#Pusher 2012

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Rsync corrump linkdump

I'm coming to DEFCON! On Aug 9, I'm emceeing the EFF POKER TOURNAMENT (noon at the Horseshoe Poker Room), and appearing on the BRICKED AND ABANDONED panel (5PM, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01). On Aug 10, I'm giving a keynote called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE! How hackers can seize the means of computation and build a new, good internet that is hardened against our asshole bosses' insatiable horniness for enshittification" (noon, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01).

As per the uje, I've arrived upon a Saturday with a backlog of links that I have not managed to squeeze into the week's newsletters/blogs, so it's time for another linkdump, 22nd in an erratic series. Here's the previous 21:

https://pluralistic.net/tag/linkdump/

Let's start with some seasonal material, and by "seasonal," I of course mean Hallowe'en. Yes, August is the official start of Spooky Season, and yes, I am a monster for insisting on this, but being a monster is the point of Spooky Season (which is what differentiates Spooky Season pushers like me from the creeps who insist that you need to start prepping for Xmas in late September – they're monsters, too, but Yule Monsters are bad) (with the exception of Krampus).

I was a monster kid and now I'm a monster adult. It all started when I was bitten by a radioactive Haunted Mansion at the age of six:

https://memex.craphound.com/2012/10/22/how-a-haunted-mansion-addict-fell-in-love-with-the-greatest-ride-on-earth/

I am a sucker for all things monstrous, and so I was intrigued when I got a book of "creepy-cute" stickers in the mail from a publicist at Simon & Schuster:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Creepy-Cute-Sticker-Book/Gaynor-Carradice/Creepy-Cute-Gift-Series/9781507222515

"Creepy-Cute" turns out to be an official designation, embraced by the illustrator GaynorCarradice, who has created several books on these lines, featuring her chibi/monster crossover creations, which do exactly what it says on the tin, by which I mean, there's some genuinely creepy stuff in the mix, along with the cute.

It's when the cute pastels rub up against the gore, skulls, eyeballs and other visceral viscera that these illustrations really kick off some heat – I've rounded up a few of my favorites here:

https://craphound.com/images/creepycute.jpg

One of the surefire signs that Spooky Season is upon us is that the (sometimes NSFW) Tumblr account Halloweenlandmotherfucker emerges from dormancy with a stream of images of vintage Hallowe'en cards (these were a thing!), photos of people in costume and other delightful visual novelties:

https://www.tumblr.com/halloweenlandmotherfucker

Monster culture isn't just for Hallowe'en, of course. The ancient and noble tradition of compiling and publishing bestiaries is alive and well, thanks to RPGs. In the beginning, there was the D&D Boxed Set, with its Monsters and Treasure booklet:

https://www.americanroads.us/DandD/ODnD_Monsters_and_Treasure.pdf

Then came the Monster Manual, the first hardcover D&D book, succeeded by the Fiend Folio, which featured Charlie Stross creations like the githzerai and slaad, Indeed, there was a whole, iconic library of hardcovers that fit perfectly in an oversized backpack that I dragged everywhere so that I could obsessively read and re-read them.

Eventually, these gave way to new hardcovers with new rules as well as new corporate owners (Wizards of the Coast, then Hasbro), culminating in the release of the Open Gaming License, an "open content" license that was a) grossly defective; b) largely irrelevant; and c) hugely controversial in 2023, when Hasbro terminated it:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/12/beg-forgiveness-ask-permission/#whats-a-copyright-exception

The Open Gaming License purported to license out game elements that weren't copyrightable (rules, tables, etc), as well as material that you could likely use under copyright exceptions like fair use:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/01/beware-gifts-dragons-how-dds-open-gaming-license-may-have-become-trap-creators

And worst of all, it was revocable, so games publishers who tooled up to publish supplements and sourcebooks based on the OGL could have the rug yanked out from under them at any time (that time turned out to be early 2023).

Hasbro's OGL rug-pull had three salutary effects:

I. It gave gamers a crash-course in what was – and wasn't – copyrightable in an RPG design;

It encouraged game developers to look beyond D&D's OGL rules and into truly open (and often superior) alternatives; and

It inflicted so much reputational harm on Hasbro that, 20 months later, they announced that they would release a new set of D&D rules under the Creative Commons Attribution Only 4.0 license:

https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/dungeons-and-dragons-5e/news/dungeons-and-dragons-2024-srd-wont-be-another-ogl-fiasco

Now, CC BY 4.0 is a real-ass license. Notably, it corrects a defect in the earlier versions of the CC licenses that gave rise to a class of predatory copyleft trolls like the odious Pixsy:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/01/24/a-bug-in-early-creative-commons-licenses-has-enabled-a-new-breed-of-superpredator/

If Hasbro follows through on their promise, the new CC materials will kick off with the 2025 release of the next edition of the Monster Manual:

https://dungeonsanddragonsfan.com/new-2024-dnd-monster-manual/

It's wild to think that tabletop RPGs are now a cutting-edge way to learn about digital policy, but on the other hand, D&D arrived in my home around the same time as my Apple ][+, which was also around the time I first heard the name Ronald Reagan (rest in piss).

The legacies of the 80s – RPGs, digital technology and Reaganomics – cast a long shadow. Last month, many of us discovered the hard way that Reaganomics – specifically, the embrace of monopolies as "efficient" – has produced a world of unimaginable brittleness. Millions of people around the world found themselves cut off from ATM cash, flights, hospital care, and many other essentials thanks to the Crowdstrike Blue Screen of Death outage. While many of the explainers have focused on how Crowdstrike fatfingered a software update that crashed all those computers, there's been a lot less commentary about how it is that one company had it in its power to do so much harm.

Writing last week for EFF's Deeplinks blog, my colleague Rory Mir tackled that (far more important) issue:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/07/crowdstrike-antitrust-and-digital-monoculture

Market concentration – monopoly – is the common thread wound around so many of our daily horribles. Think of the tech billionaires who threw in their lot with Trump last month. How did they get to be billionaires? Monopoly power. Remember back in 2017, that notorious photo of the tech industry meeting at the top of Trump Tower, with Peter Thiel at Trump's left hand?

https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/14/donald-trump-meets-with-tech-leaders/

People were appalled that this group of corporate leaders, who between them controlled virtually all the technology in our lives, would debase themselves by paying fealty to this buffoonish would-be dictator.

But far more consequential was the fact that you could fit everyone who controlled all of our technology around a single table. Once everyone important to an industry can fit around a single table, it's only a matter of time until they find a table to sit around, and that's when it all starts to go wrong. As the Communist firebrand Adam Smith once wrote, "People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices."

Enshittification starts with market concentration. This is a subject I'm going to be going very deep on next Saturday, when I give my Defcon keynote, "Disenshittify or die! How hackers can seize the means of computation and build a new, good internet that is hardened against our asshole bosses' insatiable horniness for enshittification":

https://info.defcon.org/event/?id=54861

When I give that talk – and afterwards at my book signing – I will be wearing an N95 mask, just as I did last year. Why am I wearing a mask? Two reasons: first, Long Covid is a horror. One of the best writers I know – a living legend – recently told me that their book-writing days are likely done because of Long Covid brain fog.

A new Lancet article gets deep into the science of Long Covid:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S014067362401136X

The principle author of the Lancet article is Oxford health professor Trish Greenhalgh, who gave an excellent lay summary in her newsletter:

https://independentsage.substack.com/p/long-covid-a-dystopian-game-of-pinball

In particular, Greenhalgh describes why some people don't get Long Covid, and some people do – and, most important, explains why the fact that you didn't get Long Covid last time doesn't mean you won't get it next time:

https://independentsage.substack.com/p/long-covid-a-dystopian-game-of-pinball

So I don't want to get covid, and so I'm gonna wear a mask. Because masks fucking work. A new study reveals just how well they work:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(24)00192-0/fulltext

The study shows that wearing any mask, even without knowing how to fit it well, offers substantial protection against both contracting and transmitting covid. Even better: wearing an N95 (even without paying attention to correct fit) offers "near perfect" protection against covid:

https://today.umd.edu/n95-masks-nearly-perfect-at-blocking-covid-umd-study-shows

I didn't get covid at Defcon last year, and I didn't get it at HOPE, and I didn't get it on our family vacation in July – all events where friends got sick. The difference? I wore a mask. Which works.

OK, I need to go work on my Defcon speech some more, so I'm gonna sign off, but I will leave you with just one more link, the wonderful new public domain image search tool, Public Work, which crawls and indexes the Met, the NYPL, and other sources:

https://public.work/

I rely on public domain, CC and other freely usable clip art to make the collages that accompany this newsletter/blog's stories. While I have very little talent in the visual arts, I'm getting steadily better. I mean, look at this amazing image I womped up for last week's story on Bitcoin bros' election campaign finance fraud:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorow/53893519593/in/album-72177720316719208

You can see a collection of my recent collages in my Flickr gallery for them:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorow/albums/72177720316719208?sd

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/03/smorgasbord/#creepy-cute

Image: Anne Lindblom (cropped) https://www.flickr.com/photos/kajsawarg/3600415175

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

[dandelioninajungle]

Tonight I am made of joint pain, the joy of finally having a new pillow (somebody tell me why I’d spend my last tenner on a pillow for a stranger if they needed one, but I’ve not bought myself one even though I’ve needed it for over a year,) and the eyes of a madwoman.

I know I’m at that hinge point where I’m either going to barrel headlong into everything flaring all at once, or magically it won’t happen…please let it be the latter? Please?

My new telescope came, and I want to go for midnight beach trips with it.

And London soon.

And Brighton. And seeing Kids In Glass Houses live for the first time since…2012??? Something absurd like that. 2p pushers on the pier, late night chips and Queer vegan cafes.

Also probably getting tattooed tomorrow.

And I’m gonna stroke my cat.

But now…now I’m going to cuddle Ramona the Pumpkin, put my headphones in, and drift away until 9am.

[katarinamajerhold]

How does something unfold in the long run (longue durée) (speaking of 26 years)?

If you're young, capable, hard-working, productive and ambitious but you're not a pusher, don't belong to a certain group of people, you're not an activist and don't quarrel and destroy your opponents on your way to the position of the managing editor of the Leftist academic Journal you want?

With years passing by your opponents: 

a) get older and get better jobs with a better salary; 

b) grow tired of the position they wanted and acquired;

c) too little money to fight for therefore they go elsewhere;

d) In the end, there is no opposition but also almost no people to work with. That's how you get the position of managing editor. You work with two people and little money.

While I fought for this position in 2006 and in 2012 but got only it in 2023! I got the managing editor position in 2008 of the Andragogic Perspectives (https://journals.uni-lj.si/AndragoskaSpoznanja) and apokalipsa.si 2021 (apokalipsa.si).

It makes me sad that I became managing editor of the leftist academic and activist Journal (https://ckz.si/en/) only when almost no people wanted to work for the Journal.

That is the reality of this world regardless of the political orientation. 

The moral is: where is money, there is a crowd, quarrels, shaming, and fights!

And idealism is mostly for young people.

[finchers-ipad]

hey! welcome to my blog, just thought i’d do a quick intro post :D

- my name is ash, my pronouns are he/they. i am queer and trans masc!

- my letterboxd, feel free to follow me!: https://href.li/?https://boxd.it/3mDK5

- my current interests and what i post mainly about are; the director David Fincher and his films. i have seen all of his films (including ‘The Killer), i have seen all of his music video and commercials too! I have also watched ‘Mindhunter’, however i haven’t seen ‘House of Cards’ (i’ll get to it soon). i am also currently heavily into NBC’s ‘Hannibal’! and subsequently Mads Mikkelsen’s films (i’m working my way through his filmography rn!)

- i have also watched all of Fincher’s bts documentary’s and dvd commentary (aside from ‘The Game’ because i cant find it anywhere and ‘Alien 3’ because i don’t think Fincher himself does the commentary). i have read Laurence F Knapp’s ‘David Fincher: Interviews’ and Adam Nayman’s ‘David Fincher: Mindgames’!

- asks are always open! feel free to ask me Fincher/Film/Soapshipping related questions, my mutuals can ask me more personal things :)

- my messages are open however i prefer to only message if we are mutuals!

- i use tone tags when i feel like they are needed and try to tag all of my posts correctly (eg nsfw)

- DNI: TERFS, homophobes, maps, racists, etc just in general don’t be a dick or i will block you

my top films:

Fight Club (1999)

Her (2013)

Pusher 2 (2004)

The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

The Social Network (2010)

The Hunt (2012)

Another Round (2020)

Bleeder (1999)

Se7en (1995)

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Inglurious Basterds (2009)

500 days of summer (2009)

my top shows:

NBC Hannibal

Good Omens

Mindhunter

Gravity Falls

Breaking Bad

How I met your mother

Orange is the New Black

random things i enjoy!

Ethel Cain

Frank Ocean

The Twilight Saga (films and books)

Resident Evil 7 & 8

Opossums

Filmmaking and its process

[thecreaturecodex]

The Master of Revels

“Moonlight Satyr” © Matteo Parati, accessed at his ArtStation here

[Remember RPG Superstar? I did get into the Top Eight in 2012, but for several years before that entered an item annually, voted and debated on the Paizo forums, and even played along at home for challenges. That’s where this character comes from. My roommate, @canwefixitnoitsfucked​, placed a year (I want to say 2010?) where the challenge was to create a villain, first the concept and then the stat block. This was my “play-along-at-home” villain, who has been rewritten and revised, partially because I can’t find my original file for him. A word of caution: this may be one of the darkest Codex entries yet, with themes of torture and sex trafficking.

As a lighter aside, looking for art for this character was a pain. I learned that images of satyrs who were a) clothed, b) lean and c) male are rather slim pickings.]

Jepson Artemisia, Master of Revels CR 10 CE Fey This man has long horns, long ears and hooves for feet. He is dressed impeccably, and his eyes shine with malice.

Jepson Artemisia is a cleric of Calistria who has made a fortune on the backs of human misery. He is a drug dealer, pimp and slaver. Befitting his veneration of the goddess of revenge, he specializes in abducting and abusing people for hire. For an exorbitant fee, a cad can hire Artemisia to have one of his rivals abducted and have their mind and will broken, leaving them a perfect slave and trophy. Jepson accomplishes this psychological abuse through narcotics, mind-influencing magic, and old-fashioned torture. He especially relishes the servants of lawful gods as his victims, and every paladin who has renounced their oaths and lost their powers is a feather in his cap.

Artemisia spends most of the year traveling as he needs to for his cruel business, but does have a home base. Blackthorn Hall is his domain, a sprawling mansion overlooking an oak woodland. Here he hosts his annual Grand Revel, where his allies, business partners and sycophants engage in bacchanalian excess for an entire week. The Master of Revels employs many miscellaneous low-lives as his security, pushers, alchemists and jailers, but some of his allies are worth spotlighting. His majordomo is an ogre mage who accompanies him on his business trips. His housekeeper is a maenad who uses Blackthorn Hall for fatal feasts while her master is away. And Jepson maintains a stable of spider-eaters, which he uses as mounts, watchdogs and the perpetrators of one of his favorite tortures. Against especially willful victims, the Master of Revels has his spider-eaters sting them and lay eggs inside of them, paralyzing them. These victims he then poses as living statues, forcing them into humiliating postures while the eggs slowly incubate. Usually, victims of this torture are revived through magic and the spider-eaters do not come to term. Usually.

Jepson Artemisia              CR 10 XP 9,600 Satyr cleric of Calistria 9 CE Medium fey Init +5; Senses low-light vision, Perception +18 Defense AC 26, touch 18, flat-footed 20 (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural, +3 armor, +2 deflection) hp 140 (8d6+9d8+68) Fort +12, Ref +13, Will +18 DR 5/cold iron Offense Speed 40 ft. Melee +1 deadly whip +16/+11 (1d3+2), gore +10 (1d6) Special Abilities anything to please, channel energy (5d6 negative, 10/day, Will DC 21 half), pipes Spell-like Abilities CL 8th, concentration +15 (+19 casting defensively) At will—charm person (DC 18), dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 17), sleep (DC 18), suggestion (DC 20) 9/day—copycat, dazing touch (9 HD) 1/day—fear (DC 21), summon nature’s ally III 9 rounds/day—master’s illusion (DC 23) Spells CL 9th, concentration +15 (+19 casting defensively) 5th—charm monster (DC 21) (D), greater command (DC 21), insect plague 4th—chaos hammer (DC 20), confusion (DC 20) (D), cure critical wounds (DC 20), freedom of movement 3rd—bestow curse (DC 19), dispel magic, nondetection (D), protection from energy, remove blindness/deafness 2nd—bear’s endurance, cure moderate wounds (DC 18, x2), hold person (DC 18), spiritual weapon, touch of idiocy (D), undetectable alignment 1st—bless, command (DC 17), comprehend languages, disguise self (DC 17) (D), divine favor, protection from law (DC 17), remove fear 0th—detect magic, mending, purify food and drink, stabilize (D)—domain spell (Charm [Lust subdomain], Trickery) Statistics Str 12, Dex 20, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 22, Cha 24 Base Atk +10; CMB +15 (+17 trip or disarm); CMD 27 (29 vs. disarm, trip) Feats Agile Manuevers, Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Selective Channeling, Skill Focus (Bluff), Weapon Finesse Skills Bluff +18, Diplomacy +15, Disguise +15, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (arcana, local, nature, nobility, religion) +9, Linguistics +7, Perception +18, Perform (wind instruments) +19, Ride +10, Sense Motive +14, Spellcraft +9, Stealth +17. Survival +14; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Perform, +4 Stealth Languages Abyssal, Common, Elven, Giant, Sylvan Gear +1 leather armor, +1 deadly whip, headband of mental prowess +2 (Wis, Cha), circlet of persuasion, cape of the mountebank, ring of protection +2, wand of remove paralysis (20 charges), wand of cure light wounds (50 charges), potion of invisibility, noble outfit, jewelry worth 100 gp, gold holy symbol of Calistria, masterwork panpipes, 10 pp, 4 gp SQ wealth and privilege Special Abilities Anything to Please (Su): Once per day, Jepson can compel a creature within 30 feet to attempt to please you as a standard action. The creature receives a DC 21 Will save to negate this affect. If the save fails, the creature attacks Jepson’s enemies for 1 round, gives him its most valuable item, or drops prone at his feet and grovels for 1d4 rounds (GM's choice). This is a mind-affecting effect and the save DC is Charisma based. Pipes (Su) Jepson can focus and empower his magic by playing haunting melodies on his panpipes. When he plays, all creatures within a 60-foot radius must make a DC 21 Will save or be affected by charm person, fear, sleep, or suggestion, depending on what tune he chooses. A creature that successfully saves against any of the pipes' effects cannot be affected by the same set of pipes for 24 hours, but can still be affected by Jepson’s other spell-like abilities as normal. Jepson’s use of his pipes does not count toward his uses per day of his spell-like abilities, and if separated from them he may continue to use his standard abilities. The pipes themselves are masterwork, and Jepson can craft a replacement with 1 week of labor. The save DC is Charisma-based. Wealth and Privilege (Ex) Jepson Artemesia’s statistics are built using 25 point buy, and he has gear equivalent to a 9th level PC. These advantages increase his CR by 1.

[javelinbk]

An anon asked for fic requests, so I’ve of course overthought it…

(note: some of these are by my friends, but I wouldn’t recommend them if they weren’t good!)

The instant classics

Boy, You’ve Been a Naughty Girl, by obstinatrix @scurator - all of Obs’ fics are amazing, but this one (also known as BYBANG!) is a classic for a reason. And Obs says they don’t like it, so I will always bring it up because I’m evil

The Birthday Party, by @merseydreams - I know everyone went crazy for this one this summer, but for good reason! I even made my own fan art (see below, and you’re welcome)

On our way back home, by Kathleenishereagain - I’m not generally a fan of time travel fics, but I made an exception for this one. Great if you like a long fic!

The Pusher, by @unchaineddaisychain - another author you can’t go wrong with, but I’ve got a particular soft spot for this bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold fic

The AUs

Nobody can deny that there’s something there, by moonjockey @theoldmixer - what if the Beatles were big in 2012 instead of 1962, and could actually get some decent therapy!

only a northern song, by @stonedlennon - officially unfinished, but largely complete. A period au where Paul works in a record store and John is a dock worker.

You might well arsk, by @snugglesweaters. If I was a smarty-pants I’d call this an epistolary fic, but instead I’ll just say that this is a super cute AU where John works in a Starbucks and communicates with Paul through a notebook that he leaves in his shop.

The unfinished fics that will haunt me to my grave

Chaos & Creation in My Backyard, by @wicked--annabella - 90s/00s AU where J&P are friends but then lose touch for 12 years. Unfinished at the worst possible point!

Ten Minutes, by @chut-je-dors & @imaginebeatles - a surprisingly sweet fic where John works in a brothel and Paul is a customer and they absolutely do not have feelings for each other!

Sleeping Sand, Morning Moon, by thisbirdhadflown @dailyhowl - Paul is a grieving playwright who moves to a small seaside town and of course meets John. Super atmospheric and a gorgeous world that I can’t wait to return to.

I’m sure there’s loads more, but these are the main ones I thought of this time. Hope some of you find some new reads here! And as promised, my amazing Birthday Party fan art…

[dailyunsolvedmysteries-movedd]

The Skin Bodysuit Murder

On 12 November 1998, Katarzyna Zowada was due to meet her mother at the Psychiatric Clinic in Nowa Huta, where she had been treated for her depression. She never made it to the appointment. Later that day, Katarzyna’s mother attempted to file a missing person’s report at the local police station, but was told to wait.

On 6 January 1999, while on the Vistula, the crew of the Elk pusher tug found a piece of evidence on the ship. After examination, it was discovered to be human skin. DNA tests indicated it belonged to Katarzyna. On 14 January, Katarzyna’s right leg was also recovered from the river. Initially, it was assumed that the body had been destroyed by a propeller; however, when examining the body fragments found, it was found that the skin was removed from the torso on purpose and the limbs and head were cut off. The skin was prepared in such a way as to create a kind of bodysuit that the murderer was probably wearing.

A year later, the investigation was formally dropped because the perpetrator had not been discovered, but police officers involved in the case continued investigating credible leads.

In 2012, thanks to advances in the field of forensic research and cooperation with experts, the prosecutor’s office resumed the investigation. A team of police officers from the “X-Files” (cold case unit) was brought in. The exhumation and additional autopsy of Katarzyna’s remains were ordered. Experts from the 3D Expertise Laboratory of the Wrocław Medical University created a model of injuries inflicted on the victim. They concluded that the attacker had used a sharp tool to wound his victim on her neck, armpit and groin, to inflict pain and cause her to bleed to death.

In 2016, investigators consulted with University of Coimbra professor Duarte Nuno Vieira, a Portuguese specialist in forensics and UN expert in the field of signs of torture on the human body. He confirmed that Katarzyna was tortured before her death and that the perpetrator was probably trained in martial arts, specifically one particular, undisclosed variation.

On 4 October 2017, 19 years after the murder, police arrested 52-year old Robert Janczewski in Kraków’s Kazimierz district. Investigators searched his apartment and found blood in the bathroom. As a result, the bath and frame were secured for further testing. He was a person of interest in 1999 but had not been arrested.

Janczewski fit the psychological profile as he was trained in martial arts, knew the victim, visited the victim’s grave and had a history of harassing women. He had previously worked in a dissecting lab, where he dealt with human corpses. He also worked at the Cracow Institute of Zoology, where he could observe the process of preparing animal skins. His employment was terminated the day after he killed all of the institute’s rabbits during his shift. Janczewski couldn’t explain his actions.

The police detained him after a letter from the suspect’s friend. The contents of the letter are a closely guarded secret of the investigation.

Janczewski was charged with aggravated murder with particular cruelty. He maintains that he did not know Katarzyna Zowada.

[bluespring864]

murray fan getting brave when goaterer pigeonised that pusher fraud at slams? insane. and rog didn’t call him a special man for his tennis that’s for sure. last thing i’ll say before blocking you but murray after AO 15 said novak’s antics threw him off so imagine what they would do to inexperienced players? it is 100% gamesmanship and it’s beyond pathetic.

Okay i thought about not posting this ridiculousness but it's very funny to me that you're still here. Andy has a good H2H against Roger (including a straight sets win at London 2012) and they have always gotten along well, but sure, stew in your hate <3 how pathetic though, to be a fan of one of the greatest players of all time and at the same time be so insecure that you have to belittle other player's achievements.

And yes I know Andy implied at AO15 that Novak's MTOs disrupted his rhythm but a) that doesn't mean those MTOs weren't real and b) now suddenly Andy is a great player to you whose opinion counts because it suits your argument? Aww.

Thank you dear anon for making me start my day with Roger and Andy at the Olympics <3

[lleah]

Cinéma américain

Alfred Hitchcock

    Les oiseaux     Psychose     Marnie     Fenêtre sur cour

Orson Welles

    Mr Arkadin     Citizen Kane (41)     Le procès

John Carpenter

    Invasion LA

Schunmacker

    Phone Game

Gene Kelly et Donen

    Chantons sous la pluie     Un american à Paris

Martin Scorsese 

Who’s that knocking at my door Meanstreet (choc) Taxi Driver (choc) Le loup de Wall street Casino Bertha Boxcar (72) Les Affranchis Raging Bull Shutter Island Silence

Quentin Tarantino

    Pulp Fiction (94)     Reservoir Dogs (92)(choc)     Jackie Brown     Inglourious Bastards (09)     Django Unchained (12)     Les 8 salopards (15)

Francis Ford Coppola

    The outsider (83)     Apocalypse Now (79)     Dracula     Le Parrain la trilogie

Sofia Coppola

    Virgin Suicide     Somewhere     The bling ring     Marie Antoinette     Lost in translation

Tim Burton

    L’etrange noel de M.Jack     Sleepy Hollow     Le cavalier sans tête     Edward aux mains d’argent     Charlie et la chocolaterie     Miss Peregrines et les enfants particuliers

Milos Forman

    Vol au-dessus d’un nid de coucou     Amadeus

Nicolas Ray

    La fureur de vivre (Analyse) ****     Johnny Guitar

Joaquim Trier

    Oslo 31 Aout Julie en 12 Chapitres ***

Nicolas Winding Refn

    Drive     Pusher la trilogie     Only god forgives     Neon Demon

Beith Zeitlin

    Les bêtes du Sud Sauvage (2012)

Paul Thomas Anderson

Magnolia Inherent Vice There will be blood Boogie Night

David Fincher

    Fight Club (99)     Seven     The Social Network     Gone Girl ****     L’etrange histoire de Benjamin Button     Panic Room     Alien 3

Roman Polanski

    Carnage (2011)     Ghost Writter     Le pianiste     Oliver Twist     Rosemary baby (98)     La neuvième porte     Répulsion  Le locataire ***

David Lynch

    Erashead (77)     Elephant Man (80)     Dune (84)     Blue Velvet (86) (Analyse) Sailor et Lula (90)*****     Lost Highway     Une histoire vraie     Twin peaks série et film     Muholland Drive     INLAND EMPIRE (06)

Stanley Kubrick

    The Shining (reprise de la scène La charrette fantôme)     Barry Lindon     Full Metal Jacket     Eyes Wide Shut (Analyse)     Lolita     Orange Mécanique (choc)

Brian de Palma

    Carrie (76)(adapt nouvelle de Stephen King)     Scarface (83)(Howard 33)     Les Incorruptibles (87)

Joel et Ethan Coen :

    No country for an old man     O Brother     The Big Lebowski     Fargo     Burn After Reading     Ave Cesar

Gus Van Sant

    Elephant     Paranoid Park (Analyse)     My own private Idaho     Gerry (Analyse)

Larry Clark

    Kids     The Smell of us     Ken Park

Woody Allen

    Annie Hall     Manhattan     Minuit à Paris

Terrence Malik

    Badlands (73) (Analyse)     Le nouveau monde (Analyse)

Jim Jarmush

    Patterson     Permanent Vacation

James Gray

    Little odessa     Two lovers

Cimino

    Voyage au bout de l’enfer***

John Mc Teigue

    V pour vendetta     Matrix     Sense8

John Cassavetes

 Opening Night (77)  Faces Une femme sous infuence *** Gloria***

Darren Aronofsky

Requiem for a dream The foutain The Whale *

[suicideenthusiast]

Tipping Point is a British quiz show that aired on ITV since 2 July 2012, the programme is presented by Ben Shephard and features three players (four players in Series 1–11) answering questions on the subject of general knowledge in order to win counters, which they use on a large coin pusher arcade-style machine, that represent (mainly) cash prizes.[3][4]The machine consists of two shelves filled with flat circular counters; the upper shelf slowly extends and retracts, whilst the lower one is stationary. The rear face of the machine is divided into four drop zones, each of which contains a pegboard similar to those found in pachinko machines. Contestants answer questions to win counters, then choose a drop zone and press their buzzer to release one counter at a time into that zone. The goal is to have the counters land flat on the upper shelf so that its retraction will cause them to push other counters over its front edge, leading them in turn to push still others off the lower shelf and into a collection trough referred to as the "win zone". Contestants win £50 for each counter that drops into the win zone during their turn. Any counters that bounce out of the machine and land on either the floor or the lip of the win zone during a turn are still credited toward that contestant's score.Only the winner at the end has a chance to take home any money; the others leave with nothing except any non-cash prizes they may have won during the game.[5]

-meow

WHAT

[liamhen5]

Sunita Williams: Leading the Way in Modern Space Exploration

Sunita Williams, an esteemed American astronaut and United States Navy officer, has carved a niche for herself in the annals of space exploration. Born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, Williams has achieved numerous milestones in her illustrious career, becoming one of the most accomplished astronauts of her generation. Her dedication to science, space exploration, and her role in inspiring future generations is truly remarkable.

Williams' journey to the stars began with her education at the United States Naval Academy, where she graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Science. She then embarked on a distinguished career in the Navy, becoming a test pilot and logging over 3,000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft. Her path to becoming an astronaut began in 1998 when she was selected by NASA for their astronaut program.

Her first spaceflight was aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-116 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in December 2006. During this mission, she broke the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, spending 195 days in space. She also performed four spacewalks, totaling over 29 hours. Her second spaceflight was in July 2012 aboard the Soyuz TMA-05M, where she spent another six months aboard the ISS, further adding to her cumulative spacewalk time.

First Crewed Mission on Boeing’s Starliner Capsule

Sunita Williams' involvement with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, a spacecraft developed under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, marks a significant chapter in her career. The Starliner is designed to carry up to seven astronauts or a combination of crew and cargo to the ISS and other low-Earth orbit destinations. This program aims to develop safe, reliable, and cost-effective human spaceflight capabilities, reducing reliance on Russian spacecraft for transporting astronauts to the ISS.

The Starliner represents a collaboration between NASA and Boeing, featuring advanced technology, enhanced safety features, and reusability for up to ten missions. Sunita Williams has played a crucial role in the Starliner program, being named as one of the astronauts for its first crewed mission. Her extensive experience and technical expertise have been instrumental in the development and rigorous testing of the spacecraft. The first crewed mission, known as the Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT), is a critical step toward certifying the Starliner for regular crewed missions.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon

While Boeing has been developing the Starliner, SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, has also been at the forefront of crewed spaceflight development under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Dragon 2, also known as Crew Dragon, is SpaceX’s spacecraft designed to transport astronauts to the ISS. It succeeds the uncrewed Dragon 1, primarily used for cargo missions.

Crew Dragon is a fully autonomous spacecraft capable of carrying up to seven astronauts. It is equipped with the latest technology, including touchscreen controls and the ability to dock autonomously with the ISS. Launched atop the Falcon 9 rocket, another SpaceX innovation known for its reusability, Crew Dragon has significantly impacted human spaceflight.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon made history with its first crewed mission, Demo-2, in May 2020. This mission marked the return of crewed spaceflights from American soil since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. The success of Demo-2 paved the way for subsequent missions, solidifying Crew Dragon as a reliable means of transporting astronauts to the ISS.

Boeing Starliner Mission

The Boeing Starliner mission is integral to NASA’s vision of maintaining a continuous human presence in space. The spacecraft is designed with a focus on safety, reliability, and operational efficiency. It features a unique pusher abort system that can propel the capsule away from the rocket in case of an emergency during launch.

The development journey of the Starliner has not been without challenges. The first uncrewed test flight, known as Orbital Flight Test (OFT), took place in December 2019. However, due to a software issue, the spacecraft was unable to reach the ISS as planned. Despite this setback, valuable data was gathered, leading to efforts to rectify the issues.

In August 2021, the second uncrewed test flight, OFT-2, was scheduled, but technical issues with the spacecraft’s propulsion system led to a postponement. These challenges highlight the complexities of developing a new spacecraft and the rigorous testing required to ensure astronaut safety.

The crewed flight of the Boeing Starliner, with Sunita Williams as one of the key astronauts, is highly anticipated. The successful completion of this mission will mark a significant milestone for Boeing and NASA, demonstrating the viability of Starliner for regular crewed missions to the ISS.

The Future of Space Exploration

The advancements made by both Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon signify a new era in space exploration. These developments not only enhance the capabilities of the United States in human spaceflight but also pave the way for future missions beyond low-Earth orbit, including potential missions to the Moon and Mars.

Sunita Williams’ involvement in these programs underscores the importance of experienced astronauts in advancing space technology. Her contributions have been invaluable in the testing and operational readiness of these spacecraft, ensuring they meet the high standards required for human spaceflight.

As space agencies and private companies continue to innovate, the collaboration between NASA, Boeing, and SpaceX exemplifies how public-private partnerships can drive significant advancements in space exploration. The successes of the Commercial Crew Program demonstrate the potential for future collaborative efforts in pushing the boundaries of human space exploration.

In conclusion, Sunita Williams’ remarkable career and her contributions to the first crewed mission on Boeing’s Starliner capsule highlight her role as a trailblazer in space. The advancements made by Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program signify a new chapter in human spaceflight, with the potential to revolutionize our approach to exploring the final frontier. As we look to the future, the achievements of Williams and her colleagues serve as an inspiration for the next generation of explorers, scientists, and engineers who will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in space.

[books-of-ochre]

"The Dark Tower series tells the story of Roland Deschain, Mid-World’s last gunslinger, who is traveling southeast across Mid-World’s post-apocalyptic landscape, searching for the powerful but elusive magical edifice known as The Dark Tower. Located in the fey region of End-World, amid a sea of singing red roses, the Dark Tower is the nexus point of the time-space continuum.  It is the heart of all worlds, but it is also under threat. Someone, or something, is using the evil technology of the Great Old Ones to destroy it." - Stephan King

The Little Sister of Eluria (1998)

Good Reads || My Rating: 3.5/5

The Gunslinger (1982) He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black, encounters an alluring woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

The Drawing of the Three (1987) While pursuing his quest for the Dark Tower through a world that is a nightmarishly distorted mirror image of our own, Roland, the last gunslinger, encounters three mysterious doorways on the beach. Each one enters into the life of a different person living in contemporary New York. Here he links forces with the defiant young Eddie Dean and the beautiful, brilliant, and brave Odetta Holmes, in a savage struggle against underworld evil and otherworldly enemies.

Good Reads || My Rating: 4.5/5

The Waste Lands (1991) Several months have passed, and Roland’s two new tet-mates have become proficient gunslingers. Eddie Dean has given up heroin, and Odetta’s two selves have joined, becoming the stronger and more balanced personality of Susannah Dean. But while battling The Pusher in 1977 New York, Roland altered ka by saving the life of Jake Chambers, a boy who—in Roland’s where and when—has already died. Now Roland and Jake exist in different worlds, but they are joined by the same madness: the paradox of double memories. Roland, Susannah, and Eddie must draw Jake into Mid-World then follow the Path of the Beam all the way to the Dark Tower. But nothing is easy in Mid-World. Along the way our tet stumbles into the ruined city of Lud, and are caught between the warring gangs of the Pubes and the Grays. The only way out of Lud is to wake Blaine the Mono, an insane train that has a passion for riddling, and for suicidal journeys.

Good Reads || My Rating: 3/5

Wizard and Glass (1997) Roland, Eddie, Susannah, Jake, and Jake’s pet bumbler survive Blaine the Mono’s final crash, only to find themselves stranded in an alternate version of Topeka, Kansas, one that has been ravaged by the superflu virus. While following the deserted I-70 toward a distant glass palace, they hear the atonal squalling of a thinny, a place where the fabric of existence has almost entirely worn away. While camping near the edge of the thinny, Roland tells his ka-tet a story about another thinny, one that he encountered when he was little more than a boy. Over the course of one long magical night, Roland transports us to the Mid-World of long-ago and a seaside town called Hambry, where Roland fell in love with a girl named Susan Delgado, and where he and his old tet-mates Alain and Cuthbert battled the forces of John Farson, the harrier who—with a little help from a seeing sphere called Maerlyn’s Grapefruit—ignited Mid-World’s final war.

Good Reads || My Rating: 3.5/5

Wind Through the Keyhole (2012) Roland Deschain and his ka-tet—Jake, Susannah, Eddie, and Oy, the billy-bumbler—encounter a ferocious storm just after crossing the River Whye on their way to the Outer Baronies. As they shelter from the howling gale, Roland tells his friends not just one strange story but two . . . and in so doing, casts new light on his own troubled past.

Good Reads || My Rating: 4/5

Wolves of the Calla (2003) Roland and his tet have just returned to the path of the Beam when they discover that they are being followed by a group of inexperienced trackers. The trackers are from the town of Calla Bryn Sturgis, and they desperately need the help of gunslingers. Once every generation, a band of masked riders known as the Wolves gallop out of the dark land of Thunderclap to steal one half of all the twins born in the Callas. When the children are returned, they are roont, or mentally and physically ruined. In less than a month, the Wolves will raid again. In exchange for Roland’s aid, Father Callahan—a priest originally from our world—offers to give Roland a powerful but evil seeing sphere, a sinister globe called Black Thirteen which he has hidden below the floorboards of his church. Not only must Roland and his tet discover a way to defeat the invincible Wolves, but they must also return to New York so that they can save our world’s incarnation of the Dark Tower from the machinations of the evil Sombra Corporation.

Good Reads || My Rating: 4/5

Song of Susannah (2004) The Wolves have been defeated, but our tet faces yet another catastrophe. Susannah Dean’s body has been usurped by a demon named Mia who wants to use Susannah’s mortal form to bear a demon child. Stealing Black Thirteen, Mia has traveled through the Unfound Door to 1999 New York where she plans to give birth to her chap, a child born of two mothers and two fathers who will grow up to be Roland’s nemesis. With the help of the time-traveling Manni, Roland and Eddie plan to follow Susannah while Father Callahan and Jake will find Calvin Tower, owner of the vacant lot where a magical rose grows: a rose that must be saved at all costs. But despite our ka-tet’s intentions, ka has its own plans. Jake, Callahan, and Jake’s bumbler companion are transported to New York to follow Susannah, while Eddie and Roland are tumbled into East Stoneham, Maine, where they are greeted by Eddie’s old enemy, the gangster Balazar. But it isn’t just bullets that Roland and Eddie must brave. Soon they will meet their maker, in the form of a young author named Stephen King.

Good Reads || My Rating: 3/5

The Dark Tower (2004) Roland Deschain and his ka-tet have journeyed together and apart, scattered far and wide across multilayered worlds of wheres and whens. The destinies of Roland, Susannah, Jake, Father Callahan, Oy, and Eddie are bound in the Dark Tower itself, which now pulls them ever closer to their own endings and beginnings...and into a maelstrom of emotion, violence, and discovery.

Good Reads || My Rating: 4.5/5

I was surprised that I enjoyed this series as much as I did. The characters are interesting, the plot is great, and the universe he built feels extremely believable. Of course, like any series that stretches out across 8 books (not including the prequel), there are times when it feels like things are lagging. However, the ending was well worth those moments, and I highly recommend to anyone who loves a good dark fantasy!

Series Rating: 4/5

[lamilanomagazine]

Vicenza: arrestato 38enne serbo con 9 condanne alle spalle e proventi di furti e spaccio di droga.

Vicenza: arrestato 38enne serbo con 9 condanne alle spalle e proventi di furti e spaccio di droga. In Italia dal 2011, aveva da subito iniziato a vivere di espedienti, ricavando il necessario per vivere dai numerosi furti messi a segno e dall'attività di pusher. M.M., cittadino serbo di 38 anni, nel primo anno in dal suo trasferimento in Italia, ha collezionato ben 6 arresti per spaccio di sostanze stupefacenti che lo hanno portato ad una prima condanna nel 2012. L'uomo, però, era anche dedito al consumo di alcol ed aveva una passione per l'alta velocità, per cui, sempre in quei primi anni, è stato sanzionato amministrativamente molte volte dalla Polizia Stradale e ricevuto anche tre condanne per violazioni del Codice della Strada. Dopodiché, per sbarcare il lunario, si è dedicato ai furti ma, anche in questo caso, molteplici volte è stato arrestato in flagranza dagli Agenti della Questura: arresti che gli hanno fruttato altre tre condanne. Nel tempo ha quindi accumulato ben nove condanne tra un reato e l'altro, scontando tutte le volte solo parzialmente la pena inflittagli, tra obblighi di dimora, divieti di dimora, permessi vari e misure alternative alla detenzione. Alla fine delle varie condanne succedutesi nel tempo, il Tribunale di Vicenza ha emesso un ordine di esecuzione per la pena residua. Pertanto, gli Agenti della Squadra Mobile di Vicenza, avuta copia della sentenza, si sono attivati per rintracciare l'uomo che vive a Dueville (VI), accompagnandolo ieri alla Casa Circondariale "Del Papa" di Vicenza a disposizione dell'Autorità Giudiziaria, dove dovrà scontare la pena definitiva per 1 anno e 2 mesi di reclusione, come pena residua di quella in precedenza scontata.... #notizie #news #breakingnews #cronaca #politica #eventi #sport #moda Read the full article

[benefits1986]

Ora Et Labora Sunken Shit Hole Sanctuary

Hugs without hugging it out loud is this bitch's cup of matcha, always.

I vividly remember my trigger concerning space invasion. It happened during my birthday, and mother dragon's last day above the ground. It's too graphic for lunch break but I'm testing out how fast I can down a piece without drowning, this time around.

The hugs back then felt so real, in the same manner that I despise each of them. Each hug stabbed my insides because I've been CTRL + ALT + DEL mode on even when mom's vital signs are already on flight mode. The hugs felt intrusive, not calming. The kind words cut the wounds more deeply as I bleed profusely in silence. Truth be told, while I say that I'm always up for losing, winning keeps me up. Gaming numbers is my go-to. The lack of green numbers make me breathe shallower breaths. It even came to a point that I actually held my breath when I see red numbers on my mom's dashboards.

I've cheated mother dragon's death so many times and my batting average is 100%. So when she did so many alignments that took two years before the go live, I'm still trying my best to hang on to the green numbers. However, I can't cheat death; and while I know I ought to welcome it as a friend, mom and I's Invisibility Cloak is thrown out, forever.

The hugs given to me during my birthday morphed into well-guarded fortress which I strategically and tactically designed to keep out anyone who'd try to enter. Since 2012, I purposefully and passionately shut down all forms of emotional availability because I was done and over it and its the shit hole that came with it.

During the final speech I gave before mom's burial, I carefully curated my tears. I wanted to make sure that her last minutes on the earth's crust would be one that she deserved --on point, dalisay, quirky and cutting. It's probably the most excruciating public speaking engagement in my book. I barely shed a tear and up to this day, random people who were with us in those hours commend me with a job well done.

This is pretty much the sum up of my mom issues which I am facing after more than a decade this 2023, intentionally.

The hugs I'm getting are heaven sent after spending so much time in my sunken shit hole by choice, by will and by force. These hugs are not invading my territorial stance, which I find really curious. What's more interesting is that as I embrace Brene Brown's gospel, I am in a better place teeming with super slow and steady growth.

It's not easy to befriend the break as I'm a true blue pedal pusher on her wonky B. But, let this be a season where I choose my fight and get ready for my flight. These days, a "hug" well meant, is a sanctuary, a piece of heaven on this cruel and kind world.

I am an eternal WIP file girly in her ultra femme era with the goal to be a passenger princess. My edges are jagged, my flame is ember, however, these days, I'm really trying my best to "hug" the world back bit by bit. I guess, this is mother dragon's long overdue answered prayer that goes beyond this lifetime and the next for me.

May I consistently choose to show up for myself so I can give what I have with all that I am and all that I'm not. May I fine-tune my ways even more in the name of actually growing up and healing my inner children. May I continually learn the lessons of gentleness and vulnerability and the power and magic they hold. Though I'm super duper firm, may I keep slugging towards going beyond black and white, too. This is pretty much my prayer and my work. The roads are gradually converging ---Ora Et Labora meets Ikot, finally, unapologetically. It's never gonna 100% but I'm sure that I'm ready for a new chapter teeming with grace and grit. Akala mo naman my Philo paper ako kung makaarya ako dito noh? Hahahahaha. Tamad to cite because all I know is we all know nothing. CHOZ. But, when I drink, I know things in the same manner that I get unknown things, too. Okay. Hard stopping now because I want to see how much I've let my dark maroon heart bleed in blue. Also, sana ganito na ako mag-storytell sa work and sa life in 2024. Syempre, hindi ganito kahaba, noh. 'Yung saktong sapul lang with full intention. Abangan! Hirap mag-full contextual English. UGH.

[brookston]

Holidays 11.16

Holidays

Birth of the Blues Day

Clarinet Day

Charles Bonnet Syndrome Day

Dagur Islenskrar Tungu (Icelandic Language Day; Iceland)

Day of Declaration of Sovereignty (Estonia)

Esme’s Umbrella Day

Flag Day (Benin)

Guinness World Record Day

Have a Party with Your Bear Day

Icelandic Language Day

International Check Your Wipers Day

International Day For Tolerance (UN)

International Day of Flamenco

International Selfie Day

International UNESCO World Heritage Day

Mother’s Day (North Korea)

National Andy Day

National Black Marketeers Day

National Button Day

National Charles Day

National Check Your Wipers Day

National Doctors’ Day (South Africa)

National Indiana Day

National Information & Referral Day

National Moms and Dads Day

National Press Day (India)

National Sarah Day

National Slobber Appreciation Day

Pistachio Day (French Republic)

Rage Against the Machine Day

Red Cup Day

Remembrance of Things Past Day

Resident Aliens' Day

Revolution Day (Mexico)

Social Enterprise Day

Statia Day (Bonaire, St. Eustatius & Saba)

World Acupuncture Awareness Day

World Chocolate Day

World Clarinet Day

World Falconry Day

World Historical Motors Day

World Horse Appreciation Day

World Idea Day

World mRNA Day

World Sanfilippo Awareness Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Famous San Diego Chicken Day

Have a Party with Your Bear Day

National Fast Food Day

3rd Thursday in November

Beaujolais Nouveau Day [3rd Thursday]

Catholic School Appreciation Day [3rd Thursday]

Children’s Grief Awareness Day [3rd Thursday]

Educator For a Day [3rd Thursday]

Friendsgiving [3rd Thursday]

Give Miami Day (Florida) [3rd Thursday]

Great American Smokeout [3rd Thursday]

International Guinness Book of World Records Day [Thursday of 2nd Full Week]

International Guinness World Records Day [Thursday of 2nd Full Week]

Julia Child Day [3rd Thursday]

National Bundt Day (a.k.a. Bundt Pan Day) [3rd Thursday]

National Catholic School Principal’s Day [3rd Thursday]

National Parent Involvement Day [3rd Thursday]

National Rural Health Day [3rd Thursday]

National Thaw Day [3rd Thursday]

Social Enterprise Day [3rd Thursday]

Use Less Stuff Day [3rd Thursday]

World Pancreatic Cancer Day [3rd Thursday]

World Philosophy Day (UN) [3rd Thursday]

World's Biggest Liar Competition (UK; sponsored by Jennings Brewery) [3rd Thursday]

World Day for Clean Air [3rd Thursday]

World Wide Pressure Injury Prevention Day [3rd Thursday]

Independence Days

Adamburg (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Oklahoma Statehood Day (#46; 1907)

Feast Days

Africus (Christian; Saint)

Agnes of Assisi (Christian; Saint)

Depoma Heklates (Night of the Crossroads; Pagan)

Dodo Grieving Day (Pastafarian)

Edmund of Abingdon (Christian; Saint)

Elfric of Abingdon (Christian; Saint)

Eucherius of Lyon (Christian; Saint)

Francis Danby (Artology)

Gertrude the Great (Roman Catholic Church)

Giuseppe Moscati (Christian; Saint)

Gobrain (Christian; Saint)

Hecate Night (Wicca)

Herschel Gordon Lewis Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Hugh of Lincoln (Roman Catholic Church)

Margaret of Scotland (Christian; Saint)

Matthew the Evangelist (Eastern Christianity)

Media Autumnus III (Pagan)

Mr. and Mrs. Slop (Muppetism)

Othmar (Christian; Saint)

Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn (Christian; Saint)

Roch Gonzalez, Juan de Castillo, and Alonso Rodriguez, SJ (Christian; Saint)

Ruyter (Positivist; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [29 of 32]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Amélie (Film; 2001)

Anna Karenina (Film; 2012)

Beaned by a Blossom or The Petal Pushers (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 319; 1964)

Beowulf (Film; 2007)

Billboard Frolics (WB MM Cartoon; 1935)

A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin (Novel; 1998) [A Song of Fire and Ice #1]

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Film; 1977)

Cyrano de Bergerac (Film; 1990)

Donny & Marie (TV Variety Series; 1975)

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, recorded by The Animals (Song; 1964)

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Film; 2018)

The 400 Blows (Film; 1959)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Film; 2001) [Harry Potter #1]

Heavenly Creatures (Film; 1994)

Home Alone (Film; 1990)

House M.D. (TV Series; 2004)

I Fall to Pieces, recorded by Patsy Cline (Song; 1960)

Jingle All the Way (Film; 1996)

Just the Way You Are (Film; 1984)

Kangaroo Jack: G’Day U.S.A.! (WB Animated Film; 2004)

Lincoln (Film; 2012)

Little Women (Film; 1933)

The Lost Weekend (Film; 1945)

Love the One You’re With, by Stephen Stills (Song; 1970)

The Menu (Film; 2022)

More Than Human, by Theodore Sturgeon (Novel; 1953)

Mouse-Taken Identity (WB MM Cartoon; 1957)

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (Film; 2007)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Film; 1984)

Night of the Comet (Film; 1984)

The October Country, by Ray Bradbury (Short Stories; 1955)

Papillon, by Henri Charrière (Memoir; 1969)

The Prince and the Pauper (Disney Cartoon; 1990)

The Real Thing, by Tom Stoppard (Play; 1982)

The Rescuers Down Under (Disney Animated Film; 1990)

Rocky V (Film; 1990)

Silver Linings Playbook (Film; 2012)

The Sound of Music (Broadway Musical; 1959)

Stephen Stills, by Stephen Stills (Album; 1970)

Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe (Novel; 1958)

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 (Film; 2012)

Vacation Daze or Visit to a Small Panic (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 320; 1964)

Today’s Name Days

Margareta, Otmar (Austria)

Matei (Bulgaria)

Agneta, Gertruda, Margareta (Croatia)

Otmar (Czech Republic)

Othenius (Denmark)

Aarne, Arne, Arno, Arnold (Estonia)

Aarne, Aarni, Aarno (Finland)

Gertrude, Marguerite, Mégane (France)

Arthur, Margarita, Otmar (Germany)

Ifigenia, Mathaios, Matthaios (Greece)

Ödön (Hungary)

Margherita, Procolo (Italy)

Banga, Dzirkstīte, Glorija (Latvia)

Edmundas, Gerdvilė, Gertrūda, Vaišvydas (Lithuania)

Edgar, Edmund (Norway)

Aureliusz, Dionizy, Edmund, Gertruda, Leon, Marek, Maria, Niedamir, Otomar, Paweł, Piotr (Poland)

Matei (Romania)

Agnesa (Slovakia)

Edmundo, Gertrudis, Margarita (Spain)

Vibeke, Viveka (Sweden)

Matthew (Ukraine)

Gertrude, Iris, Chase, Chasen, Trudy (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 320 of 2024; 45 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 46 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 17 of 28]

Chinese: Month 10 (Gui-Hai), Day 4 (Wu-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 3 Kislev 5784

Islamic: 3 Jumada I 1445

J Cal: 20 Mir; Sixday [20 of 30]

Julian: 3 November 2023

Moon: 12%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 12 Frederic (12th Month) [Ruyter]

Runic Half Month: Nyd (Necessity) [Day 6 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 54 of 89)

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 24 of 29)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 11.16

Holidays

Birth of the Blues Day

Clarinet Day

Charles Bonnet Syndrome Day

Dagur Islenskrar Tungu (Icelandic Language Day; Iceland)

Day of Declaration of Sovereignty (Estonia)

Esme’s Umbrella Day

Flag Day (Benin)

Guinness World Record Day

Have a Party with Your Bear Day

Icelandic Language Day

International Check Your Wipers Day

International Day For Tolerance (UN)

International Day of Flamenco

International Selfie Day

International UNESCO World Heritage Day

Mother’s Day (North Korea)

National Andy Day

National Black Marketeers Day

National Button Day

National Charles Day

National Check Your Wipers Day

National Doctors’ Day (South Africa)

National Indiana Day

National Information & Referral Day

National Moms and Dads Day

National Press Day (India)

National Sarah Day

National Slobber Appreciation Day

Pistachio Day (French Republic)

Rage Against the Machine Day

Red Cup Day

Remembrance of Things Past Day

Resident Aliens' Day

Revolution Day (Mexico)

Social Enterprise Day

Statia Day (Bonaire, St. Eustatius & Saba)

World Acupuncture Awareness Day

World Chocolate Day

World Clarinet Day

World Falconry Day

World Historical Motors Day

World Horse Appreciation Day

World Idea Day

World mRNA Day

World Sanfilippo Awareness Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Famous San Diego Chicken Day

Have a Party with Your Bear Day

National Fast Food Day

3rd Thursday in November

Beaujolais Nouveau Day [3rd Thursday]

Catholic School Appreciation Day [3rd Thursday]

Children’s Grief Awareness Day [3rd Thursday]

Educator For a Day [3rd Thursday]

Friendsgiving [3rd Thursday]

Give Miami Day (Florida) [3rd Thursday]

Great American Smokeout [3rd Thursday]

International Guinness Book of World Records Day [Thursday of 2nd Full Week]

International Guinness World Records Day [Thursday of 2nd Full Week]

Julia Child Day [3rd Thursday]

National Bundt Day (a.k.a. Bundt Pan Day) [3rd Thursday]

National Catholic School Principal’s Day [3rd Thursday]

National Parent Involvement Day [3rd Thursday]

National Rural Health Day [3rd Thursday]

National Thaw Day [3rd Thursday]

Social Enterprise Day [3rd Thursday]

Use Less Stuff Day [3rd Thursday]

World Pancreatic Cancer Day [3rd Thursday]

World Philosophy Day (UN) [3rd Thursday]

World's Biggest Liar Competition (UK; sponsored by Jennings Brewery) [3rd Thursday]

World Day for Clean Air [3rd Thursday]

World Wide Pressure Injury Prevention Day [3rd Thursday]

Independence Days

Adamburg (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Oklahoma Statehood Day (#46; 1907)

Feast Days

Africus (Christian; Saint)

Agnes of Assisi (Christian; Saint)

Depoma Heklates (Night of the Crossroads; Pagan)

Dodo Grieving Day (Pastafarian)

Edmund of Abingdon (Christian; Saint)

Elfric of Abingdon (Christian; Saint)

Eucherius of Lyon (Christian; Saint)

Francis Danby (Artology)

Gertrude the Great (Roman Catholic Church)

Giuseppe Moscati (Christian; Saint)

Gobrain (Christian; Saint)

Hecate Night (Wicca)

Herschel Gordon Lewis Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Hugh of Lincoln (Roman Catholic Church)

Margaret of Scotland (Christian; Saint)

Matthew the Evangelist (Eastern Christianity)

Media Autumnus III (Pagan)

Mr. and Mrs. Slop (Muppetism)

Othmar (Christian; Saint)

Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn (Christian; Saint)

Roch Gonzalez, Juan de Castillo, and Alonso Rodriguez, SJ (Christian; Saint)

Ruyter (Positivist; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [29 of 32]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Amélie (Film; 2001)

Anna Karenina (Film; 2012)

Beaned by a Blossom or The Petal Pushers (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 319; 1964)

Beowulf (Film; 2007)

Billboard Frolics (WB MM Cartoon; 1935)

A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin (Novel; 1998) [A Song of Fire and Ice #1]

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Film; 1977)

Cyrano de Bergerac (Film; 1990)

Donny & Marie (TV Variety Series; 1975)

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, recorded by The Animals (Song; 1964)

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Film; 2018)

The 400 Blows (Film; 1959)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Film; 2001) [Harry Potter #1]

Heavenly Creatures (Film; 1994)

Home Alone (Film; 1990)

House M.D. (TV Series; 2004)

I Fall to Pieces, recorded by Patsy Cline (Song; 1960)

Jingle All the Way (Film; 1996)

Just the Way You Are (Film; 1984)

Kangaroo Jack: G’Day U.S.A.! (WB Animated Film; 2004)

Lincoln (Film; 2012)

Little Women (Film; 1933)

The Lost Weekend (Film; 1945)

Love the One You’re With, by Stephen Stills (Song; 1970)

The Menu (Film; 2022)

More Than Human, by Theodore Sturgeon (Novel; 1953)

Mouse-Taken Identity (WB MM Cartoon; 1957)

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (Film; 2007)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Film; 1984)

Night of the Comet (Film; 1984)

The October Country, by Ray Bradbury (Short Stories; 1955)

Papillon, by Henri Charrière (Memoir; 1969)

The Prince and the Pauper (Disney Cartoon; 1990)

The Real Thing, by Tom Stoppard (Play; 1982)

The Rescuers Down Under (Disney Animated Film; 1990)

Rocky V (Film; 1990)

Silver Linings Playbook (Film; 2012)

The Sound of Music (Broadway Musical; 1959)

Stephen Stills, by Stephen Stills (Album; 1970)

Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe (Novel; 1958)

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 (Film; 2012)

Vacation Daze or Visit to a Small Panic (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 320; 1964)

Today’s Name Days

Margareta, Otmar (Austria)

Matei (Bulgaria)

Agneta, Gertruda, Margareta (Croatia)

Otmar (Czech Republic)

Othenius (Denmark)

Aarne, Arne, Arno, Arnold (Estonia)

Aarne, Aarni, Aarno (Finland)

Gertrude, Marguerite, Mégane (France)

Arthur, Margarita, Otmar (Germany)

Ifigenia, Mathaios, Matthaios (Greece)

Ödön (Hungary)

Margherita, Procolo (Italy)

Banga, Dzirkstīte, Glorija (Latvia)

Edmundas, Gerdvilė, Gertrūda, Vaišvydas (Lithuania)

Edgar, Edmund (Norway)

Aureliusz, Dionizy, Edmund, Gertruda, Leon, Marek, Maria, Niedamir, Otomar, Paweł, Piotr (Poland)

Matei (Romania)

Agnesa (Slovakia)

Edmundo, Gertrudis, Margarita (Spain)

Vibeke, Viveka (Sweden)

Matthew (Ukraine)

Gertrude, Iris, Chase, Chasen, Trudy (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 320 of 2024; 45 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 46 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 17 of 28]

Chinese: Month 10 (Gui-Hai), Day 4 (Wu-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 3 Kislev 5784

Islamic: 3 Jumada I 1445

J Cal: 20 Mir; Sixday [20 of 30]

Julian: 3 November 2023

Moon: 12%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 12 Frederic (12th Month) [Ruyter]

Runic Half Month: Nyd (Necessity) [Day 6 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 54 of 89)

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 24 of 29)