#Japan Foundation Los Angeles

[duckprintspress]

Just found out that The Japan Foundation has an awesome free library accessible to folks in the US, works basically the same way the Queer Liberation Library does except it's all, like, books about Japanese culture and history, manga, fiction, language learning books, and more, in both English and Japanese!

There's even a whole section of LGBTQIA+ stuff, including manga, language stuff, books, audiobooks...

Anyway, I filled out the sign-up form over the weekend and got my log-in info last night and I AM EXCITE and wanted to share.

Another free-to-folks-in-the-US library with lots of awesome books!!

Shout out to enigmalea on Mastodon, for making the post that let me learn this exists!

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

The Orbitron

The Orbitron is a custom car built by Ed Roth and feared lost until its rediscovery in Mexico in 2007

A second generation to Roth's original Beatnik Bandit, which was built in 1960, the Beatnik Bandit II features a one-of-a-kind fiberglass body with PPG lemon meringue pie paint, stylized Rat Fink designs on the sides, and chrome by Metal Masters of Salt Lake City, UT. 

Beatnik Bandit II includes many unique design features, including an electronic console which operates the digital instrument panel and other features such as a digital readout of the car's latitude and longitude. 

The lack of a rearview mirror is not a problem on this car. A "TV mirror" video monitor is mounted on the console with the actual camera mounted in the rear panel. The bubble top is also lifted electronically. 

Beatnik Bandit II was built entirely by Roth, who credits "Revelations from Father in Heaven" for his achievement. The car has been shown in major U. S. cities, including Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston, as well as in Yokohama, Japan.

The Beatnik Bandit

Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth was an artist, cartoonist, illustrator, pinstriper and custom car designer and builder who created the hot-rod icon Rat Fink and other characters. Roth was a key figure in Southern California's Kustom Kulture and hot-rod movement of the late 1950s and 1960s The Beatnik Bandit was one of his first creations from the early 1960s. It was built from a 1949 Oldsmobile, the chassis was shortened 5 feet, the Olds engine was given the classic hotrod look with GMC blower and twin carbys, everything was chromed except the blower belt. The white interior featured single joystick, that operated turning, throttle and braking. The bubble top was created using compressed air to inflate a sheet of plastic into a dome in a pizza oven. On display at the National Automobile Museum in Reno

Mysterion

Ed Roth built the Mysterion in 1963, he got the idea from the multi engine dragsters he had seen at the dragstrips. He combined two Ford engines, two transmissions, plus two welded rear ends for the foundation. It featured an offset headlight and the typical Ed Roth bubble top. On display at Galpin Auto Sports.

The Road Agent by Ed “Big Daddy” Roth.

Mysterion

Custom builder and artist Ed "Big Daddy" Roth completed the Mysterion in 1963. The bubbletopped custom featured a completely original fiberglass body and twin Ford big-block engines. The weight of the engines was too much for the frame to bear, and the Mysterion fell apart. Tribute versions have been built, including this precise replica from Galpin Auto Sports.

The Surfink

The Surfink, created by Mark Glaz as a tribute to Ed Roth and Ratfink, features a large Ratfink figure atop a surfboard complete with a blown V-8 engine.

The Orbitron

Built in 1964, the vehicle was powered by a 1955 or 1956 Chevrolet V8 and was backed by a Powerglide automatic transmission. The body was hand-laid fiberglass, hiding Roth's extensive chrome work to the chassis. The cockpit, set at the extreme rear of the vehicle in the manner of a dragster, was lined with fake fur and featured an 11-inch General Electric "1-Touch" portable television inserted in the console. Topping the cockpit was a custom-made, hydraulically operated Plexiglas bubble top. One of a series of ordinary doorbell push-button switches atop the hood activated the top from the outside.

Other mechanical features included a 1956 Chevrolet rear end, dropped Ford front axle beam, Buickbrake drums and early Ford brakes. The frame was handmade of rectangular 2x4 inch steel tubing. The engine was a leftover from one of Roth's 1955 Chevrolets, having been removed to make way for a then-new Mark IV big-block given to him by General Motors. It was one of the very few completed cars Roth deemed to be a "mistake" because he felt the car did not show well since the heavily chromed engine and most of the chassis were hidden. The Orbitron was, in fact, one of his few customs to have a hood. Reportedly, the hydraulically operated hood did not fit well due to rushed fiberglass work.

The vehicle's most distinctive feature was its asymmetrical front end with red, green and blue tinted headlamps. It was thought that the three beams when combined would produce an intense white light; the idea came from the then-new medium of color television.

By Jerry Thompson - originally posted to Flickr as 2C7O4069, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5973582

By Jerry Thompson - originally posted to Flickr as 2C7O4066, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5973591

The Baja Bandeeto

Custom car builder and renowned painter Fritz ‘Spritz By Fritz‘ Schenck recreated with his bubble top roadster; the Baja Bandeeto.

[ariel-seagull-wings]

@hot-claws

"In early Claremont issues, Wolverine repeatedly refers to women, like Mariko, as “frails,” a hilariously misogynistic and demeaning term based on rhyming slang (frail frame rhymes with dame) popularized in the underworld circles of the 1940s and noir fiction. Where some heroes fly or shoot concussive beams from their eyes, Wolverine is superhumanly “masculine” and traffics in a very insistent and aggressive form of white male exceptionalism.

Claremont clearly fetishizes Asian cultures and the level of respect varies between stories. In this mini-series, both he and co-writer/artist Frank Miller are obviously fascinated with what they believe Japanese culture to be. Despite perhaps beginning from a point of admiration, Claremont and Miller aren’t particularly concerned with accuracy. The Japan of this series (and many future Marvel stories) is a largely stereotypical and tropey approximation of the country cobbled together from martial arts films and exploitative pulp novels."

Essayist Eric Sobel writes that Wolverine, “A hero armed with the privilege and invisibility whiteness affords…unlike the foreign characters he encounters, is able to easily move between different identities without placing his whiteness and the agency it bestows in any real jeopardy.”

(Eric Sobel, “The Whitest There Is at What I Do: Japanese Identity and the Unmarked Hero in Wolverine (1982).”)

"In “The Whitest There is At What I Do” scholar Eric Sobel takes a hard look at the stereotypes of Japanese culture and society that inform the first Wolverine mini-series and subsequently become embedded in Logan’s mythology."

"Sean Guynes is a cultural historian, critic, and writer who lives in Ann Arbor, MI. He is co-author of the forthcoming book Whiteness (MIT Press), co-editor of the Encapsulations: Critical Comics Studies book series for University of Nebraska Press, two journal special issues, and several books—including Unstable Masks: Whiteness and American Superhero Comics (Ohio State University Press, 2020)—and editor of SFRA Review. His shorter writing has appeared in public and academic venues, including Los Angeles Review of Books, American Quarterly, World Literature Today, Utopian Studies, American Book Review, PopMatters, and Strange Horizons.

Martin Lund is a comics scholar who specializes in studying the intersections of religions and comics, comics and identity, and comics and urban life. Recent and forthcoming publications includes Re-Constructing the Man of Steel: Superman 1938–1941, Jewish American History, and the Invention of the Jewish–Comics Connection (Palgrave 2016), Muslim Superheroes: Comics, Islam, and Representation (Harvard University Press/ILEX Foundation; co-edited with A. David Lewis), and Unstable Masks: Whiteness and the American Superhero (forthcoming from Ohio State University Press). He is currently a senior lecturer in the history of religions at Malmö University in Sweden and desperately hoping to carve out some research time."

"I often say I don’t care about Wolverine, but that’s not really true. There are Wolverines that I love. This includes the one named Laura, the James Howlett one who loves Hercules, and the ones in fanfiction and fanart who are various kinds of queer. Sometimes, I also love ones named Logan who appear in licensed comics, cartoons, and films. The Wolverines that I love challenge stereotypes related to masculinity and violence and the supposed inseparability of the two. These Wolverines struggle, heroically, against what a bad world wants them to be or else don’t give a fuck about stereotypes, because they’ve seen it all and know who they are.

Then there are Wolverines I don’t love. This includes the ones mired in white savior tropes and cultural appropriation and especially the ones who uncritically glorify violence, graphically murdering untold scores of people who are usually bad people but still, nonetheless, people. These Wolverines never change yet always demand forgiveness through their enduring popularity and the seemingly boundless acceptance of their less-murderous friends.

But despite knowing which Wolverines I love and don’t love, I frequently struggle to decide how I feel about specific stories starring Wolverine.

"I don’t know the answer to that. But I do know why I often say I don’t care about Wolverine. It’s because I care too much about Wolverine, and often wish I didn’t.

Ironically, I think Logan would understand this very well. Which is precisely why I care about him. And why I continue to hope he can do better, or at least try to try—for his friends, for me, and for himself."

"Part of that is the many writers he goes through. For some he’s a killer, when at his core a lot of fans and writers prefer to see Logan as a protector."

(Discord message board)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 1.22

Holidays

Apple Macintosh Day

Bell Let’s Talk Day (Canada)

Black Tables Day (Posaf)

Bóndadagur (Man’s Day; Iceland) [1st of Þorri]

Butcher’s Broom Day (French Republic)

Celebration of Life Day

Come in From the Cold Day

County Fair Day

Customs Officers’ Day (Tajikistan)

Dance of the Seven Veils Day

Day of Hungarian Culture

Day of Unity and Liberty (Ukraine)

Dia de la Fundación del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (Multicultural State Day; Bolivia)

Franco-German Day (Germany)

Grandfather’s Day (Dzień Dziadka; Poland)

Hi, How Are You? Day (Texas)

Justin Turner Day (Los Angeles)

Lord Byron Day

National Heroes Day (Cayman Islands)

National Law Enforcement Spouse Appreciation Day

National Polka Dot Day

National Sanctity of Human Life Day

Nemausa Asteroid Day

Nuclear Ban Treaty Day

Nude Beach Day

Our Town Day

Public Holiday (Saint Vincent and Grenadines)

Reunion Day (Ukraine)

Roe vs. Wade Day

Trans Prisoner Day of Action & Solidarity

Unity Day (Ukraine)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Curry Day (Japan)

National Blonde Brownie Day

National Hot Sauce Day [also 11.5]

National Southern Food Day

Nature Celebrations

Answer Your Cat's Questions Day

Curious Cat Day

Moss (Mother’s Love; Korean Birth Flowers)

National Yorkshire Territory Day

Talk to Your Cat Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Falkland Islands (Ceded to UK by Spain; 1771)

Guyana (Proclaimed Republic, but within British Commonwealth; 1970)

Liechtenstein (Founded; 1719)

Louisiana became a Royal French Province (1732)

Plurinational State Foundation Day (Bolivia)

Ukraine (Unification; 1918)

Vigan Cityhood Day (Philippines)

4th Wednesday in January

Hump Day [Every Wednesday]

Library Shelfie Day [4th Wednesday]

Wacky Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Website Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Weedless Wednesday (Canada) [4th Wednesday]

Weird Wednesday [4th Wednesday of Each Month]

Whatever Wednesday [4th Wednesday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning January 22 (3rd Full Week of January)

Energy Savers Week (thru 1.26)

National Clean Out Your Inbox Week (thru 1.28)

Festivals Beginning January 22, 2025

Idaho Potato Conference (Pocatello, Idaho) [thru 1.23]

Iowa Pork Congress (Des Moines, Iowa) [thru 1.23]

Kiwiburn (Hunterville, New Zealand) [thru 1.27]

Küstendorf International Film and Music Festival (Drvengrad, Serbia) [thru 1.25]

Sioux Falls Farm Show (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) [thru 1.23]

Solothurn Film Festival (Solothurn, Switzerland) [thru 1.26]

Sustainable Foods Summit (San Francisco, California) [thru 1.23]

Temple Bar TradFest (Dublin, Ireland) [thru 1.26]

Feast Days

Abraham (Positivist; Saint)

Anam-Chara (Soul-Friend Day; Celtic Book of Days)

Anastasius of Persia (Christian; Saint)

Basil Wolverton (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Berhtwald of Ramsbury (Christian; Saint)

Blesilla (Christian; Saint)

Catagogia (Erotic Festival; Ephesus, Ionia)

Dominic of Sora (Christian; Saint)

Erotic Festival Day

Feast of St. Vincent (Old Agricultural Calendar; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Festival of Invoking and Banishing

Festival of the Muses (Everyday Wicca)

Festival of the Orgone

Gaudentius of Novara (Christian; Saint)

Imoinu Iratpa (Celebration of Emoinu, Sanamahism Goddess of Wealth, Prosperity and Vital Resources; India)

László Batthyány-Strattmann (Christian; Saint)

Laugh at Life Day (Pastafarian)

Laura Vicuna (Christian; Saint)

Quantum Cheese Day (Pastafarian)

Sunbeam Day (Sunshine today means wine will be more plentiful than water)

Vincent Pallotti (Christian; Saint)

Vincent of Saragossa (Christian; Saint)

Vincent, Orontius, and Victor (Christian; Saints)

William Joseph Chaminade (Christian; Blessed)

Xomfey and Melg (Muppetism)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 12 (Ding-Chou), Day 23 (Xin-Mao)

Day Pillar: Metal Rabbit

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Full Day (满 Man) [Inauspicious]

Holidays:

None Today

Secular Saints Days

André-Marie Ampère (Science)

Francis Bacon (Philosophy)

George Balanchine (Dance)

Lord Byron (Literature)

Sam Cooke (Music)

John Donne (Literature)

Sergei Eisenstein (Entertainment)

George Foreman (Sports)

Robert E. Howard (Literature)

John Hurt (Entertainment)

Jim Jarmusch (Entertainment)

J.J. Johnson (Music)

Moise Kisling (Art)

Nicolas Lancret (Art)

Diane Lane (Entertainment)

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (Literature)

Francis Picabia (Art)

Walter Raleigh (Polymath)

Ray Rice (Sports)s

August Strindberg (Literature)

Joseph Wambaugh (Literature)

Joseph Wolf (Art)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Premieres

All’s Well That Ends Well, by William Shakespeare (Play; 1742)

Andy Panda Goes Fishing (Andy Panda Cartoon; 1940)

Bad Luck Blackie (MGM Cartoon; 1949)

Broad City (TV Series; 2014)

Caprica (TV Series; 2010)

Chappelle’s Show (TV Series; 2003)

Columbia Phonograph Company (Music Manufacturer; 1889)

The Crucible, by Arthur Miller (Play; 1953)

D.E.B.S. (Film; 2004)

Dirty Grandpa (Film; 2016)

Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, by Elton John (Album; 1973)

Extraordinary Measures (Film; 2010)

Five Corners (Film; 1988)

French Freud (The Inspector Cartoon; 1969)

Get Low (Film; 2010)

The Happy Highwayman, by Leslie Charteris (Short Stories; 1939) [Saint #22]

Hello, Ma Booby or Pleased to Beat Ya (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 197; 1963)

Innertube Antics, featuring Ol’ Doc Donkey (MGM Cartoon; 1944)

A Knock for the Rock or The Lamp is Low (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 92; 1961)

Knock on Wood or Bullwinkle Takes the Rap (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 91; 1961)

Lady Soul, by Aretha Franklin (Album; 1968)

Legion (Film; 2010)

The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (Film; 1964)

Neil Young, by Neil Young (Album; 1969)

On Broadway, recorded by The Drifters (Song; 1963)

Ophelia (Film; 2018)

The Paneless Window Washer (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1937)

Peggy Sue Got Married, recorded by Buddy Holly (Song; 1959)

Please Don't Eat the Daisies, by Jean Kerr (Essays; 1957)

Rich Girl, by Hall & Oates (Song; 1977)

Robin Hood (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

Safety Not Guaranteed (Film; 2012)

Scrap For Victory, featuring Gandy Goose & Sourpuss (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1943)

Shoot the Moon (Film; 1982)

The Soul Cages, by Sting (Album; 1991)

Spinach Fer Britain (Fleischer//Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1943)

Sugar Blues, by Clyde McCoy and His Orchestra (Song; 1931)

These Boots Are Made For Walking, by Nancy Sinatra (Song; 1966)

The Tin Can Tourist, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1937)

Tooth Fairy (Film; 2010)

Under Bullwinkle’s Bowler or The Wide, Open Spaces (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 198; 1963)

The Virgin Queen (TV Mini-Series; 2006)

The Vitamin G-Man (Phantasies Cartoon; 1943)

We Are Family, by Sister Sledge (Album; 1979)

Wouldn’t It Be Nice, recorded by The Beach Boys (Song; 1966)

Today’s Name Days

Vinzenz (Austria)

Anastazije, Irena, Vice, Vinko (Croatia)

Slavomír (Czech Republic)

Vincentius (Denmark)

Luule, Luuli (Estonia)

Visa (Finland)

Vincent (France)

Dietlinde, Jana, Vinzenz (Germany)

Anastasios, Timotheos (Greece)

Artúr, Vince (Hungary)

Domenico, Esmeralda, Linda, Smeralda, Teodolinda, Vincenzo, Vinzenz (Italy)

Austris, Meinhards, Vincents (Latvia)

Anastazas, Aušrius, Skaistė, Vincentas (Lithuania)

Ivan, Vanja (Norway)

Anastazy, Dobromysł, Gaudencjusz, Gaudenty, Marta, Wincenty (Poland)

Anastasie, Timotei (Romania)

Zora (Slovakia)

Vicente (Spain)

Viktor, Vincent (Sweden)

Tin, Timothy (Ukraine)

Enoch, Piper, Vicenta, Vicente, Vince, Vincent, Vincentia, Vincenzo, Vinnie (USA)

National Name Days:

National Ty Day

National Vincent Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 22 of 2025; 343 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of Week 4 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar:

Druid Tree Calendar: Elm (Jan 12-24) [Day 11 of 13]

Graves Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 2 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Ding-Chou), Day 23 (Xin-Mao)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Coptic: 14 Tubah 1741

Hebrew: 22 Teveth 5785

Islamic: 22 Rajab 1446

J Cal: 22 White; Oneday [22 of 30]

Julian: 9 January 2025

Moon: 42%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 22 Moses (1st Month) [Abraham]

Runic Half Month: Elhaz (Elk) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 33 of 90)

Week: 3rd Full Week of January

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 3 of 30)

Sidereal Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 8 of 29)

Schmidt Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 22 of 25)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 3 of 28)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Capricornus (Day 4 of 28)

Calendar Changes

Elhaz (Elk) [Half-Month 3 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 2.5)

[saintmeghanmarkle]

📃 Megalist of 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑳𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔 and Other 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 in H&M’s Political Orbit 📃 by u/SeptiemeSens (Part 2 of 3)

📌 Link to Tumblr post Part 1 of 3

📌 Link to Tumblr post Part 3 of 3

📌 Other notable names:

Ari Emanuel - CEO of William Morris Endeavor (WME) and famed Hollywood super agent who signed H&M in May 2023 to become power players in film and TV production, brand partnerships, and endorsements.  Ari is a prominent Democratic Party donor and his brother Rahm Emanuel is the former mayor of Chicago, former Chief of Staff for President Obama, and currently U.S. Ambassador to Japan [source 1 // source 2 // source 3]

Donald Trump - When H&M relocated to Los Angeles in March 2020, former President Trump tweeted that they'd have to pay their own way. Trump has great respect and admiration for the late Queen Elizabeth II and he's also a fan of King Charles. However, he is *not* a fan of Meghan. As for Harry, Trump said: “I wish a lot of luck to Harry, because he’s gonna need it.” [source 1 // source 2 // source 3 // source 4]

Doug Emhoff - husband of Vice President Kama Harris, aka the 2nd Gentleman. H&M met with Doug at the Project Healthy Minds summit in New York City on World Mental Health Day 2023 [source]

Gavin Newsom - Governor of California. Allegedly two (2) weeks before the 2020 election, Meghan had an hour-long virtual meeting with Newsom. Newsom had been under pressure to appoint a woman of color, possibly Meghan, to replace California senator Kamala Harris if she became Vice-President. In May 2024, Gavin publicly defended Archewell Foundation's "delinquency" status [source 1 // source 2]

Ivanka Trump - During President Trump's term, Ivanka made national paid leave for families a significant part of her portfolio as Senior Advisor. Her goal was to expand upon the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to provide for paid coverage. In a significant policy win for Ivanka in 2019, Congress voted to provide all federal workers with 12 weeks of paid parental leave [source 1 // source 2 //source 3]. This was two (2) years *before* Meghan's open letter to Pelosi and Schumer. Important to note that Meghan was very much an Ivanka fangirl for many years and even interviewed Ivanka for The Tig [source 1 // source 2]. 👉 slideshow of Meghan cosplaying Ivanka through the years

Jacinda Arden - Former Prime Minister of New Zealand was among seven “extraordinary leaders” interviewed on Live to Lead, a Netflix documentary series inspired by Nelson Mandela. It was presented by H&M and co-produced by Archewell Productions. However, upon the release of this documentary in 2022, Jacinda's office immediately distanced herself from the Sussexes stating that her interview actually took place three (3) years prior in 2019 and that her involvement had nothing to do with H&M, who were only brought in at a late stage. In 2023, Jacinda was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Prince William's Earthshot Prize [source]

Jessica Mulroney - M's former bestie, stylist, and maid of honor is married to Ben Mulroney, son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Jessica was also fashion adviser to Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, former wife of Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. Jessica and Ben Mulroney are close friends with Justin and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau [source 1 // source 2]

Johnny Mercer, Member of Parliament (MP) - In April 2024, Harry was found by a High Court to have "breached a confidentiality ring" when he emailed information to his friend, the Veterans Minister and MP Johnny Mercer concerning his legal battle over his UK security arrangements. Harry was ordered to pay 90% of the Home Office’s legal costs of defending his challenge [source]

Justin Trudeau - Prime Minister of Canada first met Meghan in 2016 through the One Young World summit. Harry and Justin also connected in 2016, over the Invictus Games to be held in Toronto the following year. When Megxit was announced, Justin said that he was supportive of Harry and Meghan’s move but refused to say whether or not Canadians were paying to protect the royal couple. More than 80,000 Canadians signed the Canadian Taxpayers Federation petition telling Trudeau they were opposed to paying for H&M's security costs with taxpayers’ money. After public backlash and immense pressure from Canadian taxpayers, the RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] ceased providing its protective policing services for H&M as they had formally stepped down as working royals [source 1 // source 2 // source 3]

post link

author: SeptiemeSens

submitted: June 04, 2024 at 11:46AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Papasan Choi died on Feb 23, 2023. Boonville was founded by him but taken away by Sun Myung Moon

Updated March 5, 2023

▲ Papasan Choi (aka Choi Sang-Ik, Choi Bong-Choon and Masaru Nishigawa) and Mamasan in Tokyo.

Sang-Ik Choi was born in 1925. At the age of two he had moved to Japan with his family, returning to Korea when they were forced to repatriate in 1945. His father gave him the name Bong-choon when he was in his twenties. He realized the significance of the name only after joining our church in April 1957 and thereafter adopted it. During his missionary days in Japan, he went by the Japanese name Masaru Nishigawa.

Mutual hostility contributed to Korea and Japan not restoring diplomatic relations until December 1965. In 1958, severe travel restrictions existed between the two countries. Talks recommenced in December that year only after Japan dropped its long-standing claim to about 80 percent of all property in Korea and its claim that Korea was the beneficiary from 1910-1945. Antiquities had been spirited away from Korea. Japan called this archeology; Korea called it theft. Any concessions on Japan’s part led to riots in Tokyo. Even in 1965, in both countries, riots and histrionic statements by politicians preceded the ratification votes.

He planted the seeds for the Unification Church in Japan from 1958 to 1964. Because Korea and Japan did not have diplomatic relations, he was arrested upon arrival in July 1958. Escaping confinement, he made his way to Tokyo where, after six months of struggle, he got a job as a salesman for a watch shop in the Shinjuku section. During the morning he worked. In the afternoon he witnessed. Once a week he rented the second floor of the shop to preach. On Sunday, October 2, 1959, he conducted the first Sunday service. The Unification Church of Japan commemorates this as its founding day.

Sang-Ik Choi was married in the 36 couples under the name of Bong-Choon Choi. His wife, Mi-Shik Shin, had been expelled from Ewha Woman’s University in 1955 during the UC sex scandal. The young women did not want to testify in court. However, Moon admitted to the judge that he had lied about his age to avoid the military draft. He was sentenced to two years in jail, but was released after a few months after some “special arrangements” were made. Papasan Choi was always reluctant to talk about how his wife was “womb-cleansed” by Sun Myung Moon.

▲ Papasan Choi with Japanese members

In 1964 he was deported from Japan to Korea; the following year he traveled to the US where he was known as Papasan Choi. He established a community in the Bay Area, but there was conflict between his group and that of Young-oon Kim who taught the Divine Principle in a more orthodox way.

▲ Boonville, also known as New Ideal City Ranch

Boonville was purchased in 1970 by Papasan Choi. He and his wife, known as Mamasan, led the Re-Education Center which he had founded in San Francisco. Mamasan’s role in the community was significant. Yeon-Soo Lim (or Onni Durst as she was later known) ran an outpost of Papasan Choi’s community in Berkeley.

Papasan Choi’s secular teachings, The Principles of Education, were the foundation for the teaching methods used in the Bay Area and Boonville by Mose Durst, Kristina Morrison Seher and the Creative Community Project team.

__________________________________

▲ Papasan Choi, Mamasan and San Francisco members, January 1, 1969

“Furthermore, the International Re-Education Foundation had owned some land in Boonville, California, sometimes known as [the New] Ideal City Ranch, which it turned over in a simple transfer of title in 1974 to the Unification Church.” (page 111) Rev. Sun Myung Moon (1978) by Chong-Sun Kim. University Press of America

In December 1974 Yeon-Soo Lim was married to Mose Durst by Sun Myung Moon in Pasadena. From then she was known as Onni Durst. At the same time Moon made her the Unification Church leader of California (excluding Los Angeles). In this way she inherited the Boonville property. Papasan Choi was sometimes described as a failure by leaders of the Creative Community Project, however, that had not been the case.

Link to an extended report on Papasan Choi and the early UC in California.

Papasan Choi made a public declaration about leaving the Unification Church on January 15, 1987 in Saitama, Japan.

統一教会問題と私、及びその未来 – 西川 勝氏

__________________________________

Creative Community Project brochure

From a talk given by Dr. Mose Durst, President of the Creative Community Project.

Childcare in the Unification Church of Oakland

Boonville – Is this how the Family cared for its children?

Recruitment – The Boonville Chicken Palace by David Frank Taylor, M.A., July 1978, Sociology

Moonwebs by Josh Freed

Crazy for God: The nightmare of cult life by Christopher Edwards

Ford Greene – the former Moonie became an attorney

Chant 10,000 times – instruct Onni Durst and Kristina Morrison Seher, June 2014

__________________________________

Thomas W. Case:

Boonville in the spring of 1974

Inside Look at a Boonville Moonie Training Session

__________________________________

[brookston]

Holidays 2.8

Holidays

Air Force Day (Iran)

Boy Scout Day

Call Everyone Dave Day (UK)

Colorism Awareness Day

Culture Day (Slovenia)

Day of Release (Elder Scrolls)

Day of Russian Science (Russia)

Devil’s Footprint Day (UK)

Gas Execution Day

Hold Onto Your Head Day

International Day of Prayer & Awareness Against Human Trafficking

International Septuagint Day

Kelp-Koli Death Day (Shamanism)

Kite Flying Day

Korean People’s Army Foundation Day (North Korea)

Laetitia Asteroid Day

Laugh and Get Rich Day

Leadership Success Day

National Black Women Physicians Day

National Iowa Day

National Tina Peters Day

National TV Safety Day

Nick Nolte Day

Opera Day

Prešeren Day (Day of Slovenian Culture; Slovenia)

Prison Service Day (Poland)

Propose Day

Rebel Day

Rodney Smith Jr. Day (Nevada)

Science Fiction Day

Smiles Are Contagious Day

Tako-ichi (Kite Fair; Tokyo, Japan)

Wear Orange Day

World Marriage Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Chocolate Cheesecake Day

International Pisco Sour Day

International Scotch Day

National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day

National Girl Scout Cookie Day

National Molasses Bar Day

National Potato Lover’s Day

Piscola Day (Chile)

Nature Celebrations

Camellia Day (Japan)

Saxifrage Day (Deep Feelings; Korean Birth Flowers)

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Byzantium Novum (Declared; 2010) [Unrecognized]

Constitution Day (Philippines)

Ramadan Revolution Anniversary Day (Iraq)

2nd Saturday in February

Global Movie Day [2nd Saturday]

International Purple Hijab Day [2nd Saturday]

International Snowmobile Ride Day [2nd Saturday]

Salad Saturday [2nd Saturday of Each Month]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Satirical Saturday [2nd Saturday of Each Month]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 8 (1st Week of February)

Getting Dizzy Week (thru 2.14)

Love Makes the World Go Round, but Laughter Keeps Us From Getting Dizzy Week (thru 2.14)

Take a Friend Snowmobiling Week (thru 2.17)

Festivals Beginning February 8, 2025

Annie Awards (Los Angeles, California) [International Animated Film Association]

Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain) [thru 3.16]

Carnival of Ovar (Ovar, Portugal) [thru 3.4]

Carnival of Viareggio (Viareggio, Italy) [thru 3.4]

Death By Chocolate (Appleton, Wisconsin)

Directors Guild of America Awards (Los Angeles, California)

Family Style Food Fest (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Goya Awards (Granada, Spain)

Ice Fishing Derby (Glasgow, Montana)

Invictus Games (South Africa) [thru 2.16]

Joriad North American Truffle Dog Championship (Eugene, Oregon)

Marlborough Wine & Food Festival (Marlborough, New Zealand)

Melodifestivalen (Gothenburg, Sweden)

Panama City Beach Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival (Panama City Beach, Florida) [thru 2.9]

Producers Guild Awards (Los Angeles, California)

Royal Hobart Regatta (Australia) [thru 2.10]

Super Chili Bowl Cook Off (Orange Beach, Alabama)

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (New York, New York) [& 2.10-11]

Yukon Quest (Canada)

Feast Days

Avoid Artichokes Day (Pastafarian)

Candle Spell for Springtime Wishes Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Cuthmann of Steyning (Christian; Saint)

Elffled of Whitby (Christian; Saint)

Elfleda (Christian; Virgin)

Ganymede’s Day (Pagan)

Gerolamo Emiliani (a.k.a. Jerome Emiliani; Christian; Saint)

Get Naked Day (Pastafarian)

Ha-Ri-Ku-Yo (a.k.a. Hard Kuyo or Festival for the Broken Needles, day of rest for needles; Japan)

Jerome Emiliani (Christian; Saint)

John of Matha, founder of the Order of Trinitarians (Christian; Saint)

Josephine Bakhita (Christian; Saint)

Juventius of Pavia (Christian; Saint)

Kevin Koala (Muppetism)

Maha Shivaratri (Festival to Lord Shiva; Hinduism)

Meingold of Huy (Christian; Martyr)

Narvik Sun Pageant Day (Vinterfestuka; Norway)

Niceties (a.k.a. Nizier, of Besançon (Christian; Saint)

Nirvana Day (a.k.a. Parinirvana; Mahayana Buddhism)

Paul, Bishop of Verdun (Christian; Saint)

Praxiteles (Positivist; Saint)

Star Festival (China; Everyday Wicca)

Stephen of Muret (a.k.a. Stephen of Grandmont; Christian; Saint)

Teletubbie Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Vartan (Christian; Saint) [Armenia]

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 11 (Wu-Shen)

Day Pillar: Earth Monkey

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Destruction Day (破 Po) [Inauspicious]

Holidays: Special Working Day

Secular Saints Days

Elizabeth Bishop (Literature)

Samuel Butler (Literature)

Neal Cassady (Literature)

Kate Chopin (Literature)

George Dawe (Art)

James Dean (Entertainment)

John Grisham (Literature)

Guercino (Art)

Robert Klein (Entertainment)

Halldór Laxness (Literature)

Jack Lemmon (Entertainment)

Franz Marc (Art)

Audrey Meadows (Entertainment)

Dmitri Mendeleev (Science)

Paula Modersohn-Becker (Art)

Vince Neil (Music)

Nick Nolte (Entertainment)

Dan Seals (Music)

Bruce Timm (Art)

Lana Turner (Entertainment)

Jules Verne (Literature)

King Vidor (Entertainment)

John Williams (Music)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [9 of 60]

Premieres

Aloha, Scooby-Doo! (WB Animated Film; 2005)

Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs, by Andrew Bird (Album; 2005)

Better Call Saul (TV Series; 2015)

Billion Dollar Boner (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1960)

Birth of a Nation (Racist Silent Film; 1915)

Blackbeard’s Ghost (Film; 1968)

The Black Mountain, by Augusta Holmes (Opera; 1895)

Boris Godunov, by Modest Mussorgsky (Opera; 1874)

Box-Office Bunny (WB Cartoon; 1991)

The Bull Fight (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1935)

The Carpenters (Columbia Favorites Cartoon; 1951)

The Cat Came Back (WB MM Cartoon; 1936)

Catwoman: Hunted (WB Animated Film; 2022)

Charley’s Aunt (Silent Film; 1925)

Collateral Damage (Film; 2002)

College of William and Mary (School; 1689)

Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean (Broadway Play; 1982)

Disney California Adventure (Theme Park; 2001)

The Dissatisfied Cobbler (Aesop’s Film Fable Cartoon; 1922)

(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville, recorded by R.E.M. (Song; 1981)

Duel Controls or Put It in Second (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 343; 1965)

The Early Bird and the Worm (Happy Harmonies MGM Cartoon; 1936)

The Einstein Theory of Relativity (Fleischer Cartoon; 1923)

Flora, by Marco da Gagliano and Jacopo Peri (Opera; 1735) [1st Opera performed in US]

The Fog (Film; 1980)

Fortune Hunters (Gandy Goose Terrytoons Cartoon; 1946)

The 42nd Parallel, by John Dos Passos (Novel; 1930)

Good Times (TV Series;1974)

The Grocery Boy (Mickey Mouse Disney Cartoon; 1932)

Hamlet (Film; 1991)

The Harder They Come (Film; 1973)

Heaven Help Us (Film; 1985)

Hello Aloha (Goofy Disney Cartoon; 1952)

House of Magic (Meany, Miny, and Moe Cartoon; 1937)

In Bruges (Film; 2008)

In the Post-War Era (Speaking of Animals Cartoon; 1946)

I Saw Her Standing There, by The Beatles (Song; 1964)

Katy Perry, by Katy Perry (Album; 2004)

Killer Queen, by Queen (Song; 1975)

Ko-Ko Beats Time (Fleischer Inkwell Imps Cartoon; 1929)

Lambert the Sheepish Lion (Disney Cartoon; 1952)

L.A. Story (Film; 1991)

Legion (TV Series; 2017)

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (Animated Film; 2019)

Little Darlin’, by The Diamonds (Song; 1957)

The Magic Toyshop, by Angela Carter (Novel; 1967)

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (Film; 2019)

Marquee Moon, by Television (Album; 1977)

A Message to Gracias (WB LT Cartoon; 1964)

Midnight Madness (Film; 1980)

Mischief (Film; 1985)

Nearlyweds (Famous/Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1957)

Needy, by Ariana Grande (Song; 2019)

Nobody Love, by Tori Kelly (Song; 2015)

No, No Song, by Ringo Starr (Song; 1975)

On the Ice (Aesop’s Film Fable Cartoon; 1928)

Planet of the Apes (Film; 1968)

Radio Free Europe, recorded by R.E.M. (Song; 1981)

Razz Berries, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1931)

The Robot (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1932)

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (Film; 1991)

She Was a Lady (a.k.a. The Saint Meets His Match or Angels of Doom), by Leslie Charteris (Novel; 1931) [Saint #8]

Stars & Stripes (American Expeditionary Force weekly publication; 1918)

Stop in the Name of Love (Song; 1965)

Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, by Sergei Rachmaninoff (Symphony; 1908)

Taxi Driver (Film; 1976)

They Didn’t Pick Up Our Option or Show Down (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 344; 1965)

Time of the Season, by The Zombies (Song; 1969)

Traces, by the Classics IV (Song; 1969)

Witness (Film; 1985)

Today’s Name Days

Hieronymus, Josefina, Josefine (Austria)

Jerko, Jeronim, Jozefina, Mladen (Croatia)

Milada (Czech Republic)

Corintha (Denmark)

Taalo, Tali, Talis, Talvo (Estonia)

Laina (Finland)

Jacqueline (France)

Elfrieda, Hieronymus (Germany)

Zacharias (Greece)

Aranka (Hungary)

Giacomina, Girolamo, Jacqueline (Italy)

Aldona, Anatols, Blazma (Latvia)

Daugvilė, Dromantas, Honorata, Saliamonas (Lithuania)

Åshild, Åsne (Norway)

Gniewomir, Gniewosz, Honorat, Jan, Ksenofont, Lucjusz, Paweł, Piotr, Salomon, Sebastian, Żaklina (Poland)

Teodor, Zaharia (Romania)

Maria (Russia)

Zoja (Slovakia)

Jerónimo, Josefina (Spain)

Dick, Rikard (Sweden)

Beula, Beulah, Clay, Clayton, Cleve, Cleveland, Clive, Clyde (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Zack Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 39 of 2025; 326 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 6 of Week 6 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 19 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 11 (Wu-Shen)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 1 Amshir 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Poplar (Feb 4-8) [Day 5 of 5]

Hebrew: 10 Shevat 5785

Islamic: 9 Sha’ban 1446

Julian: 26 January 2025

Moon: 83%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 11 Homer (2nd Month) [Praxiteles)

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 50 of 90)

SUn Calendar: 9 Gray; Twosday [9 of 30]

Week: 2nd Week of February

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 20 of 30)

Sidereal Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 25 of 29)

Schmidt Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 14 of 27)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 20 of 28)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Capricornus (Day 21 of 28)

Calendar Changes

ʾAmshīr (a.k.a. Meshir) [أمشير ] (Coptic Calendar) [Month 6 of 13]

[chorusfm]

Jack’s Mannequin Announces The MFEO Tour

Jack’s Mannequin are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a tour. Andrew talked with Rolling Stone about the announcement: I’ll be honest, I’m anxious about it. My therapist will be on call for this round. With Jack’s Mannequin it was so story-driven. Since it was mine exclusively from a writing standpoint, it became this vehicle to really latch my journey to my writing and be able to author those things through these three records. I never expected that Jack’s was going to be a three-record project, I think we just got so caught in the swirl of everything that was happening around the project. Those three records, that period of life, everything is so attached and bound together. Stepping back into that will be a workout, emotionally and physically. I’m excited to be able to tell that story onstage every night. We’re going to learn all of these songs and try and keep the set really alive and unique from show to show so that people who are fans of the band get a taste of everything. As we get deeper into rehearsals, we’re going to try and get a lot of the B-sides learned as well. Obviously, we know it’s the 20-year anniversary of Transit, so there’ll be a lot of Transit in there, but we’re going to have a whole lot of time to really dig in. Jack’s Mannequin is back. The acclaimed alternative pop rock group, led by veteran indie-pop singer-songwriter-pianist Andrew McMahon, has announced The MFEO Tour to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The 24-date North American headlining tour, with special guests to be announced, will officially launch on June 4th in Portland, Maine and travel throughout the month stopping in Boston, New York City (June 7th at The Rooftop at Pier 17), Philadelphia, Charlotte, Richmond, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago and St. Paul. Following their debut performance at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 23rd for McMahon’s sold-out Three Pianos event and headlining shows in Japan in September, The MFEO Tour will resume October 11that The Wiltern in Los Angeles and make its way to St. Petersburg, Orlando, Atlanta, Columbus, Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit (for the 16th Annual Dear Jack Benefit on November 11th at The Fillmore), Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, and Anaheim before wrapping November 23rd in Del Mar, California. In addition, Jack’s Mannequin will be performing at select festivals in 2025 including Bonnaroo, When We Were Young, Innings Festival, and SXSW, with the latter’s details to be announced soon. PRESS HERE to watch the tour promo video and PRESS HERE to read an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone about the return of Jack’s Mannequin and the upcoming tour.   Camp Wilderness fan club presale begins Tuesday, January 28th at 10am local time with artist, local and Spotify presales available Wednesday, January 29th and Thursday, January 30th starting at 10am local time daily. The public on-sale will commence Friday, January 31st at 10am local time. $1 per ticket for The MFEO Tour will be donated to the Dear Jack Foundation. See below for full list of upcoming tour dates and visit https://andrewmcmahon.com/pages/tour-dates for more information, to purchase tickets, and to sign up for a chance at getting tickets to the artist presale. Jack’s Mannequin wants to give fans, not scalpers, the best chance to buy The MFEO Tour 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 and can't attend, they'll have the option to resell them to other fans on Ticketmaster at the original price paid. To ensure Face Value Exchange works as intended, Jack’s Mannequin has requested all tickets be mobile only and restricted from transfer. New York, Illinois, Colorado, Virginia, Connecticut, and Utah have passed state laws requiring unlimited ticket resale and limiting artists’ ability to determine how their tickets are resold. To adhere to local law, tickets in these states will not be restricted from transfer but the band… https://chorus.fm/news/jacks-mannequin-announces-the-mfeo-tour/

[mrmatchala]

“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

— Sun Tzu, The Art of War

______________________________

The Art of Italian Matcha Gelato: Why Quality Matters

Where It All Began

It all started in 2014 with a trip to Japan. Immersed in the bold flavors and artistry of matcha, the spark for something bigger was born.

A Challenging Start

In the early days, we partnered with a company in Japan, but the partnership ended as our visions didn’t align. It inspired me to stay true to my passion. I returned to Japan to seek the finest matcha and lay the foundation for what would become Mr. Matcha.

Fun fact: The original name was Matcha Boyz but let’s just say, I’m glad we leveled up in more ways than one.

Our Legacy

This logo marks the start of our journey, our soft serve era (2017).

Logo Evolution

This updated logo reflects the evolution of Mr. Matcha. Building on the legacy of our soft serve beginnings (2017–2020). Logo designed by Hypewell

Evolution and Expansion

Between 2017 and 2020, we built 3 stores within just 1.5 years, marking a major chapter of growth in our journey. While COVID in 2020 paused operations, it set the stage for our comeback and reimagined vision.

✨ Reimagined in 2025

We’ve left soft serve behind and leveled up to artisanal Italian Matcha Gelato Pints. Created by Chris Hall

At Mr. Matcha

Proudly crafted in Los Angeles, California, we are dedicated to creating the finest Italian matcha gelato. Made with premium matcha sourced directly from Japan, authentic Italian ingredients, and organic milk, each pint reflects our commitment to craftsmanship, quality, and authenticity.

Gelato vs. Ice Cream: What’s the Difference?

Gelato is a denser, creamier dessert crafted with less air and lower fat than traditional ice cream. In contrast, ice cream is fluffier and richer, catering to a different palate.

When you choose gelato, you’re choosing an artisanal experience of refined taste and texture.

Pure Authenticity

Our gelato is crafted with pure, high grade matcha. No artificial colors, no synthetic flavors, just true authenticity that honors tradition.

48-Hour Aging Process

Our gelato undergoes a 72-hour aging process, enhancing its rich, smooth taste and preserving the vibrant green of premium matcha.

Premium Ingredients vs. Low-Cost Alternatives

Quality matters, and here’s why:

Organic Milk: Offers a clean, pure taste, free from the heavy “milky cow” flavor found in regular milk.

High-Grade Matcha: Directly sourced from Japan, it delivers a bold, authentic flavor and a vibrant green color, unlike the dull yellowish tone of inferior matcha.

Italian Gelato Base: Imported straight from Italy for unparalleled artisanal quality and authenticity.

We take no shortcuts, ensuring every ingredient stands out. This commitment sets us apart from low-cost alternatives.

Cost Comparison

A $5 matcha ice cream might be cheaper, but it cuts corners on quality. Our Italian matcha gelato is all about delivering unmatched taste, authenticity, and premium quality.

No Air Pockets, No Surprises

We promise a pint packed to perfection, no hollow spaces, no disappointments.

In the past, some customers shared their feedback on areas we could improve. Here’s what they had to say:

What We’ve Done Since

We listened to your feedback and realized soft serve didn’t meet our standards. That’s why we’ve evolved into artisanal gelato pints and free from hollow spaces.

Perfect Portions in Every Pint

Consistency is key. Each pint of our Italian matcha gelato is portioned and weighed to ensure an exceptional experience every time.

The Comeback: Redefining Perfection

In 2020, the challenges of COVID forced us to take a step back, a necessary pause to reflect, refine, and rebuild. Over the past four years, we embraced this time as an opportunity to raise the bar even higher.

Now, in 2025, we’re back! stronger than ever. While others cut corners, we chose to raise the bar, doubling down on quality and craftsmanship. Each pint is a testament to our dedication and a masterpiece in the art of Italian matcha gelato.

What began in California has become a global mission. We invite you to experience the difference, crafted with passion, built on authenticity, and perfected for your palate. Taste the art of Italian matcha gelato today.

Special Thanks

A heartfelt thank you to Calvin Tran (Hypewell) and David Truong for their unwavering support during the 2016–2020 era. I also want to express my gratitude to everyone who contributed along the way, no matter how briefly. Your efforts helped shape what Mr. Matcha is today, and I’m forever grateful. Now, it’s my turn to support you, just as you’ve supported me.

__________________________________

Taste the difference.

[thesocialchronicles]

He noted that his wife is a "normal Japanese woman" who he has known for three or four years and added that he proposed to her in 2023, the outlet said. In March, a photo of Ohtani and his wife was posted on the Dodgers' social media, confirming her identity. Tanaka, who played for the Fujitsu Red Wave team in the Women's Japan Basketball League, has since been spotted at a few of her husband's games. She also joined him at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation's 2024 Blue Diamond Gala in May and the two were photographed together at a Los Angeles Lakers game earlier this month. Ohtani had also reportedly penned a now-viral list about his hopes and dreams, including about starting a family, when he was in high school. According to Sports Illustrated, which cited a post on Reddit that referenced a Japanese TV show, the athlete had written he wanted to get married and win the World Series by age 26 and have his first child, a son, by the time he was 28. In October, in what marked his first MLB postseason appearance, the 2024 National League MVP helped the Dodgers win the 2024 World Series. https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20241128/rs_1200x1200-241228170042-1200-shohei-otani-tamiko-tanaka-dodgers-gala-cjh-050224.jpg?fit=around%7C1080:1080&output-quality=90&crop=1080:1080;center,top 2024-12-29 01:15:30

[travelinfo120]

He noted that his wife is a "normal Japanese woman" who he has known for three or four years and added that he proposed to her in 2023, the outlet said. In March, a photo of Ohtani and his wife was posted on the Dodgers' social media, confirming her identity. Tanaka, who played for the Fujitsu Red Wave team in the Women's Japan Basketball League, has since been spotted at a few of her husband's games. She also joined him at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation's 2024 Blue Diamond Gala in May and the two were photographed together at a Los Angeles Lakers game earlier this month. Ohtani had also reportedly penned a now-viral list about his hopes and dreams, including about starting a family, when he was in high school. According to Sports Illustrated, which cited a post on Reddit that referenced a Japanese TV show, the athlete had written he wanted to get married and win the World Series by age 26 and have his first child, a son, by the time he was 28. In October, in what marked his first MLB postseason appearance, the 2024 National League MVP helped the Dodgers win the 2024 World Series.

[oneofthe1s]

Photographer Research Post #1

For my first research post, I chose Daido Moriyama, I chose him because I liked a lot of his art and I took inspiration from it. I enjoy the black-and-white grainy style he has in his pictures. 

Who: Daido Moriyama is a Japanese photographer born in Ikeda Osaka on October 10, 1938. He is best known for his black-and-white street photography. He began his career as an assistant to Eikoh Hosoe. Moriyama made his first photobook, Japan: A Photo Theatre, published in 1968. His work in the 1960s was composed of the darker qualities of urban life in Japan's postwar. Moriyama experimented with the possibilities offered by the camera in his 1969 Accident series. 

What: I chose his collage of photos from Shinjuku because I like the composition and what's happening in most of the pictures. For example, his picture is in a bar with eyes all over the walls. I also like the picture with the girl sitting in what looks like a train with a shaft of light on top of her creating a shadow of her in the image. Shinjuku was published in 2002. The print is a gelatin silver print 11 in x 16 1/4 in 27.9 cm x 41.3 cm and is a part of the Getty Museum's collection located in Los Angeles. 

After discovering and reviewing Daido Moriyama's art I feel inspired to take black and white pictures and to give street photography a try. I also feel I should try talking to strangers to broaden what options I have for picture taking. 

“Daidō Moriyama.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Nov. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daid%C5%8D_Moriyama. 

Foundation, Moriyama Daido Photo, and Moriyama Daido Photo Foundation. “Photo Gallery Moriyama Daido Official WebSite.” Www.moriyamadaido.com, www.moriyamadaido.com/en/photogallery/#1806-1.

[hollywoodgothique]

70th Anniversary Godzilla Movie Marathon & Lectures

As he is wont to do now and then, Godzilla is stomping back into Los Angeles – this time, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of his first onscreen appearance, in Gojira (1954, later released in altered form in the US as Godzilla, King of the Monsters). In honor of this august occasion, there will be a five-film marathon at the Geffen Theatre and a pair of lectures at the Japan Foundation Los…

[duckprintspress]

If I may, I've found one other library a little like QLL, that is on Libby and available throughout the US, and it even has some queer books, though not tons. And that is the Japan Foundation of LA! I've been reading soooooo much manga through them.

It's the only one I'm personally aware of that's even kind of similar. If anyone else knew more, I'd love to hear about 'um too, having QLL and JFLA on my phone this year has been a lovely way for me to read a lot that I wouldn't have been able to read otherwise.

Do you know of any other free online libraries like yours? I love QLL So Much and I would love to be able to expand my book possibilities even more :) They don’t have to be queer focused - anything is good! (Of course i’m also signed up w my local library which is great and has a good-size selection, but sometimes holds are very long)

one of the reasons we exist is because there isn’t anyone else doing exactly what we do!

there are quite a few other brick & mortar queer libraries scattered across the continent but most don’t have that digital presence (unless you’re in Minnesota! if so, check out Quatrefoil). there are also a LOT of regular libraries with digital collections on Libby or Hoopla - some public libraries have really specific residency requirements to be a member, others have some flexibility (reddit is actually a font of knowledge if you’re exploring this - r/audiobooks or r/libby to start). If you already have a public library card, there are also a lot of resource-sharing initiatives out there between libraries that you may be eligible for - for example MeL in michigan, or the Brooklyn Public Library’s Books UnBanned initiative if you meet their age window, or if you have any connections to an academic library InterLibraryLoan (ILL) - even if you’re not a student/faculty/staff some colleges/universities have ‘community user’ policies you could explore. you can always walk into your library and ask a library worker if your local system is connected to anything like this (they will be THRILLED to answer that question, let me tell you).

I’d also strongly encourage you to go absolutely hog wild on Open Access resources like Project Gutenberg, which has a ton of amazing things in the public domain. also the directory of open access books or world digital library for the more academically inclined.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 10.28

Holidays

Bhai Dooj (India)

Bhai Tika (Nepal)

Children’s Day (Australia)

Chucks-N-Pearls Day

Civil Servants’ Day (Brazil)

Common Fig Day (French Republic)

Cox Plate Day (Australia)

Day of International Concern About Young People and Gun Violence

Engineer’s Day (Venezuela)

Flying Baby Day

Folly Day

Gone-ta-Pott Day [every 28th]

Hari Sumpah Pemuda (Youth Pledge Day; Indonesia)

Honoring the Nation’s First Responders Day

International Animation Day

International Creole Day

Liberation of Ukraine from Nazi Invaders Day (Ukraine)

Milvian Bridge Day

National Caroline Day

National Comprehensive Sex Education Call-In Day

National Cry Yourself to Sleep Day

National Day of Outrage

National First Responders Day

National I Love You Day

National Immigrants Day

National Internal Medicine Day

National Internment Commemoration Day (Canada)

National William Day

Ohi Day (a.k.a. Ochi! Day or Oxi Day; Cyprus, Greece)

Part Your Hair Crooked Just To See If Anyone Will Say Anything About It Day

Plush Animal Lover's Day

Prefectural Earthquake Disaster Prevention Day (Gifu, Japan)

Q Day

Republic Day Eve (Turkey)

Separation of Church and State Day

Stan Lee Day (Los Angeles)

Stargate Day

Statue of Liberty Day

Ticker-Tape Parade Day

Time Day

Twitter Emancipation Day

Ugly Pickup Truck Day

Vote Early Day

World Judo Day

World Tobacco Growers’ Day

Youth Pledge Day (Indonesia)

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Chocolate Day

Wild Foods Day

4th & Last Monday in October

African-American Cotton Pickers’ Day [4th Monday]

Bank Holiday (Ireland) [Last Monday]

Equality Day (Antarctica) [4th Monday]

Green Monday [Monday of Last Full Week]

International School Library Day [4th Monday]

Labour Day (New Zealand) [4th Monday]

La Saoire i mi Dheireadh Fomhair [Last Monday]

Meatless Monday [Last Monday of Each Month]

Meditation Monday [Every Monday]

Monday Musings [Every Monday]

Moody Monday [Last Monday of Each Month]

Motivation Monday [Every Monday]

October Bank Holiday (Ireland) [Last Monday]

School Library Day (Canada) [Last Monday]

Independence & Related Days

Bokonton (Declared; 2007) [unrecognized]

Czechoslovakia (Now the Czech Republic; from Austria-Hungary, 1918)

Erusia (Declared; 2008) [unrecognized]

Foundation Day (Davao Occidental, Philippines)

United Republics of Michigan (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Weekly Holidays beginning October 28 (Last Week of October)

Hudson Valley Restaurant Week (Hudson Valley, New York) [thru 11.10]

Festivals Beginning October 28, 2024

American Indian Tourism Conference (Marksville, Louisiana) [thru 10.31]

Supply Side West (Las Vegas, Nevada) [thru 10.31]

TechCrunch Disrupt (San Francisco, California) [thru 10.30]

Tokyo International Film Festival (Tokyo, Japan) [thru 11.6]

Feast Days

Abdias of Babylon (Christian; Saint)

Abgar V of Edessa (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Ayad Akhtar (Writerism)

Eadsige (Christian; Saint)

Evelyn Waugh (Writerism)

Extra Kinky Day (Pastafarian)

Faro, Bishop of Meauz (Christian; Saint)

Feast of the Einherjar (Norse)

Feast of the Lord of Miracles (Peru)

Fidelis of Como (Roman Catholic Church)

Firmilian (Christian; Saint)

Francis Bacon (Artology)

Fyribod (a.k.a. Forebode; Norse beginning of Winter)

Godwin of Stavelot (Christian; Saint)

Gumby Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Isis/Osiris Mysteries I (Pagan)

Job of Pochayiv (repose) (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Jude Thaddeus (a.k.a. Jude the Apostle; Western Christianity)

Leibnitz (Positivist; Saint)

Lord of Miracles (Lima; Christian; Saint)

Makoshe’s Holiday (Honoring Mother Earth; Asatru/Pagan Slavic)

Michael Noakes (Artology)

Neot (Christian; Saint)

Paraskrevi of Iconium (Christian; Saint)

Simon the Zealot (a.k.a. Simon the Canaanite; Simon the Apostle; Western Christianity)

The Tortoise (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 50 of 60)

Premieres

All Quiet on the Western Front (Film; 2022)

An Alpine Symphony, by Richard Strauss (Tone Poem; 1915)

Barking Dogs Don’t Fite (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1949)

Because I Got High, by Afroman (Song; 2001)

Bee Movie (Animated Film; 2007)

Black Beauty (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special; 1978)

The Blue Danube (MGM Cartoon; 1939)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote (Novella; 1958)

Decade, by Neil Young (Compilation Album; 1977)

Decline and Fall, by Evelyn Waugh (Novel; 1928)

The Desperate Showers (George of the Jungle Cartoon; 1967) [#8]

Droopy (Tex Avery Droopy MGM Cartoon; 1955)

Educating Rita (Film; 1983)

The Futurological Congress: From the Memoirs of Ijon Tichy, by Stanisław Lem (Novel; 1971)

Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift (Novel; 1726)

How Green Was My Valley (Film; 1941)

Inferno (Film; 2016)

Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (TV movie; 1978)

The Legend of Zorro (Film; 2005)

Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl (Philosophical Book; 1959)

News of the World, by Queen (Album; 1978)

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Short Story; 1973)

The Pet Store (Disney Cartoon; 1933)

Pinterest (Social Media App; 2009)

Pop ‘im Pop! (WB LT Cartoon; 1950)

Puss in Boots (Animated Film; 2011)

Pussy Willie (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1929)

Puttin’ On the Dog (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1944)

The Quail Hunt (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1935)

Richard Pryor … Here and Now (Stand-Up Comedy Film; 1983)

Rotten Hood (Super Chicken Cartoon; 1967) [#18

The Rum Diary (Film; 2011)

Stargate (Film; 1994)

String Along Pink (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1978)

Supermarket Pink (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1978)

Talking Book, by Stevie Wonder (Album; 1972)

Tinker Bell (Animated Film; 2008)

We Can’t Dance, by Genesis (Album; 1991)

Today’s Name Days

Judas, Simon, Thaddeus (Austria)

Juda, Šimun, Siniša, Tadej, Tadija (Croatia)

Státní Svátek (Czech Republic)

Judas, Simon (Denmark)

Siim, Siimo, Siimon, Siimu, Simmo, Simmu, Simun (Estonia)

Simo (Finland)

Jude, Simon (France)

Freddy, Simon (Germany)

Evniki, Vili (Greece)

Simon, Szimonetta (Hungary)

Giuda, Simone (Italy)

Antoņina, Ņina, Ninona, Zemgals (Latvia)

Almantė, Gaudrimas, Simas, Simonas, Tadas (Lithuania)

Simen, Simon (Norway)

Juda, Szymon, Tadeusz, Wszeciech (Poland)

Iachint (Romania)

Dobromila (Slovakia)

Judas, Simón (Spain)

Simon, Simone (Sweden)

Nestor (Ukraine)

Dayanara, Eunice, Jonah, Jonas, Jude, Liberty, Simeon, Simon, Simone, Thad, Thaddea, Thaddeus (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 302 of 2024; 64 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of Week 44 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Hagal (Hailstone) [Day 2 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Jia-Xu), Day 26 (Yi-Chou)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 26 Tishri 5785

Islamic: 24 Rabi II 1446

J Cal: 2 Wood; Oneday [1 of 30]

Julian: 14 October 2024

Moon: 12%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 22 Descartes (11th Month) [Gibbon / Robertson]

Runic Half Month: Wyn (Joy) [Day 6 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 36 of 90)

Week: Last Week of October

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 5 of 30)

[thepastisalreadywritten]

TODAY IN HISTORY: August 9

9 August 1173

Construction began on the Tower of Pisa, intended as the bell tower for the cathedral in Pisa, Italy.

The tower's foundation was laid on soft, unstable ground, causing it to lean as early as the second floor.

Construction halted for nearly a century before resuming in the 13th century.

Despite attempts to correct the tilt, the lean continued, and the tower was completed in 1372, nearly 200 years later.

The tower's tilt became its most famous feature, and it stands today as an iconic symbol of architectural resilience.

9 August 48 BC

Julius Caesar decisively defeated Pompey the Great at the Battle of Pharsalus during Caesar's Civil War.

Pompey, with a larger army estimated at 40,000 men, positioned his forces on high ground, planning to use his superior cavalry to outflank Caesar.

However, Caesar, with an army of 22,000, anticipated this and used reserve forces to counter Pompey's cavalry, which led to a collapse of Pompey's lines and the crushing of his left flank, where Pompey was positioned.

After his defeat, Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was assassinated.

This ended the main phase of Caesar's Civil War and solidified his control over Rome.

9 August 1815

Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for exile on the remote island of St. Helena aboard the British ship HMS Northumberland.

After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and subsequent abdication, the British government decided to send him to St. Helena to prevent further political turmoil in Europe.

The journey took about two months. Upon arrival, Napoleon began his life in exile, spending his remaining years under constant surveillance on the island.

9 August 1945

The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, during World War II.

The bomb, codenamed "Fat Man," was initially intended for Kokura but was redirected to Nagasaki due to cloud cover.

The explosion occurred at 11:02 AM and was devastating, killing between 40,000 and 75,000 people instantly.

The bomb destroyed about 40% of the city, and thousands more died in the following months from injuries and radiation sickness.

This was the second atomic bomb used in the war and the threat of further use of these weapons brought it to a quick end.

9 August 1969

Actress Sharon Tate and four others were murdered by followers of Charles Manson at her Los Angeles home.

She was eight months pregnant at the time.

The victims included Tate's friends Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Steven Parent.