#postal services role in communication

[manasastuff-blog]

"World Post Day"#trending#viral

World Post Day Importance is often overlooked, but its impact on global communication is undeniable. In This, we delve into the untold story behind postal services and how they have shaped the modern world. From connecting communities to facilitating global trade, postal services play a critical role. We'll explore the history, relevance, and future of postal services in an increasingly digital world. Whether you're interested in communication, and logistics, or just curious about the significance of World Post Day, this will give you insights you won’t find elsewhere. Stay tuned to learn how postal services continue to influence everyday life, even in a tech-driven era.

Call:7799799221

Website:www.manasadefenceacademy.com

#WorldPostDay#PostalServices#GlobalCommunication#ImportanceOfPost#PostalHistory#PostalSystem#CommunicationRevolution#TechAndPost#WorldPostDay2024#ManasaDefenceAcademy#trending#viral

[ladytabletop]

Do you have any suggestions for a two person letter writing games? I've seen a couple on itch but haven't ever tried one. One of my ttrpg friends moved states and we still play online but something physical and asynchronous could be fun

Oh heck yeah do I have recommendations for you.

If you want something setting-agnostic:

Ephemeron by ephemeron

It functions as a collaborative world building exercise between player/s and GM, in which letters and other ephemera are used to create and describe a world and a series of events that might transpire within it.

If you want something with romance (pining involved):

Empanel by Bogus Cheesecake

Empanel is a two-player narrative roleplaying game based around telegrams and queer yearning.

Beyond Reach by Annie Johnston-Glick

Beyond Reach is a two person play by post game about falling in love with someone unattainable to you. One player is a mech, the other their pilot.

If you want sci-fi generation ships:

Signal to Noise by LunarShadowDesigns (this is a personal favorite of mine)

One player takes on the role of the Explorer, one of the lucky few chosen to join the generation ship while the other takes on the role of the Earther, forced to stay behind as their companion departs the solar system.

The Wanderers by Adventure by Mail

YOU AND YOUR FRIEND wait to board two ARK-4 Civilian Class Shuttles charted for new colonies in the hinterlands of space.

If you want observers outside of time:

The Reaper's Almanac by Mitch Schiwal

The players will portray Reapers who write to one another after reaping a human in order to keep them alive in memory.

chronicle by A. Fell

The CHRONICLER documents a world, neither part of it nor detached from it. The WITNESSES find their artifacts some time later, and reflect, and remember.

if you want something specifically designed for messaging instead of mail:

When the Messages Began by Law of Names Media

You live in the dark. Or you did, until the computer came to life.

What's a Vaporwave? by fen slattery

One player is Casey, who kinda knows what vaporwave is. Another is Grandpa, who loves Casey and wants to understand their life. Played via text message.

and finally some miscellany:

A Response to the Esteemed Dr. Crackpot by Emily Jankowski

A game of academic squabbles for two or more players. Fight for your hypothesis in a series of responses published by one of the journals in your field. Defend your academic integrity at all costs. Everyone needs to know your rival is wrong.

Epistolary by En Sattaur

In Epistolary, the player characters work together to solve a mystery and prevent something terrible from happening.

Your Friend in Witchcraft by Kay Marlow Allen

One player will portray the Novice: you are new to witching; there are no other witches in your community who can advise you. The other player will portray the Expert: you're an old hand at witching, and have knowledge to share.

And if you need more to whet your appetite, you can check out the Step Up for the Postal Service game jam!

[lboogie1906]

Willie M. Pickett (December 5, 1870 – April 2, 1932) was a cowboy, rodeo, Wild West show performer, and actor. In 1989, he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. He invented the technique of bulldogging, the skill of grabbing cattle by the horns and wrestling them to the ground

He was born in the Jenks Branch community of Williamson County, Texas. He was the second of 13 children born to Thomas Jefferson Pickett, a former enslaved person, and Mary “Janie” Gilbert. By 1888, the family had moved to Taylor, Texas.

He married Maggie Turner (1890), the formerly enslaved daughter of a white southern plantation owner. The couple had nine children.

In 1971, he was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. In 1989, he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

Concert promoter Lu Vason founded the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo in 1984. The touring rodeo celebrates Black cowboys.

In 1987, a statue of him performing his signature “bulldogging” maneuver, was presented to the city of Fort Worth. The statue is installed in the Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District.

The USPS chose to include him in the Legends of the West commemorative sheet unveiled in December 1993. His family informed the Postal Service that the likeness was incorrect. Its source material was a misidentified photograph of Bill Pickett’s brother and fellow cowboy star, Ben Pickett. In October 1994, the USPS released corrected stamps based on the poster for The Bull-Dogger. In They Die by Dawn (2013) he is portrayed by Bokeem Woodbine.

In March 2015, the Taylor City Council announced that a street that leads to the rodeo arena would be renamed to honor him.

On June 2, 2017, a new statue of him was unveiled in his hometown of Taylor. It is prominently displayed at the intersection of 2nd and Main Streets downtown.

On August 6, 2018, he was inducted into the Jim Thorpe Association’s Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In The Harder They Fall, his role was played by actor Edi Gathegi. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[thatswhywelovegermany]

October 29, 1923: The first radio broadcast in Germany goes on air

Radio had a rough start in Germany. At the end of World War I, where the German army was among the pioneers in radio communication, during the November Revolution, revolutionary workers occupied the headquarters of the German press and news service, falsely claiming the victory of the communist and socialist revolutionary forces. This made the social democratic government to impose harsh restrictions on radio broadcast, which severely hampered the development of the new medium in Germany:

Only the state had the sovereign right of to set up and operate transmitting and receiving systems

Private individuals were prohibited to receive any radio broadcast

Receivers were limited in their technical characteristics, supported by a requirement for state approval for any new model

This led to the state-controlled postal service becoming a monopolist serving a small number of (mostly public) institutions. Nonetheless, the first entertainment broadcast was distributed at Christmas 1920, when postal employees brought instruments to the broadcast center in Königs Wusterhausen (south of Berlin), played music and recited poems.

After heavy lobbying by radio pioneers such as Hans Bredow, complaints and public discontent and increasing numbers of illegal self-made private receivers, which frequently caused interferences, the harsh restrictions were finally lifted in 1923. Each owner of a state-approved receiver had to register as a "radio participant" and pay a license fee. In autumn of 1923, at the height of the inflation, a license cost 780 billion Mark per year, a sum that only very few were able and willing to afford. Thst's why the first broadcast by Funk-Stunde Berlin from a studio in the Vox House on October 29, 1923 has no (paying) listeners. The first registered participant was Berlin tobacco retailer Wilhelm Kollhoff, who received his license and his radio on October 31.

Rapidly, a number of radio stations opened throughout Germany, which were consolidated under the umbrella organization "Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft".

Infamously, radio became the main propaganda instrument of the Nazis, who quickly forced all radio stations into line, sending the liberal radio pioneers to the first concentration camps. The development and widespread distribution of a cheap radio receiver, the "Volksempfänger" ("people's receiver"), made radio a medium for the masses. Nonetheless, only 46.9 % of the German households had a radio in 1937, compared with the USA or the UK, which had already a density of 78.3 % and 66.1 %, respectively.

After World War II, radio developed differently in East and West Germany. Radio in East Germany remained state-controlled, sending communist propaganda now. In the West, organizations under public law were founded in the federal states, funded by fees of radio users and controlled by bodies in which the relevant societal groups are equally represented. In the 1980s, private radio stations were allowed.

Because Germany received only very few AM frequencies as part of the sactions after World War II, development of FM radio was accelerated, leading to new standards in the quality of transmission and HiFi stereo radio. Radio established itself as a promoter of culture in the area of literature and music. The stations set up symphonic and dance orchestras, big bands, choirs, and elaborate audioplay studios. They were also pioneering promoters of electronic music. In the recent years, however, the importance of radio as promoters of high culture has diminished more and more. With the exceptions of a few stations, radio is regarded as background entertainment for people who cannot stand silence.

In the future, it is expected that the split between music and entertainment, high culture, and information will will deepen. Radio as a promotor of culture will probably not play a role any more. Taking over podcast productions may revive the role of radio as an opinion-forming medium. Radio is still unrivalled as the fastest medium, being able to provide the latest news virtually in real-time.

[rabbitcruiser]

Yellowknife, NWT (No. 15)

The Post Office building for Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, serving the X1A postal codes, is located at the southwest corner of 49th Street and Franklin (50th) Avenue. It is a two-storey concrete building in a late modernist style dating to the mid-20th century. In 2006 it was designated a City of Yellowknife Heritage Site in recognition of its long standing role as a social centrepiece for the downtown community; it has been administratively listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places as a result. "This is where you went to find everybody" in the 1960s, one city councillor recalled when the building received its heritage plaque in 2010.

It was the first federal government building constructed in what is now referred to as Yellowknife's New Town. The city had begun during the 1930s as a gold mining community on a peninsula and islands in the bay named for it on Great Slave Lake. When the boom resumed after World War II, it quickly outgrew the space available there, and New Town began to develop to the south on higher ground. The post office was completed in 1956 as the centralized, downtown location for mail services for Canada Post; it also housed the territorial courts until 1978. Both functions made it an important civic presence that helped establish New Town.

Source: Wikipedia

[allastoredeer]

Hello! It's the Archangel anon again! I finally found the time to type out some "general" headcanons I have about the Archangels! Also, I'm sorry that even when trying to keep things short and sweet, I still ended up writing a damn novela🥲

Okay! A quick refresher first! Before he fell, Lucifer was an Archangel, along with his father (the Metatron) and his five siblings (Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Gabriel, and Zadkiel). We see, presumably, the other six Archangels during Lucifer's brief flashback in episode 5. I headcanon that the two angels with the biggest, most ornate halos are the Metatron (the leader of the Archangels) and Michael (the Metatron's second in command). The Metatron is on Lucifer's right, and Michael is on his left.

There! Nice and refreshed! Now for the others. The angel standing directly behind Lucifer, I feel, is Zadkiel. The angel on Michael's left is Uriel, and the one on his right is Gabriel. This means Raphael is the tall angel standing between Zadkiel and the Metatron.

Now for more detailed general headcanons. These are all a hodgepodge of actual attributes I found after researching the Archangels, along with ideas I liked and thought would work. To keep from going on and on about their personalities and stuff, I made lists of characters that reminded me of the siblings. Hopefully, that will give you a quicker idea of what I think these guys are like.

Michael (He/Him): Patron Archangel of Warriors (also chivalry, the sick, the poor, the suffering, and tradesmen ((grocers, bakers, fishermen, etc.))

Characters I associate with Michael: Zuko (AtlA), Hunter (The Owl House), Alucard (Netflix's Castlevania), Miles Edgeworth (Ace Attorney), Donatello (Rise of the TMNT)

Associated color: Royal Blue

Primary weapon: Shortsword

Bonus:

Tells everyone his favorite instrument is the harp

(it's actually the accordion)

(Lucifer is the only one who knows this)

Raphael (He/She/They): Patron Archangel of Healing (also travelers, lovers, the blind, and children/young people)

Characters I associate with Raphael: Katara (AtlA), Nani Pelekai (Lilo & Stitch), Willow Park (The Owl House), Martin Blackwood (The Magnus Archives)

Associated color: Green

Primary weapon: Pike

Favorite weapon: Bo staff

Bonus:

Favorite instrument is the bugle

Is the "wine mom" sibling

(Keeps a secret flask on them at all times)

(Uriel is the only one he shares his booze with)

Uriel (She/They): Patron Archangel of Wisdom, Truth, Purification, and Devine Flame (also the arts and sciences; ALSO also, was assigned by the Metatron patronage over "Light" after Lucifer's Fall)

Characters I associate with Uriel: Garnet (Steven Universe), Luisa Madrigal (Encanto), Yasha Nydoorin (Critical Role: Campaign Two), Daria Morgendorffer (Daria)

Associated colors: Red, Yellow, and Purple

Primary weapon: Claymore

Bonus:

Favorite instrument is the lyre

Gabriel (He/Him): Patron Archangel of Messengers, Postal Services, Communication, and Communication Services (👈 remember this one, I'm gonna send a separate ask later, going into more detail...😈)

Characters I associate with Gabriel: Literally every single blue character Ben Schwartz has ever voiced, specifically Rise of the TMNT's Leonardo (I don't know why, but I feel in my bones that Hazbin Gabriel is a Ben Schwartz Blue Guy™️. Maybe it has to do with the association I have between Gabriel and the Greek messenger god Hermes?🤷)

Associated colors: White (and light blue)

Primary weapon: Glaive

Bonus:

Favorite instrument is the trumpet

Lilies are his favorite flower (likes to wear them in his hair)

Stamp collecting is a secret hobby of his

Zadkiel (She/Her): Patron Archangel of Mercy, Forgiveness, and Freedom (most well known for being the angel that stopped Abraham from killing his son Isaac)

Characters I associate with Zadkiel: Luz Noceda (The Owl House), Keyleth (Critical Role: Campaign One), Jester Lavorre (Critical Role: Campaign Two), Charlie Morningstar (Hazbin Hotel)😊💖🌈

Associated color: Violet

Primary weapon: Dagger

Bonus:

Favorite instrument is the drums

Goes by the nickname "Kiki" (Keekee, the cat is named after her)

Second most skilled Archangel at hand-to-hand melee combat

Out of all her dad's siblings, Charlie clicks with her Aunt Kiki the best

Pre-Fall Lucifer, aka "The Light-Bringer" (He/Him): Patron Archangel of Humility, Music, and "Light" (both literal and metaphorical)

Associated colors: Gold and Pink

Primary weapon: His FISTS (the most skilled Archangel at hand-to-hand melee combat)

Bonus:

Favorite instrument is the violin (he calls it a fiddle to annoy Mike)

Loves all his siblings but is closest to Mike and Kiki

In the event of a prank-war, he can either be your greatest ally or your worst nightmare

Can always get his siblings to smile and laugh no matter how down they are

Is his father's second biggest mistake

And that's the six siblings down! All that's left is the Metatron. But, to be perfectly honest, that piece of work is gonna need an entirely separate ask dedicated solely to him. Plus, I have another separate headcanon ask about Gabriel that I desperately want to type out first. So I'll have to get back to you about Old Man Meta at a later date.

I will say this, though, out of all the shitty dads that exist within the Hellaverse, the Metatron is on a completely separate level all his own.

Oh! Also, he and Roo have MAJOR beef with each other. The Metatron and the Root of Evil go way, WAAAAAY back🙂

Whoa O.O That is...that is indeed a lot.

I am writing them down. I might not use all of them, but they seem like a very good foundation to build on. I like all the little tidbits and fun facts about them too XD And specific relationships they have with each other.

Also, everytime I see Metatron I read it as Megatron and I'm surprised by it each time. What are Transformers doing in the Bible. Hahah, but yeah, I didn't even know of the Metatron until "Good Omens." Very interesting that he and Roo have some beef that goes WAY back.

It makes sense, in a way, but still 👀 I like it.

Thank you for these!!

[cosmosbeelover]

The History of Korean Male Groups – From Yeonhee Professional Singers’ Quartet to BTS -> Pt. 4/? (Rewrite)

This is a continuation from Part 3, this is on the broadcasting in Korea that the Yeonhui Professional Quartet performed on and many other acts during the Japanese Colonial Period.

The birth and demise of broadcasting stations

This text provides an overview of the broadcasting stations in Korea from the period prior to liberation through the 1980s and 1990s.

The emergence and dissolution of broadcasting stations in Korea hold significant historical importance. This narrative includes the pivotal moment of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, the media consolidation measures implemented in 1980, instances where private broadcasting entities failed to obtain approval from regulatory bodies, and the various factors contributing to the closure of these stations, including economic challenges and shifts in international circumstances.

Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station (JODK)(경성방송국)

I previously refrained from discussing this broadcasting station because I was still unfamiliar with Korean history research and believed there was insufficient information available. Consequently, I thought including it would not be beneficial. However, I will incorporate it now, as I have discovered intriguing details about its significant role in the Korean industry, particularly in supporting the promotion of both historical and contemporary Korean acts.

The Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station (JODK) (경성방송국; 朝鮮放送協會), established during the Japanese colonial period, was the first broadcasting entity to halt operations after Korea's liberation. Its operational timeline is February 16th 1927 till August 5th 1948. Although the name Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station was discontinued post-liberation, a significant question arises regarding whether the subsequent broadcasting organization should be viewed as a continuation of the original station or as the founding of a new entity.

The first broadcasting station in Korea established by Japanese, Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station (JODK, 1927-1947)

On November 30, 1926, the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station received permission from Japanese nationals and the Japanese Government-General of Korea to operate broadcasting and wireless telephone services as a corporate entity. It subsequently registered with the Gyeongseong District Court on December 11. This establishment was presented as a means to promote the cultural development and welfare of the peninsula's residents, which led to the approval of the 'Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station' and a 'broadcasting culture facility.'

First broadcast site (Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station site), 1-76 Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul (inside Deoksu Elementary School).

As a result, the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station, which opened on February 16, 1927, became the first broadcasting station in Korea and the forerunner of today's KBS. Established by Japanese individuals with support from the Japanese Government-General, the station aimed to meet the informational and cultural needs of the Japanese community in Korea while also promoting compliance among Koreans with the Japanese colonial regime.

The board of directors was entirely composed of Japanese members, one of whom was responsible for nominating a chairman, subject to the approval of the Director of the Postal Bureau of the Government-General. Ultimately, the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station operated as a non-profit organization that primarily advanced Japan's interests in reinforcing its colonial agenda in Korea, neglecting the aspirations of the Korean people.

What is JODK?

The call sign JODK was assigned to Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station, making it Japan's fourth station after the ITU designated the prefix JO, following Tokyo (JOAK), Osaka (JOBK), and Nagoya (JOCK). The Government-General of Korea initially opposed the use of the call sign DK by the Japanese Post Office, arguing it contradicted Japan's colonial policy of integrating domestic and foreign stations, leading to the designation of DK as the fourth call sign.

Formation policy in the early days of the country

The inception of the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station coincided with the nascent phase of broadcasting in Japan, characterized by a lack of established programming principles, which hindered the organization of programs according to any systematic policies.

Article 6 of the Japanese "Summary of Research" emphasizes that broadcasting management in Japan should prioritize practical reporting—covering aspects such as time, weather, awards, and news—while relegating music to a secondary role.

Instrumental ensemble that appeared on Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station

This principle was inevitably imposed on Korea, a colony, albeit with an additional programming directive aimed at appeasing the Korean populace, which proclaimed the enhancement and development of Korean culture as an ideal. Despite the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station's assertion of a mission focused on cultural advancement and public welfare, it effectively functioned as a crucial instrument of national policy in the governance of the peninsula.

Early alternate broadcasting (mixed broadcasting)

Upon its inception, the broadcasting system was characterized by an unusual structure, featuring alternating Korean and Japanese broadcasts on a single channel. Initially, the ratio of Korean to Japanese broadcasts was set at 1 to 3; however, following criticism from various media outlets, this ratio was adjusted to 2 to 3 in July of that year, maintaining the alternating format.

This approach, referred to as mixed broadcasting, manifested in four distinct formats: first, simultaneous broadcasting of Korean and Japanese programs within the same time slot; second, grouping programs for alternating broadcasts centered around time reports; third, separating programs to air on alternate days; and fourth, scheduling Korean broadcasts late at night after the conclusion of all Japanese programming.

Implementation of double broadcasting

In the initial phase of broadcasting, the disparity in the availability of Korean and Japanese languages created dissatisfaction among listeners. To remedy this issue, a dual broadcasting framework was established on April 26, 1933, which featured Japanese as the primary language for the first broadcast and Korean for the subsequent one. This initiative resulted in the formation of a dedicated Korean-language channel that developed content specifically for Korean audiences, while news was predominantly delivered in Japanese and subsequently translated into Korean.

There were concerted efforts to maintain traditional Korean culture through various educational and entertainment programs, some of which garnered positive reception from Japanese listeners. Nevertheless, the growth of Korean broadcasting was curtailed by the onset of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937, as radio became a means for the Governor-General’s administration to galvanize nationalistic sentiments.

English - Han Seong-jun, Im Bang-ul, Lee Hwa-jung, Jeong Jeong-ryeol, Park Nok-ju, and Kim So-hee appeared on Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station Korean - 경성방송국에 출연한 한성준·임방울·이화중선·정정렬·박녹주·김소희

In 1941, with Japan intensifying its military engagement in the Pacific War, the Tokyo Broadcasting Corporation refined its radio offerings by focusing on immediate news reporting, much of which was designed to propagate militaristic and imperialistic narratives. Radio became an essential tool in sustaining the wartime governance framework. A notable event transpired in December 1942, when several individuals were apprehended for secretly tuning into the prohibited Voice of America shortwave broadcasts at the Kaesong Broadcasting Station, resulting in the temporary halt of the second broadcast in June 1943.

Discussion on the duration of the Broadcasting Station

The Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station's timeline is unclear due to its ongoing operations through various changes, rather than a clear closure and reopening, resulting in differing interpretations of its post-liberation history.

The U.S. Military Government initially took control of the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station, including JODK, integrating it into the Public Information Department while the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications managed broadcasting technology and facilities, as per Military Government Ordinance No. 64 on March 29, 1946. The station was restructured into a broadcasting department and reestablished as a station in October of the same year.

The timeline of Japanese control over the broadcasting station is crucial. After liberation on August 15, the Japanese military occupied the station on August 17 for security until September 8. On September 15, following the dismissal of the Government-General of Korea's directors by the U.S. Commander, Japanese officials resigned, leading to the full transfer of the Korean Broadcasting Association to Korean management under U.S. Military Government oversight.

An additional criterion for evaluating the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station's call sign 'JODK' is its duration of use. The call sign KBS was first used with the regular broadcasting system on October 18, 1946. Before this, broadcast schedules were known only to staff, and a 15-minute quarter system later required a call sign after each segment. The lengthy English call sign KBS (Korea Key Station of the Korean Broadcasting System) was used. Additionally, the call sign 'HL' was assigned on September 3, 1947, during the International Radiocommunication Conference and began broadcasting in Korea on October 1, 1947 (Korean Broadcasting Association, 1997).

While there are various views on the timeline of the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station's operation, the author suggests September 15, 1945, when the Joseon Broadcasting Association and Gyeongseong Central Broadcasting Station were fully transferred to Korean control, as the definitive reference point.

Negative evaluation of Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station

There is both negative and positive of the evaluation of the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station.

Critical perspectives question the classification of Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station as the origin of broadcasting in Korea, primarily due to its establishment being a product of Japan's colonial agenda rather than a reflection of Korean initiative. This colonial context underpins the argument against recognizing Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station as a legitimate Korean broadcasting entity.

Initiated by Japanese broadcasting professionals and utilizing Japanese technology, Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station served as a tool for the exploitation of the Korean Peninsula during the colonial era, with its initial audience comprising government officials and Japanese merchants aligned with colonial interests.

A scene from the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station broadcasting a song in the 1930s.

Park Ki-seong (박기성) (1985) identifies several characteristics of radio broadcasting as a mechanism of colonial control, including its role in implementing colonial policies, undermining Korean culture, facilitating mass persuasion, showcasing Japanese cultural superiority, creating a market for Japanese broadcasting, and fostering internal unity to support Japan's militaristic expansion.

Consequently, there is a prevailing argument that Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station should not be regarded as a Korean broadcasting station, with the date of September 3, 1947, when Korea received its call sign 'HL' from the International Radiocommunication Conference, being proposed as the true inception of Korean broadcasting.

Positive evaluation of Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station

Conversely, some individuals view Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station positively, noting its significant contributions despite being established by the Japanese. It advanced broadcasting technology, promoted a standardized Korean language, supported children's emotional development through songs, preserved traditional music like Aak and Pansori, and laid the groundwork for the evolution of broadcast content, including dramas.

Unfortunately, numerous recordings produced by Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station from its inception until the 1940s were either lost or destroyed during the Korean War.

[dailyanarchistposts]

I.4.15 What will the workplace of tomorrow look like?

Given the anarchist desire to liberate the artist in all of us, we can easily imagine that a free society would totally transform the working environment. No longer would workers be indifferent to their workplaces, but they would express themselves in transforming them into pleasant places, integrated into both the life of the local community and into the local environment. After all, “no movement that raises the demand for workers’ councils can be regarded as revolutionary unless it tries to promote sweeping transformations in the environment of the work place.” [Murray Bookchin, Post-Scarcity Anarchism, p. 88]

A glimpse of the future workplace can been seen from the actual class struggle. In the 40 day sit-down strike at Fisher Body plant #1 in Flint, Michigan in 1936, “there was a community of two thousand strikers … Committees organised recreation, information, classes, a postal service, sanitation … There were classes in parliamentary procedure, public speaking, history of the labour movement. Graduate students at the University of Michigan gave courses in journalism and creative writing.” [Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States, p. 391] In the same year, during the Spanish Revolution, collectivised workplaces also created libraries and education facilities as well as funding schools, health care and other social necessities (a practice, we must note, that had started before the revolution when anarchist unions had funded schools, social centres, libraries and so on).

The future workplace would be expanded to include education and classes in individual development. This follows Proudhon’s suggestion made during the 1848 revolution that we should ”[o]rganise association, and by the same token, every workshop becoming a school, every worker becomes a master, every student an apprentice.” [No Gods, No Masters, vol. 1, pp. 62–3] This means that in a free society “Workers’ associations have a very important role to play … Linked to the system of public education, they will become both centres of production and centres and for education … The working masses will be in daily contact with the youthful army of agricultural and industrial workers. Labour and study, which have for so long and so foolishly been kept apart, will finally emerge side by side in their natural state of union. Instead of being confined to narrow, specialised fields, vocational education will include a variety of different types of work which, taken as a whole, will insure that each student becomes an all-round worker.” [Proudhon, Selected Writings of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, p. 87]

This would allow work to become part of a wider community, drawing in people from different areas to share their knowledge and learn new insights and ideas. In addition, children would have part of their school studies with workplaces, getting them aware of the practicalities of many different forms of work and so allowing them to make informed decisions in what sort of activity they would be interested in pursuing when they were older.

Obviously, a workplace managed by its workers would also take care to make the working environment as pleasant as possible. No more “sick building syndrome” or unhealthy and stressful work areas for “can we doubt that work will become a pleasure and a relaxation in a society of equals, in which ‘hands’ will not be compelled to sell themselves to toil, and to accept work under any conditions Repugnant tasks will disappear, because it is evident that these unhealthy conditions are harmful to society as a whole. Slaves can submit to them, but free men [and women] will create new conditions, and their work will be pleasant and infinitely more productive.” [Kropotkin, The Conquest of Bread, p. 123] Workplaces would be designed to maximise space and allow individual expression within them. We can imagine such places surrounded by gardens and allotments which were tended by workers themselves, giving a pleasant surrounding to the workplace. There would, in effect, be a break down of the city/rural divide — workplaces would be placed next to fields and integrated into the surroundings:

“Have the factory and the workshop at the gates of your fields and gardens, and work in them. Not those large establishments, of course, in which huge masses of metals have to be dealt with and which are better placed at certain spots indicated by Nature, but the countless variety of workshops and factories which are required to satisfy the infinite diversity of tastes among civilised men [and women] … factories and workshops which men, women and children will not be driven by hunger, but will be attracted by the desire of finding an activity suited to their tastes, and where, aided by the motor and the machine, they will choose the branch of activity which best suits their inclinations.” [Kropotkin, Fields, Factories and Workshops Tomorrow, p. 197]

This vision of rural and urban integration is just part of the future anarchists see for the workplace. As Kropotkin argued, ”[w]e proclaim integration… a society of integrated, combined labour. A society where each individual is a producer of both manual and intellectual work; where each able-bodied human being is a worker, and where each worker works both in the field and the industrial workshop; where every aggregation of individuals, large enough to dispose of a certain variety of natural resources — it may be a nation, or rather a region — produces and itself consumes most of its own agricultural and manufactured produce.” [Op. Cit., p. 26]

The future workplace would be an expression of the desires of those who worked there. It would be based around a pleasant working environment, within gardens and with extensive library, resources for education classes and other leisure activities. All this, and more, will be possible in a society based upon self-realisation and self-expression and one in which individuality is not crushed by authority and capitalism. To quote Kropotkin, the future workplace would be “airy and hygienic, and consequently economical, factories in which human life is of more account than machinery and the making of extra profits.” [Op. Cit., p. 197] For, obviously, “if most of the workshops we know are foul and unhealthy, it is because the workers are of no account in the organisation of factories”. [The Conquest of Bread, p. 121]

“So in brief,” argued William Morris, “our buildings will be beautiful with their own beauty of simplicity as workshops” and “besides the mere workshops, our factory will have other buildings which may carry ornament further than that, for it will need dinning-hall, library, school, places for study of different kinds, and other such structures.” [A Factory as It Might Be, p. 9] This is possible and is only held back by capitalism which denounces such visions of freedom as “uneconomic.” Yet such claims ignore the distribution of income in class society:

“Impossible I hear an anti-Socialist say. My friend, please to remember that most factories sustain today large and handsome gardens, and not seldom parks … only the said gardens, etc. are twenty miles away from the factory, out of the smoke, and are kept up for one member of the factory only, the sleeping partner to wit.” [Morris, Op. Cit., pp. 7–8]

Pleasant working conditions based upon the self-management of work can produce a workplace within which economic “efficiency” can be achieved without disrupting and destroying individuality and the environment (also see section I.4.9 for a fuller discussion of anarchism and technology).

[hms-no-fun]

I've been really enjoying your take on Girlboss Jane which I don't see people run with very often. What drew you to digging into that angle on the character as opposed to going another route with her?

jane's turn towards fascism in the epilogues was quite controversial in the fandom (despite the fact that it's entirely in-character, i mean literally the first thing we see her do in the comic is threaten to buy and privatise the us postal service), so as with a lot of character choices around the periphery of the truly *central* cast of godfeels, i wanted to play with that tension.

should be plainly obvious at this point i wrote godfeels to be sort of a distorted mirror of the epilogues. early on i was asking myself a lot, how can i do something *different* with these characters that doesn't come across as a fix-it of the epilogues, but rather as something that adds to them in some retrospective sense. so in the candy timeline you've got fascist jane and bolshevik-lite revolutionary karkat at war with each other... my thought was, okay, what if the universe conspired to match them up together at an early enough age that they could have some kind of influence on each other's politics? and janekat, i dunno, it's such a cursed ship, it's like scientifically engineered to annoy a particular subsect of homestuck fans who think davekat is sacred. no one in this fandom appreciates divorce fever enough btw, that's why i made sure to shatter rosemary. death to endgame ships!!!

anyway janekat is so obnoxiously cursed i saw it as a challenge. because the thing is that the epilogues have several VERY cursed ships. difference is i find they lean a bit too hard into a sort of meanness about them, so the most important thing for me was to do it in a way that felt GENUINE. blackrom forced-communization janekat has some gas. but it can't be easy, you know? it goes so much deeper than just whether or not jane has money or is a CEO. because capitalism on earth c is a weird superfluous ghost that i don't think functions in any meaningful sense? when she says it's a cultural thing i don't see that as entirely ingenuine. ideology runs deep, and what makes jane perfect for this role at this particular moment in godfeels is that we can peel back her layers with karkat before things get too far-gone for that to make a difference.

but all that aside i just think girlboss jane is fun to write. it's actually amazing how far i've come from early godfeels, when the prospect of writing the alphas TERRIFIED me. i think my earliest roxy shows that in a big way, though i also think that's metatextually quite fitting given her voidy thing. now i LOVE writing the alphas! jake and jane especially have become treasured inclusions, precisely because they're just so fucking obstinate. they put up such a Face and refuse to acknowledge that it's performance. it is a really gratifying challenge as a writer, just overall, trying to keep all of these goddamned characters feeling unique and themselves. i don't know if i always pull it off but it's so much fun to try!

[somesaygeart]

Junk Mail Letters

Mail art started in the late 1950’s pioneered by Dadaists and Italian Futurists, consists of collaged post cards and letters, rubber stamps and bedazzled envelopes.  The main, central trait is that mail art used the postal service - was mailed to other people/artists.  One core person to contemporary mail art is Ray Johnson, who in the 50’s sent “moticos”, collages which sometimes had instructions.  These letters were supposed to be responded to, creating a correspondence chain.

However, its 2023, and post is no longer the primary form of long-form communication: digital messaging is.  With the 21st century, as email and texting becoming more accessible, and with the occurrence of the Global Financial Crisis spanning 2007-2009, the total domestic letters the Australian post has decreased by 65% by 2020/21, and it hasn’t up-ticked in the past two years, especially with the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the economic instability caused by quarantining and non-essential retail closer, the postal service also reduced mail being sent to one another.

I grew up within the declining of postal mail, with the only mail in my childhood (from memory) was Christmas cards and my parents bills, but not really correspondence between family and friends.  Why would you, when you can just call them, or text them?  For a while, I didn’t think about this.  It was just how life is.  But recently, I have been religiously checking my mail, because I’m anticipating a document that is supposed to be mailed to be.  And because I was checking the mail religiously, I noticed the mundanity of mail.  Bills, junk mail, and housing marketing flyers.  It dawned on me; mail, the thing one thinks of when it comes to communication between people on an intimate level, doesn’t happen anymore.  And so, this birthed Junk Mail Letters.

Junk Mail Letters is a mail art project, in which each week, for 5-10 weeks, envelopes made from the pages of junk mail are dropped into the mail boxes of my neighbourhood, each holding a letter with a positive message.  This is to discuss the loss of connection and community which can be gained through the physical letter. The envelopes plays a slightly different role: the role of subversion. Junk mail is not something people expect to enjoy and like, so to use it to hold a positive message subverts expectations.

Mail, in some ways, is more intimate and connected to people than digital messaging is. Letters are written (or printed, if you own a printer) with the goal of talking about your life and checking in on other people, hand-crafted and hand-folded.  Whether its mail about yourself, or a surprise gift to someone else, the touch of a hand made them, and you can touch the letter yourself, hold it for as long as possible.  Mail holds connection through touch, from its physicality.  You can’t touch an individual text, its just the screen of the phone, with that spot touched also touching a word document, YouTube, this Tumblr post.  Mail is impactful though its physicality.

Information on Mail Art’s History (brief)

The state of Australian Postal Service

[mariacallous]

Earlier this month, Russia’s State Duma and Federation Council passed a new military conscription law. The bill, approved on an expedited basis, was designed to close the remaining loopholes that until then permitted the most determined of draft-dodgers to escape military duty. The new law enables the Defense Ministry to distribute digital summonses, also restricting the draft evaders’ ability to leave the country. Russia is now set to develop a unified digital register containing comprehensive personal data on every male citizen subject to military duty. Observers were quick to call the new system a “digital gulag,” but government officials greeted the new data project with enthusiasm, not least thanks to its gargantuan anticipated budget. Meduza’s correspondents Andrey Pertsev and Svetlana Reiter investigate who will benefit from building a new digital system of mass control.

Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development is undertaking a new task, thanks to the new conscription law requiring the creation of a unified information system for comprehensive data on every male citizen subject to military duty. The data, it’s expected, will be at the Defense Ministry’s fingertips during the regular seasonal conscription drives, as well as in the event of possible mass mobilization.

An informed source in the government, as well as a second speaker in the telecommunications sector, both told Meduza that Rostelecom, the Digital Development Ministry’s largest data systems contractor, is bruited to be tasked with the new government data project.

Two government insiders were able to further tell Meduza that the Rostelecom subsidiary RT Labs will be directly responsible for building the military conscription register. On April 11, when the new conscription law was passed by legislators, RT Labs was quick to post a number of new jobs available in the company, including, for instance, a data engineer position specifically mentioning work on the state bureaucracy website Gosuslugi (“State Services”). Under the new law, this website has a critical new function of distributing electronic draft summonses via its built-in messaging system.

RT Labs already services Gosuslugi and other state data systems, as well as the Unified Identification and Authentication System (“ESIA”) used by a number of branches of the digital state bureaucracy. RT Labs’ motto, “State Services R Us,” is quite clear about its role in government data systems.

The present CEO of RT Labs, Tengiz Alania, joined the company after serving as the deputy director of Moscow’s Regional Center for Information and Communication Technologies, another data-management enterprise servicing the government. Another top executive still working at the center, Evgeny Kovnatsky, shares a full name with someone who had been in charge of Donbas Post, a postal service started by the Russia-sponsored separatist governments in Ukraine back in 2015.

Another major player in the creation of the conscription register is Maksut Shadayev, the former RT Labs CEO and now Russia’s Minister of Digital Development. Shadayev’s career trajectory included a stint as an advisor to Vladimir Putin’s Deputy Chief of Staff Sergey Kiriyenko, and later a stretch of working at Rostelecom. When appointed minister in 2020, Shadayev championed the Gosuslugi Stop Coronavirus QR-code verification program. Early in his appointment, he also proposed giving the state law-enforcement and security apparatus complete access to Russian citizens’ personal data. (Later, he denied having ever suggested this, claiming others had misunderstood him.)

A government insider who spoke with Meduza told us that federal officials led by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his deputy, Dmitry Chernyshenko, greeted the idea of a unified conscription register with “great enthusiasm.” It was Mishustin, after all, who had digitized Russia’s tax service prior to being appointed prime minister. During a closed meeting within the Presidential Administration, Mishustin and Chernyshenko assured the Defense Ministry that the comprehensive register the military wanted could be created in practice. “Of course we can! We’d be happy to make it,” they said there and then.

This eagerness, the same speaker tells us, can hardly be separated from the truly gargantuan budget reputed to be allocated for the new data project. This is likely to be “tens of billions or rubles,” he says. Forbes Russia also estimates that the project will cost “billions of rubles” (that is, hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars).

A telecom industry insider who spoke with Meduza believes the contract is going to be a major “headache” for Shadayev and his team. “The deadlines are unreal, and the responsibility is huge. The FSB is overseeing all the work, but if the deadline is broken, they’ll just blame the Digital Development Ministry and Rostelecom,” he says. (Shadayev himself had said that the earliest the new system could be expected to go live would be the fall 2023 conscription drive.)

Despite the hasty adoption of the new conscription law, the Kremlin insiders who spoke with Meduza still disclaim any knowledge of any high-level talk about another round of mobilization. At the same time, mobilization and mandatory conscription appear to be the only way to achieving the Defense Ministry’s recruitment goals, particularly if its plan really is to recruit 400,000 men, as reported by Bloomberg back in March.

A government insider in one of Russia’s largest regions explains that the Kremlin is still hopeful about recruiting enough contract soldiers to avoid a new round of mobilization. “We have ads and banners everywhere,” he says, adding that “the task” is to “maximally motivate” men to join the army.

An informed source close to the Putin administration says that around 10,000 contract servicemen were recruited since last winter in the Moscow region alone. “People keep coming in,” he said, adding: “The draft offices see 200–300 people coming in on their own, every day. They come for the money.”

[lboogie1906]

Sylvia Yvonne Cyrus (December 16, 1955) Executive Director of The Association for the Study of African American Life and History was born in Plainfield, New Jersey to John Marvin Cyrus and Ruby Johnson Cyrus, a public school teacher. She was among the first to integrate McManus Jr. High School in Linden, New Jersey. She graduated with higher honors and received a BS in Human Ecology, and Retail Marketing from Hampton University.

She was a corporate office Assistant Buyer at JC Penney in New York City and General Manager for Comprehensive Building Supplies, a family-owned business.

She served as president of the Beta Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in Newark, New Jersey, and served on national and regional committees of the sorority. She oversaw programs for youth and raised scholarship funds for high school students and a variety of other programs to provide service to all humanity.

In 2003 she became the 12th Executive Director of the Association for the Study of African American Life & History. She has expanded ASALH’s community partnerships with established and emerging organizations and leading national corporations. These strategic partnerships, including the National Park Service, have heightened the awareness and role of preserving Black history.

The Washington Informer Charities, Inc. named her one of Washington’s 50 Influencers. With her at the helm of the organization, the ASALH in 2018 received the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Distinguished Organization Avoice Heritage Award and the Historic Achievement Award from The Historical Society of DC.

She received the Centennial Award from the National Parks Conservation Association, the leading conservation organization that provides National Park Service advocacy. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and is a member of the NAACP. She is a Charter Member of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and a life member of the Association of Black Women Historians. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphakappaalpha

[yetisidelblog]

Donald Trump and his billionaire MAGA cronies like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are working hand-in-hand to dismantle the USPS and turn it into another profit-driven monopoly serving their elite interests instead of the American people.

Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and their MAGA allies have launched a full-court press to pressure Congress into privatizing the USPS. They claim it’s about efficiency, but the truth is clear: privatization would mean higher costs for everyday Americans, reduced services in rural communities, and thousands of postal workers losing their jobs.

This isn’t just about delivering letters and packages. The USPS plays a critical role in our democracy by enabling mail-in voting. When the USPS is weakened, it’s not just mail delivery that suffers, it’s our ability to vote safely and securely. Trump knows this, which is why he’s attacking the USPS as part of his broader plan to consolidate power and stifle voter participation.

We can’t stand by while Trump and his billionaire friends dismantle our democracy and destroy an institution that serves millions of Americans.

Congress must act now to protect the USPS and keep it public -- forever. Call on Congress to defend the USPS and reject privatization schemes.

When we protect the USPS, we safeguard more than just a delivery service. We preserve a lifeline for small businesses, seniors, veterans, and families in remote areas. We defend a trusted public institution that connects us all. And we ensure that every voter can participate in our democracy, no matter where they live.

Imagine a privatized USPS, mail delivery costs soar, rural service disappears, and ballots go undelivered. This is the dystopian vision Trump and his MAGA billionaires have for America. But we have the power to stop them.

By standing together, we can protect the USPS, preserve mail-in voting, and strengthen the democratic values that make our nation strong.

Let’s not allow billionaires like Musk and Ramaswamy to dictate the future of a public institution that belongs to all of us. Tell Congress loud and clear: Keep your hands off our USPS!

Together, we can fight back against this privatization push and show Congress that the USPS is not for sale.

@upontheshelfreviews

@greenwingspino

@one-time-i-dreamt

@tenaflyviper

@akron-squirrel

@ifihadaworldofmyown

@justice-for-jacob-marley

@voicetalentbrendan

@thebigdeepcheatsy

@what-is-my-aesthetic

@ravenlynclemens

@writerofweird

@bogleech

[sealinggodspeople]

App Privacy Policy - Sealing God's People

App Privacy Policy - Sealing God's People

  This Privacy Policy applies to all information collected during the use of this smart phone application (app) on iOS as well as apps available on other platforms. This app was built for podcasts on the Liberated Syndication (libsyn) service and information collected or stored through the app or third-party partners as detailed below.

Information Collected In the App This app does not collect or store any personal data. “Personal data” refers to information that, either directly or indirectly, may identify you as a unique individual. Examples of personal data include your name, phone number, email, postal address, and possibly information relating to certain support or customer service issues. However, your email address may be used if you initiate a troubleshooting report or opt-in to send crash reports for support purposes. This email address is not stored on the app and is never used for marketing or communication outside of the resolution of the problem you report.

No email address is required to access the app. Credentials that you previously used to subscribe to protected content via the MyLibsyn service (including username and encrypted password) will strictly be used to generate an authentication token. Credential information is not stored within the app.

The app may automatically collect and use certain non-personal Data. that does not directly or indirectly identify you. The types of Non-Personal Data that may be collected and used include, but are not limited to: (i) device software platform and firmware; (ii) playback or episode download status and favorite lists (iii) mobile phone carrier; and other Non-Personal Data to help us troubleshoot or enhance our services or provide aggregated reporting.

App Ads This app does not serve ads from any third party service or collect personal data with the intent to deliver pop-up or banner ads.

Third Party Partners The app has integration with certain third-party service providers to provide support in administrating the app. Such service providers include, without limitation, those who assist in providing information technology services, back office support, and other similar services. These entities may be located inside or outside the European Economic Area. We take steps to require that such service providers protect all data collected by or conveyed to them in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy. The information shared with each is limited only to that information required for that entity to fulfill its role in assisting us with the performance of the actions described above. Where we have knowledge that a service provider processes any data in a manner contrary to this Privacy Policy, we will take reasonable steps to prevent or stop such processing. Where applicable law requires us to obtain your consent to use such third party service providers, you acknowledge that refusal to provide your consent, or withdrawal of your consent, may affect or prevent our ability to provide services, and that our engagement may need to be terminated for lack of such consent.

KSCrash, a crash and error reporting program, may be used to report crash date and failures to the support team. A crash report includes only non-personal data that cannot directly or indirectly identify you as a unique individual. If a crash failure should occur within the app, you will be prompted with the option to opt out of sharing such crash information with the support team.

This app uses Amazon Web Services to register and provide opt-in notifications to users. Amazon Web Services does not collect or store any personal data in providing such services. Notifications will only be enabled if you opt in to receive them. You may also disable notifications at any time via the app’s settings. 

Accessing, changing, or deleting your information This app is provided to podcasts hosted on the Libsyn platform and you may contact support@libsynsupport.com for questions regarding the use of any services mentioned above and removal of data. They may require proof of your identity before they provide you with the requested information. They allow you to challenge the data that is held about you and, where appropriate, you may have the data erased, rectified, amended, or completed. Approved requests will be processed within ten (10) days of the date on which we receive the request.

Data Security The Personal Information you provide and Libsyn collects is stored within databases that they control directly or through service providers. As they deem appropriate, they use security measures consistent with industry standards, such as firewalls, to protect your Personal Information. However, since no security system is impenetrable, we cannot guarantee the security of our databases, nor can we guarantee that information you supply will not be intercepted while being transmitted to us over the Internet.

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance We never collect or maintain information in this app from those we actually know are under 13 years of age.

Information for European Union Customers By using this app, you authorize us to collect, use, and store your information outside of the European Union.

Your Consent By using our site or apps, you consent to our privacy policy.

Contacting Us If you have questions regarding this privacy policy, you may email support@libsynsupport.com

[qnewsau]

Switchboard Victoria welcomes next CEO Jenna Tuke

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/switchboard-victoria-welcomes-next-ceo-jenna-tuke/

Switchboard Victoria welcomes next CEO Jenna Tuke

Community-based not-for-profit Switchboard Victoria has announced today the appointment of their new CEO, Jenna Tuke, starting in 2025.

We were overjoyed in August with the announcement of Joe Ball as the next Commissioner for Victorian LGBTQIA+ Communities.

He did an amazing job as CEO of Switchboard Victoria with big shoes to fill.

After an extensive search, the Switchboard Board are excited to announce the appointment of Jenna Tuke.

“Appointing Jenna as Switchboard’s next CEO is a huge moment in Switchboard’s history.”

“Jenna is no stranger to the work of Switchboard.” the Board said in their statement,

“Throughout the Marriage Law Postal Survey, Jenna supported Switchboard’s QLife volunteers as Clinical Supervisor,

“Providing compassionate support, wisdom and courage to QLife volunteers and Switchboard staff during tumultuous times.

“Jenna was also integral in supporting Switchboard’s staff, volunteers and Board through the period of bereavement following Ingrid Zhang’s death by suicide in 2017.

Jenna has served Switchboard as a volunteer Board member from a period of significant growth and success for Switchboard from 2020 to 2024.

Ahead of CEO recruitment, Jenna stepped away from the board role.

Jenna brings significant expertise in crisis service management, clinical leadership and front-line service delivery to the role.

Thank you to all during this process

“Recruitment for Switchboard’s next CEO was competitive,” the statement continued,

“The Board considered numerous excellent candidates for this important appointment.

“We wish to recognise and extend heartfelt thanks to Switchboard’s staff and volunteers.

“Our programs and services are vital to the health and well-being of LGBTIQA+ communities in Victoria and Australia.

“The Board are exceptionally grateful to the staff and volunteers for their commitment to showing up in support of fellow LGBTIQA+ community members during this time.“

The board thanked interim CEO Blake Leschen for his leadership and fierce commitment to the organisation.

“Switchboard is in safe and experienced hands with the appointment of Jenna Tuke as Switchboard’s next CEO.” the board statement continued,

“Through her appointment as CEO, Jenna will carry the history of our organisation forward into Switchboard’s next chapter,

“Providing principled and thoughtful leadership, continuing Switchboard’s legacy of service with heart, and honouring those who have contributed to Switchboard’s story.”

The end of the year can be a tough time for many in our communities.

Support is available through Switchboard’s Lived Experience Created website, CHARLEE.

It has a lot of resources, information and lived experience stories for you to access.

This includes managing special occasions, anniversaries and significant events.

Find out more information here.

Jenna will commence as CEO of Switchboard Victoria on Tuesday 21 January 2025. 

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  A post shared by Switchboard (@switchboard_victoria)

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[alleycatallies]

The History of the Domestic Cat

How Long Have Domesticated Cats Been Around?

Did you know that not even a century ago, few cats lived entirely indoors at all? In fact, for more than 10,000 years, cats have lived outdoor lives, sharing the environment with birds and wildlife. Understanding cats’ place in history and human evolution reveals how very recently domestic cats came indoors and how millions of this species—who we call community cats—continue to live healthy lives outdoors today, as all domestic cats are biologically adapted to do.

Origins of the Domestic Cat

Cats began their unique relationship with humans 10,000 to 12,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, the geographic region where some of the earliest developments in human civilization occurred (encompassing modern day parts of West Asia). One such development was agriculture. As people abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and settled permanently to farm the land, stored grain attracted rodents.

Taking advantage of this new, abundant food source, Middle Eastern wildcats, or felix silvestris lybica, preyed on the rodents and decided to stick around these early towns, scavenging the garbage that all human societies inevitably producejust as community cats do today.

Over thousands of years, a new species of cat eventually evolved that naturally made its home around people: felis catus. Pet, stray, and feral cats (stray and feral cats are community cats) are all this same species, which we call the domestic cat.

Cats Travel the World

Cats formed a mutually beneficial relationship with people, and some scientists argue that cats domesticated themselves.2 Especially prized as mousers on ships, cats traveled with people around the globe:

A burial site in Cyprus provides the first archaeological evidence of humans and cats living side-by-side, as far back as 9,500 years ago. Cats must have been brought to the island intentionally by humans.

In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped, mummified, and sometimes even dressed in golden jewelry to indicate the status of their owners.

In 31 BC, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire. Cats were introduced into Roman life, becoming truly widespread in Europe around the 4th century AD.4 A cat skeleton from this period shows the shortened skull of domestic cats today.

Geoffrey Chaucer mentioned a cat door in The Canterbury Tales in the 1380s.

From Europe, cats boarded ships to the Americas, reportedly tagging along with Christopher Columbus, with the settlers at Jamestown, and aboard the Mayflower.

Cats continued their service as mousers throughout history, even serving as official employees of the United States Postal Service as late as 19th and early 20th century America.

Towards the end of the 19th century, more Americans began to keep cats for their company as well as their utility. The first cat show was held at Madison Square Garden in 1895. By the end of World War I, cats were commonly accepted as house pets in the U.S.

Throughout all this time, cats were allowed to come and go freely from human householdseven President Calvin Coolidge’s cat had free rein to wander to and from the White House during the 1920s. As Sam Stall, author of 100 Cats Who Changed Civilization and The Cat Owner’s Manual, writes, “Back in Coolidge’s day no one thought of confining cats indoorsnot even one belonging to the president of the United States.”

Catering to Cats: Inventing the Indoor Cat

Keeping cats indoors all the time was not possible nor was it even a goal until several important 20th century innovations: refrigeration, kitty litter, and the prevalence of spaying and neutering.

Even though these changes to our modern lifestyle make keeping cats inside possible, biologically, cats are the same as they were thousands of years ago. Their role in our society has evolved and broadened over the last hundred years, but their basic behaviors and needs haven’t changed.

Cat Food

Unlike dogs, who have undergone many physical changes since domestication and evolved to survive on an omnivorous diet, cats haven’t changed much, and still require a high-protein diet. Before the development of refrigeration and canned cat food in the 20th century, feeding indoor cats who could not supplement their diets by hunting would have been impossible for most Americans, who could not afford extra fresh meat or fish.

Kitty Litter

Up until the 1950s, cats roamed American neighborhoods freely, using the great outdoors as their litter area. Pans filled with dirt or newspaper were used indoors by a few cat owners, but it wasn’t until the first clay litter was accidentally discovered in 1947 and the subsequent marketing of the Tidy Cats® brand in the 1960s that litter boxes really caught on. With the invention of cat litter, cats rocketed to popularity as indoor pets, but their outdoor survival skills remain.

Spaying and Neutering

Until spaying and neutering pets became available and accessible around the 1930s, keeping intact cats indoors was messy business during mating season. Techniques had been developed for sterilizing livestock, but American households would have had a hard time finding a veterinarian trained to safely neuter pets before this time. Just as cats found their own food and litter areas outdoors, 20th century cats bred and gave birth outdoors as they have done since their origins in the Fertile Crescent 10,000 years ago.

While some of those cats’ offspring can, if brought into human contact when they are young enough, successfully be socialized and integrated into human homes, many cats remain outside and live the same outdoor lives they always have with or without human contact. Although generally adult community cats—who are not socialized to people or indoor life—cannot become indoor pets, neutering and returning them to their outdoor home improves their lives.

Cats are Part of Our Environment

In the thousands of years that cats have lived alongside people, indoor-only cats have only become common in the last 60 or 70 years—a negligible amount of time on an evolutionary scale.

Throughout human history, cats have always lived and thrived outside. It is only recently that we have begun to introduce reproduction control like spaying and neutering to bring them indoors. And also, bring the outdoors to them: using canned food and litter boxes to satisfy biological needs developed over thousands of years of living outdoors.

Although human civilization and domestic cats co-evolved side by side, the community cat population was not created by humans. Cats have lived outdoors for a long time; they are not new to the environment and they didn’t simply originate from lost pets or negligent pet owners. Instead, they have a place in the natural landscape.

Community cats deserve to live their lives outside just as they have for thousands of years. Indoor homes are not an option because they have not been socialized to live with humans. They would be scared and unhappy indoors. Their home is the outdoors and, just like squirrels, raccoons, and birds, they’re well suited to their outdoor home.

Accepting and acknowledging this simple reality is key to understanding and helping these animals. TNR is an act of compassion society can extend to them.

Just as many, many kind people place bird feeders, suet and bird houses in the gardens to help increase the odds of birds living through cold winters, many kinds people feed community cats and build outdoor shelters for them.

Through TNR, we further help cats by spaying and neutering them and having them vaccinated.

This is not only good for the cats, but also does a nice job of balancing needs and concerns of the human communities in which community cats live. People don’t want cats rounded up and killed. They do want to see cat populations stabilized and often appreciate when some of the behaviors manifested by intact cats are brought into check. TNR makes great public policy; it is a well considered, balanced approach to helping improve co-existence between outside cats and humans in our shared environment. This is why so many cities are adopting it. TNR stabilizes cat populations, greatly reduces the number of calls of concern about cats that municipalities receive, decreases euthanasia rates at shelters, and saves municipalities money.

Driscoll, Carlos A. et al. “The Taming of the Cat.” Scientific American (2009): 71-72.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Donalson, Malcolm Drew. The Domestic Cat in Roman Civilization. The Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, New York: 1999.

Ibid.

Weir, Harrison. Our Cats and All About Them. Fanciers’ Gazette, London: 1892.

Stall, Sam. 100 Cats Who Changed Civilization. Quirk Books, Philadelphia: 2007.

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Content source: https://www.alleycat.org/resources/the-natural-history-of-the-cat/