 77th Infantry, which consisted of older, New Yorkers. Desmond was a young, soft-spoken Virginia boy. These combinations did not mix fairly well. But Desmond’s status as a conscientious objector caused a lot more problems for him. His unit originally had 4 COs, but by the time they were sent overseas, only Desmond was left.
Desmond faced tremendous harassment. This came from his superiors, his officers, and his fellow enlisted men. They threw shoes at him during his nightly prayers, insulted him to his face, and one told Desmond that if he went into combat that the soldier would shoot Desmond.
His objection to carry a gun or train on Saturdays, the Sabbath, resulted in an effort to get him discharged from the Army. Those trying to remove him claimed he deserved to be removed under the section that declared “inaptness or undesirable habits or traits of character.” This was more fit for people with mental illnesses. People went so far to try to prove Desmond had a mental illness. Desmond defended his faith, saying it was not a mental illness.
They even went so far to try to court-martial him. Which is shown in the movie but it did not go as far as it did during the movie. In real life, it was only a threat. While he was later denied furloughs to see his wife and brother, Desmond didn’t miss his wedding day, he was already married by then.
In the fall of 1942, Desmond got married to Dorothy Schutte. They were married August 17, 1942 in Richmond, Virginia. They had met in church one day, when Dorothy was selling adventist books in his town. The movie shows she was a nurse and they met when Desmond went in after rescuing a boy in a car accident. This isn’t entirely accurate because she only got her nursing degree after the war.
Dorothy gave him a Bible that he carried throughout combat. When he lost it at Okinawa, his company put together a search to find it in the battlefield and they miraculously found it.
The movie fast forwards through time, ignoring combat at Guam and Leyte. Once the men hit combat, their perspectives of Desmond began to change. He was a damn good medic and the men began to put their trust in him. One such occasion was when Desmond found a man who’d been hit in the head and had blood rushing down his face. Desmond washed his face, clearing the man’s eyes of the mess and restoring the man’s sight. To which the man responded, “I can see, I can see. I thought I was blind.” This is instead moved to Okinawa in the movie.
In Leyte, Desmond lost a close friend. After his loss, he refused to look any at any of his patient’s faces, unless their face was the part wounded, in case they were a friend of his. He would treat the wounded without meeting their eyes.
Desmond earned the Bronze Star for his actions on Leyte. By the time he reached Okinawa, the men and replacements trusted him completely due to his skills as a combat medic. He was a valuable asset to morale within his regiment.
Desmond was not oblivious to the risks he was taking during combat. He was completely aware that he was risking his life to save the wounded men, but he repeatedly made that choice. Even when he wasn’t required to risk it or go on patrols, he continued to do so. There was only one time he rejected going on patrol. The patrol had left a while earlier, leaving Desmond behind. When he was ordered to go on patrol, to go catch up, Desmond refused to go. He explained to the man in command that Japanese could have come up behind the patrol and he would charge into them. He also explained that these replacements were skittishly new and were very likely to accidentally fire on him.
The Maeda Escarpment was a ridge, that rose 400 feet high, with a vertical, jagged cliff that led up to the hiding Japanese troops. This is known as Hacksaw Ridge. Before the soldiers led the challenge of a thirty-fifty foot jagged cliff the American troops would have to climb before they could even start their fight.
For nine days, the American troops fought the Japanese for the ridge. Not much land was gained, whenever the Americans gained a bit, the Japanese overwhelmed them and threw them back. This carried on, back and forth.
Doss, ever faithful to his beliefs, did not hold a weapon throughout the battle. He passed one box of grenades forward, after much debate, but did not touch anything with the intent to harm.
But his true acts of heroics and self sacrifice happened from April 29-May 21, 1945. He served as a medic with his company. When under heavy fire he refused to fall back or hide and instead, risking his own life, carried the wounded men back to the edge of the 400 foot ridge one-by-one to the bottom with rope. “When the survivors gathered at the bottom of the cliff, they noted a wounded man on a stretcher being lowered down the escarpment. Looking up, they saw Doss maneuvering the stretcher, but Doss quickly realized that a stretcher was hard to handle alone without endangering the wounded, so he remembered a training exercise where he had accidently converted a bowline into large double loops of rope. The loops would not slip and would serve perfectly for securing the legs of a wounded man. Doss took the running end of the rope and passed it around the wounded man’s chest and secured it with another bow- line knot. He carefully slid the man over the cliff edge and then lowered him using the friction of the line around a tree to steady him,” claims Booton Herndon, in the article The Unlikeliest Hero: The Story of Desmond T. Doss, Conscientious Objector Who Won His Nation’s Highest Military Honor.(Mountain View: Pacific Press, 1967.)
He lowered 75 men down off of the Ridge. Doss argued that he had only saved 50 men. The men always believed he’d lowered closer to 100. So they compromised on 75.
On May 2, he risked his life under fire again, rescuing a wounded man 200 yards forward of the lines. Two days later, he treated four men who had been wounded, advancing through a shower of grenades, where he tended to them, and made four separate trips under fire to return them to safety.
On May 5, The final assault to take the Maeda Escarpment happened on the morning of the Saturday, the Sabbath. Doss held on to the Sabbath as a day of prayer, being the only Medic left in his company, he agreed to go but requested that he first be given time to read his Bible. The delay was approved and the the assault was put on hold until Desmond finished his devotions. May 5, he suffered under enemy shelling and gun fire to assist an artillery officer. He applied bandages, moved his patient to a spot that offered slight more safety, under artillery and mortar fire, he admitted Ed plasma. Later that day, Later that day, when an American was severely wounded, Doss crawled to him where he had fallen 25 feet from the enemy position, tended to his injuries, and carried him 100 yards to safety while continually exposed to enemy fire.
The company suffered enormous amounts of casualities. They had started this battle with 800 men, when they finished fighting, they had 324 men.
May 21, during a night attack on high ground, when everyone else took cover, Doss refused and aided to the injured men. This exposed him to the risk of being exposed not only to enemy fire but also friendly fire, in case he was mistaken as a Japanese soldier and shot on the spot.
He was severely wounded in his legs that night by a grenade. He tended to his own injuries, rather than risk another medic’s life. He waited 5 hours for a stretcher to reach him. When he was being carried back, he was caught in Japanese tank attack. Doss noticed another man more severely wounded, a severe head wounded, than he was and he crawled off his stretcher. He directed them to tend to the other man, and to leave him until they could return to him. At one point, 17 pieces of shrapnel were in him.
He was once again wounded. His left arm suffered a compound fracture due to a sniper. Desperate, Doss turned to the gun for the first time. But only to use the stock as a makeshift splint for his arm. He then crawled 300 yards in rough land to an aid station.
He was evacuated May 21, 1945. On the hospital ship back, he realized that the Bible his wife Dorothy had given him had been lost in the battlefield. He had carried it throughout combat with him. Doss’ company searched for it. As a way to honor him, even thought they had once wanted him gone. Surprisingly, they found it. General Bruce himself came to visit Doss during his recovery. During his recovery, he was promoted to Corporal and learned he was to be awarded the Medal of Honor - the first conscientious objector to be awarded such an honor
On October 12, 1945, Desmond Thomas Doss was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Truman.
The war had ended, and Doss was to be discharged. But, an exam revealed he suffered from tuberculosis, which is believed he had gotten on Leyte. Eventually, he lost a lung and 5 ribs. He was was not released from the hospital until 1951. His son, Desmond “Tommy” Doss Jr. was born during his time in the hospital in 1946. Doss could not see his son due to the tuberculosis.
He continued to receive treatment for tuberculosis, but in 1976, he suffered an overdose of medicine that made him completely deaf. Dorothy began writing messages to him so they could communicate, jokingly calling herself his “hearing ear dog”. He would eventually regain some of his hearing in 1988, due to receiving a cochlear implant.
Dorothy and Desmond had only one child. Dorothy raises their son Tommy almost completely alone for the first five years of his life. After the war they lived out their years in Rising Fawn, Georgia on a small farm. Later in life, Dorothy developed breast cancer. She died on November 17, 1991, from injuries sustained in a car accident while Desmond and her were driving to a hospital, crashing less than a mile away from their house.
Desmond remarried in 1993 to Frances Duman in 1993. They were together until his death in 2006. He adopted her three children: Thomas Duman, Michael Duman, and Marilyn Shadduck.
Desmond, after being hospitalized due to trouble breathing, passed away in his home in Piedmont, Alabama in March 23, 2006. He was buried in the national cemetery at Chattanooga, Tennessee. Frances died 3 years later. The three are buried next to each other in the cemetery.
Doss’ legacy was captured in the movie Hacksaw Ridge, directed by Mel Gibson. Desmond is portrayed by Andrew Garfield. It won two Oscars, out of the 6 it was nominated for.
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Hello there! I just saw your historical figures in anime style post, and I wanted to say 1: great style looks amazing and professional! Would watch an anime you made! And 2: as an ignorant af American, I don't know who literally like any of them are. I've heard of the boy general but I didn't know his name. Could you tell us who they all are?
Thank you very much! I am very humbled that you liked the designs!
sure, I’ll try! here goes...
Gregoria de Jesus (1875-1943)
She’s Andres Bonifacio’s (The current Supremo and one of the founders of The Katipunan) young second wife, he married her when she 18. They had a son but he died a few months later. She joined the Katipunan ( short for Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galang, Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Supreme and Honourable Society of the Children of the Nation which has an unfortunate coincidence of having the same three K abbreviation as that US group), a secret revolutionary society against the Spanish colonial rule, adopting the name Lakambini (Muse). She founded the women’s chapter of the Katipunan and was in charge of keeping the society’s documents safe away from Spanish enforcement. When Katipunan was exposed, Bonifacio was killed, leaving her behind. Years later, she eventually married Julio Nakpil, a fellow Katipunero, and had 6 children with him. She died during the time of WW2.
Emilio Jacinto (1875-1899)
The ‘Brains of the Katipunan’. In his teens, he was the youngest member to have joined the society, eventually becoming an advisor and secretary to Bonifacio (he used to have long hair too because he had no money for a haircut It would be cool to see another long-haired revolutionary though like Macario Sakay). He’s known with the alias Pingkian in the Katipunan while Dimas-ilaw when he writes for the society’s publication, Kalayaan (Freedom). He’s the author of the Kartilya ng Katipunan, the guidebook of rules and principles for new Katipuneros (Bonifacio made one himself but he felt his bro Emilio’s version was better, so they used it instead). Jacinto (Secretary General) with Bonifacio (President) and Valenzuela (Fiscal General) were known as the Triumvirate of Katipunan as well as the ones who passed judgement on those Katipuneros who violate the rules. He was ordered by Bonifacio to lead the forces in Laguna as general. After Bonifacio’s execution, he refused to join Emilio Aguinaldo’s group, leader of Katipunan’s Magdalo faction. He died at age 23, after contracting malaria, leaving a pregnant wife behind.
Apolinario Mabini (1864-1904)
He’s known as the Brains of the Revolution (a title him sometimes share with Jacinto). He was stuck with polio, eventually losing the use of his legs, before the beginning phase of the revolution. He was a member of La Liga Filipina, an organization founded by the national hero, Jose Rizal. When Jose Rizal was captured by the Spanish authorities and eventually executed, La Liga fell apart and was split into two main groups: Cuerpos de Compromisarios (conservatives) and Katipunan (revolutionary). He initially joined Compromisarios but eventually decided to support the revolution (though not a member of the Katipunan) by publishing works encouraging citizens to join forces against spanish rule. He was arrested by the spanish during the rise of Katipunan revolts but eventually released him because of his illness. He was ill during the time he became Emilio Aguinaldo’s chief advisor, a role which extended to Aguinaldo’s new government during the time of american presence in the country until he resigned in 1899. He was captured by the American forces and exiled to Guam. He agreed to swear allegiance to the US in exchange for him to return to the Philippines, where he died from cholera at age 38 few months later.
Gregorio del Pilar (1875-1899)
One of the youngest generals in the Philippine Revolution and Philippine- American War, earning the nickname Boy General. He also joined the Katipunan at a young age where he also met Emilio Aguinaldo, who was amazed by his skill in military warfare against the spanish. He eventually rose to the rank of a general. He was also known to have lots of fangirls (lol/ you could say he was bishounen standards at that time). He was very loyal to Aguinaldo to the point he was believed to be his personal assassin (though it’s unclear if he really is or not). He was most known for his last stand in the Tirad Pass, a battle between 60 Filipino rear guards vs 300 american soldiers. The objective was to buy enough time for the then President Emilio Aguinaldo to escape US pursuit, which worked, at the cost of Gregorio del Pilar (which was shot at the back of his head while on a white horse) and 51 of his men’s lives. After the battle, the winning american soldiers took all of his military decorations and other belongings as souvenirs and left him there along with the other dead, exposed to the elements. Few days later, an american lieutenant gave him a proper burial and inscribed his tomb with ‘An officer and A Gentleman’.
Andres Bonifacio (1863-1897)
The Father of the Revolution. When La Liga Filipina was on the verge of its downfall, Andres Bonifacio, along with some fellow La Liga members, founded the Katipunan and eventually became its third Supremo. Within the society, he had the alias Maypagasa (’there is hope’). He was mostly self-educated, he also read the works of Jose Rizal, lives of US presidents, the history of the french revolution, french novels etc. Within his time in Katipunan, he was bros with the younger Emilio Jacinto, who served advisor and he shared secrets with him. He also once crossdressed to escape the spanish. He started the revolution during the Cry of Pugad Lawin where he and other katipuneros teared their cedulas (identity documents) in defiance of spanish rule. The katipunan faction he belonged in (Magdiwang) and Emilio Aguinaldo’s katipunan faction (Magdalo) had rivalry and clashes. They had a presidential election(the first one in history) for the new revolutionary government in which Aguinaldo won. Bonifacio considers the votes invalid and resolved to make a goverment separate from Aguinaldo’s. Aguinaldo eventually got Bonifacio (who was wounded from a previous event) arrested and tried with his brother, Procopio, for charges of treason against Aguinaldo’s government and plans of his murder. They had an unfair trial were they were found guilty despite few evidences, which eventually led to their death by execution (it was initially exile, but Aguinaldo’s associates persuaded him to change it). The brothers were hacked (or shot, depending on sources) to death in Cavite. The current location of his remains is unknown. He never saw the end of Spanish rule.
Emilio Aguinaldo (1869-1964)
Officially recognized as the first and youngest president of the Philippines (though also a lot consider Bonifacio as this instead). He joined the Katipunan and became the leader of the Magdalo faction(mostly composed of Ilustrados from Cavite), one of the two main rival factions within the katipunan. He won in the Tejeros convention which intends to unite factions into one government. He ordered Bonifacio’s execution. He lived to the age of 94, .
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Christmas and Harvest Festivals Round the Earth
A country's cinema is just a mark of identity which represents the whole populace'flourishing potentials; its aspirations and its want to institute world wide connections. The movie business is a voice announcing that somewhere in that world, are artistically aware creatures armed with endowments set to participate within individual race's popular interests. It's my honour to fairly share these substantial victories of the Philippine picture industry.
The Philippine cinematic business whether they are alone produced repeatedly reaps special international details pulling the Filipino nation's art in the world map. These amazing Filipino people's potentials in the motion picture business range from screenplay writing, picture modifying, most useful picture working, picture creating, pointing to cinematography gaining recognitions in the international race. They're manifested by the items of Filipino films which can be respected in international tournaments as link between rigorous testing by worldwide acclaimed connoisseurs in the subject of motion pictures along with in the doing arts.
In 2008, the 58th Berlin lễ hội ở hàn quốc tháng 11 Film Event included six independent Filipino films. Subsequently, many Filipinos reaped awards. This is a constant indicator that the current time development of the Philippine films from national solitude to worldwide acknowledgement thrives increased by the emergence of independent picture designers that put setting records of the country's cinema in to worldwide loans noticing the 21st century Filipino picture industry's modern age. It had been the exact same year, when Brilliant Mendoza's Tirador obtained a Caligari Merit, an honor bestowed to revolutionary films projecting worthy themes. In 2009, Jaclyn Jose won the most effective encouraging musician in a female position in the Asian Film Merit on her portion in Serbis.
Earlier in 2013, the Philippines dominated the 1st ASEAN Global Film Festival. The earning categories proclaimed were Most useful Man Performer packaged by Bugoy Carino, in the movie, Alagwa. The Most useful Promoting Performance by a Woman Actor may be the experienced Anita Linda while Alessandra delaware Rossi obtained the Most useful Performance by a Woman Actor beneath the same movie, Sta. Nina which also bestowed the Most useful Manager Merit to Emmanuel Quindo Palo for his Most useful Image in a dilemma category. Additionally, The Kidnappers of Ronnie Lazaro obtained the Most useful Image in a comedy category. On March 2013, experienced actor Eddie Garcia won the Most useful Performance by a Man Actor for his fantastic act in Bwakaw during the 7th Asian Film Prizes presented in Hong Kong. On September 2013, Joel Torre was lucky for the Most useful Actor acceptance for his magnificent efficiency in the picture, OTJ (On the Job) at the 17th Puchon Global Film Event presented in South Korea. In the picture, OTJ (On the Job) alongside with the key prizes, the picture too got the Jury's Decision Prize. On September 2013, Filipino Child Star Barbara Miguel was recognized with Woman Performer Merit on her illustration in Nuwebe at the Harlem Global Film Event presented in New York City.
In 2014, Mikhail Red's "Rekorder" acquired the Outstanding Young Manager Merit in the Gwangju Global Film Event in Gwangju, South Korea.It was also early in the day on September 2014 when that picture provided the Most useful Man Performance by an Actor prize to Allen Dizon at the 9th Harlem Global Film Event in New York City. This fortunate year also bestowed Vilma Santos the Most useful Performance by a Woman Actor credit on her position in Ekstra during the Dhaka Global Film Event presented in Bangladesh. On July 2014, the New York Film Event offered Most useful Actor acceptance to Mike Cuenca for his portion in Mulat and,Most useful Actress Appreciation to Liza Diño on her personality in'In Nomine Matris'in Ny, NYC. Diane Ventura, became the Most useful Manager Merit for the exact same movie. On November 2014, the Philippine Home of Representative delighted author and director Jason John Laxamana whose picture, Magkakabaung won the Most useful Asian Film Merit for the Network for the Promotion of Asian Theatre (NETPAC) at the 3rd Hanoi Global Film Event in Vietnam. Allen Dizon, too achieved the Most useful Actor Merit because of this film.
On February 2015, Aiko Melendez obtained the Most useful Performance by a Woman Role in the Foreign Language Film type during the 7th Global Filmmaker Event of World Theatre in London, England. On February 2015, Filipino independent picture Manager Francis Xavier Pasion acquired the Great Treasure Merit at the 15th Tokyo Filmex festival for his perform, Bwaya in Japan. March 2015 was as soon as for Richard Gomez to seize the Most useful Actor honor for his picture, The Janitor at the 35th Oporto Global Film Event in Portugal. By April 2015's, Asian Global Film Event in Malaysia, Filipino awardees captured the scene. The Most useful director was wanted to Joseph Laban for his movie, Nuwebe while the Most useful Actress visited Cherie Gil for the movie, Sonata. Most useful Modifying was bestowed to Benjamin Tolentino for the picture, Bendor. The ASEAN Spirit Merit visited the picture, Purok 7.It was also on May possibly 15, 2015 that the picture of Perci Intalan, Dementia was awarded three recognitions at the Saint-Tropez Global Film Event in France for this captured the Most useful Foreign Language Film, Most useful Actress and Most useful Promoting Actor in a Foreign Film for Nora Aunor and Emilio Garcia, respectively. Also, on May possibly 16, 2015, Roderick Cabrido's "Youngsters' Display" obtained the fantastic reward in the Asia-Pacific Young Filmmakers Prizes at the Gwangju Global Film Event occur South Korea. Furthermore, it may be remembered that this movie apart from its accomplishments in May possibly in 2010 formerly achieved different substantial international prizes this past year in diverse categories of Particular Court Treasure in the Orient Show Portion of the Oporto Global Film Event in Portugal, Particular Court Treasure, Great Court Merit for Most useful Script and Emerging Filmmaker Merit at the Amazing Theatre Event of the Film Culture of Small Stone in Arkansas.
World Premieres Film Event Philippines was celebrated on July 29, 2015 identified currently as the absolute most prestigious international picture festival in the Philippines, arrived on the scene with the Most useful Image and a first 1st Treasure credit entitled, Ang Kubo Sa Kawayanan, a video focused by Alvin Yapan. On September 11, 2015, Most useful Function Film, Mana by director Gabby Fernandez and Most useful Actress Cherie Gil were achieved, respectively at the Madrid Global Film Event in Spain. Followed closely by more winnings on September 2015 when Philippine picture musicians achieved two rewards at the Guam Global Film Festival. Buboy Villar packaged the Most useful Achievement in Working in the movie focused by John Soriano, Baby Kulafu. More over, the romantic comedy type, That Issue Called Tadhana by Antoinette Jadaone was conferred the Most useful Account Motion Picture. Currently, on May possibly 22, 2016 old-timer actor Jaclyn Jose triumphantly obtained the Most useful Actor reward during the 69th Cannes Film Event on her enactment in the picture, "Mother'Rosa," presented in Cannes, France.
These winnings reveal that Filipinos in the Philippine cinema have their very own right time and energy to nationally and internationally demonstrate their worthy projects in virtually all regions of the picture creating industry. Though these earning instances of Filipino artists are not exhaustive number to present its entirety, these reveal that certainly, the Philippine cinema has expanded a meritorious point of picture making. Performers developed milestones in the annals of Philippine motion pictures through the international loans they as praiseworthy musicians have garnered, as well as their diverse nominations in diverse categories defeating or beaten by different entries. Prior to when what can be mentioned here, there were picture musicians who displayed the Philippines as winners in different varieties from award-giving bodies overseas. It is most beneficial to disclose the newest as initiating facets to remind people of days gone by triumphs which increase the showcasing of flourishing quality operates in the Philippine cinema.
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Good morning.
Jesus, today, continues his sermon from last week. In this late stage of his career, he's fully into the mode of "teaching in parables", of telling stories - where people often behave bizarrely or cartoonishly, contrary to our expectations - which, together, can help us triangulate the position of truths that would have been difficult to see head-on.
Today we hear one such parable, the story of a dishonest steward, bookended with a series of rhetorical points about stewardship in general.
It's a funny story, to our ears. We hear about this guy who's getting fired for "squandering" his employer's wealth under management, and we immediately recognize "that guy". After all, news articles pop up all the time about some fund manager or CFO who got arrested for spending earmarked funds on buying himself a Lambo. We can easily imagine someone like that, fired and disgraced, trying to brainstorm some more elaborate scheme rather than have to ask for charity or get a "real" job.
But the leap of intuition that this steward comes to, the scheme he decides to enact, is much less familiar, and - in many ways - more impressive.
Because... imagine if this was a modern-day "dishonest steward". Imagine if, when he realized the gravy train was about to run out, he'd gone around to all those people, and instead of knocking 20% or 50% off of their debts, had just demanded the next payment early. He would've raised enough funds, by transitioning to outright embezzlement, to take care of himself for quite a while... maybe even move to a new city and start over with a fresh reputation. If there was so little oversight to his management that a double digit percentage change to the books would go undetected, then surely this type of shakedown would've been even more successful.
But our protagonist ignores the option of fleeing to Guam with the money. Maybe some part of him fears, now that the ground beneath his feet is crumbling, what might happen when those winnings run out. Maybe he's having that moment of clarity, like the prodigal son who Jesus just finished talking about, where he realizes that his "life of dissipation" was never sustainable, and that unless he changes his tactics fast, he'll quickly end up somewhere he can't survive.
So instead, he takes another approach: with no father to flee to, he instead flees to the community from which he once held himself aloof. If his authority is doomed to unravel, he can use the last shreds of it to earn a place in a different kind of family, who - out of their gratitude - will be happy to support him in this new chapter of his life.
It's debatable whether this was even cheating his master per se. Financial middlemen in first century Judea often added secret "commissions" on top of the prices they passed on, a practice that was especially notorious among tax collectors. It's possible that our protagonist was simply removing his own cut from the debts.
Or maybe it was brazen embezzlement, just on behalf of his employer's debtors rather than going straight into his own wallet. Maybe the master's reaction, when he later discovered the sleight-of-hand, was simply amazement and grudging respect for the audacity of the ploy, the same kind that we often feel when reading the news about an especially bold and inventive swindle.
In either case, though, the steward's actions were the same: after recognizing that his wealth and power was temporary, that it would soon vanish and leave him up a creek without a paddle, he - rather than using his temporary authority to seek more wealth, which could betray him just as easily - arbitraged that authority for something more permanent.
And that lesson - the lesson that the prodigal son learned in his hunger pangs, and the dishonest steward learned in his fear of destitution - is one of the themes that Jesus returns to over and over in his teaching... especially now, as the liturgical year begins to wane and Jesus approaches Jerusalem. There's a time limit. Our world and its logic is an unstable equilibrium. It's passing away, and we, ill-adapted for it as we are, pass away within it. The window of opportunity for us to transition out of this world's precarious and fickle situation, and into the Kingdom which has no end, is a window which will only be open for so long.
So if we have to jettison our devotion to earthly things anyway... if we know enough to recognize, like the steward, that it's a paradigm which will collapse on its own before long no matter what we do... then the best thing to do with it is to use it as rocket fuel, burned for delta-v to help escape the gravity well of death. If wealth is lying to us, falsely selling itself as "Mammon" (literally "that in which one trusts") and then extorting us into accumulating it, then what better way to divest of it than - like Elisha burning his plow - by spending it in a way that exercises our love for God and for each other? Then it can be, simultaneously, a first step towards establishing the habits that change our direction towards the Kingdom. Then we can unite what we do with where we're trying to go.
After all, trustworthiness in little things means trustworthiness in great things, right? Our practice at becoming the kind of people who can live in eternity can come from the simplest, most trivial gestures. We have this time, on Earth, to make that transition.
And just like the steward, those choices make it clear which world we truly want to live in, and can help us enter into the Kingdom, and pass beyond this world which is passing away.
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