#national gun violence awareness month

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Steven Beschloss at America, America:

In the last few days, I have received a number of messages from readers who told me they are disengaging. “I am retiring from politics,” one said. “I’m avoiding the news,” said another. And this: “I’m too old for another Trump term and do not want to even see anything political for a long time. Steven, I’ve enjoyed your content, but in order to live to 78 [I’m] going cold turkey on politics.”

I get it. Trump’s emphatic win and Harris’ loss is heartbreaking, especially after all the effort so many of us have made to achieve a different outcome. This defeat is made harder by the awareness of the dark and disturbing days to come with Donald Trump back in the White House. There are many high-profile critics who are wondering about their safety now in a world where Trump fanatics like Steve Bannon echo his leader’s fervor for retribution by promising “rough justice.” It would be a mistake to assume that Trump wasn’t serious with all his violent, vengeance-inciting verbiage. Anyone who assumes the next Attorney General will act with the reluctance and politeness of Merrick Garland toward the ex-president—resulting in his not being held account for inciting a deadly insurrection on Jan. 6—is sorely underestimating Donald Trump’s endless capacity for cruelty, attraction to carnage and hunger to punish anyone who crosses him. But it would be a misfortune if many of us meet the coming months only with fear and reluctance, disengaging from the necessary opposition to Trump’s authoritarian enterprise. That’s what Trump hopes to achieve with his angry, aggressive intimidation.

It’s appalling to see how the billionaires have quickly fallen in line. This arrived yesterday from Washington Post and Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, who spinelessly deep-sixed his newspaper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris: “Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory,” he posted on what was Twitter. “No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing Donald Trump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love.” In a normal world, of course, that would read like a warm and magnanimous gesture, not a kowtowing plea from a self-interested businessman who fears the consequences of crossing Trump. And he was not alone.

Meta/Facebook owner Mark Zuckerburg, who’s been threatened with prison by Trump, posted this on his social media site, Threads: “Congratulations to President Trump on a decisive victory. We have great opportunities ahead of us as a country. Looking forward to working with you and your administration.” So again: I get it if you’re feeling utterly discouraged and doubtful if you should stay involved. If the billionaires are rolling over, why should anyone take any risks? That’s understandable, especially in the wake of this awful defeat, and a reason why some of us will choose to disconnect. But I urge you to take to heart the closing words of President Joe Biden yesterday in graciously accepting the election’s outcome: “Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable…We are going to be OK, but we need to stay engaged.” I also urge you to listen to every word of Kamala Harris’ concession speech Wednesday from Howard University (you can watch it here). I was particularly interested in her guidance as we look forward.

“While I concede this election,” she said, “I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign—the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up.” She also talked about not giving up the fight for reproductive freedom, for protecting our schools and streets from gun violence, and for democracy, the rule of law and equal justice. “And we will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square. And we will also wage it in quieter ways: in how we live our lives by treating one another with kindness and respect, by looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbor, by always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for the dignity that all people deserve.” We will need to hear more thoughts like this as Trump and his enablers drag us through their world of hostility and degradation. The vice president made a particular plea to young people, including students in the audience from Howard, a historically Black university: “To the young people who are watching, it is OK to feel sad and disappointed. But please know it's going to be OK…Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place…the fight for our country is always worth it.”

[...] I will not give up the effort to pursue a better, more just, more equal, more democratic, more decent and kind America. It will take plenty of energy and effort to keep clear about what is true and what is false, what is right and wrong, what is normal and what is insane—and to inform myself and you about what’s happening and what we might do about it.

The temptation is there to disengage., but it’s the definitive time to stay in the fight.

[ausetkmt]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The social media posts are of a distinct type. They hint darkly that the CIA or the FBI are behind mass shootings. They traffic in racist, sexist and homophobic tropes. They revel in the prospect of a “white boy summer.”

White nationalists and supremacists, on accounts often run by young men, are building thriving, macho communities across social media platforms like Instagram, Telegram and TikTok, evading detection with coded hashtags and innuendo.

Their snarky memes and trendy videos are riling up thousands of followers on divisive issues including abortion, guns, immigration and LGBTQ rights. The Department of Homeland Security warned Tuesday that such skewed framing of the subjects could drive extremists to violently attack public places across the U.S. in the coming months.

These type of threats and racist ideology have become so commonplace on social media that it’s nearly impossible for law enforcement to separate internet ramblings from dangerous, potentially violent people, Michael German, who infiltrated white supremacy groups as an FBI agent, told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

“It seems intuitive that effective social media monitoring might provide clues to help law enforcement prevent attacks,” German said. “After all, the white supremacist attackers in Buffalo, Pittsburgh and El Paso all gained access to materials online and expressed their hateful, violent intentions on social media.”

But, he continued, “so many false alarms drown out threats.”

DHS and the FBI are also working with state and local agencies to raise awareness about the increased threat around the U.S. in the coming months.

The heightened concern comes just weeks after a white 18-year-old entered a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, with the goal of killing as many Black patrons as possible. He gunned down 10.

WATCH: Senate Homeland Security committee holds hearing on white supremacist violence

That shooter claims to have been introduced to neo-Nazi websites and a livestream of the 2019 Christchurch, New Zealand mosque shootings on the anonymous, online messaging board 4Chan. In 2018, the white man who gunned down 11 at a Pittsburgh synagogue shared his antisemitic rants on Gab, a site that attracts extremists. The year before, a 21-year-old white man who killed 23 people at a Walmart in the largely Hispanic city of El Paso, Texas, shared his anti-immigrant hate on the messaging board 8Chan.

References to hate-filled ideologies are more elusive across mainstream platforms like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Telegram. To avoid detection from artificial intelligence-powered moderation, users don’t use obvious terms like “white genocide” or “white power” in conversation.

They signal their beliefs in other ways: a Christian cross emoji in their profile or words like “anglo” or “pilled,” a term embraced by far-right chatrooms, in usernames. Most recently, some of these accounts have borrowed the pop song “White Boy Summer�� to cheer on the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on Roe v. Wade, according to an analysis by Zignal Labs, a social media intelligence firm.

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta banned praise and support for white nationalist and separatists movements in 2019 on company platforms, but the social media shift to subtlety makes it difficult to moderate the posts. Meta says it has more than 350 experts, with backgrounds from national security to radicalization research, dedicated to ridding the site of such hateful speech.

“We know these groups are determined to find new ways to try to evade our policies, and that’s why we invest in people and technology and work with outside experts to constantly update and improve our enforcement efforts,” David Tessler, the head of dangerous organizations and individuals policy for Meta, said in a statement.

A closer look reveals hundreds of posts steeped in sexist, antisemitic, racist and homophobic content.

In one Instagram post identified by The Associated Press, an account called White Primacy appeared to post a photo of a billboard that describes a common way Jewish people were exterminated during the Holocaust.

“We’re just 75 years since the gas chambers. So no, a billboard calling out bigotry against Jews isn’t an overreaction,” the pictured billboard said.

The caption of the post, however, denied gas chambers were used at all. The post’s comments were even worse: “If what they said really happened, we’d be in such a better place,” one user commented. “We’re going to finish what they started someday,” another wrote.

The account, which had more than 4,000 followers, was immediately removed Tuesday, after the AP asked Meta about it. Meta has banned posts that deny the Holocaust on its platform since 2020.

U.S. extremists are mimicking the social media strategy used by the Islamic State group, which turned to subtle language and images across Telegram, Facebook and YouTube a decade ago to evade the industry-wide crackdown of the terrorist group’s online presence, said Mia Bloom, a communications professor at Georgia State University.

“They’re trying to recruit,” said Bloom, who has researched social media use for both Islamic State terrorists and far-right extremists. “We’re starting to see some of the same patterns with ISIS and the far-right. The coded speech, the ways to evade AI. The groups were appealing to a younger and younger crowd.”

For example, on Instagram, one of the most popular apps for teens and young adults, white supremacists amplify each other’s content daily and point their followers to new accounts.

In recent weeks, a cluster of those accounts has turned its sights on Pride Month, with some calling for gay marriage to be “re-criminalized” and others using the #Pride or rainbow flag emoji to post homophobic memes.

Law enforcement agencies are already monitoring an active threat from a young Arizona man who says on his Telegram accounts that he is “leading the war” against retail giant Target for its Pride Month merchandise and children’s clothing line and has promised to “hunt LGBT supporters” at the stores. In videos posted to his Telegram and YouTube accounts, sometimes filmed at Target stores, he encourages others to go the stores as well.

Target said in a statement that it is working with local and national law enforcement agencies who are investigating the videos. As society becomes more accepting of LGBTQ rights, the issue may be especially triggering for young men who have held traditional beliefs around relationships and marriage, Bloom said.

“That might explain the vulnerability to radical belief systems: A lot of the beliefs that they grew up with, that they held rather firmly, are being shaken,” she said. “That’s where it becomes an opportunity for these groups: They’re lashing out and they’re picking on things that are very different.”

[beardedmrbean]

Democratic St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones’ support of gun control is coming into question after an open records request released thousands of her personal texts, including one that argued gun crackdowns are ineffective.

"Chicago has strict gun laws as well but that doesn't deter gun violence," Jones texted in a group chat to her dad, Virvus Jones and advisor Richard Callow on March 21, KSDK reported. "It's about investing in the people."

Thousands of Jones’ texts from her personal cellphone were publicly released last week after KSDK and the St. Louis Business Journal filed separate Sunshine Act requests for her communications regarding the political appointment process for a Circuit Attorney.

Her private message appears to contradict public comments she has made in the past, including after a mass shooting in the city last month that killed one and left 11 others injured.

ST. LOUIS CHECKS IN AS AMERICA'S MOST DANGEROUS CITY WHILE BALTIMORE SUBURB RANKS AS THE SAFEST: STUDY

"Our state's lax gun laws make our challenge even more difficult," Jones said in June following the shooting. "The legislature's lack of action on gun safety laws encourages the proliferation of guns on our streets and puts our responding officers directly in harm's way."

Jones also joined other cities across the country in declaring June 3 as "Gun Violence Awareness Day," where the mayor argued the Senate "must protect our families" by "expanding background checks to all gun sales, regulating assault weapons, and passing a federal red flag law." 

VIOLENT CRIMES ON THE RISE IN 2022, FOLLOWING PREVIOUS UNPRECEDENTED SPIKE IN MURDERS

In another text to her father and Callow, Jones recounted how Newark, New Jersey, has similar demographics to St. Louis, but far fewer murders, citing Newark’s investment in violence prevention programs. "Newark, NJ has the same size population, same size police force, and similar racial demographics, yet had 50 murders in 2022," she wrote, KSDK reported. "I visited these programs first hand and I know that they work. We just need the will…."

St. Louis recorded 200 homicides in 2022, 201 in 2021, and 263 in 2020, according to data published by the St. Louis Police Department. The city often has one of the highest murder rates in the nation, alongside cities such as Chicago and Baltimore.

The mayor’s office has since gone into "damage control mode," according to KSDK, with Jones’ spokesman releasing a statement last week clarifying the mayor’s stance on gun control.

"Gun laws are just one part of the solution," Jones spokesman Nick Desideri said. "There’s a difference between deterring behavior and making it harder to get firearms and weaponry; for example, there’s no doubt that gun laws in the blue region around Newark help reduce violence as opposed to here."

SOROS-BACKED PROSECUTOR IN ST. LOUIS ABRUPTLY RESIGNS AFTER SCANDAL-RIDDEN TENURE

In other texts, Jones appeared to agree with her public statements in support of gun control.

"We have way too many guns on our streets and no way to take them away," she said in a text message on May 10, according to KSDK.

They mayor also took issue with an op-ed written by Republican state Sen. Cindy O'Laughlin, which argued for city leaders to emphasize education, employment training and economic development to reverse crime trends in St. Louis. 

"St. Louis needs to clean up its act in many ways. It starts with reducing crime. We are also working to improve our schools statewide and there’s no better place to start than in St. Louis. The costs of crime and an unskilled workforce is costing the entire state in many ways," O'Laughlin wrote in The Missouri Times. 

ST. LOUIS FATAL SHOOTING CLAIMS LIVES OF WOMAN AND 2 CHILDREN IN COUNTY HOME

Jones mocked the op-ed on text, summing it up as "basically" saying, "'Thanks for staying in STL even tho we’re responsible for the horrific amount of guns on your streets.'" 

Desideri took to Twitter last week to share a message from Jones, which stated the texts were released due to an "honest mistake."

"I’ve never been one to hide my feelings," the message relayed by the spokesman stated. "Through an honest mistake, text messages between my family and close friends were released to the public. Sometimes my words can be terse, and my text messages speak for themselves. I understand the impact of some of my comments, and will contact the relevant parties to ensure productive dialogue moving forward." 

MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL BLAMES ST. LOUIS PROGRESSIVE DA FOR CITY REACHING 'CRISIS POINT'

The texts between Jones, her father and Callow were gathered following the open records requests in connection to Kim Gardner stepping down in May as St. Louis circuit attorney. Typically, such materials are reviewed and portions redacted before they are released to the public, but the texts were published wholesale in a 135-page PDF document, according to KSDK.

The PDF was removed just a couple days after it was published and replaced with a shorter and redacted version.

The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment on the matter.

[warningsine]

A new military recruit shot and killed two fellow soldiers and wounded a third at a training range in central Japan on Wednesday, the military said, with the 18-year-old suspect detained at the scene.

“During a live-bullet exercise as part of new personnel training, one Self-Defence Forces candidate fired at three personnel,” the Ground Self-Defence Force (GSDF), Japan’s army, said in a statement.

The shooter was an 18-year-old SDF candidate who joined the military in April, GSDF chief of staff Yasunori Morishita told reporters, adding he was detained on the spot by other soldiers.

“This kind of incident is absolutely unforgivable for an organisation tasked with handling weapons, and I take it very seriously,” Morishita said.

He said the three victims had been tasked with training new recruits, including the attacker, at the range, without further elaborating on their relations.

The suspect, whose identity is being withheld for now, has been charged with the attempted murder of a 25-year-old soldier, a local police spokesman said, declining to be identified.

The cadet “fired a rifle at the victim with the intent to kill”, the spokesman said.

National broadcaster NHK reported the casualties were a man in his fifties and two other men in their twenties.

Details of the casualties’ identities have yet to be officially confirmed.

Aerial footage broadcast by the station showed military and civilians gathered around an emergency vehicle and police blocking nearby roads. Some appeared to be investigators, wearing covers over their shoes and hair.

A local resident told NHK he saw several emergency vehicles rushing to the area at around 9:30am local time but had not heard anything before that.

Morishita said as far as he is aware, gun violence by GSDF personnel that resulted in injuries or fatalities last took place in 1984 at a camp in Yamaguchi.

The training range near Gifu is administered by the region’s Camp Moriyama and is a covered facility of more than 65,000 square metres.

Gun possession tightly controlled in Japan, where violent crime is rare.

But several high-profile incidents have rattled the country over the last year.

In July 2022, former prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead on the campaign trail by a man who allegedly targeted him over his links to the Unification Church.

The accused assassin, Tetsuya Yamagami, was due to make his first appearance in court this week, but the session was cancelled after a package sent to the facility set off a metal detector.

It was later found to contain no explosives, but rather a petition signed by thousands calling for a lenient sentence for Yamagami.

He has garnered surprise sympathy from some quarters over the effect his mother’s devotion to the Unification Church had on his family and childhood.

In April, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida escaped unharmed after a man threw an explosive device towards him at a campaign event.

That incident came shortly before Japan hosted the Group of Seven leaders’ summit in Hiroshima and prompted renewed calls for stepped-up security.

Thousands of police were deployed to secure the gathering, which passed without a security incident.

Last month, police in Nagano region west of Tokyo detained a man after an hours-long knife and shooting rampage, followed by an extended stand-off.

The man killed four people, including two police officers, before he was detained. He is reportedly the son of the speaker of the local city assembly.

[ozymandias-saffet]

O Z S A F F E T

— basics

name: “Oz” aka, Levi Ozymandias Saffet age / d.o.b.: 44, August 28th, 1980 gender, pronouns, sexuality: Demi-Man, Any pronouns, queer  hometown: Newburyport, Massachusetts occupation: Freelance web designer education: Graduate degree in bio-chemistry relationship status: Single children: None

Full Bio is under the cut - please be aware of trigger warnings before proceeding.

TW // Drugs, Violence, Murder, Injury

Oz came into the world silent as the grave - so quiet that his parents thought something was wrong with him. A middle child of five, Oz was the odd one out - he was just a little different. His siblings were loud and outgoing, and Oz was a quieter instigator.

His parents just thought he was socially awkward and didn’t ‘get it’. But Oz did- he was incredibly intelligent, quick as a whip. Perhaps he didn’t prefer to start the conversation - but he knew how to end it. He seemed to just prefer a little bit of anarchy- but his smarts were never in question. He studied multiple sciences at an Advanced level in high school and majoring in bio-chem in college, going on to get his graduate degree as well. Through it all, he had supportive parents, siblings who cheered him on and went about their lives, and an occasional distant friend or roommate.

And yet, Oz found himself craving something more adventurous. It started with little ways he could get a thrill. Drugs helped, of course. So did setting off fireworks, or shoplifting. He looked so upright, so perfectly unassuming. The quiet little man never seemed like a threat, which was perfect for stealing goods, getting into trouble. While working at a national lab in New York, he found himself pocketing important chemicals and extra medication - skimming materials off the top. Machines break all the time after all, and the labs always had so much money to replace just about anything… not even knowing what he was doing with all these items, he found himself delving into the black market.

He sold a few specialized chemicals and medical equipment to a very interested buyer- and soon enough Oz was in his early 30s and working directly within organized crime. The selling couldn’t go on forever without someone finding out at BROOKLABS, so instead he joined their ranks. His steady hands were perfect for a gun, and after years dissecting animals, staring at bones and tendons and joints and nerves during his extensive schooling, the team pushed him into becoming a hired hitman.

Oz was clean, quick, and silent. The man got in and got out so fast that he was a shadow behind his victims. It was easy and lucrative work for him. He was a respected hitman for years. And as time wore on, he stayed in his prime. Except for one job.

He forgot to check the backyard. He’d done it a million times, and this was the one day he’d forgotten. Oz had the victim dealt with in a second - but the victim’s colleague was unexpectedly there, packing up for their trip to the putting green. No one else was supposed to be there.

Oz was nearly killed - taken by surprise and wrestling with an angry man with a golf club. Oz’s small stature was, for once, used against him, his gun wrestled from him at one point. Shot, beaten, but somehow Oz got his gun back and shot the other man dead. Called a colleague in desperation. He couldn’t feel… anything. For one of the first times in his life, he was scared.

Suffering a lumbar spinal cord injury, Oz was stuck in the hospital for months. He had lost the use of his legs at first, and required intense rehabilitation to even walk with forearm crutches or push himself in a wheelchair. But more importantly to Oz, he didn’t feel that he could continue his old job. His hands unsteady and his body having gone through a traumatic event, he retired from his hitman position. Beginning to spiral from all of this, released from the crime ring he'd thought he was intrinsically connected to, he has to find a new dream.

Now they arrive in Helltown. A place that feels as mysterious as Oz likes - and away from the world at large. A place to start fresh with remote work as a web designer. Occasionally he finds himself with another unsavory client - someone from his old days on the black market, looking for something only Oz can find. But most of the time, he's trying to restart his life, using his mobility aids - wheelchair, and occasionally forearm crutches.

[brookston]

Holidays 10.16

Holidays

Air Force Day (Bulgaria)

Allergist Day (Russia)

Armenian Press Day (Armenia)

Ask An Activist Day

Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters

Blog Action Day

Boiler Switch On Awareness Day (UK)

Bu-Ma Democratic Protests Commemoration Day (South Korea)

Clean Your Bug Zapper Day

Department Store Day

Ether Day

Global Cat Day

Healthcare Security & Safety Officer Appreciation Day

Heroes and Foreparents Day (British Virgin Islands)

International Day of Action for Peoples’ Food Sovereignty & Against Transnational Corporations

John Brown Day (Vermont)

John Dunsworth Day of Kindness

Kraft Heinz Pantry Day (Canada)

Learn a Word Day

Maintenance Personnel Day

National Boss’ Day

National Burns Awareness Day (UK)

National Childhood Hunger Day

National Cut Up Your Credit Card Day

National Department Store Day

National DGS Day

National Dictionary Day

National ‘Don’t Click It’ Day

National Eddie Day

National Elaine Day

National Feral Cat Day

National Fossil Day

National Report Truth in Negotiations Act Fraud Day

National School Bus Driver Appreciation Day

National Sports Day

National Trey Day

National Veterans BBQ Day

National Wolf Awareness Day

Noah Webster Day

Ox Day (French Republic)

Pope John Paul II Day (Poland)

Population Control Day

Restart A Heart Day (UK)

Sarandi Battle Anniversary Day (Uruguay)

Steve Jobs Day (California)

Teachers’ Day (Chile)

World Allergy Awareness Day

World Anesthesia Day

World Endodontic Day

World Pandesal Day

World Spine Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Liqueur Day

National Texas Twinkie Day

National Veterans BBQ Day

United Church of Bacon Day

World Bread Day

World Food Day (UN)

World Pandesal Day

Independence & Related Days

Emeria (a.k.a. United Socialist Republics of Emeria; Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

Oroquieta City Day (Philippines)

Pomerak'tèr (f.k.a. Maldico; Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Slovaland (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

3rd Wednesday in October

Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day (a.k.a. BRA Day USA) [3rd Wednesday]

Day of National Concern About Young People and Gun Violence [3rd Wednesday]

E-Waste Wednesday (Canada) [3rd Wednesday]

Global Dignity Day [3rd Wednesday]

Global Ethics Day [3rd Wednesday]

Hagfish Day [3rd Wednesday]

Hump Day [Every Wednesday]

International Day of Action Against for Academic Integrity Day [3rd Wednesday]

International Day of Action Against Contract Cheating Day [3rd Wednesday]

International Narcissism Day [3rd Wednesday]

International Pronouns Day (a.k.a. Pronouns Day) [3rd Wednesday]

Lamh Day (Ireland) [3rd Wednesday]

Love Your Body Day [3rd Wednesday]

Medical Assistants Recognition Day [3rd Wednesday]

Missouri Day (Missouri) [3rd Wednesday]

National Disability Monitoring Day [3rd Wednesday]

National Financial Aid Day [3rd Wednesday]

National Teach Business Day [3rd Wednesday]

Ride to Work Day (Australia) [3rd Wednesday]

SUDEP Action Day [3rd Wednesday]

Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day [3rd Wednesday]

Take Your Parents to Lunch Day [3rd Wednesday]

Thank Your Cleaner Day [3rd Wednesday]

Unity Day [Wednesday closest to 10.22]

Wacky Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Wandering Wednesday [3rd Wednesday of Each Month]

Website Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Wiener Wednesday [3rd Wednesday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning October 16 (2nd Full Week of October)

National Food Bank Week [Week of 10.16]

Festivals Beginning October 16, 2024

Chicago International Film Festival (Chicago, Illinois) [thru 10.27]

Chile Challenge 4-Wheel Drive Trail Event (Caballo, New Mexico) [thru 10.19]

Circleville Pumpkin Show (Circleville, Ohio) [thru 10.19]

Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) [thru 10.20]

International Rome Film Festival (Rome, Italy) [thru 10.27]

Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival (Lausanne, Switzerland) [thru 10.20]

Feast Days

Anna Waser (Artology)

Arnold Böcklin (Artology)

Balderic (a.k.a. Baudry) of Monfaucon (Christian; Saint)

Benjamin Russell (Artology)

Bercharius (Christian; Saint)

Bertrand of Comminges (Christian; Saint)

Blue Whale Contemplation Day (Pastafarian)

Colmán of Kilroot (a.k.a. Colman mac Cathbaid; Christian; Saint)

Daniel Chodowiecki (Artology)

Day of Atonement (Nation of Islam)

Ed Valigursky (Artology)

Edward Ardizzone (Artology)

Eliphius (Christian; Saint)

Eugene O’Neill (Writerism)

Feast of ‘Ilm (Knowledge; Baha’i)

Fortunatus of Casei (Christian; Saint)

Gall (Christian; Saint)

Gerard Majella (Christian; Saint)

Günter Grass (Writerism)

Hedwig of Silesia (Christian; Saint)

Hugh Latimer (Anglicanism)

Junian (of Saint-Junien; Christian; Saint)

Kang Kyung-ok (Artology)

Laufey’s Day (Pagan)

Lullus (a.k.a. Lullon), Archbishop of Mentz (Christian; Saint)

Malcolm the Lion (Muppetism)

Marguerite Marie Alacoque (Christian; Saint)

Marie-Marguerite d'Youville (Christian; Saint) >li>Mummolin (a.k.a. Mommolin), Bishop of Noyon (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas Ridley (Anglicanism)

Opening the Bosom of Women (Hathor’s Temple; Ancient Egypt)

Oscar Wilde (Writerism)

Pamela Anderson Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Pascal (Positivist; Saint)

Pierre Paul Puget (Artology)

Primo Conti (Artology)

Silvanus of Ahun (Christian; Saint)

Thevarparampil Kunjachan, Blessed (Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Catholic Church)

Victor III, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Hebrew Calendar Holidays [Begins at Sundown Day Before]

Sukkot [15-21 Tishri]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [42 of 53]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [48 of 60]

Premieres

Alice’s Wonderland (Ub Iwerks Disney Laugh-O-Grams Cartoon; 1923)

Barfly (Film; 1987)

The Beach Nut (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1944)

Black Dynamite (Film; 2009)

Boss and the Blade or Sheik, Rattle and Roll (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 64; 1960)

Bridge of Spies (Film; 2015)

The Bugs Bunny Mystery Special (WB TV Cartoon Special; 1980)

Christmas in July (Film; 1940)

College Spirt (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1932)

Crazy, by Patsy Cline (Song; 1961)

Dare by the Human League (Album; 1981)

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (Anime Film; 2020)

Desolation Angels, by Jack Kerouac (Autobiography; 1965)

Electric Ladyland, by Jimi Hendrix (Album; 1968)

Etta Jones Sings Lady Day, by Etta Jones (Album; 2001)

Forever Amber, by Kathleen Winsor (Novel; 1944)

From A to Z-Z-Z-Z (WB LT Cartoon; 1954)

Fry Me Cookie, With A Can Of Lard, recorded by Will Bradley (Song; 1941)

The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson (Novel; 1959)

Hope and Glory (Film; 1987)

A Hull of a Mess (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1942)

It’s Only Rock N’ Roll, by The Rolling Stones (Song; 1974)

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë (Novel; 1847)

The Kids in the Hall (TV Series; 1988)

Kill Your Darlings (Film; 2013)

The Last Angry Moose or Hot Scotch (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 169; 1962)

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis (Novel; 1950) [The Chronicles of Narnia #1]

The Lobster (Film; 2015)

The Lyon’ Mouse (WB MM Cartoon; 1937)

The Mouse of Tomorrow, featuring Super Mouse (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1942)

Our Town or Home of the Grave (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 170; 1962)

Pierrot Lunaire, by Arnold Schoenberg (Melodrama; 1912)

Practical Magic (Film; 1998)

Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw (Play; 1913)

Riddle of the Gold (Animated TV Show;Jonny Quest #5; 1964)

Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Movie; 1988)

Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays (WB Animated Film; 2012)

The Sensual World, by Kate Bush (Album; 1989)

Smallville (TV Series; 2001)

The Spider and the Fly (Disney Cartoon; 1931)

Sunken Treasures (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1936)

We Belong, by Pat Benatar (Song; 1984)

You’ve Got a Secret or Out of Sight, Out of Mine (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 63; 1960)

Today’s Name Days

Hedwig (Austria)

Hedviga, Margareta, Marija (Croatia)

Havel (Czech Republic)

Gallus (Denmark)

Siret, Sirja, Sirje (Estonia)

Luna, Sirkka, Sirkku, Stella (Finland)

Edwige (France)

Carlo, Gallus, Gordon, Hedwig (Germany)

Gál (Hungary)

Edvige, Fortunato, Irene, Margherita (Italy)

Daiga, Daigone, Dainida, Egils (Latvia)

Ambraziejus, Dovaldė, Gutautas, Jadvyga, Margarita (Lithuania)

Finn, Flemming (Norway)

Ambroży, Aurelia, Dionizy, Florentyna, Galla, Gallina, Gaweł, Gerard, Gerarda, Gerhard, Grzegorz, Radzisław (Poland)

Vladimíra (Slovakia)

Beltrán, Eduviges, Eduvigis, Florentino, Gerardo, Margarita (Spain)

Finn (Sweden)

Avice, Avis, Gerar, Gerard, Gerardo, Gerrard, Hedda, Hedwig, Hedy, Heide, Heidi, Jerard, Noah, Noe (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 290 of 2024; 76 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of Week 42 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 18 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Jia-Xu), Day 14 (Gui-Chou)

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

Hebrew: 14 Tishri 5785

Islamic: 12 Rabi II 1446

J Cal: 20 Orange; Sixthday [20 of 30]

Julian: 3 October 2024

Moon: 99%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 10 Descartes (11th Month) [Malebranche / Locke]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 25 of 90)

Week: 2nd Full Week of October

Zodiac: Libra (Day 24 of 30)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 10.16

Holidays

Air Force Day (Bulgaria)

Allergist Day (Russia)

Armenian Press Day (Armenia)

Ask An Activist Day

Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters

Blog Action Day

Boiler Switch On Awareness Day (UK)

Bu-Ma Democratic Protests Commemoration Day (South Korea)

Clean Your Bug Zapper Day

Department Store Day

Ether Day

Global Cat Day

Healthcare Security & Safety Officer Appreciation Day

Heroes and Foreparents Day (British Virgin Islands)

International Day of Action for Peoples’ Food Sovereignty & Against Transnational Corporations

John Brown Day (Vermont)

John Dunsworth Day of Kindness

Kraft Heinz Pantry Day (Canada)

Learn a Word Day

Maintenance Personnel Day

National Boss’ Day

National Burns Awareness Day (UK)

National Childhood Hunger Day

National Cut Up Your Credit Card Day

National Department Store Day

National DGS Day

National Dictionary Day

National ‘Don’t Click It’ Day

National Eddie Day

National Elaine Day

National Feral Cat Day

National Fossil Day

National Report Truth in Negotiations Act Fraud Day

National School Bus Driver Appreciation Day

National Sports Day

National Trey Day

National Veterans BBQ Day

National Wolf Awareness Day

Noah Webster Day

Ox Day (French Republic)

Pope John Paul II Day (Poland)

Population Control Day

Restart A Heart Day (UK)

Sarandi Battle Anniversary Day (Uruguay)

Steve Jobs Day (California)

Teachers’ Day (Chile)

World Allergy Awareness Day

World Anesthesia Day

World Endodontic Day

World Pandesal Day

World Spine Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Liqueur Day

National Texas Twinkie Day

National Veterans BBQ Day

United Church of Bacon Day

World Bread Day

World Food Day (UN)

World Pandesal Day

Independence & Related Days

Emeria (a.k.a. United Socialist Republics of Emeria; Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

Oroquieta City Day (Philippines)

Pomerak'tèr (f.k.a. Maldico; Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Slovaland (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

3rd Wednesday in October

Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day (a.k.a. BRA Day USA) [3rd Wednesday]

Day of National Concern About Young People and Gun Violence [3rd Wednesday]

E-Waste Wednesday (Canada) [3rd Wednesday]

Global Dignity Day [3rd Wednesday]

Global Ethics Day [3rd Wednesday]

Hagfish Day [3rd Wednesday]

Hump Day [Every Wednesday]

International Day of Action Against for Academic Integrity Day [3rd Wednesday]

International Day of Action Against Contract Cheating Day [3rd Wednesday]

International Narcissism Day [3rd Wednesday]

International Pronouns Day (a.k.a. Pronouns Day) [3rd Wednesday]

Lamh Day (Ireland) [3rd Wednesday]

Love Your Body Day [3rd Wednesday]

Medical Assistants Recognition Day [3rd Wednesday]

Missouri Day (Missouri) [3rd Wednesday]

National Disability Monitoring Day [3rd Wednesday]

National Financial Aid Day [3rd Wednesday]

National Teach Business Day [3rd Wednesday]

Ride to Work Day (Australia) [3rd Wednesday]

SUDEP Action Day [3rd Wednesday]

Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day [3rd Wednesday]

Take Your Parents to Lunch Day [3rd Wednesday]

Thank Your Cleaner Day [3rd Wednesday]

Unity Day [Wednesday closest to 10.22]

Wacky Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Wandering Wednesday [3rd Wednesday of Each Month]

Website Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Wiener Wednesday [3rd Wednesday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning October 16 (2nd Full Week of October)

National Food Bank Week [Week of 10.16]

Festivals Beginning October 16, 2024

Chicago International Film Festival (Chicago, Illinois) [thru 10.27]

Chile Challenge 4-Wheel Drive Trail Event (Caballo, New Mexico) [thru 10.19]

Circleville Pumpkin Show (Circleville, Ohio) [thru 10.19]

Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) [thru 10.20]

International Rome Film Festival (Rome, Italy) [thru 10.27]

Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival (Lausanne, Switzerland) [thru 10.20]

Feast Days

Anna Waser (Artology)

Arnold Böcklin (Artology)

Balderic (a.k.a. Baudry) of Monfaucon (Christian; Saint)

Benjamin Russell (Artology)

Bercharius (Christian; Saint)

Bertrand of Comminges (Christian; Saint)

Blue Whale Contemplation Day (Pastafarian)

Colmán of Kilroot (a.k.a. Colman mac Cathbaid; Christian; Saint)

Daniel Chodowiecki (Artology)

Day of Atonement (Nation of Islam)

Ed Valigursky (Artology)

Edward Ardizzone (Artology)

Eliphius (Christian; Saint)

Eugene O’Neill (Writerism)

Feast of ‘Ilm (Knowledge; Baha’i)

Fortunatus of Casei (Christian; Saint)

Gall (Christian; Saint)

Gerard Majella (Christian; Saint)

Günter Grass (Writerism)

Hedwig of Silesia (Christian; Saint)

Hugh Latimer (Anglicanism)

Junian (of Saint-Junien; Christian; Saint)

Kang Kyung-ok (Artology)

Laufey’s Day (Pagan)

Lullus (a.k.a. Lullon), Archbishop of Mentz (Christian; Saint)

Malcolm the Lion (Muppetism)

Marguerite Marie Alacoque (Christian; Saint)

Marie-Marguerite d'Youville (Christian; Saint) >li>Mummolin (a.k.a. Mommolin), Bishop of Noyon (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas Ridley (Anglicanism)

Opening the Bosom of Women (Hathor’s Temple; Ancient Egypt)

Oscar Wilde (Writerism)

Pamela Anderson Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Pascal (Positivist; Saint)

Pierre Paul Puget (Artology)

Primo Conti (Artology)

Silvanus of Ahun (Christian; Saint)

Thevarparampil Kunjachan, Blessed (Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Catholic Church)

Victor III, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Hebrew Calendar Holidays [Begins at Sundown Day Before]

Sukkot [15-21 Tishri]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [42 of 53]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [48 of 60]

Premieres

Alice’s Wonderland (Ub Iwerks Disney Laugh-O-Grams Cartoon; 1923)

Barfly (Film; 1987)

The Beach Nut (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1944)

Black Dynamite (Film; 2009)

Boss and the Blade or Sheik, Rattle and Roll (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 64; 1960)

Bridge of Spies (Film; 2015)

The Bugs Bunny Mystery Special (WB TV Cartoon Special; 1980)

Christmas in July (Film; 1940)

College Spirt (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1932)

Crazy, by Patsy Cline (Song; 1961)

Dare by the Human League (Album; 1981)

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (Anime Film; 2020)

Desolation Angels, by Jack Kerouac (Autobiography; 1965)

Electric Ladyland, by Jimi Hendrix (Album; 1968)

Etta Jones Sings Lady Day, by Etta Jones (Album; 2001)

Forever Amber, by Kathleen Winsor (Novel; 1944)

From A to Z-Z-Z-Z (WB LT Cartoon; 1954)

Fry Me Cookie, With A Can Of Lard, recorded by Will Bradley (Song; 1941)

The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson (Novel; 1959)

Hope and Glory (Film; 1987)

A Hull of a Mess (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1942)

It’s Only Rock N’ Roll, by The Rolling Stones (Song; 1974)

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë (Novel; 1847)

The Kids in the Hall (TV Series; 1988)

Kill Your Darlings (Film; 2013)

The Last Angry Moose or Hot Scotch (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 169; 1962)

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis (Novel; 1950) [The Chronicles of Narnia #1]

The Lobster (Film; 2015)

The Lyon’ Mouse (WB MM Cartoon; 1937)

The Mouse of Tomorrow, featuring Super Mouse (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1942)

Our Town or Home of the Grave (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 170; 1962)

Pierrot Lunaire, by Arnold Schoenberg (Melodrama; 1912)

Practical Magic (Film; 1998)

Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw (Play; 1913)

Riddle of the Gold (Animated TV Show;Jonny Quest #5; 1964)

Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Movie; 1988)

Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays (WB Animated Film; 2012)

The Sensual World, by Kate Bush (Album; 1989)

Smallville (TV Series; 2001)

The Spider and the Fly (Disney Cartoon; 1931)

Sunken Treasures (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1936)

We Belong, by Pat Benatar (Song; 1984)

You’ve Got a Secret or Out of Sight, Out of Mine (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 63; 1960)

Today’s Name Days

Hedwig (Austria)

Hedviga, Margareta, Marija (Croatia)

Havel (Czech Republic)

Gallus (Denmark)

Siret, Sirja, Sirje (Estonia)

Luna, Sirkka, Sirkku, Stella (Finland)

Edwige (France)

Carlo, Gallus, Gordon, Hedwig (Germany)

Gál (Hungary)

Edvige, Fortunato, Irene, Margherita (Italy)

Daiga, Daigone, Dainida, Egils (Latvia)

Ambraziejus, Dovaldė, Gutautas, Jadvyga, Margarita (Lithuania)

Finn, Flemming (Norway)

Ambroży, Aurelia, Dionizy, Florentyna, Galla, Gallina, Gaweł, Gerard, Gerarda, Gerhard, Grzegorz, Radzisław (Poland)

Vladimíra (Slovakia)

Beltrán, Eduviges, Eduvigis, Florentino, Gerardo, Margarita (Spain)

Finn (Sweden)

Avice, Avis, Gerar, Gerard, Gerardo, Gerrard, Hedda, Hedwig, Hedy, Heide, Heidi, Jerard, Noah, Noe (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 290 of 2024; 76 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of Week 42 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 18 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Jia-Xu), Day 14 (Gui-Chou)

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

Hebrew: 14 Tishri 5785

Islamic: 12 Rabi II 1446

J Cal: 20 Orange; Sixthday [20 of 30]

Julian: 3 October 2024

Moon: 99%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 10 Descartes (11th Month) [Malebranche / Locke]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 25 of 90)

Week: 2nd Full Week of October

Zodiac: Libra (Day 24 of 30)

[spokenwordplaypodcastcommunity]

Students, Participate in Spoken Word Poetry Challenge- Post, Follow, Like & Share Your Own Creative Video Upload Reading Your Written Poetry Aloud.

Welcome students to the first day of summer school programs activities at Spoken Wordplay Podcast Community. This is your head instructor Ms. Tonya Michelle Wilkerson speaking from the heart with a motivational message. The month of June is recognized as National Gun Violence Awareness Month. Students, I would like to share with you some creative activity ideas to do with your family and friends to join the movement for National Gun Violence Awareness Day and wear the color “ORANGE” this coming weekend starting June 7th through June 9th to help bring about positive changes for gun violence prevention within your community. Plan to attend an event like a march or a rally to show your support by honoring the lives lost and wounded by gun violence. Participate in Spoken Wordplay Podcast ” POETRY CHALLENGE”

THIS IS HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR SPOKEN WORD POETRY on SOCIAL MEDIA

Yes, Students, you will be creating a written poetry using Performing Arts elements like storytelling, theater and music. Students make sure to express your personal feelings with emotion, opinion and attitude written down on paper as a rhyme, repetition, improvisation or wordplay.

Social justice

Race

Community

Students, create a video posting on social media using #SPOKENWORDPLAYPODCASTPOETRYCHALLENGE capturing yourself performing the written Spoken Word Poetry on YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK, TIK-TOK, INSTAGRAM AND TUMBLR or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. Go to Spoken Wordplay Podcast social media pages and channels called ” Daily I Am Affirmations as well as ” Relaxing Focus and Study Music” and click the like, follow, download, subscribe and share buttons. Students, start a conversation and post a comment, view the latest shows and don’t forget to visit my website page to leave a review comments to the latest and recent postings archives at spokenwordplaypodcast.com and I thank you students for your monthly support.

[pashterlengkap]

Ron DeSantis won’t let Florida bridges display rainbow lights for Pride

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s Republican administration will not allow the state’s bridges to display rainbow lights for Pride month this year. In a May 8 post on X, DeSantis announced the state’s “2024 Florida Freedom Summer” initiative. The state-wide effort includes free admission to state parks during Memorial Day weekend and a sales tax holiday on recreational items throughout July. Related Florida colleges close LGBTQ+ centers due to Ron DeSantis’s “dystopian” anti-DEI law “The LGBT center… was one of the reasons why I came to [this university] in the first place.” We’re kicking off summer the right way in Florida—enjoy the Summer of Freedom! pic.twitter.com/oXppx1Nf0m— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 30, 2024 Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today As part of “Freedom Summer,” the state’s bridges will be illuminated in red, white, and blue lights from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Florida’s Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Jared Perdue wrote in his own X post. The post featured a photo of Tampa Bay’s Sunshine Skyway bridge lit up in the colors of the U.S. flag. “Thanks to the leadership of @GovRonDeSantis, Florida continues to be the freest state in the nation,” Perdue wrote. As Floridians prepare for Freedom Summer, Florida's bridges will follow suit, illuminating in red, white, and blue from Memorial Day through Labor Day! Thanks to the leadership of @GovRonDeSantis, Florida continues to be the freest state in the nation. https://t.co/FG892hO5zE pic.twitter.com/SBvxzr4ACk— Jared W. Perdue, P.E. (@FDOT_Secretary) May 8, 2024 As multiple local Florida outlets have noted, the “Freedom Summer” initiative means that bridges that would otherwise be lit in colors celebrating Pride, National Gun Violence Awareness Month, Juneteenth, and other summer holidays won’t be this year. The FDOT has final approval over lighting display requests for the state’s bridges, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. But in recent years, the agency has left decisions around Pride displays up to local county commissions, according to the Tampa Bay Times, following widespread public outcry over its denial of requests to light several Florida bridges in rainbow colors in 2021. One of those bridges was the Sunshine Skyway, which spans Tampa Bay connecting Manatee, Hillsborough, and Pinellas counties. For the past three years, the bridge has displayed Pride colors for one week during June. But in February, FDOT administrators were informed in an email from Manatee County Administrator Charlie Bishop’s office that County Commission Chairperson Mike Rahn disapproved of displays for both Pride and National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Critics, like St. Petersburg LGBTQ+ liaison Jim Nixon, expressed concern that Rahn had overstepped his authority, as FDOT policy requires a vote from the full county commission on bridge displays, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Rahn, however, has cited the FDOT’s authority over the matter. “Manatee County is out of the business of lighting the bridge,” he told the Herald-Tribune recently. “This is an FDOT matter. My point is, I don’t own the bridge, I can’t open the bridge, I can’t shut down the bridge, I get no revenue from the bridge. Why is it my responsibility to light the bridge?” “My concern also is if we are going to do it for one group, we have to do it for all groups no matter what their political stance is,” he continued. “I feel, personally, that the bridge is being politicized by different organizations.” In an email to the Tampa Bay Times, Rahn expressed skepticism over the agency’s policy of leaving decisions over bridge lighting themes to local county commissions. “In my opinion, the lighting of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a FDOT matter and should not be left with to the individual counties,” he wrote. It’s unclear… http://dlvr.it/T7PVLy

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jacob Ogles at The Advocate:

Florida’s major bridges won’t be lit up for Pride Month this year. Instead, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants the Sunshine Skyway lit up in red, white and blue. Florida Transportation Secretary James Perdue recently announced on social media that as part of the state’s “Freedom Summer,” all bridges will be lit in patriotic colors from May 27 to Sept. 2. “As Floridians prepare for Freedom Summer, Florida's bridges will follow suit, illuminating in red, white, and blue from Memorial Day through Labor Day!” he wrote. “Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida continues to be the freest state in the nation.” The decision was announced as the DeSantis administration also touted a sales tax holiday and free access to state parks on Memorial Day weekend. So despite the governor’s abysmal record on LGBTQ+ rights, the decision didn’t seem to outwardly be motivated by a chance to pre-empt Pride.

But it did come after some Republican officials in the state objected to decisions in recent years to light up state bridges for certain causes. Manatee County Commissioner Mike Rahn, for example, emails the state Transportation Department objecting to lighting the Sunshine Skyway in St. Petersburg in rainbow colors for Pride Month and in orange for Gun Violence Awareness Day, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

There will be no bridges in Florida lighted up with the LGBTQ+ Pride Flag colors this year, as part of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s “Freedom Summer” initiative that all bridges be lighted up in the Red, White, and Blue all summer long.

This also continues a petty vendetta campaign against the LGBTQ+ community by DeSantis and his cronies.

[scoredandstoried]

TIMELINE - OZ SAFFET

Below is an in-depth timeline of Oz Saffet's life from birth (August 28, 1982) until now (early August 2023).

Please be aware of all Trigger Warnings under the cut.

TW // Drugs, Murder, Guns, Violence, Injury

BORN: August 28, 1982

Born in Salem, MA to Levi Saffet Sr. and Nathalie Saffet, the middle child of 5. (Oswald, Silas, Karla, and Erich)

1988 - Saffet family moves to Rockport, MA for his dad's job.

1992 - Oz is 10 and pushes a kid at school down the stairs after a small disagreement. He is forced to make an apology card.

1994 -Oz is 12, gets into a fight with another kid and breaks his nose. He is suspended.

1995 - His parents enroll him in Kenpo Karate to try and give him something to focus on and a way to get out his feelings.

1998 - Oz begins taking special credit classes and AP classes to look good for colleges, which he enjoys immensely.

September 2000 - Begins classes at Northeastern with a major in Biochemistry.

Late 2001 - Attends a college party where he tries cocaine for the first time. He continues to 'socially' do drugs and drink until he graduates, though maintains his studies well.

2004 - Graduates from Northeastern University with a BS in Bio-chemistry. Takes his time to party and enjoy nightlife.

2006 - Attends New York University to begin earning a Masters in Bio-chem. He enjoys having his own lab work and projects, and learns a lot about the inventory system and ordering process for materials. Also continues clubbing on weekends.

2008 - Oz is hired by BROOKLABS, a national lab in Brooklyn.

2009 - After about a year, Oz starts noticing ways he can skim materials off the top without the budget being affected significantly. He begins stealing chemicals and supplies.

Late 2009 - Oz starts looking into the dark web and begins selling his wares on the black market.

2010 - Fudges a major inventory list and is able to steal a significant amount of product. After selling this to a Syndicate rep working within the black market, Oz begins correspondence with them.

2013 - Oz and the Syndicate representative converse about him joining the Syndicate. Oz continues working within BROOKLABS while learning inventory and selling for the Syndicate.

2015 - After leaving BROOKLABS, Oz begins learning to use guns and knives, citing his steady hands and quiet demeanor for a good reason to be added as a hitman.

Late 2015 - Oz takes care of his first hit and does impeccably.

Early 2016 - Oz's father passes.

2018 - Oz starts a long-term relationship (WC) with someone unaware of his deep connection to the Syndicate or his job as a hitman.

2020 - Oz's younger brother (WC) moves closer to NYC.

Early 2021 - The hit that goes wrong. Oz is gravely injured and in the hospital for months.

Late 2021 - After getting out of the hospital, Oz gives some info to his partner about what he does. His partner leaves him, sending him spiraling.

Early 2022 - Oz is hired by Audra to manage the Athenaeum while she's away.

Current: Oz helps crunch numbers and aid with inventory and occasionally will delve into the Black Market world again when he's needed, but ultimately mostly manages the Athenaeum. He misses his hitman days and is currently in a wheelchair, sometimes using forearm crutches as a mobility aid instead, depending on his level of comfort and energy.

[oniongrass]

For fuck’s sake, this is a nuanced situation that has been debunked time and time again. But to summarize the most important facts:

A) They were asked to come there specifically to document the famine, so that the international community would be more aware and concerned about the situation and hopefully donate enough money to keep the struggling food programs from going under.

B) The country was in the middle of a civil war and the official government granted them only strict 24-hour passes. Carter not only had to get on the plane as part of his government-controlled schedule, but intended to make physical contact with a rebel leader located in their destination city to obtain permission to stay with the rebels for a week and continue his work. You know, like someone who actually cared about understanding and fully documenting a major crisis.

C) HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH HER (or any of the other internally displaced citizens.) Surprise, surprise, along with the famine came widespread disease, so they were told not to touch anyone to limit infections! He fucking couldn’t have “just picked that little girl up” because the big men with guns has told him not to, not to mention exposing yourself to infection right before you do a bunch of (REQUIRED) air travel is highly irresponsible.

D) The vulture wasn’t an immediate danger to the child (as it’s a scavenger, not a hunter) and he chased it away after he finishing shooting.

E) The child did make it to the relief shelter and lived till 2007. Just in case you were actually concerned about their well-being at all and not simply using them as a token for some unsourced, religious lecture.

F) He killed himself because of the criticisms around the photograph, but also because of problems with drugs and romantic relationships, and most importantly the absolute horrors he’d worked hard to record on the streets for apartheid-torn South Africa. He specifically tracked down people being murdered in the streets and other awful situations (meaning he put his own life in physical danger in addition to the emotional trauma) so he could document the unchecked violence occurring to people. He typically was part of a group of photographers when documenting these scenes, because safety in numbers. It was a small group who’d started to photograph violent injustices together because they were already good friends and agreed on the importance of doing this work. Just a few months before he killed himself, one of his closest friends in the group was killed (and another badly hurt) while photographing political, race-related conflict around the upcoming national elections, which is usually hypothesized to be his biggest motivator for suicide — not the photograph.

G) He left behind a 6 year old daughter when he died. He said that after he finished photographing the child in the picture, he cried and wished badly that his daughter was their so he could hug her, because he was a father was cared about children and not a monster for you to moralize on.

THE SECOND VULTURE:

In the 1990's there was a widely circulated photo of a vulture waiting for a starving little girl to die and feast on her corp. That photo was taken during the 1993/94 famine in Sudan, by Kevin Carter, a South African photojournalist, who later won the Pulitzer Prize for this 'amazing shot'.*

*However, as Kevin Carter was savouring his feat and being celebrated on major news channels and networks worldwide for such an 'exceptional photographic skill', he lived just for a few months to enjoy his supposed achievement and fame, as he later got depressed and took his own life!*

*Kevin Carter's depression started, when during one of such interviews (a phone-in programme), someone called in and asked him what happened to the little girl. He simply replied, "I didn't wait to find out after this shot, as I had a flight to catch..." Then the caller said, "I put it to you that there were two vultures on that day, one had a camera".*

*Thus, his constant thought of that statement, later led to depression and he ultimately committed suicide. Kevin Carter could have still been alive today and even much more famous, if he had just picked that little girl up and taken her to the United Nations Feeding Center, where she was attempting to reach or at least take her to somewhere safe.*

*Today, regrettably this is what is happening all around the world. The world celebrates stupidity and inhumane act, at the detriment of other. Kevin Carter should have taken the girl away from that place, which will cost him nothing, yet he didn't. Here is the inhuman posture, "he had all time to take his shot, but he had no time to save the girl's life".*

*Thus, we must all understand that, the purpose of life, is to also touch lives. So are you too a Vulture. In whatever we do, let humanity come first, before what we stand to gain out of the situation. In all we do let's always think of others and how we can be of benefit to humanity, how we can lend a helping hand and wipe away tears. Hence, when we seek knowledge, wealth, fame, skills or even positions, let's think of how we can use it to benefit the people and society at large.*

*Today, there is a lot of poverty in the land, so if our God Almighty has blessed you, be a blessing to others, extend a helping hand to those in need. Remember, you giving, is also a way of appreciating divine blessings, bounties, and favour of God Almighty upon you. Therefore, it is very important that we all should help the poor and needy, the orphans and widows amongst us, so that they can meet their needs. Please don't be a Kevin Carter, be human and think humanity.*

*Beware, we humans are not humans, if we lack humaneness in all we do.*

#FoodForThought

[lakeconews]

During National Gun Violence Awareness Month, state launches new website

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced the launch of GunSafety.ca.gov, a website that provides critical information on how Californians can use gun violence restraining orders to help protect their loved ones, as well as the state’s new law allowing victims of gun violence to sue those spreading illegal weapons.

[riverdamien]

Befriend the Process!

Befriend the Process!

Pride Month!

National Gun Violence Awareness Month!

Wear Orange on June 2 Symbolizing Every Town for Gun Safety!

Sirach 42:15-25:  says all is beautiful: "even to the spark and fleeting vision."

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Many of us are past full bloom now. Presently we're on a new quest: to make peace with our diminishment.  Sirach tells us we all are beautiful! It was glorious to be young, but there is glory in our aging, even with its losses, aches, pains, disabilities.

Nothing's made in vain, Sirach insists. Each in its turn is good. Embracing the splendor of youth is easy. We must also make friends with the graceful, gracious surrender of our lives to aging, and of our wishes for a changed universe to the slowness of time as well, and to struggling generation after generation.

All aspects of creation is a changing universe! Thus we are changing in every way!

We surrender in the sense of seeing life as a part of one great universe and seeing ourselves as a part of one Great Rainbow.

As Eric Fromm says:

“Love means to commit oneself without guarantee, to give oneself completely in the hope that our love will produce love in the loved person. Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love.”

As we enter Pride Month, and remember tomorrow wearing orange to symbolize "Gun Safety in Every town let us remember love is an "act of faith!"

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Father River Damien Sims, sfw, D.Min., D.S.T.

P.O. Box 642656

San Francisco, CA 94164

www.temenos.org

415-305-2124

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"May I have the strange courage

to embrace a world

I know will hurt me,

offering myself to people

I know will let me down

and giving the best of my energies

to plans that will not work out.

I want to choose

to love the world as it is,

just as I know I am loved as I am.

Justin McRoberts 

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