#municipal government prayers

[in-sightpublishing]

Launching legal action against the City of Parksville's council prayer

Publisher: In-Sight Publishing Publisher Founding: September 1, 2014 Publisher Location: Fort Langley, Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada Publication: Freethought Newswire Original Link: https://www.bchumanist.ca/launching_legal_action_against_the_city_of_parksville_s_council_prayer Publication Date: April 12, 2024 Organization: British Columbia Humanist Association Organization…

[girlactionfigure]

🔵Mon morning - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

▪️US ENVOY TO ARRIVE IN LEBANON.. he arrives in Israel today, Lebanon tomorrow - after making no progress on multiple trips and being directly insulted in Lebanon on multiple previous trips.

🇮🇱A HERO SOLIDER HAS FALLEN.. in battle in Gaza: Tzur Abraham, 22, , from Modi’in.  May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may G-d avenge his blood!

▪️REGARDING THE IDF SPOKESPERSON’S STRONG STATEMENT ABOUT LEBANON.. The IDF clarifies: "Hagari's words were not a threat to Hezbollah.” (( ????? ))

▪️CONTRADICTORY GOAL MESSAGING.. A senior Israeli official told Channel 12: There will be no withdrawal and cessation of war in Gaza before the return of all the hostages.  This contradicts yesterday’s message from an IDF general that they can’t get all the hostages by force.

▪️REDUCED IDF FIRING?  With the reduction in fire from Hezbollah, the IDF has also reduced fire.  (( WHY?? ))

▪️NEW IDF RESERVE DIVISION.. will consist of 5 reserve brigades, which will be established gradually.  To be for those exempted and/or over age for normal reserves.  Voluntary?  Seems so.  Senior officers to form the division already contacted.

▪️DISRUPTIVE PROTESTS PLANNED.. anti-government protestors warn of significant roadblocks nationwide in the coming days. 

.. Anti-govt road blocks Highway 1 towards Tel Aviv, Highway 2 near Herzliya.

▪️PROTESTS AND REPORTER BEATEN.. Thousands demonstrated last night in Tel Aviv Kaplan area calling for elections - Ch. 14 reporter Motti Kastel was attacked and beaten.

.. Protestors arrested but treated with a light hand - All arrested last night have been released. They must stay away from illegal demonstrations for two weeks.

▪️OPPOSITE PROTEST THREAT.. The headquarters of the struggle “Fighting for the North” - for a complete victory over Hezbollah: "We are unable to tolerate any more. We intend to see within a month a direction for some kind of action. If this does not happen and if the current situation continues, then Israel will see us at every center, in every city, in every intersection, in every locality. The demonstrations that have been until now about charedi conscription or about elections / Kaplan will seem like day camp compared to our demonstrations.”

▪️CONTRADICTORY POSITIONS.. the Tel Aviv Municipality opposes gender segregated events - - when they are held by Jewish organizations.  However,  a mass Muslim holiday public prayer event with signs of support for Gaza was held THIS MORNING at Ajami Beach with over 500 attendees with no sign of city standards enforcers.

▪️FOREST BATHING CONFIRMED?  A new study at the Technion states: observing nature reduces stress.

⭕EXPLOSION OFFSHORE from ASHKELON - possible rocket miss into the sea from Hamas.

⭕SUICIDE DRONE OFFSHORE from NAHARIYA - intercepted.

⭕HAMAS ROCKETS at Nirim, Netiv HaAssara overnight.

[mariacallous]

(JTA) — Israeli, observant Jews living in the United States, and especially here on the West Coast, are aware of  the time difference between them and Israel at the beginnings and endings of holidays. While Israel celebrates — or commemorates — meaningful days, I’m behind, still preparing. So unlike my family and friends in Israel who observe Yom Kippur and found out only after their sundown what transpired on Monday in Tel Aviv, I read reports and watched videos of the clash between secular and religious Jews in Dizengoff Square as it unfolded.

Feeling both devastated by the ruining of Yom Kippur prayers and angry at the provocation and manipulation by those who organized the Tel Aviv services, I entered Judaism’s holiest day with a heavy heart and teary eyes.

And yet, in the days since, I also found some reason for hope that this painful moment was a watershed in Israel’s path, in which secular Israeli liberals may claim Judaism on their own terms, despite a religious establishment that sees Orthodoxy as its only legitimate expression.

In brief, Rosh Yehudi (translated “Jewish head”), an organization whose goal is to spread Orthodox Judaism in secular Israel, received approval from the Tel Aviv municipality to conduct Yom Kippur services in Dizengoff Square. These services have been taking place since the early days of the pandemic, and many people — observant and secular alike — attend them. This year the municipality approved the services so long as they would not include a mechitza, a physical divider separating men and women, a decision that the courts supported. The context of the city’s decision was the ongoing assault by the government and its followers (in the name of religion) on the core values of Israeli liberals — specifically gender equality.

Rosh Yehudi declared it would abide by this condition and many people who just wanted to pray came to its services. Yet right after Yom Kippur started, religious activists — supported by the police on site — created a makeshift divider out of Israeli flags. In response, secular protesters, many of them affiliated with the mass movement to protest the government’s efforts to weaken Israel’s judiciary, interrupted the services by whistling, chanting “Shame!” and removing the makeshift divider, ultimately stopping the services. Similar protests of public Orthodox Yom Kippur services took place at other sites throughout Tel Aviv and other predominantly secular cities within Israel.

For decades, Yom Kippur in Israel has been a unique day. Despite a lack of laws regulating the day, no cars are seen on the roads. Praying, biking, walking and talking, observant and secular Jews mix in the streets and synagogues across Israel. But the events of the last nine months in Israel destroyed that fragile harmony.

Israel is once again caught in a war of narratives. Is it a story of Orthodox activists defying the court’s decision and intentionally causing provocation, forcing gender segregation in the bastion of Israeli secularism? Or is it a story about how Israeli liberals, protesters and the left hate religion and religious Jews?

Setting aside the blame game, the events of Yom Kippur raise two sets of questions for Israel’s future. The first is the nature of the Israeli public square as it relates to Israel’s Jewish character. What should be the boundaries of tolerance to illiberal practices such as gender separation when they are a part of a religious practice? Was the city right to limit the traditional form of Orthodox prayer due to the public nature of the space? Were the protesters wrong in not respecting this tradition? Should attempts at the religionization of the public sphere and political climate be ignored or taken into consideration?

The more profound question — and the one that is much harder to answer — revolves around the nature of Judaism itself. Who claims what in the name of Judaism will have lasting repercussions for the future of Israel long after the particulars of this year’s Yom Kippur are forgotten? And to that end, I want to suggest that a possible change is afoot in how secular Israeli liberals see Judaism.

For decades, Israel has been caught in a social dichotomy: right-wingers are seen as conservative and religious or traditional, whereas left-wingers are seen as liberal and secular. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embraced this dichotomy as early as 1997 when he claimed that the Israeli left “had forgotten what it means to be Jewish.” He doubled down on this view at the end of Yom Kippur this year when he stated, “The leftists had rioted against Jews.”

This dichotomy is also promoted by the Israeli left. About a week ago, former Meretz leader Zehava Galon shared the following post on X: “The problem with Israeli society is the assumption that there is wisdom in Judaism even though it is a manifest of Orthodox Jewish men who weren’t particularly smart. It’s time for us to realize that … their cart is full of inciting and dangerous nonsense, and it’s time we left it on the side of the road.” Galon represents the view of many in the Israeli liberal camp today who say they are ready to abandon Judaism, which they equate with Orthodoxy interpreted in the most extreme way.

Indeed, for decades haredi and Religious Zionist rabbis and politicians in Israel have sought to dictate only one option for Judaism: an uncompromising religious Orthodoxy. This conception profoundly contradicts the values of Israeli liberals, and therefore many like Galon say they reject Judaism in any form. But in doing this, Israeli liberals also allow the most extreme elements within Israeli Judaism to deepen their grip and shape Judaism as they see fit.

As a result, secular Israeli liberals reduce themselves to a marginalized minority within Israeli society, the majority of whose members seek a connection to tradition and Judaism and distance themselves from values that run counter to it. Surveys show that only a minority of the general Israeli public supports the protesters’ actions on Yom Kippur, regardless of the motivations or provocations of the services’ organizers. If faced with an either/or choice between a discriminatory version of Judaism and universalist liberalism, the Israeli majority will choose the former.

For a long time, only a minority of Israelis actively worked against this dichotomy. Liberal Religious Zionist, Conservative and Reform Jews, as well as Jewish Renewal activists, mostly stood alone in trying to create and defend a liberal Israeli Judaism. But in the aftermath of Yom Kippur, this might be changing.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid shared on X that his neighbor didn’t fast on Yom Kippur for the first time in 30 years to spite the other camp. His response was telling: “You lost. You gave them ownership of your Judaism.” He went on to offer the following observation:

We don’t have anything to prove. And we don’t need anyone’s approval that we are good Jews. We have our own version, no less whole. The version that says that we chose to live in this country because we have roots here. That the Bible is our book, that the Hebrew of Ezekiel and Isaiah is the language of our dreams, that we are part of a community that has memories and commitments. We are the flag bearers of a Judaism that is not messianic, not racist, not arrogant and not violent.

Unlike Galon’s view that implicitly rejects all Judaisms because of how Orthodox Judaism is interpreted today by the government and its followers, Lapid offers an alternative vision by laying claim to a more expansive version of Judaism, whether based on beliefs, culture and/or a shared history.

A nascent but growing chorus of voices in Israel is creating just such an alternative. At nearby HaBima Square in Tel Aviv, a Conservative, egalitarian service took place at the end of Yom Kippur. The Neilah prayer that closes Yom Kippur started with 20 participants and ended with 300. Secular neighborhoods in northern Tel Aviv have plans to build a public secular sukkah and conduct egalitarian Hakafot (dancing with the Torah) on Simchat Torah. And as a response to Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s ultimately abandoned plans for a prayer/provocation on Dizengoff Square, the protest movement offered public, egalitarian prayer on HaBima Square Thursday night, which hundreds attended.

Two days after Yom Kippur, Magi Otsri, a writer and legal scholar and one of the protest movement’s leading online figures, posted a short video that went viral. In it, Otsri notes that Israeli Orthodoxy’s unwillingness to change the halacha of separating men and women during prayer is based on sexist, power-based notions of women created by men. She asserts that in the past biblical rules were easily changed when it suited religious decision-makers. What’s fascinating is that the secular, Tel Aviv-based Otsri uses arguments that were until now only employed by people internal to Orthodoxy (such as religious feminists). Referring to religious mechanisms for bypassing the prohibition on making loans with interest and the religious rules of war, Otsri is not making her argument on strictly liberal grounds but employing the language of Judaism.

Today, more than ever, Israeli liberals are at a crossroads. In the past nine months, they have articulated a Zionism they have embraced and claimed as their own. Will they leave Judaism behind, or will they claim it too?

Given the rate of shocking events in Israel, discerning social trends in Israel from afar can be overwhelming. But amid the conflicting narratives and deafening discourse, I want to encourage those who care about Israel to listen for and encourage the softer and more subtle sounds of Judaism in the words and deeds of Israeli liberals.

The events on Yom Kippur might lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy of a religious war, where Israeli Judaism will be lost to the hands of religious extremists and Israeli liberalism will disconnect entirely from Judaism. Such an outcome is desired by some in both the Orthodox and liberal camps, not to mention the government. But this is not a foregone conclusion, as the words and deeds of Israeli liberals after Yom Kippur reveal. There is an alternative: a more humanistic and pluralist vision of Judaism that Israeli liberals ought to embrace and nurture if they want to win over Israeli society to their vision of the future.

In Jewish tradition, the High Holidays are days of judgment for the past year and a time for resolutions for the coming year. According to tradition, divine judgment starts on Rosh Hashanah, but the verdict is only submitted for enforcement on the last day of Sukkot, or Hoshana Rabbah — to give people every last chance to set a new course.

The events on Yom Kippur were undoubtedly heartbreaking, but we are still only halfway through the High Holidays. There is no better time in the Jewish calendar for Israeli liberals to change the trajectory of Israeli Judaism. As a member of the protest movement posted the day after Yom Kippur, “The protest movement should do for Judaism what it did for the flag. Embrace [it]. Hard.” Instead of blaming the people or groups responsible for the old dichotomy, we just might be witnessing Israeli liberals taking responsibility for a Judaism they believe in.

[govswiss]

Foreign Office Government Kingdom of Switzerland as UNGeneva

Date :. 24.11.2023

Country :. Belgium

In attendance today

Chief of Staff PC7:. Lt Col Daniel Stämpfli

Guest Prime Minister Alexander De Croo

House of Schwarzburg-Burgdorf SwissUN H.S.H Princess Isabel M Neuchatel Presenting & Prayer Chapel Clock Swiss Movement For:. 12 Religions

Public Health Swissness Serene Highness Project:. Snow (Water) Production for for Food & Mineral

Restoration & Regeneration of :. Principality of Flanders House of Léopold

United Nations & Inter-Parliamentary Union Constitutional Amendments:.

Presidential and Principality

Hereditary Dutch of Flanders

Snow (Water) Production in Belgium for food and mineral Resources

1. Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) migration charts must match in Spring, Summer, Autumn, and winter.

2. Managing Microclimate of a country use transport that produces hydrocarbons.

3. Farms closer to main road for pollination by public transport on highways prevent the shrinking of the stratosphere to produce snow and rain clouds.

4. Town Planning Positioning the farms as a perimeter water moat defence to prevent town flooding and putting parks in the middle and greenhouse and factory farming.

5. Municipal Boarders planning for carbon:

Carbon permissions Afforestation by water moats which we dredge of crop seedlings.

Carbon denial of permission Peatland, Bioenergy crops

Switzerland's foreign policy is driven by interests in peace and security strengthening the Multilateral relationship with the UN and Parliament action on global climate and environmental protection and strengthening international digital governance. The Bourgeoisie of Geneva in the Age of the Reformation and Restoration

[crimechannels]

By • Olalekan Fagbade JUST IN; Fake DSS operative arrested by Policemen The police command in Jigawa has arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly parading himself as personnel of the Department of State Security (DSS). The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Lawan Shi’isu, said this in a statement in Dutse on Wednesday, adding that the suspect was arrested on Saturday in Dutse. ”On Sept. 16, at about 11a.m., Haruna Abdullahi and one other, both of Jigawa State Polytechnic Dutse, reported at Dutse police station that one Kamilu Bappa of Garko in Kano state, deceitfully introduced himself to them as a personnel of the DSS. “The duo said that the said Bappa collected the sum of N305, 000 from them with the pretence of getting them DSS and NDLEA job respectively. “So on receipt of the report, detectives attached to Dutse Division swung into action and arrested the suspect in possession of a DSS uniform trouser,” he said. Shi’isu also said that the police had also arrested a 26-year-old man for alleged armed robbery in Gwaram Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. He said the suspect, a resident of Unguwar Malam area of the LGA, was initially nabbed by a group of hunters in Dingaya village with a sheep strongly suspected to be stolen. The PPRO added that when search was conducted at the house of the suspect, one locally made pistol was recovered. ”When interrogated, the suspect alleged to have bought the pistol for 30,000 from one Usman of Nasarawa Egon LGA in Nasarawa State. “The suspect further revealed that he and Usman belong to a syndicate that specialised in armed robbery, motorcycle snatching and other atrocities in Nasarawa State,” he said. Shi’isu said that another suspect, aged 35 and resident of Danmasara village, was arrested on Monday for alleged vandalism. He said that the suspect was arrested after the police received a report that he was seen vandalising street light cables at high Hypro area of Dutse municipal. “On receipt of the report, a team of policemen rushed to the scene and arrested the suspect and on interrogation, the suspect, who happened to be a habitual criminal made a confessional statement on the offence,” he said. He also said that two other suspects, who resides in Katoge area of Kazaure LGA, were arrested on Monday too for alleged trespass and theft. He said the suspects allegedly conspired and trespassed into the residence of one Usaman Abdullahi of same area and stole property worth N3.5 million. He listed the items stolen by the suspects to include two television sets, three rugs, hand bag, two prayer mats, three bags of rice, six sets of cloth, shoe and solar panel charger, inverter battery and 25mm cable. “Upon receipt of the complaint from the victim, a team of policemen visited the scene and conducted search, which led to some of the stolen property been recovered in an uncompleted building close to the complainant’s house. Also, when search was conducted at the two suspect respective houses, a female handbag and one bag containing two praying mat were recovered,” he said. The PPRO added that when interrogated, the suspects confessed to committing of the offence. He said that all the suspects would be charged to court upon completion of discreet investigation. (NAN)

[wordexpress]

MP: Political row erupts after two government officials participate in RSS event

The opposition party’s Rajya Sabha member and senior advocate Vivek Tankha demanded that the Election Commission of India keep such leaders away from preparations of the Assembly polls.

Bhopal: A political controversy has erupted in assembly poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, over the participation of two government officials in a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) program in Satna district.

The controversy erupted after a picture of Satna district collector Anurag Verma and Satna municipal commissioner Rajesh Shahi participating in a traditional RSS prayer alongside RSS and BJP leaders on the concluding day of Sangh’s training camp on June 11 went viral recently.

While the opposition Congress leaders, including Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha have demanded that such officials be kept away from the preparations for the year-end MP Assembly polls, the BJP has defended the presence of the two government officials at the RSS event, saying neither is it unconstitutional nor does it violate any code of conduct.

Tweeting the picture of the two government officials participating in the RSS program and saluting the ruling BJP’s parent outfit’s flag, the state Congress’s media wing head KK Mishra said on Tuesday, “It can’t be expected that such officials will perform their duty without any bias in the assembly polls. Their behaviour is against the conduct meant for civil servants. We’ll make a complaint to the Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training.”

The opposition party’s Rajya Sabha member and senior advocate Vivek Tankha demanded that the Election Commission of India keep such leaders away from preparations of the Assembly polls.

However, responding to Congress’s barbs, the state BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal said there was no violation of the code of conduct by the officials. “Taking part in an RSS event is not illegal or unconstitutional and doesn’t violate the code of conduct. The RSS, which works under constitutional arrangements, is a democratic, social and cultural organisation,” Agrawal said.

Importantly, in April 2003, the then Digvijaya Singh-led Congress government banned state government employees from taking part in RSS activities/programmes, treating it as a violation of the state civil services (conduct) rules 1965.

However, three years later, in August 2006, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government, ended the restrictions imposed on state government employees from participating in RSS activities.

Twelve years later, the Congress in its 2018 assembly polls manifesto, had mentioned that “RSS shakhas will not be allowed in the government premises and the government order allowing government officials and employees to attend the shakhas too will be scrapped.”

But even after coming to power in December 2018, the Kamal Nath-led Congress government fell in March 2020, paving the passage for another Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in the state.

[irvinenewshq]

ANC Gert Sibande District deputy chair shot lifeless at Mpumalanga petrol station

ANC Reginal Deputy Chairperson and Mkhondo Municipality Public Relations councilor within the Gert Sibande District, Muzi Manyathi was shot and killed at a petroleum station. The ANC’s Gert Sibande District deputy chairperson, Muzi Manyathi, has been shot lifeless. Manyathi was killed at a petroleum station in Mkhondo, Mpumalanga on Friday night time. No arrests have been made. Regional deputy chairperson of the ANC within the Gert Sibande District, Muzi Manyathi, was shot lifeless at a petroleum station in Mkhondo at about 18:30 on Friday. Manyathi was additionally a PR councillor within the Mkhondo Native Municipality. In response to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli, two males in a Mercedes-Benz have been seen shifting from one gas pump to a different with out refilling whereas Manyathi was shopping for one thing from the kiosk.  He added:  One male occupant got here out of the mentioned automobile, armed with a firearm, and allegedly shot the sufferer a number of instances at shut vary. The suspects then fled the scene [in] the mentioned automobile. Piet Retief police and paramedics have been alerted however Manyathi was lifeless by the point they arrived on the scene. No arrests have been made. The automobile was discovered deserted subsequent to a dam. Mdhluli mentioned preliminary investigation indicated that the automobile’s registration plates weren’t genuine and that the automobile had been reported stolen in April 2022 in Brakpan, Gauteng. A homicide case has been opened. In the meantime, the Mpumalanga ANC has since known as for the swift arrest of the perpetrators. In a media assertion, provincial secretary Muzi Chirwa mentioned “it was with nice unhappiness and shock to be taught of the brutal killing of the Gert Sibande regional deputy chairperson, Comrade Muzi Manyathi.”  “We’re calling on all ANC members to train restraint and permit the regulation enforcement companies to carry out their duties with none hindrances,” Chirwa added. The social gathering additionally conveyed its condolences to the Manyathi household.  READ | Mpumalanga ANC condemns former presidents and violence in BGMs “Our prayers are with them on this troublesome time of grief and mourning. We need to ship a robust message that our revolution can’t be derailed by cowardly, mindless and barbaric people who find themselves killing our members and leaders.” Earlier within the week, Chirwa lamented infighting when the social gathering’s branches couldn’t nominate candidates to contest positions within the nationwide government committee in December as a result of members have been attacking each other. Though Manyathi’s dying has not been cited on account of the infighting, the ANC known as on members to desist from utilizing violence to settle political variations. Manyathi, an in depth ally of Mpumalanga ANC secretary, Chirwa, was elected Gert Sibande deputy chairperson in April after defeating Zakes Masilela. Originally published at Irvine News HQ

[96thdayofrage]

Earlier this month, the House passed legislation that decriminalizes weed. It will likely need a hope and a whole lot of prayers to get the support of conservative Republicans in the Senate who are relentless about blocking any legislation that stands to benefit people of color.

African Americans are currently nearly four times more likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana in the United States. But they have yet to profit from the money that can be made as states and municipalities make the business of marijuana legal.

A 2017 study found that white people represented 81 percent of marijuana business owners in the United States, 5.7 percent were Hispanic, 4.3 percent were Black and 2.4 percent were Asian. But HBCUs across the country are trying to arm more Black people with the education and skills they need to get into the game.

In 2020, Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA became the first HBCU to launch its own THC medical cannabis. Their AYO products were born out of a partnership with PA-based medical marijuana company, Ilera Holistic Healthcare. Clark Atlanta University launched a Certificate in Regulatory Affairs for Cannabis Control program in 2019. The online curriculum outlines the legal, social, and ethical impact of cannabis legalization. And program participants learn from experts in law enforcement, public health and government.

Florida A&M’s Medical Marijuana Education Research Initiative educates Florida’s minority communities on medical and recreational marijuana. They’ve also funded research around successful Black entrepreneurs in the medical marijuana industry. Meanwhile, Tuskegee, North Carolina A&T, and Delaware State have introduced hemp research programs that focus on learning more about ideal varieties and growing conditions for hemp plants in their states.

University presidents hope their initiatives will inspire others to get into the game and allow Blacks to gain a larger share of the cannabis industry. “This is an exciting time for healthcare and business here in the state of Louisiana, and Southern University is honored to be a part of it all,” Southern University System President Ray L. Belton said in a statement announcing their AYO product launch. “We look forward to advancing this vision and serving as a model for other universities.”

[theamericanhui]

OFFICIAL XI’AN LOCKDOWN: DAY 1

(Clarification: I have already been on semi-lockdown for 6 days, but last night at midnight was when the full red alert citywide lockdown started)

I’m doing fine. Woke up this morning, did Fajr prayer, checked in with my ex-partner to see how her mental health was doing. Had breakfast of dumplings and a Monster energy drink. Went down to the campus athletic field to get nucleic tested. Now sitting around in my sweatpants and a ratty t-shirt reading a historical mystery novel, because I haven’t read a work of fiction in about a year. Will probably listen to a lot of industrial later.

I honestly am not worried about a prolonged period of doing nothing. I just finished a semester of intense teaching and ended a relationship with a partner who was pushing me to become a workaholic like her and would pitch a fit if I took time for self-care, so being a NEET hikkikomori for 3-4 weeks is okay by me, I fucking earned it. THANK YOU XI’AN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT FOR THIS MANDATED OPPORTUNITY TO BE A BUM.

Will write more later.

[venamexico]

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

by Itzel

Every country has customs and traditions that distinguish them from the rest of the world, and Mexico is no exception. Throughout the year, you will find festivities full of music, dance and color with deep meaning and strong cultural roots. Mexican traditions have survived the passage of time, some have been transformed, mixed with customs from other states or countries but rescuing and preserving their essence. Here is everything you need to know about the most popular Mexican traditions, which you should not miss.

‍1. Day of the Dead

If there is one thing that sets Mexico apart, it is the way we honor our dead. This tradition takes place on November 1 and 2 of each year. The Day of the Dead fills the streets of every city and municipality, and Mexican homes with color.

Honoring and showing respect to the dead is a custom that has been passed down from generation to generation. There are variations of this tradition in each region, such as the Hanal Pixan, a unique tradition in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Visiting the graves of the deceased, cleaning the tombs and decorating them with flowers are some of the traditions of this celebration, but without a doubt, one of the most outstanding customs is to place an altar that welcomes the deceased who visit us on these dates.

During these dates you can find great cultural richness and taste the special food of the country.

‍2. La Guelaguetza in Oaxaca

La Guelaguetza, also known as ¨Los lunes del Cerro¨, is the most important holiday in Oaxaca. This is a celebration full of music, color and joy, which takes place on the two Mondays following July 16th.

The Guelaguetza, with religious origins, began as an indigenous celebration dedicated to Centéotl, the goddess of tender corn. After the Spanish Conquest, this celebration became a Catholic rite performed in honor of the Virgen del Carmen.

The Guelaguetza gathers representatives from the eight regions of Oaxaca, who take the Cerro Fortín to perform their traditional dances, typical costumes and great gastronomic variety.

Over the years, the Guelaguetza has become more popular, extending its festivities with activities that satisfy all tastes. Cultural events, dances, gastronomic demonstrations and concerts by artists of the moment are some of the activities you can enjoy.

Some of the dances that are performed on the Lunes de Cerro are the Sones Serranos, the Jarabe Mixteco, the Danza de la Pluma, the Sandunga and the Danza Flor de Piña.

3. The Papantla Flyers

The Papantla Flyers are known all over the world. Their dance takes place in the city of Papantla, Veracruz but it is not the only region where it is performed.

This ritual dates back to pre-Hispanic times and although it has been modified over time, it retains its original meaning.From the beginning this event is part of the merit rituals, in which they sought to obtain prosperity and a long life.

The ritual begins when the leader of the dancers goes into the forest in search of the best tree to perform the dance.It is necessary to clean the land so that when the tree falls, its structure is not damaged. Once on the ground, the branches and foliage are removed to leave only the trunk.

The final part of the ritual is the well-known descent of the dancers suspended from a rope. This dance is an ancestral tradition that will undoubtedly surprise you.

‍4. Dance of the Parachicos in Chiapas

From January 8 to 23, the largest celebration in Chiapa de Corzo is held. The dance of the Parachicos was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

The most striking aspect of this festival is that you can see the dancers dressed in embroidered shawls, sarapes and colored ribbons, wooden masks and carrying tin rattles called chinchines which they play during the dances.

As in all the customs and traditions of Mexico, the best traditional dishes and drinks cannot be missed.

‍5. Parade of Alebrijes in CDMX

It is a recently created event which has had an excellent acceptance. The Alebrijes Parade has been held since 2007 and is organized by the Museum of Popular Art with the help of several institutions.

Albrijes are an icon of Mexican culture and have their origin in the early 20th century. The artist Pedro Linares, who was famous for his ability to create carnival masks and other paper mache works, became ill with a fever that caused him to have many vivid dreams bringing these unique and colorful figures to life.

The parade starts in the Zócalo of the city and you will be able to admire paper mache figures, painted in brilliant colors, up to 4 meters high. The parade can look like a carnival when accompanied by musicians, clowns, costumed people and more.

At the end of the parade the figures are displayed in the Paseo de la Reforma. Afterwards, the alebrijes are judged and prizes are awarded to the artisans.

‍6. Carnival of Veracruz‍

Although this festivity takes place in many regions of the country, the carnival of Veracruz stands out for being the most famous in Latin America after the one in Rio de Janeiro.

Some of the events are the coronation of the carnival kings, which takes place in the city's zocalo, and the "Quema del Mal humor" (burning of the bad mood), which starts the festivities.

During the 9 days that this celebration lasts you will be able to admire how the streets of the city are filled with color and joy. There are parades of floats decorated with unique designs that will surprise you and are accompanied by dancers who wear colorful costumes.

The city is full of visitors who travel from other parts of the country willing to enjoy the joyful Jarocho atmosphere. To conclude the festivities, on the ninth day, the burial of Juan Carnaval takes place.

‍7. Holy Week‍

Holy Week, also known as Semana Mayor, is one of the best known religious celebrations in Mexico. This is the most important time for the Catholic community.

In spite of being a religious celebration, it is considered a national holiday, so it is common to see activities suspended at many levels of school, government and private areas.

This holiday period is considered one of the best times of the year to go on vacation with family and friends.

In the Catholic liturgical calendar, Lenten starts on February 14, on Ash Wednesday and ends on March 29, on MaundyThursday. In Mexico, religious processions and celebrations are the results of syncretism between ancient cultures and the Spanish. The mortification, sacrifice, and physical pain that take place during some of the representations of the Way of the Cross are used to express repentance, redemption, and fulfill promises.

8. Independence Day ‍

Every year on September 16, Mexicans around the world celebrate Mexico's independence. It is one of the traditions that best represent the pride of being Mexican, and that is why every September is called the month of the nation.

On the night of September 15, Mexicans gather in the zocalo of each city or in their homes. Outside the country, Mexicans in different parts of the world do not let this day go by and they also gather to celebrate.

The main event of the night is the famous ¨Grito of Independencia¨ simulating what Father Hidalgo did on September 16, 1810. The President of the Republic is in charge of making this representation at a national level and in each city and municipality it is replicated by the rulers in turn.

During this celebration you will be able to enjoy the traditional Mexican food stands, mariachi music, concerts by artists of different genres and, of course, the fireworks shows cannot be missed.

9. Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe‍

In Mexico, the Catholic religion is deeply rooted in our culture. The celebrations around the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe start the December festivities known as the Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon.

The celebration takes place on December 12 as it is the date of the last apparition of the Virgin to San Juan Diego on the Tepeyac hill, according to Catholic belief.

On December 11, at 6:45 p.m., the celebrations begin with serenades and other tributes. At 12:00 am musicians and artists sing the traditional "mañanitas" to the Virgin.

During the day the churches and parishes see a great influx of people to attend the scheduled masses. In several places in the country, thousands of people go on pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

‍10. The Posadas‍

The posadas take place from December 16th to 24th. They are one of the most beautiful traditions in Mexico.

During the 9 days of the posadas, prayers are said and each one has a different meaning: humility, strength, detachment, charity, trust, justice, purity, joy and generosity.

By custom, a house is designated as the host for each day, and neighbors and family members organize to carry out these activities. After the prayers you can enjoy a conviviality where food and drink are offered to those attending and they can break the traditional piñata.

In the posadas, it is customary for participants to blindfold themselves to break the piñata, which is made of baked clay or cardboard and is decorated with colorful paper mache.

Today, piñatas accompany all kinds of festivities and are not limited only to the posadas.

11. Epiphany or Three Wise Men's Day‍

It is a religious holiday celebrated in Mexico on January 6 to commemorate the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem to worship the baby Jesus.

Don't miss out on the wide variety of bagels that are baked: try the different types of fillings and toppings that you will love.

The rosca de reyes hides inside one or more plastic dolls representing the baby Jesus. The custom dictates that whoever finds one of these dolls must present the baby Jesus in church and invite his family and friends to eat tamales on February 2nd, better known as La Candelaria's day.

[seat-safety-switch]

I think everyone has a nice heartwarming childhood story of playing in an abandoned field. Behind my house, as a kid, there was a disused railroad track. Although the railway folks would come out and whipper-snipper the weeds off it once a year so as to pretend they still had rights to it, I never once saw anything resembling a train roll down those rails. On the other side of those tracks, near enough that you could just barely see it from our kitchen window if you stood on a chair, was the Field.

Looking back on it now, as an adult, I understand now that the Field was a piece of property in the midst of a dispute over its ambiguous ownership. The municipality thought that they had zoned it into their original incorporation, and was just letting it sit until they needed the land for a post office, playground, nano-nuke reactor, fire station, mortuary, or graveyard. Normal small-town stuff.

A different fellow, a dude named Big Chuck who owned an impressively large yard right next to the Field, was convinced that he himself owned it because of the drunken crayon scrawl that accompanied his original land title declaration in the 70s. Neither party wanted to actually do anything with the land, you see, so they let it sit while continuing to execute the rural municipality equivalent of two mean girls subtweeting each other. In the meantime, the rest of the town tossed their oversized garbage in the lot rather than pay disposal fees down at the transfer station.

Now, in the defence of literally everyone I grew up with, there were a lot of reasons that we wanted to dodge giving any money to the nice folks at the transfer station. Depending on who you asked in town, they were either Big Government Communists or at least useless apparatchiks who were charging us money for something that should have been included in our municipal taxes somewhere. My father, however, was simply offended that once you threw something away at the transfer station, the thugs guarding it would never let you take anything out. Liability, they said.

That's not the way things used to work, he explained to me once at three in the morning as we cut through the fence to an electrical substation one town over. Back when he was my age, you could ride your bicycle up to the unguarded junk pile, root through it all day, and take a half-broken tube radio back home to fix up. Of course, I understood then (as I do now) that the real problem is that my fellow townsfolk are filthy animals, and given the chance, they would throw a bunch of shit all over the place while digging like raccoons through the pile of crap because they thought Sally Jessy Raphael was telling them in a secret code that the pile contained solid gold bars.

That's what the Field was. A giant pile of shit, strewn absolutely everywhere, in terrible condition, but it was unguarded. My father's childhood experience would become my experience, albeit changed just a little bit. On weekends, I would sneak across the tracks and root through it myself. I never really found anything great, but I had a lot of fun evenings pushing stained mattresses, dog-eaten couches and discarded sheets of fibreglass insulation out of the way in order to see if the Junk Gods had answered my prayers and driven someone to chuck out a mouldy PlayStation or something, so I could stop playing in some weirdo's fucking backyard.

[apexart-journal]

Ann Quintano in NYC, Day 10

Took the bus down to City Hall to meet with John, our tour guide for a tour over Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo. When I was here last week the City Hall Park was closed so it was nice to see it open on this Summer Day!

City Hall as seen through the park.It is the oldest city hall in the US that still houses government.

The walk over the Brooklyn Bridge was glorious. But the information and anecdotes and history all along fascinating and rich. Who would have thought that the woman who modeled for the gold statue atop the municipal building was a supermodel and that she was so beautiful a number of  statues in the city used her as a model. But her beauty was her downfall. Her landlord was so enamored of her that he killed his wife in hopes of marrying the beautiful model Audrey Munson. He was found guilty and sentenced to death and the scandal destroyed her. She attempted suicide and a number of years later was committed to an asylum where she died and buried in an unmarked grave. Now that’s the stuff of Greenwood cemetery tragedies!!!

The Brooklyn Bridge as seen in Dumbo.

We had a wonderful tour of the lovely brownstones and low-rise apartment building...especially important Plymouth Church and Preacher Beecher....we passed the Jane Street Carousel and Empire Stores these wonderful old warehouses given new life.

Isn’t this a great building?

I then walked down to the Brooklyn Navy Yards worried if I’d find my way or make it on time (the endless little anxieties to plague and help keep me on my toes and uncomfortable enough to open up and expand!) Got there successfully to view Elegy: A self-guided Meditation on a Pandemic Year. I don’t have the ability to do the audio tour but I spoke at some length to the creator. This is a photo silk prayer flag that reflects light and movement of air  and shadows it “acts as a quiet commentary on the tremendous loss of life in the pandemic year 2020″. There are two floors on which you can stand on a bridgeway to view and the artist takes a picture of you shadowed onto the prayer flag. If you look hard at the photo she sent me of myself behind the flag, perhaps you can see the image. It was a moving experience to see your own silhouetted shadow against the prayer flag standing there amid such loss of life.

Instead of the train I took the ferry back. Another perfect day for it and then it was on to an appointment (virtual) with the family history center. My sister in law has done much research as has my brother in law so much of the information was familiar to me but....I discovered my great great grandmother was born in France!  I knew I had French in me (thanks to Ancestry) but never knew from whence it originated. Her middle name was Ann and her daughter was named Annie and that is the relative after whom my Mother named me.  I only knew about my Italian and English side so this was kind of neat.

Well, tonight is a Retrospective: commemorating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month. So particularly important these days. Am looking forward to it. (A virtual event) Bye for now...

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Millions of hungry Americans turn to food banks for 1st time (AP) Hunger is a harsh reality in the richest country in the world. Even during times of prosperity, schools hand out millions of hot meals a day to children, and desperate elderly Americans are sometimes forced to choose between medicine and food. Now, in the pandemic of 2020, with illness, job loss and business closures, millions more Americans are worried about empty refrigerators and barren cupboards. Food banks are doling out meals at a rapid pace and an Associated Press data analysis found a sharp rise in the amount of food distributed compared with last year. Meanwhile, some folks are skipping meals so their children can eat and others are depending on cheap food that lacks nutrition. Those fighting hunger say they’ve never seen anything like this in America, even during the Great Recession of 2007-2009. The first place many Americans are finding relief is a neighborhood food pantry, most connected to vast networks of nonprofits. Tons of food move each day from grocery store discards and government handouts to warehouse distribution centers, and then to the neighborhood charity. An AP analysis of Feeding America data from 181 food banks in its network found the organization has distributed nearly 57 percent more food in the third quarter of the year, compared with the same period in 2019.

Covid Nomads (WSJ) Alan Frei lives the life of a backpacker. That is, all 62 of his belongings fit into a single backpack, which he carries with him as he travels and lives in different cities around the world—a total of 53 countries over the past three years. The 38-year-old Swiss entrepreneur in October got rid of his apartment near Zurich and all his furniture. Items he kept include his watch, a toothbrush, seven pairs of underwear, and sunglasses. Mr. Frei is an extreme version of a digital nomad, a person with no fixed address, who lives and works while traveling the globe. Today, their ranks are small, but they could become more common in the years ahead. “There will definitely be more digital nomads,” says Nicholas Bloom, professor of economics at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Before the pandemic, only about 2% of Americans worked from home full-time, Mr. Bloom says, but he expects that will rise to about 8% to 10% of workers. If just 10% of them travel and work remotely, that will still be enormous, he says. Scott Cohen, a professor at the University of Surrey’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, expects more countries will cater visa and tourism programs to digital nomads, as they seek an alternative to the standard business travel market. Chekitan S. Dev, a professor at Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business, School of Hotel Administration, says the trend was first driven by millennials; now older millennials are taking their families with them when they move around. By normalizing remote work and school, the pandemic has supercharged a trend. In the future, digital nomads may be middle-aged, rent or own homes for less time, want to go to more exotic destinations and move more quickly between destinations.

California Water Futures Begin Trading Amid Fear of Scarcity (Bloomberg) Water joined gold, oil and other commodities traded on Wall Street, highlighting worries that the life-sustaining natural resource may become scarce across more of the world. Farmers, hedge funds and municipalities alike are now able to hedge against—or bet on—future water availability in California, the biggest U.S. agriculture market and world’s fifth-largest economy. The contracts, a first of their kind in the U.S., were announced in September as heat and wildfires ravaged the U.S. West Coast and as California was emerging from an eight-year drought. They are meant to serve both as a hedge for big water consumers, such as almond farmers and electric utilities, against water prices fluctuations as well a scarcity gauge for investors worldwide. “Climate change, droughts, population growth, and pollution are likely to make water scarcity issues and pricing a hot topic for years to come,” said RBC Capital Markets managing director and analyst Deane Dray.

‘It’s a free-for-all’: how hi-tech spyware ends up in the hands of Mexico’s cartels (The Guardian) Corrupt Mexican officials have helped drug cartels in the country obtain state-of-the-art spyware which can be used to hack mobile phones, according to a senior DEA official. As many as 25 private companies—including the Israeli company NSO Group and the Italian firm Hacking Team—have sold surveillance software to Mexican federal and state police forces, but there is little or no regulation of the sector—and no way to control where the spyware ends up, said the officials. “It’s a free-for-all,” the official told the Cartel Project, an initiative coordinated by Forbidden Stories, a global network of investigative journalists whose mission is to continue the work of reporters who are threatened, censored or killed. “The police who have the technology would just sell it to the cartels.” [And then the cartels would use it against their enemies or those investigating them.] The nexus between state and criminal forces has fuelled a wave of targeted violence which have made Mexico the most dangerous country for journalists in the world, outside a war zone. At least 119 media workers have been killed in Mexico since 2000, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the inevitable fear for reporters is that surveillance could lead to more tangible dangers.

Pope makes surprise early morning prayer visit in rainy Rome (AP) Pope Francis on Tuesday made a surprise early morning visit to the Spanish Steps in Rome to pray for people worldwide struggling in the pandemic. With rain falling and dawn breaking, Francis popped up in the square at the foot of the Spanish Steps at 7 a.m. (0600 GMT), two hours after the end of Italy’s overnight curfew. Before heading back to Vatican City, where he resides in a hotel, Francis stopped to pray some more and celebrate Mass in St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome. Early in the pandemic, Francis made a similar pop-up visit to a little-frequented church in the heart of downtown Rome to pray, startling the few Romans who were in the area during exceptionally tight lockdown measures. In separate, written comments, Francis stressed the need for all to have employment when the world emerges from the pandemic. “How can we speak of human dignity without working to ensure that everyone is able to earn a decent living?” the pope wrote. He urged people to “find ways to express our firm conviction that no person, no person at all, no family should be without work.” As he has previously during the pandemic, the pope praised what he called the “ordinary people” who have kept the world functioning as it reels under the strain of the global pandemic. He cited those providing essential services—health care workers and shopkeepers, cleaners and caregivers and “so very many others.”

The Kremlin Is Offering Russians Free Vaccines, but Will They Take Them? (NYT) Aleksei Zakharov, a Moscow economics professor, got the Russian coronavirus vaccine injected into his upper arm over the weekend. Getting the shot was an easy decision, he said—not because the Russian government said it was safe, but because scores of Russians have shared their experience with it on social media. “I trust the grass roots collection of information far more, of course, than what the state says, at least before the testing results are available and published in a medical journal,” Mr. Zakharov, 44, said in a telephone interview Monday, already clear of a mild fever—a side-effect of the vaccine. Russia made its coronavirus vaccine available for free in recent days to teachers, medical workers and social-service employees younger than 61 in Moscow. But even more than in the West, a lack of trust is hobbling Russia’s rollout of a vaccine: the country’s scientists may well have made great strides in battling the pandemic, but many Russians are not ready to believe it. That distrust looms large as Russia races to roll out the vaccine while facing the fiercest onslaught of the pandemic yet, with some 500 deaths per day.

Mt Everest grows by nearly a metre to new height (BBC) The world’s highest mountain Mount Everest is 0.86m higher than had been previously officially calculated, Nepal and China have jointly announced. Until now the countries differed over whether to add the snow cap on top. The new height is 8,848.86m (29,032 ft). Everest stands on the border between China and Nepal and mountaineers climb it from both sides. Officials at Nepal’s foreign ministry and department of survey said surveyors from both countries had co-ordinated to agree on the new height.

China condemns new US Hong Kong sanctions, Taiwan arms sale (AP) China on Tuesday lashed out at the U.S. over new sanctions against Chinese officials and the sale of more military equipment to Taiwan. The U.S. actions are part of what critics see as an effort by the Trump administration to put in place high-pressure tactics toward Beijing that could make it more difficult for President-elect Joe Biden to steady relations. The Cabinet’s office for Hong Kong affairs expressed “strong outrage and condemnation” over the sanctions leveled against 14 members of the standing committee of China’s legislature, which passed a sweeping Hong Kong National Security Law earlier this year. Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, meanwhile, demanded the U.S. cancel its latest arms sale to Taiwan and said China would make a “proper and necessary response.” President Donald Trump’s administration has incensed Beijing with 11 separate arms sales and closer military and political ties with the self-governing island democracy that Beijing claims as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary. China has stepped up military flights near the island and pledged to punish U.S. companies involved in the arms deals in response.

Libya’s east-based forces seize Turkish-owned vessel (AP) Forces of a Libyan commander who rules the eastern half of the country and who was behind a year-long military attempt to capture the capital, Tripoli, have seized a Turkish vessel heading to the western town of Misrata. The development by Khalifa Hifter’s forces could escalate tensions in the conflict-stricken Libya, since Turkey is the main foreign backer of Hifter’s rivals, the U.N.-backed administration in Tripoli, in western Libya. Hifter’s forces stopped the Jamaica-flagged cargo vessel, Mabrouka, on Monday off the eastern port town of Derna, said Ahmed al-Mosmari, the spokesman for Hifter’s forces. Al-Mosmari said the vessel entered a “no sail” zone and did not respond to calls from the naval forces. It’s the second Turkish-owned vessel seized by Hifter’s forces this year, according to Ambrey Intelligence, a British private maritime intelligence firm. In 2020, Hifter’s forces have seized at least six ships.

[felipeandletizia]

Felipe & Letizia’s decade: Trips Abroad

F&L Decade 59/??

King Felipe and Queen Letizia paid a State Visit to France between June 2 and 4, 2015. Accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García-Margallo. Don Felipe and Doña Letizia left for Paris from Terminal T-4 of the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport, where the official farewell took place, in which the National Anthem was performed and the King reviewed the troops.

Upon arrival at Orly's Paris Airport, the Kings were received by the Spanish Ambassador to France, Ramón de Miguel; the French Ambassador to Spain, Jerome Bonnafont and the Secretary of State for European Affairs of the French Government, Harlem Désir.

Next, Their Majesties the Kings headed, escorted by a squad of motorcyclists of the Republican Guard, to the Arc de Triomphe where the official reception by the President of the French Republic, François Hollande, took place; representing the Government of the French Republic, the Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Ségolène Royal and the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. After the interpretation of the National Anthems, Don Felipe and President Hollande reviewed the troops that were honoring them and in front of the grave of the unknown soldier they made a floral offering. Subsequently, a prayer took place, a moment of silence, and the hymn to the unknown soldier was performed.

After the ceremony, Their Majesties the Kings, headed to the Elysee Palace with an honor escort of 146 horses, where Don Felipe held a meeting with the President of the French Republic, in which the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs was also present and the general director of Bilateral Relations with Countries of the European Union, Candidate Countries and Countries of the European Economic Area. During the meeting, Don Felipe recalled all those who died in the aviation accident in the Alps and appreciated France's efforts in the rescue and care of the victims' families. They also addressed bilateral relations in the economic, political, security and cultural fields, and as partners with common interests in the European Union.

In the afternoon, Their Majesties the Kings visited the Grand Palais, where accompanied by President Hollande, the French Minister of Culture and Communication, Fleur Pellerin and the French winners with the Princess of Asturias Awards, they toured the Exhibition “Velázquez and the triumph of Spanish painting ”. The Grand Palais and the Louvre, producers of the exhibition in collaboration with the Viennese Art History Museum and the support of the Prado Museum, where a remarkable group of the work of the Sevillian master is concentrated, of which they are only preserved in the world just over a hundred oils. Until next July 13, Paris will bring together 119 works, of which around one hundred oils, of which "between 55 and 60 are by Velázquez" and the rest of great Spanish, Flemish and Italian painters.

Later, at the Grand Hotel Intercontinental, His Majesty the King held a meeting with the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Ángel Gurría, in which the Chief Ambassador of the Permanent Delegation of Spain was present to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

At night, in the Marigny Palace next to the Elysée Palace, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia imposed the decorations on French authorities and officials in recognition of their work on the occasion of the Germanwings air tragedy. Subsequently, they moved to the Elysée Palace where the State Dinner was held by His Excellency the President of the French Republic in honor of Their Majesties the Kings.

During his speech, Don Felipe stressed that “France and Spain are two nations with a great historical record. We have decisively contributed to European and universal culture and civilization; and we still have much more to say and to contribute in all areas of human activity. We have learned, after centuries of conflicts and alliances, of rivalries and approximations, that when we act in concert and in close understanding, our societies benefit the most and we promote better and more effectively the progress of the European ideal and the progress of Humanity."

On June 3, Felipe and Letizia visited Paris’ Town Hall accompanied by the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo; the First Deputy Mayor of the Paris City Council, Bruno Julliard and his Councilor in charge of International Relations, Patrick Klugman, as well as the Director of International Relations of the Cabinet of the Mayor of Paris, Aurelien Lechevallier.

Subsequently, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia had the opportunity to speak with the municipal corporation and the Spanish official delegation, before setting off for the Petit Luxembourg Palace, residence of the President of the Senate where, after receiving honors, Don Felipe, accompanied by Doña Letizia, held a meeting with the President of the Senate, Geràrd Larcher, in which he was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García-Margallo and our ambassador in the French capital, Ramón de Miguel, as well as by the President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and the Armed Forces, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, on the French side.

At noon, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia held a luncheon at the Matignon Palace offered by the Prime Minister of the French Republic, Manuel Valls, in honor of Their Majesties the Kings and in which Don Felipe spoke a few words, which he began in French, to express to the French Prime Minister and Mrs. de Valls their thanks and that of Her Majesty the Queen for such a warm welcome.

Don Felipe, in allusion to terrorism and the fanaticism that this entails, stressed once again that "that Europe that we want should be a Europe of the rule of law, a social Europe, a Europe open to the world, a united, solid and united Europe "may" banish the fanaticisms that have confronted it. " "In short, a Europe of Freedom," he concluded.

His Majesty the King particularly highlighted "our common European vocation", that is why he stressed that "the Queen and I are here, on this our first State Visit, to underline how important France is to Spain, to thank the French Government, To the President of the Republic and Prime Minister Señor Valls, how much we value the efforts they make to always improve our relationships."

Don Felipe also referred to the bilateral relations between the two countries, to state that "our history of such a long neighborhood is full of common projects and human relations that make our countries fundamentally friendly and close."

Before His Majesty the King, the French Prime Minister, like the Mayor of Paris, addressed Don Felipe "as guarantor of the Unity of Spain", while assuring that "France without Spain is nothing".

At the end of lunch, already in the afternoon of the 3rd, and in what could be considered as the most significant act of the day, Their Majesties the Kings visited the Headquarters of the National Assembly, where after a meeting with the President of the Assembly Nacional, Claude Bartolone, Don Felipe addressed the Chamber composed of about 577 members. There, His Majesty the King, in a speech delivered entirely in French and with the memory of the presence of Don Juan Carlos in that same Chamber, addressed the deputies present to reaffirm that "in the face of aggression, Spain is and will be at your side in defense of the values ​​we share and which we solemnly and serenely reaffirm before those who seek to destroy them with terror, "with special emphasis on" honoring the victims,let us accompany their families and loved ones. And, above all, let's say loud and clear to the murderers: they will not bend us, they will not defeat us, they will never make us renounce who we are."

After his speech, received with applause by the plenary session of the deputies present at the National Assembly, Their Majesties the Kings attended a reception that took place next, in which they also greeted the members of the French government assistants and vice-presidents of the Assembly National.

Before the end of the day, Their Majesties the Kings received in audience Mrs. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, a meeting in which the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García-Margallo and the Ambassador Permanent Delegate were also present. from Spain at UNESCO, Juan Manuel de Barandica and Luxán.

A reception for a representation of the Spanish community residing in France, held at the residence of the Spanish Embassy in Paris, and which brought together some 400 Spaniards, closed the day today. Don Felipe acknowledged before this group of compatriots "having found your home here, being a bridge between our two societies, contributing to the enrichment, diversity and better understanding between France and Spain" and conveyed the gratitude of Spanish society and that of La Corona to all those young people who "have left Spain to carve out a professional future for you. I am aware of the sacrifice that comes from abandoning your loved ones to start a new life outside our borders.Your experience and knowledge constitute an incalculable asset to support the progress of our country, which we cannot and should not give up ", to conclude by thanking them" for the effort you are making. We share your dreams and your desires and celebrate your successes together."

On June 4, His Majesty the King, accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Juan Manuel García-Margallo, the Minister of Economy and Competitiveness, Luis de Guindos, and the Secretary of State for Commerce, Jaime García Legaz, held a working breakfast with French and Spanish businessmen, at the Residence of the Embassy of Spain. In his words, Don Felipe wanted to urge "increase cooperation between companies in our countries, launch joint projects and generate employment, these are the best services that, from your position, you can offer to Spain and France. I congratulate you on this and I thank you, once again, for having shared with us your reflections on the capacity of our countries and companies to attract and launch new projects that generate wealth and employment,for the benefit of the citizens of France and Spain. France - wanted to highlight His Majesty - the first commercial partner of Spain and, also, a great economic partner. The export character of our companies, in France and in the world, has been one of the keys to speeding up the overcoming of the crisis ".

Subsequently, Their Majesties visited the Cervantes Institute in Paris, where they were received by the director of the Cervantes Institutes in the World, Víctor García de la Concha, the Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of Spain in the French Republic, Francisco Elías de Tejada, and the director of the Cervantes Institute in Paris, Juan Manuel Bonet, where they held a meeting with prominent Hispanists. In his words, His Majesty the King wanted to emphasize that "it is the task of the French Hispanists, and of the Spanish students of the French reality, to contribute to a better understanding and a greater diffusion of these exchanges that have enriched our two societies at Throughout history, the challenge ahead is to pass that knowledge on to the younger generations of Spanish and French,so that the double flame that you carry continues to illuminate our past and illuminate our future. I am honored to greet you and tell you that Hispanicism needs you. The solid and venerable institutions on which French Hispanicism is based - concluded Don Felipe - prevent and are renewed thanks to the intellectual passion of all of you, to your demonstrated friendship towards our country and to your deep knowledge of our history and, also, of our present reality.to his demonstrated friendship towards our country and to his deep knowledge of our history and, also, of our present reality.to his demonstrated friendship towards our country and to his deep knowledge of our history and, also, of our present reality.

Afterwards, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia attended the Closing of the Spanish-French Economic Meeting at the Grand Hotel Intercontinental, where His Majesty the King, after the interventions of the Secretary of State for Commerce, Jaime García-Legaz, of the Secretary of State for European Affairs of the French government, Harlem Désir and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García-Margallo, spoke a few words to the attendees, where he wanted to highlight that "both in French and in Spanish, a company comes from undertaking, which is have ideas and try hard to put them into practice individually or with the help of others, in order to generate value, wealth, employment, and to build an always better future. Ideas, determination, hard work ..., that is what characterizes you to all of you entrepreneurs.With your vision and your success you contribute to the progress and well-being of the entire society. "He also wanted to praise that" the good progress of the French economy is a priority for Spain. In the globalized world we can no longer think or act in isolation. Cooperation between our companies and between our countries is an essential element of our progress, which is increasingly reflected in our projection in third markets. Our cooperation is essential also for the rest of Europe. Firstly, because an important part of our export to the rest of our continent, which is 60% of our global export, must cross France to reach its destination markets. For this reason, the improvement of our communications, land or sea, is a project not only Franco-Spanish,but authentically European. "

The official farewell from Orly airport ended the journey of their Majesties the Kings to the French Republic.

[prorevenge]

Small Norwegian gets even with IKEA

This little story of democratic revenge against an international retail chain took place in Norway recently.

Some years ago a certain swedish furniture retailer was looking into establishing a couple of new warehouses in Norway. Now, remember, the entire population of Norway is equivalent to a medium sized international big city, so this is not something IKEA does often. All in all I think there are about 5 IKEAs in the entire country. Two of them in Oslo.

Anyways, the swedish number crunchers put some demographic, geografic and economic key numbers in to their excell model, and came up with a recomendation for a couple alternative sweet spots to locate some new warehouses. And since they are wery much aware that many towns and municipalities would gladly sacrifice virgins and instate a mandatory morning prayer to Ingvar Kamprad in all public schools to secure the benevolence of the yellow and blue furniture church, they said so publicly.

Since an IKEA warehouse means lots of local jobs, tax income, and a general boost to the local economy, it had the desired effect: Municipalities mentioned as possible future IKEA locations startet dedicatet campaigns to make shure THEY would be the chosen spot.

In a small rural municipality a bit south of Oslo the local government did their job well: They changed the official regulations on a huge swat of land previously strictly regulatet for agriculture to acomodate IKEAs needs. IKEA had bought it and wanted to use it for their new warehouse. Yay! Rejoice!

A couple of years go by, not much happens, and then IKEA makes a new public anouncement: They have re-analyzed their business forecasts, and have decided not to build a new warehouse this close to Oslo. Economy is not as booming, tougher times ahead, etc., etc. BUT, at least they will capitalize on the property they have bought. Now that it is regulated for general busines purpose they can sell what is suddenly a wery attractive piece of property and net a very nice profit.

Some background here: It is generaly VERY hard to change the official regulation for agricultural land in Norway. Although we are a sparsely populated country we don't have an abundence of good farmland, so fields are protected by law. You even have to have a license to own farms over a certain size, and you are obliged to live there and use the fields for agricultural production. So getting a huge field regulated as general housing or busines lots means you have struck gold. If the field is located in an area wirh a genereal demand for buildable land the value can increase many tenfolds over night.

So, IKEA was expecting to sell business properties for about 200m NOK, that is roughly the equivalent of USD $30m. For a field they bought for an estimated $100.000...

Until the local municipal council in the span of a little less than a week decided unanimously that it would be vitaly important to the preservation of Norways agricultural capacity to regulate said field back to agricultural status.

Yup. Would be a shame to let all that fertile soil go to waste, you know.

And no, economic loss due to change of regulatory status is generaly NOT compensated in Norway. ;)

(source) story by (/u/coventars)

[creepingsharia]

Muslims Single Out, Execute Four Christians for Wearing Crosses in Northern Burkina Faso

Religion of Peace?

The violent persecution of Christians in Africa continues to rage on, the latest attack highlights the dire situation in the African country of Burkina Faso four Christians were executed in their village, singled out for wearing crosses that signified their faith in Christ.

According to Open Doors USA, a group that monitors persecution of Christians globally, the latest shocking attack happened June 27th when “unidentified armed men” entered a village.

Field workers from Open Doors USA who spoke with survivors say the militants “Told everyone to lie down and proceeded to look for Christians by asking for first names or looking for anyone wearing Christian insignia.”

According to Open Doors reports on the victims:

The deadly search yielded four men: David Zoungrana, his younger brother Philippe, Theophile Ouedraogo and Ernest Kassoaga. They were all wearing crosses. Contacts on the ground tell us that when they saw crosses, the assailants singled them out. All four were taken aside and executed.

Source: Open Doors USA

It’s tragic news that’s hard for Americans observing from half a world away to comprehend.

At this stage, we don’t know their ages or anything about the families David, Philippe, Theophile and Ernest left behind. Just that they followed Jesus—and their faith was part of them. They weren’t afraid to make a public statement of their belief in an area known internationally for its display of seven adobe mosques–six of which are built at the top of Bani’s main hill.

Before the terrorists left the village, they torched the shop that belonged to Zoungrana. Then they moved on to another village, Pougrenoma, also in the Bourzanga region. There, they warned residents against calling in any government officials or military forces, indicating they would return. They also told Christians to convert or risk execution.

NEW BURKINA FASO ATTACK BRINGS DEATH TOLL TO 27

The details of the latest attack are eerily similar to the onslaught of killings targeting Christians and churches in Burkina Faso this year. These latest murders bring the death toll of Christians killed in attacks since February to 27. In several attacks, including this one, the armed terrorists challenged Christians to convert or die.

Since February, extremist attacks on Christians and churches in Burkina Faso include:

The February 15 murder of a 72-year-old priest on the border at Nohao. He and two other priests walked into a jihadist attack at the post as they traveled from Togo.

The February 19 murder of a 54-year-old pastor on the road between Tasmakatt and Gorom-Gorom. Pastor Jean Sawadogo was killed on his way traveling to Gorom-Gorom. He left a widow and seven children.

The April 23 murder of a pastor near the main town of Arbinda in the Sahel.

The April 28 murder of six people at a church in the small town of Silgadji near Djibo in northern Burkina Faso. Suspected Islamic militants arrived on seven motorcycles around midday, towards the end of the service, and killed the 80-year-old pastor, his son, brother-in-law, a primary school teacher and two others. They were told to convert and when they refused, they were executed one by one.Pastor Pierre Ouedraogo left behind his wife and six other children. 

The May 12 killing of six people, including a priest, by gunmen who stormed a church in Dablo in northern Burkina Faso during worship. They burned down the church, shops, health center and other community buildings.

The May 13 execution of four believers in Singa, in the municipality of Zimtenga in the central north. The church members were bringing a statue of Mary back to their parish in Zimtenga when they were intercepted. The attackers let the children go before executing the four adults.

The May 26 murder of four worshipers during a church worship service in Toulfe.According to news agency Fides, eight heavily armed individuals arrived in the village around 9 a.m. on four motorcycles. They entered the church and shot dead three people. A fourth Christian died later as a result of wounds. An unknown number of people were injured. The attack came just as Open Doors workers returned from Burkina Faso with a call to urgent prayer for believers there.