#National Alabama Day

[rabbitcruiser]

Alabama became the 22nd U.S. state on December 14, 1819.

National Alabama Day

National Alabama Day celebrates the rich culture and contributions of the state known as the Heart of Dixie.

It honors Alabama’s significant role in the nation, from its natural beauty and historical landmarks to its vibrant traditions and unique cuisine.

This day encourages everyone to appreciate what makes Alabama special, fostering a sense of state pride and unity.

The day recognizes Alabama’s impact on American history and culture. It highlights the state’s importance in events like the Civil Rights Movement and showcases its role in shaping the nation.

Celebrating this day also means acknowledging Alabama’s natural wonders, such as the Appalachian Mountains and Gulf Coast, along with its famous southern hospitality and delicious dishes like barbecue and fried green tomatoes​​.

National Alabama Day is a time for residents and visitors to explore the state’s diverse attractions and enjoy community gatherings.

People can visit national parks, attend local music festivals, and indulge in traditional Alabama foods.

These activities celebrate the state’s heritage and bring communities together, making it a memorable and cherished occasion for all​.

History of National Alabama Day

National Alabama Day celebrates Alabama’s admission to the Union as the 22nd state. This day acknowledges the state’s journey from being part of the Mississippi Territory to becoming its entity.

The process started with a constitutional convention in Huntsville in July 1819, leading to statehood on December 14 of the same year. The first governor was William Wyatt Bibb, and the initial capital was in the town of Cahawba​​. While Alabama Day was celebrated unofficially all over the state starting in 1903, the state officially declared the day in 1923.

The celebration of this day reflects on Alabama’s significant historical milestones and contributions to the nation. Alabama played a crucial role in events like the Civil Rights Movement, which began in Montgomery.

This period marked important strides towards equality and justice in the United States, making the state a central figure in American history​.

National Alabama Day also celebrates the state’s rich cultural heritage, including its music, cuisine, and natural beauty.

From southern hospitality to delicious barbecue and sweet tea, Alabama offers a unique blend of traditions that are cherished nationwide.

This day serves as a reminder of the state’s enduring spirit and its importance in the tapestry of American culture​.

How to Celebrate National Alabama Day

Celebrate National Alabama Day with these fun and engaging activities. Each suggestion offers a unique way to appreciate Alabama’s heritage, natural beauty, and cultural richness​.

Dive into History

Visit historical sites to explore Alabama’s rich past. Check out the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery. Tour the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile.

Dive into the tales these landmarks tell. They offer a fascinating glimpse into the state’s history.

Feast on Southern Delights

Cook up some Alabama specialties. Fire up the grill for some BBQ ribs. Whip up a batch of fried green tomatoes.

Don’t forget to try the famous Alabama white sauce. Enjoy a sweet ending with a slice of pecan pie. Your taste buds will thank you.

Enjoy the Great Outdoors

Take advantage of Alabama’s natural beauty. Hike through the Appalachian Mountains, lounge on the sandy beaches of the Gulf Coast, and explore underground caves.

Nature enthusiasts will find plenty to love in Alabama’s varied landscapes.

Attend Local Events

Join in the community festivities. Parades, music festivals, and street fairs are common. Enjoy traditional music and dance performances.

These events bring the vibrant culture of Alabama to life, and it’s a great way to experience local traditions firsthand.

Show Your State Pride

Wear Alabama colors and gear, decorate your home with the state flag, share fun facts about Alabama with friends, and celebrate the unique aspects of the Heart of Dixie.

It’s all about showing your love for this amazing state.

National Alabama Day FAQs

What unique role did Alabama play in the history of Mardi Gras?

Mobile, Alabama, hosted the first American Mardi Gras in 1703, predating New Orleans’ celebrations. The city continues this tradition with vibrant parades and festivities each year.

Is it true that Alabama was the birthplace of the windshield wiper?

Yes, in 1903, Mary Anderson from Alabama invented the first operational windshield wiper, enhancing driver visibility and safety.

How did Alabama contribute to the development of the 911 emergency system?

In 1968, Haleyville, Alabama, made the first-ever 911 call, pioneering the emergency response system now standard across the U.S.

What is Alabama’s official state dance, and how does it reflect the state’s culture?

The square dance is Alabama’s official state dance, highlighting the state’s rich traditions in folk music and community gatherings.

Did Alabama have a unique method of mail delivery that’s still in use today?

Yes, Magnolia Springs, Alabama, maintains the only year-round water-based mail delivery route in the U.S., with mail delivered by boat since 1915.

What is the significance of the Pine Burr Quilt in Alabama’s history?

The Pine Burr Quilt is Alabama’s official state quilt, recognized for its intricate design and cultural importance in the state’s quilting heritage.

How did Alabama’s constitution set a record?

Alabama’s state constitution, with over 300,000 words and 775 amendments, is the longest in the world, reflecting the state’s complex legal history.

What unique natural feature does Alabama possess regarding its waterways?

Alabama has more navigable waterways than any other U.S. state, totaling over 1,500 miles, which have been vital for transportation and commerce.

How did Alabama’s city of Fort Payne set a world record?

In 1989, Fort Payne built the world’s largest cake to celebrate its centennial, weighing over 128,000 pounds, though this record was later surpassed.

What is the story behind Alabama’s state motto?

Alabama’s state motto, “Audemus jura nostra defendere,” translates to “We dare defend our rights,” reflecting the state’s historical emphasis on sovereignty and self-determination.

Source

[nationallawreview]

It’s Election Time: Time Off to Vote, Political Activities, and Political Speech in the Workplace

With Election Day quickly approaching, it is the right time for employers to refresh themselves on the various protections that may exist for their employees when it comes to voting and other political activities. Below is an overview of employees’ rights related to voting and other political activities leave, as well as protections for political speech and activity both in and outside the…

[celtic-romulan]

I didn’t realize until a few hours ago that yesterday was National Mascot Day. I still have yet to run into Big Al in person, so I’ll make do with some plushie pics (and a Funko). 🐘❤��

[thorsenmark]

Manzanar Cemetery Monument by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While taking in views of the landscape present in the Manzanar National Historic Site with a view looking to the southwest. This is of the Manzanar Cemetery and monument with a mountain backdrop of Mount Williamson.

[nationaldaysbydigitalhygge]

December 14:

Gingerbread Decorating Day

Halcyon Days

International Shareware Day

More Good Today Day

National Alabama Day

National Bouillabaisse Day

National Free Shipping Day

National Monkey Day

National Screwdriver Day

National Wreaths Across America Day

Roast Chestnuts Day

Sustainable Entrepreneurship Day

[vague-humanoid]

Emmanuel Littlejohn has been waiting for months to find out whether he will die on Thursday or get to live. It's been "the hardest thing I ever did."

Littlejohn, 52, is set to be executed for the shooting death of a convenience store owner during a robbery in Oklahoma City in 1992. If Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt declines to grant him clemency, Littlejohn will be the third inmate executed by the state this year and the 17th in the nation. He's also one of five men the U.S. is executing in a six-day period, and he's set to die just about eight hours before Alabama is expected to execute Alan Eugene Miller using nitrogen gas.

"I would say to the governor: Do what you think is the right thing," Littlejohn told USA TODAY in a recent interview.

Littlejohn has admitted to his role in the robbery but has maintained that his accomplice was the one to pull the trigger, not him.

"I accept responsibility for what I did but not what they want me to accept responsibility for," Littlejohn previously told USA TODAY. "They want me to accept that I killed somebody, but I haven't killed somebody."

In a rare move, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 to recommend clemency for Littlejohn, whose legal team argued that the evidence in the case was unclear, especially who the triggerman was.

Still, Republican Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said afterward that his office would still be arguing against clemency to the governor, calling Littlejohn a "violent and manipulative killer."

If you’re outraged over Missouri murdering Marcellus Williams, then you should know Oklahoma is planning on carrying out an execution of Emmanuel Littlejohn this Thurs. at 10am.

Littlejohn was pardoned by the PPB. There’s still time to call the Governor: 405-521-2342.

I was able to leave a voicemail by pressing 1 then 4 then 0. After what happened in Missouri, there's an overwhelming sense of hopelessness that the care about public comments but I hope Emmanuel is able to avoid Khaliifah's fate.

Hi, the best thing to do is to call the Governor’s office directly and press 0 to be connected to a staff person. Ask that the governor respect the wishes of the pardon and parole board and grant clemency to Emmanuel Littlejohn. 405-521-2342

[fishenjoyer1]

Fish of the Day

Today's fish of the day is the Alabama Cavefish!

The Alabama Cavefish, scientific name Speoplatyrhinus poulsoni, is known for being one of the rarest troglobitic fish species in North America. Discovered in 1967, by the time the alabama cavefish was scientifically described in 1974, there were only about 100 fish left. On any visit to the cave, only about 10 fish have ever been seen, but they are consistently different fish, so the estimated number is a little under 100, making them critically endangered. This also makes them a possibility for the rarest cavefish in North America!

Despite the large waterways connecting caves in Key Cave National park to several other cave systems, the Alabama cavefish has restricted itself to only one cave for reasons we don't understand. A search of over 120 caves in the surrounding area revealed no populations or signs of populations. With a range consisting only of Key cave in Lauderdale county, Alabama; these fish are constantly faced by the threat of extinction, and most of their worries are based on the limited home range, and waters entering the cave. Any water with chemicals, especially fertilizers and other agricultural runoff are a large concern. That along with competition from more aggressive cavefish, and predation from nearby crawfish. Due to their living situation and delicate population, much is unknown about these fish. But, let us go over what we do know!

The diet of the Alabama cavefish consists mostly of invertebrates found in the caves: copepods, isopods, smaller cavefish, spiders, beetles, and anything else it can find that will fit in its mouth. They grow up to a size of 2-3 inches in length. They have no eyes or pigment, and hunt solely based off of sensory protrusions that dot the head and sides, a trait evolved to handle the almost complete darkness. These fish have no breeding season, and instead breed based off of the environmental signal: when the caves flood in the winter and spring. Insufficient flooding can lead to years where no breeding or spawning occurs, and when it does females carry few eggs, and even fewer eggs hatch. Their lifespans, based off of the lifespan of Northern cavefish, are an estimated 5-10 years.

[robertreich]

Why Trump Is Partnering With Christian Nationalists

Donald Trump is portraying himself as a religious savior. He says Election Day will be: …”the most important day in the history of our country, and it’s going to be Christian Visibility Day.”

Trump has repeatedly compared his criminal trials to the crucifixion of Jesus, promoted videos calling his reelection “the most important moment in human history,” and that describe him as a divinely appointed ruler.

He claims to be a holy warrior against an imaginary attack on Christianity.

TRUMP: They want to tear down crosses//But no one will be touching the cross of Christ under the Trump administration. I swear to you.

He’s even selling his own version of the Bible.

Trump is playing to a rising white Christian Nationalist movement within the Republican Party.

Christian Nationalists believe that the law of the land is not the Constitution, but instead the law of God as they interpret it. Under this view, atheists and people of other faiths (including Christians of other denominations) are all second-class citizens.

Trump’s supporters are increasingly overt in their calls to replace democracy with a MAGA theocracy.

The idea that the will of voters is irrelevant because God has anointed Trump was a recurring message in the efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

In previous videos, I’ve highlighted how MAGA Republicans have embraced core elements of fascism. They reject democracy, stoke fear of immigrants and minorities, embrace a gender and ethnic hierarchy, and look to a strongman to lead and defend them.

The combination of fascism and Christian Nationalism is called Christofascism, a term first used half a century ago by the theologian Dorothee Sölle. Fascists rise to power by characterizing their opponents as subhuman. Christofascists take it a step further by casting opponents as not just subhuman, but actually demonic.

Framing opponents as enemies of God makes violence against them not only seem justifiable, but divinely sanctioned, and almost inevitable.

Christofascists want to strip away a wide range of rights Americans take for granted. Former Trump staffers involved in developing plans for a second Trump term have called for imposing “Biblical” tests on immigration, overturning marriage equality, and restricting contraception.  

And MAGA-aligned judges are already setting their dogma ahead of the Constitution. In his concurring opinion on the case that declared frozen embryos are people, Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker cited God more than forty times and quoted the Book of Genesis and other religious texts.

Nothing could be more un-American than the Christian Nationalist vision. So many of America’s founders came here as refugees seeking religious freedom. The framers of the Constitution were adamant that religion had no role in our government. The words “God,” “Jesus,” and “Christ,” don’t appear anywhere in the Constitution. And the very first words of the Bill of Rights are a promise that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Christofascism, or any religion-based form of government, is a rejection of everything America has aspired to be — a secular, multi-racial society whose inhabitants have come from everywhere, bound together by a faith in equal opportunity, democracy, and the rule of law.

Beware.

[eugenedebs1920]

As of Monday afternoon the wildfires in California had consumed over 36,000 acres leaving a death toll of 24. When asked in an interview regarding funding for disaster relief, Alabama senator Tommy Tubervill said this “We shouldn’t be [funding California]. They got 30 million people in that state they vote in these imbeciles in to office” former collage football coach and by far the dumbest senator continued, “you go in to California you run in to a lot of Republicans, a lot of good people and I hate it for them. But they are just overwhelmed by these inner city woke policies with people who vote for them. Those people don’t deserve anything unless they show that they’re going to make some changes”.

Notwithstanding the not so subtle racism of ‘inner city woke’ comment, exactly what is the senator from the state ranked 44th out of 50 for living standards, health, education, opportunity, natural environment, ect, saying?

Alabama’s GDP grosses $300 billion, with a population of a little over 5.1 million people, they are the 14th highest recipient of federal welfare assistance, they are 45th in education and 44th in overall health. Over 360,000 residents receive rental assistance and nutritional assistance.

Yes. California ranks number one for dollar amount federal assistance. Although upon further analysis the percentages are far less unbalanced as the numbers would suggest.

California is the WORLDS 5th largest economy, grossing $3,862 billion annually, with a population of nearly 40 million. That is over 10 times the annual revenue Alabama takes in, with almost 10 times the population as well.

Does California have its share of difficult circumstances it deals with, with some questionable solutions to do so? Yes. Yet seeing as it’s the top contributor to federal tax revenue they obviously are functioning beyond the norm.

Overall the states that fund this nation the most are, California, New York, New Jersey, Texas, Pennsylvania and Florida. States such as the Dakotas, Wyoming, Mississippi, Kentucky, and yes, Alabama, contribute a dismal amount in contrast.

Let’s look back to late summer of last year. When two hurricanes devastated the the lower southeastern states, Helene causing monumental destruction and incredible loss of life. Did the Biden administration use these disasters as a political tool? Did he suggest that they shouldn’t get funding until they remedy their bigoted, unconstitutional voter suppression and gerrymandering? No. He said that the United States government is here for you. While right wing politicians and media plastered the victims with false statements and misinformation, confusing and misleading the afflicted Americans, FEMA and the Biden administration begged the survivors to reach out for help. The politically motivated lies even spurred FEMA to create a specific website combating the false claims and offering assistance.

There’s the old saying, Rome wasn’t made in a day, the recovery from these massive events unfortunately takes time also. Yet NEVER did Democrats or Biden lead folks astray, exploit their vulnerability, or abandon them. I know, I reside in a county that was declared a disaster area after Helene. The federal response was quick, and thorough.

What did the right do? Lie. Mislead. Frighten. Contrive a self serving narrative. Enrage those impacted and scrambling to piece their lives back together.

The void of compassion, the insufficiency of truth, the lack of maturity from much of the right is astounding. When did we begin using the suffering of Americans as a tool to advance your political agenda? When did it become the status quo to segregate assistance to only those who align with your political views? What was the moment when helping your fellow American out in a time of need was tethered to conditions?

In my just over 40 years on this earth I’ve seen the GOP go from being a party of fiscal responsibility, “Christian family values”, the party of law and order, and the party of high moral standards, to now where over a quarter of the current deficit was created in one Republican presidential term, a party of nominating, elected and confirming sexual assailants and predators (not just Trump), a party that not only backs and supports a felonious insurrectionist, but tiptoes, if not flat out violates the Constitution and rule of law, and a party that has no self awareness of its own misgivings.

Personally. I want leaders who are far more intelligent and far more qualified than me to be in charge. I want leaders who harbor self restraint and possess an extraordinary sense of moral fortitude. I want leaders with grace and maturity running the various aspects of this country. I want leaders who care and hold reverence to their values and to the oath of office they swear to.

Can we go back to a time where those who represent us were adults? Can we go back to a time where government was beholden to you as an American citizen regardless if you reside in a blue state or red state? Can we go back to a time where leadership wasn’t a popularity, tribalist, culture war crusade?

We are all humans. We all feel pain. We all feel joy. We all bleed red. Most importantly we are all citizens of the United States of America, key word united.

This shouldn’t be this hard. It shouldn’t be this controversial or complicated. We are one nation, we all want to see it flourish. We all do better when we are all doing better.

So please! Let’s return to decency. To compassion. To respect. To some mild form of social adhesion.

[thechanelmuse]

Kendrick, Drake, and Ethnic/Cultural Identity

One of the most discussed topics during this exchange between the two is if Drake is a culture vulture. In short, yes. He's always been. It boils down to inherited cultural identity and respected history, not the upholding of a social construct of “race.” 

Race is a goofy non-biological caste system that operates in various countries and it’s a dumbass global push to get people to embrace a superior to inferior hierarchy in classifying the globe into 5 broad groups solely based on perceived skull sizes, hues of skin color, and perceived traits and phenotypic features via the teachings of François Bernier, Johann Blumenbach, Carl Linnaeus, and them other hoes. Get race tf outta here.

I’m gonna make this concise as possible, but fleshed out a bit for full understanding.

Kendrick Lamar is Black American on both sides with his roots most likely coming out of Mississippi and/or Alabama to Chicago to Cali by way of the Great Migration. (He may even descend from Duckworths from Louisiana). I haven’t done his genealogy, but now I may out of curiosity.

Black American is a double ethnicity. We’re citizens of America (nationality = US Citizen), and our ethnic group (Black) was created & descends from this land (ethnicity = American) through ethnogensis. It has nothing to do with one’s brown skin color or how the cops see us 🙃, but everything to do with the lineage of one’s parents and their parents, etc. (For info on lineage tracing, refer to my post here.) 

Black Americans are an ethnic group (the largest from this land and largest in this country after Germans), while “white Americans” are a self-identification race to remove ethnic identity and conflate numbers. I can break this down further in another post if y’all want since American history is complex and will explain why Black Americans have been reclassified seven times by the US government 🙃. 

Now.

Culture is largely passed down through your mother, and her mother, and her mother, and so forth for Black Americans (and I’m sure other ethnic groups). No matter if it’s a two-parent or single-parent household, she’s your ultimate teacher in setting the foundation of your cultural upbringing. It’s the same if one is raised by their grandparents. It largely stems from the grandmother. If one’s father is their main parent, that’s a different case of course. 

Drake falls in line with this as someone from a single-parent household. He is half Ashkenazi of Latvian and Russian descent (ethnicity) through his mother and of half Black American descent (ethnicity) through his father. He is a dual citizen of Canada and America (nationality), who was raised in Canada with his Ashkenazi Jewish mother and Ashkenazi relatives with an Ashkenazi upbringing. He went to a Jewish day school and was engulfed in all aspects at home. 

Kendrick is ethnically and culturally Black American. Drake is ethnically and culturally Ashkenazi. He is also ethnically Black American (through lineage), but not culturally Black American. Does that make Drake a culture vulture? No. He just didn’t have the cultural upbringing but could always immerse himself in learning, appreciating, and respecting the other half of his history and culture.

What makes him one is how he operates as an outsider. He participates in an aspect of Black American culture (Hip-Hop) for his monetary gain, adopts a manufactured image for his perception of believability, and disrespects the people of this culture. “…run to America to imitate culture.” It’s like a jacket to him. He takes it off to try on another (like a Jamaican accent) and swaps for another, etc. 

A few examples that’s been touched on: He blackened his face to depict blackface while wearing a Jim Crow t-shirt… That’s specific disrespect towards Black Americans, mocking our history and our ancestors. “Whipped and chained you like American slaves.” That’s specific disrespect towards Black Americans, mocking our history and our ancestors. “[You] always rappin' like you 'bout to get the slaves freed.” Do I even need to explain this? Hopefully it’s understood.

The muthafucka is not like us.

[usnatarchives]

Beyond the Stars: Mae Jemison’s Odyssey ✨

Happy Black History Month!

This Black History Month, we spotlight the extraordinary life of Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel in space. Born on October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama, and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Jemison’s journey into the stars is a testament to the power of dreams and determination.

From an early age, Jemison showed a keen interest in science and space, but noticed the absence of women astronauts. She pursued her passion relentlessly, earning a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and an M.D. from Cornell Medical College. Before joining NASA, Jemison was a general practitioner and served in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone and Liberia, where she managed health care for other volunteers. In 1987, Jemison’s dream became reality when she was selected for NASA’s astronaut program. On September 12, 1992, aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor on mission STS-47, Jemison became the first African American woman to travel in space, serving as a mission specialist. During her eight-day mission, she conducted experiments on weightlessness and motion sickness, contributing valuable data to the field.

Jemison’s honors include induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the National Medical Association Hall of Fame, and the Texas Science Hall of Fame, among others. Her story is not just one of breaking barriers in space exploration, but also of inspiring generations to pursue their dreams, regardless of birth and obstacles.

For more information on Mae Jemison’s groundbreaking journey and contributions to science and humanity, the National Archives holds numerous resources that illuminate the lives and achievements of African American pioneers:

[rabbitcruiser]

National Butterfly and Hummingbird Day

National Butterfly and Hummingbird Day celebrates these small, flying beings, and is for appreciating them, learning about them, spreading awareness about them, and viewing them in person.

There are about 20,000 species of butterflies—some sources say there are 17,500, while some say there are as many 24,000.  There are about 750 species found in the United States, where the white cabbage butterfly is the most prevalent. The life cycle of a butterfly begins when eggs are laid on leaves, which hatch into larvae known as caterpillars. They eat the leaves and flowers of the plant they are on, and grow in size while shedding their skin multiple times. They then turn into a pupa, or chrysalis, and then into a butterfly.

When they come out of their cocoon to a new world as a butterfly, they have to pump fluid into the veins in their wings in order to expand them.  They then have to rest for a few hours before taking flight for the first time. Butterflies are cold blooded, and the air around them affects their ability to function. If the air temperature gets below 55 degrees, their body temperature may drop too low to be able to fly. To remedy this, they may warm up their muscles by shivering or by lounging in the sun. They fly best in air temperatures between 82 and 100 degrees and are most comfortable when their body temperature is at about 85 degrees.

Their wings have thousands of scales that reflect light, giving them color. But underneath their scales, their wings are actually transparent. To protect themselves from predators, some butterflies fold their wings in to help camouflage themselves, or, conversely, some have bright colors that reveal to others their presence. Some predators are aware that many bright-colored insects are toxic when eaten, so they avoid these butterflies, even though, unbeknownst to them, they aren't poisonous. The common buckeye butterfly uses its colors to scare off birds.

Butterflies have receptors on their feet, which help them find host plants and food. Female butterflies tap on leaves until juices come out, and chemoreceptors on their legs tell them if the plants have the right type of chemicals to lay eggs on. Butterflies also step on their food to taste it. Adult butterflies only eat liquid, which is usually nectar, although they occasionally drink from mud puddles as well, to gain minerals and salts. They eat with a proboscis, which is like a straw; it is curled up under their chins and unfurls when they eat.

Butterflies generally have short lives, with most only living for two to four weeks, during which they mainly eat and mate. Some butterflies only live a few days, while some that migrate, like monarchs and morning cloaks, may live about nine months. Monarchs may travel over 2,500 miles to find warmth during the colder months.

The second flying creature celebrated today is the hummingbird.   There are about 325 species of hummingbirds, but only eight of them regularly breed in the United States. Although, up to two dozen species can be found there at various times. Most species of hummingbirds can be found in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and there are no hummingbirds outside of the Western Hemisphere. Many species can breed together, which creates hybrid species.

Hummingbirds are very small—many weigh less than the weight of a nickel. The calliope hummingbird is 3 inches long, and the bee hummingbird, native to Cuba, is the smallest bird species in the world, at 2.25 inches in length. Hummingbirds have such small feet that they can't walk or hop properly. They can shuffle a bit, though, but their feet are mainly used for preening. The small size of their feet also allows them to fly quicker. They can fly up to 30 miles per hour when going forward, and up to 60 miles per hour when diving.

Each species of hummingbird makes a different humming sound because the wings of each species beats at a different rate. Generally, a hummingbird's wings beat somewhere between 50 and 200 times a second. Wings aren't the only things that beat quickly when it comes to hummingbirds: their hearts beat more than 1,200 times a minute. They also take a breath about 250 times a minute, and that number is even higher when they are flying.

Like butterflies, hummingbirds may fly hundreds or even thousands of miles to migrate. They mainly eat nectar, but also eat small insects, spiders, tree sap, and juice from fruit. Their lifespan ranges from 3 to 12 years and is contingent on factors such as their species, habitat, and vulnerability due to predators and other threats. On National Butterfly and Hummingbird Day, we remember and celebrate both of these animals.

National Butterfly and Hummingbird Day is being observed today! It has always been observed annually on October 3rd.

Source

[mariacallous]

Just before the presidential election last November, Carolyn Fisher was in her living room in Birmingham, Alabama, when her nonbinary child walked in and said that he, along with four other transgender kids, were planning on dying by suicide if Donald Trump won the upcoming election.

Fisher and her husband were both lifelong Republicans and supporters of Trump. Holding a spiral notebook, Carolyn’s 16-year-old, who uses the pronouns he and they, made a case against voting for Trump.

“He laid out why a vote for Donald Trump was voting against him as our child and why Donald Trump should never be president. He had literally been keeping notes of everything Trump and other Republicans had been saying about trans and nonbinary people, how they were mentally delusional and mentally ill. When he laid all of that out, my husband and I, we both just looked at each other and started crying.”

Fisher, together with members of the Rainbow Youth Project, contacted the parents of the other children who were part of the pact.

The Fishers later voted for then-vice president Kamala Harris, even going so far as taking a picture of their ballot to show their child.

But Trump still won, and during the president’s inauguration speech on January 20, the Fishers heard him say that their child effectively doesn’t exist when he signed a sweeping executive order that, among other things, calls for the ending of trans care, requires housing trans women in male prisons, and allows only male or female markers on official documents like passports and not the “X” that was introduced in 2021 for people who identify as nonbinary, intersex, or gender nonconforming.

“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump said.

When a bishop at the National Cathedral service for the inauguration this week asked Trump to protect “gay, lesbian, and transgender children” the president dismissed her pleas in a Truth Social post and called her “nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.”

The executive order contains provisions that require further federal action to become law, and this document should be viewed as a roadmap the Trump administration has drafted to signal what new rules they are planning on implementing. But experts say the order published this week, in conjunction with Trump’s very public comments, are designed to strike fear into the trans community.

“I think there's a huge amount of it that is just about fear, and a part of it is trying to scare people into compliance” Allison Chapman, a trans rights activist, tells WIRED. “Enforcement takes a lot of time, energy, and resources, so what we really need people to do is to not voluntarily comply in advance. There needs to be an active resistance to these things.”

The Rainbow Youth Project, an organization focused on helping young LGBTQ+ people, received over 6,000 calls in just the first couple of days after Trump’s November election win. That’s up from the usual 3,600 calls a month. It didn’t stop: The hotline received over 8,000 calls in December.

Now, after Trump’s comment and actions on the first day of his presidency, the group’s crisis helpline is once again receiving a torrent of calls. Sixty-two percent of incoming calls this week, the group tells WIRED, are from trans and gender-nonconforming adolescents age 14 to 17.

The callers are expressing varying degrees of emotional and mental distress, often expressing feelings of hopelessness and fear. One of the most common sentiments shared is “my country does not want me to exist.”

While the Trump administration’s actions are causing huge distress for the trans community and their families, a stark increase in the attacks, both online and offline, are already coming from Trump supporters who feel emboldened.

“We have already seen an uptick in the hate against us,” Fisher says. “We had someone who came to our home just last Tuesday and put a note in our mailbox that said: ‘He's your daddy now, he's your president. You people won't exist anymore.’ So yes, they're definitely emboldened.”

A trans pride flag they had hanging on their porch has been stolen twice in the space of a week. At her local Piggly Wiggly, a supermarket, she overheard people at an adjacent table talking about how glad they were that Trump had “gotten rid of” trans people.

“He didn’t get rid of them, they’re always going to exist—but he damn so put a target on them, especially my teenage son,” Fisher said.

And the attacks are also targeting the groups who are trying to help the LGBTQ+ community.

“We have seen a lot more hate,” Lance Preston, executive director of the Rainbow Youth Project, tells WIRED. “We've been receiving a lot of messages, crazy shit, like ‘Trump is your president, now all of you are gonna have to go away. We don't want you here.’ We get those in contact submission forms every day, and since the election it has just grown exponentially. It's really sad.”

Some activists are also concerned that those who have always stood with the LGBTQ+ community could be too scared to speak up under Trump’s new administration.

“Every time something like this happens we notice supporters backing down and just getting quiet,” Chris Sederburg, who helps trans and gender nonconforming people through the Rainbow Youth Project, tells WIRED. “Not all of them, but a lot of them do because they're scared of what's happening. They're scared of what might happen to them or they might catch hate for it.”

Sederburg, a trans man who works as a trucker, communicates with young trans people on social media and says that the response this week from the community has been one of “intense, immediate fear.”

For Jamie Anderson, a 40-year-old teacher living in Texas, her biggest fear is that Trump’s administration forces her 15-year-old daughter Dawn, who came out as trans last year, to make a traumatic decision.

“My biggest worry is that she's going to have to go back to living a lie, like not being who she is meant to be,” says Anderson. “She's happy now, she's a lot happier than she was right before she came out. She was super depressed. We had no idea what was going on. And finally she comes out, and she's this whole brand-new, amazing, loving child.”

But that’s not Dawn’s biggest fear. When WIRED asked what that would be, Dawn remained silent. Moments after the interview, Dawn sent a message: “I am afraid the government will take me away and end up killing me because I am transgender,” adding that she was now willing to share this in case “it might help others understand what I’m going through.”

(Jamie and Dawn are not the women’s real names. WIRED is using pseudonyms to protect their identities.)

The Fishers, meanwhile, are considering moving to a different state, possibly to California, where they feel their child would be more protected. But Carolyn Fisher worries about other families and trans and nonbinary children who may not have that option.

“I just want these kids to know that there are people out there, even Republicans, even conservative Christians, who love them and accept them for the way they are, and we want them to stay here with us,” Fisher says.

If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for free, 24-hour support from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for the Crisis Text Line. Outside the US, visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for crisis centers around the world. If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community in need of help, you can contact the Rainbow Youth Project here or by calling ((317) 643-4888.

[best-overplayed-song]

Best Overplayed Song Bracket (part two) - round one

full playlist here

side A

dreams (fleetwood mac) vs here comes the sun

yesterday vs the sound of silence

old town road vs jolene

it’s tricky vs low

despacito vs smooth

some nights vs take me to church

stolen dance vs cigarette daydreams

every breath you take vs billie jean

tiny dancer vs hey jude

what’s up? vs dreams (the cranberries)

drops of jupiter vs over my head (cable car)

wake me up when september ends vs wonderwall

welcome to the black parade vs all the small things

somebody to love vs killer queen

californication vs santeria

escape (the pina colada song) vs margaritaville

roxanne vs brown eyed girl

sweet home alabama vs free fallin’

edge of seventeen vs you spin me round

american pie vs life is a highway

freebird vs stairway to heaven

everybody wants to rule the world vs don’t fear the reaper

we didn’t start the fire vs don’t stop me now

stacy’s mom vs we built this city

the chain vs we will rock you

immigrant song vs seven nation army

the final countdown vs eye of the tiger

sweet child o’ mine vs highway to hell

livin’ on a prayer vs i love rock n’ roll

one way or another vs zombie

side B

bubbly vs unwritten

careless whisper vs time after time

dancing queen vs september

everywhere vs little lies

get lucky vs boom, boom, boom, boom!!

hey, soul sister vs best day of my life

a thousand miles vs i’m like a bird

i want it that way vs oops!... i did it again

bad romance vs toxic

wake me up vs stronger (what doesn’t kill you)

before he cheats vs love song

firework vs born this way

i write sins not tragedies vs dynamite

poker face vs tik tok

tongue tied vs truth hurts

payphone vs fireflies

just dance vs ...baby one more time

like a prayer vs running up that hill

sugar, we’re goin’ down vs dog days are over

rolling in the deep vs ironic

pompeii vs centuries

thnks fr th mmrs vs ain’t it fun

love shack vs video killed the radio star

mr. blue sky vs hooked on a feeling

viva la vida vs paradise

total eclipse of the heart vs in the air tonight

feel it still vs pumped up kicks

YMCA vs 867-5309/jenny

blinding lights vs take on me

africa vs more than a feeling

View previous bracket here

[thorsenmark]

Good Morning, Mount Whitney by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While taking in view around the Face of the Alabama Hills with a view looking to the west across a desert landscape and then hillside of eroded rock formations. This is in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. The backdrop of mountains is part of the Mount Whitney Group range of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Lone Pine Peak is probably the most recognizable one in the image middle, just left of center. Mount Whitney is middle, right of center and appears more distant.

[mydaddywiki]

Mickey Andrews

Physique: Husky Build Height: 5' 10"

Mickey Andrews (born May 20, 1942) is a former American football coach. He is most known for his tenure as the defensive coordinator at Florida State for 26 seasons, from 1984 to 2009, under head coach Bobby Bowden. Andrews also served as the head football coach at Livingston University—now known as the University of West Alabama from 1970 to 1972 and at the University of North Alabama from 1973 to 1976.

At one time, Florida State had the hottest coaching staff under head coach Bobby Bowden. And Andrews #2 behind him. Mmm… Seems like he'd be real fun in bed. Shame I only noticed him after he and Bobby retired.

A native of Daleville, AL, Andrews attended the University of Alabama, Andrews earned second-team All-America honors as a wide receiver and defensive back. Andrews was also on two Alabama national championship teams (1961 and 1964) and played in three New Year's Day bowl games. In college baseball, Andrews was an All-SEC choice. In 1964, he received the Hugo Friedman Award as Alabama's best all-around athlete. Under Andrews, Florida State became the top producer of All-America and National Football League caliber cornerbacks in the nation.

Andrews was married to Diane, who died in 2012 of complications from stomach cancer. The couple had two children: Ronald David, Shannon Nicole and five grandchildren. Andrews still lives in Tallahassee. Since he might be single now, I should maybe take a trip to Tallahassee.

Head Coaching Record Overall: 41–28–3 (college) Tournaments: 2–1 (NAIA D-I playoffs)

Accomplishments and Honors Championships NAIA Division I (1971) GSC (1971)

Awards Broyles Award (1996) GSC Coach of The Year (1971) Second-team All-American (1964)