Monday, September 16, 2024
45: Ballon Flight
45: Balloon Border Flight
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45 years ago today (September 16,
1979) 2 Families with a total of 8 people escaped Communist East Germany into
West Germany by using a Hot Air Balloon:
Peter Strelzyk, age 37, Doris
Strelzyk, Frank Strelzyk, age 15, Andreas Strelzyk, age 11, Günter Wetzel, 24.
Petra Wetzel, Peter Wetzel, age 5 and Andreas Wetzel, age 2
The Families chose a Ballon to
avoid the Inner-German Wall with its Watch Towers, barbed wire, minefields the
“Shoot-To-Kill” Order the Communist Border Guards had.
They created 3 Ballons – buying all
the materials in small quantities and from different locations to not rise the
suspicions of the East German Secret Police, the Stasi (and made 2 unsuccessful
attempts) before the final attempt was made on September 16, 1979.
Their Ballon was detected by West
German Radar as well as by an East German Border Watch Tower. A miscalculation
caused the Burner to tear a hole in the Ballon. Upon landing they realized they
had made it to West Germany and freedom – 6 miles from the Inner-German Border.
Erich Strelzyk learned of his
Brother's escape on the ZDF news and was arrested three hours after the landing
in his Potsdam Apartment. The arrest of Family Members was standard procedure
in East Germany to deter others from attempting escape. He was charged with
"aiding and abetting escape" as were Strelzyk's Sister Maria and her
Husband who were sentenced to 2 1⁄2 years in prison. They were released and
allowed to move to West Germany in 1982 (after a Ransom was paid by West
Germany.)
Both families settled in West
Germany where Peter Strelzyk opened an Electronics Store and Günter Wetzel
became a Mechanic. Due to pressure from Stasi Spies the Strelzyk’s moved to
Switzerland in 1985.
After East and West Germany were
reunited in 1990 the Strelzyks moved back to their former hometown.
Peter Strelzyk died on March 11,
2017 at the age of 74 in Jena.
The Balloon Escape was made into
2 Films: Disney’s 1982 “Night Crossing” and the 2018 German Film “Balloon.”
The Gondola of the Ballon is at
the Wall Museum at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin.
Sunday, September 15, 2024
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Holiday Countdown
There are:
7 Days until Fall.
17 Days until Rosh Hashanah (New
Year’s.)
26 Days until Yom Kippur (Day of
Atonement.)
29 Days until Columbus Day.
29 Days until Canadian Thanksgiving.
46 Days until Halloween.
51 Days until the Elections.
73 Days until American
Thanksgiving.
101 Days until Christmas.
101 Days until Chanukah Starts.
107 Days until New Year’s Eve.
Pet Disaster Plan
Whether a Hurricane, a Snowstorm,
or any other kind of Disaster please plan ahead for your pets too.
Have an Evacuation Plan
for your pet. Many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets inside. Know a
safe place where you can take your pets before disasters and emergencies
happen.
Develop a Buddy System.
Plan with neighbors, friends or relatives to make sure that someone is
available to care for or evacuate your pets if you are unable to do so.
Have your Pet Microchipped.
Make sure to keep your address and phone number up-to-date and include contact
information for an emergency contact outside of your immediate area.
Contact your Local Emergency Management
Office, Animal Shelter or Animal Control Office to get additional advice
and information if you’re unsure how to care for your pet in case of an
emergency.
Have an Emergency Kit
ready to go at your house and in your Car with: Food. Keep several days’ supply
of food in an airtight, waterproof container.
Water: Store a water bowl
and several days’ supply of water.
Medicine: Keep an extra supply of the medicine your pet
takes on a regular basis in a waterproof container.
First aid kit:. Talk to
your veterinarian about what is most appropriate for your pet’s emergency
medical needs.
Collar with ID tag and a
harness or leash: Include a backup
leash, collar and ID tag. Have copies of your pet’s registration information
and other relevant documents in a waterproof container and available
electronically.
Traveling bag, crate or sturdy
carrier: Ideally one for each pet.
Grooming items: Pet
shampoo, conditioner and other items, in case your pet needs some cleaning up.
Sanitation needs: Include pet litter and litter box (if
appropriate), newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags and household
chlorine bleach to provide for your pet’s sanitation needs.
A picture of you and your pet
together: If you become separated from your pet during an emergency, a
picture of you and your pet together will help you document ownership and allow
others to assist you in identifying your pet.
Familiar items: Put favorite toys, treats or bedding in your
kit. Familiar items can help reduce stress for your pet.
84: Battle Of Britain
84: Battle Of Britain Day
Today (September 15th) is Battle
of Britain Day.
It remembers how on September 15,
1940 the largest German Air Attack occurred over Great Britain during World War
2.
The Germans launched the Battle
of Britain July 10-October 31, 1940 to try and weaken British Defenses before a
possible German Invasion of the mainland of the UK could take place (the
Germans already occupied the British Channel Islands in June 1940.)
On September 15, 1940 1,500 German planes bombed London with 630
British and Allied Aircraft defending against them.
The British won the day thanks to
the Airmen in the air and the vast Air Defense System known as the Dowding
System on the ground – with thousands of Men and Women.
The Germans moved away from the
Battle of Britain and trying to invade the UK to the Blitz and just trying to
kill as many British Men, Women and Children they could.
During the Battle of Britain
1,542 British, Free Poles, Free French, New Zealanders, Canadians, Free
Czechoslovaks, Free Belgians, Australians, South Africans, and Americans were
killed and another 422 were wounded.
During the Battle of Britain
23,002 British Men, Women and Children were killed and another 32,138 were
wounded.
The Blitz lasted from September
7, 1940-May 11, 1941.
During the Blitz 43,000 British
Men, Women and Children were killed and another 139,000 were injured.
Note: America was Neutral from
September 1, 1939-December 7, 1941 so didn’t actively participate in the Battle
of Britain or the Blitz (only American Volunteers did.)
The 1969 British Film “Battle of
Britain” with Michael Caine, Laurence Oliver, Christopher Plummer Susannah
York, Trevor Howard and more depicts the events of the Battle of Britain.
Lymphoma Awareness
World Lymphoma Awareness Day
World Lymphoma Awareness Day
(WLAD) is held on September 15 every year and is a day dedicated to raising
awareness of lymphoma, an increasingly common form of cancer. It is a global
initiative hosted by the Lymphoma Coalition (LC), a non-profit network organisation
of 63 lymphoma patient groups from 44 countries around the world. WLAD was
initiated in 2004 to raise public awareness of both Hodgkin and non- Hodgkin
lymphoma in terms of symptom recognition, early diagnosis and treatment.
Lymphoma is increasing in incidence and
is a potentially life-threatening disease. One million people worldwide live
with lymphoma and nearly 1,000 people are diagnosed with the disease every day,
but there continues to be very little awareness of the signs and symptoms of
lymphoma.
New international survey
results show that:
When asked if they know their
nodes, only half (49 percent) of people said they know what nodes do
Although most respondents have
heard of lymphoma, 52 percent of people know very little or nothing about it
Two-thirds (67 percent) of
respondents did not know lymphoma is a type of cancer and that it has one of
the fastest growing incidence rates worldwide
90 percent of people do not think
enough is being done to fund lymphoma research
Increasing awareness of lymphoma
will allow people around the world to better recognize its signs and symptoms,
leading to earlier diagnosis and more timely treatment. Greater awareness will
also empower patients and their families to demand specialist treatment and
care from qualified lymphoma physicians as well as gain access to the most
up-to-date information, support and treatment.
Know Your Nodes: Know Your Nodes is a public awareness
campaign created with the insight that people know little about their lymphatic
systems and, in turn, lymphoma. An international survey conducted in 2006 by
the Lymphoma Coalition revealed that nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of
people did not know lymphoma was a type of cancer and less than half (49 per
cent) knew anything about lymphoma at all. With this knowledge in mind, the
Know Your Nodes campaign was created to take people back to the basics and
learn more about their lymph nodes, lymphatic systems and lymphoma in time for
WLAD.
Know Your Nodes engages people
around the world in learning more about their lymph nodes, the lymphatic
system, and most importantly, the signs and symptoms of lymphoma. Lymphoma’s
signs and symptoms can be similar to other, less serious illnesses, and increasing
awareness of lymphoma will allow people around the world to better recognise
its signs and symptoms, leading to earlier diagnosis and more timely treatment.
Beacons of Hope: The Beacons of Hope program was created in
2006 to celebrate inspiring people around the world that have been affected by
lymphoma. Lymphoma Coalition members were asked to nominate individuals
affected by lymphoma who acted as global ‘Beacons of Hope’ ambassadors. The
ambassadors spread the word of hope across the world, bringing real life
experience to WLAD.
The Lymphoma Club: The Lymphoma Club was founded in 2010 to
recognize those affected by all Lymphomas (Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkin's
Lymphoma) and to help raise awareness for Lymphoma. We are a group of united
warriors, survivors, families, caregivers and friends supporting one another
because together we are stronger.
History: Since its launch in 2004, WLAD has made its
mark internationally, from inspirational showcases of art in Argentina, to bike
tours in France, and patient seminars in New Zealand. The global campaign
continues to provide a platform for doctors, nurses, patient support groups,
patients and their families to share vital knowledge about lymphoma, its signs
and symptoms, and how it affects lives of thousands of people around the world.
In 2007, Lymphoma Coalition launched the Know Your Nodes campaign internationally
to help people learn more about lymph nodes, the lymphatic system and lymphoma.
About Lymphoma Coalition: Lymphoma Coalition is a non-profit network
organisation of lymphoma patient groups. Established in 2003, it is a global
initiative dedicated to raising awareness of lymphoma, a common form of cancer,
and promoting the well-being of people affected by lymphoma worldwide.
Our Mission is to:
Be the global source for lymphoma
facts and statistics
Improve awareness and
understanding of lymphomas
Build capacity for new and
existing lymphoma groups.
Saturday, September 14, 2024
Dispute Ends
From Variety:
“DirecTV, Disney settle
network dispute, will restore service Saturday after signing new long-term deal”
Another lengthy network dispute
has come to an end, with Disney and DirecTV coming to an agreement. The new
long-term deal settles a spat that left more than 11 million DirecTV
subscribers without access to Disney networks for 13 days. Service will be
restored on Saturday before the first college football games kickoff.
A Disney release sent out on
Saturday morning outlines some of the conditions of the deal, including the
return of Disney-owned channels like ABC, ESPN, Disney, Freeform, FX and more
per Puck's John Ourand. Notably, DirecTV will include ESPN at no additional
cost to subscribers. Additionally, DirecTV will offer multiple specific
"skinny" bundles related to Disney networks, such as a sports bundle,
an entertainment bundle, a kids and family bundle, plus the Disney+, Hulu and
ESPN+ bundle. The ability to create these smaller, genre-specific bundles was
one of the sticking points that led to the blackout, per CNBC.
The blackout began on Sept. 1,
with Disney networks going dark on DirecTV's service as contract negotiations
went sour. The blackout left DirecTV subscribers unable to watch several big
events to start the season, including the US Open, the first two weeks of
college football and the first kickoff of the NFL's Monday Night Football. Initially,
the two companies failed to agree on terms for the deal, but were able to
settle things on Saturday in time for a busy sports weekend. Disney-affiliated
networks (including ABC, ESPN and ESPN+) will be hosting more than 30 college
football games on Saturday; Monday Night Football will feature the Atlanta
Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles.
Disney had a similar dispute with
Charter Spectrum last September, leaving subscribers (and tennis players)
unable to watch events like the US Open, but resolved the issue after 12 days.
^ Finally, after 14 days, this is
over with. ^
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/disney-directv-reach-deal-ending-130530952.html
No Belarussian In Belarus
From the AP:
“In Belarus, the native language is vanishing as Russian takes prominence”
When school started this year for
Mikalay in Belarus, the 15-year-old discovered that his teachers and
administrators no longer called him by that name. Instead, they referred to him
as Nikolai, its Russian equivalent. What's more, classes at his school — one of
the country's best — are now taught in Russian, not Belarusian, which he has
spoken for most of his life. Belarusians like Mikalay are experiencing a new
wave of Russification as Moscow expands its economic, political and cultural
dominance to overtake the identity of its neighbor.
It's not the first time. Russia
under the czars and in the era of the Soviet Union imposed its language,
symbols and cultural institutions on Belarus. But with the demise of the USSR
in 1991, the country began to assert its identity, and Belarusian briefly
became the official language, with the white-red-white national flag replacing
a version of the red hammer and sickle. But all that changed in 1994, after
Alexander Lukashenko, a former Soviet collective farm official, came to power.
The authoritarian leader made Russian an official language, alongside
Belarusian, and did away with the nationalist symbols. Now, with Lukashenko in
control of the country for over three decades, he has allowed Russia to
dominate all aspects of life in Belarus, a country of 9.5 million people.
Belarusian, which like Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, is hardly heard on
the streets of Minsk and other large cities anymore.
Official business is conducted in
Russian, which dominates the majority of the media. Lukashenko speaks only
Russian, and government officials often don't use their native tongue. The
country depends on Russian loans and cheap energy and has created a political
and military alliance with Moscow, allowing President Vladimir Putin to deploy
troops and missiles on its soil, which was used as a staging area for the war
in Ukraine. “I understand that our Belarus is occupied. … And who is the
president there? Not Lukashenko. The president is Putin,” said Svetlana
Alexievich, who won the 2015 Nobel Prize for literature and lives in Germany in
effective exile. “The nation has been humiliated and it will be very difficult
for Belarusians to recover from this.”
Belarusian cultural figures have
been persecuted and hundreds of its nationalist organizations have been closed.
Experts say Moscow is seeking to implement in Belarus what the Kremlin intended
to do in neighboring Ukraine when the war there began in 2022. “It is obvious
that our children are being deliberately deprived of their native language,
history and Belarusian identity, but parents have been strongly advised not to
ask questions about Russification,” said Mikalay’s father, Anatoly, who spoke
to The Associated Press on condition his last name not be used, for fear of
retribution. “We were informed about the synchronization of the curriculum with
Russia this year and were shown a propaganda film about how the Ukrainian
special services are allegedly recruiting our teenagers and forcing them to
commit sabotage in Belarus,” he said. Mikalay's school was one of the few where
paperwork and some courses were conducted in Belarusian. In recent years,
however, dozens of teachers were fired and the Belarusian-language section of
its website vanished.
Human rights advocate Ales
Bialiatski, convicted in 2023 on charges stemming from his Nobel Peace
Prize-winning work, demanded his trial be conducted in Belarusian. The court
rejected it and sentenced him to 10 years. Lukashenko derides his native
language, saying “nothing great can be expressed in Belarusian. … There are
only two great languages in the world: Russian and English.” Speaking to
Russian state media, Lukashenko recounted how Putin once thanked him for making
Russian the dominant language in Belarus. “I said, ‘Wait, what are you thanking
me for? ... The Russian language is my language, we were part of one empire,
and we're taking part in (helping) that language develop,'” Lukashenko said.
Belarus was part of the Russian
empire for centuries and became one of 15 Soviet republics after the 1917
Bolshevik Revolution. Daily use of the Belarusian language decreased and
continued only in the country's west and north and in rural areas. In 1994,
about 40% of students were taught in Belarusian; it's now down to under 9%. Although
Belarusian, like Russian, is an eastern Slavic language, its vocabulary is
considerably different. In 1517, Belarusian publisher Francysk Skaryna was one
of the first in eastern Europe to translate the Bible into his native language.
Even speaking Belarusian is seen
as a show of opposition to Lukashenko and a declaration of national identity.
That played a key role in the mass protests after the disputed 2020 election
gave the authoritarian leader a sixth term. In the harsh crackdown that
followed, a half-million people fled the country. “The Belarusian language is
increasingly perceived as a sign of political disloyalty and is being abandoned
in favor of Russian in the public administration, education, culture and the
mass media, upon orders from the hierarchy or out of fear of discrimination,”
said Anaïs Marin, the United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in
Belarus. At the same time, “more people want to speak Belarusian, which has
become one of the symbols of freedom, but they're afraid to do it in public,”
said Alina Nahornaja, author of “Language 404,” a book about Belarusians who
experienced discrimination for speaking their native language.
Like Ukraine, Belarusians had a desire for rapprochement with Europe that accompanied their nationalist sentiment, said Belarusian analyst Valery Karbalevich. “But the Kremlin quickly realized the danger and began the process of creeping Russification in Belarus,” he added. That prompted pro-Russian organizations, joint educational programs and cultural projects to spring up "like mushrooms after the rain — against the backdrop of harsh repressions against everything Belarusian,” Karbalevich said. Censorship and bans affect not only contemporary Belarusian literature but also its classics. In 2023, the prosecutor’s office declared as extremist the 19th-century poems of Vincent Dunin-Martsinkyevich, who opposed the Russian Empire. When the Kremlin began supporting Lukashenko against the anti-government protests in 2020, it ensured his loyalty and received carte blanche in Belarus. “Today, Lukashenko is paying Putin with our sovereignty,” said exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. “Belarusian national identity, cultures and language are our strongest weapons against the Russian world and Russification.”
Four cities in Belarus now host a
“Russia House” to promote its culture and influence, offering seminars, film
clubs, exhibitions and competitions. “The goal is to plant Russian narratives
so that as many Belarusians as possible view Russian as their own,” said
analyst Alexander Friedman. “The Kremlin spares no expense and acts on a grand
scale, which could be especially effective and dangerous in a situation where
Belarus has found itself in information isolation, and there is almost no one
left inside the country to resist the Russian world.” Almost the entire troupe
of the Yanka Kupala Theater, the country’s oldest, fled Belarus amid the
political crackdown. Its former director, Pavel Latushka, now an opposition
figure abroad, said the new management couldn't recruit enough new actors, and
had to invite Russians, “but it turned out that no one knew the Belarusian
language.” “Putin published an article denying the existence of an independent
Ukraine back in 2021, and even then we understood perfectly well that he was
pursuing similar goals in Belarus," Latushka said. “The main course was
supposed to be Ukraine,” he added, with a Russified Belarus "as a dessert.
^ It’s sad to see Belarus as both
a Victim of its Dictator, Lukashenko, and Russia’s Dictator, Putin. ^
https://www.yahoo.com/news/belarus-native-language-vanishing-russian-041839386.html
Friday, September 13, 2024
Thursday, September 12, 2024
Off The Path
I have always been one who likes to travel off the beaten path.
I don’t go on Group Tours (unless
they are 1 Day ones) and I don’t like travelling by myself.
I have used all sorts of
different traveling methods: an Old Soviet Train with Uncomfortable Wooden
Benches in Russia; Over-Crowded Ferries; a Plane that was held together with
Duct Tape; High Speed Trains; a 3 Seater Arctic Hydro-Plane; Limousines; First
Class Planes; Private Taxis; Public Taxis; a Private Jet; a Hired Car with a
Private Driver; a Snowmobile; a Gondola in Venice; a Monorail; a Speed Boat; in
a Hot Air Balloon; an Over-Crowded Plane with no Class Sections and random
Animals on it (Not Service Animals); a Paddle Boat; a Helicopter; a Bike; a Funicular in Ukraine; a Canoe and a
Dog Sled.
I have stayed in all sorts of
different places: in a Hostel that was a Former Jail in Canada; in the back of
a Pick-Up Truck; at a 6 Star Resort; at a Haunted Motel; at a Soviet
Khrushchevka in Ukraine; at All-Inclusive
Resorts; at a Hotel that was constantly bombed during the 30 years of The
Troubles; in the Back Seat of my Car; at
a French Castle; at a Closed Rest Area with no Visitor’s Center during a
snowstorm; in an Ice Fishing Hut; in a Wilderness Emergency Cabin; on the
Beach; in a Tent; on the Bare Ground; on a Bench during the Russian Winter; in
a Cave; on a Houseboat; on a Barn; in a Tree House and at an Irish Castle.
I have done many fun and exciting
things: gone Sky-Diving; gone Bungee Jumping; gone Para-Gliding; jumped out of
a Helicopter into the Mediterranean Sea; gone Skinny Dipping; went to the Blue
Grotto in Malta; swam in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland; went to German, Croatian,
French, Dutch, British and Austrian Christmas Markets; went Rock Climbing off a
Scottish Castle on Loch Lomond; skied in the Austrian and German Alps; swam
with Dolphins in the Bahamas; spent the night at Frankenstein’s Castle in
Darmstadt, Germany; went to Raves; went to Euro Disney in Paris; went to Disney
World in Florida; went to Lego Land;
went to the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland; walked on an Alaskan Glacier;
went to the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland; went to the Munich
Oktoberfest; went to the Gullfoss in Iceland (where the European and Atlantic
Tectonic Plates meet); went to the Gaeltacht (Irish-Speaking Area of Ireland);
sat on the Throne at the Winter Palace/The Hermitage in Saint Petersburg; saw
the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels); saw the Crown Jewels of
England; went into the World Trade Center many times over the years when my Mom
worked there; went to the Pentagon several times when my Dad worked there, went
to the Rosh Hanikra Caves in Israel; saw the Canadian Maple Crown; went inside
Lenin’s Mausoleum on Moscow; went to Stonehenge; went to the Masada Fortress in
Israel; went to Sherwood Forrest; went
to Peterhof Castle in Saint Petersburg; flew a small plane from West Germany to
England; fed Shamu at Sea World in San Antonio; reenacted in a Revolutionary
War Battle at Saratoga; went to the Prime Minister’s Question Time in Canada;
went to the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica; went up Magnetic Hill in Canada; took
a tour of the White House; had a Colonial-Themed Meal at Colonial Williamsburg;
swam in the Dead Sea; went to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem; visited
the Oldest City in the World – Jericho and rode a Horse in the Rain Forrest in
Costa Rica.
I have travelled to many places
most Americans haven’t: Several Hours North of the Arctic Circle in Alaska,
Russia (living there 2 times and visiting there 3 times); Montenegro; Croatia;
Bosnia & Herzegovina; Prince Edward Island, Canada; Cyprus; the West Bank
Palestinian Territories; Iceland; West Germany; Campobello Island, Canada;
Poland; the Isle of Skye, Scotland; the United Arab Emirates; Northern Ireland;
Malta; Kuwait; Greece; Israel and Ukraine.
I have been very lucky and have
gotten to do so many fun and interesting things in so many fun and interesting
places.
I don't take any of that lightly.
For the past 15 years I have
lived off-the-beaten path on my Mountain here in northern New England where the
Arctic Circle gets more Visitors every year then we do.
PYOCC
I asked a Farmer Friend I know if their candy
corn crop was good this year. I got no reply. I hope it is. I love candy corn.
I would even go to the farm to PYOCC (Pick Your Own Candy Corn.)
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
23: Father Mychal
Father Mychal Judge
Father Mychal Judge was born Robert
Emmett Judge on May 11, 1933 in Brooklyn the Son of Irish Immigrants. He has a
Twin Sister, Dympna.
When he was 6 his Father died and
he shined shoes at Penn Station to help his Mother and Family out.
He went to St. Joseph's Seraphic
Seminary in Callicoon, New York, the Minor Seminary of the Holy Name Province
of the Order.
After Graduation, he enrolled at
St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York.
In 1955 he received the Religious
Habit and professed his first Vows as a Member of Franciscan Friars.
He was given the Religious Name
of Fallon Michael. He later dropped 'Fallon' and changed 'Michael' to Mychal
(to differentiate himself from all the other Father Michaels.)
He professed his Solemn Vows as a
Full Member of the Order in 1958.
Following this, he did his Theological Studies
at Holy Name College Seminary in Washington, D.C. Upon completing these studies
in 1961, he was ordained a Priest.
After his Ordination, he was sent
to various Parishes in Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
For three years he served as Assistant
to the President of Siena College, operated by the Franciscans in Loudonville,
New York.
In 1986 he was assigned to St. Francis of
Assisi Church in Manhattan, where he had first come to know the Friars.
In 1992, He was appointed a Chaplain
to the New York City Fire Department.
As Chaplain, he offered
encouragement and prayers at fires, rescues, and hospitals, and counseled Firemen
and their Families, often working 16-hour days.
He was also well known in the City
for ministering to the Homeless, the Hungry, Recovering Alcoholics, People with
AIDS, the Sick, Injured, and Grieving, Immigrants, Gays and Lesbians, and those
alienated by society.
On September 11, 2001 Father
Mychal went to the North Tower of the World Trade Center where a Command Center
was established.
There he continued offering aid
and prayers for the Rescuers, the Injured, and the Dead.
When the South Tower collapsed
debris flew into the North Tower and killed Father Mychal.
Shortly after his death, Father
Mychal’s body was found and carried out of the North Tower by five People
(Firefighters Christian Waugh and Zachary Vause, NYPD Lt. William Cosgrove,
civilian John Maguire and FDNY EMT Kevin Allen) shortly before it collapsed at
10:28 a.m.
Father Mychal was designated as
"Victim 0001" and thereby recognized as the first Official Victim of
the attacks.
Although others had been killed
before him, including the Crews, Passengers, and Hijackers of the first three
planes, and Occupants of the Towers and the Pentagon, Father Mychal was the
first certified fatality because his body was the first to be recovered and
taken to the Medical Examiner.
On September 15, 2001, 3,000 People
attended Father Mychal’s funeral Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Church, which
was presided over by Cardinal Edward Egan, the Archbishop of New York.
Father Mychal was buried in the Friars'
plot at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Totowa, New Jersey.
Father Mychal’s Fire Helmet was
presented to Pope John Paul II.
In 2002 the Orthodox-Catholic
Church of America declared him a Saint.
There are calls for the Roman Catholic
Church to declare him a Saint too.
23: Wheelchair
(Picture: John Cerqueira on the left and Michael Benfante on the right shortly after leaving the World Trade Center carrying Tina Hansen in a wheelchair from the 68th Floor and handing her over to the Paramedics. Moments later the Towers fell.)
23 years ago today (on September
11, 2001) 22 year old John Cerqueira and his Boss, Michael Benfante, went from
the 81st Floor down to the 68th Floor of the North Towers of the World Trade
Center after the planes hit the Towers.
On the 68th Floor they came
across a Woman they had never met, Tina Hansen, in a mechanized wheelchair who
needed help evacuating since the elevators weren’t working.
The 2 Men transferred Tina from
her mechanized wheelchair to a nearby evacuation wheelchair and started
carrying her down from the 68th Floor.
It took an hour for the 2 Men to
carry the wheelchair and Tina from the 68th Floor to the outside (through thick
smoke, fires and lots of people.)
They had made it down 20 Floors
when the South Towers Collapsed rocking the North Towers.
They quickened their pace and
made it down to the outside where a News Reporter took their picture (right
after they handled Tina Hansen to Paramedics and moments before the North Tower
fell.)
A year later John Cerueira was at
Michael Benfante’s Wedding as was Tina Hansen, in her new wheelchair.
23: Mike Kehoe
Here is New York Firefighter Mike
Kehoe inside the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
He is running up the stairs,
through thick airplane engine smoke and fires, to save people while others) are
running to their safety.
He survived the collapse by a
mere 30 seconds.
343 of his Firefighter Colleagues
did not.
23: Michael And Roselle
Michael Hingson and Roselle
Michael Hingson has been Blind
since Birth.
He worked as a Regional Sales Manager
and Head of Operations for Quantum/ATL, a Data-Protection Agency, on the 78th
floor of the North Tower at the World Trade Center with his Service Dog,
Roselle.
On September 11, 2001 Michael was
setting up the Conference Room for their Breakfast Meeting and Roselle took her
position near the door to great People.
Moments later Flight 11 crashed
into the North Tower swaying it back and forth.
Michael and Roselle walked down
78 flights of stairs to safety.
Roselle passed away on June 26,
2011 with Michael and his Wife, Karen, by her side.
They subsequently formed
Roselle’s Dream Foundation in her honor; the Nonprofit Charity educates People
on Blindness and assists Blind Children and Adults in obtaining technology to
help them navigate the world around them.
23: Jumpers
23 years ago today (September 11,
2001) an estimated 200 people jumped to their deaths from the burning Towers of
the World Trade Center before they collapsed. They have since been called
“Jumpers."
The vast majority were at or
above the points of impact from the planes and had to choose either to burn or
choke to death or jump.
In early video coverage (when the
Towers were burning, but hadn't collapsed yet) you can hear the
"thumps" as their bodies hit the ground.
This is a picture (called “The
Falling Man”) of an unidentified man who jumped out of the burning Towers to
the street below. It was only published once in the United States (on September
12, 2001) and then never again because many people thought it was too horrific
to see.
It IS horrific and that is why
EVERYONE (especially those too young on 9/11 or not yet born then) needs to see
it and others like it. It captures exactly what happened on 9/11. Thousands of
innocent men, women and children started their day like any other and then were
wounded or killed because of the actions of the Terrorists.
The NY Medical Examiner’s Office
doesn’t classify the people who jumped from the Towers as “Suicides” because
they did not go to their work that day intending to die. They were faced with
no other options since no rescue workers could get to them and the smoke and
fire were about to consume them.
In the Documentaries and other
Video Footage of the Attacks you can clearly hear the “thumps” and “crashes” of
those who jumped as they hit other buildings, cars, people or the streets
below.
The exact number of “Jumpers”
will never be known since both Towers fell on top of them afterwards.
23: Ukraine
Ukraine stood with the United
States on 9/11 and 22 years later we stand with Ukraine.
In 2001 the US faced pure evil
and in 2022-2023- 2024 Ukraine faces pure evil.
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Empire Honors
The Empire State Building (Strikes
Back) in honor of James Earl Jones – New York - September 2024.
93: Liliana Segre
Liliana Segre
(Liliana Segre and her Father
Alberto in the 1930s.)
Liliana Segre was born on
September 10, 1930 in Milan, Italy.
Her Mother died when she was 1
year old.
in 1938 Segre was expelled from
her Elementary School after the promulgation of the Italian Racial Laws.
On December 10, 1943 she tried to
flee Italy for Switzerland with her Father, but the Swiss Authorities refused
to let them into Switzerland so they returned home.
On December 11, 1943 she was
arrested and kept in several Fascist Prisons and Camps in Italy until January
30, 1944 when she was 13 years old, she was deported from Milan Central Station
to the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland.
(Liliana Segre at the age of 13
in 1943, a few months before her arrest.)
She never saw her Father again. He
was murdered by the Germans on April 27, 1945.
At the Selection, Segre was
tattooed with the Number 75190.
She was employed in Forced Labor in the Union Ammunition
Factory, which belonged to Siemens, for one year.
During her imprisonment, she survived 2 other
Selections.
In January 1945, after the
evacuation of the Camp, she was sent on a Death March towards Ravensbrück Concentration
Camp in Germany.
After some weeks spent there in terrible
conditions, she was marched on to its Satellite Malchow Concentration Camp
where she was liberated by the Red Army on May 1, 1945 when she was 14 years
old.
Out of the 776 Italian Children
aged 14 or younger who were deported to the Auschwitz Death Camo only 35
survived.
(Alfredo Belli Paci and Lilana
Segre.)
Segre went back to Italy where she
lived with her Maternal Grandparents (the only Family who survived the
Holocaust.)
In 1951 she married Alfredo Belli
Paci, a Catholic Political Prisoner who had also survived the Nazi Concentration
Camps. They had 3 Children.
After decades of silence, in the
1990s she started to speak to the public, especially Young Students, about her
experience during the Holocaust.
Her Husband died in 2007.
(Liliana Segre in 2018.)
On January 19, 2018, the 80th Anniversary
of the Italian Racial Laws, the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio
Mattarella, on the basis of Article 59 Subsection 2 of the Italian
Constitution, appointed Segre as Senator For Life for Outstanding Patriotic Merits
in the Social Field.
Liliana Segre turns 93 years old
today (September 10, 2024.)
20 Days Until..
.jpg)
The
US Federal Government has until September 30th (20 days from now) to pass a
Budget with the House, the Senate and Biden all agreeing otherwise the Federal
Government will Shutdown.
Both
the Republicans and the Democrats agree to avoid a Shutdown at all costs.
Here’s where it gets tricky:
The
Republicans only want to fund the Federal Government until the Election on
November 5th (not for the whole year as has always been done which would be
until September 30, 2025.)
The
Republicans’ Plan is to hurt Biden from November 5, 2024 until January 20, 2025
and then hurt Harris (if she wins) from the very beginning.
It
also hurt the American People since no Benefits would be paid to the Elderly,
the Disabled, Veterans, etc. over the Holidays, Americans working for the
Government would also not get their salaries over the Holidays and Ordinary
Americans would be burdened while travelling home for Thanksgiving, Chanukah
and Christmas - which is usually busy
and crowded anyways, but would be more so with Furloughed and Short-Staffed
TSA, etc.
The
Republicans say that if Trump wins then they will easily pass a new Budget once
he’s in office on January 20, 2025 (not sure how you can have an Inauguration
when the Federal Government is closed.)
The
Democrats’ Plan is to fund the Government until September 2025.
That
way it helps Biden and Harris (if she wins) and help Ordinary Americans, the
Elderly, the Disabled, Government Workers, Veterans etc. through Thanksgiving,
Chanukah and Christmas.
They
also hope to make this a big blow to Trump (if he wins) since he will have to
wait until September 2025 to gut the whole Federal Government (Veterans’
Benefits, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, the US Military, the Department
of Education, the State Department, etc.)
I
am against ANYONE who places themselves and their Politics over doing what is
right for the American People.
Doing
Right here means passing a Federal Budget that keeps the Federal Government
open through September 30, 2025.
In
this instance I support the Democrats' Plan over the Republicans' Plan.
Moscow Bombed
Moscow was bombed today
(September 10, 2024.)
It is believed to have been
attacked by either Ukraine or Russian Anti-Nazis.
Moscow is a legitimate military
target since it is the Capital of Russia and where Putin and his Nazi Zs are
planning and carrying out their Ukrainian War Crimes from.
It is the same way that Berlin
was a legitimate military target from 1939-1945 since it was the Capital of
Germany and where Hitler and his Nazis planned and carried out their War Crimes
from.
I have been to Moscow many times
(at least 3 dozen) and have Friends that still live there so I don’t take
attacking Moscow lightly, but it is the right thing to do to bring Putin’s War
to the Ordinary Russian (since apparently, over a Month and counting of having
parts of Russia occupied by Ukraine and forcing 130,000 Russians to flee hasn’t
shown the Russian People that Putin is lying about the War.)
Monday, September 9, 2024
.jpg)
James Earl Jones
James
Earl Jones died today (September 9, 2024) at the age of 93.
He
was born in Mississippi on January 17, 1931.
He
served in the US Army shortly after the Korean War ended.
After
his Military Service he started working in Film and TV Shows.
He
was the voice of Darth Vader in “Star Wars” (1977), “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980), “Return Of
The Jedi” (1983) and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (2010.)
He
was also in “Coming To America” (1988), “The Hunt For Red October” (1990), “The
Sandlot” (1993), “The Lion King” (1994 – as the Voice of Mustapha), “Coming To
America 2” (2021) and dozens more movies and shows.
German Controls
From Reuters:
“Germany tightens controls at all borders in immigration crackdown”
Germany's
government announced plans to impose tighter controls at all of the country's
land borders in what it called an attempt to tackle irregular migration and
protect the public from threats such as Islamist extremism. The controls will
start on Sept. 16 and initially last for six months, the interior ministry said
in a statement on Monday. They are part of a series of measures Germany has
taken to toughen its stance on irregular migration in recent years following a
surge in arrivals, in particular people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle
East.
Chancellor
Olaf Scholz's government is seeking to seize back the initiative from the
opposition far-right and conservatives, who have seen support rise as they tap
into voter worries about stretched public services, integration and security. "We
are strengthening internal security and continuing our hard line against
irregular migration," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said. Recent deadly
knife attacks in which the suspects were asylum seekers have stoked concerns
over immigration. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a knife
attack in the western city of Solingen that killed three people in August. The
AfD earlier this month became the first far-right party since World War Two to
win a state election, in Thuringia, after campaigning heavily on the issue of
migration. Polls show it is also voters' top concern in the state of
Brandenburg, which is set to hold elections in two weeks. Scholz and Faeser's
centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are fighting to retain control of the
government there, in a vote billed as a test of strength of the SPD ahead of
next year's federal election. "The intention of the government seems to be
to show symbolically to Germans and potential migrants that the latter are no
longer wanted here," said Marcus Engler at the German Centre for
Integration and Migration Research.
A TEST FOR EUROPE A backlash had
been building in Germany ever since it took in more than a million people
mostly fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria during the 2015/2016 migrant
crisis, migration experts say. It reached a tipping point in the country
of 84 million people after it automatically granted asylum to around a million
Ukrainians fleeing Russia's 2022 invasion even as Germany was struggling
through an energy and economic crisis.
The
German government last year already announced stricter controls on its land
borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. Those and controls on
the border with Austria had allowed it to return 30,000 migrants since October
2023, it said on Monday. Berlin has also agreed tighter deportation rules and
resumed flying convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country,
despite suspending deportations after the Taliban took power in 2021 due to
human rights concerns. The controls could test European unity if they lead to
German authorities requesting other countries to take back substantial numbers
of asylum seekers and migrants. Under EU rules countries in the Schengen area,
which encompasses all of the bloc bar Cyprus and Ireland, are only allowed to
introduce border checks as a last resort to avert threats to internal security
or public policy.
Germany
shares its more than 3,700-km-long (2,300 miles) land border with Denmark, the
Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech
Republic and Poland. Austria's Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told Bild
newspaper on Monday that his country would not take in any migrants turned away
by Germany at the border. "There's no room for manoeuvre there," he
said. The measures may not immediately result in many more migrants being
turned away at the border, but they could result in more returns to other
European countries down the line, as well as acting as a deterrent, said Susan
Fratzke at the Migration Policy Institute. The number of asylum applications in
Germany already fell 21.7% in the first eight months of the year, according to
government statistics.
^ Germany
is going to start (September 16th) doing Immigration and Customs Checks at its
Airports, Seaports and Land Borders with Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium,
Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Poland.
Germany
is a part of the European Union and also a part of the Schengen Area and the 2
pillars of both the EU and Schengen is freedom of movement between EU Members
and between Schengen Members.
Note:
Not every EU Member Country is a Member of Schengen (Ireland andCyprus) and not
every Schengen Member Country is an EU Member (Iceland, Liectenstein, Norway
and Switzerland.)
Andorra,
Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican are not members of either the EU or
Schengen, but have open borders with them.
There
are 29 Schengen Member Countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the
Czech Republic, Denmark (not including Greenland or the Faroe Islands),
Estonia, Finland, France (not including Overseas Territories), Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
the Netherlands (not including the Caribbean Netherlands), Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.)
Germany
is not the only EU or Schengen Member that has imposed Immigration and Customs
Checks at its Borders with another EU or Schengen Member Country.
There
are even EU or Schengen Member Countries that have Border Barriers with other
EU or Schengen Member Countries:
Austria
has a Border Barrier with Slovenia and Italy (since 2015.)
Denmark
has a Border Fence with Germany (since 2019.)
Hungary
has a Border Wall with Croatia (since 2015.)
Slovenia
has a Border Wall with Croatia (since 2016.)
Having
Border Controls or Walls between one EU Member Country with another EU Member
Country ot between One Schengen Member Country with another Schengen Member
Country is the same as having Border Controls or Walls between 1 US State with
another US State (like between New Hampshire and Massachusetts.) ^
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Final Medal Count
The 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris have officially ended!
Here are the final Medal Counts (not including those already postedin 1st-10th Places):
11th Place: Team Germany: 10 Gold, 14 Silver and 25 Bronze.
12th Place: Team Canada: 10 Gold, 9 Silver and 10 Bronze.
16th Place: Team Poland: 8 Gold, 6 Silver and 9 Bronze.
17th Place: Team Spain: 7 Gold, 11 Silver and 22 Bronze.
19th Place: Team Colombia: 7 Gold, 7 Silver and 14 Bronze.
29th Place: Team Israel: 4 Gold, 2 Silver and 4 Bronze.
39th Place: Team Kazakhstan: 2 Gold, 3 Silver and 4 Bronze.
73rd
Place: Team Cyprus: 0 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze.
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