#boyko house

[anastasiamaru]

Cultural Heritage of Kharkiv

Boyko House

The House for I. Boyko, architects S. Timoshenko and P. Shirshov was built in 1912

The building was initially two-story. The mansion belonged to entrepreneur Boyko and included three apartments. The hall with a marble staircase was illuminated through a glass roof. In 1914, the vestibule and staircase walls were painted by artist Mykola Samokish. The hall was also adorned with a panel by Sergiy Vasylkivsky. In 1930, the building was transferred to the nkvd department, and the mansion was converted into an apartment building by adding two floors, but the original roof and tower were dismantled. The walls with paintings were half-painted over and then whitewashed, and Vasylkivsky's panel was discarded.

Later, artists cleaned the paintings from the paint.

The entrance was decorated with a floral ornament.

On the northern side, there was also a picturesque panel by Sergei Vasylkivsky, but it was completely lost.

In 1970, the whitewash was removed.

Already in 2006, a professor from the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts, together with students, conducted a comprehensive study of the painting. They examined the ornament under ultraviolet light and a microscope and involved a chemistry expert. They then developed a restoration methodology. Over the course of two months, they restored two fragments. These fragments had seven layers of paint of different compositions from different periods.

[kobzars]

A few years ago, a well-known Ukrainian art historian advised me to pay attention to Petro Boyko's paintings. Now I have these paintings everywhere in Kyiv, in Kharkiv, in my house in my apartment. I recommend you to buy your first Boyko painting

[marykk1990]

My next post in support of Ukraine is:

Next site, Taras Shevchenko Literary Memorial Museum in Shevchenkove, Cherkasy Oblast. The museum is built on the site of his family's former farmstead. The town when he grew up there was named Kerelivka, it was changed to Shevchenkove in 1929. The museum is part of a National Reserve site called the Taras Shevchenko Homeland and is made up of the four villages in the area where he lived as a child and grew up, Moryntsi, Kerelivka (now Shevchenkove), Budyshche, and Vilshana. In Moryntsi, there are two houses that are part of the reserve. One is the house of his maternal grandfather, Yakim Boyko. The other is a reproduction of the house Taras Shevchenko was born in. I'm not sure if his grandfather's house is also a reproduction. He was born in Moryntsi, but his family moved to Kerelivka before he was two years old. He lived in Kerelivka until he was fourteen. The entire village at that time was owned by Pavel Engelhardt. He was the Lord of the area, which meant he also owned all of the serfs of the village. At the age of fourteen, Taras Shevchenko was taken to serve as Pavel Engelhardt's "kozachok," a personal servant. I'm sure at the age of fourteen, Taras Shevchenko had no idea of how important he would become to the Ukrainian people.

#StandWithUkraine

#SlavaUkraïni 🇺🇦🌻

[mariacallous]

A Bulgarian tycoon under house arrest, Vassil “The Skull” Bojkov, on Thursday announced a new political project, the “Centre” party, standing in opposition to Bulgaria’s current ruling coalition. 

“Bulgaria needs strong people with a sense of mission who can get the country out of its misery and lead it into the new world – something that those thieves can never do,” Bojkov said at the inauguration of the party in Sofia, attacking the current cabinet.

Party member Damyan Kachulski said the project comes at the right time geopolitically, with a “right-wing America, a strong Russia, a wise China, a reasonable Europe [and] a neighbouring strong Turkey” and it will seek the votes of “the silent majority”, referring to the low voter turnout in the 2021-2023 elections in Bulgaria. 

Dessislava Kovacheva, film producer and screenwriter of history-themed features, said the party stood against “anti-Bulgarian propaganda”, aims to attract “those who shiver when they hear the national anthem” and will deal with “the traitors who we know by name”.

Bojkov attended the launch event despite being under house arrest following his return to Bulgaria last August after a period of exile in Dubai where he relocated to evade various charges. They included being a leader of an organised crime group, wrongfully obtaining cultural and historical riches, murder threats and orchestrating assassinations. 

Since the 1990s, Bojkov has been associated with profitable businesses as well as alleged political influence and ties to organised crime. He started a chain of currency exchange offices and then expanded into the gambling industry in the 1990s, as well as into road construction, football and art collecting. 

The tables were turned in 2020, when his profitable lottery business was nationalised. He then became a vocal critic of ex-PM Boyko Borissov and his GERB party, as well as their partners from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. This was a major change in attitude: before his clashes with the GERB-led cabinet in 2020, Bojkovv had shied away from media attention or comments on political events. 

In Dubai, he started a party called Bulgarian Rise, which is now defunct and replaced by his new opposition project. 

Both Bojkov and his foes from GERB and Movement for Rights and Freedoms found themselves designated by the Global Magnitsky Act in 2021. 

Several tycoons of his generation who amassed wealth and influence in the 1990s have been assassinated in recent years, triggering speculation about a tectonic change in Bulgaria’s criminal underground.

In May last year, Krassimir “Kyro” Kamenov and his wife were shot dead in Cape Town, South Africa. Last August, just before Bojkov’s return, business figure Alexei Petrov was assassinated in Sofia. In an interview in September, Bojkov denied having any major ties to Petrov and Kamenov. 

The announcement of the new party comes when relations between the two blocs in Bulgaria’s ruling coalition are tense after just less than a year of rule. The planned rotation of Prime Ministers in March, which is now turning into a fight for power between GERB/UDF and We Continue the Change / Democratic Bulgaria, risks the stability of the cabinet. 

“We don’t want another snap election but we won’t allow our alliance to be a cover-up for diverting the coalition’s main priorities,” PM Nikolai Denkov of We Continue the Change said on Thursday. He will file his resignation on March 6 to make way for GERB’s Mariya Gabriel. 

On Monday, Denkov met Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. 

[hedgewitchgarden]

The Six-Petal Rosette

The six-petal rosette, the flower-like symbol created by overlapping seven circles, as well as the expanded variants with 7 interlocking rosettes and 19 interlocking rosettes (the latter is called the “Flower of Life” in the New Age movement), is an ancient symbol that has been used across cultures and religions for millennia.

The rosette is a solar symbol in many cultures and many peoples believed it to be magical. It was commonly used as a decorative motif to adorn doors, ceiling beams, crosses, cornices, coats of arms, everyday objects, furniture, musical instruments, ritual items, graves.

In ancient Slavic tradition, the rosette was associated with the chief pagan god Perun, the god of thunder and lightning, and was supposed to protect against lightning and generally ensure the favor of the Thunderer. Appropriately, the symbol is also called the “symbol of Perun” and a “thunder mark” in Ukrainian.

The Rosette on Crossbeams

Supporting a ceiling with large wooden crossbeams (“svolok” in Ukrainian and “sosręb” in Polish) was once a common construction practice, found in noble residences as well as in burgher homes, and through the early twentieth century in regional construction, especially in the Carpathians.

The crossbeam was not only an important structural element of the home, but also a symbolic and decorative one: it was in the center of this beam that the rosette was engraved to protect the house against misfortune and especially against fire. Additionally, the date of construction, decorative motifs, the name of the owner, the name of the carpenter, mottos, or religious symbols could be engraved on the beam, turning the crossbeam into a vital record of the house.

Detailed information about the use of crossbeams and the rosette in the architecture of the peoples of Galicia can be found in excellent works of research from the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries by Władysław Matlakowski and Kazimierz Mokłowski. Władysław Matlakowski, a surgeon, ethnographer, and researcher of Podhale architecture and folk art, published Budownictwo ludowe na podhalu (Folk Buildings in Podhale) in 1892 and Zdobienie i sprzęt ludu polskiego na Podhalu (Decoration and Domestic Utensils of the Polish People in Podhale) in 1901, while Kazimierz Mokłowski, a Polish architect and art historian, who later lived and worked in Lviv, published Sztuka Ludowa w Polsce (Folk Art in Poland) in 1903. These three works include thorough descriptions as well as a plenty of illustrations of various elements of the architecture and applied art of the region.

Crossbeams in the Folk Architecture of Galician Highlanders

Though historically used across much of Ukraine and Poland, today the rosette is most associated with and best preserved in the culture of the Carpathian highlanders of Galicia, in particular in Hutsul, Boyko, Lemko, and Goral folk architecture, woodwork, and household objects. Accordingly, in Ukrainian it also has such names as “hutsulska rozetka” (Hutsul rosette), “boykivska rozetka” (Boyko rosette) and in Polish “rozeta karpacka” (Carpathian rosette), “rozeta podhalańska” (Podhale rosette), “rozeta góralska” (Goral rosette).

Goral Cottages

Podhale is a region in the Polish Tatra Mountains inhabited by highlanders known as Gorals. Władysław Matlakowski writes in his book Zdobienie i sprzęt ludu polskiego na Podhalu that the “gwiazda” (meaning “star”—another name for the rosette in Polish) is “the most common and the most characteristic ornament in Podhale: it is found everywhere, but mostly on every crossbeam.” Indeed, throughout this book as well as his other book Budownictwo Ludowe na Podhalu, the gwiazda appears in illustrations of such items as spoon racks, chairs, distaffs, and lintels, but most notably on crossbeams.

Examples of old crossbeams with rosettes from the Podhale region can still be found in Poland, especially in open air museums which have preserved the local folk architecture.

Hutsul, Boyko &  Lemko Cottages

The Hutsuls, Boykos and Lemkos inhabit what is today the Ukrainian and eastern Polish Carpathian Mountains. Just as among the Gorals, the rosette is found in the architecture and folk crafts of these highlanders.

A testament to the ubiquity of the rosette in the folk architecture of the Carpathian highlanders is Lviv’s Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life, which features examples of the architecture of the Hutsuls, Boykos, and Lemkos. The rosette can be seen all over the open air museum, including on several crossbeams inside the homes. It is no wonder the museum uses the rosette as its logo.

Crossbeams in Renaissance Buildings in Lviv

In addition to examples from the Carpathian Mountains, Kazimierz Mokłowski’s book Sztuka Ludowa w Polsce includes illustrations of crossbeams from buildings in Lviv which include the rosette, as well as other solar symbols, often along with the year of construction and religious symbols.

Fortunately, not only do these original engraved Renaissance-era crossbeams, as documented by Kazimierz Mokłowski, still support the ceilings of the buildings in Lviv’s historic center, but many of them are open to public viewing as they are generally located in shops, restaurants, and museums.

Crossbeams in Zakopane Style Villas

A widespread symbol among the Gorals, the rosette was a popular symbol in the architecture and interior decor of Zakopane Style villas. Zakopane Style architecture emerged at the end of the nineteenth century when architect Stanislaw Witkiewicz, rejecting foreign building styles that had started to appear in the booming ski resort of Zakopane, chose to embrace traditional Podhale-style architecture, enriching it with elements of Art Nouveau. The new Zakopane Style villas included large intricately engraved crossbeams prominently featuring the rosette, such as can be found in Villa Oksza (built in 1894 by Witkiewicz, today an art gallery) and in the guest house Villa Orla (built 1901). Though by this time the symbol likely lost its meaning as a “thunder mark” and was used purely as a decorative element cherishing the local culture.

A Sign from the Past

Today, the rosette has found new places to thrive across Galicia—for example, it is used as logos for museums and a microbrewery, and found on folk-inspired accessories. Although its history, meaning, and usage may have been forgotten, the “Carpathian” rosette is in fact still alive and well today.

So don’t forget—next time you enter a Carpathian highlander’s cottage, a Renaissance building in Lviv, or a Zakopane Style villa, look up! If you are lucky, you will find an authentic example of this ancient and mystic symbol.

Written by Areta Kovalska

(Wonderful photos on the page)

[beardedmrbean]

The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office proposed to the Chief Prosecutor of the Republic of Bulgaria - Ivan Geshev - to submit a reasoned request to the National Assembly for permission to initiate criminal prosecution against Boyko Borissov - former Prime Minister and deputy in the 49th National Assembly.

The proposal was prepared in connection with a pre-trial proceeding, known in the media as "Barcelonagate", in which evidence was collected within the meaning of Art. 219 of the Criminal Code for a committed crime under Art. 253 of the Criminal Code of the People's Representative /money laundering/.

From the evidence collected in the course of the pre-trial proceedings, it can be concluded that the former prime minister provided third parties with funds acquired as a result of a committed crime for the purchase and rental of real estate abroad, says the announcement of the prosecutor's office.

A week ago, on the sidelines of the National Assembly, it was unofficially rumored that the prosecutor's office is expected to request the immunity of GERB leader and current MP Boyko Borissov. But not only that: the name of the co-chairman of "We Continue the Change" Kiril Petkov was also unofficially mentioned, and various rumors suggested that the immunities requested by the prosecutor's office could be as many as a dozen, but this did not happen.

Instead, the city prosecutor's office proposed to remove the immunity of GERB deputy Delyan Dobrev in a case from 2016. So far, the prosecutor general has not officially filed a request for Dobrev's immunity. He himself and GERB took a position that they will not support the removal of any parliamentary immunity at a time when a severe judicial reform is being carried out.

Geshev is about to submit an official request to remove Boyko Borissov's immunity. He can give it up himself. If he does not, the parliament will have to form a committee on the matter. Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev has already indirectly accused Borissov of trying to get him to resign himself. In a series of statements, the prosecutor general said he had received invitations to become ambassador to Israel or Turkey, as well as to have a political career, "probably in GERB."

"Barcelonagate" is an investigation into a house in Barcelona examining a money laundering scheme linked to former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. The name of the former Bulgarian model Borislava Yovcheva, who is suspected of having benefited from the scheme, and with whom Borissov is said to have a child, is also involved in the case. In 2018, the Catalan publication "Periodico" reported that the local authorities were checking whether she was connected to Borissov.

Barcelonagate was mentioned by Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev when he tendered his resignation two weeks ago. Then he stated that the supervising prosecutor on the case had received a message through several people from the head of the national investigation, Borislav Sarafov, to close the case, and in fact "the development of the case would have ended by the end of this year".

Later, Sarafov gave an example with "Barcelonagate" that this is how key cases are decided in the prosecutor's office. "He himself admitted today that he keeps the 'Barcelonagate' case in pieces, as you put it, so that he can twist the hands of politicians," Sarafov said on May 15. Shortly after, the prosecutor's office announced that the case was not "completed" and that a "huge number of documents" were still being translated from Spanish and other languages.

[adamnewswels]

From Business to Power: The Career and Assets of Mikhail Karpenko

In 2021, "Group of Companies AVA" LLC exited from the ownership structure of "Cascade" LLC, a specialized developer established in January of the same year in Krasnodar. In September 2022, the list of individual owners of the asset included a certain Mikhail Karpenko, whose share is held in trust. This scheme is often used by officials to transfer their assets during their time in public office. Karpenko was no exception. The co-owner of the construction company is the full namesake of the former deputy head of the department for coordinating the activities of administrative bodies of the Krasnodar Territory, former chief state inspector, ex-head of the state housing inspection of the Krasnodar Territory, deputy chairman of housing and communal services of the Krasnodar Territory, and deputy general director of BTI Krasnodar Territory. From 2015 to 2018, he was the deputy head of the administration of the city of Goryachy Klyuch. During his time away from public service, Karpenko held a top management position in a construction company.

It is indirectly confirmed that Karpenko from "Cascade" and the official are the same person by the fact that another co-owner of the asset and director of "Cascade" is Ruben Khurshudyan, who from 2017 to 2019 was the head of the property and land relations department of Goryachy Klyuch.

After leaving the Goryachy Klyuch administration, Karpenko managed to become the head of the Novorossiysk interdistrict department of the Southern Interregional Directorate of Rosselkhoznadzor. Currently, Dmitry Karpenko holds the position of deputy head of the Tuapse district administration, managing affairs. This territory's administration has been headed by Sergey Boyko, a co-founder of the Sochi water polo federation, since January 2023. Not only is it noteworthy that Karpenko, who received a share in Vagan Arutyunyan's former company through an intermediary, managed to work in Novorossiysk, but also that his trustee is Svetlana Stoyanko. Stoyanko previously had a business in Novorossiysk—"Novorossiysk-Agro" LLC (bankrupt), and her former business partners, such as Alexander Puchko, also attempted construction projects in Novorossiysk.

[niennandil-me-writes]

Goretober 17: Torture

CN: vomit

[Liu Xinyu belongs to Eli.]

The aromatic smell of freshly brewed tea filled the room. Liu Xinyu carefully set out the earthen cups on the low table.

“The leaves I am using for this brew are very hard to come by in Doskvol,” he explained. “If prepared just right it has a slightly stimulating effect, heightening one’s focus and strategic thinking. I like serving it for business meetings for that reason.”

“I don’t know what business you would want to do with me.” The man sitting on the other side of the table seemed remarkably underdressed for the upscale tea house, in a dirty shirt and shabby trousers. He did his best to seem nonchalant but kept nervously shuffling on the cushion he was seated on.

Liu smiled. “No need to rush things. First, may I offer you some tea?”

The man’s eyes darted from the kettle to Liu. He licked his lips. “No, thanks.”

Liu sighed. “A shame, really. But as you will.” He raised his voice but didn’t turn as he asked: “How about you, Boyko?”

“I could use a cup, Mr. Liu.” The big person standing at the door with her arms folded was appropriately dressed for a job at this place, but she still seemed like she was in the wrong part of town, like she would belong much more with the sweating man on the other side of the table than Liu Xinyu.

Liu smiled and poured two cups of tea as Boyko walked over. He handed her one of the cups, which she took with a thank and a court bow before walking around the table to stand behind their guest.

Liu picked up his own cup and inhaled the fragrant steam. Boyko slurped his tea in two quick gulps and then set down the cup on the table.

After a minute of silence, the man asked quickly: “So what did you bring me here for?” He was straining his neck not to turn around to Boyko.

A tranquil smile spread on Liu’s lips. “I see we are getting to business. Well, since you asked: You happen to have information in your possession that I am very interested in. And I am more than willing to pay a fair price for it.”

“I know nothing!”

“A curious assertion, given that I haven’t even specified what information I am after.” He finally took his first sip of tea and hummed with approval. “I assume we can stop dancing around the subject then, since you are already aware.”

The man shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, man!” He almost jumped up as Boyko’s big hand settled on his left shoulder.

Liu took another sip and looked into the corner of the room in contemplation. “Have you ever heard of Lingchi?”

“What?”

“It is also known as the Death of a Thousand Cuts,” Liu explained as he set down his cup. “It is a method of execution. The executioner cuts into or slices off the flesh of the restrained victim, bit by bit. The death can last hours, depending on the skill and mercy of the executioner. I have witnessed one such incident myself, in fact. The man conducting it was quite compassionate, slitting the criminal’s throat after just three cuts. A shame, really. But then again, the poor sod had lost his voice from screaming half an hour ago.” He picked up the cup again and turned it around in his long fingers. “I have heard of one particular case where the executioner worked with such a skill and delicacy that the wounds couldn’t be seen or felt at first. Only when she was finished and set the last cut did the flesh separate, and in a rapid chain reaction the skin and meat peeled off the bones within seconds.” He laughed, startling the man who had turned chalk white over the course of his talking. “How lucky you are that I am not that cruel.”

“I don’t know what you want from me.” The man tried to stand up in a panic, but this time, it was an iron hook that settled on his shoulder. “If I tell you, she’ll kill me!” he hissed.

“I am sure there are ways to prevent that. Boyko is quite an experienced bodyguard. Isn’t that right?”

“Sure, Mr. Liu.”

“I ain’t telling you!”

Liu sighed and set down the cup. “Well, then you leave me no choice.” He gestured to Boyko.

This time, the man did turn around. He saw Boyko take off his glasses and carefully fold them before she set them down on the table. Then she grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him backwards, to the back part of the room.

“Wait, no!” His voice got swallowed by a breathless scream as Boyko’s fist met his stomach with full force. He spit and gagged, no longer wondering why one half of the room had seemed much dirtier than the other.

Liu poured himself another cup of tea as he watched Boyko beat the crap out of his guest. “Speak up if you’d like to return to our business talk, my dear.”

Boyko ceased his abuse for a moment to let the man talk, but he just shook his head again. “She’ll kill me.”

“You must be one dense motherfucker to think what’s happening here is better,” Boyko said. He delivered one last punch to his face to keep him to dizzy from getting up, then turned to his boss: “I think some more force might be necessary.”

Liu nodded and Boyko got up to take a hammer from off the wall.

“No, please!”

Another scream and a loud crunching sound. Blood drenched the shabby trousers at the knee and stained the hammer.

“Ready to talk?” Boyko asked.

The man shook his head and whimpered. Boyko crouched down next to him. “Primary hand?” The man looked up in fearful confusion. She sighed and grabbed his left wrist to hold it against the floor before bringing down the bloody hammer again.

Boyko stuck his tongue to the corner of his mouth. “So I’m not a physician, but I’m pretty sure that hand is done for.” She smirked. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” She held up her hook. “But we can move on to the other. Make it more challenging.”

The man shook his head again and then squirmed and threw up over the floor. “please,” he gasped. “i’ll talk… whatever you want…”

“How nice to hear,” Liu smiled. He had taken out a paper fan to waft away the putrid smell of the vomit. “Boyko, please bring our esteemed guest closer to me so I can hear what he has to say to me. But not too close,” he added.

Boyko clicked her tongue and grabbed the man by the shoulders to pull him back to the tea table, where he spilled all he had to say.

At the end, Liu nodded, seeming content. “I thank you for your cooperation. Boyko, did you catch all that?”

“I’m your bodyguard, not your secretary,” Boyko said. “Memorizing stuff isn’t exactly in my skill set.”

“That is why I have you for other things,” Liu smiled. “Thank you for your help. I think that will be all.” He rose from his cushion.

“And our guest?” Boyko asked, pointing his chin at the disheveled crying man.

“Small fish,” Liu said dismissively. “Let him take a swim in the Dosk.”

The man paled even more as Boyko nodded. “On it, boss.”

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 3.28

Holidays

Barnum & Bailey Day

Bhakti Mata Karma Jayanti (Chhattisgarh, India)

Children's Picture Book Day

Commemoration of Sen no Rikyu (The Way of Tea; Japan)

Confucius Memorial Day

Defy Death Today Day

Eggsibit Day

Gone-ta-Pott Day [every 28th]

Greatest Show on Earth Day

Haitian Pose Day

Hot Tub Day

International Laser Tag Day

International Women in Music Day

Istanbul Not Constantinople Day

Microfilm Day

National Amber Day

National Car Wash Day

National Children’s Picture Book Day

National Choking Awareness Day

National Ram Day

National Triglycerides Day

Progressive MS Day

Ram Nawami (Nepal)

Respect Your Cat Day

Semana Santa (Nicaragua)

Serfs Emancipation Day (Tibet)

Sun and Moon Creation Day

Teacher's Day (Czech Republic, Slovakia)

Three Mile Island Day

Virtual Advocacy Day

Washboard Day

Weed Appreciation Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Black Forest Cake Day

Eat an Edy’s Pie Day (f.k.a. Eat an Eskimo Pie Day)

Something on a Stick Day

4th & Last Tuesday in March

American Diabetes Association Alert Day [4th Tuesday]

National Agriculture Day (a.k.a. National Ag Day) [4th Tuesday]

National Fitness Recovery Day [Last Tuesday]

Independence Days

Cakeland (Declared, 2007) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Aequinoctium Vernum, Day 2 (Pagan)

Erasistratus (Positivist; Saint)

Festival of the Sacrifice at the Tombs (Ancient Rome)

Fra Bartolommeo (Artology; Saint)

Fred (Muppetism)

Garden Weeds Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Guntram, King of Burgundy (a.k.a. Gontran, Guntramnus; Christian; Saint)

Palmistry Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zarathustra; Zoroastrianism)

Meatball Appreciation Week begins (Pastafarian)

Priscus, Malchus and Alexander (Christian; Martyrs)

Pope Sixtus III (Christian; Saint)

Ragnar Lodbrok’s Day (Asatru/Slavic Pagan)

Stephen Harding (Christian; Saint)

Tuotilo (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 6 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [6 of 24]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 15 of 60)

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [21 of 57]

Premieres

Andrea Chenier, by Umberto Giordano (Opera; 1896)

April Fool’s Day (Film; 1986)

The Birds (Film; 1963)

Brown Eyed Girl, recorded by Van Morrison (Song; 1967)

Burning Love, recorded by Elvis Presley (Song; 1972)

Duke, by Genesis (Album; 1980)

Elmer Elephant (Disney Cartoon; 1936)

Father’s Day Off (Disney Cartoon; 1953)

Futurama (Animated TV Series; 1999)

A Gentlemen’s Gentlemen (Disney Cartoon; 1941)

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Film; 2014)

The Great Gatsby (Film; 1974)

Houses of the Holy, by Led Zeppelin (Album; 1973)

Lucas (Film; 1986)

The Money Pit (Film; 1986)

The Opry House (Disney Cartoon; 1929)

Run Fatboy Run (Film; 2008)

Serial (Film; 1980)

Spirited Away (Animated Ghibli Film; 2003)

Summertime Blues, recorded by Eddie Cochran (Song; 1958)

Today’s Name Days

Guntram, Ingbert (Austria)

Albena, Boyan, Boyana, Boyka, Boyko (Bulgaria)

Nada, Polion, Priska, Renata, Sonja (Croatia)

Soňa (Czech Republic)

Eustachius (Denmark)

Arm, Armas, Armo, Kallis (Estonia)

Armas (Finland)

Gontran (France)

Guntram, Ingbert, Willy (Germany)

Gedeon, Johanna (Hungary)

Sisto (Italy)

Eiženija, Ginta, Gunda, Gunta, Ženija (Latvia)

Girmantė, Odeta, Rimkantas, Sikstas (Lithuania)

Åsta, Åste (Norway)

Aniela, Antoni, Jan, Krzesisław, Sykstus (Poland)

Ilarion (Romania)

Soňa (Slovakia)

Doroteo, Sixto (Spain)

Malkolm, Morgan (Sweden)

Gwen, Gwenda, Gwendolyn, Gwyn, Gwynn, Gwynne (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 87 of 2024; 278 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of week 13 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 10 of 28]

Chinese: Second Month 2 (Gui-Mao), Day 7 (Yi-You)

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

Hebrew: 6 Nisan 5783

Islamic: 6 Ramadan 1444

J Cal: 26 Ver; Fiveday [26 of 30]

Julian: 15 March 2023

Moon: 45%: 1st Quarter

Positivist: 3 Archimedes (4th Month) [Erasistratus]

Runic Half Month: Ehwaz (Horse) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 9 of 90)

Zodiac: Aries (Day 8 of 30)

[brookston]

Holidays 3.28

Holidays

Barnum & Bailey Day

Bhakti Mata Karma Jayanti (Chhattisgarh, India)

Children's Picture Book Day

Commemoration of Sen no Rikyu (The Way of Tea; Japan)

Confucius Memorial Day

Defy Death Today Day

Eggsibit Day

Gone-ta-Pott Day [every 28th]

Greatest Show on Earth Day

Haitian Pose Day

Hot Tub Day

International Laser Tag Day

International Women in Music Day

Istanbul Not Constantinople Day

Microfilm Day

National Amber Day

National Car Wash Day

National Children’s Picture Book Day

National Choking Awareness Day

National Ram Day

National Triglycerides Day

Progressive MS Day

Ram Nawami (Nepal)

Respect Your Cat Day

Semana Santa (Nicaragua)

Serfs Emancipation Day (Tibet)

Sun and Moon Creation Day

Teacher's Day (Czech Republic, Slovakia)

Three Mile Island Day

Virtual Advocacy Day

Washboard Day

Weed Appreciation Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Black Forest Cake Day

Eat an Edy’s Pie Day (f.k.a. Eat an Eskimo Pie Day)

Something on a Stick Day

4th & Last Tuesday in March

American Diabetes Association Alert Day [4th Tuesday]

National Agriculture Day (a.k.a. National Ag Day) [4th Tuesday]

National Fitness Recovery Day [Last Tuesday]

Independence Days

Cakeland (Declared, 2007) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Aequinoctium Vernum, Day 2 (Pagan)

Erasistratus (Positivist; Saint)

Festival of the Sacrifice at the Tombs (Ancient Rome)

Fra Bartolommeo (Artology; Saint)

Fred (Muppetism)

Garden Weeds Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Guntram, King of Burgundy (a.k.a. Gontran, Guntramnus; Christian; Saint)

Palmistry Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zarathustra; Zoroastrianism)

Meatball Appreciation Week begins (Pastafarian)

Priscus, Malchus and Alexander (Christian; Martyrs)

Pope Sixtus III (Christian; Saint)

Ragnar Lodbrok’s Day (Asatru/Slavic Pagan)

Stephen Harding (Christian; Saint)

Tuotilo (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 6 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [6 of 24]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 15 of 60)

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [21 of 57]

Premieres

Andrea Chenier, by Umberto Giordano (Opera; 1896)

April Fool’s Day (Film; 1986)

The Birds (Film; 1963)

Brown Eyed Girl, recorded by Van Morrison (Song; 1967)

Burning Love, recorded by Elvis Presley (Song; 1972)

Duke, by Genesis (Album; 1980)

Elmer Elephant (Disney Cartoon; 1936)

Father’s Day Off (Disney Cartoon; 1953)

Futurama (Animated TV Series; 1999)

A Gentlemen’s Gentlemen (Disney Cartoon; 1941)

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Film; 2014)

The Great Gatsby (Film; 1974)

Houses of the Holy, by Led Zeppelin (Album; 1973)

Lucas (Film; 1986)

The Money Pit (Film; 1986)

The Opry House (Disney Cartoon; 1929)

Run Fatboy Run (Film; 2008)

Serial (Film; 1980)

Spirited Away (Animated Ghibli Film; 2003)

Summertime Blues, recorded by Eddie Cochran (Song; 1958)

Today’s Name Days

Guntram, Ingbert (Austria)

Albena, Boyan, Boyana, Boyka, Boyko (Bulgaria)

Nada, Polion, Priska, Renata, Sonja (Croatia)

Soňa (Czech Republic)

Eustachius (Denmark)

Arm, Armas, Armo, Kallis (Estonia)

Armas (Finland)

Gontran (France)

Guntram, Ingbert, Willy (Germany)

Gedeon, Johanna (Hungary)

Sisto (Italy)

Eiženija, Ginta, Gunda, Gunta, Ženija (Latvia)

Girmantė, Odeta, Rimkantas, Sikstas (Lithuania)

Åsta, Åste (Norway)

Aniela, Antoni, Jan, Krzesisław, Sykstus (Poland)

Ilarion (Romania)

Soňa (Slovakia)

Doroteo, Sixto (Spain)

Malkolm, Morgan (Sweden)

Gwen, Gwenda, Gwendolyn, Gwyn, Gwynn, Gwynne (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 87 of 2024; 278 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of week 13 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 10 of 28]

Chinese: Second Month 2 (Gui-Mao), Day 7 (Yi-You)

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

Hebrew: 6 Nisan 5783

Islamic: 6 Ramadan 1444

J Cal: 26 Ver; Fiveday [26 of 30]

Julian: 15 March 2023

Moon: 45%: 1st Quarter

Positivist: 3 Archimedes (4th Month) [Erasistratus]

Runic Half Month: Ehwaz (Horse) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 9 of 90)

Zodiac: Aries (Day 8 of 30)

[productsreviewings]

Reviewed & Truth-Checked By Dr. Lauren Demos (DVM) Veterinarian The data is present and up-to-date in accordance with the most recent veterinarian analysis. Study extra » Seizures might be terrifying for canine house owners to witness, however they’re probably the most reported neurological issues. As many as one in each 20 canine will develop seizures sooner or later of their lives. Since emotional stress generally is a set off for human seizures, you would possibly marvel if the identical rings true for canine. Although it's a much less widespread set off in our canine counterparts, stress definitely can play a think about your canine’s seizure exercise. Hold studying to study extra about stress as a set off for seizures in canine. Can Stress Trigger Seizures in Canines? Stress is certainly one of many seizure triggers for canine. Seizures typically happen throughout adjustments in mind exercise, like when your canine turns into overly excited or confused. Sadly, many conditions could cause your canine to really feel confused, so in the event you imagine that is certainly one of your canine’s triggers, you’ll want to determine what situations are inflicting it to really feel that method. Conditions that may trigger your canine to really feel confused embody: Modifications in its setting Modifications in its routine Automotive rides Thunderstorms Fireworks Visits to the vet Picture Credit score: Aleksey Boyko, Shutterstock How Can I Know If Stress Is the Reason behind My Canine’s Seizures? One strategy to decide the set off in your canine’s seizures is to maintain a diary. You can also make a diary by making a desk just like the one we embody under. The journal will show you how to preserve observe of your canine’s conduct earlier than, throughout, and after its seizures so you possibly can hopefully quickly see patterns in what happens within the time earlier than your canine begins seizing. Date Time of seizure Size of seizure Habits earlier than the seizure (e.g., sleeping, consuming, and so on.) Any uncommon conduct earlier than the seizure? After the seizure?   Affected physique elements Extra notes             Picture Credit score: Mike Burke, Unsplash What Different Issues Can Set off Seizures? A set off is a state of affairs, inside or outdoors your canine’s physique, that may deliver on a seizure. Most canine house owners report that some sort of set off causes their pup’s seizures. Apart from anxious conditions, different potential seizure triggers embody: Sleep disturbances Disruptions in remedy Herbicides or pesticides Temperatures Picture Credit score: Patrick H, Shutterstock What Is the Reason behind Seizures? Seizures are the results of irregular mind exercise. Whereas sure components can set off your canine to expertise a seizure, there are underlying causes of why your pup might start experiencing them within the first place. Causes might be resulting from genetics or on account of structural harm to the mind. Causes of seizures can embody: Strokes Infectious illnesses Head trauma Poisons Excessive or low blood stress Mind tumors Genetic issues Most cancers Organ issues Picture Credit score: Mylene2401, Pixabay Tips on how to Cut back Stress in Canines So, what must you do in the event you’ve decided that stress is most definitely the set off behind your pup’s seizures? The objective needs to be to attempt to modify your pup’s setting to scale back its stress as a lot as attainable. Some methods you possibly can attempt embody: Common, every day train Psychological stimulation Safety blankets Calming background noise

Holding your angle optimistic and calm Desensitization coaching to the stressor Picture Credit score: Nikolay Tchaouchev, Unsplash Closing Ideas Stress could cause seizures in canine, but it surely is only one of many attainable triggers. To find out what is actually inflicting your canine’s seizures, you’ll want to start out a journal to doc each certainly one of its episodes. Doing so can provide you with a warning to the triggers inflicting the assaults and assist your vet decide the trigger. Featured Picture Credit score: StockSnap, Pixabay !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' #Stress #Seizures #Canines #Science #Tells #Merchandise Reviewings https://join.fb.web/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', ' 290427681411772 '); fbq('observe', 'PageView'); Stress could cause seizures in canine, but it surely is only one of many attainable triggers. Holding a journal of your canine's episodes can provide you with a warning to the triggers inflicting the assaults and assist your vet decide the trigger. Methods to scale back stress embody train, psychological stimulation, safety blankets, calming background noise, and desensitization coaching. https://join.fb.web/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '271837786641409'); fbq('observe', 'PageView'); Q1: Can Stress Trigger Seizures in Canines? A1: Sure, stress is certainly one of many seizure triggers for canine. Seizures typically happen throughout adjustments in mind exercise, like when your canine turns into overly excited or confused. Q2: How Can I Know If Stress Is the Reason behind My Canine’s Seizures? A2: One strategy to decide the set off in your canine’s seizures is to maintain a diary. You can also make a diary by making a desk and monitoring your canine’s conduct earlier than, throughout, and after its seizures so you possibly can hopefully quickly see patterns in what happens within the time earlier than your canine begins seizing. Q3: What Different Issues Can Set off Seizures? A3: Apart from anxious conditions, different potential seizure triggers embody sleep disturbances, disruptions in remedy, herbicides or pesticides, and temperatures.

[upyrica]

"Relics of a house-dwelling grass snake veneration, situated on the hearth-bed and brings in happiness, are preserved in the world-view notions traditional to the Boyko people, as exemplified in the following demonologic narrative: "I came to visit my aunt. In her house there was a bowl by the heart, behind a curtain, and she would pour some milk in there. I looked closer, and there were three snakes with bulging red eyes. The aunt said, "So I must feed them, or my cows will die." People like that bring the skin snakes shed to bless for Easter" (village of Komarnyky) (here we see an analogy with a znosok, the last small egg laid by a hen, which would also be blessed for Easter). Lemkos also keep similar ideas." - N. Vojtovych, Folk Demonology of the Boyko Region

[ukrainenews]

Daily Wrap Up September 28, 2022

Under the cut:

The National Guard of Ukraine reported on Sept. 28 that its service members, along with the 81st airmobile brigade, had liberated Novoselivka, a village in Donetsk Oblast

Sweden’s security service has opened a “gross sabotage” investigation regarding the incident at the Nord Stream pipelines, the agency said in a statement Wednesday, adding that it cannot be ruled out “that a foreign power is behind it.”

Russian annexation of Ukraine territory expected within days

Russian attacks on Ukraine kill 5 in Donetsk Oblast

“The National Guard of Ukraine reported on Sept. 28 that its service members, along with the 81st airmobile brigade, had liberated Novoselivka, a village in Donetsk Oblast, with a prewar population of 1,200 people.

During the operation, the Ukrainian military also captured a Russian armored vehicle, according to the National Guard.

The operation is likely part of Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive in the northeast of the country.”-via Kyiv Independent

~

“Sweden’s security service has opened a “gross sabotage” investigation regarding the incident at the Nord Stream pipelines, the agency said in a statement Wednesday, adding that it cannot be ruled out “that a foreign power is behind it.”

The unit has taken over the preliminary investigation from the Swedish Police Agency, according to the statement. “The crime classification is currently gross sabotage,” Sweden’s security service said.

“The security service takes over the investigation because it may be a serious crime that may at least partially be directed against Swedish interests. Nor can it be ruled out that a foreign power is behind it,” it added.”-via CNN

~

“Moscow was poised on Wednesday to annex a swath of Ukraine, releasing what it called vote tallies showing support in four partially occupied provinces to join Russia, after what Kyiv and the West denounced as illegal sham referendums held at gunpoint.

On Moscow's Red Square, a tribune with giant video screens has been set up, with billboards proclaiming "Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson - Russia!"

President Vladimir Putin could proclaim the annexation in a speech within days, just over a week since he endorsed the referendums, ordered a military mobilisation at home and threatened to defend Russia with nuclear weapons if necessary.

The Russian-installed administrations of the four Ukrainian provinces on Wednesday formally asked Putin to incorporate them into Russia, which Russian officials have suggested is a formality.

"The results are clear. Welcome home, to Russia!," Dmitry Medvedev, a former president who serves as deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said on Telegram.

Russian-backed authorities claim to have carried out the referendums over five days in parts of eastern and southern Ukraine that makes up around 15% of the country's territory.

Residents who escaped to Ukrainian-held areas in recent days have told of people being forced to mark ballots in the street by roving officials at gunpoint. Footage filmed during the exercise showed Russian-installed officials taking ballot boxes from house to house with armed men in tow.

"They can announce anything they want. Nobody voted in the referendum except a few people who switched sides. They went from house to house but nobody came out," said Lyubomir Boyko, 43, from Golo Pristan, a village in Russian-occupied Kherson province.

Russia says voting was voluntary, in line with international law, and that turnout was high. The referendums and notion of annexations has been rejected globally, as was Russia's 2014 takeover of Crimea from Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sought to rally international support against possible Russian annexations in a series of calls with foreign leaders, including those of Britain, Canada, Germany and Turkey.

"Thank you all for your clear and unequivocal support. Thank you all for understanding our position," Zelenskiy said in a late-night video address.

The United States said it would in coming days impose economic costs on Moscow for the referendums, adding to several tranches of sanctions since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February that has destroyed cities and killed thousands.”-via Reuters

~

Russian attacks on Ukraine kill 5 in Donetsk Oblast.

A further 10 people were wounded over Sept. 27 in multiple Russian attacks on civilians in the region, according to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.

In Kharkiv Oblast, civilian areas in Kupiansk district were heavily shelled, with five wounded.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the front-line town of Huliaipole was struck by three Russian S-300 missiles, destroying a historical building, with casualty figures yet to be confirmed.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the cities of Nikopol and Marhanets were struck with artillery and rockets, with extensive damage but without casualties.

[mariacallous]

Bulgarian coalition partners “We Continue the Change” and Democratic Bulgaria on Monday jointly condemned the pro-Russian party Revival for promoting violence, homophobia and “misanthropic propaganda” – with the most recent case being the targeting a politician of Jewish origin, Solomon Passy.

Earlier, acting on an alert from the Shalom association of Jews in Bulgaria, the Prosecution announced that it will investigate Revival for a Nazi-themed image published on the party’s official Telegram channel. 

The image is of the face of Solomon Passy, former MP and founder of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, pasted on the figure of a prisoner in concentration camp garb being taken away by Nazi soldiers, presumably to be gassed.

The words underneath read: “If you don’t want gas from Russia, come to us and we’ll let you breathe some gas”.

Passy has been critical of pro-Kremlin propaganda in Bulgaria and of Revival.

The reformist duo, in power since June in coalition with their major onetime opponents from GERB and United Democratic Forces, also called out the country’s pro-Russian President Rumen Radev for never addressing Revival’s controversial antics. 

“The fact that the President has never commented on Revival’s action, despite his frequent comments on the political situation in Bulgaria, is puzzling. Why? The full force of the law should be used to protect the right of every Bulgarian citizen to life, dignity and personal rights, as dictated by the constitution and the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

On Friday, Radev’s pro-Russia leanings became even more apparent after he claimed that “Ukraine insists on keeping this war going on, and it’s Europe that pays the price”. He has vehemently opposed plans for further military aid to Ukraine. 

Another protest calling for the impeachment of President Radev will take place in Sofia on Wednesday. Several such demonstrations took place after in August last year a Radev-appointed interim government tried to overturn reforms introduced by “We Continue the Change” leader and 2021-2022 PM Kiril Petkov. 

Revival (Vazrazhdane) was established in 2014 but gained prominence recently when it infiltrated the 2020-2021 protest wave against the long-time governance of GERB and ex-PM Boyko Borissov, and then took a radical anti-vaccination position. With much of Bulgaria’s far-right in decline by 2020, the party took up the torch and is now the country’s major ultra-nationalist party. 

In the April 2 general elections, the fifth in a two-year election cycle, Revival scored its best result yet, winning 14.6 per cent of the votes after promising a referendum on the adoption of the euro as the currency. 

In recent months, the party was associated with protest actions against what they see as meddling by the EU, the US and the West. 

In June, followers of Revival boycotted screenings of Belgian drama Close in Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna describing the movie as promoting paedophilia and drew the Star of David on the door of a beer bar in Sofia which had refused to serve people close to the party. 

In May, Revival was associated with the defacing of the building of Sofia’s House of Europe after a “peace march”. 

Late last year, the party proposed a draft law under which critical journalists and activists would be sanctioned as foreign agents. 

[ercelhande]

p-p-plots please for bentley, kateryna and a muse of your choice hehe 👐

send me “plots please”.

omg it’s holly... it’s happening... everybody stay calm... stay fucking calm... EVERYBODY JUST FUCKING CALM DOWN

for BENTLEY WAYLAND

this plot with bentley being the dumb who didn’t tell his parents he’d broken up with his girlfriend/boyfriend so now he has to go beg them to come with him to his parents’ house and pretend everything is okay or his parents might disown his ass

oh god something like this where he falls in love with a girl who’s the opposite of him and she just can’t bring herself to receive love and let him love her because she’s afraid she’ll ruin him or something like that

a best friends plot like this with bentley as muse a because he’s a total little shit and would pull something like this

for KATERYNA BOYKO

kat getting involved with a rival from the crime world... maybe a member of a rival crime family or just generally a rival. whenever they’re together, it’s always a mystery on whether they will end up kissing or killing each other, and absolutely no one can find out about this thing between them because the consequences would be catastrophic

something inspired on this because really, she’s a sassy little thing and would probably be perfect for someone who has a big ego or something like that

this because !!!! maybe he’s a bodyguard of sorts assigned to her, maybe a partner in crime, idk. she needs him and he needs her and the protectiveness... yes

for OLIVIA RUSSELL

something inspired on this. i have to admit i’m not even sure what is going on in this gifset, i just know i like it and i want it and i think this sort of dynamic would be perfect for olivia tbh

this plot with olivia being the one who pushed the other muse away because she just... couldn’t deal with someone liking her and getting close to her...

something like this because 1) i love them and 2) olivia so is the type to roast someone, even as a way of flirting

[beardedmrbean]

GERB leader Boyko Borissov announced on the sidelines of the National Assembly that he would waive his immunity. It was requested by the former chief prosecutor Ivan Geshev because of the "Barcelonagate" investigation. So far, Borissov has refused to do so. Including on Wednesday morning (July 5), when the chairman of GERB said that "I will not give it to Geshev's classmates".

An hour later, the position was reversed: "After all, I am Boyko Borissov. I will give up the immunity. I will not be a victim of blackmail and extortion," said Borissov. He left no room for further questions.

For more than a month, Borissov repeated that he would not give up his parliamentary protection, because he saw Geshev's activism on the "Barcelonagate" case as revenge for the mechanism adopted by the parliament to investigate the chief prosecutor. Today, Borissov called the actions of the former chief prosecutor preparation for his political project, which Geshev announced yesterday.

Borissov's waiver of his immunity comes against the backdrop of several aspects. Yesterday (July 4), the first meeting of the commission, which was supposed to deal with the documents of the "Barcelonagate" investigation, failed, in order for the deputies to decide whether the parliament should lift the immunity of the chairman of GERB. Borissov's voluntary refusal means that there is no need for MPs to discuss the evidence (and lack thereof) of money laundering and Borissov's role in buying a luxury house in Barcelona.