#German Unity Day 2024

[goggledoddle]

[girlactionfigure]

hunting Jews: the truth about Hamas

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

Islam is a religion.

Islamism is a political ideology.

Recently rescued Israeli hostage, Qaid Farhan Alkadi, an Israeli Bedouin Muslim, gave the following testimony:

Farhan’s testimony, along with a plethora of other evidence, only makes what we’ve been saying all along abundantly clear: Hamas is not a “resistance” group against oppression. Hamas is a genocidal antisemitic terrorist group that targets Jews.

ISLAMISM IS AN INHERENTLY ANTISEMITIC IDEOLOGY

Hamas is an Islamist terrorist group. What does this mean? 

Islamists believe that the doctrines of Islam should be congruent with those of the state. Islamists work to implement nation-states governed under Islamic Law (Sharia), emphasize pan-Islamic unity (in most cases, hoping for an eventual worldwide Islamic Caliphate, or empire), support the creation of Islamic theocracies, and reject all non-Muslim influences. For this reason, Islamists tend to portray themselves as “anti-imperialist,” while in truth they are striving to swap western imperialism with Islamic imperialism.

Islamist ideology can be traced back to Hassan al-Banna and the Muslim Brotherhood, founded in 1928. Al-Banna viewed the 1924 dissolution of the last Islamic Caliphate, the Ottoman Empire, and the European colonization of the Middle East, beginning with France’s 1830 occupation of Algeria, as an affront to Islam. The early 20th century was a period of rapid secularization in the Middle East, when Arab nationalism threatened to replace pan-Islamic identity with a pan-Arab identity. Al-Banna opposed all of this, hoping to return to “authentic” Islamic practice through the (re)establishment of the Islamic Caliphate.

Islamism is an antisemitic ideology. Islamists hate Jews -- and by extension, the Jewish state -- because of the Prophet Muhammad’s conflict with the Jewish tribes of the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century. Islamistsbelieve that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is rooted in a struggle between Muslims and their “eternal enemies,” the Jews.

Hassan Al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, viewed the dissolution of the last Islamic Caliphate (empire) and the secularization of the Muslim world as an affront to Islam.

ISLAMISM, DHIMMITUDE, AND THE JEWS

Islamists seek to revive “authentic Islamic practice,” by which they mean, essentially, that they wish to go back in time. This desire to turn back the clock puts them in conflict with Jews for two reasons:

During his earliest conquests, the Prophet Muhammad and his army came into fierce conflict with a number of Jewish tribes that had settled in Arabia, some of which had refused to convert to Islam and even accused Muhammad and his followers of appropriating figures from the Torah. For Islamists, this initial conflict between Jews and the earliest Muslims is “proof” that Jews are “eternal enemies” of Islam.

Following Muhammad’s death in 632, the Arab Islamic empires conquered lands exponentially quickly. As a result of this rapid colonization, the Muslim authorities were faced with the “problem” of how to handle the conquered Indigenous peoples that resisted conversion to Islam. This “problem” was solved with a treaty known as the Pact of Umar. This so-called treaty allowed select religious and cultural minorities, known as dhimmis, or “People of the Book,” to practice their beliefs so long as they paid the “jizya” tax and abided by a set of restrictive, second-class citizenship laws.

Under Islamist regimes, such as the Islamic Republic of Iran, Jews are, to this day, still treated as dhimmis.

THE GENOCIDAL ANTISEMITISM OF THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

Hamas emerged as the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, worshipped Adolf Hitler.

Like Hitler, al-Banna sought to exterminate all Jews…in his case, from the Middle East.

According to German documents from the period, in the 1940s, the Nazis trained some 700 members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Nazi Germany heavily funded the Brotherhood, which contributed to its massive growth. In 1938, the Brotherhood had some 800 members. By the end of World War II, it had grown to a million members.

In 1939, Germany “transferred to al-Banna some E£1000 per month, a substantial sum at the time. In comparison, the Muslim Brotherhood fundraising for the cause of Palestine yielded E£500 for that entire year.”

Naturally, Nazism deeply influenced the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology. 

The father of Palestinian nationalism, Haj Amin al-Husseini, was a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Yasser Arafat, the most influential Palestinian leader of all time, began his “career” fighting for the Muslim Brotherhood. Which brings us to Hamas. Hamas’s founder, Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Hassan Yassin, was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and was responsible for establishing the Brotherhood’s Palestinian branch. In 1987, he founded Hamas.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s hatred for Jews goes far beyond its original Nazi affiliations. During the 1936-1939 Arab Revolt in Mandatory Palestine, during which Palestinian Arabs revolted against Jewish immigration and carried out a number of antisemitic massacres, the Muslim Brotherhood began disseminating antisemitic rhetoric, often targeting the Egyptian Jewish community.

Al-Nadhir, the Muslim Brotherhood’s magazine, published openly antisemitic articles, peddling conspiracy theories and demonizing the Egyptian Jewish community for its success in various industries. Notably, Al-Nadhir even called for the expulsion of Jews from Egypt, accusing Jews of “corrupting” Egypt and calling Jews a “societal cancer.” Al-Nadhir made boycott lists of Jewish businesses.

Unfortunately, the Muslim Brotherhood’s antisemitism is not a relic of the past. Mohammed Badie, the Muslim Brotherhood’s present day “Supreme Guide,” believes Jews “spread corruption on earth” and calls for “holy jihad” as an antidote.

THE ORIGINAL HAMAS CHARTER: EXPLICITLY GENOCIDAL

Hamas’s founding 1988 charter is explicitly antisemitic and genocidal. Below are some excerpts:

“Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious.” -- Introduction

“The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." -- Article 7

“In face of the Jews' usurpation of Palestine, it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised.” -- Aritcle 15 

“With their money, they took control of the world media, news agencies, the press, publishing houses, broadcasting stations, and others. With their money they stirred revolutions in various parts of the world with the purpose of achieving their interests and reaping the fruit therein. They were behind the French Revolution, the Communist revolution and most of the revolutions we heard and hear about, here and there. With their money they formed secret societies, such as Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, the Lions and others in different parts of the world for the purpose of sabotaging societies and achieving Zionist interests. With their money they were able to control imperialistic countries and instigate them to colonize many countries in order to enable them to exploit their resources and spread corruption there.” -- Article 22

“Israel, Judaism and Jews challenge Islam and the Moslem people.” -- Article 28

BUT...HAMAS CHANGED THEIR CHARTER!

Some Hamas apologists will tell you that Hamas no longer intends to exterminate all Jews, because in 2017, they “replaced their [openly genocidal] charter.” Well, lucky for you, Hamas is here to set the record straight. See, after releasing their “new” charter, Hamas co-founder Mahmoud al-Zahar assured the media that the 2017 document did not replace their original 1988 charter.

The 2017 document was thus not a “new” charter from a “reformed” Hamas, but rather, a propaganda document aimed at redeeming Hamas’s image to the west.

Since 2017, Hamas has made openly genocidal calls toward Jews. For example: 

In 2018, Hamas’s Al-Aqsa TV media channel predicted “the cleansing of Palestine of the filth of the Jews.”

In 2019, Hamas Political Bureau member Fathi Hammad said, “You seven million Palestinians abroad, enough warming up! There are Jews everywhere! We must attack every Jew on planet Earth –- we must slaughter and kill them, with Allah’s help.” In 2021, Hammad called, via Al-Aqsa TV, for the Palestinians in Jerusalem to “cut off the heads of the Jews.”

In May of 2021, the leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, led a rally in which the crowd was encouraged to chant, "We will trample on the heads of the Jews in front of everyone..."

ISLAMIST INFLUENCE ON PALESTINIAN NATIONALISM

The earliest Arab nationalists in Palestine were not necessarily Islamists. Falastin, an influential anti-Zionist, Arab nationalist newspaper, was founded by two Palestinian Christians in 1911. Khalil Beidas, who was the first Arab to identify as Palestinian, in 1898, was a Christian. Nevertheless, the Palestinian nationalist movement soon fell under the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Initially, Palestinian Arab nationalists advocated for a unified Arab state in Greater Syria. In 1920, Haj Amin al-Husseini began advocating for an independent Palestinian Arab state. To draw people to his cause, which was not yet well-known to the average population, he began emphasizing the importance of Palestine to Islam, and particularly the importance of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Soon, he began disseminating the libel that the Jews intended to destroy Al-Aqsa Mosque. This libel has cost thousands of Jewish lives and is spread widely to this day.

Early on, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt adopted the Palestinian cause. After World War II, Haj Amin al-Husseini, who had spent the war working as a propagandist for the Nazis in Berlin, escaped to Egypt with the help of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Muslim Brotherhood fought against the State of Israel in 1948, along with other Islamist militias, such as the Army of the Holy War. Among its fighters were Yasser Arafat. In the 1960s, Arafat came under the influence of the Soviet Union and shifted his image to that of a communist counterrevolutionary, as opposed to an Islamist, though his rhetoric in Arabic continued emphasizing the importance of jihad and Al-Aqsa Mosque to the Palestinian movement. Nevertheless, after Islamic Revolution in Iran, after which the Islamic Republic adopted the Palestinian movement, and with the establishment of Hamas and groups such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Palestinian nationalism has once again been undergone an Islamization.

rootsmetals

as always: this post is not an endorsement of any given Israeli policy or politician. You can be highly critical of Israel’s handling of the situation without obfuscating or whitewashing the origins and goals of this ideology. It always, always came down to antisemitism. I won’t engage with straw man arguments in the comments 😗

MAIN SOURCES on Instagram

[heinrichadler]

I make Art for German Unity Day every year.

↑2024

↑2023&2022

The content and the characters of the art is mostly about the original stories I wrote based on Germany history.

[inspirdgboutique01]

SC Magdeburg EHF Champions League 2024-25 T-Shirt

Link Product: https://inspirdg.com/product/sc-magdeburg-ehf-champions-league-2024-25-t-shirt/

Victory Woven in Fabric: The SC Magdeburg EHF Champions League 2024–25 T-Shirt

A Champion’s Mark in Every Thread

When the final whistle echoes and confetti rains down, a champion is crowned—but only a few moments in sport are immortalized in wearable form. The SC Magdeburg EHF Champions League 2024–25 T-Shirt is one of those rare tributes where glory is not only celebrated—it’s worn with pride. This limited-edition shirt is more than merchandise—it’s a historic emblem, a design-rich tapestry that commemorates not just a title, but a season defined by passion, unity, and unstoppable determination.

With their triumphant conquest of the EHF Champions League, SC Magdeburg etched their name into the annals of handball greatness. And this shirt captures it all—from the roaring victory to the faces of those who made it happen. It’s not just a garment. It’s a celebration turned into couture.

Front: Bold Identity, Fearless Pride

The front of the T-shirt commands attention with a masterful blend of power and simplicity. At its center is the bold “2025” numerals, split by the iconic SC Magdeburg crest—a badge that glows like a jewel amidst a dynamic red handball net graphic. The design radiates outward, like an explosion of energy that symbolizes the team’s explosive performances throughout the season.

The three stars above the crest signify a legacy, while the crisp white and red against the rich black fabric creates stunning contrast. Green chevrons on the sleeves, a nod to the club’s signature color palette and long-standing Hummel partnership, add flair and continuity, tying the piece directly to the team’s roots.

The result? A modern and confident aesthetic that celebrates identity and dominance. Whether you're in the stands, on the street, or watching replays of the final goal, this front design makes one thing clear: SC Magdeburg is elite.

Back: A Portrait of Triumph

Turn the shirt around, and the design transcends from logo to legend. The back panel features a collage of the 2024–25 SC Magdeburg squad, in mid-action, jubilation, and unity. Every player is included in vibrant detail—each expression, fist-pump, and embrace captured as though frozen in time. This panoramic celebration doesn’t just showcase a team; it tells the story of how they rose together.

Above the collage, the SC Magdeburg crest returns, now encircled in golden laurel leaves—a time-honored symbol of victory. Beneath it, the word “SIEGER” (German for “champion”) is boldly placed over “CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2024/2025,” leaving no doubt of what this shirt represents.

The imagery is cinematic, the composition emotional. It transforms the back of the shirt into a moving tribute to the journey—of the sweat, strategy, and spirit that brought them glory. Every time you wear it, you’re not just representing a win—you’re re-living the story behind it.

Comfort Meets Commemoration

While visually stunning, this T-shirt doesn’t sacrifice functionality. Constructed from premium soft cotton blend, the fabric breathes comfortably and wears effortlessly, whether it’s a match day or a casual afternoon. Its athletic fit ensures fans of all ages and builds can show support with confidence and style.

The print quality is exceptional—fade-resistant and vibrant—so the legacy remains bold no matter how often it’s worn or washed. This is a shirt made not just to be seen but to be cherished, season after season.

A Collectible with Emotional Weight

What sets this shirt apart from ordinary fan gear is its emotional resonance. For fans of SC Magdeburg, this isn’t just a title—it’s validation of years of belief. It’s about remembering that defining penalty save, that last-minute goal, that moment of pure euphoria. This shirt is for those who never stopped chanting in the stands, those who lived every nail-biting second, and those who bleed green and red.

Whether you frame it, gift it, or wear it out loud, the SC Magdeburg 2024–25 Champions League T-shirt becomes a piece of history that fans will treasure for decades.

Final Verdict: A Masterpiece of Victory and Vision

The SC Magdeburg EHF Champions League 2024–25 T-Shirt is everything a championship tribute should be: bold, beautiful, and bursting with pride. It honors the players, the fans, and the city in one cohesive, unforgettable design.

This isn’t just a shirt—it’s a celebration you can wear. It’s a roaring chant turned into cloth. It’s history printed with heart.

For any true SC Magdeburg supporter or handball enthusiast, it’s not a question of if you’ll get this shirt—it’s how quickly you can get your hands on it.

[adhdnojutsu]

I wanted to stay out of this topic on here, but this is word for word on point. I lost 20 followers on twitter on the same day I merely expressed upset about October 7. BEFORE Israel bombed Gaza and before I started speaking unkindly out of anger. These people went full DARVO on October 7 PROPER. They already determined that Shani Louk deserved it, the Bibas babies deserved it, my auntie-in-law deserved it, and pity for future Palestinian victims preceded Israel's retaliation (so if we could all predict this, why did Hamas..?).

I am a Zionist because I believe Jews are entitled to running things in our proven indigenous homeland. No, I do not support a genocide of so-called Palestinians.

"Prescribing anti-Zionism", a brilliant article by an old friend.

Best bit: "The Western doctor has some serious issues of his own. He implicates seven million people, living among hundreds of millions with a history of extreme violence, with being the sole authors of their own misfortune."

Some facts, numbers, and uNcOmFy questions below the cut because they're kind of beside the point. But of course, the Goyim like screeching "not reading all that, free Palestine" because being an ignorant bigot is suddenly activism ("anTi-iNtELleCtUaLiSm").

If Israel had genocidal intentions, it could have done it already, instead there's 2 million Palestinians living within Israel as equal citizens. What is happening now is not a genocide; where was that accusation when:

Could it be that urban warfare in such densely packed areas just has high casualties? As for the % of children, Hamas' "martyr" charter of June 2024 has a strange age/sex ratio of victims. Until the age of 12, male and female casualties are about the same. 13-18 (a HUGE span), boys suddenly outnumber girls disproportionately. Could it be that those "innocent children" are mostly combatants aged 16-18? I can't find the charter anymore, but if you google any gallery of fallen Gazan minors you'll notice a disproportionate majority of teenage boys. Either the democratically elected Hamas government kills baby girls, in which case why are you supporting that nation? But that's unlikely given a population growth that requires a lot of young women. Or a lot of those "innocent children" are combatants. By the way, use of child soldiers is a war crime (like everything else your beloved Hamas does).

While unsuccessfully trying to find that list again (I only saw it in the background of a reel), I came across their Telegram, and boy oh boy. Pay attention to how blatantly they lie to your faces. They call it "aggression" as if October 7 wasn't the singular cause of the war, and they call the victims "martyrs". Martyrdom is a voluntary commitment children are not capable of.

This is a death cult.

Also, look how they manipulate public opinion. Apparently, women and elderly are not adults, and that's how you get 60% child casualties. Except, look left: children are less than half of the total. This is from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry's Telegram.

By the way, I DON'T CARE that Hamas took "kill the Jews" out of their charter during my 6 of my pets' lifetime. They merely rephrased it to be less explicit. I'd say actions speak louder than words. They haven't stopped bombing Israeli civilians since 2002, then there's October 7, uhhhhhhhhh fuck your charter nonsense.

Hamas are literally Nazis.

Except, the Germans didn't elect the NSDAP knowing in advance what its goals were. Hamas on the other hand was pretty up front with their "glass of juice" thing. If all Israelis are fair game under an allegedly evil government, doesn't equality dictate the same be applied to Gazans? But no, somehow, anything they do is Israel's fault. They're Brown Babies (TM) with 0 agency or accountability. But you think they're fit to run a whole ass state. Make it make sense.

Also. Ever wonder why so much land outside of the Arabian peninsula is Arab? COLONIALISM, YOU DARVO-ADDICTED SHMUCKS!!!! Your beloved "Arab unity" is lipstick on a pig named imperialism. This is amply documented if you were to leave your comfy Tiktok/Twitter echo chambers and biased sites like decolonizethatcolony or BstopDsupportingSjews. But y'all call that tiny state of ours "imperialist" LMAO we're the size of New Jersey and even traded some of that land for peace we then proceeded to... not get. But we owe them another ceasefire? How many cheeks would you like us to turn? Virtually every single ceasefire so far was violated by them, not us. October 7 marked the end of another ceasefire, for example.

NO, Zionism does NOT mean Jews think we're the master race or we hate Arabs; most of us don't even want an ethno-state (but why not, since y'all support this for Palestinians since y'all want us Jews gone from that land?). Zionism really just means the ONE thing progressives and leftists claim to support: indigenous people decolonizing and running their proven indigenous homeland. Whatever hardliners and fanatics do in the name of Zionism, changes nothing.

After all, y'all don't stand for people lumping all of Islam in with ISIS, so why is Zionism treated like a hivemind of evil? All Muslims aren't a hivemind and a "few" terrorist organizations don't represent all Muslims, but you decide a single Israeli government speaks for all Jews and Zionists and you make us feel guilty and apologize for Israel wherever you find us, like at UCLA.... Why? Also, Muslims are NOT an "oppressed minority", and "brown" and "Muslim" are not interchangeable. They make up a quarter of the world's population, only barely beaten by Christians. Look who absolutely is a minority and in dire need and deserving of their own state.. ONE tiny state while the others have 90% of the region... and you want to take that tiny bit of land from us, even though it is historically proven to be ours..? But you think you're the good guys? No, really, how can 0.2% oppress 25%? Because no, Palestinians are not a distinct people, more on that below.

But you dare talk over our indigenous voices. Y'all wouldn't stand for cis people cisplaining trans issues, white people whitesplaining Black issues, or European Americans colonizersplaining Indigenous Americans. UNPACK WHY YOU MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR JEWS!

Y'all mach for decolonization and indigenous supremacy, but when (a minority of) Jews are too light-skinned for you UNCONCERNED GAWKER'S liking after 2000 years in diaspora, we're somehow genocidal colonizers for taking back a FRACTION of what is our proven indigenous homeland, and you decide that, just because they're brown, Palestinians must be more indigenous than us (the vast majority of Israelis are Middle Eastern aka brown and visually indistinguishable from Arabs; a white head of state makes Israel no more white than Obama made the US Black). The year of construction of the Al Aqsa mosque proves they settled there in the 7th century, because that was when Islam was founded and spread BY BRUTAL CRUSADES Y'ALL WERE SUPPOSED TO HATE.

Palestinian PLO commander Zuheir Mohsen himself admits Palestine is a lie concocted to legitimize an illegitimate claim to land only someone "indigenous" to the land of "Palestine" (Israel, Judea, Canaan,...) can make:

Hamas dickriding in my Asks will no longer be engaged but blocked on sight.

What really gets me is just how eager goyim* are to make up & believe the worst about us, both on a large scale and in one-on-one interactions.

On a large scale, they hear propagandists define Zionism as violent and genocidal and instead of going “Hey that’s a word from a minority culture, maybe I should ask people from that culture what it actually means . . .” they go “Well I already knew Jews were evil bloodthirsty greedy monsters, this just confirms it!”. Or they hear Hamas claim that (((The Zionist Entity))) did something horrific and instead of going “that makes no sense to do strategically, I should find out if this is true or not” they go “of course Jews would do that, why would I even bother fact checking a terrorist organization with ‘kill Jews’ as a stated goal?”.

On an interpersonal level, they find out we’ve visited Israel or they see us mourn October 7th or express concern for the hostages or fight back against disinformation or call out antisemitism or even just express our culture and go “clearly this means you’re evil and bloodthirsty and genocidal. I don’t care thar you’ve never expressed that you want/believe/etc these terrible things, you are a Jew, and I know what Jews really are.” Even just talking about antisemitism or something that has happened to other jews, they respond with “that didn’t happen, and even if it did, you deserved it / you’re bringing it up to manipulate us / it wasn’t that bad / it doesn’t matter because Jews Are Evil and you’re clearly doing something worse (you must be, you’re a Jew!)”

Like. It doesn’t matter if the evidence contradicts a claim. It doesn’t matter if a claim makes no fucking sense. It doesn’t matter what we say or do. Goyim* will believe or make up whatever they want about us, and believe the worst possible thing about us. Even if a Jew tokenizes themself and helps goyim attack the rest of us, the second they slip up and care about other Jews, they were An Evil Dirty Jew All Along, No Questions Asked.

[*not all goyim obviously, but definitely most goyim in leftist spaces + right wingers. Massive love + appreciation to the minority of goyim who are true Jewish allies. Also, I’m writing this with leftist antisemites in mind, but right wingers absolutely do this shit too.]

[brookston]

Holidays 10.7

Holidays

Ageism Awareness Day

Armed Forces Day (Montenegro)

Bathtub Day

Battle of Lepanto Day

Bay Day (San Francisco Bay Area)

Civil Aviation Day (Kyrgyzstan)

Day of Good Treatment (Puerto Rico)

Expulsion of Fascist Settlers Day (a.k.a. Evacuation Day; Libya)

Forget-Me-Not Day

Four O’Clock Flower Day (French Republic)

Francis Xavier Cabrini Day (Colorado)

Ghatasthapana (Nepal)

If At First You Don't Succeed Day

International Day of Peaceful Communication

International FLAT Day

International Newspaper Carrier Day

International Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day

Italian Evacuation Day (Libya)

Lepanto Day (Greece)

Librarian Day )Armenia)

Love Your Bookshop Day (Australia)

Nagasaki Kunchi begins (Japan)

National Beat Poetry Day

National Castle Day (Portugal)

National Dark Poetry Day

National Flower Day

National Forgiveness & Happiness Day

National Inner Beauty Day

National Jonathan Day

National LED Light Day

National Marinera Day (Peru)

National Personal Safety Day

National Propane Day

October Revolution Day (Bulgaria)

Poodle Day

Teachers’ Day (Laos)

Team Margot Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Registration Day

Try To Start An Argument Over Which Is The Best Muppet Day

Victoria, Our Lady of Victories’ Day

Village and Tribe Day (Iran)

World Cotton Day

World Day for Decent Work

World Metropolitan Day

World Zombie Day

You Matter To Me Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops Day

Festival of Food

International Chicken and Waffles Day

International Scottish Gin Day

National Chocolate Covered Pretzels Day

National Frappé Day

National Mussel Day (Scotland)

Ripe Pumpkin Day

Independence & Related Days

Angyalistan (Declared; 2000) [unrecognized]

BOL Foundation Day (Laos)

Crete (Union with Greece Proclaimed; 1908)

Fiji (Deed of Cession; 1874)

German Democratic Republic [GDR] (Founded; 1949)

Latitudia (Declared; 2013) [unrecognized]

Nedland (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

South Bages (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

Territory Day (Christmas Island)

1st Monday in October

Blue Shirt Day [1st Monday]

Child Health Day [1st Monday]

Day of Unity [1st Monday]

International Day of the Doctor [1st Monday]

International Tenants Day [1st Monday]

Labour Day (ACT, NSW, SA; Australia) [1st Monday]

Makeover Monday [1st Monday of Each Month]

Meatloaf Monday [1st Monday of Each Month]

Meditation Monday [Every Monday]

Monday Musings [Every Monday]

Motivation Monday [Every Monday]

National Consignment Day [1st Monday]

Peat-Cutting Monday (Falkland Islands) [1st Monday]

Red Cake Day [1st Monday]

Supreme Court Opening Day (US) [1st Monday]

Thanksgiving Day (Saint Lucia) [1st Monday]

World Architecture Day [1st Monday]

World Day of Bullying Prevention [1st Monday]

World Habitat Day (UN) [1st Monday]

Weekly Holidays beginning October 7 (1st Full Week of October)

Bleeding Disorders Awareness Week [2nd Week]

Customer Service Week (thru 10.11] [1st Mon-Fri]

Drive Safely Work Week (thru 10.11] [1st Mon-Fri]

Fall Astronomy Week (thru 10.13]

Financial Planning Week (thru 10.13] [1st Mon-Sun]

Fire Prevention Week [2nd Week]

International Letter Writing Week [2nd Week]

National Chestnut Week [2nd Week]

National Heimlich Heroes Week (thru 10.11] [1st Mon-Fri]

National Metric Week [2nd Week]

National Pasta Week [2nd Week]

National Pet Peeve Week [2nd Week]

National Respect Life Week [2nd Week]

Pediatric Nurses Week (thru 10.11]

Spinning & Weaving Week (thru 10.13] [1st Mon-Sun]

Teen Read Week [2nd Week]

Teller Appreciation Week (thru 10.11] [5 Days from 1st Monday]

World Rainforest Week [2nd Week]

Youth Protection Week [Kiwanis] (thru 10.14]

Festivals Beginning October 7, 2024

None known

Feast Days

Antoine Revoy (Artology)

Artaldus (a.k.a. Arthaud; Christian; Saint)

Clive James (Writerism)

Diane Ackerman (Writerism)

Enki Bilal (Artology)

Ereshkigal’s Day (Pagan)

Feast of Ma’at (Ancient Egypt)

Feast of Our Lady’s Rosary (Roman Catholic)

Festival of the Deerk Toes (Shamanism)

Justina of Padua (Christian; Saint)

Henry Muhlenberg (Lutheran Church, Episcopal Church of the USA)

Jean-Paul Riopelle (Artology)

Justina of Padua (Original Date; Christian; Saint)

Kerrmesse begins (German Pagan Peasant Festival; Everyday Wicca)

Long John Tutter (Muppetism)

Marcellus and Apuleius (Christian; Martyrs)

Mark, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Mozart (Positivist; Saint)

Navaratri begins (Hinduism) [thru 10.15]

Ngetal (Celtic Book of Days)

Nones of October (Ancient Rome)

Odin Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Osgyth (a.k.a. Osith; Christian; Saint)

Our Lady of the Rosary (Christian; Saint)

Pallas Athena (Old Roman Goddess of Triumph)

Quob Day (Pastafarian)

Roger de Piles (Artology)

Rosalba Carriera (Artology)

Sergius and Bacchus (Christian; Martyrs)

Sherman Alexie (Writerism)

Spirit of Reinvention Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Thomas Keneally (Writerism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [41 of 53]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [54 of 71]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 46 of 60)

Premieres

Amsterdam (Film; 2022)

Arthur (Animated TV Series; 1996)

Bandstand (later American Bandstand; TV Series; 1952)

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Film; 1971)

A Bug’s Land (Disneyland Attraction; 2002)

Canary Row (WB MM Cartoon; 1950)

Cats (Broadway Musical; 1982)

Charmed (TV Series; 1998)

The Code of the Woosters, by P.G. Wodehouse (Novel; 1938) [Jeeves #7]

Don’t Stand So Close To Me ’86, by The Police (Song; 1986)

Down with Cats (Terrytoons Super Mouse Cartoon; 1943)

The Easter Bunny (Super Chicken Cartoon; 1967) [#5]

Everything Will Ne Alright in the End, by Weezer (Album; 2014)

The Flash (TV Series; 2014)

The French Connection (Film; 1971)

The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein (Children’s Book; 1964)

The Glass Slipper (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1938)

The Golden Cockerel, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Opera; 1909)

Good Night, and Good Luck (Film; 2005)

Happy Birthday, Wanda June, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (Play; 1970)

Hawaiian Eye (TV Series; 1959)

Hey Arnold (Animated TV Series; 1996)

Howl, by Alan Ginsberg (Poem; 1955)

Imagine: John Lennon (Documentary Film; 1988)

Iron Man, by Black Sabbath (Song; 1971)

Journey by Moonlight, by Antal Szerb (Novel; 1937)

Little Deuce Coupe, by The Beach Boys (Album; 1963)

The Little Lion Hunter (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

Little Scissors (George of the Jungle Cartoon; 1967) [#5]

Lyle, Lyle Crocodile (Film; 2022)

Magentalene, by Klaatu (Album; 1981)

Naughty Neighbors (WB LT Cartoon; 1939)

Never Say Never Again (Film; 1983) [James Bond non-series]

Oh, God! (Film; 1977)

Over the Rainbow, recorded by Judy Garland (Song; 1938)

Pillow Talk (Film; 1959)

Pink Breakfast (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1978)

Pleasures of the Flesh (Album; 1987)

Punchline (Film; 1988)

Save Me the Waltz, by Zelda Fitzgerald (Novel; 1932)

The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner (Novel; 1929)

Spark Plug Pink (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1978)

Spotify (Music Streaming Service; 2008)

Stardust, recorded by Artie Shaw (Song; 1940)

Swords Against Death, by Fritz Leiber (Short Stories; 1970) [Fafhrd and Gray Mouser #2]

The Tin Drum, by Günter Grass (Novel; 1959)

Tom and Jerry: Santa’s Little Helpers (WB Animated Film; 2014)

Touchdown Mickey (Disney Cartoon; 1932)

Voyage of Time (Animated Documentary Film; 2016)

Waiting…. (Film; 2004)

We Are the Champions/We Will Rock You, by Queen (Song; 1977)

We Shall Overcome, by Pete Seeger copyrighted (Song; 1963)

Today’s Name Days

Jörg, Justina, Markus, Rosa Maria (Austria)

Marija, Ruža (Croatia)

Justýna (Czech Republic)

Amalie (Denmark)

Asso, Ats, Atso, Hasso (Estonia)

Birgitta, Pipsa, Pirita, Piritta, Pirjo, Pirkko (Finland)

Gustave, Serge (France)

Denise, Jörg, Justina, Marc, Rosa Maria (Germany)

Bakhos, Polychronios, Sergios (Greece)

Amália (Hungary)

Maria, Rosario (Italy)

Daumants, Denise, Druvvaldis (Latvia)

Butrimas, Eivina, Justina, Renatas (Lithuania)

Berit, Birgit, Birgitte (Norway)

Amalia, Justyna, Marek, Maria, Rościsława, Stefan, Tekla (Poland)

Serghie, Vah (Romania)

Eliška (Slovakia)

Justina, Rosario (Spain)

Birgitta, Britta (Sweden)

Serhly (Ukraine)

Minerva, Miranda, Sargent, Sergeant, Sergio (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 281 of 2024; 85 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of Week 41 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 9 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Jia-Xu), Day 5 (Jia-Chen)

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

Hebrew: 5 Tishri 5785

Islamic: 3 Rabi II 1446

J Cal: 11 Orange; Foursday [11 of 30]

Julian: 24 September 2024

Moon: 20%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 1 Descartes (11th Month) [John of Salisbury / Albertus Magnus]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 16 of 90)

Week: 1st Full Week of October

Zodiac: Libra (Day 15 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Descartes (Modern Philosophy) [Month 11 of 13; Positivist]

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 10.7

Holidays

Ageism Awareness Day

Armed Forces Day (Montenegro)

Bathtub Day

Battle of Lepanto Day

Bay Day (San Francisco Bay Area)

Civil Aviation Day (Kyrgyzstan)

Day of Good Treatment (Puerto Rico)

Expulsion of Fascist Settlers Day (a.k.a. Evacuation Day; Libya)

Forget-Me-Not Day

Four O’Clock Flower Day (French Republic)

Francis Xavier Cabrini Day (Colorado)

Ghatasthapana (Nepal)

If At First You Don't Succeed Day

International Day of Peaceful Communication

International FLAT Day

International Newspaper Carrier Day

International Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day

Italian Evacuation Day (Libya)

Lepanto Day (Greece)

Librarian Day )Armenia)

Love Your Bookshop Day (Australia)

Nagasaki Kunchi begins (Japan)

National Beat Poetry Day

National Castle Day (Portugal)

National Dark Poetry Day

National Flower Day

National Forgiveness & Happiness Day

National Inner Beauty Day

National Jonathan Day

National LED Light Day

National Marinera Day (Peru)

National Personal Safety Day

National Propane Day

October Revolution Day (Bulgaria)

Poodle Day

Teachers’ Day (Laos)

Team Margot Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Registration Day

Try To Start An Argument Over Which Is The Best Muppet Day

Victoria, Our Lady of Victories’ Day

Village and Tribe Day (Iran)

World Cotton Day

World Day for Decent Work

World Metropolitan Day

World Zombie Day

You Matter To Me Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops Day

Festival of Food

International Chicken and Waffles Day

International Scottish Gin Day

National Chocolate Covered Pretzels Day

National Frappé Day

National Mussel Day (Scotland)

Ripe Pumpkin Day

Independence & Related Days

Angyalistan (Declared; 2000) [unrecognized]

BOL Foundation Day (Laos)

Crete (Union with Greece Proclaimed; 1908)

Fiji (Deed of Cession; 1874)

German Democratic Republic [GDR] (Founded; 1949)

Latitudia (Declared; 2013) [unrecognized]

Nedland (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

South Bages (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

Territory Day (Christmas Island)

1st Monday in October

Blue Shirt Day [1st Monday]

Child Health Day [1st Monday]

Day of Unity [1st Monday]

International Day of the Doctor [1st Monday]

International Tenants Day [1st Monday]

Labour Day (ACT, NSW, SA; Australia) [1st Monday]

Makeover Monday [1st Monday of Each Month]

Meatloaf Monday [1st Monday of Each Month]

Meditation Monday [Every Monday]

Monday Musings [Every Monday]

Motivation Monday [Every Monday]

National Consignment Day [1st Monday]

Peat-Cutting Monday (Falkland Islands) [1st Monday]

Red Cake Day [1st Monday]

Supreme Court Opening Day (US) [1st Monday]

Thanksgiving Day (Saint Lucia) [1st Monday]

World Architecture Day [1st Monday]

World Day of Bullying Prevention [1st Monday]

World Habitat Day (UN) [1st Monday]

Weekly Holidays beginning October 7 (1st Full Week of October)

Bleeding Disorders Awareness Week [2nd Week]

Customer Service Week (thru 10.11] [1st Mon-Fri]

Drive Safely Work Week (thru 10.11] [1st Mon-Fri]

Fall Astronomy Week (thru 10.13]

Financial Planning Week (thru 10.13] [1st Mon-Sun]

Fire Prevention Week [2nd Week]

International Letter Writing Week [2nd Week]

National Chestnut Week [2nd Week]

National Heimlich Heroes Week (thru 10.11] [1st Mon-Fri]

National Metric Week [2nd Week]

National Pasta Week [2nd Week]

National Pet Peeve Week [2nd Week]

National Respect Life Week [2nd Week]

Pediatric Nurses Week (thru 10.11]

Spinning & Weaving Week (thru 10.13] [1st Mon-Sun]

Teen Read Week [2nd Week]

Teller Appreciation Week (thru 10.11] [5 Days from 1st Monday]

World Rainforest Week [2nd Week]

Youth Protection Week [Kiwanis] (thru 10.14]

Festivals Beginning October 7, 2024

None known

Feast Days

Antoine Revoy (Artology)

Artaldus (a.k.a. Arthaud; Christian; Saint)

Clive James (Writerism)

Diane Ackerman (Writerism)

Enki Bilal (Artology)

Ereshkigal’s Day (Pagan)

Feast of Ma’at (Ancient Egypt)

Feast of Our Lady’s Rosary (Roman Catholic)

Festival of the Deerk Toes (Shamanism)

Justina of Padua (Christian; Saint)

Henry Muhlenberg (Lutheran Church, Episcopal Church of the USA)

Jean-Paul Riopelle (Artology)

Justina of Padua (Original Date; Christian; Saint)

Kerrmesse begins (German Pagan Peasant Festival; Everyday Wicca)

Long John Tutter (Muppetism)

Marcellus and Apuleius (Christian; Martyrs)

Mark, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Mozart (Positivist; Saint)

Navaratri begins (Hinduism) [thru 10.15]

Ngetal (Celtic Book of Days)

Nones of October (Ancient Rome)

Odin Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Osgyth (a.k.a. Osith; Christian; Saint)

Our Lady of the Rosary (Christian; Saint)

Pallas Athena (Old Roman Goddess of Triumph)

Quob Day (Pastafarian)

Roger de Piles (Artology)

Rosalba Carriera (Artology)

Sergius and Bacchus (Christian; Martyrs)

Sherman Alexie (Writerism)

Spirit of Reinvention Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Thomas Keneally (Writerism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [41 of 53]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [54 of 71]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 46 of 60)

Premieres

Amsterdam (Film; 2022)

Arthur (Animated TV Series; 1996)

Bandstand (later American Bandstand; TV Series; 1952)

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Film; 1971)

A Bug’s Land (Disneyland Attraction; 2002)

Canary Row (WB MM Cartoon; 1950)

Cats (Broadway Musical; 1982)

Charmed (TV Series; 1998)

The Code of the Woosters, by P.G. Wodehouse (Novel; 1938) [Jeeves #7]

Don’t Stand So Close To Me ’86, by The Police (Song; 1986)

Down with Cats (Terrytoons Super Mouse Cartoon; 1943)

The Easter Bunny (Super Chicken Cartoon; 1967) [#5]

Everything Will Ne Alright in the End, by Weezer (Album; 2014)

The Flash (TV Series; 2014)

The French Connection (Film; 1971)

The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein (Children’s Book; 1964)

The Glass Slipper (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1938)

The Golden Cockerel, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Opera; 1909)

Good Night, and Good Luck (Film; 2005)

Happy Birthday, Wanda June, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (Play; 1970)

Hawaiian Eye (TV Series; 1959)

Hey Arnold (Animated TV Series; 1996)

Howl, by Alan Ginsberg (Poem; 1955)

Imagine: John Lennon (Documentary Film; 1988)

Iron Man, by Black Sabbath (Song; 1971)

Journey by Moonlight, by Antal Szerb (Novel; 1937)

Little Deuce Coupe, by The Beach Boys (Album; 1963)

The Little Lion Hunter (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

Little Scissors (George of the Jungle Cartoon; 1967) [#5]

Lyle, Lyle Crocodile (Film; 2022)

Magentalene, by Klaatu (Album; 1981)

Naughty Neighbors (WB LT Cartoon; 1939)

Never Say Never Again (Film; 1983) [James Bond non-series]

Oh, God! (Film; 1977)

Over the Rainbow, recorded by Judy Garland (Song; 1938)

Pillow Talk (Film; 1959)

Pink Breakfast (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1978)

Pleasures of the Flesh (Album; 1987)

Punchline (Film; 1988)

Save Me the Waltz, by Zelda Fitzgerald (Novel; 1932)

The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner (Novel; 1929)

Spark Plug Pink (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1978)

Spotify (Music Streaming Service; 2008)

Stardust, recorded by Artie Shaw (Song; 1940)

Swords Against Death, by Fritz Leiber (Short Stories; 1970) [Fafhrd and Gray Mouser #2]

The Tin Drum, by Günter Grass (Novel; 1959)

Tom and Jerry: Santa’s Little Helpers (WB Animated Film; 2014)

Touchdown Mickey (Disney Cartoon; 1932)

Voyage of Time (Animated Documentary Film; 2016)

Waiting…. (Film; 2004)

We Are the Champions/We Will Rock You, by Queen (Song; 1977)

We Shall Overcome, by Pete Seeger copyrighted (Song; 1963)

Today’s Name Days

Jörg, Justina, Markus, Rosa Maria (Austria)

Marija, Ruža (Croatia)

Justýna (Czech Republic)

Amalie (Denmark)

Asso, Ats, Atso, Hasso (Estonia)

Birgitta, Pipsa, Pirita, Piritta, Pirjo, Pirkko (Finland)

Gustave, Serge (France)

Denise, Jörg, Justina, Marc, Rosa Maria (Germany)

Bakhos, Polychronios, Sergios (Greece)

Amália (Hungary)

Maria, Rosario (Italy)

Daumants, Denise, Druvvaldis (Latvia)

Butrimas, Eivina, Justina, Renatas (Lithuania)

Berit, Birgit, Birgitte (Norway)

Amalia, Justyna, Marek, Maria, Rościsława, Stefan, Tekla (Poland)

Serghie, Vah (Romania)

Eliška (Slovakia)

Justina, Rosario (Spain)

Birgitta, Britta (Sweden)

Serhly (Ukraine)

Minerva, Miranda, Sargent, Sergeant, Sergio (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 281 of 2024; 85 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of Week 41 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 9 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Jia-Xu), Day 5 (Jia-Chen)

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

Hebrew: 5 Tishri 5785

Islamic: 3 Rabi II 1446

J Cal: 11 Orange; Foursday [11 of 30]

Julian: 24 September 2024

Moon: 20%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 1 Descartes (11th Month) [John of Salisbury / Albertus Magnus]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 16 of 90)

Week: 1st Full Week of October

Zodiac: Libra (Day 15 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Descartes (Modern Philosophy) [Month 11 of 13; Positivist]

[beardedmrbean]

State elections in Germany have much more than regional meaning — they are seen as a gauge of the federal government's performance. That's why although only two of the country's 16 federal states voted on September 1 — with their 5 million eligible voters a fraction of the 61 million nationwide — the results are significant.

This is the first time in an election for a state parliament that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party received more than a third of the vote. A newly established populist party, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), managed to score votes in the two-digit range in their very first election. Plus, the parties which make up the Berlin-based federal government have never seen such bad results in a regional vote.

In the eastern states of Saxony and Thuringia, the far-right AfD received more than double as many votes as the three parties which make up the federal coalition government — the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), environmentalist Greens and neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) — combined. These parties' results are each in the single digits. The Greens in Thuringia and the FDP in both states even failed to meet the 5% threshold to be represented in the state parliaments.

'Punishment' for the government in Berlin?

The SPD was also threatened with being thrown out of the state parliaments, according to pre-election opinion polls, but in the end was spared this debacle.

Four out of five German voters have said they are unsatisfied with the work of the federal government, and that has long been the case. The monthly survey conducted by pollsters infratest dimap regularly shows poor results for Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ministers.

The coalition is seen as being engaged in constant quarrels, incapable of action. Even the government's quick and unanimous reaction to the deadly knife attack in Solingen, in western Germany, shortly before the elections failed to make an impact. With an eye to the immigration debate during the electoral campaigns, the federal government last week announced stricter migration and security policies, and made a surprise move to deport 28 asylum-seekers who had committed criminal offenses to Afghanistan.

The AfD sees itself as having confirmed a broad support base. The state elections brought "historic" success for their party, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said on Sunday, calling for the federal government to stand down.

"It is also a punishment for the federal government, it is a requiem for this coalition," she said. "The government in Berlin should ask itself if it can even continue to govern. This question of fresh elections should be posed at least following the [upcoming] election in Brandenburg, because things cannot carry on like this."

All eyes turn to Brandenburg

An election is scheduled in the eastern German state of Brandenburg for September 22. There, too, the AfD is leading in the polls, but closely followed by the Social Democrats. The SPD will be doing all they can to remain calm leading up to election day, because the vote will be crucial for them.

The party has led the government in Brandenburg since 1990. "I expect that everyone will make even more of an effort than ever before," said SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil on Sunday evening in Berlin. The party needed to work together to win back votes, he said. "Everyone now needs to play their part so that things improve."

Despite the dismal results in Thuringia and Saxony, Chancellor Scholz can continue to count on the support of his party, said Klingbeil, rejecting discussions of personnel change in the SPD. The SPD leadership has emphasized that Scholz will lead the party into the next federal election.

This sense of unity could quickly crumble should Brandenburg's state premier of 11 years, Dietmar Woidke, fail to be reelected. In this case, rumors in the SPD may grow louder that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who is much more popular than Scholz, could become the chancellor candidate for the federal election in September 2025.

Challenges for the coalition

Will the coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP last until then? The dismal results in the state elections and miserable polling at the federal level haven't just affected their mood.

Within the individual parties, the calls for more visibility and a stronger profile are growing louder. "For my party, it will now also be a matter of becoming more emancipated and making it clearer what can only be achieved with the SPD, and that we will no longer allow [other parties] to walk all over us," said SPD secretary Kevin Kühnert.

Potential conflict areas include the 2025 budget, which must soon be decided in the Bundestag. It also remains to be seen whether the government will manage to implement its recently announced tightened migration policies. Some critical voices in the left wings of the SPD and Greens do not agree with the plans to restrict immigration.

None of the three governing parties can afford to let the coalition fail. If early nationwide elections were to be held, current polling shows they would no longer receive a majority. The winners would be their rivals the AfD and the Conservative Union of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian counterparts, the Christian Social Union (CSU). The Union, which makes up the largest opposition bloc in the Bundestag, has long called for the government to step down.

"The traffic light parties [German political term for the coalition, based on their party colors of red, yellow and green] have been punished," CDU national general secretary Carsten Linnemann said on Sunday. "A party of the chancellor which only has a single-figure result in two eastern states needs to ask itself whether it's still making policy for all the people of Germany."

The CDU/CSU will continue to increase the pressure on the federal government. They are not only calling for the announced changes to migration policy to be implemented quickly, but are also pushing for laws to be tightened further.

Following the knife attack in Solingen, CDU chairman Friedrich Merz spoke of an "overload limit" which had been exceeded in the country. He called on the federal government to declare a "national state of emergency" to be able to turn asylum-seekers away directly at the German border.

[qnewsau]

1.4 Million people attended this year's Cologne Pride Parade

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/1-4-million-people-attended-this-years-cologne-pride-parade/

1.4 Million people attended this year's Cologne Pride Parade

Over 1 million people attended Sunday’s Pride parade in the German city of Cologne, one of the largest LGBTQIA+ celebrations in the country.

Under the theme “For human rights. Many. Together. Strong.,” this year’s parade celebrated diversity and highlighted the ongoing struggles for equality.

Officially called the Christopher Street Day Parade, the event is named after the street in New York where the Stonewall Inn sits.

The 2024 parade made history on Sunday, drawing a reported 1.4 million attendees and setting a new record for LGBTQIA+ celebrations in the country.

With around 60,000 parade participants and 90 floats, the streets of Cologne were alive with color, music, and a powerful message of unity and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights.

“Cologne’s Pride parade radiates out into the whole world,” Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth said.

“This event is the most important CSD, not just in Germany, but in Europe, symbolising our unwavering commitment to human rights and equality.”

According to organisers, the event saw an unprecedented turnout, making it the largest parade Cologne has ever hosted.

However, the landmark event was not without incident.

A group of 13 people were charged after making loud right-wing extremist and homophobic remarks during the parade.

The group also tore down rainbow flags according to a police spokeswoman.

However, officers at the scene quickly filed criminal charges for incitement to hatred and damage to property.

More World News

Romania hosts largest-ever Pride Parade

Hong Kong couples stage mass gay wedding

Aussie couple wants one of Greece’s first gay weddings

Couples celebrate in Estonia as same-sex marriage now legal

Couples in Nepal celebrate ruling allowing same-sex marriage

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.

[bopinion]

2024 / 27

Aperçu of the week

"Some day, following the example of the United States of America, there will be a United States of Europe."

(George Washington)

Bad News of the Week

Viktor Orbán has always been the loose cannon of European politics. Optimists had hoped that when Hungary takes over the rotating EU presidency for the second half of 2024, he would act just as statesmanlike as his equally right-wing Italian predecessor Giorgia Meloni did. Far from it.

First, he founded the new right-wing alliance "Patriots for Europe" with like-minded parties. He also won over the Austrian FPÖ (Freedom Party of Austria), whose chairman Herbert Kickl has a good chance of taking power in Vienna in the upcoming elections in the fall. Together with the Czech ANO (Action of Dissatisfied Citizens), an axis is emerging here and others are showing interest. Their agenda is not surprising: rejection of migration, a stop to the "Green Deal", no support for Ukraine and a "dismantling of European integration" in favor of national sovereignty - in short, against Europe.

Orbán then made a "diplomatic visit" to the Kremlin. Officially to mediate. As the first EU head of government since the start of the Ukraine war. And above all, as many EU representatives hastened to point out, without a corresponding mandate from the European Union. He has always been close to Vladimir Putin and distant from European democracy. Apart from a few pretty photos for him, this action achieves nothing and tears a hole in European unity.

This is exactly what Orbán is trying to do: weaken the EU. To signal that a united Europe does not exist. It is fitting that the next stop on his "peace mission" is Beijing. Europe only has a chance in international competition - and I don't just mean economically, but also geopolitically - against the USA and China in particular if it presents a united front. The Hungarian power dwarf continues to play the wrecking ball, supranational responsibility or not. Thanks for nothing.

Good News of the Week

The German federal cabinet has finally put together its national budget for 2025. This was preceded by endless disputes in plain public. It was mainly the Liberals and the Greens who were beating each other over the head with red lines. And the Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not dare to put his foot down - "policy competence" looks different. But now everyone apparently wanted to keep their promise to find a solution, i.e. a compromise, before the end of July.

According to Green Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck, who I believe is the most credible source in this context, the compromise is actually a good one. He calls it a package "for children, the climate and the economy". Benefits for children and families are to be increased. Funding for climate protection projects is not to be cut. The economy and the labor market are to be given a sustainable boost. And there should not even be (or have to be) a special fund outside the regular budget for further military and social support for Ukraine. How is this supposed to work if the debt brake is to remain in place at the same time?

The magic wand of this budget negotiation is apparently called "creative accounting". This makes it possible to use more leeway in the here and now by shifting and staggering the posting of individual items. As a father whose children will have to pay it all off one day, this still allows me to sleep reasonably soundly. The UK's national debt in relation to gross domestic product, for example, is 101%. The USA's is 122%, Italy's 137% and Japan's 252%. The figure for Germany is just 64%. Perhaps Habeck is right when he calls the result, which still has to be approved by the parliament, a "very, very good package".

Personal happy moment of the week

Germany has been knocked out of the European Football Championship in its own country. Because "we" lost to Spain on Friday in the last minute and some say unjustifiably (increasing match domination, penalty not awarded, questionable timekeeping). Nevertheless, we had a great evening. Because we went to a small public viewing event at Strandbad Schliersee, a lakeside beach ground in the Alps. We were not yet familiar with this beautiful place, although we had walked past it many times. Wonderful ambience, great food, enthusiastic atmosphere, sunset included. Nice.

I couldn't care less...

...that France's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal offered his resignation after the government camp lost the elections. Because this is merely a symbolic and traditional gesture. After all, President Emmanuel Macron can keep the cabinet in office in an acting capacity. Moreover, it will be days before the majority situation is clear. Either way, the bottom line is that the French people have denied the Rassemblement National a grip on power with a pleasingly high voter turnout. The whole of Europe has been lucky again...

It's fine with me...

...that after the appointment by King Charles III and the introduction of his ministers, the first official act of the new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was to stop the deportation of immigrants to Rwanda. In doing so, he is demonstrating exactly what I wanted him to do in his new post: Respect for the rule of law and respect for human rights.

As I write this...

...the world looks at Iran with a doubtful frown. In the presidential election, the moderate politician Massud Peseshkian actually won the run-off. On the one hand, this is pleasing, as he is seen as downright progressive for the Shia state. For example, he wants to revive the nuclear agreement in order to spare his country economic sanctions. Or wants to curb the brutal persecution of women by the moral guardians for hijab violations. Or seeks to take action against corruption. The only problem is that the president has little say in Iran. The head of state and most powerful man is the 85-year-old religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In this theocratic state, religion still determines how much freedom of movement politics has. We shall see.

Post Scriptum

For the second half of 2024, my symbolic thinker of the year Friedrich Nietzsche stares into the void. Since our society lacks any coherent recipe for the challenges of our time: the defense of democracy against extremist forces, the fight against the consequences of climate change, the preservation of prosperity and social security, the freedom of self-determination, and peace. Nietzsche wears a button with the eye of the Freemasons as a symbol of truth. As we all have to face these challenges with open eyes.

[linuxgamenews]

Experience the Thrills of Inkbound: A Tactical Co-op Adventure

Inkbound the turn-based tactical action roguelike game game is aiming at Proton for Linux and Steam Deck with Windows PC. Thanks to the team at Shiny Shoe for their ongoing efforts. Currently available on Steam Early Access. Shiny Shoe, the indie crew that brought Monster Train to life, is about to make some changes in Inkbound. This tactical co-op adventure is leveling up big time in April. We're talking the full package, the 1.0 update, and it's also a giant leap forward. But for native support, not really.

...we don't have plans to make a native Linux build. However, the game plays well via Proton.

Just heard back from the folks at Shiny Shoe! They've been crafting Inkbound with Unity 3D, and as they wrap up the Early Access phase, there's a bit of a twist. Instead of rolling out a native build as I was hoping, with its 89% Very Positive reviews, they're putting their energy into Proton support for Linux and Steam Deck. What to expect in the launch? Get ready for a brand-new story. Due to dive deep into an epic quest, facing off against a massive threat that could end it all. Whether you're new to Inkbound or you've been hanging around since day one, this is something you might just enjoy. Now, let’s talks about what's been news since the Early Access release. Mark Cooke, the founder and CEO of Shiny Shoe, is eager to show off the upgrades. We're talking new character classes, fresh worlds to explore, and also loads of tweaks that make everything smoother.

Inkbound - Early Access Gameplay Trailer

The 1.0 version isn't just about new content. It's a total revamp. There's an epic new questline, "Rise of the Unbound", due to be packed with challenges and items to unlock. And the final showdown? Get ready for a battle that’ll have you on the edge of your seat. For those who like gaming on their couch, great news – full controller support is in v1.0. And for the on-the-go crowd, especially Steam Deck users, you can play both online and offline. Perfect for those times away from home. But wait, there's more! Shiny Shoe isn't just thinking about us English speakers. They're bringing Inkbound to the world with full localization in Chinese, Japanese, German, and French. That means more friends to join in on the fun! The storytelling? Next level. New cut scenes, a revamped story, and fast-paced progression that'll keep you hooked. They've even added full English voice over to make the experience more immersive. And, of course, the Inkbound team's been busy under the hood. They've polished up the text, made quality of life upgrades, and balanced things out based on player feedback. It's all about keeping the challenge fresh and fun for everyone. Since its Early Access launch in May 2023, the team at Shiny Shoe has been all ears, tweaking and enhancing based on what players say. Remember the massive Starship of Terrors update? Yeah, they're that dedicated. Check out the full launch details. So, get ready to dive into a turn-based tactical action roguelike world that’s bigger, bolder, and more exciting. Inkbound 1.0 is more than just an update – it's a whole new experience. Available on Steam Early Access, launching on April 10th, 2024. Playable on Linux via Proton with Windows PC. Also priced at $29.99 USD / £24.99 / 28,99€.

[mi6014-cherrylee-dnad]

DnAd

dirt is good- aimed at families and children. showing children playing in dirt during like P.E to show dirt is good. laundry brands (OMO, Persil and skip)

Coca cola- Gen Z - can choose between coco cola and sprite. brand philosophy is creating "real magic" people getting together. sharing things in common

Fossil fuel treaty - symbols of hope and unity and action. Equipping, Motivating and engaging, Empower, Cutting across multiple languages and diverse cultures and regions.

Giff gaff- for 18-35 go to site for refurbished phones focused on university/ early young professionals. this audience focus on need over having the newest and latest “we’re up to good”

Google fonts-

Use typography to show meaning in a poem that you choose. Play with word forms and explore different fonts

Gen z averages around 9 hours of screen time per day

the increased use of smartphones raising incidence of myopia

lack of time outdoors and focusing on close objects

motivate young phone users, teenagers to lessen screen time

Adobe - make adobe mean something to Gen z. focus on adobe express and adobe photoshop. why do gen z create . targeted toward 18-26 year olds that don't consider themselves creatives

Air bnb - gen z are feeling more lonely. meaningful irl experiences , deepen connections and develop exciting and rewarding interactions. gen z 18-24

Bumble - celebrating 10- year legacy. help people discover or re-discover bumble, safe and empowering dates. 18-29 across gender and sexual spectrum

durex - breaking down barriers to give audience more confidence and fine their true sexual self. barriers:

Lack of education, or the correct education, Body confidence, Embarrassment of purchasing products & toys, Sex & ageing, Talking about sex & sharing experiences.

HSBC- tell hsbc's story connecting you to international networks.

IMAX- global response to show new imax products and experiences

IMAX 70mm Projection

IMAX Documentaries

IMAX Live

IMAX Enhanced

kraft mac and cheese- aimed towards older gen z and younger millennials connecting what they care about in culture today. make the brand more relevant today

Nandos - aimed under 25's to make nandos the restaurant of the next generation no using cheeky lol

o2 - phone is paid off after the contract period for German phone contract users aged 18-49

“You don‘t have to pay for a phone, you already own”

sky- connected home of 2030 could help to create inclusive experiences for all Sky customers, technology as an enabler and promote the sky ecosystem

Twister- aimed at 16-18 yr olds. they wanna use cgi interations lioke maybelline and addidas. Out of Home advertising and get people talking on social media . Guerrilla marketing is all about using surprise or unconventional interactions

universal music- poster for festival event for people who work at universal. “UMusic Autumn” but for 2024, there’s scope to give it a new branding and name

DnAd

dirt is good- aimed at families and children. showing children playing in dirt during like P.E to show dirt is good. laundry brands (OMO, Persil and skip)

Coca cola- Gen Z - can choose between coco cola and sprite. brand philosophy is creating "real magic" people getting together. sharing things in common

Fossil fuel treaty - symbols of hope and unity and action. Equipping, Motivating and engaging, Empower, Cutting across multiple languages and diverse cultures and regions.

Giff gaff- for 18-35 go to site for refurbished phones focused on university/ early young professionals. this audience focus on need over having the newest and latest “we’re up to good”

Google fonts-

[brookston]

Holidays 9.14

Holidays

Are You Okay Day

Armored Troops Day (Ukraine)

Board Game Day

Burning of King Olaf (Elder Scrolls)

Capybara Day

Cochabamba Day (Bolivia)

Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Appreciation Day

Corn Day (French Republic)

Day of Energy Industry Workers (Turkmenistan)

Day of Physical Culture and Sport (Ukraine)

Eleven Days of Global Unity, Day 4: Economic Justice

Engineer’s Day (Romania)

Erato Asteroid Day

Eurynome Asteroid Day

Find the Good Day

Formation of the Earth Day

Hug A Crabby Stranger Day

International Cross-Culture Day

International Sex Worker Pride Day

Kenny Rogers Day (Los Angeles, California)

Lighthouse Day

Lone Ranger Day

Max Planck Day

Mobilized Servicemen Day (Ukraine)

Music Day (Korea)

National ADHD Day (South Africa)

National Anthem Day

National Career Day

National Cheerleading Day

National Coloring Day

National Field Hockey Day

National Latino Business Day

National Live Creatively Day

National Noel Day

National Parents Day Off

National Peacekeepers Day (Australia)

National Sober Day

National Virginia Day

914 Day

914 mm Day

Nutting Day (UK)

Philip K. Dick Day (California)

Photo Day (South Korea)

Pilgrimage to the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln (Switzerland)

Porsche 914 Day

Saboteurs Day (Biafra)

San Jacinto Day (Nicaragua)

Star Spangled Banner Day

Support Latino Business Day

Talk About Cancer Day

Tithi of Sri Sri Madhabdeva (Assam, India)

U.S. Marshall Service Day

World Atopic Eczema Day

World Cleanup Day (Nigeria)

World Hearing Voices Day

World Taste & Smell Day

Wo-Zha-Wa Festival

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cream-Filled Doughnut Day

Eat a Hoagie Day

Gobstopper Day

International Crab Fest Day

National Food is Medicine Day

National Rosa Tequila Day

Pig's Face Feast

Independence & Related Days

Azma-Turkopolis Confederation (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

New Scandinavia (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

2nd Saturday in September

Aunt’s Day [Saturday after Labor Day]

Banana Day [2nd Saturday]

Borscht Day (Ukraine) [2nd Saturday]

Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day [Saturday after 1st Monday]

Day of the Workers in the Oil, Gas, Power and Geological Industry [2nd Saturday]

Expectant Mother's Day [2nd Saturday]

Farmers’ Consumer Awareness Day [2nd Saturday]

German Language Day [2nd Saturday]

International Drive Your Studebaker Day [2nd Saturday]

International Forest Bathing Day [2nd Saturday]

International Women’s Fly Fishing Day [2nd Saturday]

Naked Gardening Day [2nd Saturday]

National Black Female Photographers Day [2nd Saturday]

National Clean Out Your Garage Day [Saturday after Labor Day]

National Hollerin’ Day [2nd Saturday]

National Iguana Awareness Day [2nd Saturday]

National Lacemaking Day (UK) [2nd Saturday]

Prairie Day [2nd Saturday]

Public Lands Day [1st Saturday after 1st Monday]

Salad Saturday [2nd Saturday of Each Month]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Satirical Saturday [2nd Saturday of Each Month]

Saturday the 14th Day [Every Saturday the 14th]

Sheriff’s Ride Ceremony (Lichfield, UK) [Saturday nearest 8th]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Sour Beer Day [2nd Saturday]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

World Arepa Day [2nd Saturday]

World First Aid Day [2nd Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning September 14 (2nd Full Week of September)

Laura Ingall’s Wilder Days (Pepin, Wisconsin) [2nd Full Weekend] 9thru 9.15)

Festivals Beginning September 14, 2024

All American Dairy Show (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) [thru 9.15]

B'dam Brew JAM (Beaverdam, Virginia)

Biloxi Seafood Festival (Biloxi, Mississippi)

The Bloody Mary Festival (Portland, Oregon)

Bruges Beer Festival (Bruges, Belgium) [thru 9.15]

BugFest (Raleigh, North Carolina)

California Brewers Festival (Santa Barbara, California)

Capitola Art & Wine Festival (Capitola, California)

Charlie Adams Day (Newkirk, Oklahoma)

Community BBQ (Brunswick, Maine)

Dessert Wars (Charlotte, North Carolina)

DSBC Fun Fest (Newark, Delaware)

Great Pumpkin Festival (Vernon, New Jersey) [thru 11.3]

Harvest Festival (Cooperstown, New York) [thru 9.15]

Downbeach Seafood Festival (Ski Beach Ventnor, New Jersey) [thru 9.15]

International Festival of Comics and Games in Lodz (Lodz, Poland) [thru 9.15]

Lake Arrowhead Oktoberfest and German Food Fest (Lake Arrowhead, California) [thru 10.27]

Living History Farms Applefest (Urbandale, Iowa)

Mansfield Village Cornbread Festival (Mansfield, Indiana)

Maple Fall Fest (Marshfield, Wisconsin) [thru 9.15]

Maryland Seafood Festival (Annapolis, Maryland) [thru 9.15]

Maryland Wine Festival (Westminster, Maryland)

Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival (Little Falls, New York)

Muscadine Jubilee (Pelahatchie, Mississippi)

The Northern California Renaissance Faire (Hollister, California) [thru 10.20]

Northwest Garlic Festival (Ocean Park, Washington) [thru 9.15]

Oz Comic-Con (Brisbane, Australia) [thru 9.15]

Pie Town Pie Festival (Pie Town, New Mexico)

Plate by Plate LA (Los Angeles, California)

Pointe Mouillee Waterfowl Festival (Brownstown, Michigan) [thru 9.15]

Rockin' Taco Street Fest (Chandler, Arizona)

Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival (Santa Clara, California)

Small Press Expo (Bethesda, Maryland) [thru 9.15]

Taste of Fall Experience (Willcox, Arizona) [thru 9.15]

Wine, Chocolate & Romance (Shakopee, Minnesota) [thru 9.15]

Wine on the River (Nashville, Tennessee)

Feast Days

Aelia Flaccilla (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Catherine of Genoa (Christian; Saint)

Charles Dana Gibson (Artology)

Cormac mac Cuilennáin (or of Cashel; Christian; Saint)

Crescentius of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Day of Jupiter and Juno (Pagan)

Death of Prophet Muhammed (Islam)

Despair for the Human Race (Pastafarian)

Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox)

Embrace the Dark Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Christian)

Feast of Notburga of Eben (Christian; Saint) [Waiters & Farmers]

Feast of the Cross (Christianity)

Feast of Uru-Wadu (the Primal Couple; Kisar Island, Indonesia)

Fido (Muppetism)

Fujio Akatsuka (Artology)

Geraldine Brooks (Writerism)

Hindi Divas (Parts of India; Hinduism)

Holy Cross Day (a.k.a. Holy Rood Day)

John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse (Christian; Saint)

John Gould (Artology)

Lessing (Positivist; Saint)

Lord of Miracles of Buga (Christian; Saint)

Louis Gabriel Taurin Dufresse (Christian; One of Martyr Saints of China)

Lucas Samaras (Artology)

Mabsant Festival (Celtic Book of Days)

Maternus of Cologne (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas Georgiadis (Artology)

Notburga (Christian; Saint)

Peter Lely (Artology)

Pig’s Face Feast (Avening, Gloucestershire, UK)

Richard Gerstl (Artology)

Rowena Morrill (Artology)

Triumph of the Cross (Roman Catholic)

Unclear Ideas Display (Imps; Shamanism)

Vaughan Bode Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Prime Number Day: 257 [55 of 72]

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

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 42 of 60)

Premieres

Across the Universe (Film; 2007)

The Addams Family (Animated TV Series; 1992)

Adventures of the Gummi Bears (Animated TV Series; 1985)

The Archies (Animated TV Series; 1968)

Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, by meatloaf (Album; 1993)

Belle Boys (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1953)

Bumbling Brothers Circus, Part 1 (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 301; 1964)

The Care Bears (Animated TV Series; 1985)

A Cartoonist’s Nightmare (WB LT Cartoon; 1935)

Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse (Animated TV Series; 1960)

Crisis? What Crisis?, by Supertramp (Album; 1975)

A Discovery of Witches (TV Series; 2018)

The Dragon Prince (Animated Film; 2018)

Flying Circus (WB LT Cartoon; 1968)

Funeral, by Arcade Fire (Album; 2004)

Genie with the Light Pink Fur (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1966)

Get Born, by Jet (Album; 2003)

The Golden Girls (TV Series; 1985)

Have Gun — Will Travel (Radio Series; 1957)

Hot Feet (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1931)

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (Novel; 2008) [#1]

The Invention of Lying (Film; 2009)

Lion in the Bedroom or The Cat’s Pajamas (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 302; 1964)

The Magnificent Seven (Film; 2016)

Making Plans For Nigel, by XTC (Song; 1979)

The Messiah, finished by George Frederic Handel (Oratorio; 1741)

Monkey Love (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1935)

Mork and Mindy (TV Series; 1978)

The Parrotville Fire Department (Rainbow Parade Cartoon; 1934)

Partysaurus Rex (Disney Cartoon; 2012)

Quadrophenia (Film; 1979)

Scooby Doo! Camp Scare (WB Animated Film; 2010)

A Simple Favor (Film; 2018)

Some Fantastic Place, by Squeeze (Album; 1993)

The Star-Spangled Banner, written by Francis Scott Key (Poem; 1814)

Talking Horse Sense (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1959)

Tall in the Trap (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1962)

Tiny Toon Adventures (Animated TV Series; 1990)

Total Request Live (Music TV Series; 1998)

Tutti Frutti recorded, by Little Richard (Song; 1955)

The Waltons (TV Series; 1971)

A Wizard’s Tale (Animated Film; 2018)

Zoom and Bored (WB MM Cartoon; 1957)

Today’s Name Days

Albert, Cornelius, Kreuz-Erhöhung (Austria)

Krustan, Krustina, Krustyo, Stavri (Bulgaria)

Slavko, Višeslav (Croatia)

Radka (Czech Republic)

Raimo, Raimond, Raimu, Raimund, Reimo, Reimu (Estonia)

Iida, Iita, Isla (Finland)

Albert, Irmgard, Jens, Kreuzerhöhung (Germany)

Stavros, Stavroula, Theoklis (Greece)

Roxána, Szeréna (Hungary)

Crocifisso, Elena (Italy)

Koknesis, Norberts, Sanda, Sanita, Santa (Latvia)

Eisvina, Eisvinas, Krescencijus (Lithuania)

Ingebjørg, Ingeborg (Norway)

Bernard, Cyprian, Roksana, Siemomysł, Szymon (Poland)

Ľudomil (Slovakia)

Cruz, Exaltación (Spain)

Ida (Sweden)

Keisha, Lakeisha, Latasha, LaTease, Latisha, Leticia, Letitia, Letty, Tish, Tisha (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 258 of 2024; 108 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of Week 37 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 14 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guy-You), Day 12 (Xin-Si)

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

Hebrew: 11 Elul 5784

Islamic: 10 Rabi I 1446

J Cal: 18 Gold; Foursday [18 of 30]

Julian: 1 September 2024

Moon: 84%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 6 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Goethe]

Runic Half Month: Ken (Illumination) [Day 8 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 87 of 94)

Week: 2nd Full Week of September

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 24 of 32)

Calendar Changes

September (Julian Calendar) [Month 9 of 12]

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 9.14

Holidays

Are You Okay Day

Armored Troops Day (Ukraine)

Board Game Day

Burning of King Olaf (Elder Scrolls)

Capybara Day

Cochabamba Day (Bolivia)

Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Appreciation Day

Corn Day (French Republic)

Day of Energy Industry Workers (Turkmenistan)

Day of Physical Culture and Sport (Ukraine)

Eleven Days of Global Unity, Day 4: Economic Justice

Engineer’s Day (Romania)

Erato Asteroid Day

Eurynome Asteroid Day

Find the Good Day

Formation of the Earth Day

Hug A Crabby Stranger Day

International Cross-Culture Day

International Sex Worker Pride Day

Kenny Rogers Day (Los Angeles, California)

Lighthouse Day

Lone Ranger Day

Max Planck Day

Mobilized Servicemen Day (Ukraine)

Music Day (Korea)

National ADHD Day (South Africa)

National Anthem Day

National Career Day

National Cheerleading Day

National Coloring Day

National Field Hockey Day

National Latino Business Day

National Live Creatively Day

National Noel Day

National Parents Day Off

National Peacekeepers Day (Australia)

National Sober Day

National Virginia Day

914 Day

914 mm Day

Nutting Day (UK)

Philip K. Dick Day (California)

Photo Day (South Korea)

Pilgrimage to the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln (Switzerland)

Porsche 914 Day

Saboteurs Day (Biafra)

San Jacinto Day (Nicaragua)

Star Spangled Banner Day

Support Latino Business Day

Talk About Cancer Day

Tithi of Sri Sri Madhabdeva (Assam, India)

U.S. Marshall Service Day

World Atopic Eczema Day

World Cleanup Day (Nigeria)

World Hearing Voices Day

World Taste & Smell Day

Wo-Zha-Wa Festival

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cream-Filled Doughnut Day

Eat a Hoagie Day

Gobstopper Day

International Crab Fest Day

National Food is Medicine Day

National Rosa Tequila Day

Pig's Face Feast

Independence & Related Days

Azma-Turkopolis Confederation (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

New Scandinavia (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

2nd Saturday in September

Aunt’s Day [Saturday after Labor Day]

Banana Day [2nd Saturday]

Borscht Day (Ukraine) [2nd Saturday]

Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day [Saturday after 1st Monday]

Day of the Workers in the Oil, Gas, Power and Geological Industry [2nd Saturday]

Expectant Mother's Day [2nd Saturday]

Farmers’ Consumer Awareness Day [2nd Saturday]

German Language Day [2nd Saturday]

International Drive Your Studebaker Day [2nd Saturday]

International Forest Bathing Day [2nd Saturday]

International Women’s Fly Fishing Day [2nd Saturday]

Naked Gardening Day [2nd Saturday]

National Black Female Photographers Day [2nd Saturday]

National Clean Out Your Garage Day [Saturday after Labor Day]

National Hollerin’ Day [2nd Saturday]

National Iguana Awareness Day [2nd Saturday]

National Lacemaking Day (UK) [2nd Saturday]

Prairie Day [2nd Saturday]

Public Lands Day [1st Saturday after 1st Monday]

Salad Saturday [2nd Saturday of Each Month]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Satirical Saturday [2nd Saturday of Each Month]

Saturday the 14th Day [Every Saturday the 14th]

Sheriff’s Ride Ceremony (Lichfield, UK) [Saturday nearest 8th]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Sour Beer Day [2nd Saturday]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

World Arepa Day [2nd Saturday]

World First Aid Day [2nd Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning September 14 (2nd Full Week of September)

Laura Ingall’s Wilder Days (Pepin, Wisconsin) [2nd Full Weekend] 9thru 9.15)

Festivals Beginning September 14, 2024

All American Dairy Show (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) [thru 9.15]

B'dam Brew JAM (Beaverdam, Virginia)

Biloxi Seafood Festival (Biloxi, Mississippi)

The Bloody Mary Festival (Portland, Oregon)

Bruges Beer Festival (Bruges, Belgium) [thru 9.15]

BugFest (Raleigh, North Carolina)

California Brewers Festival (Santa Barbara, California)

Capitola Art & Wine Festival (Capitola, California)

Charlie Adams Day (Newkirk, Oklahoma)

Community BBQ (Brunswick, Maine)

Dessert Wars (Charlotte, North Carolina)

DSBC Fun Fest (Newark, Delaware)

Great Pumpkin Festival (Vernon, New Jersey) [thru 11.3]

Harvest Festival (Cooperstown, New York) [thru 9.15]

Downbeach Seafood Festival (Ski Beach Ventnor, New Jersey) [thru 9.15]

International Festival of Comics and Games in Lodz (Lodz, Poland) [thru 9.15]

Lake Arrowhead Oktoberfest and German Food Fest (Lake Arrowhead, California) [thru 10.27]

Living History Farms Applefest (Urbandale, Iowa)

Mansfield Village Cornbread Festival (Mansfield, Indiana)

Maple Fall Fest (Marshfield, Wisconsin) [thru 9.15]

Maryland Seafood Festival (Annapolis, Maryland) [thru 9.15]

Maryland Wine Festival (Westminster, Maryland)

Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival (Little Falls, New York)

Muscadine Jubilee (Pelahatchie, Mississippi)

The Northern California Renaissance Faire (Hollister, California) [thru 10.20]

Northwest Garlic Festival (Ocean Park, Washington) [thru 9.15]

Oz Comic-Con (Brisbane, Australia) [thru 9.15]

Pie Town Pie Festival (Pie Town, New Mexico)

Plate by Plate LA (Los Angeles, California)

Pointe Mouillee Waterfowl Festival (Brownstown, Michigan) [thru 9.15]

Rockin' Taco Street Fest (Chandler, Arizona)

Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival (Santa Clara, California)

Small Press Expo (Bethesda, Maryland) [thru 9.15]

Taste of Fall Experience (Willcox, Arizona) [thru 9.15]

Wine, Chocolate & Romance (Shakopee, Minnesota) [thru 9.15]

Wine on the River (Nashville, Tennessee)

Feast Days

Aelia Flaccilla (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Catherine of Genoa (Christian; Saint)

Charles Dana Gibson (Artology)

Cormac mac Cuilennáin (or of Cashel; Christian; Saint)

Crescentius of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Day of Jupiter and Juno (Pagan)

Death of Prophet Muhammed (Islam)

Despair for the Human Race (Pastafarian)

Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox)

Embrace the Dark Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Christian)

Feast of Notburga of Eben (Christian; Saint) [Waiters & Farmers]

Feast of the Cross (Christianity)

Feast of Uru-Wadu (the Primal Couple; Kisar Island, Indonesia)

Fido (Muppetism)

Fujio Akatsuka (Artology)

Geraldine Brooks (Writerism)

Hindi Divas (Parts of India; Hinduism)

Holy Cross Day (a.k.a. Holy Rood Day)

John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse (Christian; Saint)

John Gould (Artology)

Lessing (Positivist; Saint)

Lord of Miracles of Buga (Christian; Saint)

Louis Gabriel Taurin Dufresse (Christian; One of Martyr Saints of China)

Lucas Samaras (Artology)

Mabsant Festival (Celtic Book of Days)

Maternus of Cologne (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas Georgiadis (Artology)

Notburga (Christian; Saint)

Peter Lely (Artology)

Pig’s Face Feast (Avening, Gloucestershire, UK)

Richard Gerstl (Artology)

Rowena Morrill (Artology)

Triumph of the Cross (Roman Catholic)

Unclear Ideas Display (Imps; Shamanism)

Vaughan Bode Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Prime Number Day: 257 [55 of 72]

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

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 42 of 60)

Premieres

Across the Universe (Film; 2007)

The Addams Family (Animated TV Series; 1992)

Adventures of the Gummi Bears (Animated TV Series; 1985)

The Archies (Animated TV Series; 1968)

Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, by meatloaf (Album; 1993)

Belle Boys (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1953)

Bumbling Brothers Circus, Part 1 (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 301; 1964)

The Care Bears (Animated TV Series; 1985)

A Cartoonist’s Nightmare (WB LT Cartoon; 1935)

Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse (Animated TV Series; 1960)

Crisis? What Crisis?, by Supertramp (Album; 1975)

A Discovery of Witches (TV Series; 2018)

The Dragon Prince (Animated Film; 2018)

Flying Circus (WB LT Cartoon; 1968)

Funeral, by Arcade Fire (Album; 2004)

Genie with the Light Pink Fur (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1966)

Get Born, by Jet (Album; 2003)

The Golden Girls (TV Series; 1985)

Have Gun — Will Travel (Radio Series; 1957)

Hot Feet (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1931)

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (Novel; 2008) [#1]

The Invention of Lying (Film; 2009)

Lion in the Bedroom or The Cat’s Pajamas (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 302; 1964)

The Magnificent Seven (Film; 2016)

Making Plans For Nigel, by XTC (Song; 1979)

The Messiah, finished by George Frederic Handel (Oratorio; 1741)

Monkey Love (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1935)

Mork and Mindy (TV Series; 1978)

The Parrotville Fire Department (Rainbow Parade Cartoon; 1934)

Partysaurus Rex (Disney Cartoon; 2012)

Quadrophenia (Film; 1979)

Scooby Doo! Camp Scare (WB Animated Film; 2010)

A Simple Favor (Film; 2018)

Some Fantastic Place, by Squeeze (Album; 1993)

The Star-Spangled Banner, written by Francis Scott Key (Poem; 1814)

Talking Horse Sense (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1959)

Tall in the Trap (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1962)

Tiny Toon Adventures (Animated TV Series; 1990)

Total Request Live (Music TV Series; 1998)

Tutti Frutti recorded, by Little Richard (Song; 1955)

The Waltons (TV Series; 1971)

A Wizard’s Tale (Animated Film; 2018)

Zoom and Bored (WB MM Cartoon; 1957)

Today’s Name Days

Albert, Cornelius, Kreuz-Erhöhung (Austria)

Krustan, Krustina, Krustyo, Stavri (Bulgaria)

Slavko, Višeslav (Croatia)

Radka (Czech Republic)

Raimo, Raimond, Raimu, Raimund, Reimo, Reimu (Estonia)

Iida, Iita, Isla (Finland)

Albert, Irmgard, Jens, Kreuzerhöhung (Germany)

Stavros, Stavroula, Theoklis (Greece)

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[getfastestnews]

Trump, Merkel clash at NATO summit

US President Donald Trump traded barbs with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a tense NATO summit Wednesday after he accused Berlin of being "captive" to Russia and demanded it immediately step up defence spending.

The two-day meet in Brussels is shaping up as the alliance s most difficult in years, with Europe and the US engaged in a bitter trade spat and Trump demanding that NATO allies "reimburse" Washington for the cost of defending the continent.

Merkel shot back that Germany had the right to make its own policy choices, setting up an explosive one-on-one meeting with Trump later in the afternoon.

European alliance members were braced for criticism from Trump on defence spending, but his blistering attack on Germany at a breakfast meeting with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg took the summit by surprise.

"Germany is a captive of Russia because it is getting so much of its energy from Russia," Trump said, taking particular aim at the proposed Nord Stream II gas pipeline, which he has previously criticised.

"Everybody s talking about it all over the world, they re saying we re paying you billions of dollars to protect you but you re paying billions of dollars to Russia."

Merkel, who grew up in Soviet-dominated East Germany, ramped up the febrile atmosphere of the summit with a sharp reply on arriving at NATO HQ.

"I myself have also experienced a part of Germany being controlled by the Soviet Union," she said.

"I am very glad that we are united today in freedom as the Federal Republic of Germany and that we can therefore also make our own independent policies and make our own independent decisions."

Trump has long complained that European NATO members do not pay enough for their own defence, accusing them of freeloading on America and singling out Germany for particular criticism.

NATO allies agreed at a summit in Wales in 2014 to move towards spending two percent of GDP on defence by 2024. But Germany, Europe s biggest economy, spends just 1.24 percent, compared with 3.5 percent for the US.

"These countries have to step it up -- not over a 10 year period, they have to step it up immediately," Trump said.

"We re protecting Germany, France and everybody... this has been going on for decades," Trump said. "We re not going to put up with it, we can t put up with it and it s inappropriate."

Stoltenberg acknowledged that Trump had expressed himself in "very direct language" but insisted that away from the fiery rhetoric the allies all agree on fundamental issues: the need to boost NATO s resilience, fight terror and share the cost of defence more equally.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose country also lags on the two percent pledge, said the focus should be on "outputs" rather than on how much is spent.

NATO officials and diplomats will try to promote an image of unity at the summit in the face of growing unease about the threat from Russia, but with the row between Merkel and Trump it may prove difficult to paper over the cracks.

The mercurial tycoon said before leaving Washington that his meeting in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday "may be the easiest" part of his European tour, which also includes a trip to Britain, where the government is in crisis over Brexit.

Trump ramped up his rhetoric ahead of the talks, explicitly linking NATO with the transatlantic trade row by saying the EU shut out US business while expecting America to defend it.

EU President Donald Tusk stepped up to the fight with his own salvo against Trump on Tuesday, telling him to "appreciate your allies" and reminding him Washington that Europe had come to its aid following the 9/11 attacks.

"Please remember this tomorrow when we meet at the NATO summit, but above all when you meet President Putin in Helsinki. It is always worth knowing who is your strategic friend and who is your strategic problem," he said.

Trump will meet the Russian leader in the Finnish capital on July 16 for their first summit amid an ongoing investigation in the US into possible Trump campaign collusion with Russia.

European diplomats fear a repeat of last month s divisive G7 in Canada, when Trump clashed with his Western allies before meeting North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un at a summit and praising him as "very talented".

There have been fears that Trump, keen to be seen to make a breakthrough with the Kremlin strongman, might make concessions that would weaken Western unity over issues such as Ukraine and Syria.

US ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison urged allies to look beyond Trump s rhetoric and focus on the summit declaration -- which the US is expected to back -- which will be the basis for the alliance s work over the coming years.

And she said she expected Trump to recommit to one of the founding articles of NATO -- Article 5 -- which holds that an attack on one member is an attack on them all.

Read More

[clusterassets]

New world news from Time: ‘NATO Is Much Stronger Now’: Trump Claims Victory After Contentious Summit

As a contentious North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Brussels began to wind down on Thursday, President Donald Trump claimed victory over defense spending and reaffirmed U.S. commitment to the alliance.

After a week in which he had insulted allies and questioned the value of NATO, Trump—flanked by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton—gave an impromptu news conference at NATO headquarters Thursday morning before leaving Brussels.

“The United States commitment to NATO is very strong,” he said. “I think NATO is much stronger now than it was two days ago.”

It was a surprising statement after two days during which Trump’s ‘America first’ foreign policy approach had presented a significant challenge for the organization. Though NATO allies have squabbled in the past, Trump seemed to be leaving in his wake not just bruised feelings, but deeper concerns about the future of the Western alliance that has served as a bedrock of the international order. At the press conference Thursday, just days before he plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said he hoped he “will be able to get along with Russia,” adding that his NATO allies told him they agree.

“The question [on] all sides is not just a tactical one, that is, how to resolve a disagreement, but a strategic one,” says Stephen Sestanovich, a senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. “That is, are we really committed to the same goals and to the future of the organization?”

After a tense first day, Trump didn’t ease up on the second. Before arriving a half hour late to the final day of meetings on Thursday, Trump tweeted that “the U.S. pays tens of Billions of Dollars too much to subsidize Europe,” that Germany’s oil and gas pipeline with Russia is “not acceptable,” and that allies must not only all reach the 2 percent defense spending guideline, but double that to 4 percent.

Presidents have been trying unsuccessfully for years to get Germany and other rich NATO Nations to pay more toward their protection from Russia. They pay only a fraction of their cost. The U.S. pays tens of Billions of Dollars too much to subsidize Europe, and loses Big on Trade!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2018

….On top of it all, Germany just started paying Russia, the country they want protection from, Billions of Dollars for their Energy needs coming out of a new pipeline from Russia. Not acceptable! All NATO Nations must meet their 2% commitment, and that must ultimately go to 4%!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2018

Trump had kicked off the NATO summit at breakfast with the organization’s leader on Wednesday by accusing Germany of being “totally controlled” and “captive to Russia” because of a pipeline deal that would bring gas directly between the two nations.

Hours later, he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met privately and discussed the pipeline, each reaffirming the partnership between the U.S. and Germany. But not before Merkel and other top officials in the German government had publicly fired back at Trump’s breakfast diatribe.

Read more: Russia casts a shadow over President Trump’s NATO meetings

At the end of the first day, Trump unsettled allies even more by questioning the value of the military alliance, which was formed to counter Soviet aggression during the Cold War.

What good is NATO if Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars for gas and energy? Why are there only 5 out of 29 countries that have met their commitment? The U.S. is paying for Europe’s protection, then loses billions on Trade. Must pay 2% of GDP IMMEDIATELY, not by 2025.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 11, 2018

“The problem is Trump seems to really see no benefit that allies provide the United States,” says James Goldgeier, visiting senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “He seems to look at this as we do everything for them, and we provide them with benefits, and they just take advantage of us.”

Throughout the summit, Trump berated the other members of NATO for not spending enough on defense. Going into the week he was pressuring them to spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, a figure that was established in 2002 and reaffirmed in 2014 when the allies not meeting the target pledged to reach it within a decade. The figure is non-binding, and the goal was to reach it by 2024, not immediately. But as experts, including TIME contributor James Stavridis, a retired U.S. Navy admiral who commanded all NATO forces, note, Trump “tends to liken the situation to a need to hound golfers for not paying their dues at the local country club.”

Over the course of the summit, Trump upped his demand to 4 percent, a target that is above the United States’ own spending on defense, according to NATO calculations. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said this is not a formal proposal and that Trump had merely “suggested” this increase. But Trump’s Thursday morning tweet, before meetings on Russian aggression and the war in Afghanistan, said allies “must” get to 4 percent.

Following Trump’s press conference, French President Emmanuel Macron denied that NATO members had agreed to increase their defense spending past 2 percent. “There is a communique that was published yesterday. It’s very detailed,” Macron said, according to the Associated Press. “It confirms the goal of 2 percent by 2024. That’s all.”

At the Thursday press conference, Trump claimed that his push for a focus on defense spending had helped make NATO a stronger alliance. “We made a tremendous amount of progress today,” he told reporters. “The additional money they will be putting up has been really amazing.” He said an extra $33 billion has been committed by NATO countries other than the U.S.

Asked whether he had threatened to pull out of NATO, per reports, Trump said that he had “told people that I would be very unhappy if they didn’t up their commitments very substantially.” After those threats, he said: “Now we’re very happy and have a very, very powerful, very strong NATO.” As to whether he could unilaterally pull the U.S. out of the alliance without congressional approval, Trump said, “I think I probably can, but that’s not necessary.”

It was only last month that after a disastrous G-7 summit, Trump signed a joint communiqué with other allies and then changed his mind while flying home. On Thursday, he was asked at NATO whether his tweets aboard Air Force One later in the day might sound a different tone than his show of unity at the press conference. “I’m very consistent,” he replied. “I’m a very stable genius.”

Trump leaves Brussels on Thursday for some extra time with one key member of the alliance: British Prime Minister Theresa May. It will be Trump’s first working visit to the United Kingdom since he became President, and massive protests in London are expected. Tens of thousands of people are likely to protest in the British capital on Friday, while Trump is outside the city at May’s country residence Chequers, before visiting Windsor to meet the Queen.

The U.S. Embassy has warned Americans to be careful in London during Trump’s visit, recommending that they “exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings that may become violent,” “keep a low profile” and “be aware of your surroundings.”

It’s an uncomfortable environment for May, who is facing her own political unrest outside of Trump’s visit. Two of her top government officials resigned earlier this week over negotiations on how to manage Brexit, including foreign secretary Boris Johnson, whom Trump has called a “friend.” He described the U.K. as a “hot-spot with lots of resignations.”

Trump’s trip to Britain will test the bonds of the U.S. and U.K.’s special relationship. On Thursday, Trump said he wasn’t troubled by the planned protests. “I think it’s fine,” he said. “They like me a lot in the U.K.”

July 12, 2018 at 04:47PM ClusterAssets Inc., https://ClusterAssets.wordpress.com