#the son of the uae

[milivoyev]

Saša Milivojev - THE SON OF THE UAE

Saša Milivojev

THE SON OF THE UAE

To you my desert, I am returning, the land of happiness and serenity behold, the camel carries me towards the Sun, adorned with the hues of gold. Mother of noble heroes untold, Only you know how to forgive, Softly embrace, conceal a tear, Emirates, Mother, this life I have for you I'll give, and no other.

Here, where I have a sister and a brother, where all the doors are open for me, where Lilly blooms, as beautiful as can be, Emirates, the Heart of the world it's thee.

We'll fly on the wings of the hawk, we'll soar through all of the space and all time, embellish the stars with our flags, before we leave them behind, red, green, white and black will shine from Moon to Neptune and back. A flash of white kandoras, glistening so bright, angels, guardians, illumine like starlight, glistening, from Dubai, right up to the Skies, to Abu Dhabi, to paradise, to sisters abayas, as black as the night. to father's caress, where grows the seed of virtuousness, In the golden desert, thirsting for love, where the umbilical cord is breaking, where mother is always waiting, for the day, her son will return, from lands far and away, where Lilly blooms, as beautiful as can be, Emirates, the Soul of the world it's thee.  

Translated by Ljubica Yentl Tinska

SAŠA MILIVOJEV

萨沙•米利沃耶夫, Saşa Milivoyev, サーシャ・ミリヴォエフ, Sasha Milivoyev, साशा मिलीवोएव, Саша Миливойев, ساشا میلیوویف, Saša Milivojev, Σάσα Μιλιβόγιεφ, Sasa Milivojev, Sacha Milivoyév, Sascia Milivoev, Sasza Miliwojew, Sacha Milivoev, Sasha Milivojev, ሳሻ ሚሊቮዬቭ, Саша Миливоев, Саша Миливојев, ساشا ميليفويف

www.sasamilivojev.com

[rangpurcity]

Shahrukh Khan wept bitterly with the children in a closed room, told himself the pain, even Aryan-Suhana's tears did not stop

Shahrukh Khan wept bitterly with the children in a closed room, told himself the pain, even Aryan-Suhana’s tears did not stop

Mumbai. Shahrukh Khan’s film Pathan is going to release on January 25. The controversy that started regarding the film Pathan is not taking the name of stopping. Talks of banning the screening of the film are also coming to the fore in many states. Many difficulties have arisen for King Khan, who is returning to the screen after almost 4 years. During the promotion of his film Pathan, Shahrukh…

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Netflix wants to chop down your family tree

Netflix has unveiled the details of its new anti-password-sharing policy, detailing a suite of complex gymnastics that customers will be expected to undergo if their living arrangements trigger Netflix’s automated enforcement mechanisms:

https://thestreamable.com/news/confirmed-netflix-unveils-first-details-of-new-anti-password-sharing-measures

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/02/nonbinary-families/#red-envelopes

Netflix says that its new policy allows members of the same “household” to share an account. This policy comes with an assumption: that there is a commonly understood, universal meaning of “household,” and that software can determine who is and is not a member of your household.

This is a very old corporate delusion in the world of technology. In the early 2000s, I spent years trying to bring some balance to an effort at DVB, whose digital television standards are used in most of the world (but not the USA) when they rolled out CPCM, a DRM system that was supposed to limit video-sharing to a single household.

Their term of art for this was the “authorized domain”: a software-defined family unit whose borders were privately negotiated by corporate executives from media companies, broadcasters, tech and consumer electronics companies in closed-door sessions all around the world, with no public minutes or proceedings.

https://onezero.medium.com/the-internet-heist-part-iii-8561f6d5a4dc

These guys (they were nearly all guys) were proud of how much “flexibility” they’d built into their definition of “household.” For example, if you owned a houseboat, or a luxury car with seatback displays, or a summer villa in another country, the Authorized Domain would be able to figure out how to get the video onto all those screens.

But what about other kinds of families? I suggested that one of our test cases should be a family based in Manila: where the dad travels to remote provinces to do agricultural labor; the daughter is a nanny in California; and the son is doing construction work in the UAE. This suggestion was roundly rejected as an “edge case.”

Of course, this isn’t an edge case. There are orders of magnitude more people whose family looks like this than there are people whose family owns a villa in another country. Owning a houseboat or a luxury car makes you an outlier. Having an itinerant agricultural breadwinner in your family does not.

But everyone who is in the room when a cartel draws up a standard definition of what constitutes a household is almost certainly drawn from a pool that is more likely to have a summer villa than a child doing domestic work or construction labor half a world away. These weirdos, so dissimilar from the global majority, get to define the boxes that computers will shove the rest of the world into. If your family doesn’t look like their family, that’s tough: “Computer says no.”

One day at a CPCM meeting, we got to talking about the problem of “content laundering” and how the way to prevent it would be to put limits on how often someone could leave a household and join another one. No one, they argued, would ever have to change households every week.

I put my hand up and said, “What about a child whose divorced parents share custody of her? She’s absolutely going to change households every week.” They thought about it for a moment, then the rep from a giant IT company that had recently been convicted of criminal antitrust violations said, “Oh, we can solve that: we’ll give her a toll-free number to call when she gets locked out of her account.”

That was the solution they went with. If you are a child coping with the dissolution of your parents’ marriage, you will have the obligation to call up a media company every month — or more often — and explain that Mummy and Daddy don’t love each other any more, but can I please have my TV back?

I never forgot that day. I even wrote a science fiction story about it called (what else?) “Authorized Domain”:

https://craphound.com/news/2011/10/31/authorised-domain/

I think everyone understood that this was an absurd “solution,” but they had already decided that they were going to complete the seemingly straightforward business of defining a category like “household” using software, and once that train left the station, nothing was going to stop it.

This is a recurring form of techno-hubris: the idea that baseline concepts like “family” have crisp definitions and that any exceptions are outliers that would never swallow the rule. It’s such a common misstep that there’s a whole enre* called “Falsehoods Programmers Believe About ______”:

https://github.com/kdeldycke/awesome-falsehood

In that list: names, time, currency, birthdays, timezones, email addresses, national borders, nations, biometrics, gender, language, alphabets, phone numbers, addresses, systems of measurement, and, of course, families. These categories are touchstones in our everyday life, and we think we know what they mean — but then we try to define them, and the list of exceptions spirals out into a hairy, fractal infinity.

Historically, these fuzzy categorical edges didn’t matter so much, because they were usually interpreted by humans using common sense. My grandfather was born “Avrom Doctorovitch” (or at least, that’s one way to transliterate his name, which was spelled in a different alphabet, but which was also transliterating his first name from yet another alphabet). When he came to Canada as a refugee, his surname was anglicized to “Doctorow.” Other cousins are “Doctorov,” “Doctoroff,” and “Doktorovitch.”

Naturally, his first name could have been “Abraham” or “Abe,” but his first employer (a fellow Eastern European emigre) decided that was too ethnic and in sincere effort to help him fit in, he called my grandfather “Bill.” When my grandfather attained citizenship, his papers read “Abraham William Doctorow.” He went by “Abe,” “Billy,” “Bill,” “William,” “Abraham” and “Avrom.”

Practically, it didn’t matter that variations on all of these appeared on various forms of ID, contracts, and paperwork. His reparations check from the German government had a different variation from the name on the papers he used to open his bank account, but the bank still let him deposit it.

All of my relatives from his generation have more than one name. Another grandfather of mine was born “Aleksander,” and called “Sasha” by friends, but had his name changed to “Seymour” when he got to Canada. His ID was also a mismatched grab-bag of variations on that theme.

None of this mattered to him, either. Airlines would sell him tickets and border guards would stamp his passport and rental agencies would let him drive away in cars despite the minor variations on all his ID.

But after 9/11, all that changed, for everyone who had blithely trundled along with semi-matching names across their official papers and database entries. Suddenly, it was “computer says no” everywhere you turned, unless everything matched perfectly. There was a global rush for legal name-changes after 9/11 — not because people changed their names, but because people needed to perform the bureaucratic ritual necessary to have the name they’d used all along be recognized in these new, brittle, ambiguity-incinerating machines.

For important categories, ambiguity is a feature, not a bug. The fact that you can write anything on an envelope (including a direction to deliver the letter to the granny flat over the garage, not the front door) means that we don’t have to define “address” — we can leave it usefully hairy around the edges.

Once the database schema is formalized, then “address” gets defined too — the number of lines it can have, the number of characters each line can have, the kinds of characters and even words (woe betide anyone who lives in Scunthorpe).

If you have a “real” address, a “real” name, a “real” date of birth, all of this might seem distant to you. These “edge” cases — seasonal agricultural workers, refugees with randomly assigned “English” names — are very far from your experience.

That’s true — for now (but not forever). The “Shitty Technology Adoption Curve” describes the process by which abusive technologies work their way up the privilege gradient. Every bad technological idea is first rolled out on poor people, refugees, prisoners, kids, mental patients and other people who can’t push back.

Their bodies are used to sand the rough edges and sharp corners off the technology, to normalize it so that it can climb up through the social ranks, imposed on people with more and more power and influence. 20 years ago, if you ate your dinner under an always-on #CCTV, it was because you were in a supermax prison. Today, it’s because you bought a premium home surveillance system from Google, Amazon or Apple.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/29/impunity-corrodes/#arise-ye-prisoners

The Netflix anti-sharing tools are designed for rich people. If you travel for business and stay in the kind of hotel where the TV has its own Netflix client that you can plug your username and password into, Netflix will give you a seven-day temporary code to use.

But for the most hardcore road-warriors, Netflix has thin gruel. Unless you connect to your home wifi network every 31 days and stream a show, Netflix will lock out your devices. Once blocked, you have to “contact Netflix” (laughs in Big Tech customer service).

Why is Netflix putting the screws to its customers? It’s part of the enshittification cycle, where platform companies first allocate surpluses to their customers, luring them in and using them as bait for business customers. Once they turn up, the companies reallocate surpluses to businesses, lavishing them with low commissions and lots of revenue opportunities. And once they’re locked in, the company starts to claw back the surpluses for itself.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys

Remember when Netflix was in the business of mailing red envelopes full of DVDs around the country? That was allocating surpluses to users. The movie companies hated this, viewed it as theft — a proposition that was at least as valid as Netflix’s complaints about password sharing, but every pirate wants to be an admiral, and when Netflix did it to the studios, that was “progress,” but when you do it to Netflix, that’s theft.

Then, once Netflix had users locked in and migrated to the web (and later, apps), it shifted surpluses to studios, paying fat licensing fees to stream their movies and connect them to a huge audience.

Finally, once the studios were locked in, Netflix started to harvest the surplus for its shareholders: raising prices, lowering streaming rates, knocking off other studios’ best performing shows with in-house clones, etc. Users’ surpluses are also on the menu: the password “sharing” that let you define a household according to your family’s own idiosyncratic contours is unilaterally abolished in a quest to punish feckless Gen Z kids for buying avocado toast instead of their own Netflix subscriptions.

Netflix was able to ignore the studios’ outraged howls when it built a business by nonconsenually distributing their products in red envelopes. But now that Netflix has come for your family, don’t even think about giving Netfix some of what it gave to the MPAA.

As a technical matter, it’s not really that hard to modify Netflix’s app so that every stream you pull seems to come from your house, no matter where you are. But doing so would require reverse-engineering Netflix’s app, and that would violate Section 1201 of the DMCA, the CFAA, and eleventy-seven other horrible laws. Netflix’s lawyers would nuke you until the rubble bounced.

When Netflix was getting started, it could freely interoperate with the DVDs that the studios had put on the market. It could repurpose those DVDs in ways that the studios strenuously objected to. In other words, Netfix used adversarial interoperability (AKA Competitive Compatibility or ComCom) to launch its business:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

Today, Netflix is on the vanguard of the war to abolish adversarial interop. They helped lead the charge to pervert W3C web-standards, creating a DRM video standard called EME that made it a crime to build a full-featured browser without getting permission from media companies and restricting its functionality to their specifications:

https://blog.samuelmaddock.com/posts/the-end-of-indie-web-browsers/

When they used adversarial interoperability to build a multi-billion-dollar global company using the movie studios’ products in ways the studios hated, that was progress. When you define “family” in ways that makes Netflix less money, that’s felony contempt of business model.

[Image ID: A Victorian family tree template populated by tintypes of old-timey people. In the foreground stands a menacing, chainsaw-wielding figure, his face obscured by a hoodie. The blade of the chainsaw is poised to chop down the family tree. A Netflix 'N' logo has been superimposed over the man's face.]

[apricitystudies]

what i read in aug. 2023:

(previous editions) bold = favourite

race, gender, sexuality

the blind side was always trash

he’s the trans son of an anti-trans influencer. it's his turn to speak

'the eurocentric fallacy': the myths that underpin european identity

is there a sinister side to the rise of female robots?

i call myself a spinster, but that doesn’t mean l’ll be single forever

politics & current affairs

the land beyond the drug war (usa)

how torture, deception and inaction underpin the uae’s thriving sex trafficking industry

wa mp james hayward found guilty of child sex abuse, disqualified from parliament (australia)

a north korean defector captivated us media. some question her story (usa)

history, culture, & personal essays

loneliness: coping with the gap where friends used to be

inside barbados' historic push for slavery reparations

ahead of time: on poetry and mourning

dreaming of water with tiger salamanders

i stole my neighbour's tragedy to write a short story

nuclear tech: war, power, & oppenheimer

the cautionary tale of j. robert oppenheimer

315 nuclear bombs and ongoing suffering: the shameful history of nuclear testing in australia and the pacific

revisiting hiroshima in iran (journal of international security, open access)

japan releases treated wastewater from fukushima nuclear plant into pacific ocean

spectre of maralinga hangs over aukus nuclear waste for indigenous communities (aus/us)

the dark history oppenheimer didn't show

don't let the victors define morality – hiroshima was always indefensible

if you're interested in more peer-reviewed resources on the american bombings of hiroshima/nagasaki please let me know!

[octuscle]

I went to the Nations of the World party and I drew the UAE. Could you help me get into that culture and be big and sexy for the party?

Everything Arabic is currently incredibly in demand… I don't have much choice anymore… But I think I have just the thing here. Just activate. Activation takes three days, transformation will end automatically on 03 November at 08:00. You should still be able to have some fun after the party.

Monday night… A bit early to activate the costume… The party is more than two weeks away… But you can't wait. Every nine hours now, one of your ancestors from your great-grandparents' generation will become of Arab descent. At first you don't feel anything… You spend the evening as usual in front of the television. Everything is normal… You go to bed earlier than usual. At 22:00 sharp. And at 05:00 the alarm clock rings. Your new routine. Breakfast, jogging to the gym, an hour at the weights, jogging home and then second breakfast, shower and off to the office. You're at your desk even earlier than usual. And fit as seldom. You get plenty of compliments. Colleagues ask you if you were on vacation. Fuck, the costume seems to pay off. At lunchtime you go out for falafel. Your mother grew up bilingual. What the fellows behind the counter speak is everything, but not customer-friendly. You've already learned that much Arabic from your mother… You say goodbye with "'ayuha al'iikhwatu, lays hunak nasihat lihadha alealaji." The two fellows stare at you with open eyes. That was better than tipping them.

In the evening you cook your dinner, prepare your breakfast, eat, read a little bit and go to bed at 22:00. You dream wildly and wake up at 5:00 a.m. drenched in sweat. Hair grows on your chest. On a well-built chest. When you finish your training, you are the son of a Syrian mother and an American father. You grew up bilingual. Fluent in Arabic. And still a Christian. Your father prevailed. Sure, your mother told you a lot about the Koran, but religion doesn't interest you much anyway. Your church is the gym, your communion is the protein shake. In the office, all your colleagues ask you about the situation in the Middle East. How you see it. You were once on vacation in Tunisia. These are your experiences with the Middle East. What do you know about that?

At the end of work at 5:00 p.m. your genetics change. You have more Arabic than European roots. You can see it in your body hair. In your eyes. You notice it because you want to smoke a shisha at the end of the day. Everyone knows you in the café. You all speak Arabic to each other. You are still the infidel Christian. But all those who have not yet sucked your uncut dick don't know that. Ahmad, whom you just fucked in the toilet, for example, knows.

Wednesday morning. Prayer times are always good in the winter. You're done with your workout before you go to sunrise prayer. Training and prayer set the rhythm of your day. It is good that you are your own boss. Importing and exporting various things. Exporting cars to the Middle East. Importing… Well, whatever comes along… All kinds of things… By noon prayer, you've lost your American passport. You are a proud citizen of the UAE. There was once a Swedish great-grandmother. But it doesn't show on your face. And you don't notice it yourself.

After the sunset prayer, the transformation is complete. Purebred Arabian. A true Arabian hot-blooded stallion. You have been in the States for five years now. A good and permissive life here. Your mother should not know about this. But this is sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. You're looking forward to the Halloween party in two weeks. Costume? You don't need a costume. You just show up…

Inspiration found @fitbearcatcher

[deadpresidents]

How many absolute monarchs are there in the world?

•King Salman of Saudi Arabia •Pope Francis •Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman •Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei •The King of Swaziland (now Eswatini): King Mswati III of Swaziland (AKA Eswatini) •United Arab Emirates: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed (Each of the seven Emirates that form the UAE have their own absolute monarch and Sheikh MBZ, as leader of Dubai, is the overall ruler of the nation.)

Did I miss anybody? I think those are the only absolute monarchs still in power today. The rest of the world's royalty are constitutional monarchs, so they reign but do not rule.

(There's an argument for including Kim Jong Un on the list of absolute monarchs despite the fact that he's not a King and North Korea is a Communist country. He's obviously a dictator, but the Kim dynasty has virtually ruled North Korea like a secular monarchy for nearly 75 years with the supreme leaders inheriting their power through hereditary succession. Kim Jong Un took over immediately upon the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, who had assumed power when his father -- North Korea's first paramount leader, Kim Il Sung -- died in 1994. Of course, North Korea isn't officially considered a monarchy, but the manner in which the Kim family has ruled the country and transferred power from father-to-son for three generations and counting resembles the structure of an absolute monarchy more than a "traditional" totalitarian dictatorship.)

[mariacallous]

One of the world’s most wanted men, a notorious narco kingpin whose gang is implicated in multiple murders, has left a trail of Google reviews providing valuable new insights into his movements and whereabouts over the past five years.

Christopher Kinahan Sr is the head of the notorious Kinahan Organised Crime Group, which originated in Ireland and is otherwise known as the Kinahan Cartel. Irish police believe the gang has amassed profits of over $1 billion through the trade of illegal narcotics, arms trafficking and money laundering over the years.

The US Government is currently offering a collective $15 million bounty for information leading to the financial disruption or arrest of Kinahan and his two sons (Daniel and Christopher Junior). All three are reported to be based in Dubai, which has so far refrained from extraditing the wanted trio. 

Multiple media reports have suggested that Kinahan Sr has sought to reinvent himself in recent years, using his first and middle names “Christopher Vincent” given the notoriety now attached to the Kinahan name. 

Surprisingly, he has left behind a significant digital footprint linked to this identity which has made it possible to gain valuable new insights into his activities and movements.

Kinahan Sr’s LinkedIn account used the Christopher Vincent alias, something that was first identified by Ireland’s Sunday World newspaper in 2022. Now, it appears the owner of an identically named profile has been freely posting his thoughts via Google reviews since 2019. The account boasts of international trips to the likes of Spain, Hungary, Turkey, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Egypt, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Perhaps less surprisingly, the account has left reviews for a number of establishments in Dubai near to where Kinahan Sr resides. 

Some reviews are short and mundane, such as a comment left for a restaurant in Istanbul in August 2022: “The restaurant is chic and plush, the service was good but not outstanding.” Others, however, reveal interesting clues about his apparent activities in recent years. Some comments detail attending “business networking” conferences in Zimbabwe and of watching a sunset with colleagues in South Africa as they “discussed some business”. Another states Kinahan Sr is a “Platinum Ambassador” on an international hotel group’s reward program. 

No reviews for locations outside of the UAE have been posted since the US wanted notice was announced in April, 2022.

Bellingcat, working with The Sunday Times, was able to confirm the profile was Kinahan Sr’s given an email address associated with the account belonged to him and was connected to a physical address detailed in US sanctions documents. His reflection also appears in windows or mirrors in several of the images posted to the profile.

[formulatrash]

I met Logan at the Miami Pop Up Shop last year. He's very nice!

he is! he is very sweet. he looks like he should be kind of a douche but he is not.

some of my favourite Logan facts include the fact he came second in 12 out of 18 races in UAE F4 and then either third or DNF’d the other six. he bucks the trend of being stupidly into golf by being stupidly into fishing, like any good swampy son. he is a gigantic and I mean huge to an embarrassing degree Lewis Hamilton fan. 

edit: also his trainer is a huge Australian bloke called Ben Jacobs who used to be a rugby union player who describes himself as Logan's nanny and laundry-doer and calls him "Loges"

(I’m aware he has an extremely bad, no good uncle but his uncle doesn’t fund his career, Logan nearly had to stop racing because he’d run out of money in 2020 and couldn’t get an F2 seat, then managed to scrape together stuff for the Charouz F3 seat at the last minute)

[catdotjpeg]

My family home was supposed to be in the safe zone in southern Gaza. But last week the bombs came anyway, without warning. They fell at around 10 o’clock on Thursday morning in four or five big explosions. An entire residential quarter of the Khan Yunis refugee camp, where I was born and raised, was reduced to rubble. Everyone there experienced it as an earthquake; a human-made earthquake. The whole camp was shaking.

I’ve counted 49 dead – among them are 36 members of my family. Another dozen or more are still missing under the rubble of eight homes, I’m told, and more than 100 are injured.

I now reside in Canada but my family home still stands in that same Khan Yunis camp, metres away from where the bombs fell, and it is where much of my extended family still live. This home is all we have left from our late parents and grandparents after they were driven out of Beit Daras village and into the Gaza Strip during the 1948 Nakba – the mass expulsion of Palestinians. Thousands of people were forced to leave our village back then and many made their way to Khan Yunis. Initially intended as a temporary stop until they could return to their homes, families from Beit Daras preferred to live in close proximity to one another. Over time, this temporary arrangement evolved into an enduring one.

These homes were packed with additional people who had fled from the Israeli bombardment of Gaza City when the bombs started to fall – one family to each room. I want to tell you about some of the lives cut short.

Two-year-old Julia Abu Hussein, my sister’s granddaughter, was in the living room of my family home eagerly awaiting the arrival of my niece, Rasha, to take her to the shop to buy sweets. When the first bombs fell, Julia’s mother, Rawan, grabbed her daughter and ran into the kitchen with the rest of the family. But a piece of shrapnel blasted into the kitchen and killed Julia in her mother’s arms.

Just two weeks ago, Julia’s parents – my nephew Amjad and his wife, Rawan –followed the Israeli military’s orders to get out of Gaza City, leaving their home and moving south in search of safety. Together with my sister’s family, it took them three days to travel less than 20 miles to Khan Yunis – for three days we believed they were dead. It’s 2023 but it’s like we woke up to 1948. People running again in search for safety. When they arrived in the “safe zone” they realised that no place in the Gaza Strip was actually safe.

My 79-year-old great-uncle, Nayif Abu Shammala, a retired teacher, and his wife, Fathiya, were among the survivors of the Nakba. They lived right across from us and died there under the bombs. Their three daughters and four sons were killed, too.

When she was young, one of them, Aisha, was known as the cutest face in the camp. She was one of those people who radiated happiness. Her sister Dawlat had been living in the UAE and was on a visit home to see her family when the bombs fell. She leaves behind two children and a husband who did not even get the chance to bid her a final farewell. The youngest of the sisters, Umaima, and her daughter Malak had also fled the bombardment in the north. But the bombs caught up with them anyway.

Nayif and Fathiya’s sons – Zuhair, Hassan, Mahmoud and Mohammed – all died alongside their wives. The lives of Hassan’s three children were sacrificed to the bombs as well. These children are not distant strangers; they were beautiful souls I knew well. Children whose character-filled faces I can still see. Children who told me of their dreams for the lives ahead of them. All now ground into the dust.

Why did Israel kill them? The family has no political affiliations. Nothing can justify this heinous crime of killing three generations unless being Palestinian is the crime.

My great-aunt, Um Said, lived a long life, at least. She was 92 and was at home with her daughter, Najat, when the bombs fell. They both now find their resting place under the rubble.

Last summer while I visited Gaza, Um Said kindly gave me an embroidered dress that she once wore. She insisted that I take it back to Canada with me. I am grateful that I did. It’s all that I have left to remember her by.

I am struggling to find new ways of describing death – gone, taken, dead, under the rubble, their souls in heaven. The Israeli propaganda machine tells me that they aren’t dead at all because Palestinians must be lying about the numbers of deaths even as we mourn. Or, if they are indeed dead, then they must be “terrorists”.

In truth, the list of dead innocents is so long and so painful. So many children. So many who led good lives. Um Said’s daughter-in-law, Suhaila, was a teacher. So was Imtiyaz, the wife of Asa’ad, my first cousin once removed, who ran a small grocery shop that was a favourite place for my own son, Aziz, to visit when we returned to our homeland.

Asa’ad was known throughout the Khan Yunis camp as a gentle soul who sold goods for little money. He kept a thick ledger of the names of people who owed him payment but often forgot to call in his debts or he simply wrote them off. His beaming face, his shop, his kindness and his family were all stolen from us in broad daylight. When the bombs fell, Asa’ad’s shop was packed. I counted at least six children who died there. Asa’ad’s sons, Hussein and Abdelrahman, a third year medical student, were among the dead.

I want to ask President Biden why he supports this. Does he believe that the pain of an Israeli mother is different from that of a Palestinian mother? Is her blood more valuable than the blood of those in Gaza? This is the only explanation that I can find for what Biden is encouraging in Gaza.

Surviving family members send me pictures from Khan Yunis. Of Julia’s bloody body wrapped in a white sheet and carried by my cousin Jameel. Of destroyed homes. This is just one small slice of the suffering being served up in Gaza. I understand that in a war civilians die. But this is a pattern. Israel talks of Hamas-run schools and Hamas-run hospitals to continue the dehumanisation of Palestinians and to set the stage for more crimes. It’s just an excuse to kill more civilians. This is targeting the very existence of the Palestinians. To me, this is genocide.

-- "From my hometown in Gaza, the unthinkable news: 36 of my family members are dead" by Ghada Ageel for The Guardian, 1 Nov 2023

Ghada Ageel is a third-generation Palestinian refugee who worked as a translator for the Guardian in Gaza from 2000 to 2006.

You can read more about the human lives lost in Palestine on the Martyrs of Gaza Twitter account and on my blog.

[royal-confessions]

“In the UAE, I wonder who is the most popular in the Royal Families? Who do Emiratis say is their favorite? Aside from the rulers themselves, what about Sheikh MBZ's brothers: Hamdan, Hazza, Tahnoon, Mansour and Abdullah? Are they popular? What about his half brothers Sheikh Saif, Sheikh Hamed and the others? And the rest of the family like MBZ's son Sheikh Khaled and his cousins. What do people think of them? I'm just really curious.” - Submitted by Anonymous

[gone2soon-rip]

2023 TITAN SUBMERSIBLE TAGEDY (JUNE 18TH 2023)

2023 Titan submersible incident - Wikipedia

STOCKTON RUSH (1962-Died June 18th 2023,at 61).Americna business and exploration entrepreneur,and CEO of OceanGate,which provided submersibles for undersea tourism,research and exploration. And responsible for the deaths of 4 fellow passengers on the Titan submersible,through gross negligence,despite dying himself on board..Stockton Rush - Wikipedia

HAMISH HARDING (1964-Died June 18th 2023,at 58).British explorer,adventurer and businessman.He was the founder of Action Group and was chairman of Action Aviation, an international aircraft brokerage company with headquarters in Dubai, UAE.[5][6][7][8] As an adventurer, he was a member of The Explorers Club who visited the South Pole several times, descended into the Mariana Trench, broke a Guinness World Record for circumnavigation of the Earth, and travelled into space.Victim of OceanGate/Stockton Rush gross negligence following the Titan sub tragedy.Hamish Harding - Wikipedia

PAUL-HENRI NARGEOLET (1946-Died June 18th 2023,at 77).French deep sea explorer and RMS Titanic expert,who undertook many explorations to the wreck of the Titanic,and was considered one of the foemost experts on the wreck and it's tragedy.He himself was killed during the Titan Submersibles descent to visit the Titanic,in June 2023,potentially culpable for the tragedy.Paul-Henri Nargeolet - Wikipedia

SHAHZADA DAWOOD (1975-Died June 18th 2023,at 48).British Pakistani businessman and philanthropist,one of the wealthiest men in Pakistan.

And his son,SULEMAN DAWOOD (2003/4 - Died June 18th 2023,at 19). Victims in the 2023 Titan Submerisble tragedy through gross negligence of OceanGate and it's CEO Stockton Rush,who himself died on the sub.

Shahzada Dawood - Wikipedia

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

I'm on tour with my new novel The Bezzle! Catch me TONIGHT in SALT LAKE CITY (Feb 21, Weller Book Works) and TOMORROW in SAN DIEGO (Feb 22, Mysterious Galaxy). After that, it's LA, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and more!

#15yrsago Parent of gamer asks his son to honor the Geneva Conventions https://memex.craphound.com/2009/02/21/parent-of-gamer-asks-his-son-to-honor-the-geneva-conventions/

#15yrsago UAE plans ban on negative economic reporting https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/world/middleeast/12dubai.html

#15yrsago UK’s top snoop gets finked out by her neighbours https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/feb/22/jacqui-smith-expenses-inquiry

#15yrsago Stimulus bill requires RSS feeds of how the money is spent http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/rssstimulus

#10yrsago Conservative western bloggers: Ukraine strongman’s pay-for-play useful idiots https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/exclusive-how-ukraine-wooed-conservative-websites

#10yrsago I am a Ukrainian: powerful, viral video about Euromaidan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvds2AIiWLA

#10yrsago Kansas lawmaker introduces bill to permit teachers to hit children hard enough to bruise https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/02/kansas-spanking-bill-new-legislation-allows-parents-and-teachers-to-hit-kids-harder.html

#10yrsago Canadian court rules on copyright trolls: letters can go ahead, under strict supervision https://www.michaelgeist.ca/2015/03/defending-privacy-doesnt-pay-federal-court-issues-ruling-in-voltage-teksavvy-costs/

#10yrsago Mall cops freak out over steampunk meetup, call the real cops https://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/feb/19/steampunk-carousel-outing-cut-short-security-guard/

#10yrsago Openknit: a Reprap-inspired open source knitting machine http://openknit.org

#5yrsago Beyond “more copyright”: how do we improve artists’ lives and livelihoods through policy? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0294Y6Lv3Eo

#5yrsago Iowa’s electricity monopolist Midamerican Energy has written a bill to let it “monopolize the sun” https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2019/02/20/new-bill-is-clear-attempt-by-midamerican-to-monopolize-the-sun-in-iowa/

#5yrsago Tucker Carlson thought anti-elite historian would be an easy interview, but ended up telling him “go fuck yourself” https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/feb/20/historian-who-confronted-davos-billionaires-leaks-tucker-carlson-rant

#5yrsago As sports company abandons support for “smart” basketball, Nike pushes a software update that bricks its self-tying shoes https://mashable.com/article/nike-app-connected-shoe-bricked#duGbFcvYdsqa

#5yrsago The TRUE Fees Act: legislative proposal to force cable/ISP companies to advertise the true cost of their services, inclusive of surcharges https://www.vice.com/en/article/j57ddb/new-bill-would-stop-internet-service-providers-from-screwing-you-with-hidden-fees

#1yrago Matt Ruff's "Destroyer of Worlds" https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/21/the-horror-of-white-magic/#anti-lovecraftian

[salmankhanholics]

★ Salman Khan opens up on ‘Tiger 3’, Katrina, and what patriotism means to him!

November 10, 2023 

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, who is ready to roll out the seemingly unstoppable franchise ‘Tiger 3’ in UAE cinemas on November 11, claims that he jumped aboard the latest chapter without even waiting for a narration of the script. Clearly, the faith in the makers of the spectacular derring-do franchise transcended his need to go into any details like the plot or the climax.

Directed by Maneesh Sharma and produced by Aditya Chopra of Yash Raj Films, the 57-year-old star returns as the Indian Intelligence operative Avinash Singh Rathore - known as Tiger on the field - in the third installment of the hit franchise.

“When Adi told me the third script is ready and asked me to come for a narration, I immediately told him that ‘Tiger is always ready’,” said Khan in an interview over-mail with Gulf News. The Diwali release, also starring Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi as the antagonist, promises to be bigger, bolder, and better. Excerpts from our interview with Khan as we talk about his character, patriotism, and more ...

The ‘Tiger’ films are known for their high-octane action sequences. What kind of physical and mental preparation do you go through for these demanding roles?

If you love what you do, then it’s not tough or demanding. You just do what you have to do. ‘Tiger’ is a franchise that’s very close to my heart, and while it is demanding, I thoroughly enjoyed prepping and shooting for this. When Adi (Aditya Chopra) told me the third script is ready and asked me to come for a narration, I immediately told him that ‘Tiger is always ready’. In fact, even before the narration, I told him I would come for the shoot whenever it starts. Also, we had an international crew of action directors and choreographers for ‘Tiger 3’, so it was a very smooth shoot. Even though we shot in various locations and climate conditions, they were very professional and had absolute clarity of how this needs to be done. ‘Tiger 3’ has some intense action scenes which I am sure will be a visual spectacle for audiences.

Tiger is known for his strong moral code in this franchise, but the latest installment seems to suggest that he has gone rogue. Was that aspect the most appealing to you?

The character of Tiger evolves, and his emotional graph as well as inner journey expands in this film. Whether he has gone rogue or is doing the right thing, needs to be experienced by audiences in theaters. Tiger has asked his audiences to give his son, his [father’s] character certificate. So let’s see what happens.

The character, Tiger, is known for his patriotism and loyalty to his country. How do you personally connect with these qualities, and how do they influence your portrayal of the character?

India is my homeland, my place of work, and the country that has given me immeasurable love. Our country is diverse and beautiful. My patriotism is a way of life, so I don’t wear it on my sleeve. Tiger embodies the good and patriotic in all of us.

What, according to you, is the most defining aspect of a patriot, keeping Tiger’s character in mind?

A patriot will do his or her very best for their country. I don’t think you can define love for one’s nation.

The ‘Tiger’ franchise has a significant global fan following. How do you connect with fans worldwide, and what do you think makes this franchise so universally appealing?

Audiences have a connection with my character Tiger, and they have followed his journey from the word go. They feel a connection with those characters. I also feel this is the first Indian spy franchise, and so fans connect with that. I am grateful that my fans love to watch the Tiger installments so much.

How have you seen Katrina Kaif evolve as a co-star, actress, and a human being through the making of Tiger installments?

A: When Katrina steps onto the set, you can witness her passion and determination in every scene of hers. She invests an incredible amount of effort and time into preparing for her roles, her action scenes, and her dance sequences. Katrina’s level of commitment is evident in the way she immerses herself in the world of the characters, going above and beyond, to deliver good performances. She has always been like that, and that’s a commendable feat.

What is your personal favorite “Tiger” film, and why does it hold a special place in your heart?

Each and every one of them because I think I have given these films my all. ‘Tiger’ franchise will be forever special to me.

If Tiger had to collaborate with another hero from the spy genre, would it be SRK from Pathaan?

Tiger and Pathaan have collaborated once in ‘Pathaan’. So, I’m sure they will collaborate again when the time comes.

[adrianodiprato]

+ “The final chapter is ours to write. We know what we need to do. What happens next is up to us.” Sir David Attenborough

Our Common Home: Lessons from Pope Francis' 'Laudate Deum'

In a world increasingly grappling with environmental challenges, Pope Francis' recent apostolic exhortation, "Laudate Deum," offers invaluable insights into the urgent need for care and stewardship of our planet, lovingly referred to as "our common home." This blog piece explores the significance of environmental protection, the challenges of our current multilateral system, the role of faith in fostering a deeper connection with the Earth, and why it is particularly relevant to Christians across the globe. Pope Francis' message underscores the notion that hope-filled, faith-inspired actions are vital, for "The world sings of an infinite Love: how can we fail to care for it?" (#65).

The Challenge of International Climate Agreements: A Historical Perspective

For several decades, representatives from around the world have convened to address climate change. While these meetings have had their successes and shortcomings, there is much to be learned from the past. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol set ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but it failed to meet them. It is reminiscent of the wisdom found in Matthew 6:28-29:

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these."

In 2015, the Paris Agreement breathed new life into global climate efforts, but its success depends on unwavering commitment and political determination.

The Urgent Need for Climate Action: Lessons from COP28

COP28, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, presents a pivotal opportunity to accelerate the shift to sustainable energy sources. This is especially significant given the UAE's role as a major fossil fuel exporter. Their investments in renewable energy align with biblical wisdom in Leviticus 25:23, which reminds us that "the land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me, you are but aliens and tenants."

COP28 is our chance to prove that the years of effort since 1992 were not in vain. The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated, and it is in line with Pope Francis' message: every effort counts, and even the smallest action can alleviate suffering. The time to reduce global carbon emissions is running out, and action cannot be delayed. We need binding, efficient, obligatory, and readily monitored commitments from all nations for a sustainable energy transition.

The Role of Faith in Environmental Stewardship

In Laudate Deum, Pope Francis emphasizes the crucial role of faith and spirituality in fostering a deep connection with nature. He invokes passages from the Bible, emphasizing God's proclamation that "everything... was very good." This biblical perspective recognises the Earth as sacred and deserving of our care.

For Christians worldwide, our motivation to respond is hope-filled. We believe that the risen Christ reconciles all creatures to himself. As Pope Francis says,

"The world sings of an infinite Love: how can we fail to care for it?" (#65)

This deep-rooted faith calls us to see the world as a gift from God, worthy of reverence and protection. We must remember that we are tenants of the Earth, not its owners. Pope Francis’ situated anthropocentrism (#67) compels us to live in harmony with the environment instead of exploiting it for short-term gain.

Hope in the Face of Adversity

Despite the grave challenges we face, Pope Francis reminds us that we must maintain hope. To "‘say there is nothing to hope for... would mean exposing humanity, especially the poorest, to the worst impacts of climate change" (#54). Our faith compels us to have hope, as Romans 8:19-21 tells us,

"For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God."

Hope is not merely wishful thinking; it is a powerful motivator for change. It inspires individuals, communities, and nations to act and preserve our common home. Hope encourages us to look beyond the challenges and work collectively towards a sustainable and harmonious future.

Journeying in Communion and Commitment

For Christians across the globe, our faith calls us to recognize that we are part of a universal family. That human life is incomprehensible and unsustainable without other creatures.

For “as part of the universe… all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with a sacred, affectionate and humble respect”. Laudato Si (#42)

Individual, family, and community efforts are pivotal in creating a culture of environmental responsibility. Changes in daily habits contribute to a cultural shift essential for addressing environmental challenges. Furthermore, these changes exert pressure on political sectors to prioritize long-term environmental interests over short-term gains.

Conclusion: A Christian Duty

In conclusion, Laudate Deum by Pope Francis calls for a renewal of our commitment to care for our common home. International climate agreements and the urgency of COP28, the transformative power of faith, and the importance of hope underscore the vital role of Christians across the globe in environmental stewardship. Our faith and the risen Christ's reconciliation of all creatures to himself are motivating factors. In the face of environmental degradation and climate change, we have a calling that transcends borders, denominations, and ideologies. As Christians, we must unite in the noble pursuit of a sustainable and harmonious future for our planet, guided by the ever-present light of hope.

References

Apostolic Exhortation Laudato Deum (4 October 2013), Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (24 May 2015), 89: AAS 107 (2015), 883.

Adriano Di Prato is a best-selling author, broadcaster and the Academic Operations Manager at LCI Melbourne, a progressive art, design + enterprise private institute of higher education.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 9.28

Holidays

Banned Websites Awareness Day

British Home Child Day (UK)

Cabrillo Day (California)

Canterbury South Day (New Zealand)

Carrot Day (French Republic)

Carson King Day (Iowa)

Circassian Costume Day

Ethel Rosenberg Day of Justice (New York)

Fiesta of San Miguel (Mexico)

Fish Tank Floorshow Night

Flag Day (Thailand)

Frances Willard Day (Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Freedom From Hunger Day

Global Day of Student Prayer

Gold Lining Day

Gone-ta-Pott Day [every 28th]

International Day of Arnold Chiari Syndrome

International Day of Scientific Culture

International Day for Universal Access to Information (UN)

International Right to Know Day

International Safe Abortion Day

Marshmallow Twisters Day

National British Home Child Day (Canada)

National Chris Day

National Day of Awareness

National Day of Awareness and Unity against Child Pornography (Philippines)

National Good Neighbor Day

National Gordie Day

National Manufacturing Day (UK)

National North Carolina Day

National Penicillin Allergy Day

National Self Awareness Day

National Son’s Day (Canada)

National Talk Like Mr. Krabs Day (Aenopia)

National Traffic Door Day

NICU Staff Recognition Day

Popular Uprising of Naples Day (Italy)

Psoriatic Arthritis Awareness Day

Read a Child a Book You Like Day

Silver Lining Day

Teacher’s Day (Philippines, Taiwan)

World News Day

World Pet Day

World Rabies Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Drink As Much Beer As Possible Day

Drink Beer Day

International Poke Day

National Drink Beer Day

Ohio Pint Day

Strawberry Cream Pie Day

World Marmite Day

4th & Last Thursday in September

Arthur's Day (Arthur Guinness) [4th Thursday]

National Fitness Day (Ireland) [4th Thursday]

National School Parent Group Day [4th Thursday]

Remember Me Thursday [4th Thursday]

World Maritime Day [Last Thursday]

World Trenches Day [4th Thursday]

Independence Days

Czech Statehood Day (Czech Republic) Nefaria (a.k.a. Timonoucitiland; Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Aaron of Auxerre (Christian; Saint)

Alexandre Cabanel (Artology)

Annemund (Christian; Saint)

Confucius (Confucianism; Founder)

Conval (Christian; Saint)

Eustochium (Christian; Saint)

Exuperius (Christian; Saint)

Fast of Gedalia (Judaism) [3 Tishri]

Faustus of Riez (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Khepera (Egyptian Beetle God)

Festival of Wawatsari (God of Deer Peyote; Huichol, Mexico)

Fictional Character Day (Pastafarian)

Fred (Muppetism)

Hapi’s Day (Day of the Nile; Pagan)

Hazelwood Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

John of Dukla (Christian; Saint)

Leoba (a.k.a. Lioba; Christian; Saint)

Lorenzo Ruiz (Christian; Saint)

Michaelmas Eve (Celtic)

Mme. de Staal (Positivist; Saint)

Paternus of Auch (Christian; Saint)

The Prophet’s Birthday [Islam] (a.k.a. ... 

Baravfat (India)

Birthday of Prophet Muhammed (Cameroon, Kuwait, Lebanon, Maldives, Palestine, Sierra Leone, UAE)

Eid Al-Maulid Anebi (Eritea)

Eid-El-Maulud (Nigeria)

Eid-e-Milad-un Nabi (Bangladesh)

Gamo (Gambia)

Gamou (Senegal)

Hari Maulad Nabi (Cocos or Keeling Islands)

Le Mouled (Tunisia)

Maoulida (Mayotte)

Maouloud (Guinea, Senegal)

Maouloud-Al-Nebi (Chad)

Maulid (Tanzania)

Maulid Nabi Muhammad SAW 1444 H (Indonesia)

Maulidur Rasul (Brunei)

Mawleed al-Nabi (Afghanistan)

Mawlid (Ethiopia)

Mawlid al-Nabi (Jordan)

Mawlid An Nabi (Syria)

Mawlid En Nabaoui Echarif (Algeria)

Mawlid Nabi (Somalia)

Mawloud (Mali)

Mawlud Nabi (Gambia)

Mavlid Al Nabi (Cyprus)

Milad Al Nabi (Oman)

Miladunnabi (Bahrain)

Milad-un-Nabi (India, Sri Lanka)

Moulad (Iraq)

Mouled Al Nabee (Libya)

Moulid Al Nabi (Sudan)

Moulid El Nabi (Egypt)

Mouloud (Comoros, Djibouti, Niger)

Rabi' al-Awwal (Yemen)

Youman Nabi (Guyana)

Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton and Margery Kempe (Episcopal Church (USA))

Simón de Rojas (Christian; Saint)

Wenceslas (Christian; Saint) [Bohemia, Czech brewers] *

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Prime Number Day: 271 [58 of 72]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 45 of 60)

Premieres

Aqua Duck (WB MM Cartoon; 1963)

…Baby One More Time, by Britney Spears (Song; 1998)

Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfeild (Children’s Novel; 1936)

Blackadder Goes Forth (UK TV Series; 1989)

Blonde (Film; 2022)

Cool Hand Luke, by Donn Pearce (Novel; 1965)

DC Showcase: Green Arrow (WB Cartoon; 2010)

The Dissent of Man, by Bad Religion (Album; 2010)

Dr. Kildare (TV Series; 1961)

Eldorado, by Electric Light Orchestra (Album; 1974)

Fallen Into the Pit, by Ellis Peters (Novel; 1951)

Greedy for Tweety (WB LT Cartoon; 1957)

Hearts in Atlantis (Film; 2001)

Hotel Transylvania (Animated Film; 2012)

I Heard It Through the Grapevine, by Gladys Knight & The Pips (Song; 1967)

Looney Lightning or Nuts and Volts (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 306; 1964)

Looper (Film; 2012)

Love Me Tender, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1956)

Mildred Pierce (Film; 1945)

Night School (Film; 2018)

On Ice (Disney Cartoon; 1935)

Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone, by The Temptations (Song; 1972)

Pitch Perfect (Film; 2012)

The Professor and the Madman (UK Title: The Surgeon of Crowthorne), by Simon Winchester (Book; 1998)

The Show Must Go On or Give “em the Acts (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 305; 1964)

Smallfoot (Animated Film; 2018)

Songs in the Key of Life, by Stevie Wonder (Album; 1976)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series; 1987)

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (WB Animated Film; 2010)

Tales from Margarita, by Jimmy Buffet (Short Stories; 1989)

To Know Him Is To Love Him, by The Teddy Bears (Song; 1958)

Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse (WB Animated Film; 2012)

Ugly Betty (TV Series; 2008)

Welcome to the Jungle, by Guns N’ Roses (Song; 1987)

The Wild Life (Film; 1984)

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Novel; 1968)

Zoolander (Film; 2001)

Today’s Name Days

Dietmar, Giselher, Lioba, Thekla, Wenzel (Austria)

Faust, Lovorko, Većeslav (Croatia)

Václav (Czech Republic)

Venceslaus (Denmark)

Lennart, Lenno, Leonhard, Linnar, Linnart (Estonia)

Arja, Lenni (Finland)

Venceslas (France)

Giselher, Lioba, Wenzel (Germany)

Heriton (Greece)

Vencel (Hungary)

Venceslao (Italy)

Gaita, Kaira, Lana, Sergejs, Svetlana (Latvia)

Saliamonas, Tautvydas, Vaclovas, Vacys, Vientautė (Lithuania)

Lena, Lene (Norway)

Jan, Laurencjusz, Luba, Lubosza, Marek, Nikita, Salomon, Sylwin, Wacław, Wacława, Wawrzyniec, Więcesław (Poland)

Hariton (Romania)

Václav (Slovakia)

Lorenzo, Wenceslao (Spain)

Lennart, Leonard (Sweden)

Baruch, Preston, Prior, Pryor, Wenzel (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 271 of 2024; 94 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 39 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 24 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Xin-You), Day 14 (Ji-Chou)

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

Hebrew: 13 Tishri 5784

Islamic: 13 Rabi I 1445

J Cal: 1 Shù; Oneday [1 of 30]

Julian: 15 September 2023

Moon: 98%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 19 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Mme. de Staal]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 5 of 89)

Zodiac: Libra (Day 5 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Shù (Month 10 of 12; J Calendar)

[brookston]

Holidays 8.28

Holidays

Bow Tie Day

Crackers Over the Keyboard Day

Criminal Appreciation Day

Crumbs Between the Keys Day

Dream Day Quest and Jubilee

828 Day

Emerati Women’s Day (UAE)

Emmett Till Day

End of the Fairy Tale Day

Giving Black Day (a.k.a. Give 828)

Gone-ta-Pott Day [every 28th]

Green Shirt Guy Day

I Have a Dream Day

International Read Comics in Public Day

Manifest 828 Day

Mariamoba (Republic of Georgia)

National Bow Tie Day

National Grandparents Day (Mexico)

National Over It Day

National Power Rangers Day

National Thoughtful Day

Nativity of Nephthys (Egyptian Goddess of Love)

Race Your Mouse Around the Icons Day

Radio Commercial Day

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

Russian Germans Day (Germany)

Scientific American Day

Significant Historical Events Day

Tan Suit Day

Watermelon Day (French Republic)

World Day of Turners Syndrome

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Cheese Sacrifice Day

National Cherry Turnover Day

National Red Wine Day

Stuffed Green Bell Peppers Day

Subway Sandwich Day

4th & Last Monday in August

Araw ng mga Bayani (National Heroes’ Day; Philippines) [Last Monday]

August/Summer Bank Holiday (UK) [Last Monday]

International Day of Cyber Attack Ceasefire [Last Monday]

Liberation Day (Hong Kong) [Last Monday]

Motorist Consideration Monday [Monday of Be Kind to Humankind Week]

Notting Hill Carnival (UK) [Last Monday & day before]

Social Justice Day (Antarctica) [4th Monday]

Independence Days

Holy Empire of Reunion (Declared; 1997) [unrecognized]

Luana (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Moldova (from USSR; 1991)

Ohio Empire (Declared; 2008) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Alexander of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Abkhazia)

Augustine of Hippo (Christian; Saint) [brewers] *

Ayyankali Jayanti (Kerala, India)

Constant Troyon (Artology)

Edmund Arrowsmith (Christian; Saint)

Edward Burne-Jones (Artology)

Feast of the Mother of God (Georgia, Macedonia, Serbia)

Festival for Luna (Ancient Rome)

Festival for Sol (Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Neon Revolution

First Onam (Rice Harvest Festival; Kerala, India)

Frank Gorshin Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Hermes of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Julian (Christian; Saint)

Junipero Serra (Christian; Saint)

Marimba (Virgin’s Assumption; Georgia)

Mariotte (Positivist; Saint)

Media Aestas III (Pagan)

More Rum Day (Pastafarian)

Moses the Black (Christian; Saint)

Uncle Norton the Elephant (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

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

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 40 of 60)

Premieres

Animal Crackers (Film; 1930)

Cain's Jawbone, by E. Powys Mathers (Novel/Puzzle; 1934)

Come Clean, by Puddle of Mudd (Album; 2001)

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas (Novel; 1844)

Do the Evolution, by Pearl Jam (Animated Music Video; 1998)

54 (Film; 1998)

Flying Leathernecks (Film; 1951)

Gallipoli (Film; 1981)

Get Rich Quick Porky (WB LT Cartoon; 1937)

Honeymoon in Vegas (Film; 1992)

I Have a Dream, by Martin Luther King Jr. (Speech; 1963)

Let’s Get It On, by Marvin Gaye (Album; 1973)

Lohengrin, by Richard Wagner (Opera; 1850)

Mary of Scotland (Film; 1936)

Mickey’s Follies (Disney Cartoon; 1929)

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (TV Series; 1993)

Narcos (TV Series; 2015)

The New Mutants (Film; 2020)

Perri (Disney Film; 1957)

Personal, 19th Jack Reacher book, by Lee Child (Novel; 2014)

Phineas and Verb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe (Animated Film; 2020)

Private Lessons (Film; 1981)

Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, by Devo (Album; 1978)

Rope (Film; 1948)

Smile, by Katy Perry (Album; 2020)

Song of the Thin Man (Film; 1947)

Studio 54 (Film; 1998)

Tease for Two (WB LT Cartoon; 1965)

Travelling Without Moving, by Jamiroquai (Album; 1996)

The Truth About Mother Goose (Disney Cartoon; 1957)

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (Film; 1992)

Victoria (TV Series; 2016)

Walk This Way by Aerosmith (Song; 1975)

Yankee Doodle Bugs (WB LT Cartoon; 1954)

Today’s Name Days

Adelinde, Aline, Augustin (Austria)

Augustin, Tin (Croatia)

Augustýn (Czech Republic)

Augustinus (Denmark)

August, Gustav, Kustas, Kustav, Kusti, Kusto (Estonia)

Tauno (Finland)

Augustin, Elouan (France)

Adelinde, Aline, Augustin, Vivian (Germany)

Damon (Greece)

Ágoston (Hungary)

Agostino, Ermete (Italy)

Auguste, Guste, Ranna (Latvia)

Augustinas, Patricija, Steigvilė, Tarvilas (Lithuania)

Artur, August (Norway)

Adelina, Aleksander, Aleksy, Augustyn, Patrycja, Sobiesław, Stronisław (Poland)

Augustín (Slovakia)

Agustín (Spain)

Fatima, Leila (Sweden)

Agustin, August, Augusta, Augustina, Austen, Austin, Austina, Austyn, Gus, Gustava, Gustavo (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 240 of 2024; 125 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 35 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Geng-Shen), Day 13 (Wu-Wu)

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

Hebrew: 11 Elul 5783

Islamic: 11 Safar 1445

J Cal: 30 Hasa; Nineday [30 of 30]

Julian: 15 August 2023

Moon: 92%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 16 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Mariotte]

Runic Half Month: Rad (Motion) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 68 of 94)

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 7 of 32)

Calendar Changes

Rad (Motion) [Half-Month 17 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 9.9)