#albany times union

[directactionforhope]

Late notice but

Today 10/5 is an international day of action protesting one year of the Gaza genocide!

Find a protest near you today or tomorrow 10/6! If you're in the US, look at the links below, from the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights!

October 5, 2024

Note: Tumblr has capped the number of outgoing links you can use in one post. Go to the USCPR link above and click on a protest for a flyer/organizer info for each and every one of these events.

Albany, NY | 4:30PM Dana Park

Albuquerque, NM | 2PM Robinson Park

Amherst, MA | Amherst Town Common

Anchorage, AK | 2PM Townsquare Park

Atlanta, GA | 2PM 190 Marietta SW

Austin, TX | 1PM Austin City Hall

Birmingham, AL | 2PM Victoria Square

Blacksburg, VA | 3PM Pylons

Boston, MA | 2PM Cambridge City Hall

Burlington, VT | 1PM Battery Park

Charleston, SC | 2PM Marion Square Park

Chicago, IL | 2PM Water Tower Park

Cleveland, OH | 3PM 11804 Lorain Ave

Columbus, OH | 2PM Goodale Park

Corvallis, OR | 12 NOON County Courthoue

Dallas, TX | 12PM The Grassy Knoll

Denver, CO | 12PM 400 Josephine St

Detroit, MI | 2PM 5 Woodward Ave, Detroit

Dover, DE | 12 NOON 250 Gateway S Blvd

Fort Myers, FL | 6PM Centennial Park

Gainseville, FL | 2PM City Hall

Honolulu, HI | 11AM Ala Moana & Atkinson

Houston, TX | 2PM Houston City Hall

Indianapolis, IL |  2PM Lugar Plaza

Kansas City | 1PM Mill Creek Park

Kona, HI | 12:30PM Old airport by the skating rink

Las Vegas, NV | 2PM 3449 S Sammy Davis Jr Dr

Little Rock, AK | 4PM 1200 Main St

Los Angeles, CA | 2PM Pershing Square

Louisville, KY | 3PM Water Front Park

Maui, HI | 11AM Kapuka’ulua (Baldwin Beach)

Memphis, TN | 2PM City Hall

Miami, FL | 5PM Torch of Friendship

Milwaukee, WI | 2PM Zedler Union Square Park

Missoula, MT | 7PM 200 W Broadway

Nashville, TN | 2PM Centennial Park

New York, NY | 2PM Times Square

New Haven, CT | 1PM New Haven Green

New Orleans, LA | 5PM Congo Square

Ottawa, Ontario | 2PM Parliment Hill

Orlando, FL | 4PM Orlando City Hall

Pensacola, FL | 5PM Palafox & Gregorary St.

Pittsburgh, PA | Film screening, 3PM 100 S Commons St.

Portland, ME | 5PM Monument Square

Portland, OR | 3PM Unthank Park

Providence, RI | 3PM RI State House steps & 5:30PM 1 Finance Way

Raleigh, NC | 3PM Moore Square

Rochester, NY | 1PM MLK Park

Sacramento, CA | 2PM West steps of the Capitol

Salt Lake City, UT | 2PM 125 S State St

San Antonio, TX | 1PM Travis Park

San Diego, CA | 2:00PM 1600 Pacific Highway

Seattle, WA | 2PM TBA, with car caravans from Spokane, Pasco, Ellensburg

St. Louis, MO | Liberation weekend, 9AM-8PM 475 East Lockwood Ave

Tampa, FL | 2PM Bank of America Plaza

Toronto, Ontario | 2PM Yonge Dundas Square

Urbana, IL | 2PM 101 E Main St

Ventura, CA | 2PM 501 Poli St

Washington, DC | 4PM White House

West Plains, MO | 12 NOON Downtown Square

Wichita, KS | 12:30PM Spirit Aerosystems

October 6, 2024

Amityville, NY | 1PM LIRR

Boston, MA | 1PM Boston Common

Green Bay, WI | 5:30PM Leicht Memorial Park

Los Angeles, CA | Vigil, 6:30PM Echo Park Lake

Minneapolis, MN | 1:30PM Gateway Park Fountain

Ontario, CA | 1PM Euclid & C St

Paterson, NJ | 2PM Palestine Way with Gould Avenue

Roanoke, VA | Vigil, 6PM Heights Community Church courtyard

San Diego, CA | 4PM Centro Cultural de La Raza

San Francisco, CA | 1PM 16th & Valencia

San Jose, CA | 12 NOON City Hall

St. Louis, MO | 1PM Choteau Park

[iww-gnv]

Amazon was accused of violating federal law multiple times to obstruct unionization efforts at a warehouse near Albany, New York, last year, according to a new complaint filed by a regional director at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), first reported by Bloomberg. The complaint, filed yesterday (Aug. 21), reportedly accuses the retail giant of illegally firing an organizer prior to a union ballot last year, calling the police on employees, barring discussion of unions at the workplace, and seeking to limit employee interaction at the warehouse before and after hours to thwart organizing.

[Read the rest]

[adamsvanrhijn]

Times Union: 'The Gilded Age' crews are busy in Albany, Schenectady and Troy

Production crews for the HBO series are spread out around the Capital Region with filming scheduled through early next week

August 14, 2024

ALBANY — “The Gilded Age” moved on to Lark Street Wednesday to film scenes for season three of the HBO series as crews continued work in Troy and Schenectady.

In Troy, the furniture was stacked Tuesday in the driveway at 212 Pawling Ave., trucks were pulling up to and away from the curb and a worker was touching up the white picket fence with fresh paint.

The workers were prepping the two-story house built in 1872 for weekend filming, which is scheduled to take place on Pawling Avenue.

While crews worked in downtown Troy, on Lark Street in Albany and in Schenectady’s Stockade neighborhood on scenes for show’s upcoming  season, their colleagues were laying the groundwork for the next round of filming on Troy’s East Side.

Meanwhile at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on State Street in Albany, work was underway to prepare the church for filming on Monday, according to church officials. The church also was used as a set for the show’s second season. [Read more at link in title.]

Extras are seen waiting outside a building on Lark Street during the filming of the HBO series “The Gilded Age” on Wednesday in Albany.

Extras are seen waiting on the corner of Lark Street and Hudson Avenue during the filming of the HBO series “The Gilded Age” on Wednesday in Albany.

Three female impersonators are seen on the corner of Hudson Avenue and Lark Street during the filming of the HBO series “The Gilded Age” on Wednesday in Albany.

Extras are seen getting instructions on Lark St. during the filming of the HBO series “The Gilded Age” on Wednesday, Aug.14, 2024 in Albany, N.Y.

[jacobwren]

“What comes across in the stories that Myles Horton tells, in SNCC workers’ tales of best organizers, and in the broader literature on organizing is good organizers’ creativity: their ability to respond to local conditions, to capitalize on sudden opportunities, to turn to advantage a seeming setback, to know when to exploit teachable moments and when to concentrate on winning an immediate objective. Sometimes you insist on fully participatory decision-making; sometimes you do not. Albany SNCC project head Charles Sherrod urged fellow organizers not to “let the project go to the dogs because you feel you must be democratic to the letter.” Horton recounted on numerous occasions an experience that he had had in a union organizing effort. At the time, the highway patrol was escorting scabs through the picket line, and the strike committee was at its wit’s end about how to counter this threat to strikers’ solidarity. After considering and rejecting numerous proposals, exhausted committee members demanded advice from Horton. When he refused, one of them pulled a gun. “I was tempted then to become an instant expert, right on the spot!” Horton confessed. “But I knew that if I did that, all would be lost and then all of the rest of them would start asking me what to do. So I said: ‘No. Go ahead and shoot if you want to, but I’m not going to tell you.’ And the others calmed him down.” Giving in would have defeated the purpose of persuading the strikers that they had the knowledge to make the decision themselves. But Horton sometimes told another story. When he was once asked to speak to a group of Tennessee farmers about organizing a cooperative, he knew, he said, that since “their expectation was that I would speak as an expert… if I didn’t speak, and said, ‘let’s have a discussion about this,’ they’d say, that this guy doesn’t know anything.” So Horton “made a speech, the best speech I could. Then after it was over, while we were still there, I said, let’s discuss what I have said. Well now, that was just one step removed, but close enough to their expectation that I was able to carry them along… You do have to make concessions like that.” What better time to make a concession than when you’re looking down the barrel of a gun? Horton presumably knew that he could get away with refusing to be an expert in the first situation and not in the second. Perhaps the difference was that he was unknown to the farmers and was known to the strikers. But one could argue that a relationship with a history could tolerate aberrant exercises of leadership while first impressions die harder. In other words, extracting rules from the stories that Horton tells is difficult. When to lead and when to defer, when to ask leadings questions and when to remain silent, when to focus on the limited objective and when to encourage people to see the circumscribed character of that objective – the answers depend on the situation and are not always readily evident.” – Francesca Polletta, Freedom Is an Endless Meeting: Democracy in American Social Movements  

[weirdestbooks]

The Shot Heard Around the World Chapter 12

The Time to Unite (Wattpad | Ao3)

Table of Contents | Prev | Next

September 5, 1774

Carpenters’ Hall, Philadelphia. The place where twelve of the thirteen colonies would meet to present unified action against the recent British abuses of power. Thirteen wished all thirteen colonies had sent delegates, but he understood Georgia’s reason for not coming. They had a war with the Indians to deal with and couldn’t risk losing British support if they needed it.

Thirteen pushed the thoughts of Georgia and their troubles out of his mind. He wasn’t here to think about Georgia’s troubles. Thirteen was here to help the delegates give a unified response to the British. It was a bit nerve-wracking. This is the first time the colonies are genuinely going to unite on an issue. This hadn’t happened before, and Thirteen was nervous about how it would turn out. 

‘It’ll be fine.’

‘Most of the colonies have the same goals in the end. Regardless of what debates happen, we still have a common goal.’

‘But the Albany Plan of Union failed. What if this fails too?’

Thirteen shook the negative thoughts out of his head. Now wasn’t the time to be dealing with them. He had a job to do. Thirteen walked into the building, looking around to see if he recognized anyone besides the Massachusetts delegates he had met in Boston.

Thirteen saw Colonel Washington out of the corner of his eye and turned toward him. There was at least one familiar face, which helped Thirteen’s anxiety slightly. Thirteen walked into the meeting room and stood in the back. The seats were organized by colony, and since Thirteen was all the colonies, he didn’t pick one to sit in.

Standing in the back also let him observe the Continental Congress better. Thirteen wanted to be able to see everything that was going on. 

‘I hope this doesn’t end badly…’

Thirteen watched as everyone began making their way to their seats and felt his nervousness grow. He pushed it down. Now wasn’t the time to be nervous. Thirteen had things to take care of. Hopefully, whatever conclusion this Congress made, his father and England listened to what Thirteen’s people had to say.

Hopefully, his people could find something to agree on.

——————————————

It was the second day of the Congress, and they were already lost on what to do. No one seemed to know where to start, and Thirteen saw several delegates continuing to look back at him. It made Thirteen feel weird. He’s not used to his presence being a big deal to people. After all, he was a colony, not a world power like Britain. 

Suddenly, a man stood up and began speaking. He talked about the wrongs Thirteen’s people have suffered because of the acts of the Parliament. He said that all the governments in America were dissolved and that the colonies were in a state of nature.

He said this Congress was the first of a long series of Congresses. He talked about how he was worried the decisions here would form a precedent. He argued for representation according to population.

“What about the smaller colonies? If representation is according to population, the larger colonies can project their influence, while the smaller colonies will lose their voice.” Someone countered.

His response was something that Thirteen knew he would never forget. 

 "British oppression has effaced the boundaries of the several colonies; the distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian but an American."

Thirteen smiled at that. That line was the most important thing this man had said. It was a call to unite, not to let the colony someone came from deny them the ability to get along with the other American colonies. 

Thirteen felt divided over everything. That gave him hope that maybe someday he would be able to represent the colonies in agreement, united, for once.

“Who was that?” Thirteen asked the delegate closest to me.

“Patrick Henry, from Virginia.” 

——————————————

The Congress has achieved two things so far. They made Peyton Randolph the President of the Congress and endorsed the Suffolk Resolves. 

The Suffolk Resolves was a big step, and Thirteen knew it would infuriate his father and England. It ordered his people not to obey the Intolerable Acts, not to import British goods, and to raise a militia.

‘We should join the militia!’

‘We should stay here and help our people decide.’

That last point was going to piss England and Britain off the most. But they were bringing soldiers into Thirteen’s land. Soldiers who have hurt him and his people, even if it was accidentally. They couldn’t let themselves be pushed around by his father’s army. 

He brought an army into Thirteen’s land. Thirteen was going to make sure his people could fight back if needed. After Golden Hill, after Boston? Thirteen’s people needed to be able to fight back.

His father may not like it, but sometimes the most necessary actions aren’t well-liked.

‘He would use that argument against us to argue why these acts are supposedly necessary.’

Thirteen pushed that thought out of his mind.

Now, the Congress was trying to figure out the Continental Association, a plan to stop British imports by December and exports to Thirteen’s father by September the following year. They wanted it enforced by the colony and local officials. The problem was that many of his people were smugglers, and Thirteen knew some wouldn’t listen.

Besides, some delegates thought that the entire Continental Association would be impractical if Congress didn’t send Thirteen’s father our demands and a plan to redress the issues that had arisen between them. Some delegates, like Colonel Washington, didn’t believe petitioning was useful. Nevertheless, they all wanted peace, and petitioning was the best tool.

Then there was Virginia, which was doing everything it could to delay the issue of banning exports to Britain.

‘We need to take the farmers into account! This could hurt them! We cannot rush into these decisions. These decisions hold the future of our colonies. They are too important to rush.’

All this indecision and arguments had led Thirteen to the painful situation he was in right now.

Thirteen held his head in his hands as his thoughts battled the two opinions. It made his head pound, and he gritted his teeth before removing his head from his hands and facing the ongoing debate. He knew this would happen, so He couldn’t let it affect him this badly.

But still…the conflicting opinions made his head hurt like nothing else. Thirteen hated moments like this when he could not agree with himself. He supposed it was the downside to representing many colonies instead of just one. Sometimes, he wished he had just remained Virginia, and the other colonies had their own personifications. That would have made everything easier.

“We need to delay the stoppage of British imports! Otherwise, we risk leaving our farmers in bad situations. To protect our farmers, we must do this!” Edmund Pendleton, a Virginian delegate, argued.

“We need to take action! The longer we wait, the more acts the Parliament could unfairly place on us! We need action!” Silas Deane, a Connecticut delegate, argued back.

‘But what about our farmers? We cannot help our people if we rush into things without thinking it through!’

“We need to stop arguing endlessly.” Thirteen sighed, rubbing his forehead, “Some of you say that the Continental Association won’t work unless we have demands and a plan of redress. Why don’t we do that? This debate has gotten us nowhere.” 

‘That seems like a good plan of action. This debate is just annoying at this point.’

“I agree with British America.” A Maryland delegate said.

“Thirteen Colonies. British America refers to me, my siblings, my cousin, and any other colonies my Father has on the continent.” Thirteen said, correcting him.

“Apologies, but he’s right. If we aren’t going to go anywhere with this discussion, then let’s address the other half of the issues involving the Continental Association. That way, we get something done,” the delegate said.

“Let’s hold a vote on where we should move on to creating a list of demands and plan of redress or continue the debate on whether the date for the stoppage of exports to Great Britain shall begin.” Peyton Randolph said. 

Thirteen really hoped they voted to move on. Hopefully, that would help with his headache, although he knew the Continental Congress was probably not what was causing it. That didn’t mean they made it any better.

———————————————

The Grand Committee. Created by Congress to work on coming up with a list of rights, grievances, and demands. 

Debate had stalled on other issues as Congress debated what would be included in this list. Every colony had a different option, which made this, just like everything else, be drawn out. 

It was annoying, but everyone was getting a say, which was important. If they didn’t give every colony a say, they’d be just as bad as Parliament. And Thirteen wasn’t interested in being like Parliament. They had been making progress, but one issue was causing a lot of debate.

“I know that we have been debating over who gets the right to regulate trade, but we must release a statement that clarifies Great Britain's right to regulate trade.” Joseph Galloway, from Pennsylvania, said.

“We cannot give the British explicit rights to trade!” John Adams argued back. Many other delegates agreed with John Adams, but many stubborn people still argued against them. 

‘Why not?’

‘These acts, that’s why! They have not given us a reason to trust them to control their trade!’

“I have a plan that will help us. A plan of union!” Joseph Galloway continued, ignoring John Adams. Thirteen raised an eyebrow at that.

‘Union? Between the colonies?’

“Between who?” Thirteen asked. 

“Great Britain and us.” Joseph Galloway said.

‘What?’ 

‘Is he trying to make us lose any form of government?’

‘We haven’t even heard the plan yet! We need to hear him out before we start jumping to conclusions.’

“Are you-” John Adams began before Thirteen cut him off.

“Mr. John Adams, we should at least hear him out. You cannot object to something because you think it sounds bad. Object to something that you know is bad.” Thirteen said. John Adams seemed to want to argue, but he sat down and let Galloway continue.

“My plan would have a Colonial Parliament that would work hand-in-hand with Britain's Parliament. The King would appoint delegates for a three-year term. This would ensure that we get representation and allow the Parliament to still have a say in our taxes and governance,” Joseph Galloway explained.

‘The King, or the current monarch, can still pick people who agree with him. Yes, we get representation, but we don’t get to pick the representation.’

‘It’s a good plan, though. I think it could appeal to both sides and give them what they want.’

“If the King chooses the delegates, is that representation?” Asked Robert Treat Paine, a Massachusetts delegate, sparking another debate about the plan. Thirteen prepared for his headache to worsen and then listened to the discussion.

——————————————

6-5. Galloway’s Plan of Union was defeated in a 6-5 vote. After that, the Congress decided to pause the debate on Britain's ability to regulate trade and focus on the Continental Association. 

Which resulted in more debate. Eventually, they could agree on everything involving the Continental Association before returning to the issue of who should regulate trade.

Thankfully, they reached another agreement and accepted that they would not say who they thought should regulate trade.

‘Because that definitely won’t bite us in the ass later.’

“And lastly, if our grievances are not addressed satisfactorily by next year, we will meet again and invite delegates from Quebec, Saint John's Island, Nova Scotia, Georgia, East Florida, and West Florida to join us.” Henry Middleton, the new president, said. 

‘Georgia better join us next time. If that colony is going to be represented by the Thirteen Colonies, it should join the Thirteen Colonies when the rest of them do something.’

‘Georgia had their reasons, just as all the other colonies did.’

“I will personally invite my siblings and cousin, St. John's Island, and East Florida, and hopefully, by representing Georgia alongside your colonies, they can be convinced to join us,” Thirteen said, standing up.

“I hope so as well. Convincing the British to listen would be much easier if more of British America joined us,” a delegate said, although Thirteen wasn’t sure which one.

“It would. Thank you all for doing this for my people.” Thirteen said before leaving the room. He wanted to head back to Boston, which seemed to be where everything was happening, but he decided not to. He needed to convince Georgia to join them.

Hopefully, they would.

[vague-humanoid]

Almost three years after both houses of the Mississippi Legislature overwhelmingly voted to retire the old Confederate-themed state flag, a state senator from Union County is calling for its return.

“That flag, a lot of our people fought and died under that flag,” Sen. Kathy Chism, R-New Albany, said during a political speech at the Belmont Political Rally in Tishomingo County on June 3. A reader shared a link to a video of her speech with the Mississippi Free Press.

The state did not adopt the flag—which featured three red, white and blue bars with a Confederate cross in the upper left-hand corner—until 1894, almost three decades after the end of the Civil War and several years after the end of Reconstruction. White supremacist lawmakers adopted the Confederate-themed flag in place of a prior magnolia flag as they worked to lock Black Mississippians out of politics with a slew of Jim Crow laws.

Following decades of efforts by Black lawmakers and Black activists, the Mississippi Legislature’s white Republican leaders finally agreed to vote on legislation to change the state flag on June 28, 2020. Chism was just one of 14 senators, all Republicans, who voted against retiring the old flag out of the 52-member body.

At the time, the state senator falsely claimed that an “African American Confederate soldier” had designed the flag. “I can only imagine how proud he was that his art, his flag design was chosen to represent our State and now we want to strip him of his pride, his hard work. I’m sure he put a lot of thought into this design,” Chism wrote in a June 2020 Facebook post.

[stressedlawsecretary]

Today's Focus

07.16.24 - Today's fashion challenge prompt is "dress like you were on your dream vacation." This dress is literally one of my faves I'd wear it every day on this vacation. The shoes are broken but in a way I could make work at least. Wish I was still on vacation, but at least the office will have free pizza for lunch (we're part of a union this is literally just for fun.)

Work - I did a good job yesterday working through the clutter in my inbox, but I did actually do a fair amount of work and I have more to catch up on - particularly fighting with NYM.

On top of going through the inbox, I had to FedEx a file to Albany, do another mailing, and fight with Word to format two docs: one for SJC and one for a random lawyer whose assistant was out.

Background Noise - Office means more YT and I'm still powering through podcasts that are forever long.

Speaking of I got through about six of those [censored] yesterday.

Study - When I have free time I'll be trying to read bookmarked articles.

I did read yesterday despite working. I got through all 11 press releases in my inbox, plus I finished reading the decision in Albemarle Paper Co v. Moody

Extras - Gotta clean the bathroom again but because I get an extra Tuesday this month I'm not yet mopping the floor. Dinner is beef tostada's, and I get to start the climax of Kyuranger while I eat. Got so much toku to watch but at the same time after toku is silly shows which right now consists of the fare on Dropout TV. Did a little writing yesterday but it's hard to get back in the groove when one is busy.

[scotianostra]

On August 10th 1460 King James III was crowned at Kelso Abbey.

His birthdate and birthplace are uncertain: either May 1452 at St. Andrew’s Castle or July 10, 1451 or July 20, 1451 at Stirling Castle. At birth, James was heir to the throne and became Duke of Rothesay, Prince and Steward of Scotland.

If you remember last week I posted about the 29-year-old James II, King of Scots was accidentally killed when a cannon nearby where he was standing exploded. As with the start of the reigns of James I and James II, Scotland once again had a child king.

Kelso was not your usual site for oor monarchs coronation and I can find little to say why it was chosen, except that it was hastily arranged, however his son, James IV would also go on to be crowned there.

James’s mother Mary of Guelders served as the regent for her nine-year-old son until her death three years later. The rest of the Scottish Stewarts, James IV, James V, Mary, Queen of Scots, and James VI, would also be child monarchs. James II’s death also continued the violent deaths of the Scottish Stuarts which started with the assassination of his father James I and continued with the deaths in battle of James III and James IV and the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots.

In the power vacuum following the Queen’s death in 1463, James was “kidnapped” by his brothers, Robert Lord Boyd and Alexander Boyd and imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle (where he was taught chivalric pursuits). The Boyds arranged the marriage of James to Margaret, the daughter of the King Christian I of Denmark in 1469. As a result of this union, Orkney and Shetland became part of Scotland in 1469.

James began to assert his own power at this time - executing one of the Boyds and exiling the other. But his demands for taxes and debasement of the currency did not go down well. He also tried to keep peace with England and this was not popular either. At one stage he was planning an invasion of the Low Countries but Parliament had to remind him that he should be looking after domestic affairs instead. Despite all this, he did reign for over 20 years, no mean feat in those days.

Relations with England deteriorated towards the end of the 1470s. Blackness Castle was torched by an English fleet in 1480. In 1482 an English army invaded Scotland in support of the cause of James’ brother, Alexander, Duke of Albany, as king. At this point, a group of Scottish nobles murdered some of the King’s favourites (a number of whom were low born) and imprisoned the King in Edinburgh castle as the English army advanced to Edinburgh. James survived by skilful negotiation and by giving up Berwick to the English. But following further conflicts with some of the Border families such as the Homes and Hepburns, whom James was trying to bring to heel, the nobles encouraged his 15-year-old son to lead a rebellion in 1488.

James III was subsequently killed in circumstances often debated either at or after the battle, I have posted about this several times before.

[jules-has-notes]

2016 VoicePlay winter happenings — shows, snows, workshops, & new projects

VoicePlay hit the ground running — as well as flying, floating, and driving — in 2016. They spent a lot of the first few months of the year hopping between the northern plains and warmer climes.

To kick things off, the guys skipped their usual trip to the APAP annual conference in New York for the first time in several years, opting instead to take a spin around the Caribbean.

upside: tropical cruise ; downside: early morning at the airport

.

Quick, chilly Midwest tour

Then they headed up north for a few weeks on the road in the middle of the country, kicking things off with a show (and a pre-show interview) at the historic Opera House in McPherson, Kansas.

on stage in McPherson, KS — photos from the Hutchinson (KS) News

From there, they hopped between Illinois and Ohio for a week of shows and student workshops. (Their one show in Indiana was postponed by a snowstorm.)

student workshops at high schools in Ohio

on stage in Greenville, OH — photos from the Daily Advocate

On their day off in Chicago, they visited the Maritime Museum for a bit of learning and relaxation before their show the following night. Then they continued westward for a swing through Wisconsin and Iowa.

salty dog Eli // student workshop at University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point

meeting students after their show at the University of Dubuque

After their final tour stop was also postponed by winter weather, the boys headed home for a couple weeks in the sun.

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Home, work

Back in Florida, they played a two-show day down in Naples, put in some rehearsal time, and filmed the first video for their new PartWork series.

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Back and to the west

Toward the end of the month, the guys popped back up to Indiana for a two-show day with local group Party of Five opening for them.

The next week, they launched another new series, the first of three original "1-Minute Musicals" funded by the Maker Studios SPARK program. A few days after that, three of the guys jetted off to Los Angeles for the SPARK premiere event with the other participants.

three handsome fellas in Hollywood — Layne, Eli, and Geoff at the Maker SPARK premiere event

.

Summer plans

At the beginning of March, VoicePlay made the official announcement that they would be the professional headliners at that summer's Camp A Cappella.

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Let's try that again

A week after that, they were Indiana-bound once more to make up the first of the two earlier shows that had been snowed out.

on stage in New Albany, IN — photos by Mary D. Fox, Kirsty Savoie, & laurenshayg

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Hey, kids

From there, it was an easy jaunt back to Ohio to headline the Nordonia A Cappella Festival and mentor a bunch of eager middle- and high-schoolers.

VoicePlay guys with the NU Age a cappella group from North Union High School

.

[queen-of-scots]

introduction

When her father, James, died without issue in 1494, Arabella Stuart instantly became the queen regnant of Scotland – a realm marked by instability, division, and imminent collapse. Her rule is strongly repressed by the ironclad scaffolding of a regency spearheaded by the cunning Earl of Lennox, who makes his intentions to marry Arabella to the future King of Portugal evident. Arabella is left with virtually no power and is therefore desperate to make her mark on the globe as Queen of Portugal, if only to untangle Scotland from its own straits.

♱ [arabella of scotland – matilda lutz – 24 – queen regnant of scotland] ♱ bienvenidos ARABELLA. you hail from SCOTLAND and have been risen to the position of a QUEEN REGNANT. you are a member of the house of STUART and will go down in history as the THE GOLD CHAINED. though you are RESTLESS & MERCURIAL, you are blessed with being AGILE and IMPASSIONED. ♱ 

— GENERAL DETAILS.

full name:  Arabella Stuart

title: Queen Regnant of Scotland, previously Princess of Scotland

nickname(s): Bel - though her swift ascension to the throne has restricted such a name belonging to a wide-eyed, spritely girl to a select few she trusts. Too much affection rests in a name as ‘bel’. Too much mortality. 

age:  24

date of birth:  24 November 1473

zodiac:  Sagittarius.

place of birth:  Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh 

gender: Female

sexual orientation: Heterosexual

religion: Catholic

financial status: Royalty

spoken languages: English, Spanish, Latin, Greek, Spanish, (some) Portuguese

— PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, ETC.

faceclaim: Matilda Lutz

hair color & style: A golden-hued blonde, her father’s hair. She prefers to wear it down, letting the curls flow with an elaborate design of pins, ribbons, pearls, and a veil. A thick mass her ladies take hours to tame day-by-day. 

complexion: She attempts so hard not to blush. Not to flash like coral rose-petals, for how can rulers 

eye colour: A mixture of her parents - green, freckled with brown, like a tiger’s eye rock in depth.

height: 5'3.

body & build: Dainty, lithe, fluttering about with the same curiosity and youthful sprightliness, stubborn hubris, but also well-versed in grace enough - and too anxious - to trip in public any longer. Her neck is long, a few marks and freckles grace her skin, her features soft curved.  

— PERSONALITY.

label(s):  the dove, the gold-chained, the bud

positive traits:   Serious, contemplative, eager, compassionate, trusting, curious, kittenish, dedicated, bold, devoted, energetic

negative traits:  Approval-seeking, flittering, sheltered, naive, impressionable, haughty, restless, self-conscious, indulgent, too curious, at times - clumsy, wild

likes:  Establishing herself as Scotland’s true ruler. order, assurance, lively parties, wading in rivers, mythology. Running. Riding. Stitching. Secret letters. Direction. Solicited advice, particularly from the Earl of Lennox. Bribery. Sonnets. Banter. Dancing. 

dislikes:  Those threatening her rule - the tangled web of Douglas, the ambition thick in her court’s air. The constant pressure to wed and solidify a strong union. The constant thought, pestering away in her mind, about the brother that her mother never was able to see take the throne - how would he fare? Control. Also bribery. The English. 

fears:  Losing her reign. Losing her head. Betrayal. Public scrutiny. Failure. Forever lacking control (true control).

habits: A perceptive girl, her eyes are wide- reveal her curiosities, only to quickly narrow in self-aware necessity for exuding the peace and serenity of a true ruler. She bounces when she walks, and is mindful to glide, thinks about her next moves in the safety of solitude, when the world watches her every performance.

colour:  Spring green.

animal:  Colt.

season:  Summer.

— FAMILY, RELATIONSHIPS, ETC.

mother: Marguerite D’Anjou

father:  James, King of Scots ( d. 1494)

significant other: Tba - could be you?

best friend: Tba - could be you?

sibling(s):  Archibald Douglas - Duke of Albany / 29 (half-brother), Lady Marjorie Douglas / 28 (half-sister)

children: n/a

pet(s):a mare, an owl, several dogs, a snake

[tacticalthaumaturge]

BY  ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE Updated 7:16 PM EDT, June 13, 2024

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday that she is considering a ban on face masks in the New York City subway system due to concerns about people shielding their identities while committing antisemitic acts.

Hochul, a Democrat, told reporters the exact details of the policy are not clear but it would contain “common-sense exemptions” for health, cultural or religious reasons. Many people concerned about COVID-19 and air pollution routinely wear masks on the subway.

Hochul said she was in talks with lawmakers on potentially crafting a bill.

Article continues below the cut. The short of it - the governor's stated justification is antisemitism by masked individuals, but she seems to be conflating two incidents involving barefaced individuals (aggressively anti-zionist chants in a subway car, and someone wishing Hitler were there in Union Square).

Ongoing health concerns are mentioned, barely, at the end.

At at news conference in Albany, the governor said she was moved to act after “a group donning masks took over a subway car, scaring riders and chanting things about Hitler and wiping out Jews” on Monday night.

It was not clear exactly what incident she was referring to, but it could have been a conflation of different episodes related to pro-Palestinian demonstrations that day in Union Square Park.

Hundreds of people leaving the rally flooded into a subway station, some waving flags and banging on drums, to get on trains headed downtown. On one train, a man who was not wearing a mask led a small group in chanting “Raise your hands if you’re a Zionist” to other passengers, followed by, “This is your chance to get out.”

Meanwhile video circulating on social media showed a confrontation that purportedly happened earlier in the day, when a man in Union Square — who also was not wearing a mask — was recorded shouting, “I wish Hitler was still here. He would’ve wiped all you out.”

It was unclear whether he was involved in the protest or whom he was shouting at. A group of people waving Israeli flags was also in the park at the time.

“We will not tolerate individuals using masks to evade responsibility for criminal or threatening behavior,” Hochul said. “My team is working on a solution, but on a subway, people should not be able to hide behind a mask to commit crimes.”

New York passed a law banning face masks in public in the 1800s as a response to protests over rent. It was suspended in 2020 by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo as part of a pandemic public health campaign, and masks were also made mandatory for subway riders until September 2022.

The mask ban previously had drawn criticism from civil rights groups that argued it was selectively enforced to break up protests where people wanted to hide their identities to avoid legal or professional repercussions.

“The Governor’s concerns about masks disguising criminal activity won’t be quelled by banning anonymous peaceful protest. Mask bans were originally developed to squash political protests and, like other laws that criminalize people, they will be selectively enforced — used to arrest, doxx, surveil, and silence people of color and protestors the police disagree with,” Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement.

“A mask ban would be easily violated by bad actors and, if someone’s engages in unlawful actions, the judgement should be made based on the criminal behavior, not their attire,” she said.

Hochul acknowledged that reinstating a ban would be complicated.

“We understand how complex this issue is, and we’re just listening to people and addressing their needs and taking them very seriously,” she said.

Since the war between Hamas and Israel began in October, there have been hundreds of demonstrations by pro-Palestinian activists in the city, the overwhelming number of them peaceful. Mask-wearing by participants is common, in part because of fears about police surveillance.

Mayor Eric Adams has also talked about reviving some version of past mask bans and once suggested that shopkeepers tell people they have to take them off to enter.

The wearing of face coverings in public has declined since COVID-19 deaths abated, but many still use them.

“There are people that are at high risk for severe disease from a respiratory infection who may be using masks in a crowded congregated setting such as the subway to decrease their chance of acquiring an infection,” Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said via email.

the governor of new york is considering banning masks on the subway because of the palestine protests. this in the place where only 4 years ago they were digging mass graves to deal with the amount of covid deaths and last year the entire city was engulfed in toxic wildfire smoke that they say is coming back this year too

[isfeed]

Marvel and DC lose ‘SUPER HERO’ trademarks

Photo: John Carl D’Annibale / Albany Times Union via Getty Images You know how Marvel and DC have held joint ownership over trademarks for “Super Hero” for decades? That time is apparently mostly over, as the US Patent and Trademark Office has canceled the companies’ claim to several of their trademarks, reports Reuters. The cancellation comes as the result of a challenge from Superbabies…

[lboogie1906]

John Quincy Allen (c 1843 - August 22, 1905) was one of three men to graduate from the Institute for Colored Youth in 1862. While few records remain to provide details about his life, he was a pioneer for African American teachers, especially in Philadelphia.

He was born to Joseph W. Allen, a barber, and his wife Elizabeth. After graduating from the Institute for Colored Youth, he broke the color-line of public school teachers by getting a teaching position at the Banneker Colored School in 1862. To get the job he beat out thirty white candidates. He left this position in 1864 to work at the Institute for Colored Youth.

He was active in the city’s African American community. In November 1863, he spoke at an event honoring the 3rd Regiment USCT. He spoke at a meeting of the Colored People’s Union League Association on the subject of streetcar segregation. He was a member of the Pennsylvania State Equal Rights League.

He married Emily Purvis (1869-72), the granddaughter of Philadelphia abolitionist Robert Purvis. They moved to Albany, New York, accompanied by John’s younger sister Laura, where he worked as a schoolteacher. He served for a time as Principal of the Wilberforce School. He continued to be active in the social and political community. On October 6, 1872, for example, he spoke at meeting of African Americans supporting Ulysses Grant’s Presidential campaign. The reporter described Allen as an “an accomplished and eloquent speaker.” Emily died in childbirth in 1872, leaving him with a daughter.

He married Alice, and had two sons. One of the few records of his life in New York is not a positive one. In October 1883, Allen, at this time Principal of the Colored Public School No. 2, was arrested for “dragging Annie Walker, age fourteen, one of his pupils, on the floor and injuring her, without provocation.” But this incident did not appear to ruin his career; by 1890 he was Principal of P.S. No. 68 in Brooklyn.

He was a model example of the Institute for Colored Youth’s goal of producing quality Black teachers to educate the African American community both in Philadelphia and beyond. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[asfodeltide]

^ In addition, for the the above march, there will be funded transportation provided by the ANSWER coalition (link to donate)

In all of the following places (link for specific pickup times and locations):

Albuquerque, NM

Atlanta, GA

Boston, MA

Charlotte, NC

Chicago, IL

Clifton, NJ

Columbus, OH

Finger Lakes, NY

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Hudson Valley, NY/Albany, NY & Berkshire County, MA

Indianapolis, IN

Lancaster, PA

Louisville, KY & Lexington, KY

Miami, FL

New Haven, CT

New York City -- Bronx

New York City -- Jackson Heights

New York City -- Brooklyn (Barclays)

New York City -- Brooklyn (Bay Ridge)

New York City -- Union Square

New York City -- Astoria

New York City -- Long Island

New York City -- Brooklyn - SOLD OUT

Orlando, FL

Philadelphia, PA

Pittsburgh, PA

Portland, ME

Providence, RI

Raleigh, NC

River Valley, MA

Springfield, MO

Syracuse, NY

Tampa Bay, FL

Texas (Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio)

Worldwide list of Palestine solidarity rallies this weekend (October 28 & 29)

[antis-hero]

When Suffragettes Didn’t Want Women to Vote

Albany, New York, 1910: Senator Edgar T. Brackett introduced a bill that would allow the women of New York to vote on if they wanted to be enfranchised or not. Subsequently, women on both sides of the debate shared their thoughts on the matter, though not in the way we would think they would.

Anti-suffragist Louise Jones, otherwise known as Mrs. Gilbert E. Jones, praised Brackett for introducing the bill, commenting that, “…there had been a good deal of clatter down here about suffrage, and the Legislature wanted to know where the majority of women stood”. On the other hand, famous suffragists (including, but not limited to) Ida Husted Harper and Alva Belmont, or Mrs. O. H. P. Belmont, opposed the bill on the grounds of it being “expensive and useless”, as “…nothing would be decided”. Belmont even believed that the bill was unconstitutional and stated that a lawyer she consulted said it would be so because the state couldn’t “…refer such a question to non-voters”. Anna C. Etz, the President of the Steuben County Woman Suffrage Association, later argued during a speech that, “New York State needs mothering. You can't afford to waste $1,000,000 as suggsted [sic] in the Brackett bill to find out if women in this State really want to vote. What they want has nothing to do with it. It is your duty as guardians of the welfare of the people of this State to do, what you can toward enfranchising women, and, then, as far as in you lies, to see that they use it” (emphasis added by myself).

The antis had a different explanation as to why their opponents didn’t want women to vote on whether they desired enfranchisement. Back in 1895, Massachusetts held a referendum that allowed all women who were of voting age (21), could read and write, and resided in the state—all of which were also required of male voters—could vote on a similar question: “…whether it is ‘advisable’ to extend municipal suffrage to women”. During this referendum, suffragists encouraged women to register to vote and voice their desire to vote, while anti-suffragists formed one of their first organizations to encourage women to not register and vote at all, while they called on men to vote in the negative. Initial reports from the time found that the antis’ victory began showing in simply the registration numbers among women. Cited census data showed that there were around 575,000 women who could register to vote in that referendum, however, after registration closed only 26,672 women had registered—“…certainly less than one-tenth of those qualified to register”. After the votes on the referendum were counted, we learned that only around 4 percent of Massachusetts women voted yes.

Years later, as a consequence of their devastating loss in that Massachusetts referendum, the antis believed that suffragists refused another referendum among women to instead “[Abandon] the great mass of their sisters who do not want the suffrage” and “…[ramify] their cult among certain (originally) literary, social, and civic woman's clubs…striving to effect by compact organization and secret influence what they have failed to obtain by popular favor”.

Sources (in order of appearance):

“Opposed by Suffragists Here” in The New York Times, page 3, February 9, 1910.

“WOMEN ARGUE ON SUFFRAGE” in The New York Times, page 2, March 10, 1910.

“AN INTERESTING TEST” in The New York Times, page 4, October 24, 1895.

“Untitled” in the Sacramento Daily Union, page 2, June 21, 1896.

“LACE WAIST SUFFRAGISM” in The New York Times, page 8, March 17, 1907.