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- June 29, 2020
- Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
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I've always been one to speak out against oppression and aggression against the innocent by any overbearing criminal element.
Such is the Islamic State caliphate who have been in decline since being declared a terrorist organization by the international community.
Still, they attempt regroup and rebuild operations in the middle east and sooner or later will raise their ugly presence once again on the world state.
On this day in 2014 The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant self-declared itself a caliphate in Syria and northern Iraq.
"ISIL", "ISIS", "Islamic State", "Daish" and simply "The Caliphate" are terms by which this abomination is known internationally.
They are a group of murdering militant Islamic combatants who think that the world should be converted to Islam and fall under Sharia law.
They invade the borders of lands which are not theirs and kidnap and murder citizens.
This terrorist organization promotes horror and dread with their ISIL videos of beheadings and other types of heinous executions of soldiers, civilians, journalists, and aid workers, as well as its wanton destruction of cultural heritage sites.
ISIL is both responsible for and proud of committing human rights abuses, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
ISIL engages in ethnic cleansing on an unprecedented scale in northern Iraq.
They are criticized by individuals from both Muslim and Western cultures and even other Jihadists as deviant cruel criminals without redeeming virtue.
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- June 28, 2020
- Memories of Billy Mays
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Earlier in recent history there was a pitch man named Billy Mays.
His penchant for hawking various products resulted in him acquiring wealth and me acquiring a certain level of contempt for his always on the teevee ass.
His catchphrase was "Hi, Billy Mays here ..." and I sometimes shuddered to hear it.
His television persona was gregarious with an authoritative aire and as far as salesmen go I suppose he was more tolerable than many of the others I have encountered.
I still use a couple of those products he advertised like Oxiclean and Kaboom and while he had a notable presence on the Home Shopping Network I only caught him on network broadcasts as I always viewed HSN as predatory and obtrusive.
William Darrell Mays Jr was born July 20, 1958 and left the earth prematurely on June 28, 2009 apparently in his sleep after his spouse could not arouse him after repeated attempts.
His recreational drug habits were called into question in those circumstances but, there by the grace of God go I ...
Anyway I always thought his to be a sad story given the massive sales work he had under his belt and I am sorry for his family left behind.
Rest in peace.
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- June 27, 2020
- National HIV testing day 2020
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June 27th is National HIV Testing Day.
It goes down each year on June 27th and is a designated time for Federal, state, and local interested parties to attempt motivation of adults toward testing for HIV with the aim of knowing their status.
This year’s theme is derived from the CDC’s campaign called 'Doing It', which promotes HIV testing.
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of Lentivirus which are classified as retroviruses that infect humans.
They ultimately result in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a progressive condition of immune system impairment which allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive in individuals.
I no longer make a lot of commentary regarding HIV/AIDS due to my lengthy past both working with AIDS patients and that period when I found humor in it's victims.
You need to take care with your words and try to make them sweet in case you find you must eat them later.
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- June 26, 2020
- Ratcatcher's Day 2020
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When I was a kid we read the Pied Piper of Hamelin in primary school. It was a brief interlude of wonder as to how a town could give up it's children and those mechanisms of wonder causing the phenomenon.
At that time I operated in a state of totally suspended disbelief and reality would sometimes intersperse itself with fantasy at the drop of a hat.
I was years getting past all the hubub and misunderstanding created during this phase of my life ... not to mention my own disconnects and interactivity with peers and such.
It was a confusing time.
Today is Ratcatcher's Day and it may be observed on either June 26 or July 22 depending on your location.
It is held to celebrate the myth of the Pied Piper of Hamelin which has enjoyed great popularity over the years.
The town of Hamelin in Germany celebrates the day on June 26 under the name "Pied Piper Day".
The date confusion is said to arise from the the Brothers Grimm, who cited June 26, 1284 as the date the Pied Piper led the children out of the town.
Then the poem by Robert Browning states that it all went down on July 22, 1376.
Personally, I choose the Brother's Grimm over Robert Browning.
This holiday is said to be dedicated to remembering rat catchers and is supposedly in the same vein as Secretary's and/or President's Days.
So Vasily Fet, today is your day !
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- June 25, 2020
- National Catfish Day 2020
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Catfish. The unclean bottom feeding delicacy inhabiting the local ponds and rivers of South Carolina. Banned in the Levitical food laws, yet a staple fish included in my diet for as long as I can remember.
Luckily, violation of the Levitical food laws are not sins against the soul ... just sins against the health.
Yes, being both a scavenger and a fish without scales we are not supposed to eat catfish.
However, when you grow up on great masses of squealers and catfish fillets it's easy to overlook that which is not for consumption and eat them up with great gusto.
There are wild caught as well as farm raised catfish. Regardless of the source they remain scaleless bottom feeding scavengers and therefore are still unclean according to Leviticus.
Today is National Catfish Day. It's a national observance designed to bring attention to the farm raised catfish. It was declared by President Ronald Reagan to be held each June 25, 1987.
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- June 24, 2020
- Ancient Roman festival Fors Fortuna
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In my childhood, I was a great buff of mythology and read the writings of Bullfinch and others on the topic with great enthusiasm.
In fact, I became something of a lay expert on the topic and became famous among my classmates in the tender young years encompassing third and fourth grades.
Alas, this interest wained as I became the fat little kid and felt persecuted as what appeared as the only case of childhood obesity prior to it becaming a national tragedy.
So I gave up the notion of Egyptology, a related interest and all studies involving greek and roman gods and goddesses.
This caused me to indulge more in the way of scientific pursuits and I remained a voracious reader until well into adulthood when I finally burned out due to the treachery of the state technical college system and the evil bitches running it.
Fortuna was the Roman goddess of fortune, chance, luck, and fate.
Her Greek equivalent was Tyche. Antiquity also notes her name as "Automatia".
On this day in ancient times a festival was held in her honor in pagan Rome.
She governed the circle of the four stages of life, aka the Wheel of Fortune in the Carmina Burana manuscript of the 11th and 12th centuries.
Her symbols were the Globe, Cornucopia, Wheel, and Wreath.
Fortuna is often depicted with a ship's rudder, a ball or Rota wheel of fortune as depicted in the writings of Cicero as well as the classic cornucopia aka horn of plenty, often depicted in Thanksgiving themes.
Though I have no interest in worshiping the false deities of pagan Rome ... I could really use a little luck these days.
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- June 23, 2020
- United Nations Public Service Day 2020
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- June 22, 2020
- Mama has her Procedure
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My mom has had her medical procedure.
From The Holy Trinity by Pietro Novelli
She was in the special procedures department of Providence Hospital for a very long time.
All kinds of thoughts and prayers went through my mind during this interval.
She tolerated the cath procedure well for the most part, with the worst aspect being the length and the fact that she was awake the entire time.
I won't go into any details but suffice it to say I was sweating bullets into the third hour.
I experienced a great relief when she was rolled back into the recovery room where I had been waiting.
She says there is unlikely to be a next time if there is no anesthesia.
Something about the nature of the procedure was disconcerting from a standpoint of my visions of ongoing maintenance procedures every five years or so.
I'm still basking in the afterglow of relief.
Praise to The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from whom all blessings flow.
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- June 21, 2020
- Father's Day 2020
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Today is Father's Day.
The third Sunday in June is set aside for honoring our fathers.
The day normally entails gifting and cards but for me I use the day for reflection on my blessings as both my biological father and step father have passed away years ago.
The day is further solemnized as I plan to accompany my mother for a medical procedure at Providence Hospital early in the am.
So while the day isn't particularly happy for me personally I still give thanks for my parents and my step parent, who took me as his own without question.
Happy Father's Day.
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- June 21, 2020
- World Hydrography Day 2020
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I have been a big fan of bodies of water upon the earth for as long as I can remember.
My earliest memories of them are from the lakes surrounding Blackfoot Idaho and nearby Pebble Creek in my first and second grade years.
In the Navy I could sit and watch the oceans go by for hours on end.
It was a blissful interlude in my enlistment and I should have been more keenly aware of the enjoyment opportunities available to me but alas, I was too proccupied with that misery I created for myself during that time.
Hydrography refers to those methods involved in the scientific description and analysis of the physicality, boundaries, flow dynamics, and other characteristics of the waters of the world.
Today is World Hydrography Day. It happens each June 21 under the auspices of the International Hydrographic Organization as an annual observance to note the work of hydrographers and the importance of hydrography as a science.
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- June 20, 2020
- World Refugee Day 2020
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Today is World Refugee Day. This international event goes down each June 20. It supposedly raises awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world.
Once upon a time I was sensitive to the plight of the refugee.
However, with the advent of nasty muslim incursions and their desire to convert us all to sharia law I have lost all interest in their plight.
Then there are the hispanics who would break our borders and enter uninvited and outside the immigration laws in place.
This, coupled with the lawless liberal element in the country has a lot of us ready to become death dealing protectors of the Republic.
As such, refugees are merely another vermin to be destroyed along with the rats and rabid animals of their ilk.
It didn't have to be this way. The southern border was off limits and they still don't get the message. Now they have to get past those of us who will not stand for this ongoing invasion of the entitlement seeking foreigners.
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- June 18, 2020
- Autistic Pride Day 2020
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In my life I have known a few autistic individuals. Mostly children of friends and acquaintances, they were at once disturbing at several levels and most I knew long enough to display exceptional skills which were to my surprise and sometimes downright wonder and profound admiration.
Also, the disturbing characteristics of these autistic people were known to diminish over time with loud raucous children growing in to quiet reflective adults and you really can't tell how they will benefit from that nurture which supplants the nature in the form of socialization and interpersonal awareness.
Autism, aka "Autism Spectrum Disorder" is a complicated disorder involving the neurologial system and development of people which affects their communication, learning, actions, and interaction with their peers and others among them.
Nowadays our orientation to this is leaning toward acceptance as autism as a variation of normal but I'm sorry ...
I view it as a disorder until that time the stricken individual incorporates social awareness — and some never do fully realize that as an aspect of their being.
Also, I refrain from using cute euphemisms like "aspie" to reference these people in some attempt to make them appear mainstream even if they are not remotely at that stage of development.
Autistic Pride Day was originally referred to as an "Aspies for Freedom" event and is a pride celebration for autistic people held on June 18 each year.
This notion of Autistic pride incorporates importance to the thought of having pride for autistic people and assuming some role in bringing about positive changes in the broader society. Fine and well and good but ...
Like that mistake called "gay pride" I view the concept of "autistic pride" equally a misnomer for those who are abnormal. Abnormality should be treated not celebrated. While I don't seek to lock either group away in some asylum I also don't try to get out there and socialize with them as a matter of personal discourse in interpersonal relations.
I see the parents of these persons state how there are more "good moments" than "bad moments" ... but their testamonials simply aren't compelling.
Like I said some of the capabilities of autistic persons are astounding. I'm just not prepared to call it anything in the spectrum of normal and I really don't care about the DSM-5 of the American Psychiatric Association when it comes to scary behaviors from the presence of others.
Everyone must decide for themselves.
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- June 17, 2020
- Mom's Birthday 2020
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Happy Birthday Mama. I love you. - Comments (0)
- June 16, 2020
- Streaming Services Suck
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I'm afraid that the streaming thingie 'cord cutter' replacement for cable lacks the promise I once envisioned.
Everyone touts streaming services that are allegedly really good but that all suck in actuality.
Netflix is an abomination of crook ass Obama and other BLM fantasy that everyone says but no one really believes.
Had they gone with an 'all lives matter' reality it might have worked better for me personally.
Hulu took a perfectly adequate interface and ruined it in an attempt to showcase sub mediocre programming skills and though aspects of it are indeed improved over earlier versions of this new offering their selection and such simply is a big pimple on the ass of the internet.
HBO would be okay if they had more stuff. I grew weary of subscription after subscription of the same tired overplayed lineup.
Starz is even worse in that regard.
Then there is Roku itself. Rather than only run streaming stuff they incorporate "requires a cable subscription" stuff as well. They are bloody traitors to their own cause.
The streaming companies need to take hold of their own operations and run content under their own terms and not those of the cable companies.
The streaming providers, the streaming content, those interfaces involved and the companies in general are a sorry show at this stage of the game
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